Philippines Morning News For April 19, 2019

Scarborough Shoal lost to China says Philippines spokesman
Filipinos finally heard last Sunday (April 14) what many have dreaded hearing for sometime. Scarborough Shoal has been lost to China.
— AEC News Today

Philippines slips further on World Press Freedom index
The Philippines has slipped further on the World Press Freedom Index of media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontières, RSF).
— The Philippine Star

PH is 5th country with highest number of reported measles cases since 2018 – WHO
A World Health Organization (WHO) study revealed that the Philippines ranks 5th among countries with the highest number of reported measles cases for the past 12 months, with 19,358 people reportedly infected with the disease during that period.
— CNN Philippines

Boracay draws 619,000 tourists in 1st quarter of 2019
In the first 3 months of 2019, world-famous Boracay Island has already attracted 619,934 tourists.
— Rappler

Philippine Catholics lash themselves in penance ahead of Easter
Dozens of barefoot penitents in the Philippines whipped themselves and carried large wooden crosses in sweltering heat on Thursday (Apr 18) as they participated in a ritual ahead of Easter in Asia’s biggest Catholic nation.
— CNA

The South China Sea: China Should Tread Carefully Regarding The Philippines – Analysis
China may be on the verge of making a major mistake that would undermine its great gains in soft power in Southeast Asia.
— Eurasia Review

Canada violated international law by dumping garbage in the Philippines: lawyers
Canada broke international rules when it dumped more than 100 shipping containers of garbage disguised as plastics for recycling into the Philippines six years ago, a Victoria-based environmental law firm says.
— Global News

House measures declaring three areas as mine-free zones up for Senate nod
The House of Representatives has endorsed for Senate approval measures declaring several areas in the country as mining-free zones.
— Business Mirror

Panelo belies Del Rosario’s statement; says no proof US brokered deal for PHL, China to withdraw vessels from Scarborough
The Palace on Thursday, April 18, said there was no proof the United States brokered a deal between the Philippines and China to withdraw their respective vessels during the Scarborough Shoal standoff in 2012.
— Eagle News

DFA chief: Invest more on weaponry, ‘stop throwing money at poverty’
The country’s top diplomat believes China’s strategy on the West Philippine Sea should prompt the government to invest more on weaponry instead of “throwing money at poverty.”
— CNN Philippines

Philippine ICT project to target rural areas in the ASEAN
A project proposal made by the Philippines had made it to the list of accepted projects of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Telecommunications and Information Technology Senior Officials’ Meeting (TELSOM) and ASEAN Telecommunications Regulators Council (ATRC) Work Plan 2020.
— OpenGov

Economy resilient, says PH economic team
For the country’s economic managers and World Bank officials, the Philippine economy remains resilient with the country en route to becoming prosperous by 2040, the government’s Investor Relations Office (IRO) said.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Australia gives P298-M in aid to fight online child abuse in PH
The Australian government plans to spend 8 million Australian dollars (approximately P298 million) to fund a project fighting online child abuse in the Philippines.
— ABS-CBN News

Palace rejects CPJ statement
The Committee to Protect Journalists’ (CPJ) statement that there is “shrinking space for free press” in the Philippines is a hasty generalization, Malacañang said on Wednesday.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

BSP poised to cut rates- HSBC Global Research
The start of an easing cycle is imminent, HSBC Global Research said, forecasting cuts totaling 50 basis points (bps) this year for the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’s (BSP) benchmark rates.
— The Manila Times

Hot money outflows could weaken peso
The exit of speculative funds from the Philippines could reverse the peso’s gains versus the dollar, an analyst said.
— The Manila Times

South China Sea: Beijing unveils world’s first drone boat amid growing tensions | World | News
The Marine Lizard could be used to take on land assault operations according to military analysts. The 14-tonne vessel is capable of reaching speeds of 50 knots in the water, GlobalTimes reported.
— Spratly Islands

Duterte to sign bill providing new incentives for startup businesses
President Duterte is expected to sign a bill that will provide a fresh package of incentives for the development of innovative startup businesses in the country.
— The Philippine Star

Sandigan rules to proceed with P50-M bribery scandal case vs ex-BI exec Robles
The Sandiganbayan has ruled to proceed with the hearing of the criminal charges against former Bureau if Immigration (BI) deputy commissioner Michael Robles despite his pending injunction at the Supreme Court in connection with the P50-million bribery scandal at the bureau.
— GMA News

Duterte raises drug ‘red flags’ in Lucena, Batangas
President Rodrigo Duterte has revealed that red flags had been raised over Lucena City in Quezon province and in Batangas because of the proliferation of illegal drugs there.
— The Manila Times

Mitsubishi Motors PH ready to shift power supply to all solar
Mitsubishi Motors Philippines (MMPC) will shift to an all-solar-powered operation in the latter part this year if not early 2020 in line with the Japanese car firm’s goal to use sustainable, cleaner and renewable energy sources.
— Manila Bulletin

RPOC-10 defines agencies’ roles in ending armed conflict
To attain inclusive and sustainable peace, the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC-10) mapped out the roles and functions of key agencies of the Regional Task Force on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC-10) in an organizational meeting on April 11 here.
— ReliefWeb

Philippines: Russian company wants two tons of mangoes weekly from Guimaras growers
According to the Philippines Department of Agriculture, a Russian company has placed an order of two tons of mangoes a week with growers in Guimaras.
— Fresh Plaza

