PH starts COVID-19 vaccine rollout
AFTER being delayed for weeks, the Philippines has finally kicked-off its vaccination drive against COVID-19 this week. The first dose of Sinovac Biotech’s “CoronaVac” vaccine from China was administered to…
Category: Dateline Philippines
Covering the week’s most noteworthy news stories in the Philippines for the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
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Duterte to end VFA if US nukes found in PH
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte is threatening to scrap the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) anew if he finds “hard information” that the United States has stored nuclear weapons in the country….
DOLE clarifies plan to exchange PH nurses for COVID-19 vaccines
Filipino health care workers are not “commodities” that can be traded in exchange for COVID-19 vaccines, an official from the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) clarified. DOLE public…
Duterte undecided on VFA abrogation, seeks public opinion
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte is turning to the public as he remains undecided on what to do with the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). In a public address aired Wednesday night,…
Backlash ensues after PH offers nurses in exchange for COVID vaccines from UK, Germany
THE Philippine Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is under fire after one of its officials said that the agency is open to lifting the cap on the deployment of…
Cardinal Tagle appointed to Vatican’s central bank
CARDINAL Luis Antonio Tagle, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, has been appointed by Pope Francis as a member of a powerful body that acts as the…
Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto recognized by US as anti-corruption champion
PASIG City Mayor Victor “Vico” Sotto is one of the 12 individuals recognized by the United States Department of State as an international anti-corruption champion. The Biden administration launched the…
Puyat affirms support for Siquijor’s reopening
SAN JUAN, SIQUIJOR — Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat yesterday (24 February) traveled to Siquijor, as part of the ongoing efforts to assist in the safe reopening of…
Philippines won’t ease quarantine restrictions until vaccination begins
THE Philippines will not be placed in the least restrictive quarantine tier until the government kicks off its national vaccine rollout, Malacañang said Monday, February 22. “President Rodrigo Roa Duterte…
Survey: More women hold senior corporate roles in PH
THE Philippines has the most number of women holding senior leadership positions in mid-market businesses among 29 other economies, according to a new report. Grant Thornton’s annual Women in Business…
Report: PH has not vaccinated any health care workers
DESPITE having the second-highest count of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia, the Philippines has not vaccinated any health care workers, according to a recent report by the National Public Radio…
Foreigners with long-term visas can now enter PH
THE Philippines is now allowing foreigners with valid long-term visas to enter the country, but tourists are still barred from entering. The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging…
Palace: It’s the ‘right timing’ for US to pay, save VFA
IT is the “right timing” for the United States to pay the Philippines to maintain the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between them, Malacañang said Thursday, February 18. “Tama po ang…
De Lima acquitted in 1 of 3 drug cases
PHILIPPINE Senator Leila de Lima has been acquitted in one of three drug charges she is currently facing. Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 205 Judge Leizel Aquiatan on Wednesday, February…
Palace: Duterte ‘knows what it takes’ to be president
BEING the chief executive of the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte knows which qualities his successor should have to lead the country, Malacañang said Wednesday, February 17. “Dahil siya ay naging…
PH Supreme Court junks Marcos poll protest vs Robredo
THE Philippine Supreme Court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), has dismissed the entire election protest filed by former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. against Vice President Leni Robredo….
PH not a target of China’s coast guard law
CHINA was not targeting the Philippines when it passed a new law allowing its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels entering disputed territories, according to Philippine Ambassador to China…
Palace: PH should get close to $16 billion compensation from US
AFTER President Rodrigo Duterte demanded that the United States pay for the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), Malacañang said that the Philippines should get “something like $16 billion or close to…
Duterte receives flak for VFA threat
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte is under fire after he demanded the United States to “pay” if it wants to keep the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) from being terminated. Addressing the…
Duterte urged to declare surge in teen pregnancy a national emergency
THE Philippine Commission on Population and Development is urging President Rodrigo Duterte to declare teenage pregnancies a national social emergency. The commission’s board of directors has drafted an executive order…
Duterte: US has to ‘pay’ for VFA
AMID calls to extend the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said the United States would have to “pay” if the deal stays. “I would like to put…
Survey: Filipinos’ rating of gov’t pandemic response lowest in SE Asia
FILIPINOS are the most disapproving of their government’s COVID-19 response among Southeast Asians, according to a recent survey. A report from think-tank Singapore-based ASEAN Studies Centre — titled “The State…
US, PH reaffirm defense alliance
THE Philippines and the United States have reaffirmed their commitment to the defense alliance through the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) and the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). In an introductory phone…
Comelec urges Filipinos abroad to join internet voting test run
AHEAD of the 2022 Philippine general election, overseas Filipino voters are urged to participate in a test run of four internet voting solutions by different election systems providers. The country’s…
Duterte won’t allow ABS-CBN to operate with a new franchise
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte declared that he would not allow ABS-CBN to operate again even if Congress grants the network giant a new franchise. “Congress is planning to restore the…
PH, US set to meet about Visiting Forces Agreement
THE Philippines and the United States will meet this month to iron out differences over the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) amid renewed regional concerns over China’s assertive maritime agenda, Philippine…
LP eyes Robredo as 2022 presidential candidate
THE opposition Liberal Party (LP) is considering Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo as its presidential candidate for the 2022 national elections. “Siya ay mataas na opisyal ng partido at pinakamataas…
IATF expands list of foreign nationals allowed to enter PH
STARTING February 16, foreigners with certain visas can enter the Philippines, according to new guidelines released by the country’s Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID)….
Duterte: Philippine economy in bad shape
THE Philippine economy is in “bad shape” and “sinking deeper and deeper” due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, President Rodrigo Duterte admitted this week. “Ang ekonomiya natin, mga kababayan ko,…
Bulacan Airport: A Sustainable Development Project
There is no doubt that the government’s infrastructure program today is unprecedented in the country’s post EDSA history. The projects that have been accomplished including those are underway will surely…