New quake strikes as Philippines hunts for survivors
Philippine rescuers were scrambling Tuesday to reach some two dozen people feared buried under a building near Manila that collapsed a day earlier in a strong earthquake, as a powerful new tremor hit the nation.
— Bangkok Post
PH to get $10B in deals, investments from Duterte’s China visit – DTI
The Philippines expects to get $10 billion in investments and deals with China when President Rodrigo Duterte goes to that country for the second Belt and Road Forum on April 25, the Department of Trade and Industry said.
— Rappler
Price freeze declared in quake-hit Pampanga; Dam damage hits P50M
THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Tuesday declared a price freeze in Pampanga a day after it got severely hit by a 6.1-magnitude earthquake that shook Luzon.
— Business Mirror
PH GDP growth seen slowing to 6.1%
The Washington-based Institute of International Finance (IIF) sees Philippine economic growth slightly slowing down this year even as overall debt as a share to the economy declined last year.
— Inquirer.net
Tremor death toll rises to 16
At least 16 persons were conÂfirmed dead while authorities are racing against time to rescue more people who are believed to have been trapped inside a four-storey establishment that collapsed in Porac, Pampanga during Monday’s 6.1 magnitude earthquake.
— Tempo
German FDI in ASEAN Part IV: The Philippines and Singapore
German investment in the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been increasing steadily and has the potential to grow further in the coming years.
— Asean Briefing
Clark airport terminal sustains P30 million worth of damage
THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) is aiming to reopen Clark International Airport today (Wednesday), after the terminal sustained damage after a 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit Luzon Monday afternoon.
— BusinessWorld Online
External payments flow to remain positive — BSP
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) expects the country’s external payments position to remain healthy amid the sustained inflows.
— The Philippine Star
Chinese embassy expects 1.5M Chinese tourists in PHL in 2019
More than 1.5 million Chinese tourists are expected to flock to the Philippines this year, according to an official from the Chinese Embassy on Tuesday.
— GMA News
PHL seeks $5.618-billion loan mainly for Luzon railway commuter projects
THE Philippines is proposing $5.618 billion worth of projects for loan and grant financing from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as of April 2019.
— Business Mirror
Powerful earthquakes that hit PHL over the years
Then National Disaster Coordinating Council (now National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council or NDRRMC), estimated that more than 1,200 lives were lost; 3,000 were injured; and, more than 300 went missing on July 16, 1990 when the magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit almost the entire Luzon.
— GMA News
Phivolcs upgrades Eastern Samar quake to magnitude 6.5
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) upgraded to magnitude 6.5 the quake that hit Eastern Samar earlier Tuesday afternoon, April 23, which it had earlier recorded at magnitude 6.2.
— Eagle News
ADB aid to PH hits $19B in 5 decades
The cumulative lending, grant, and technical assistance commitments of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to the Philippines for more than five decades have reached $19.3 billion, a document released by the multilateral bank agency showed.
— Malaya
Calamity insurance of over P20B for quake hit provinces
THE national government has sufficient insurance cover to rebuild from the earthquakes that hit parts of Central Luzon on April 22 and Samar Island yesterday, and is awaiting more concrete estimates from agencies in the field, the Bureau of Treasury (BTr) on Tuesday.
— BusinessWorld Online
Magnitude 6.5 to 7.2 quake in Metro Manila could kill at least 40,000 — Phivolcs
If a magnitude 6.5 to 7.2 earthquake strikes Metro Manila and Greater Manila, an estimated casualty count of at least 40,000 can be expected, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Tuesday.
— Inquirer.net
Duterte says he won’t appoint a new Budget Secretary
The Department of Budget and Management will have no permanent head until 2022, President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday.
— CNN Philippines
PHIVOLCS: No tsunami threat following 6.5-magnitude quake that hit Eastern Samar
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology allayed fears of a tsunami after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck Eastern Samar on Tuesday, April 23.
— Eagle News
Magnitude 6.1 Luzon quake a wake-up call for structural audit of PHL buildings –urban planner Palafox
The magnitude 6.1 quake that hit Luzon on Monday may be considered a wake-up call to check the integrity of the buildings in the country, according to Filipino architect Jun Palafox.
— GMA News
DOLE sets Labor Day job fair in Davao City, eyes 7K vacancies
Nearly 7,000 local and overseas job vacancies are open for the two-day Labor Day job fair at the Gaisano Mall here on May 1-2.