Magna Carta for Workers in the Informal Economy moves towards approval in Senate
The measure that would protect workers in the country’s informal sector has advanced in the Senate.
— Manila Bulletin

Death threats not surprising for priests, says bishop
Priests, particularly those faced with death threats, are called on to continue their work against creeping vulgarity, obscenity amid senseless murders of the poor in the name of a false drug-free society, says Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas.
— GMA News

Philippines protests Chinese ships around disputed island
As many as 275 Chinese ships and boats have been spotted this year around Thitu island, also known as Pag-asa island in the Philippines, said Jason Ramon, chief of public affairs for the Philippine military’s western command, to CNN Philippines.
— Spratly Islands

Cebu gains much from PAL golfest
Cebu-based blogger Nimrod Quiñones, who is currently general manager of Alta Vista, estimated that more than R36 million was pumped into the local economy during the two-week tournament.
— Tempo

Princeton congratulates alumna Maria Ressa for making Time’s 100 Most Influential
Princeton University on Thursday congratulated one of its alumni, journalist Maria Ressa, for landing in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People 2019.
— GMA News

IN PHOTOS: For his children’s sake
For the past 5 years, Eric Marcelino’s family, particularly his children, have remained free from serious illnesses.
— Rappler

SaferKidsPH program launched to combat online child abuse
One in two Filipino children is a victim of online violence, according to the National Baseline Survey on Violence Against Children.
— Eagle News

Marawi Catholics missing Lent as city tries to rebuild
After the siege by the Islamic State-linked Maute group two years ago, Catholic residents in this city have yet to find a place of worship to be able to observe the Holy Week.
— Philippine News Agency

US Embassy Warns Citizens to Exercise Caution in Philippines During Lent
The U.S. Embassy in Manila on Monday warned citizens to be careful while traveling in the Philippines because of the possibility of terrorist activity as the mostly Catholic country prepared for a week-long Lenten break.
Benar News

Gunmen fire at La Union town exec’s house
The Balaoan Police is looking at all angles for the possible motive and arrest of the riding-in-tandem gunmen who riddled the house of the town’s municipal engineer here with bullets Wednesday night.
— Philippine News Agency

3 Filipino dishes land in Top 500 ‘memorable eating experiences’ of travellers, foodies worldwide
THREE Filipino dishes – sisig, halo-halo, and adobo – made it to the latest edition of the Lonely Planet Ultimate Eatlist, a compilation of the world’s top 500 “memorable eating experiences.”
— The Manila Times

Zambo City female jail dorm records 10 measles cases
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) has recorded 10 cases of measles since January this year at the female detention facility of the Zamboanga City Jail (ZCJ).
— Philippine News Agency

Gov’t begins evacuation of Filipino workers from Tripoli, Libya
The Philippine Embassy has begun evacuating Filipinos from Tripoli, Libya following the continued fighting there.
— Eagle News

Duterte on PCIJ reports vs him: “Pera-pera lang iyan”
President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, April 18, accused the Philippine Center of Investigative Journalism of being paid to discredit him and his family, and threatened to reveal what he said was its sources of funding.
— Eagle News

De Lima lauds priests getting death threats for fighting tyranny, advancing human rights
Detained Senator Leila de Lima on Thursday lauded priests who fight tyranny and advance the cause of human rights and democracy in the country amid threats to their lives.
— GMA News

Hunt for Scarborough clams, aka ‘jade of the sea,’ translates to lucrative business
Shell carvings from clams that Chinese fishers pillage from the South China Sea could fetch as much as P5.5 million, according to a 2016 report.
— Spratly Islands

SWS: Most Pinoys back suit vs Xi on sea dispute
Most Filipinos believe that a case filed by former Philippine officials against Chinese President Xi Jinping before the International Criminal Court (ICC) tells the world that China should leave the …
— The Manila Times

4.0-magnitude quake jolts Sarangani
A 4.0-magnitude quake struck Sarangani on Thursday, April 18. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the quake hit 54 kilometers southwest of Kiamba at 7 p.m. The depth of focus of the quake, which was of tectonic origin, was 16 kilometers.
— Eagle News

Tagle washes feet of young people at Maundy Thursday mass
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle on Thursday washed the feet of 12 young people during a Holy Week ritual in what Filipino Catholics recognize as the year of the youth.
— GMA News

3 PUV drivers in CDO test positive for illegal drugs
Three public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers tested positive for illegal drugs during a joint operation conducted by law enforcement agencies in this city’s bus terminals.
— Philippine News Agency

BJMP probes 40 jail officers for drug links
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) is investigating 40 of its personnel for their alleged involvement in illegal drug transactions inside jail facilities.
— Tempo

LOOK: Clark airport opens new facilities in time for Holy Week
The Clark International Airport opened 3 new facilities to accommodate the surge of passengers during Holy Week 2019.
— Rappler

Feature photo Catholics&Cultures

This week’s Philippines Morning News feature photo acknowledges Good Friday, April 19. We wish all of our Philippines readers a safe, healthy, and enjoyable Easter.

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 April 19 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on April 19, 2019
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Stella-maris Ewudolu

Journalist at AEC News Today

Stella-maris graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Education from Ebonyi State University, Nigeria in 2005.

Between November 2010 and February 2012 she was a staff writer at Daylight Online, Nigeria writing on health, fashion, and relationships. From 2010 – 2017 she worked as a freelance screen writer for ‘Nollywood’, Nigeria.

She joined AEC News Today in December 2016.