Covering the week’s most noteworthy news stories throughout the Philippines for the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
AL-HAJ Murad Ebrahim, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chairman, celebrated the impending signing of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), after it was ratified by the Philippine House of Representatives on Tuesday, July 24. “We really thank the new leadership of the House. We want to extend our appreciation. We are hoping that this is key…
International non-government organization The Global Witness said 48 environmental campaigners were murdered in the Philippines last year — making the country the most dangerous for environmental defenders in Asia. It’s a 71 percent increase from the 28 killings in the country in 2016. Based on Global Witness’ 2017 report, 207 land and environmental activists were…
Newly-appointed Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) head Arnold Gonzales has reached out to young Filipinos urging them to travel around the Philippines. He also added that the country still has a lot of attractions for them to discover. “Discovering the Philippines is a rewarding experience as it allow us to deeply understand our culture and reconnect…
Investment opportunities in the Philippines’ “alternative city” mapped out Manila, July 2018 – Plans to position the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone as a regional business and investment hub were mapped out in interviews conducted by Oxford Business Group’s online broadcasting channel, Global Platform, with Udenna Group of Companies President and CEO Dennis Uy…
ACCORDING to the Cabinet’s security cluster, the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) dispute is the biggest concern with regards to the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The assessment was made as the security cluster unveiled the Duterte government’s National Security Policy during the pre-State of the Nation Address (SONA) conference on Wednesday, July 18,…
Australian missionary Sister Patricia Anne Fox on Thursday, July 19, was ordered by the Board of Commissioners (BOC) of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to be deported and blacklisted, barring her from ever returning to the Philippines. The BOC, composed of Commissioner Jaime Morente, Associate Commissioner J. Tobias Javier and OIC Associate Commissioner Marc Red…
INTERIOR Undersecretary Empimaco Densing III on Wednesday, July 18 said the target reopening of Boracay island on October 26 will proceed. “Oct. 26 is a go based on (Environment) Secretary Roy Cimatu na madalas sa (who is always in) Boracay,” he said in a radio interview. Densing noted the significant improvement in the water’s quality….
Malacañang said President Rodrigo Duterte will not be involved in efforts to postpone the elections slated for next year. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque clarified that Duterte’s position had been to continue with the midterm polls next year and hold the referendum on the proposed federal charter together with the electoral exercise. “I will quote the…
The Department of Tourism (DOT), in an effort to promote tourism research in the country, is calling for proposals for its 2018 Tourism Research Grant. The individual research proposals eligible for financial assistance must be aligned with the DOT Secretary’s policy direction for the current year which is to promote Farm Tourism and Culinary Tourism. The grant aims…
The Department of Tourism (DOT) is pleased to announce that visitor arrivals for the first semester of 2018 reached an all-time high of 3,706,721. According to the data gathered by the DOT’s Statistics, Economic Analysis and Information Management Division (SEAIMD), foreign arrivals from January to June of 2018 registered a double digit growth of 10.40 percent…
Two in three Filipinos are not in favor of the current administration’s moves to change the 1987 Constitution, a Pulse Asia survey released Monday, July 16, revealed. Pulse Asia’s June 2018 National Survey on Charter Change, taken from June 15 to June 21, showed that 67 percent of Filipinos were against Charter change. Out of…
The government is planning to control the number of tourists that can visit Boracay, although the inter-agency task force overseeing the ongoing rehabilitation of the island has not yet determined the number of people that would be allowed once it reopens in October. This was revealed on Monday, July 16, when an official of the…
Two in three Filipinos are not in favor of the current administration’s moves to change the 1987 Constitution, a Pulse Asia survey released Monday, July 16, revealed. Pulse Asia’s June 2018 National Survey on Charter Change, taken from June 15 to June 21, showed that 67 percent of Filipinos were against Charter change. Out of…
by Rae Ann Varona AJPress Four local officials in the Philippines were killed in a time span of less than two weeks, fueling concerns that the administration’s anti-drug campaign has been emboldening some people to carry out killings. Al Rashid Mohammad Ali, vice mayor of Sapa-Sapa in Mindanao’s Tawi-Tawi province, was shot and killed by…
by Ritchel Mendiola AJPress President Rodrigo Duterte was unfazed when a new survey revealed that his satisfaction rating dropped to a new low in the second quarter of 2018. The nationwide survey was conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) from June 27 to 30. It showed 65 percent of adult Filipinos are satisfied and…
