epa01975778 Newly born baby Sheizel Rose Azures (R), who was born inside an evacuation center is shown upon by morning sunrise as her father Shem (L) holds her in Legaspi city, Albay province in Bicol region of the Philippines on 28 December 2009. Philippine volcanologists on 27 December warned nearly 50,000 displaced people against returning to their homes at the foot of an erupting volcano, amid a brief slowdown in activity. The Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said Mayon was rocked by nine ash explosions, some reaching as high as 1 kilometre above the crater, Sunday morning. While volcanic earthquakes and sulfur dioxide emissions went down overnight, the institute said magma was still building up in Mayon as its cone 'remained inflated.' EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

epa01960655 A Filipino resident shouts for rescue during a fire at a shantytown in Manila, Philippines on 10 December 2009. Two children died on 10 December 2009 afternoon after a massive fire razed an informal settler community and several establishments near Claro M. Recto Avenue in Manila, a resident’s eyewitness account said. Police Inspector John Guiagui said the fire could have been caused by an electrical short circuit from a jumper wire, or an illegal electrical connection. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

epa01960664 Filipino residents run on the roof of shanties during a fire at a shantytown in Manila, Philippines on 10 December 2009. Two children died on 10 December 2009 afternoon after a massive fire razed an informal settler community and several establishments near Claro M. Recto Avenue in Manila, a resident’s eyewitness account said. Police Inspector John Guiagui said the fire could have been caused by an electrical short circuit from a jumper wire, or an illegal electrical connection. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

epa02276490 Filipino fire victims are seen amongst debris after a fire that hit a shanty town in Malabon city, north of Manila, Philippines on 07 August 2010. At least 300 houses were destroyed in a fire that hit a residential area in Malabon City shortly before midnight 06 August 2010. Malabon fire marshal Chief Inspector Rodrigo Reyes said they could not get to the site immediately because many of the roads were still flooded following heavy rains. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

epa02271417 A Filipino boy views a passenger plane as it lands at Manila's international airport, Philippines on 03 August 2010. Government officials on Monday failed to resolve the row between the management and pilots of flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) that has already resulted to a number of canceled flights since Saturday. More than 20 flights have already been canceled after a number of pilots resigned reportedly to seek better opportunities abroad. The PAL dispute affected trade, tourism and the Philippines’ reputation. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

epa02268123 Filipino informal settlers collect usable materials floating at a river in Paranaque city, south of Manila, Philippines on 31 July 2010. The shanty-towns along riverbanks and their garbage block the flow of water that are at great risk from flooding due to their proximity to clogged drainage, thus worsening the impact of typhoons, according to records of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

epa02258243 Filipino street children roam as they beg for alms at a street in Manila, Philippines, on 23 July 2010. About four million households, or one of five Filipino families, experienced hunger at least once during the past three months, according to a June survey by Manila-based pollster Social Weather Stations. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

epa02258244 Filipino informal settlers are seen in shanties in Manila, Philippines, on 23 July 2010. About four million households, or one of five Filipino families, experienced hunger at least once during the past three months, according to a June survey by Manila-based pollster Social Weather Stations. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

epa01916328 A Filipino boy braves strong winds during typhoon in the town of Bacoor, Cavite province, Philippines on 31 October 2009. At least five people were killed as a powerful typhoon on 31 October hit several provinces in the Philippines, triggering flashfloods, landslides and widespread power outages, officials said. Hundreds of houses in shore areas were swept away by huge waves when Typhoon Mirinae hit land. Mirinae pummelled the country three weeks after back-to-back storms wreaked havoc in Manila and the northern provinces, killing nearly 1,000 people and affecting more than 8 million. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

epa01903382 Filipinos are seen in front of shanties built near a dike at a flood prone area in Manila, Philippines, 20 October 2009. Philippine relief officials are stocking up on food, medicine and other necessities ahead of a powerful typhoon that threatens northern provinces, already reeling from back-to-back storms that killed 858 people. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

epa01885794 Philippine Navy rescuers attend a sick baby in devastated area in Taytay town, Rizal province, east of Manila, Philippines on 04 October 2009. Powerful typhoon Parma pummelled the north-eastern Philippines on 03 October and killed 17 people in floods and landslides, but spared the capital and surrounding areas still recovering from devastating floods of typhoon Ketsana. The victims from typhoon Parma included seven people who died when a landslide swept a house at the edge of a ravine in Itogon town in Benguet province, 210Km north of Manila. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

