Covering the week’s most noteworthy news stories in the Philippines for the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte called on Congress to conduct a special session next week to ensure the timely passage of the proposed P4.5-trillion budget for 2021, Malacañang said on Friday, October 9. “President Rodrigo Roa Duterte today, October 9, has called the Congress to a special session scheduled on October 13-16, 2020 to resume the congressional…
TRAVEL restrictions to enter the Philippines are still in effect as the pandemic continues, the country’s Bureau of Immigration (BI) reminded the public on Wednesday, October 7. Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente stressed that only Filipinos, their foreign spouses and children who are minors are allowed to enter the country. Likewise, foreign children with special needs…
Cebu and the Visayas Islands have been named the Top Island in Asia in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards. “Located in the center of the Philippines, Cebu draws nearly 2 million travelers annually for its pristine beaches and diving off the island’s northern coast. Spanish and Roman Catholic influences permeate Cebu City; Basilica…
Malacañang on Thursday, October 8, welcomed the resolution passed by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) that offers assistance in addressing the extrajudicial killings and human rights violations in the Philippines. “We are thankful for the UN Human Rights Council. Tama po naman iyong kanilang ginawang resolution (The resolution they made is correct),” said…
AROUND 10,000 health care workers (HCWs) have left the Philippines to work overseas since January, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said on Wednesday, October 7. “Since the start of the year, we were able to send abroad 10,000 HCWs, particularly nurses who are Balik Manggagawa (BM),” POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia said during the Department…
A BILL seeking to recognize “foundlings” or abandoned children as natural-born Filipinos has been approved on third and final reading by the House of Representatives. The House Committee on the Welfare of Children on Monday, October 5, approved House Bill No. 7679 or the “Foundling Welfare Act” with 220 affirmative votes. The measure, principally authored…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte’s performance rating climbed to 91% as the country continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, a Pulse Asia survey revealed on Monday, October 5. The pollster’s Ulat ng Bayan Nationwide Survey, conducted from September 14 to 20, reported that 91% of Filipinos approved of Duterte’s performance. Meanwhile, 5% said disapproved and…
PHILIPPINE Airlines (PAL) plans to lay off 35% of its workforce, the company announced on Monday, October 5. Around 2,700 workers out of its total 7,800 workforce will be affected in the “first stage” of its downsizing initiative. The national flag carrier also called on employees to apply for “voluntary separation.” “The retrenchment is part…
NEWLY-hired Filipino health care workers with signed contracts as of August 31, 2020 may now leave the country to work overseas, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) announced Tuesday, October 6. “The cut-off date was extended from March 8 to August 31 upon the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging…
OVER 200,000 overseas Filipinos have returned to the Philippines since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the country’s Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Sunday, October 4. A total of 204,481 overseas Filipinos have been repatriated, of which 135,004 (66.02%) are land-based and 69,477 (33.98%) are sea-based. “For September alone, the DFA repatriated 41,892…
THE Philippines is among the top 20 countries with the most number of novel coronavirus infections in the world after the Department of Health logged 2,415 additional cases on Thursday, October 1. The new cases bring the official tally to 314,079, making the Philippines still the country with the most number of infections in Southeast…
THIRTY-FIVE visitors flew to Boracay Island after the famous tourist spot reopened its doors to domestic tourists on Thursday, Philippine Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo–Puyat said on Friday, October 2. “There were actually 35 tourists who came to Boracay yesterday by air, land and sea,” she said. “Of course there were people from Aklan, also some…
THE United States may have been testing Chinese forces when a U.S. Air Force surveillance plane disguised as a Philippine aircraft flew over the Yellow Sea last week, Philippine National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said on Thursday, October 1. “The pilots are probably trying to test the reaction that would come from China and…
THE number of unintended pregnancies in the Philippines could experience a spike if the quarantine measures caused by the novel coronavirus remain in place until the end of 2020, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said on Tuesday, September 29. According to the agency, the number of women expected to give birth this year could…
THE Philippine Supreme Court, acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, has directed the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to comment on pending issues related to the election protest filed by former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. In its latest resolution, PET ordered the Comelec to file its comment…