Panglao Island, July 14, 2018 – BE Grand Resort, a luxury resort in Brgy. Danao, Panglao Island, ditches the use of plastic straws in all of their five (5) restaurants and bars. The effects of single-use plastic to the environment are rising at an alarming rate and it’s not a secret that Bohol is still…
The Universal Healthcare (UHC) Bill was certified as urgent by President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, July 9. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte arrived at the decision during a cabinet meeting in Malacañang. The Senate and House of Representatives can only vote on the third and final reading on any bill that they have passed…
The “just share” of local government units (LGUs), also known as Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA), will now be sourced from all national taxes and not just from national internal revenue taxes collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) following the Supreme Court’s ruling. Voting 10-3 during its weekly full-court session on Tuesday, July 10,…
An American missionary was deported back to the United States from the Philippines on Wednesday, July 4, for allegedly engaging in “political activities.” Adam Thomas Shaw, an American missionary of the United Methodist Church, took a flight to the U.S. on Wednesday morning, July 4, according to the Philippines Bureau of Immigration (BI). Shaw was…
TWO Philippine mayors were killed in separate back-to-back shootings within two days, fueling more fears in the country as it deals with the publicized problem of extrajudicial killings stemming from the administration’s war on drugs. One of the mayors was previously said to be linked to illegal drugs. Mayor Ferdinand Bote, 57, of northern General…
President Rodrigo Duterte’s 22-member Consultative Committee (Con-com) approved the final draft of the proposed federal Constitution on Tuesday, July 3, after nearly five months of deliberation. The final draft was unanimously approved by the Con-com after former Senate President Nene Pimentel moved to approve it. Pimentel’s motion was unopposed. “The Con-com hopes to submit the…
President Rodrigo Duterte’s first two years in office have been “generally fruitful,” according to Malacañang. It cited the administration’s reported successes in its war on drugs, the economy, and the improvement of government services as some of the promises that Duterte fulfilled. Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said in a statement on Sunday, July 1,…
TOKYO, JAPAN – “As we face the next half of 2018, we look forward with excitement to hitting a new high in Japanese tourism arrivals by breaching the 600,000 mark,” said Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat during the recent Philippine Business Mission (PBM) to Japan. Puyat said Japan produced a total of 584,180 visitors to the country last…
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Tuesday, July 3, highlighted the importance of investing in strategies and technologies in order to allow government forces to perform their duties effectively. The President graced the founding anniversary of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City and congratulated them for their 71 years…
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) filed graft and administrative charges against Aklan Governor Florencio Miraflores, Malay Mayor Ciceron Cawaling, and 15 other municipal officials on Wednesday, June 27, for neglect of duty that turned Boracay into what President Rodrigo Duterte described as a “cesspool.” Other provincial officials facing charges are Penro…
Officials of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have agreed to set up a meeting so they can discuss the rules of the police’s campaign against loiterers who are violating city ordinances and other laws. Appearing as a guest on “The Chiefs,” a program over One News on Cignal…
Malacañang on Monday, June 25, said it was former President Benigno Aquino III’s administration that first militarized the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), which led to the heightened Chinese presence in the disputed waters. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr., in a news briefing in Cagayan de Oro City, mentioned the decision of President Rodrigo…
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, on Monday, June 25, said there is no way President Rodrigo Duterte will change his policy on the West Philippine Sea or apologize for it. He also blamed the previous Aquino administration for triggering the militarization of Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal. “When we had a confrontation with the Chinese, they drove us…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has signed the long awaited Philippine Mental Health Law, which would equip Filipinos with accessible and affordable mental health services. “Help is finally here,” posted Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday, June 21. “Everyday, seven Filipinos turn to suicide. One in five Filipino adults also suffer from a form of mental disorder.”…
Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu is optimistic of an initial judgment this year for the 2009 Maguindanao massacre as wished by President Rodrigo Duterte. “We look forward to that. We fought this battle the legal way because we believe that the court is the only venue where we can seek redress,” he said on Thursday, June…
