Covering the week’s most noteworthy news stories throughout the Philippines for the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
Many Filipinos in the United States are looking at the possibility of traveling back to the Philippines even while the world is going through a pandemic. However, the tourism sector stakeholders are asking them not to travel back in the next three to four months, if possible. “I wouldn’t really recommend it for now, nakita…
PHILIPPINE Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Tuesday, June 16, said the Department of Justice (DOJ) is on track to submit its report on the anti-terrorism bill to the Office of the President, after it has finished reviewing the proposed measure. “As scheduled, we finished our brainstorming session yesterday (Monday), examining and inter-relating with one another…
Rappler executive editor and chief executive officer Maria Ressa and writer Reynaldo Santos Jr. on Monday, June 15, were convicted of cyber libel by a Manila court. Ressa and Santos, a former researcher at the news site, were found guilty of violating Section 4(c)(4) of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, or cyber libel, sentencing…
Malacañang on Thursday, June 11, said that critics of the controversial anti-terrorism bill are free to question the measure before the court. The bill, since President Rodrigo Duterte certified it as urgent, has been receiving a lot of flak for its broad definition of what constitutes as “terrorism.” Netizens comprised of youth, progressive, and human rights…
TRAVEL and tourism are among the economic sectors badly hit by COVID-19 and as the rest of the world prepares to reopen and countries are working hard to get their respective economies back on track, all eyes are focused on how recovery can be done. In the Philippines, industry officials are confident that the country…
PHILIPPINE Senator Manny Pacquiao on Tuesday, June 9, denied that he discussed his supposed plans to run for president with his former longtime promoter Bob Arum. “We talked about Crawford, but we didn’t talk about politics,” he told ABS-CBN News’ Dyan Castillejo. His statement came after Arum revealed that Pacquiao had confided to him about…
MALACAÑANG on Wednesday, June 10, said the protests against the anti-terrorism bill would push President Rodrigo Duterte to scrutinize the measure “even closer.” “Let’s just say that the public interest on the bill will make the President review the provisions of the bill even closer,” said presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in an interview with ABS-CBN…
A copy of the controversial anti-terrorism bill has been sent to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Malacañang confirmed on Tuesday, June 9. Earlier that day, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said that he and Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano have already signed the proposed bill. “[Cayetano] signed last night. Sending it to PRRD [President Rodrigo Duterte] this…
THOUSANDS of fake accounts that clone the profiles of students from the top universities in the Philippines surfaced on Facebook over the weekend. The University of the Philippines urged its students, alumni, and faculty members to check Facebook for profiles made without their consent. “The University of the Philippines System has received reports that fake…
HUMAN rights abuses in the Philippines have reportedly worsened due to President Rodrigo Duterte’s war against illegal drugs, killing tens of thousands of Filipinos in the process, a new report from the United Nations Human Rights Office found. “A heavy-handed focus on countering national security threats and illegal drugs has resulted in serious human rights…
THE Philippines’ Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 will undergo additional review from the country’s Department of Justice before it is signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte. The DOJ on Friday, June 5 announced that it will scrutinize and comment on the proposed anti-terrorism law (House Bill 6875). “Whenever an enrolled bill is submitted to the…
The Philippines has welcomed home over 35,000 overseas Filipinos since the coronavirus outbreak, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Friday, June 5. At least 13,566 land-based OFs have been repatriated while 21,829 are cruise ship crews, the agency reported. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola said that more repatriates from Japan, France, Dubai, Abu…
Despite growing criticism over the proposed Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, President Rodrigo Duterte will run a “final review” before signing it into law to ensure that it complies with the 1987 Constitution. “Alam niyo, bagamat it’s certified urgent, hindi naman po automatic na pipirmahan yan ng presidente (You know, even if it was certified urgent,…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has not changed his decision to terminate the country’s Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States, despite the suspension this week. “Ang nangyari lang po, nasuspinde ang termination. Hindi pa po niya sinasabi na hindi na tuloy ang termination, so wala pong nagbago sa pag-iisip ng ating pangulo (What happened…
THE Philippine House of Representatives on Wednesday, June 3, approved the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, on its third and final reading. A total of 173 lawmakers voted to pass House Bill 6875, while 31 voted against its passage; 29 others, on the other hand, abstained. “No need for bicameral conference committee since there are no…
