Wonder Girls at the Sony Ericsson media launch in Singapore. (Photo courtesy of JYP Entertainment)

K-pop quintet Wonder Girls are the new “digital brand ambassadors” of mobile phone manufacturer Sony Ericsson in the Asia-Pacific region.

The group was in Singapore last March 9 to talk about the features of Sony Ericsson’s new phones.

Early this year, Sony Ericsson launched their new Vivaz and Xperia X10 mobile phones.

At the launch, the girls were introduced as the new models for the company in Japan, South Korea, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Australia, and New Zealand.

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The Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) was officially turned over to Department of Tourism (DoT) as an attached agency, from the Board of Investments of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), during rites held in Malacañang recently.

The ceremony was attended by Tourism Secretary Ace Durano, out-going DTI Secretary Peter Favila, and PRA Chairman Edgar Aglipay.

Durano said that the move was made in accordance with Republic Act 9593, also known as the national Tourism Policy Act.

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Malacanang has taken a direct hand in solving tax evasion and smuggling problems to raise more money for the government, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Joel Tan-Torres announced Thursday.

Tan-Torres said President Arroyo has formed a committee to review, assess and evaluate tax cheating cases filed in the courts but which were subsequently dismissed.

In signing Administrative Order No. 277, the BIR chief said the President was concerned of the twin problems and wanted to determine the reasons why the courts sided with smugglers and tax cheats.

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CEBU (PNA) — Cebu-based Southern Partners and Fair Trade Center, Inc. (SPFTC) has signed a grant contract with the Japanese Government to upgrade its mango processing facilities and provide new equipment in its Naga City, Cebu plant.

SPFTC Managing Director Geraldine M. Labradores and Ambassador Makoto Katsura signed the agreement Wednesday at the Japanese embassy in Manila.

The project, valued at $93,910 (about R4.3 million), will be funded through Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP).

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BACOLOD CITY (PNA) — The Bacolod City government is seeking approval of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), through Chairman Jose Melo, for exemption from expenditure, including donations, for its various projects which are in line with the implementation of its institutionalized programs and services.

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President Arroyo yesterday vowed to ensure a peaceful turnover of power to the next chief executive on June 30, assuring critics that she would not stay a day longer in office.

Podcast for the Pacquiao-Clottey fight is now airing! Click here to listen.

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Gen. Delfin Bangit vowed to uphold God and eschew any politician or vested interest as he assumed the post of Armed Forces chief yesterday.

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The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) reported that three lucky winners would get more than P27 million each as their share of the P83,154,092.40 jackpot of the SuperLotto online lottery draw last Tuesday night.

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