— Philippine News Agency
7,000 religious sector, youth members form ‘human chain’ for coal-free Negros
Some 7,000 members of the religious sector and the youth formed a “human chain” on Monday, April 22, which is also Earth Day, to oppose the construction of a 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant here.
— Rappler
NUPL to raise its inclusion in ‘oust Duterte’ matrix before Supreme Court
The National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) is set to raise before the Supreme Court on Wednesday the inclusion of its officers and members in the so-called oust-Duterte matrix, which they deem is the administration’s latest attack against human rights lawyers.
— GMA News
‘Unclog bottlenecks for Chinese investors’
House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said the Philippines has to exert maximum effort to remove on-the-ground bottlenecks that impede implementation of projects that involve trade and investment groups from China.
— Malaya
After strong earthquake, Luzon grid on red alert
MANILA, Philippines- After the strong earthquake and amid the scorching summer heat, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) placed the Luzon grid on red and yellow alert on Tuesday, April 23.
— Rappler
Filipino seamen wired home $1B in Jan-Feb
Filipino sailors on foreign ocean-going vessels wired home a total of $1.05 billion in cash via the banking system from January to February this year, up 10.5 percent from $956.15 million in the same two-month period in 2018, ACTS-OFW party-list group said recently.
— The Manila Times
PAL CANCELLED FLIGHTS: List of Cancelled Flights on April 24, 2019 (Wednesday)
List of PAL Cancelled Flights on April 24, 2019 (Wednesday) PAL CANCELLED FLIGHTS – Here is a list of the cancelled flights of the Philippine Airlines on Wednesday, April 24, 2019.
— Philippine News
Philippines’ Duterte hits Canada on exported garbage
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte berated Canada on Tuesday in a longrunning dispute over waste exported to the Southeast Asia nation, threatening to sail it back to Canada.
— Reuters
Pampanga now under state of calamity
Pampanga was placed under a state of calamity on Tuesday, April 23, a day after a 6.1-magnitude quake struck Luzon.
— Eagle News
Shift to e-invoicing system seen by ’22
The Department of Finance is considering fully implementing an e-invoicing system by 2022 to make it easier not only for the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to collect taxes but also for taxpayers to settle their dues.
— Inquirer.net
Philippines: 6 Soldiers Killed in Clash with Communist Rebels
Suspected communist rebels killed at least six soldiers and wounded six others in a pre-dawn ambush Tuesday in the central Philippines, the military said.
— Benar News
PHIVOLCS: 4.6-magnitude aftershock reported in E. Samar
A 4.6-magnitude aftershock was reported in Eastern Samar more than an hour after it was hit by a 6.5-magnitude quake on Tuesday, April 23.
— Eagle News
Facebook’s digital literacy program comes to the Philippines
Facebook in March launched We Think Digital, its global digital literacy program aiming to enhance internet users’ digital hygiene including handling hate speech and disinformation, avoiding online scams, and maintaining online privacy and security.
— Rappler
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte to approve incentives for startups
President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines reportedly will sign a bill that’s put together to support startup ventures operating in the country, as told by KrAsia.
— e27
DTI confiscates P7 M substandard construction materials
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has confiscated over P7 million worth of construction materials which do not conform to product standards as of April this year.
— The Philippine Star
Banks’ MSME lending still short – BSP data
Banks are still not providing enough loans to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.
— The Manila Times
DTI further tightens standards on construction products
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) yesterday said it heightens its visibility in the market through intensified monitoring and enforcement efforts to ensure product quality and consumer safety especially on construction materials such as cement, steel bars, angle bars, uPVC pipes, and sanitary wares.
— Manila Bulletin
China’s investment approval authority leads mission to PH
Some of China’s biggest state-owned enterprises (SOEs) led by the State-owned Assets Administration and Supervision Commission are visiting the Philippines for the first time to explore business opportunities in the country while promoting their government’s strong push towards regional economic integration and opening up of global economy.
— Manila Bulletin
PhilHealth offers free medical assistance to quake victims
All victims of the 6.1 magnitude earthquake which jolted parts of Luzon will be receiving free medical assistance from the country’s national health insurance program, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said on Tuesday.
— Philippine News Agency
Phivolcs: Stop spreading false quake information
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) appealed to the public to refrain from disseminating false information about an impending 7.1-magnitude earthquake in Metro Manila.