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte questioned the purpose of Facebook in the country after the social media platform took down “fake” accounts and pages with ties to the police and military units in the country. “Facebook, listen to me. We allow you to operate here hoping that you could help us also. Now if government cannot espouse…
Malacañang maintained that the budget set for the Manila Bay’s rehabilitation program could no longer be realigned to the government’s COVID-19 response. “Nasimulan na po iyan eh, so kinakailangan tapusin na po iyan. (It has already begun so it has to be completed),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said on Thursday, October 1. “And as I…
A new five-year bilateral assistance agreement amounting to P10.5 billion ($213 million) has been signed by the United States and the Philippines to boost the country’s economic development and growth. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Philippine Department of Finance (DOF) signed the agreement to deepen their commitment to accelerate inclusive, broad-based…
Metro Manila will stay under general community quarantine (GCQ) for the entire month of October. This comes after President Rodrigo Duterte approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) on Monday, September 28. Aside from the capital region, the province of Batangas, and the cities of Tacloban,…
Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III has stepped down from his post as ABS-CBN Corporation’s chairman emeritus and director, the broadcast giant announced Thursday, September 24. “Mr. Eugenio ‘Gabby’ Lopez III, today, tendered his resignation for personal reasons as Chairman Emeritus and Director of ABS-CBN Corporation,” the network said in a statement on Thursday. Lopez, 68, also…
Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle has recovered from the novel coronavirus, 13 days after he contracted the disease. The Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome on Wednesday, September 23, said Tagle’s recovery was “a great joy for the whole Church.” “God wants him to continue serving in the Vatican’s office for the Missions, to bring God’s…
Malacañang on Thursday, September 24, commended President Rodrigo Duterte’s first-ever speech before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), calling it “excellent.” “The president’s speech in the UN General Assembly, I thought, was excellent. And I think halos lahat ng Pilipino ay kinilala po na talagang napakagaling at napaka-komprehensibo at malinaw ang naging talumpati ng ating…
OVER 100 fake accounts related to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s potential run in the 2022 presidential election were taken down by social media giant Facebook due to policy violations. According to Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook’s cybersecurity policy chief, the accounts were traced to individuals from the Fujian province…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, September 23, addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for the first time since assuming office in 2016. “I am honored to address you today on behalf of the Filipino people on the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. The invisible enemy that is COVID-19 has brought about an…
PHILIPPINE Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday, September 21, warned Filipinos about attempts to revise history as the country marked the 48th anniversary of the declaration of martial law under late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos. “Maraming pinahirapan, naglaho, at pinatay noong Martial Law; lumobo ang utang ng bayan na binabayaran natin hanggang sa ngayon; lumalim…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, September 21, praised Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu for his rehabilitation efforts in the Manila Bay. “Let us begin by congratulating Secretary Cimatu. You know I remember that meeting and I think everybody was there when I said, ‘Roy, can you clean this up?’ And his answer was…very curtly given,…
U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton, who was convicted of murdering Filipina transgender woman Jennifer Laude, will no longer undergo court-martial proceedings, a U.S. Marine Corps spokesperson said Wednesday, September 16. Pemberton will not be tried a second time since he already served the court-imposed penalty for his actions prior to his pardon, Major…
THE Philippines’ richest experienced a drop in their fortunes as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt the country’s economy. The collective wealth of the country’s 50 Richest dropped to $60.6 billion (P2.9 trillion) from $78 billion (P3.8 trillion) a year earlier, according to Forbes Asia. “Despite having one of the world’s strictest lockdowns, the Philippines…
THE Philippines was recently recognized as the top “digital riser” in East Asia and the Pacific by the Berlin-based European Center for Digital Competitiveness (ECDC). In ECDC’s Digital Riser Report, the Philippines was named as one of the world’s top digital risers along with France and Saudi Arabia. The report analyzed each country’s digital competitiveness…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte will review the reduced 0.75-meter physical distancing policy for passengers by the Department of Transportation (DOTr). “Inaasahan po natin na siguro po magkakaroon ng desisyon ang Presidente sa Lunes sa kanyang susunod na talumpati sa taumbayan (We expect that the President may announce his decision on Monday during his next public…
