Covering the week’s most noteworthy news stories in the Philippines for the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
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…
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 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…
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…
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…
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…
THE Philippines has now recorded over 1 million COVID-19 cases, becoming the second country in Southeast Asia to reach this grim milestone. The Philippine Department of Health (DOH) on Monday,…
THE Philippine Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is urging community pantry organizers to coordinate with local government units (LGUs) and police to ensure the proper observance of…
THE Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorization (EUA) to two more COVID-19 vaccines. FDA director general Eric Domingo on Tuesday, April 20, confirmed that Johnson…
THE Philippines is “falling short” of protecting its frontline healthcare workers against COVID-19, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said Monday, April 19. In a Laging Handa public briefing, WHO…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has made it “very clear” that the country’s friendship with China has limitations, according to Malacañang. “He made it very clear ‘Kaibigan tayo, makikipagkaibigan ako (We…
FOREIGN travelers who were given entry exemption documents prior to the implementation of the travel ban in March may now enter the Philippines, according to the country’s Bureau of Immigration…
THE Philippines has extended its entry ban on foreign nationals until the end of April. Malacañang on Friday, April 16, announced that the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management…
MANY startups have attempted to unlock financial services in Southeast Asian emerging markets, where credit card penetration is under 10%. Consumers in the Philippines have lost trust in a system…
Malacañang expressed optimism that the Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea will leave “soon” due to the close friendship between the Philippines and China. “Inaasahan po natin na ‘yung…
A LOCAL beach in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte in the Philippines has been hailed as one of the world’s most beautiful by an internationally renowned travel magazine. New York-based Travel +…
PHILIPPINE Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin III over the weekend discussed the situation in the West Philippine Sea. During a telephone conference on Sunday, April 11,…
FORMER Philippine President Joseph “Erap” Ejercito Estrada is reportedly free of COVID-19 after several days on a ventilator. In a Facebook post, former Senator Jinggoy Estrada announced that his father…
METRO Manila and its surrounding provinces are now under the less stringent modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until the end of April. Malacañang on Sunday, April 11, said that Philippine…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has dismissed rumors surrounding his health after almost two weeks away from the public eye. His absence comes as the country faces one of the worst…
FORMER Philippine President Joseph “Erap” Ejercito Estrada has reportedly been removed from ventilator support. In a Facebook post, his son, former Senator Jinggoy Estrada, expressed happiness over the improvement of…
PHILIPPINE lawmakers are calling for an investigation into the death of an alleged quarantine violator who was forced to do 300 rounds of squats as punishment. Bayan Muna Reps. Eufemia…
EXTENDING the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila and four nearby provinces beyond April 11 has been ruled out by Malacañang in favor of the more lenient modified ECQ…
PHILIPPINE Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has condemned the recent brutal attack against an elderly Filipina American in New York City, saying it will influence the country’s foreign policy with…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte admitted he is struggling to address the pandemic in the country, particularly in securing vaccines against COVID-19. “I’m having a hard time. I’m grappling with the…
Metro Manila, surrounding areas under quarantine until April 4 EXTENDING the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) over Metro Manila and its nearby provinces is an “absolute last resort,” according to Malacañang….
FOREIGN parents of Filipino citizens who have valid visas and are traveling with them may now enter the Philippines. The country’s Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Monday, March 29, announced…
THE Philippines and the United States have officially launched a bilateral campaign celebrating the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic ties. Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez and U.S….
FORMER Philippine President Joseph “Erap” Ejercito Estrada has tested positive for COVID-19. In a Facebook post, former Senator Jinggoy Estrada announced Monday, March 29, that his father was rushed to…
THE United States maintained that it “stands” with the Philippines amid the presence of Chinese ships at Julian Felipe Reef (Whitsun Reef) in the West Philippine Sea. “The United States…
