PRESS DIGEST - Philippine newspapers - July 3

MANILA, July 3 (Reuters) - These are the leading stories in Manila newspapers on Thursday. Reuters has not verified these stories.

- Local officials in the central province of Romblon, where a fishing ban is currently in force due to suspicion of chemical contamination of its waters, are planning to file a class suit against Sulpicio Lines Inc, owner of a passenger ferry carrying dangerous chemicals that sank during a typhoon more than a week ago. (THE PHILIPPINE STAR)

- The presidental palace said a government takeover of Sulpicio remains an option that would depend largely on the findings of the Board of Marine Inquiry on the sinking of the shipping line's passenger vessel. (THE PHILIPPINE STAR, BUSINESSMIRROR, THE MANILA TIMES)

- The $503-million North Luzon Railways project that will connect Manila to provinces north of the capital will continue to use funds from the Chinese government regardless of the issues concerning its contractors, the presidental palace said. (THE PHILIPPINE STAR)

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BUSINESS

- Ayala Land Inc (ALI.PS), the real estate arm of Philippine conglomerate Ayala Corp (AC.PS), is building a 3-billion-peso ($66 million) retail and office complex on a 12 hectare property inside a former U.S. military base in the northern Baguio City. (ALL PAPERS)

- The Bureau of Customs exceeded its collection target for June partly due to bigger import duty payments made by the National Food Authority due to its record rice imports this year. (PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER)

- The government will sell a big portion of its 120-hectare Food Terminal complex in Taguig city in Manila in one transaction, junking an earlier plan to sell the property in phases (BUSINESSWORLD)