— Tempo
It’s ‘abuse’ to prevent workers’ evacuation during earthquake – labor group
Labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) hit employers who refused to let workers evacuate from buildings when a magnitude 6.1 earthquake rocked Luzon on Monday, April 22, and then made them resume work right after, without waiting for the structural integrity of the buildings to be checked.
— Rappler
Luzon grid gets power supply boost from PetroSolar
PetroSolar Corp. has added 20 megawatts of power generation capacity to the Luzon grid with the commissioning of its second solar farm in Tarlac City.
— Inquirer.net
Power back in quake-affected provinces in Visayas — NGCP
THE National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) has fully restored power in provinces in the Visayas affected by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake that hit Eastern Samar on Tuesday.
— The Manila Times
Davao City acquires scanners, X-rays for checkpoints
All passengers entering the city will now be greeted with body X-ray machines and baggage scanners after the city government acquired the equipment for Task Force Davao to further boost security measures.
— Philippine News Agency
Senate to resume work on Wednesday
The Senate will resume work on Wednesday after the DPWH ruled that cracks found in the building after Monday’s 6.1-magnitude quake are minor and will not affect the entire structure.
— GMA News
Pampanga gov’t may be liable if Chuzon store proven to be substandard
The city government of Pampanga may be held liable for the alleged weak structure of the Chuzon supermarket which led to the death of at least five individuals.
— Inquirer.net
Bangko Sentral looks into Luzon earthquake’s impact on banks
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is assessing the impact of the earthquake in Luzon on the banking sector.
— Rappler
Tugade says Clark airport to be fixed April 25 ‘at the latest’
PAMPANGA, Philippines – Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said the Clark International Airport will be restored by Thursday, April 25, at the latest.
— Rappler
Indefinite lockdown recommended for ’tilting’ Manila college
THE city engineering office of Manila recommended an indefinite lockdown of the earthquake-damaged Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) building in San Marcelino.
— The Manila Times
Exec says Batangas seaport is entry point of illegal drugs
The international seaport of Batangas City has become an entry point of illegal drug shipments in the province, Gov. Hermilando Mandanas has confirmed.
— Inquirer.net
Brownouts occur after strong Visayas earthquake
Power outages occurred in several areas in the Visayas after a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the island region on Tuesday, April 23.
— Rappler
DepEd to school heads: Check safety of school buildings after Luzon earthquake
After a magnitude 6.1 earthquake jolted Luzon on Monday, April 22, the Department of Education (DepEd) ordered all school heads to inspect the safety of school buildings before allowing people to head inside.
— Rappler
Philippines could get more CoD casinos: Premium Leisure
A proposal to open more casino properties in the Philippines under the moniker ‘City of Dreams’ is under consideration.
— GGRASIA
China uses US built satellites for military operations, police: Report
China makes use of nine satellites in orbit around the Earth, built by Boeing and Maxar Technologies-owned SSL and financed through investment firm Carlyle Group, to boost Chinese government capabilities, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.
— Spratly Islands
DOJ: No basis to probe lawyers, journalists in ‘oust Duterte’ matrix for now
MANILA, Philippines – Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said on Tuesday, April 23, that there was not enough basis “for now” for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to launch a probe into lawyers and journalists tagged in the supposed oust Duterte matrix plot claimed by Malacañang.
— Rappler
Post-quake assessment shows Nueva Ecija dams safe
The National Irrigation Administration-Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System (NIA-UPRIIS) on Tuesday declared as safe all dams in this province, including the mammoth Pantabangan Dam.
— Philippine News Agency
2nd ‘most wanted” in Zambo Sibugay nabbed
Police have arrested one of the most wanted persons in a manhunt operation in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay, an official said Tuesday.
— Philippine News Agency
Power supply in parts of Samar restored
POWER supply in some areas in Samar struck by the 6.5-magnitude earthquake has been restored, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said.
— The Manila Times
QC buildings, schools inspected after powerful Luzon earthquake
Quezon City Engineer Joselito Cabungcal led a team on Tuesday on an inspection schools for possible damage caused by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake that rocked several parts of Luzon just a day before.
—Â Inquirer.net
Duterte orders Chuzon stores in Pampanga to stop business operations
President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday ordered the suspension of business operations of all branches of Chuzon Supermarket in Pampanga after one of its buildings collapsed in Porac town.
— Inquirer.net
Power outages hit Eastern Visayas after earthquake
Several areas in Eastern Visayas experienced power outages on Tuesday following a magnitude 6.5 earthquake that struck the province of Eastern Samar.
