Covering the week’s most noteworthy news stories throughout the Philippines for the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Tuesday, September 18, suggested a revision in the lyrics of the Philippine National Anthem. Sotto asked his colleagues to consider amending the last two lines of “Lupang Hinirang” during the Upper Chamber’s deliberations on the proposed amendment to Republic Act 8491 or the Flag and Heraldic Code of the…
Amid the vulnerability of the country to natural hazards, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOCS) director Renato Solidum Jr. admitted on Monday, September 17, that the nation remains unprepared for major catastrophes, one of which is the most recent, Typhoon Ompong. Solidum explained that the country still lacks the necessary precautions in dealing…
The installation of modular floating docks in El Nido is a pioneering project of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) in El Nido, Palawan aimed at providing better and safer tourist experience. “We want tourists to be safe wherever they go and this is the start.” TIEZA Chief Operating Officer Pocholo Paragas said…
THE number of people in the Philippines reported to be affected by the recent Typhoon Ompong — known internationally as Typhoon Mangkhut — has reached over 800,000, according to the latest National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) report released Tuesday morning, September 18. According to Philippine National Police numbers, the death toll reached…
Real estate tycoon and former politician Manuel “Manny” Villar is now the Philippines’ second richest man after his wealth tripled due to the boom in the construction business that benefited the country’s known magnates. The 68-year-old former senator rose to the ranks with a net worth of $5 billion, a significant leap from the $1.7…
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, September 6 announce the creation of a department that would ease up the business process in the country for foreign investors. In his speech at a business forum in Amman, Jordan, Duterte disclosed the apparent corruption experienced in the country, however, vowed to provide a convenient procedure for those…
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary for Operations Epimaco Densing III confirmed on Monday, September 3, that Boracay Island can only accommodate 55,000 people daily. Prior to its rehabilitation in April, the internationally-known resort island takes in an average of 70,000 people daily. This means that the 1,032-hectare island in Aklan welcomed 15,000…
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) denied the appeal of Australian nun Sister Patricia Fox to remain in the Philippines due to allegations that she was engaged in partisan political activities. Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo Guevarra confirmed this on Wednesday, August 29. However, Fox’s camp filed an appeal on Friday, August 31 to allow…
The Philippines will be one of the nations in the Indo-Pacific region to receive the biggest share in security assistance, a U.S. State Department official said this week. The amount of assistance given was determined given the long-standing relationship between the United States and the Philippines. “We have close to $300 million in security assistance….
Philippine Supreme Court holds oral arguments on ICC withdrawal Another complaint against Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been filed with the International Criminal Court (ICC), this time by activists and the relatives of people killed as a result of the country’s war on drugs. The 50-page complaint sent to an ICC prosecutor on Tuesday, August…
Despite a bombing in Sultan Kudarat that killed three people earlier this week, Malacañang said it could be “too early” to eye a martial law extension in Mindanao. Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque on Friday, August 31 clarified that President Rodrigo Duterte has yet to make any decisions regarding the current state in the southern region…
A better and more sustainable Boracay is set to welcome back visitors on October 26 and is expected to usher in newer and bigger markets awaiting the island’s full recovery. Undersecretary for Tourism Development Benito Bengzon Jr. reiterated that the Department of Tourism (DOT) is well on track with its 7.4 million target as the…
All three had connections to Philippine terror group A 28-year-old Philippine national was among the three men from Southeast Asia to be added to the U.S. Treasury’s sanctions blacklist on Friday, August 24, for involvement with the Islamic State (IS) terror group. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed the sanctions on Philippine national Mohammad Reza Lahaman…
Coming from such a prominent Filipino family — with grandparents Ferdinand and Imelda, mother Imee as Ilocos Norte governor, and uncle Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. who was a senator and ran in 2016 for the vice presidency, the results of which are currently under an electoral protest — you could say a political career is…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, August 23, slammed the request from U.S. government officials asking him to meet them over the country’s armed forces modernization program. “It was sent to me. I want to share this because I want to impart how I feel,” Duterte said as he revealed the official letter signed by…
