Covering the week’s most noteworthy news stories throughout the Philippines for the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
Nineteen years after the Philippines was declared polio-free by the World Health Organization, the Department of Health on Thursday, September 19, confirmed the re-emergence of the disease in the country. According to the DOH, one polio case has been confirmed in a 3-year-old girl from Lanao del Sur who is “now well at home but…
OMBUDSMAN Samuel Martires on Tuesday, September 10, suspended the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) legal chief and two other BuCor executives as the investigation into the anomalies surrounding the good conduct time allowance law continues. Martires gave out three separate orders that imposed six months of preventive suspensions without pay on BuCor legal chief Fredric Santos,…
A SURVEY by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released earlier this summer showed that an estimated number of 2.3 million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) worked abroad at anytime during the period April to September 2018. Of the 2.3 million, female OFWs comprised 55.8 percent of the total number. Additionally, female OFWs were generally younger than…
Health officials assure public that pork meat still safe for consumption The Department of Agriculture on Monday, September 9, confirmed that the African swine fever was the cause of death of pigs in some parts of the Philippines, but quickly reassured that pork in the country remains safe for human consumption. According to Agriculture chief…
THE House of Representatives gave its nod to a bill allowing more foreigners to practice their profession in the country and lowering the direct local hires required of foreign investors. Voting 201-6, the chamber favored House Bill No. 300 that will amend Republic Act No. 7042 or the Foreign Investment Act of 1997 if enacted…
Ombudsman Samuel Martires on Tuesday, September 10, suspended the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) legal chief and two other BuCor executives as the investigation into the anomalies surrounding the good conduct time allowance law continues. Martires gave out three separate orders that imposed six months of preventive suspensions without pay on BuCor legal chief Fredric Santos,…
PHILIPPINE Vice President Leni Robredo on Thursday, September 5, challenged the public to do more in terms of promoting gender equality, noting that there are still “subtle acts” of discrimination that should be focused on to achieve true equality. “Since the #MeToo Movement, and due to the watchfulness of the ‘woke’ generation, so many things…
The Department of Tourism (DOT), in partnership with Filipino fast food chain Jollibee, launched the “Eats More Fun in the Philippines” campaign over the weekend in a bid to take the promotion of the country’s food tourism to the next level. The campaign is aimed at inviting food enthusiasts and tourists alike to visit the…
A bill seeking to raise the age for the crime of statutory rape against minors from 12 to 16 in a bid to provide stronger protection for children has been filed in the Philippine House of Representatives on Thursday, August 29. House Bill (HB) 4160 metes a penalty of life imprisonment for statutory rape against…
THE anti-graft court Sandiganbayan this week dismissed the graft and usurpation charges filed against former Philippine President Benigno Aquino III over the 2015 Mamasapano massacre. In a six-page resolution promulgated on Thursday, August 22, the Sandiganbayan 4th Division dropped the charges upon the request of Ombudsman Samuel Martires, who said that there was no sufficient…
At least 6,847 suspected drug offenders have been killed in alleged shootouts in association with President Rodrigo Duterte’s three-year crackdown on illegal drugs, according to the latest count by the Philippine National Police (PNP). Data from July 1, 2016 to July 31 of this year — presented during the National Summit on Crime Prevention at…
The United States and the Philippines on Thursday, August 15 signed an agreement to establish a P520-million center in the latter country to combat counterterrorism. Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Police Gen. Oscar Albayalde and U.S. Embassy in the Philippines deputy chief of mission John Law signed the memorandum of understanding on behalf of their…
Partido Manggagawa chair Rene Magtubo on Tuesday, August 13, said workers are appealing to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to suspend the impending increase in fees for transactions conducted through banks’ automated teller machines (ATMs). Workers commonly withdraw from ATMs since salaries are now received through them. However, long queues at popular banks force…
Malacañang on Monday, August 13, defended President Rodrigo Duterte’s stance on police officers accepting gifts given out of gratitude or generosity. According to presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo, police officers can accept gifts of “nominal value” for as long as these are not “excessive.” “What is important is hindi yun binigay (that is not given) in…
THE Sandiganbayan’s Judicial Records Division revealed that 20 forfeiture cases against the Marcos family and their cronies have been dismissed by the anti-graft court, with 21 more cases pending, and one indefinitely archived. So far, only one case was ruled in favor of the government — Civil Case No. 0033-F — which involves the turnover…
