Covering the week’s most noteworthy news stories in the Philippines for the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
THE Philippine Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday, January 16, said that polio has reached Metro Manila. According to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, a 3-year-old boy from Quezon City has been confirmed to have the disease, making him the first case of polio in Metro Manila since the disease returned to the Philippines last…
A new Social Weather Stations survey released this week showed that 44% of Filipino respondents were satisfied with Vice President Leni Robredo’s stint as co-chairperson of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD). Based on 1,200 respondents, 14% percent said they were “very satisfied” with Robredo’s performance, while 30 percent said they were “somewhat satisfied.”…
TAAL Volcano – a volcano within a lake within a volcano. This spectacular dreamy view of Taal from Tagaytay is perhaps one of the most memorable sights of the Motherland that we Filipinos already living abroad always go back to. Being only 31 miles away from the nation’s capital, this picturesque destination is part of…
Cracks have rendered this road in Talisay, Batangas unpassable. Volcanologists have warned that ground fissures and tremors are signs of a looming eruption | ManilaTimes.net photo by Gerard Seguia The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Wednesday, January 15, said it has observed more fissures or cracks near the Taal Volcano amid its…
Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo defended the drug war report based on her findings as former co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) after receiving flak from administration allies. “If they dismiss it as a mere political [attack], it just means they did not read the report,” she said on her radio show…
The Philippine Coast Guard on Tuesday, January 14, welcomed China Coast Guard Vessel 5204 as it undergoes a port call to the country. The two coast guards will hold a bilateral meeting to discuss issues such as hotlines of communication and search and rescue operation. They will also be discussing the possibility of conducting joint…
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Tuesday, January 14, said the Taal Volcano shows no signs of slowing down, with its ongoing ash eruptions continuing to trigger volcanic earthquakes. “As we speak, there are still earthquake events so we expect more activities in the next few days,” said Philvocs chief Renato Solidum….
THE mandatory repatriation ordered by the Philippine government will remain for Filipino workers in Iraq, but has been lifted for Iran and Lebanon as tensions between the United States and Iran ease, the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment announced on Thursday, January 9. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III clarified that the alert levels for…
MANILA – Following the “Ayoko sa plastic” viber stickers, the Department of Tourism (DOT) starts the New Year by promoting sustainable local tourism with the newly released #SaveOurSpots GIFs on Instagram. The newly released artworks primarily include the #SaveOurSpots frame, daily Filipino conversation lines, responsible tourist badge and many more to encourage mindful traveling around…
THE Philippine government is ordering thousands of Filipino workers to evacuate Iraq, Iran and Lebanon as the situation between the United States and Iran continues to escalate. The alert level in Iraq has been raised to the highest level, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), which directs Filipino overseas workers to leave the…
FORMER Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has asked the Supreme Court (SC), sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), to re-examine the initial vote recount results in the electoral protest he filed against Vice President Leni Robredo. In a 809-page memorandum filed before the tribunal on December 19, 2019 and released to reporters on Tuesday, January…
OPPOSITION Senator Leila De Lima should be included in the list of individuals to be banned from the United States, Malacañang argued. “She (De Lima) should put herself on the top list plus (former senator and administration critic Antonio) Trillanes (IV) and others who have been peddling lies to the outside world,” said presidential spokesman…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, January 7 dismissed Vice President Leni Robredo’s published report that called the administration’s three-year war against illegal drugs a “massive failure.” This comes after the vice president on Monday released her long-awaited report on the situation of the anti-drug campaign based on her 18-day stint as the Inter-Agency Committee…
FILIPINOS in the United States would not be covered by the Duterte administration’s proposed plan requiring American citizens to obtain visas before entering the Philippines, Malacañang clarified this week. This comes after presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo previously said that President Rodrigo Duterte would order American citizens, “including Filipino Americans,” to get a visa before traveling…
President Rodrigo Duterte will not interfere with the franchise renewal of major television network ABS-CBN, Malacañang said on Friday, January 3. This is because Congress has the prerogative to grant the network’s franchise, according to Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo. “The president will not interfere with that prerogative unless there is an evident and brazen grave…
The Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in partnership with the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation, Inc. (SEIPI), the largest organization of foreign and Filipino electronics companies in the Philippines, will present the Philippine electronic capabilities during the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES). CES 2020 will run from January 7-10 in…
THE Maguindanao massacre convicts have started to file their motions for reconsideration against the Dec. 19, 2019 ruling that found them guilty. Former Datu Unsay Mayor Andal “Unsay” Ampatuan, Jr., Anwar Ampatuan Sr., as well as his two sons, Anwar “Datu Ipi” Ampatuan, Jr. and Anwar Sajid “Datu Ulo” Ampatuan filed their notice of appeal…
President Rodrigo Duterte will officially turn down President Donald Trump’s invitation to visit the United States, Malacañang said on Friday, December 27. In a press briefing on Friday, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte would reply to the letter invitation and decline it. He also clarified that Duterte’s decision reportedly is not related to Trump’s…
The Philippines has ordered an entry ban on two United States senators who have been calling for the release of Senator Leila De Lima, and is considering tighter restrictions for U.S. citizens visiting the country, according to President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman on Friday, December 27. Duterte has instructed the Philippine Bureau of Immigration “immediately” to…
At least 28 people have died after Typhoon Ursula swept across villages and towns in the Visayas, the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported on Friday, December 27. Of the 28, 13 were recorded in Iloilo, where six members of a family were found dead when strong floodwaters swept them away in…
Senator Christopher Go recently invited U.S. government officials to the Philippines so they can see for themselves the extent of the country’s drug problem. This invitation came after President Donald Trump signed the U.S. 2020 budget that included a provision denying entry to those involved in the arrest and detention of Senator Leila De Lima….
Typhoon Ursula (international name: Phanfone) on Wednesday, December 25, swept across the villages and towns in the Visayas, ruining the holiday mood and taking the lives of more than a dozen people. Typhoon Ursula made landfall in the eastern province of Samar and packed maximum sustained winds of 120 km per hour (75 miles per…
Palace condemns explosions, vows to go after culprits At least 21 people suffered injuries in a series of explosions that rocked Cotabato City on Sunday, December 22 — the eve of President Rodrigo Duterte’s visit to the city for a land distribution ceremony. According to regional military spokesperson Major Arvin Encinas, a hand grenade was…
The inter-agency technical working group (TWG) conducting the pilot program for motorcycle taxis announced Thursday, December 26, that it no longer plans to have an extension for the study. According to TWG chairman Antonio Gardiola Jr., the inter-agency body believes that the three-month period is already “enough” for them to gather data. “For us, the…
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, came out as the top bets for 2022 vice president and president, respectively, in a pre-election survey conducted in Visayas and Mindanao (VisMin). The independent and non-commissioned survey entitled “Pahayag VisMin 2019,” conducted from November 15 to 19, revealed that Duterte-Carpio ranked first in…
THE Quezon City Regional Trial Court on Thursday, December 19, has found members of the Ampatuan family of Maguindanao, together with several others, guilty for the murder of 57 people in the Maguindanao massacre. Former Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. and his brothers former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) governor Datu Zaldy “Puti”…
THE Sandiganbayan Special Division on Thursday, December 19, ordered the Marcos family to return more than 160 paintings and artworks that were unlawfully acquired, saying that they should be surrendered to the Philippine government. Valued at millions of dollars, paintings by Matisse, Monet, Picasso, and Van Gogh — which were all listed by the Philippine…
The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) on Wednesday, December 18, said it is ready to cooperate with the Senate after Senate Blue Ribbon committee chairman Richard Gordon announced he would initiate a probe into PCGG’s failure to recover the alleged ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family. “The PCGG welcomes Senator Gordon’s pronouncement that he…
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Tuesday, December 17, said that the public might cast doubts on martial law and its atrocities following the Sandiganbayan’s recent dismissal of a P200-billion forfeiture case filed against the Marcos family. On Monday, December 16, the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division dismissed Civil Case No. 0002 filed by the Presidential Commission…
Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Monday, December 16, said he has not received a confirmation from the U.S. Embassy about his visa being cancelled due to his key role in President Rodrigo Duterte’s war against illegal drugs. “I have heard rumors about it, but I have not received any official confirmation [from the U.S….
