Covering the week’s most noteworthy news stories throughout the Philippines for the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
FORMER Philippine President Joseph “Erap” Ejercito Estrada is reportedly free of COVID-19 after several days on a ventilator. In a Facebook post, former Senator Jinggoy Estrada announced that his father tested negative for the virus with his condition continuing to improve. “We are happy to announce that my dad continues to improve and we expect…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has dismissed rumors surrounding his health after almost two weeks away from the public eye. His absence comes as the country faces one of the worst coronavirus surges in Southeast Asia with hospitals overwhelmed and infection rates continuing to climb. Meanwhile, a little over 1 million residents have received at least…
FORMER Philippine President Joseph “Erap” Ejercito Estrada has reportedly been removed from ventilator support. In a Facebook post, his son, former Senator Jinggoy Estrada, expressed happiness over the improvement of the family patriarch’s condition. “We are extremely happy to announce that my father has now been removed from ventilator support although he continues to require…
PHILIPPINE lawmakers are calling for an investigation into the death of an alleged quarantine violator who was forced to do 300 rounds of squats as punishment. Bayan Muna Reps. Eufemia Cullamat, Carlos Zarate, and Ferdinand Gaite on Wednesday, April 7, filed House Resolution No. 1697, urging members of Congress to defend the human rights of…
PHILIPPINE Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has condemned the recent brutal attack against an elderly Filipina American in New York City, saying it will influence the country’s foreign policy with the United States. “This is gravely noted and will influence Philippine foreign policy. I might as well say it, so no one on the other…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte admitted he is struggling to address the pandemic in the country, particularly in securing vaccines against COVID-19. “I’m having a hard time. I’m grappling with the issue of COVID,” he said in a pre-recorded public address on Monday, March 29. “It takes most of my time actually. More than any other…
Metro Manila, surrounding areas under quarantine until April 4 EXTENDING the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) over Metro Manila and its nearby provinces is an “absolute last resort,” according to Malacañang. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday, March 30, made the statement, noting that the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases…
FOREIGN parents of Filipino citizens who have valid visas and are traveling with them may now enter the Philippines. The country’s Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Monday, March 29, announced the new guideline pursuant to the latest resolution issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID). However, Immigration Commissioner…
THE Philippines and the United States have officially launched a bilateral campaign celebrating the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic ties. Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez and U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Ambassador Sung Kim led the program held on Friday, March 26, at the Philippine…
FORMER Philippine President Joseph “Erap” Ejercito Estrada has tested positive for COVID-19. In a Facebook post, former Senator Jinggoy Estrada announced Monday, March 29, that his father was rushed to the hospital and was diagnosed with the virus. “Nais ko pong ipaalam sa inyo na ang aking ama, na si dating pangulong Joseph Estrada, ay…
THE United States maintained that it “stands” with the Philippines amid the presence of Chinese ships at Julian Felipe Reef (Whitsun Reef) in the West Philippine Sea. “The United States stands with our ally, the Philippines, in the face of the PRC’s maritime militia amassing at WhitsunReef,” said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in…
We have asked Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr, the chief implementor of the country’s Covid-19 vaccination program, to widen the vaccination priority list for frontline workers of the tourism industry to include tour guides, operators and other accredited workers and service providers. The frontline nature of the jobs of these workers requires face-to-face interaction with individuals…
RUSSIA is looking at the Philippines to become Asia’s vaccine production hub for its Sputnik V vaccine. In a recent interview with “The Chiefs” on Cignal TV’s OneNews and TV5, Russian Direct Investment Fund CEO Kirill Dmitriev said they are in the final stage of negotiation with producers to manufacture Sputnik V vaccines in the…
A FILIPINO scientist has made history as one of the first two human beings to reach Emden Deep, the third deepest spot on Earth. Dr. Deo Florence Onda, a microbial oceanographer from the Marine Science Institute (MSI) of the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, on Tuesday, March 23, waved the Philippine flag 34,100 feet…
MORE than half a million Filipinos have received the vaccine against COVID-19 since the Philippines kicked-off its national vaccination campaign in the beginning of March. Based on the data from the Philippine Department of Health and the National Task Force against COVID-19 released Wednesday, March 24, a total of 508,332 individuals have been vaccinated against…
