Covering the week’s most noteworthy news stories in the Philippines for the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte was noticeably absent at the wake and funeral of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. The chief executive did not attend his predecessor’s wake at The Heritage Park in Taguig where Aquino’s remains were first brought for cremation on Thursday, June 24 nor at the public viewing at the Church of…
WHILE the current pandemic has put on hold many people’s travel plans, take heart in knowing that Manila has something that is both unique and familiar in store for you when you get back. Through the initiative of the city government led by Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and leading insurance company Allianz PNB Life,…
AMERICAN citizens in the Philippines with expired U.S. passports will be allowed to depart the country, according to the Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI). A memorandum issued by Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente directed all BI personnel assigned at the different ports to allow the departure of passengers whose American passports expired on or after January…
UNITED States President Joe Biden has extended his “deepest condolences” to the Philippines following the death of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. In a statement released by the White House on Thursday, June 24, Biden called Aquino a “valued friend and partner” to the U.S. “He will long be remembered for serving his country…
Philippines to observe 10 days of national mourning MALACAÑANG, top officials and former leaders expressed condolences to the family of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III who died at the age of 61. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, June 24, urged everyone to “set aside differences” to pay respects to his predecessor. “Let us…
FORMER Philippine President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III has died, sources close to his family confirmed Thursday, June 24. He was 61. The son of former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and former President Corazon Aquino was rushed to the Capitol Medical Center in Quezon City on Thursday morning. According to reports, Aquino had been suffering…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to put those who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19 behind bars. In his public address on Monday, June 21, the chief executive expressed exasperation over individuals refusing to get inoculated, calling them “carriers” of COVID-19. “They are really carriers and they, you know, traveling from one place to…
THE Philippines will get more COVID-19 vaccines from the United States following the announcement of the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden pledging 80 million of its surplus vaccine doses to various countries. According to the U.S. Embassy in Manila, the Philippines will be “among priority countries” receiving U.S.-donated vaccines. “The Biden-Harris administration has announced…
MALACAÑANG on Wednesday, June 16, maintained that International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda’s report on the country’s drug war is based on “hearsay information.” “We’re confident it will not prosper beyond this stage, because, in the first place, you need the cooperation of the state for a case buildup. But right now, what they…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has extended the abrogation of the country’s Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States for another six months, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced this week. According to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., the chief executive relayed the decision in a meeting with him and Philippine Ambassador to…
THE Philippine government will never cooperate with any investigation conducted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) into President Rodrigo Duterte’s war against illegal drugs, according to Malacañang. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday, June 15, stressed that the chief executive will not cooperate with ICC until the end of his term next year. “Hinding-hindi magko-cooperate…
THERE is no chance of a Duterte-Duterte tandem happening during the 2022 elections, according to Malacañang. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Wednesday, June 9, said Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will not run for vice president should his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara “Inday” Duterte, decide to run for the country’s top post. “Sa tingin ko…
INBOUND travelers fully vaccinated in the Philippines will undergo a shorter quarantine period, according to Malacañang. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Friday, June 4, said that the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) approved the guidelines on inbound international travel to any port of the Philippines of all fully vaccinated…
THE Philippines will be donating $1 million (P50 million) to the COVAX facility to repay its efforts in providing low-income countries access to COVID-19 vaccines. The COVAX facility is co-led by Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, May 31, noted…
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s next role: vice president? The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan’s (PDP-Laban) national council has adopted a resolution urging Duterte to run for the country’s second-highest office in the 2022 elections. Adopted during a National Council Assembly in Cebu City, the resolution also urged Duterte to name his running mate for president in…
THE Philippines’ National Capital Region (NCR) Plus will remain under the general community quarantine (GCQ) “with restrictions” from June 1 to 15. President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, May 31, extended the GCQ status in the National Capital Region, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal following the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte may run for the second-highest post in the country in the 2022 elections if there is a public “clamor,” according to Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo. “Si presidente, tatakbo lang ‘yan pag nakita niya may clamor, ‘pag malakas ang clamor (The president will only run if he sees that there…
THE Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) has proposed a reduced quarantine period for arriving overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and foreign tourists who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat on Tuesday, May 25, said that the agency wants to cut the quarantine period for those vaccinated from the previous 10 days to…
MORE than three million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the Philippines, according to an official. National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Tuesday, May 18, said that the country has utilized a total of 3,114,847 doses since March 1. Meanwhile, NTF Against COVID-19 Deputy Chief Implementer and…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has assured the public that the country will not abandon its claims in the West Philippine Sea. In a statement read by presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, Duterte maintained that his position in the West Philippine Sea will not waver. “Our principal position and stand on the West Philippine Sea remains. I…
THE Philippines’ National Capital Region (NCR) Plus will be under general community quarantine (GCQ) “with heightened restrictions” from May 15 to May 31. President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, May 13, downgraded the quarantine status of NCR Plus following the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID). “President Rodrigo…
AN additional 2.2 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine from the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility will be arriving in the Philippines later this May, according to vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. “Yung next delivery ng Pfizer, more or less sa 2.2 million (The next delivery of Pfizer, more or less 2.2 million [doses]) I…
PHILIPPINE Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has ordered the filing of a new diplomatic protest against China over the presence of some 287 Chinese militia vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). “@DFAPHL (Department of Foreign Affairs), fire diplomatic protest,” the diplomat said in a tweet on Thursday, May 13. On Wednesday, May 12,…
THE Philippines on Wednesday, May 12, started inoculating its Filipino citizens with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Some 193,050 Pfizer vaccine doses arrived in the country on Monday, May 10, and were distributed to Metro Manila and other areas which can accommodate the product’s storage requirements of -70 to -80°C. Among the first local government units…
AFTER months of getting delayed, an initial batch of 193,050 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine doses arrived in the Philippines this week. The shipment of Pfizer’s jabs supplied by the World Health Organization-led COVAX Facility landed before 9 p.m. on Monday, May 10 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 in Pasay City. Among the key…
A 16-year-old Filipina is among the 11 winners of The Learning Network’s second annual STEM Writing Contest organized by the New York Times. Natalia Araña, a Grade 11 student from the Philippine Science High School in Quezon City, won with her essay titled “Mycowood Violins: A Different Kind of Time Machine,” which focuses on scientist…
THE Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the emergency use authorization (EUA) for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. “Today, after rigorous and thorough review by regulatory and medical experts using the currently available published and unpublished data, FDA is granting an emergency use authorization to Zuellig Pharma Corp. for the…COVID-19 vaccine Moderna,” FDA Director General…
Country lifts some entry restrictions FOREIGN tourists are still prohibited from entering the Philippines, despite the country easing restrictions on certain foreign nationals. “Said restriction remains effective until it is lifted by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases,” Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said Sunday, May 2. This clarification comes after Malacañang on Friday,…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has extended the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus until the middle of May. In his weekly public address on Wednesday, April 28, Duterte announced that Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal will remain under the second strictest quarantine classification until May 14. Santiago…
RAPPLER co-founder and chief executive officer Maria Ressa is set to be awarded the prestigious press freedom prize from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Ressa has been named as the 2021 laureate of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, following the recommendation of an international jury of media professionals, the…