THE Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday, August 6, declared a national dengue epidemic amid the rising cases of the mosquito-borne disease that has so far claimed at least 622 lives since January throughout the Philippines. According to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, the declaration was needed to speed up response. “It is important that…
President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, August 5, admitted that he has been praying to God to spare the Philippines from possible attacks by the Islamic State (ISIS). According to him, the thought of the extremist group harming the country makes him nervous. He said he is afraid that a lot of Filipino will lose their…
Malacañang on Tuesday night, July 30, announced that the suspension order imposed on the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s (PCSO) lotto operations has been lifted by President Rodrigo Duterte. “The suspension of lotto operations is lifted immediately,” said presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo in a TV interview. However, the rest of the PCSO’s games with franchises, licenses…
A Social Weather Stations survey released Thursday, July 25 said fewer Filipinos expect their lives and the Philippine economy to improve in the next 12 months. According to the survey, which was conducted from June 22 to 26, the net personal optimists score in the second quarter fell to +42 — a number five points…
President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, July 22, delivered his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) that lasted for an hour and 33 minutes. He arrived 55 minutes late at the Batasang Pambansa Complex and started his speech at exactly 5:15 p.m. After the initial pleasantries, Duterte thanked his supporters, threatened erring government agencies, and…
President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, July 17, has called on the United States to invoke its Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the Philippines amid the maritime tension in the disputed West Philippine Sea. “I’m calling now America. I’m invoking the RP-U.S. pact. I would like America to gather all their 7th Fleet in front of…
Malacañang on Tuesday, July 16, said that President Rodrigo Duterte will be the first to follow the recently signed “Bawal Bastos” law, which penalizes catcalling and other gender-based harassment in public spaces and online. According to presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo, Duterte recognized the need to prevent gender-based sexual harassment when he signed Republic Act 11313…
by Nestor Burgos Jr THE inter-agency task force managing the rehabilitation of Boracay Island appealed to tourists and residents on Wednesday, July 17, to give the rehabilitation more time after flash floods brought by heavy pour hit the island on Tuesday, July 16. “We are appealing to tourists … until the middle of next year,…
The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday, July 15, declared a national dengue alert after 450 people, including infants and a centenarian, died in the first six months of the year due to rapidly increasing cases of dengue in several regions. “This is the first time we’re declaring a national alert because the objective is…
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Tuesday, July 16, said the Philippines will remain in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) despite the Council’s approval of a resolution calling for an international review of the country’s war on illegal drugs. “UNHRC vote is a small and harmless matter,” Locsin said on Twitter. “We’re…
‘Anti-bastos’ bill seeks to prevent sexual harassment, including catcalling President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law the anti-bastos bill, which seeks to prevent gender-based sexual harassment from occurring in streets, public places, online workplaces, and educational and training institutions. Senator Risa Hontiveros, one of the law’s principal authors, said in late May that the bill…
The Philippines’ population is predicted to grow twice its size by 2058, according to Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia. Since the last census conducted in 2015, the country’s population rate has already slowed down at 1.76 a year. “Under this growth rate, our population, which is now 108.1 million, is expected to double in 39…
The Philippines on Thursday, July 11 rejected a United Nations resolution that mandates a “comprehensive” international review of the drug war that has been ongoing since President Rodrigo Duterte took office three years ago. The United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) resolution seeks an investigation into the rising death toll, which has been disputed, ranging…
A total of 3,489,270 tourists were recorded to have visited the Philippines for the first five months of 2019, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT). Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the numbers — which mark a 9.76 percent increase from the same period last year — are very encouraging. “The numbers are very encouraging….
Delisted martial law victims and their relatives on Tuesday, July 9, confronted American lawyer Robert Swift about why they were taken off the official list of people to be awarded compensation after winning the Hawaii class action suit that resulted in a nearly $2-billion award for some 6,000 martial law victims. “We were one of…
