No Duterte at Noynoy Aquino wake, funeral
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte was noticeably absent at the wake and funeral of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. The chief executive did not attend his predecessor’s wake at The…
Category: Across the Islands
Covering the week’s most noteworthy news stories throughout the Philippines for the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
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American citizens with expired passports can exit PH until Dec. 31
AMERICAN citizens in the Philippines with expired U.S. passports will be allowed to depart the country, according to the Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI). A memorandum issued by Immigration Commissioner…
Biden extends condolences to the PH, says Aquino’s legacy ‘will endure for years to come’
UNITED States President Joe Biden has extended his “deepest condolences” to the Philippines following the death of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. In a statement released by the White…
Palace, gov’t officials mourn death of former President Noynoy Aquino
Philippines to observe 10 days of national mourning MALACAÑANG, top officials and former leaders expressed condolences to the family of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III who died at the…
Former Philippine President Noynoy Aquino dies at 61
FORMER Philippine President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III has died, sources close to his family confirmed Thursday, June 24. He was 61. The son of former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr….
Duterte threatens to jail Filipinos who refuse COVID-19 vaccine
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to put those who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19 behind bars. In his public address on Monday, June 21, the chief executive expressed…
PH to get more COVID vaccines from the US
THE Philippines will get more COVID-19 vaccines from the United States following the announcement of the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden pledging 80 million of its surplus vaccine doses…
Palace: ICC report based on ‘hearsay’ information
MALACAÑANG on Wednesday, June 16, maintained that International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda’s report on the country’s drug war is based on “hearsay information.” “We’re confident it will not…
Duterte extends suspension of VFA termination anew
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has extended the abrogation of the country’s Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States for another six months, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced…
Palace: Government will never cooperate with ICC drug war probe
THE Philippine government will never cooperate with any investigation conducted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) into President Rodrigo Duterte’s war against illegal drugs, according to Malacañang. Presidential Spokesperson Harry…
Palace: Duterte-Duterte tandem in 2022 not happening
THERE is no chance of a Duterte-Duterte tandem happening during the 2022 elections, according to Malacañang. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Wednesday, June 9, said Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will…
IATF relaxes rules for inbound travelers vaccinated in PH
INBOUND travelers fully vaccinated in the Philippines will undergo a shorter quarantine period, according to Malacañang. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Friday, June 4, said that the Inter-Agency Task Force…
PH to donate $1M to COVAX facility
THE Philippines will be donating $1 million (P50 million) to the COVAX facility to repay its efforts in providing low-income countries access to COVID-19 vaccines. The COVAX facility is co-led…
Duterte urged to run for VP in 2022
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s next role: vice president? The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan’s (PDP-Laban) national council has adopted a resolution urging Duterte to run for the country’s second-highest office in…
Panelo: Duterte may consider running for vice president in 2022
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte may run for the second-highest post in the country in the 2022 elections if there is a public “clamor,” according to Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador…
DOT eyes shorter quarantine period for vaccinated OFWs, tourists
THE Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) has proposed a reduced quarantine period for arriving overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and foreign tourists who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Tourism Secretary…
PH reaches 3-M mark in COVID-19 vaccination drive
MORE than three million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the Philippines, according to an official. National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on…
Duterte: PH vessels to continue patrolling WPS
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has assured the public that the country will not abandon its claims in the West Philippine Sea. In a statement read by presidential spokesperson Harry Roque,…
PH scheduled to receive 2.2M Pfizer vaccine doses
AN additional 2.2 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine from the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility will be arriving in the Philippines later this May, according to vaccine czar Carlito…
PH begins Pfizer vaccine rollout
THE Philippines on Wednesday, May 12, started inoculating its Filipino citizens with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Some 193,050 Pfizer vaccine doses arrived in the country on Monday, May 10, and…
PH receives first batch of Pfizer jabs through COVAX
AFTER months of getting delayed, an initial batch of 193,050 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine doses arrived in the Philippines this week. The shipment of Pfizer’s jabs supplied by the World Health…
Filipina teen wins New York Times’ STEM writing contest
A 16-year-old Filipina is among the 11 winners of The Learning Network’s second annual STEM Writing Contest organized by the New York Times. Natalia Araña, a Grade 11 student from…
PH grants EUA to Moderna’s COVID-19 jabs
THE Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the emergency use authorization (EUA) for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. “Today, after rigorous and thorough review by regulatory and medical experts using…
Foreign tourists still barred from entering PH
Country lifts some entry restrictions FOREIGN tourists are still prohibited from entering the Philippines, despite the country easing restrictions on certain foreign nationals. “Said restriction remains effective until it is…
Modified enhanced community quarantine extended in Metro Manila, surrounding areas
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has extended the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus until the middle of May. In his weekly public address on…
Maria Ressa to receive UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize
RAPPLER co-founder and chief executive officer Maria Ressa is set to be awarded the prestigious press freedom prize from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Ressa has…
PH hits 1M COVID-19 cases
THE Philippines has now recorded over 1 million COVID-19 cases, becoming the second country in Southeast Asia to reach this grim milestone. The Philippine Department of Health (DOH) on Monday,…
DILG urges community pantry organizers to work with LGUs, police
THE Philippine Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is urging community pantry organizers to coordinate with local government units (LGUs) and police to ensure the proper observance of…
J&J, Covaxin get EUA in PH
THE Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorization (EUA) to two more COVID-19 vaccines. FDA director general Eric Domingo on Tuesday, April 20, confirmed that Johnson…
WHO: PH health care workers not yet fully protected vs COVID-19
THE Philippines is “falling short” of protecting its frontline healthcare workers against COVID-19, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said Monday, April 19. In a Laging Handa public briefing, WHO…