Sunday, April 13, 2008 (Philippines)

RICE buyers zigzag among parked vehicles as they wait in line to buy government subsidized rice, at half the price of commercial rice, at a public market in Manila. Food prices are rising in the wake of an increase in the price of oil products and rice. (AP Photo) OIL companies raised the prices of petroleum products for the seventh time this year, this time by P0.50 per liter. Giant players Petron Corp. and Pilipinas Shell and three smaller oil companies said the increase resulted from the continuing rise of oil prices in the international market. A minute past midnight Saturday, Shell, Unioil, Flying V and Eastern Petroleum increased by 50 centavos per liter the pump prices of gasoline, kerosene and diesel. [full story]