Locsin: ‘Somebody dropped the ball’ on Pfizer vaccine deal
PHILIPPINE Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Tuesday, December 15, said the country was supposed to receive 10 million doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine as early as January, but a…
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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Palace rejects ICC report on drug war
THE assessment of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) prosecutor on the Philippines’ war against drugs is “legally erroneous,” Malacañang said on Tuesday, December 15. “Obviously, we do not agree with…
Lorenzana: Ties between US and PH will not change
THE relationship between the Philippines and the United States will stay the same under the administration of President-elect Joe Biden, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said. In a Laging Handa…
Report: Record hunger in the PH as COVID-19 continues
AS the coronavirus pandemic persists, the Philippines is experiencing record levels of hunger, according to a recent report by Agence France-Presse (AFP). Due to COVID-19 restrictions and job losses, Filipinos…
Drug board: PH may not be drug-free by 2022
ELIMINATING illegal drugs in the Philippines may not be achieved by 2022, the country’s Dangerous Drugs Board admitted this week. “Ang ginawa nating optimistic target doon sa ating campaign was…
World Bank: PH economy to bounce back in 2021
THE World Bank expects the Philippine economy to start recovering in the next two years as the country eases quarantine restrictions, allowing more industries to resume operations. The multilateral lender…
Philippines’ economic scarring among worst in the world
THE damage done by the coronavirus pandemic on the Philippine economy will take a long time to repair, according to Oxford Economics. In its recent report entitled “Calibrating long-COVID vulnerabilities…
Online registration for overseas voting in 2022 PH elections begins
OVERSEAS Filipinos may now register to vote online for the 2022 Philippine elections. The Philippine Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) iRehistro, which has been operational since December 1, is accepting applications…
Duterte ready to receive coronavirus vaccine
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte is prepared to receive the COVID-19 vaccine to assure the public it is safe and effective to use. “Ang Presidente po ay hindi na makapaghintay (The…
Economists: PH economy to bounce back in 2021
GLOBAL investment banking giant Goldman Sachs has laid out a promising economic outlook for the Philippines next year. In their November report entitled “ASEAN 2021 Outlook: Vaccine Critical to Regional…
Pacquiao elected as new president of Duterte party PDP-Laban
PHILIPPINE Senator Manny Pacquiao on Wednesday, December 2, was sworn in as the new president of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Laban ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), the political party of current President Rodrigo…
DFA: Over 277K overseas Filipinos repatriated amid COVID-19 pandemic
MORE than 277,000 Filipinos have returned to the Philippines since the country’s Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) began COVID-related repatriation efforts in February. A total of 277,320 Filipinos abroad have…
Duterte allows emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines
THE Philippines’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been granted the authority to allow emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, December 1, signed Executive…
DOH recommends prohibiting minors in malls
MINORS should stay inside their homes during the holiday season as they are also at risk for contracting the coronavirus, the Philippine Department of Health advised on Wednesday, December 2….
PH immigration clarifies travel restrictions for balikbayans, foreign spouses, children
FOREIGN spouses and children of Filipino citizens are only allowed to enter the Philippines if the Filipino citizen or balikbayan is traveling with them, the Philippine Bureau of Immigration clarified…
Metro Manila remains under GCQ until year-end
METRO Manila will remain under general community quarantine (GCQ) for the entire month of December. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, November 30 approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task…
PH signs COVID-19 vaccine deal with AstraZeneca
THE Philippines on Friday, November 27, will sign a tripartite agreement for two million doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine against the novel coronavirus, according to the country’s vaccine czar Carlito Galvez…
Balikbayans, family allowed to enter PH visa free starting Dec. 7
FORMER Filipino citizens or “balikbayans” will be allowed to enter the Philippines visa-free starting December 7, Malacañang said on Friday, November 27. Their spouses and children, regardless of age, are…
Makati, Baguio, Davao among areas marked high-risk for transmission
MAKATI, Baguio and Davao City are among the areas in the Philippines at high-risk for coronavirus transmission, according to a new report. Experts from the Octa Research Group on Wednesday,…
Duterte names Arroyo adviser of Clark projects
Malacañang on Thursday, November 28, confirmed that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte appointed former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as his adviser for the Clark Freeport Zone programs and projects. Arroyo was chosen…
US reaffirms military partnership with PH
THE United States on Wednesday, November 25, reaffirmed its steadfast military partnership with the Philippines during the visit of U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett in Manila. Barrett…
Palace: Cap on deployment of health workers may be lifted
MALACAÑANG on Tuesday, November 24, said that the cap on health care workers allowed to leave the country may be lifted once a vaccine against the novel coronavirus becomes available….
PH House approves bill against women discrimination
THE Philippines’ House of Representatives on Monday, November 23, approved on its third and final reading a bill that expands the prohibited acts of discrimination against women in the workplace….
PH lifts overseas travel ban on health workers
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has ended the deployment ban on the country’s health care workers. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Saturday, November 21, said Duterte approved the recommendation of…
Duterte approves advance payments, emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has allowed the government to make advance payments for coronavirus vaccines, Malacañang announced on Thursday, November 19. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte accepted the proposal…
Filipino student takes home int’l award for sustainable invention
FILIPINO student Carvey Ehren Maigue on Thursday, November 19, bagged the first-ever sustainability prize at the James Dyson Award for his invention. The 27-year-old electrical engineering student from Mapua University…
PH sees P90-B economic loss from recent typhoons
THE damage caused by the recent typhoons in the Philippines could result in an estimated loss of P90 billion in the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), the National Economic and…
Palace: Duterte won’t apologize to Robredo
MALACAÑANG on Thursday, November 19, said Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will not be apologizing to Vice President Leni Robredo following his recent tirades against her. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque maintained…
Duterte places Luzon under state of calamity
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte declared the entire Luzon under a state of calamity after three successive typhoons battered the country’s largest island. In a taped speech aired on Tuesday night,…
Ambassador Romualdez: The alliance between PH and US is very strong
PHILIPPINE Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez on Tuesday, November 17, affirmed the strong ties between the Philippines and the United States. During a virtual event hosted by…