Philippines Morning News For January 11

PH, ADB seal $680-M loan packagesTwo loan packages amounting to a total of $680 million were signed by the Philippine government and the Asian Development Bank on Wednesday.
— The Manila Times

PHL seen growing faster than Asian peers till 2020
Despite lower growth expectations from the World Bank, the economic expansion of the Philippines will continue to outpace that of China and its Asean-5 neighbors until 2020, according to its latest report.
— BusinessMirror

Release of alleged journalist killer, outrages activists
Media people and environmental activists in the Philippines have expressed outrage following the release of a former governor suspected of being behind the 2011 murder of a Filipino journalist.
— Ucanews

‘800,000 kids at risk after Dengvaxia vaccination’
OVER 800,000 children who have been inoculated with Dengvaxia vaccine are at risk, following the findings of a “strong” pattern in the deaths of four children with dengue symptoms, the Public Attorney’s Office said Wednesday.
— Manila Standard

Philippine Labor Contracts: What You Need to Know
The Labor Code of the Philippines is the general labor law that regulates the relationship between the employee and the employer, and all employment-related matters in the country. The law applies to all Philippines’ enterprises and joint ventures, as well as to all employment relationships between Filipino nationals and foreign enterprises in the country.
— Asean Briefing

Philippines: Antitrust body approves SM Retail’s acquisition of Goldilocks Bakeshop
SM Retail Inc, a subsidiary of Philippine Stock Exchange-listed SM Investment Corp (SMIC), has received approval from the country’s antitrust body to acquire Goldilocks Bakeshop Inc., a major bakeshop chain in the country.
— DealStreetAsia

UN agency bemoans inadequate aid for Marawi victims
Tens of thousands of people affected by last year’s five-month conflict in the southern Philippine city of Marawi are going hungry in temporary shelters, aid workers said.
— Ucanews

DSWD amends guidelines on CSOs accreditation
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) recently amended the “Guidelines on the Accreditation of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) as beneficiaries of DSWD projects and programs.”
— Philippine Information Agency

Philippine Market Regulator Warns Investors Against Unregistered Initial Coin Offerings
In an advisory, the SEC reminded the public that virtual currency trades are unregistered securities and urged them“to be vigilant when investing in this kind of investing activity and to take the necessary precautions in dealing with ICO entities.”
— Cryptovest

One dead, more than 800 injured in Philippine Catholic parade
One devotee died and over 800 people were injured in Manila, Philippines after millions of people joined a religious procession featuring a blackened image of Jesus, the officials said on Wednesday. Last year, two people had died during the Black Nazarene parade.
— International Business Times

‘90% of Filipinos covered by health insurance’
Most or 90 percent of Filipinos are now covered by social health insurance, the Department of Health (DOH) reported yesterday.
— Philstar

Philippines reaches deal with Japan to fix troubled metro
The Philippines and Japan have reached a deal to rehabilitate and maintain Manila’s Metro Rail Transit (MRT), which has been plagued by reliability and capacity problems. The rail reportedly suffered from at least 500 disruptions last year.
— Asia Times

Philippines Most Dangerous Country in Southeast Asia for Journalists
It’s not just suspected drug users and dealers at risk of targeted killing in the Philippines. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) reported last week that the Philippines is the most dangerous country in Southeast Asia for journalists. Globally, the island nation came sixth on the list of most murderous countries.
— IPSNews

Big rush for new, 10-year Philippine e-passports
The new 10-year Philippine e-passport has triggered a big rush among Filipinos in Dubai in the last few days, Gulf News has learnt.
— Gulf News

Court sets oral arguments on martial law
As predicted by The Manila Times, the Supreme Court is set to hold oral arguments next week on the consolidated petitions seeking to nullify the one-year extension of martial law in Mindanao.
— The Manila Times

Oil firms under tight watch over excise tax application
The Department of Energy (DOE) has tightened its watch on oil firms amid reports that some gas stations have already increased prices including the new excise tax on fuel under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law.
— Philstar

A middle ground for revising the Constitution
THE Constitution, just like any other fundamental law of any land, specifies the mechanisms that govern how it can be amended or revised. Under the 1987 Constitution, there are only three mechanisms.
— The Manila Times

Philippines, New Zealand sign deal on weather data exchange
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has partnered with New Zealand’s MetService to improve the dissemination of weather data to the public.
— Philstar

Foreign direct investments in PH hit 16-month high in October 2017
The amount of foreign direct investments (FDIs) coming into the Philippines last October hit its highest level in 16 months, suggesting positive investor sentiment over the country’s strong macroeconomic fundamentals and growth prospects.
— Rappler

Canberra: Tribunal ruling on South China Sea reflects international law, should be implemented
Canberra on Wednesday said it will not support acts by any country that would go against the international tribunal’s ruling on the South China Sea (SCS)—including its militarization—and is encouraging both China and the Philippines to implement the decision.
— BusinessMirror

762 pass dentist licensure exam
Hundreds of dentistry graduates passed their licensure examination, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced yesterday.
— Philstar

Feature photo limaiksiang

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 January 11 added by Leakhena Khat on January 11, 2018
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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.