Manila - A 72-year-old woman was killed Wednesday as a powerful typhoon slammed into the northern Philippines, triggering landslides and flashfloods.

The woman was buried in a landslide in Benguet province, 225 kilometres south of Manila, the provincial disaster-coordinating council said.

Classes have been suspended at schools in Manila and northern provinces because of heavy rains and strong winds brought by Typhoon Nuri, which was packing maximum sustained winds of 140 kilometres per hour and gusts of up to 170 kph.

Manila - The Philippine military on Tuesday vowed to take "aggressive actions" against Muslim separatist rebels who killed 49 people in a deadly rampage that also displaced more than 36,000 residents in southern provinces.

General Alexander Yano, armed forces chief of staff, said government forces were hunting down Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels after a string of attacks in the southern region of Mindanao since the weekend.

Manila - Muslim separatist rebels attacked several towns in the southern Philippines Monday, killing at least two people, burning homes and looting businesses, military and police officials said.

The attacks triggered fresh fighting between government forces and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels in the southern provinces of Sarangani and Lanao del Norte on the island of Mindanao, the military said.

Manila - Seven government troops were killed and 11 others wounded Sunday in an ambush by unidentified assailants in the southern Philippines, an army spokesman said.

The gunmen opened fire on a convoy of army soldiers and militiamen in the boundary of Mulondo and Baudiposo-Buntong towns in Lanao del Sur province, 810 kilometres south of Manila.

Lieutenant Colonel Romeo Brawner said the identities of the attackers were not immediately known, but Muslim separatist rebels are known to operate in the area.

Manila - Two marines were fatally shot Saturday by Islamic militants after their motorcycle broke down on a southern Philippine island, a navy spokesman said.

The victims were attacked by al-Qaeda-linked Muslim Abu Sayyaf rebels in Panamao town on Jolo Island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila, Lieutenant Colonel Edgard Arevalo said.

Arevalo said the marines' motorcycle developed engine trouble, forcing them to stop on an isolated road in the village of Kandayuk. After a few minutes, Abu Sayyaf rebels fired at them.

Manila - A Philippine labour organization on Friday expressed alarm over a spate of suicides among Filipino workers in the United Arab Emirates.

According to Migrante, an alliance of Filipino migrant workers, at least seven Filipino workers have committed suicide in the seven-state Middle Eastern federation since the start of the year.