epa01881833 Filipino evacuees scramble for a tray of eggs during relief distribution in devastated area caused by Storm Ketsana in the town of Taytay, Rizal province, Philippines on 01 October 2009. Reports of blocking and stoning of convoys bringing goods for victims have prompted authorities to order police and military forces to secure relief missions. The Philippine weather bureau Thursday raised the alert for a powerful typhoon that is expected to hit the country just one week after storm Ketsana killed at least 277 people. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

epa01544112 YEARENDER 2008 OCTOBER Filipino children play on the pavement at a shantytown in Manila, Philippines, 21 October 2008. As many as 3.3 million families experienced not having anything to eat in the last three months, as hunger continued to gain among Filipino households, based on latest survey result of the Social Weather Stations, amid the rising prices of commodities as well as the impact of global financial meltdown. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

epa02086678 A picture made available on 20 March 2010 shows a Filipino child walking on a dried irrigation canal due to a drought by the 'El Nino' atmospheric phenomenon in the town of Molino, Cavite province, Philippines, 19 March 2010. World Water Day is marked on 22 March 2010. The official United Nations statement reads: 'The theme of this year's World Water Day, 'Clean Water for a Healthy World', emphasizes that both the quality and the quantity of water resources are at risk. More people die from unsafe water than from all forms of violence, including war. These deaths are an affront to our common humanity, and undermine the efforts of many countries to achieve their development potential.' World Water Day has been held to celebrate freshwater annually since 1993. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

epa01185819 YEARENDER 2007 AUGUST A Filipino fire victim gets nipped on the nose by her kitten in the smoldering shanties after a fire in Quezon City, east of Manila, Philippines on 28 August 2007. At least 50 shanties were destroyed in the fire which was believed caused by an enraged mother who set her house on fire when she heard rumors about her allegedly philandering husband. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

epa01697713 A Filipino informal resident is arrested by police officers during the demoliton of shanties inside a compound being reclaimed as private property in Las Pinas City, south of Manila, Philippines, 15 April 2009. Tension erupted in a slum area with 100 shanties during a demolition operation by the city government, urban poor occupants, who still have no option of relocation opted to defend their shanties. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

epa02007636 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France celebrates after beating Novak Djokovic of Serbia during their quartefinals match at the Australian Open Tennis Tournament in Melbourne, Australia on 28 January 2010. Tsonga won in five sets. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

epa02006068 Rafael Nadal of Spain falls to the court as he plays Andy Murray of Great Britain in their quaterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis tournment in Melbourne, Australia, 26 January 2010. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

epa02004656 Nikolay Davydenko of Russia serves against Fernando Verdasco of Spain during their fourth round match at the Australian Open Tennis Tournament in Melbourne, Australia on 25 January 2010. Davydenko won in five sets. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

epa01651446 A polluted creek covered with trash in Manila, Philippines on 01 March 2009. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources reported in 2008 that the Philippines hosts 50 major polluted rivers, with a majority of pollutants coming from domestic waste. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

epa01642596 Filipino Kathleen Torrestre mourns over the coffin of her two-year-old daughter Nicole who died from pneumunia in a shantytown in Mandaluyong city, east of Manila, Philippines, 21 February 2009. The Philippines is among 68 countries, which contributed to 97 percent of maternal, neonatal and child health deaths worldwide, according to United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in its State of the World’s Children 2009 report. The report says that a child born in a developing country like the Philippines is almost 14 times more likely to die during the first month of life than a child born in a developed one. In the Philippines alone, about half of the deaths of Filipino children under five years old happen in the first 28 days of life. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

epa01597185 Filipino fire victims inspect the site of a fire that razed houses at Manila's Binondo district, Philippines, 12 January 2009. A 40-year-old man and his 11-year-old son died while 150 families lost their homes in a predawn fire that lasted more than five hours. Arson investigators suspect an electrical short circuit may have started the fire. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

epa01595289 A view of the moon above the Belltower of Manila City hall, Philippines on 10 January 2009. Saturday night (10 January) the moon will be the biggest and brightest one of 2009. It will appear about 14 percent bigger in our sky and 30 percent brighter than some other full moons during 2009, according to NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG