Philippines Morning News For December 11

Duterte wants 1 more year of ML in Mindanao
President Duterte has approved the recommendations of security officials and will seek a one-year extension of martial law in Mindanao to contain terrorism and other threats to public safety.
— Philstar

Tax reform to create 500K jobs, lift 250K out of poverty
The proposed Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP) will create about half a million jobs over the next half-decade and could lift up to 250,000 Filipinos out of poverty over the same period, an official of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said.
— Malaya

Exclusive: Philippines Defied Experts’ Advice in Pursuing Dengue Immunization Program
As she announced in January 2016 that the Philippines would immunize one million children with a new dengue vaccine, the nation’s then health secretary Janette Garin boasted it was a world-first and a tribute to her country’s “expertise” in research.
— US News

Labor, farmers appeal to bicam on tobacco excise tax
Farmers and the labor sector yesterday appealed to the bicameral panel on the proposed Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) bill to consider their plight before further increasing the tobacco excise tax.
— Philstar

Duterte’s Philippines Economy Beats China’s
President Rodrigo Duterte may receive poor marks for his human rights record, but he’s doing really well when it comes to the economy, which beats China’s.
— Forbes

PH to sell $1B new global bonds
The government is eyeing to sell $1 billion in new global bonds in 2018, amid the administration’s plan to accelerate spending, particularly for its planned infrastructure program, among others.
— Malaya

Ending poverty best way to promote rights – Palace
On International Human Rights Day yesterday, Malacañang vowed to lift less fortunate Filipinos out of poverty, saying this is the best way to uphold human rights amid criticisms over the administration’s alleged endorsement of summary executions in its war on illegal drugs.
— Philstar

Japan to sign 5 grant contracts for school building projects in PH
Japan is set to provide the Philippines a new package of assistance amounting to USD477,444, or about PHP 23 million, for school building projects. The projects will be funded through the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) implemented by the Embassy of Japan.
— Update Philippines

China Telecom named 3rd main telco player
The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) yesterday identified the Chinese firm that would become the third player in the country’s telecommunication industry.
— Philstar

Shorter working hours seen to boost Pinoys’ productivity
SOME say short and sweet is a pleasant experience. But can that apply to working hours Take the case of Daniel de la Cruz (not his real name), an employee of a contact-center company in Ortigas, Mandaluyong, who was assigned in the graveyard shift.
— BusinessMirror

Travel tax removal under Palace review
President Rodrigo Duterte is reviewing a bill proposing the removal of travel tax on international flights, according to an official of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza).
— The Manila Times

Food firm sees growth despite rising costs
Foodsphere Inc. expects to maintain its growth trajectory in 2018 despite rising costs in raw materials.
— Malaya

Govt pushing for inclusive globalization at WTO meet
The Philippine delegation to the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Ministerial Conference (MC) 11 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, will push for inclusive globalization and has identified three priorities to make sure it would benefit Filipinos, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said on Sunday.
— The Manila Times

6 justices to testify vs Sereno
A total of six Supreme Court justices – five incumbent and one retired – are willing to break the traditionally tight judicial protocol and testify before the House of Representatives hearing the impeachment case against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
— Philstar

Sex, drugs and disease: A deadly mix (1)
FIVE naked, unconscious young men sprawled in different positions on two couches and on a carpet were captured in a series of photos on Kenjo’s mobile phone. He was the first to wake up the morning so he took pictures before heading home.
— Malaya

Membership of PHL, 4 other countries to boost gains from TPP
The new Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) could trump the economic benefits of the Regional Economic Comprehensive Partnership (RCEP) if the Philippines and four other countries would join the free-trade pact.
— BusinessMirror

Philippines reelected to International Maritime Organization Council
The Philippines was reelected to the council of International Maritime Organization (IMO) with 124 of 160 votes cast last December 1. IMO is a United Nations (UN) specialized agency with 172 member-states in charge of maritime safety, security and maritime environment protection.
— Update Philippines

Aquino may have condemned hundreds of thousands to severe dengue and Zika
FORMER President Aquino’s order to undertake a mass vaccination program using the faulty Dengvaxia vaccine just three months before he left office has put at risk some 830,000 Filipino children, to contract potentially severe dengue, and Zika fever as well, another mosquito-borne disease.
— The Manila Times

PHL purchases of US meat up 10%
The Philippines imported 295.518 million pounds (lbs) of meat products from the United States in January to October, 10.29 percent higher than last year’s 267.937 million lbs, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
— BusinessMirror

OFWs invited to work for Build, Build, Build program
President Duterte invited returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who want to start a business or work in the country to take part in his administration’s Build, Build, Build program.
— Manila Bulletin

HIV-AIDS cases rising in Eastern Visayas
A rise in HIV-AIDS cases in Eastern Visayas has alarmed the Department of Health (DoH) here, prompting it to issue a warning about the spike in Region 8.
— The Manila Times

Yes, we can make Philippines safest for tourists
Anywhere in the world, tourists experience some of their best and worse moments. Let’s talk about the latter. Even some of the most visited places in the world like Paris, New York, London, Sydney, Barcelona, Manchester, Istanbul, Chicago and Bangkok, among others, have hogged the headlines because of bad elements in society.
— BusinessMirror

Feature photo Brian Evans

Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

Philippines morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Philippines news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.

Philippines Morning News For December 11 added by Leakhena Khat on December 11, 2017
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Leakhena Khat

Leakhena is a junior journalist at AEC News Today who is also currently studying International Relations, which she finds adds perspective to her work reporting on the Asean Community.

“I love what I am doing so much as it gives me a lot of great experience and provides challenges to my mind.