Covering the week’s most noteworthy news stories in the Philippines for the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
Flag carrier Philippine Airlines recently announced that it will be assisting stranded American citizens in the country by mounting two separate flights to Los Angeles and San Francisco this week. The “user-pay” flight leaving for LA is scheduled on May 21 with two domestic sweeper flights — one from Cebu and one from Davao, according…
The Philippines’ major airlines have all announced that their flights are canceled for the rest of May, in compliance with the government’s new quarantine guidelines. Budget airlines AirAsia Philippines and Cebu Pacific said all domestic and international flights are canceled from May 16 until May 31. “All Cebu Pacific and Cebgo domestic and international flights…
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration on Friday, May 15, said typhoon Ambo has weakened into a severe tropical storm as it moves northwest at 20 kilometers per hour. Ambo now has maximum winds of 110 km/h from the previous 125 km/h as well as gustiness of up to 150 km/h from the…
The Philippine Supreme Court will start tackling the cases of media giant ABS-CBN on May 19, according to a new report. Members of the high court will decide if it is possible to consolidate all cases regarding the network’s renewal into one, the Manila Times reported. The cases include: the quo warranto petition filed by…
The Presidential Security Group on Wednesday, May 13 warned that there will be consequences for Filipinos who issue threats against President Rodrigo Duterte. PSG Commander Col. Jesus Durante in a statement urged the public to not threaten the president “ especially with the use of social media.” “Anybody could be held liable if he threatens…
Around 45,000 overseas Filipinos are expected to return home to the Philippines over the next two months, following the over 20,000 who have been repatriated since the coronavirus outbreak, according to a new report. As the coronavirus continues to affect industries globally, including tourism and hospitality, the Philippines is anticipating Filipino workers coming back to…
MALACAÑANG on Wednesday, May 13 released new guidelines for areas under a modified enhanced community quarantine. This comes after President Rodrigo Duterte the day before announced that Metro Manila, Laguna and Cebu City will continue operating under a modified quarantine until the end of the month, following his meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force for…
Metro Manila, Laguna and Cebu City will continue operating under a “modified enhanced community quarantine” until the end of the month, following President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval. This decision to extend the quarantine from May 16 to 31 came after Duterte’s meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on Monday…
INTERNATIONAL arrivals into Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport resumed on Monday, May 11 following new guidelines. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) released a Notice to Airmen over the weekend, specifying a new schedule for international chartered and commercial flights to ease congestion into the country’s main gateway. Chartered flights will be allowed…
There are now 2,233 positive cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, among overseas Filipinos, according to the latest figures released by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs. The DFA’s daily count on Tuesday, May 12 also announced one new death, bringing the death toll of 261. Meanwhile, 669 individuals have now…
Philippine House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday, May 12, said that other bills need to be prioritized before addressing media giant ABS-CBN’s bid for a franchise renewal. This came after 14 lawmakers who spearheaded the network’s franchise renewal bills urged him to immediately tackle the long-pending measures in the lower chamber. “We remain cognizant…
Broadcast giant ABS-CBN announced that its flagship evening news program “TV Patrol” would resume delivering the news through its digital platform. The shift came two days after the network was forced to go off-air following the cease-and-desist order issued by the National Telecommunications Commission. “TV Patrol” on Thursday, May 7 was broadcasted on ABS-CBN News’…
HAS the Philippines flattened the coronavirus curve? A local epidemiology expert thinks so, citing the recent decline in the number of new cases and fatalities due to the virus. According to Dr. John Wong, who serves on the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), the doubling time for the confirmed cases has slowed…
Over 40,000 more overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were displaced due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic are set to arrive back to the Philippines. “More than 40,000 OFWs are to be repatriated. That might even be a conservative estimate because we have yet to include in the count medium- to long-term economic effect of…
SEVERAL Philippine senators on Thursday, May 7, filed a resolution urging the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to reconsider its cease and desist order against broadcasting giant ABS-CBN, after the network went off-air on Tuesday night. The group of lawmakers also urged the NTC to allow ABS-CBN, as well as its subsidiaries and affiliates, to continue…
