The Philippines has awarded a $800,000 contract to PR goliath Burson-Marsteller to restore investor confidence in the country reports O'Dwyer's PR Daily. The PR firm will do media relations, spokesperson training and develop economic materials to "enhance the sovereign credit rating and strengthen perceptions of the international business community that the Philippines is an attractive location for foreign direct investment." The country, which has emerged as a key U.S. ally in its "war on terror," last week received rifles, mortars and military trucks from the U.S. Next month, the U.S. plans to dispatch a fleet of military helicopters to the Philippines for attacks on members of the Abu Sayyaf Muslim group that has alleged links to the Al Qaeda network.