Manila - One person was killed and thousands of passengers stranded as a tropical storm lashed the Philippines for the past three days, a government agency said Monday.

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said the fatality was drowned after a motorized boat capsized Sunday while crossing a swollen river in Valderama town in Antique province, 435 kilometres south of Manila.

The NDCC said two other people remained missing while three others survived in the accident triggered by heavy rains brought about by tropical storm Hagupit

Close to 4,000 passengers have been stranded in different ports in central and eastern provinces after the coast guard banned vessels from sailing due to strong waves.

Manila - Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has appointed Police Deputy Director General Jesus Versoza as the country's new police chief, a government statement said Monday.

Versoza, the current police deputy chief for operations, will replace Director General Avelino Razon who was set to retire later in the month.

Arroyo issued the appointment of Versoza shortly before leaving for the United States late Sunday to attend the 63rd United Nations General Assembly in New York, the statement said.

Manila  - The Philippine government on Saturday ordered agriculture and food authorities to prevent the entry of new stocks of milk contaminated with melamine from China.

The Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Food and Drugs were also directed to monitor the markets amid reports that some contaminated products have reached Philippine markets.

Presidential Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said all suspected products should be held immediately.

"They should hold any stock of contaminated milk and make sure it does not reach the market," he said in a radio interview.

Manila - Three communist rebels were killed in a clash with government troops in the central Philippines, an army spokesman said Friday.

Manila - Philippine share prices surged 4.69 per cent on Friday, buoyed by the US government's plan to rescue troubled financial institutions.

The 30-share composite index of the Philippine Stock Exchange gained 110.42 points to close at 2,462.79 from Thursday's finish of 2,352.37.

Gainers led losers 99 to 19, while 29 stocks were unchanged.

A total of 1.03 billion shares worth 3.095 billion pesos (66.274 million dollars) were traded.

Manila - Philippine stocks continued to freefall on Thursday, after a slight recovery a day earlier, with the main index plunging 4.25 per cent.

The Philippine Stock Exchange's 30-share composite index lost 104.63 points to close at 2,352.37 from Wednesday's finish of 2,457.00.

A total of 1.81 billion shares worth 2.15 billion pesos (45.74 million dollars) were traded.

Losers swamped gainers 117 to 14, with 23 issues unchanged.