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said on Tuesday, August 21 that the country needs citizens like the late Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. Tuesday marked Ninoy Aquino Day, the 35th anniversary since the senator was assassinated upon his arrival at the then-Manila International Airport after a three-year self-exile in Boston, Massachusetts. In a statement from the Malacañang…
The Department of Tourism (DOT) is pleased to share the good news that foreign visitor arrivals for the month of July 2018 tallied at 601, 322 posting a growth rate of 5.86 percent from the 568, 035 recorded in the same period last year. This brings the total visitor count from January to July…
MANILA — The Department of Tourism said around 5,000 hotel rooms are expected to open during the soft-opening of Boracay island on October 26. At the Senate hearing into the Boracay closure on Monday, August 20, DOT Undersecretary Arthur Boncato Jr. explained that Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat ordered the tourism agency to do the opening…
Philippine House of Representatives Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said on Thursday, August 16, that Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio will be of national significance as a presidential daughter. “Judging by history really, Mayor Sara Duterte will become an important national figure,” the House speaker said. In a report from ABS-CBN News, Arroyo said that presidential children…
THREE Filipino students became a nigh-unstoppable force at the 49th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO), taking the country closer to gold than it has ever been at the annual worldwide competition. Steven Reyes, who hails from St. Jude Catholic School (SJSC), bagged a silver medal for the Philippines. Meanwhile, Mikhail Torio from the Philippine Science High…
The United States gave the Philippine Air Force a Special Airborne Mission Installation and Response (SABIR) system worth P807 million on Tuesday, August 14, at Villamor Airbase in Pasay City. In a report from GMA News, Department of National Defense (DND) secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that the surveillance system will cover the regions surrounding…
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano denied on Tuesday, August 7, any oil and gas exploration with China in the West Philippine Sea. Cayetano said that the joint venture between the two countries will be “commercial” in nature. “It will be a commercial venture. I think that’s a smarter thing to do…
President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday, August 8, that he would no longer allow the establishment of casinos “outside of what are existing” in the Philippines. Duterte amplified his disapproval of gambling activities during his speech at the 117th Police Service Anniversary Celebration in Camp. Crame, Quezon City. “I will not allow it. I hate…
WHILE it recognizes that some of the national government’s environment policies, such as stricter mining regulations and the six-month closure of top tourist destination Boracay island, likely played a role in the recent slow Philippine economic growth, Malacañang maintained that President Rodrigo Duterte’s decisions are for a more sustainable future for Filipinos. In a report…
The national ID system garnered mixed reactions from the general public after President Rodrigo Duterte signed its implementation into law on Monday, August 6, at Malacanang. The law, otherwise known as the Republic Act of 11055 includes the establishment of the Philippine ID system (PhilSys), a centralized database that contains all the necessary and vital…
The National Prosecution Services (NPS) recorded a total of 152,741 drug cases filed under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. However, a majority of those cases were often dismissed by the courts. If not, the accused commonly gets acquitted. In a report from Rappler, NPS released their records showing the total number of filed cases…
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte in a speech on Tuesday, July 31 strongly warned the members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to refrain from engaging in illegal activities. “Huwag kayong pumasok diyan sa droga, ‘yang mga murder-for-hire, kasi ipa-project ko rin kayo (Don’t get involved in illegal drugs or murder-for-hire because I will make you my…
Filipino bishops expressed their dismay over the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) order to deport the 71-year-old Australian missionary Sister Patricia Fox on the grounds of being an undesirable alien and an alleged violator of her missionary visa. In a Facebook post, Caloocan bishop Pablo Virgilio David criticized BI’s resolve on identifying Fox as an undesirable…
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the Philippines ranks third in mortality rate caused by air pollution. In an article from Rappler, a WHO study revealed that the Philippines had 45.3 deaths per 100,000 individuals due to outdoor air pollution. China ranked first at 81.5 deaths recorded while Mongolia was second at 48.8 deaths. …
Sen. Nancy Binay today said the recommendation of the Task Force Boracay to revoke and suspend all Environmental Compliance Certificates (ECCs) and business permits of establishments operating in Boracay may be necessary but government must make sure that re-applications will have guidelines that are clear, simple, practical and the procedures are efficient, transparent and corruption-free….