THE Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, June 2, reported 12 new cases of the novel coronavirus among overseas Filipinos, bringing the total number of infected individuals to 5,230. It also recorded five new deaths from the Middle East, raising the death toll to 347. “With only a few countries across three major geographical…
NATIONAL carrier Philippine Airlines is finalizing plans for June flights, after President Rodrigo Duterte announced that Metro Manila will be transitioning to a more relaxed general community quarantine starting on June 1. “Philippine Airlines welcomes the opportunity to resume regular commercial operations following the Philippine government decision to upgrade certain areas of the country, including…
TWENTY-FOUR overseas Filipinos have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of infected individuals to 2,845, according to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs’ latest tally on Friday, May 29. The agency also recorded six new fatalities in Europe and the Middle East, raising the death toll to 340. Meanwhile, 11 Filipinos abroad successfully…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered government agencies to bring some 24,000 repatriated overseas Filipino workers back to their home provinces by the end of the week. According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Duterte gave the order to officials from the Department of Labor and Employment, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and Department of Health after…
Malacañang said this week that the deployment ban on healthcare workers abroad may be lifted once the threat of the coronavirus ends in countries where they would be employed. “Kapag humupa na siguro ‘yung banta ng Covid-19 sa mga lugar na nais nilang puntahan (Once the threat posed by COVID-19 is addressed in countries where…
NEARLY 500 Chinese citizens working and residing at a resort situated at the Clark Freeport Zone north of Manila have been tested for COVID-19, following the discovery of an illegal makeshift hospital. A total of 490 Chinese nationals underwent testing at Fontana Leisure Park, according to the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group…
An international human rights watchdog is urging U.S. Congress to “block or delay sales” of attack helicopters worth almost $2 billion to the Philippines. In a post on Friday, May 22, Human Rights Watch gave its recommendation to Congress after the Trump administration last month announced two possible Foreign Military Sales by the U.S. military…
The Philippines has become the world’s largest known source of online child sexual exploitation, according to a new report released this week. The study from the International Justice Mission on Thursday, May 21 found that underage abuses are worsening with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as the victims have been forced to go on lockdown with…
The Philippines is still on its first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the country’s Department of Health clarified on Thursday, May 21. This comes after Health Secretary Francisco Duque previously issued a statement that the country was already on its second surge of the virus. “Earlier presidential spokesperson Harry Roque clarified that we are still…
The Clark Development Corporation has ordered the closure and full lockdown of the Fontana Resorts and Leisure Park inside the Clark Freeport Zone after the discovery of an illegal makeshift hospital treating Chinese nationals infected with COVID-19. The two orders were signed after the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Regional Field Unit of the…
Filipinos are urged to mass report a geotag that identifies the Philippines as “Province of China” and “North Philippines, Province of China” on social media platforms Facebook and Instagram. The geotag, which appeared over the weekend, has since drawn flak from Filipino netizens and public officials alike. “Our heroes did not sacrifice their lives only…
Flag carrier Philippine Airlines recently announced that it will be assisting stranded American citizens in the country by mounting two separate flights to Los Angeles and San Francisco this week. The “user-pay” flight leaving for LA is scheduled on May 21 with two domestic sweeper flights — one from Cebu and one from Davao, according…
The Philippines’ major airlines have all announced that their flights are canceled for the rest of May, in compliance with the government’s new quarantine guidelines. Budget airlines AirAsia Philippines and Cebu Pacific said all domestic and international flights are canceled from May 16 until May 31. “All Cebu Pacific and Cebgo domestic and international flights…
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration on Friday, May 15, said typhoon Ambo has weakened into a severe tropical storm as it moves northwest at 20 kilometers per hour. Ambo now has maximum winds of 110 km/h from the previous 125 km/h as well as gustiness of up to 150 km/h from the…
There are now 2,233 positive cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, among overseas Filipinos, according to the latest figures released by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs. The DFA’s daily count on Tuesday, May 12 also announced one new death, bringing the death toll of 261. Meanwhile, 669 individuals have now…