THE Department of Health on Wednesday, May 6, reported 320 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country, the highest single-day leap recorded in a month. This brings the total number of infected individuals to 10,004. Of the new infections, 179 or 56 percent came from the outbreak epicenter Metro Manila, while 98…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte will not reject ABS-CBN’s bid for a franchise renewal if the majority of lawmakers find valid ground to allow the country’s largest television network to operate again. Malacañang on Wednesday, May 6, assured the public that the president would not veto the bill that proposes renewing the network giant’s renewal. “Sa…
NEARLY 2,000 Filipinos globally have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, according to the latest figures released by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs. The DFA on Wednesday, May 6 reported 38 new cases of COVID-19 among overseas Filipinos, bringing the official count to 1,905. “Today, the total number of…
THE Philippines’ largest broadcast network stopped its operations on Tuesday, May 5 to comply with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC)’s cease and desist order due to the expiration of its congressional franchise. ABS-CBN went off air after the broadcast of its primetime news program “TV Patrol” on Tuesday night around 8 p.m. Manila time. The…
FILIPINO Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle has been promoted by Pope Francis to the rank of cardinal-bishop, the highest position within the Church’s College of Cardinals. The Catholic Church on Friday, May 1, announced that the Pope elevated the rank of the former archbishop of Manila. “The appointment was made in an audience granted to Archbishop…
All international flights to and from the Philippines will remain suspended until May 8, following the approval of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases. However, official flights, emergency flights, cargo ambulance and medical supply flights, weather mitigation flights, maintenance flights, and international flights for stranded foreign nationals are exempted from…
Working senior citizens in Luzon will not be placed on house arrest during the enforcement of the general community quarantine, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease clarified on Thursday, April 30. The task force reminded those with significant health risks and of certain age groups that they should remain in…
Nearly 300 new cases of the coronavirus have been recorded in the Philippines, the Department of Health said on Thursday, April 30. The department announced 276 new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in the country, bringing the official count to 8,488. Ten new deaths were also reported, raising the death…
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is willing to give a P20 million reward to any Filipino who can develop a durable respirator that will be used to help patients who contracted the novel coronavirus, Malacañang said on Tuesday, April 28. According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, the respirators should “outlast” the lives of the patients. “Nagbigay ng…
OVER 1,300 health care workers in the Philippines have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to the Department of Health. The latest figures on Tuesday, April 28 show that 1,336 health care professionals have contracted COVID-19. Of the infected, 493 doctors, 507 nurses, 74 nursing assistants, 47 medical technologists, 28 radio technologists, 11 midwives…
THE United Nations this week raised concern over the “toxic lockdown culture” that several countries have adopted as they fight the coronavirus pandemic, citing the Philippines’ “highly militarized response” to violators of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). UN High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet on Monday, April 27 noted that 120,000 Filipinos have been arrested for violating…
MORE than 200 overseas Filipinos have tested positive for the novel coronavirus this week, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said. The latest numbers on Tuesday, April 28 revealed that there are 209 new cases of COVID-19 among Filipinos abroad, bringing the total to 1,604. The department noted that this is the largest single day…
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs this week welcomed home 132 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Singapore and 121 from Algeria. According to the agency, the successful repatriation of the Filipinos on Monday, April 27 was made possible by the Philippine Embassies in Singapore and Tripoli in coordination with their respective employers who shouldered their…
Malacañang denied rumors that President Rodrigo Duterte is taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to declare martial law in the Philippines. “Nakakatawa po ‘yan kasi hindi naman lang naman sa Pilipinas ang merong pandemic (That’s funny because it’s not only the Philippines experiencing the pandemic),” said presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in an online briefing on…
Former Philippine Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez died on Monday, April 27, his family confirmed. He was 64. In a statement, current Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat offered her condolences to the loved ones of Jimenez on behalf of the Department of Tourism. “On behalf of the officials and employees of the Department of Tourism (DOT), I…