Manila, March 24, 2021 — Estimating over 100,000 deaths due to tuberculosis (TB) in the next five years, Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III sounded the alarm for a swift recovery in TB care and services amid COVID-19 quarantine restrictions. “The COVID-19 pandemic has caused enormous health and economic impacts, even affecting our…
THE Philippines’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted an emergency use authorization (EAU) for Gamaleya Research Institute’s Sputnik V. “After a rigorous and thorough review, the FDA is granting EUA to the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine,” FDA Director General Eric Domingo said Friday, March 19. “It is decided that all conditions for an EUA…
All Filipino citizens are allowed to return to the Philippines, but foreign nationals are still temporarily barred starting March 22. This update comes after the National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF COVID-19) issued a Memorandum Circular on Friday, March 19 to further clarify the temporary suspension of travel into the Philippines. Filipino citizens, whether a…
PHILIPPINE Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar has rejected the findings of international watchdog Investigate PH on the country’s human rights situation, calling them “malicious.” “We strongly disagree with the malicious report by Investigate PH on the human rights situation, and the policies and programs of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his administration,” he…
To support the efforts of local government in curbing the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila, the National Parks Development Committee (NPDC) is adjusting visiting hours to Rizal Park and Paco Park. Starting Friday, March 19, 2021 and effective until further notice, both parks will limit operating hours from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00…
IN an attempt to curb the rising cases of COVID-19 and its variants in the country, the Philippine government is temporarily barring the entry of foreign nationals and Filipinos. The National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF COVID-19) on Tuesday, March 16, released a memorandum announcing that the travel ban would start on Saturday, March 20,…
THE human rights situation in the Philippines has gotten worse since last year, according to international rights watchdog Investigate PH. In a 198-page report submitted to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Tuesday, March 16, Investigate PH found that there is a “deepening human rights crisis in the…
A NEW COVID-19 variant called P.3 has been found in the Philippines, the country’s Department of Health (DOH) confirmed Saturday, March 13. “The (Philippine Genome Center) previously detected 85 cases with a unique set of mutations, including both E484K and N501Y mutations. Upon verification with the Phylogenetic Assignment of Named Global Outbreak Lineages (PANGOLIN), the…
POPE Francis on Sunday, March 14 led a Holy Mass commemorating the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. Held at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the Mass was attended by several members of the Filipino Church including Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, and Cardinal Angelo De…
SUPPORTERS of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte are urging him to run for the second-highest post in the country in the 2022 elections. Several members of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) partylist have signed a resolution urging Duterte to seek the vice presidency. “It is recognized by leaders and members that with President Duterte’s…
THE United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd), have signed a new, P4.8 billion assistance agreement to improve basic education outcomes in the Philippines. The five-year bilateral agreement will deepen the commitment between the USAID and DepEd to help children and out-of-school youth acquire the…
IMPUNITY has no place in the administration of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Malacañang reiterated on Thursday, March 11. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made the statement after the United Nations condemned the killing of nine activists in the Calabarzon region by state forces targeting suspected insurgents. “Sa UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at iba pang…
FILIPINOS are prohibited from showing public displays of affection following the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in the Philippines. The new rules from the Philippine National Police (PNP) will cover kissing, embracing, and even holding hands in public. The PNP is intensifying efforts in enforcing public health safety protocols to prevent the further spread of…
THE United Nations has condemned the killing of nine activists in Calabarzon region by the Philippine police targeting suspected insurgents. “We are appalled by the apparently arbitrary killing of nine activists in simultaneous police-military operations in Batangas, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal provinces surrounding Metro Manila,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said…
SOME 117,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine will arrive in the Philippines next month, according to National Task Force Deputy Chief Implementer and Testing Czar Vince Dizon. The batch of Pfizer jabs is under the COVAX Facility, a global initiative from the World Health Organization (WHO) that aims to ensure fair and equitable access to…
