Covering the week’s most noteworthy news stories throughout the Philippines for the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
Broadcast giant ABS-CBN announced that its flagship evening news program “TV Patrol” would resume delivering the news through its digital platform. The shift came two days after the network was forced to go off-air following the cease-and-desist order issued by the National Telecommunications Commission. “TV Patrol” on Thursday, May 7 was broadcasted on ABS-CBN News’…
HAS the Philippines flattened the coronavirus curve? A local epidemiology expert thinks so, citing the recent decline in the number of new cases and fatalities due to the virus. According to Dr. John Wong, who serves on the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), the doubling time for the confirmed cases has slowed…
Over 40,000 more overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were displaced due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic are set to arrive back to the Philippines. “More than 40,000 OFWs are to be repatriated. That might even be a conservative estimate because we have yet to include in the count medium- to long-term economic effect of…
THE Department of Health on Wednesday, May 6, reported 320 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country, the highest single-day leap recorded in a month. This brings the total number of infected individuals to 10,004. Of the new infections, 179 or 56 percent came from the outbreak epicenter Metro Manila, while 98…
NEARLY 2,000 Filipinos globally have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, according to the latest figures released by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs. The DFA on Wednesday, May 6 reported 38 new cases of COVID-19 among overseas Filipinos, bringing the official count to 1,905. “Today, the total number of…
THE Philippines’ largest broadcast network stopped its operations on Tuesday, May 5 to comply with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC)’s cease and desist order due to the expiration of its congressional franchise. ABS-CBN went off air after the broadcast of its primetime news program “TV Patrol” on Tuesday night around 8 p.m. Manila time. The…
Working senior citizens in Luzon will not be placed on house arrest during the enforcement of the general community quarantine, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease clarified on Thursday, April 30. The task force reminded those with significant health risks and of certain age groups that they should remain in…
Nearly 300 new cases of the coronavirus have been recorded in the Philippines, the Department of Health said on Thursday, April 30. The department announced 276 new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in the country, bringing the official count to 8,488. Ten new deaths were also reported, raising the death…
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is willing to give a P20 million reward to any Filipino who can develop a durable respirator that will be used to help patients who contracted the novel coronavirus, Malacañang said on Tuesday, April 28. According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, the respirators should “outlast” the lives of the patients. “Nagbigay ng…
THE United Nations this week raised concern over the “toxic lockdown culture” that several countries have adopted as they fight the coronavirus pandemic, citing the Philippines’ “highly militarized response” to violators of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). UN High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet on Monday, April 27 noted that 120,000 Filipinos have been arrested for violating…
Malacañang denied rumors that President Rodrigo Duterte is taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to declare martial law in the Philippines. “Nakakatawa po ‘yan kasi hindi naman lang naman sa Pilipinas ang merong pandemic (That’s funny because it’s not only the Philippines experiencing the pandemic),” said presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in an online briefing on…
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has extended the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and other “high risk” areas in Luzon until May 15, following the recommendations of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases. “The decision regarding the ECQ when May 1, 2020 comes: maintain the ECQ for…
THE Philippine Department of foreign Affairs on Thursday, April 23, said it is expecting to bring home 35,000 overseas Filipino Workers amid the coronavirus pandemic sweeping across the globe. “As we expect to bring home over 35,000 more OFWs, we appeal to our kababayan (countrymen) to strictly observe and comply with the quarantine procedures imposed…
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will “carefully” study his options before deciding what to do with the enhanced community quarantine enforced in Luzon to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Malacañang said on Wednesday, April 22. “The decision will be carefully studied as the lives of the people and the nation are at stake,” Presidential…
United States President Donald Trump has offered more aid to the Philippines as it continues to grapple with the spread of the novel coronavirus, the U.S. Embassy in Manila said on Tuesday, April 21. “President Trump expressed his solidarity and offered additional assistance to the Philippines as it continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic,” the…
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte received a phone call from United States President Donald Trump on Sunday night, Malacañang revealed on Monday, April 20. “The call came in at 10:10 in the evening. It was initiated by the U.S. government. It lasted for about 18 minutes,” said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque during an online press briefing….
THE Philippine Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases did not discuss the proposed “total lockdown” during its latest meeting, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said on Friday, April 17. “What would a total lockdown look like and will it be limited to Luzon only if ever? We are not talking about that,”…
The Philippine government on Wednesday, April 15, assured the public that there are enough supplies of power, water, rice, and food while Luzon is under an enhanced community quarantine to prevent the further spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country. Cabinet Secretary and Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Spokesperson Karlo Nograles cited a report…
MEDICAL workers are urged to stay in the Philippines as the country continues to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday, April 13. The president appealed to health care professionals to remain in the country because of the shortage of personnel, but admitted that he cannot blame them if…
Nearly 14,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have been repatriated back to the Philippines amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said on Monday, April 13. The latest numbers from the agency total 13,368, with the majority being seafarers. On Monday afternoon, 668 new sailors arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport….
Around 440 Filipino seafarers who worked on several ships in the United States returned to the Philippines on Friday, April 10 amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The individuals were among those onboard the the Norwegian Pearl, Sky, and Sun cruise ships, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a release. A total of…
THE Department of Health on Thursday, April 9, recorded 206 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the Philippines, bringing the official count to 4,076. The agency also announced 21 new deaths, raising the death toll to 203. On the other hand, 28 new patients recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of…
President Rodrigo Duterte said he would consider selling government assets as a “ast resort” to generate funds to help address the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the country. “What is the endgame? We will run out of money. I’ll sell all the property of the government. That Cultural Center of the Philippines, PICC [Philippine International…
The Philippines has temporarily suspended the deployment of health care professionals abroad amid the coronavirus pandemic to guarantee that the country itself has a sufficient number of medical front-liners. The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration last week approved the resolution to suspend sending Filipino health care workers abroad until the current crisis is over. Signed by…
The Philippine Department of Health on Tuesday, April 7, reported 104 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country, bringing the official count to 3,764. “More than half or more or less 80% [of the cases] were recorded in Metro Manila,” noted Health chief Francisco Duque III. The Davao region and Central Visayas…
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte came under fire after ordering the police and military to shoot quarantine violators dead during Luzon’s enhanced community quarantine due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). “I will not hesitate. My orders are to the police and military, also the barangay, that if there is trouble or the situation arises that people…
Low-income households will be receiving between P5,000 to P8,000 in cash under the Philippine government’s coronavirus relief program, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said on Thursday, April 2. The cash will be given along with the food packs it is distributing to beneficiaries, according to DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista. “In cash na…
The U.S. Department of State on Tuesday, March 31, said that it has provided approximately $18.3 million in emergency health and humanitarian assistance to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states, including the Philippines. The local government received nearly $4 million, or approximately P200 million, in health assistance to help the government prepare…
THE Department of Science and Technology on Monday, March 30, announced that at least 120,000 locally-developed test kits for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) will be rolled out this week. According to the agency, its priority is the production of 26,000 test kits for field implementation and distribution to certain hospitals that can do the testing…
P200 billion will be allocated to low-income households affected by the enhanced community quarantine enforced in Luzon, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced on Monday, March 30. The quarantine was implemented in mid-March to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 in the country, but has left a dent in the livelihoods of thousands of Filipino families….
