Duterte calls for recalibrated Asean plans to address Covid-19
MANILA, (Mabuhay) — President Rodrigo Duterte has sought the recalibration of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (Asean) plans to ensure the region’s faster recovery from the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, Malacañang said Friday. Duterte made the call on his fellow Southeast Asian leaders when he delivered a seven-minute speech during the 36th Asean […]
Steam inhalation may trigger COVID-19 spread – DOH exec
MANILA, (Mabuhay) — The Department of Health (DOH) warned Friday that a home remedy being pushed by the Cebu provincial government against COVID-19 might end up spreading the new coronavirus. “Tuob,” a type of steam inhalation using hot water infused with herbal properties, can “aerosolize” the virus and “may lead to further transmission of the […]
PH retains highest classification in US anti-TIP standards
MANILA, (Mabuhay) — The United States retained Manila’s Tier 1 status in its annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, the highest classification, for the fifth year in a row. The State Department recognized Manila’s assistance to a total of 6,772 potential trafficking victims and around 1,143 Filipino trafficking survivors from the Middle East and Asia. […]
DOT eyes allowing entry of tourists from countries with low to zero COVID-19 cases
MANILA, (Mabuhay) — The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Friday bared plans to allow foreign tourists from countries with relatively low cases of COVID-19 to visit certain tourist destinations in the country, in a bid to revive the hard-hit tourism sector. “We are looking at in the near future, what we call travel bubbles or […]
PRRD urges Asean to find ‘innovative ways’ to end sea disputes
MANILA, (Mabuhay) — President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Friday enjoined the other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to look for “innovative” ways to resolve the long-standing disputes in the resource-rich South China Sea. Duterte, in a speech delivered during the 36th annual Asean summit, maintained that tensions among South China Sea […]
2M Filipino women expected to get pregnant this year –POPCOM
MANILA, (Mabuhay) — Nearly two million Filipino women between ages 15 and 49 years old are expected to get pregnant this year, according to the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM). POPCOM said these numbers were from the University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), whose recent study […]
DND chief backs US exec’s warning vs. China ADIZ in WPS
MANILA, (Mabuhay) — Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Thursday concurred with the warning of a ranking United States military official saying the air defense identification zone (ADIZ) planned by China in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) “goes against rules-based order”. “Yes, I agree. First, an ADIZ by China over […]
$3.1B of ‘hot money’ exited PHL in January-May — BSP
MANILA, (Mabuhay) — Foreign portfolio investments (FPI) or “hot money” yielded a net outflow of $3.1 billion million in the first five months of 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and other external pressures, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said Thursday. FPI is also called hot money because of the ease by […]
No COVID-19 deaths recorded in Eastern Visayas despite surge in cases, Año says
MANILA, (Mabuhay) — Even though there is an increase in the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Eastern Visayas, no death was recorded in the region, specifically in the province of Leyte, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Thursday. “Totoo na nag-surge talaga ang positive cases sa kabuuan ng Region VIII pero pinakamarami sa […]
Keep windows open, let air circulate in PUVs as public transpo gradually resumes — solon
MANILA, (Mabuhay) — ACT-CIS party-list Representative Jocelyn Tulfo on Thursday urged the government to adopt guidance from international health organizations against COVID-19 to keep windows open and let air circulate in public utility vehicles as it gradually allows the resumption of operations of public transportation in many areas of the country. In a statement, Tulfo […]
OFWs’ data protected in information tracking system — DOLE
MANILA, (Mabuhay) — An official of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Thursday assured data privacy protection for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who will register to the OFW Assistance Information System (OASIS). In a Laging Handa briefing, Labor Assistant Secretary Alex Avila said the information they will be getting through the system are […]
IMF sees Philippine economy shrinking further by 3.6% in 2020
MANILA, June 25 (Mabuhay) — The Philippine economy will contract further this year due to the global economic disruption brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, International Monetary Fund projections indicate. In its World Economic Outlook update released Wednesday night, the IMF expected the Philippine’s gross domestic product (GDP) to shrink by 3.6% in 2020. This […]
Drilon to OWWA: Facilitate speedy repatriation of 150K OFWs
MANILA, June 25 (Mabuhay) — Repatriate all 150,000 overseas Filipinos affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic first and let’s talk about funding later. Thus said Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) after OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac admitted that the ongoing repatriation of OFWs, if it continues next […]
UV express vans, traditional PUJs to resume ops next week — LTFRB
MANILA, June 25 (Mabuhay) — Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairman Martin Delgra on Wednesday said UV Express vans and traditional public utility jeepneys (PUJs) will be allowed to resume transport operations in Metro Manila starting next week. “[They could start operating] next week for both UV and traditional jeepneys… For Monday may […]
Philippines’ COVID-19 tally breaches 32,000 with 470 new infections
MANILA, June 25 (Mabuhay) — The number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the Philippines breached the 32,000 mark on Wednesday after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 470 more infections—357 “fresh” or newly validated and 113 reported late—bringing the total to 32,295. Total recoveries also rose to 8,656 after 214 more patients recovered […]
More than 90K workers displaced during first 6 months — DOLE
MANILA, June 25 (Mabuhay) — Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairman Martin Delgra on Wednesday said UV Express vans and traditional public utility jeepneys (PUJs) will be allowed to resume transport operations in Metro Manila starting next week. “[They could start operating] next week for both UV and traditional jeepneys… For Monday may […]
Kanlaon Volcano’s quakes show no sign yet of magma rising — Solidum
MANILA, June 25 (Mabuhay) — Recent earthquakes in Kanlaon Volcano on Negros Island do not indicate that magma is rising from beneath its edifice to the main crater, the head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said. PHIVOLCS Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary Renato Solidum Jr. said the recent earthquakes were recorded only at the base […]
Drilon to OWWA: Facilitate speedy repatriation of 150K OFWs
MANILA, June 25 (Mabuhay) — Repatriate all 150,000 overseas Filipinos affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic first and let’s talk about funding later. Thus said Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) after OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac admitted that the ongoing repatriation of OFWs, if it continues next […]
Robredo says OVP has helped more than 700 locally stranded individuals go home this week
MANILA, (Mabuhay) — Vice President Leni Robredo on Saturday said her office has assisted more than 700 locally stranded individuals (LSIs) in Metro Manila to go home to their provinces this week. “Umabot muli sa higit 700 na locally stranded individuals (LSIs) ang ating natulungang makauwi ngayong linggo dahil sa patuloy na pakikipagtulungan ng ating […]
Philippine health care system still has enough capacity to care for COVID-19 patients — DOH
MANILA, June 20 (Mabuhay) — The Philippine health care system’s current critical care utilization rate (CCUR) is not yet fully exhausted, meaning the system still has enough capacity to care for those in need of critical care during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Health (DOH) said Saturday. “‘Yung critical care utilization rate, ito po […]