— GMA News
PNP to probe Duterte ouster plot
Police General Oscar Albayalde, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, confirmed Tuesday that an investigation will be launched to validate the alleged participation of some journalists and a group of lawyers in the alleged ouster plot against President Duterte.
— Tempo
Cops laud community leaders in Maute remnant surrender
Police lauded Tuesday local leaders of Madalum, Lanao del Sur, who helped police and military officials in convincing a member of the Maute local terror group to surrender recently.
— Philippine News Agency
Are Filipino People Ready For The ‘Big One’ Earthquake?
Do Filipino People Prepared For The ‘Big One’? Are Filipino people ready for the so-called ‘Big One’ earthquake that could possibly hit Metro Manila and its nearby areas?
— Philippine News
IN PHOTOS: People evacuate after magnitude 6.5 earthquake hits Visayas
After a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck parts of the Visayas on Tuesday, April 23, several schools, commercial and residential buildings, and establishments were evacuated to ensure people’s safety.
— Rappler
MIAA warns airlines vs “arbitrarily delaying, canceling flights” following 6.1-magnitude quake that hit Luzon
The Manila International Airport Authority has warned airline companies against arbitrarily delaying or canceling flights following the 6.1-magnitude quake that struck Luzon on Monday.
— Eagle News
PH not scrapping tax perks, gov’t tells Japan investors
The head of the Duterte administration’s economic team has assured businessmen from Japan’s Kansai region that the pending second tax reform package aimed at rationalizing investors’ fiscal perks would be beneficial to both the government and the business sector.
— Inquirer.net
50 families flee S. Kudarat town due to clan war
At least 50 families from three remote communities in Lake Sebu town in South Cotabato have evacuated due to a conflict involving warring clans in neighboring Palimbang town, Sultan Kudarat.
— Philippine News Agency
3 Iloilo towns declare state of calamity due to El Niño
The towns of Janiuay, Santa Barbara, and Maasin in the province of Iloilo were the latest addition to the two towns already placed under state of calamity due to El Niño.
— Philippine News Agency
Recto: Senate building is safe, work resumes Wednesday
Senate employees can resume work on Wednesday as its building was declared safe after a magnitude 6.1 quake.
— Inquirer.net
All Catholic heritage churches in Pampanga on “lockdown,” closed after quake; damage assessment ongoing
The Catholic Archdiocesan Committee on Church Heritage (ACCH) – Pampanga has recommended a “lockdown” of all heritage churches in Pampanga following the 6.1 magnitude quake that damaged many structures in the province.
— Eagle News
PHIVOLCS Assures Magnitude 6.1 Won’t Trigger More Quakes
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) assured the people that the earthquake yesterday won’t trigger the West Valley Fault.
— Philippine News
DPWH: Pampanga road, bridge closed to traffic over earthquake damage
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said on Tuesday, April 23, that a road and a bridge in Pampanga have been closed to traffic due to damage from the strong earthquake that struck parts of Luzon on Monday, April 22.
— Rappler
Military, police officials in ‘Morong 43’ get reprieve
The Sandiganbayan has stood by its earlier decision allowing the seven military and police officials to seek the outright dismissal of their case in connection with the alleged illegal detention and torture of 43 health workers in Morong, Rizal in 2010.
— Manilastandard.net
Boao Forum meeting participants voice need for closer links, cite risks
FOREIGN AND LOCAL delegates at the 2019 annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia called for closer development coordination among peers, building on China’s Belt and Road initiative and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, in order to resist a wave of protectionism threatening the rules-based multilateral system.
— BusinessWorld Online
Fashion fair to showcase items made of indigenous materials
A group is bringing home-grown fashion brands that utilize indigenous materials from Mindanao in the upcoming sustainable fashion fair dubbed “Unstitch”.
— Philippine News Agency
PNP readies report against ‘childish’ mayor over police chief’s reassignment
THE Philippine National Police (PNP) is preparing a report against a certain “childish” mayor in Metro Manila for allegedly removing the police hotlines in his city after he was not informed that its chief of police has been assigned to another position, General Oscar Albayalde said on Tuesday morning.
— The Manila Times
‘Childish’ Marikina mayor slammed for withholding funds for police
Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro was slammed by the Philippine National Police (PNP) for withholding funds intended for local police only because he was not told the city’s former top cop was being promoted and assigned to another post.
— Rappler
MisOcc DOST brings enhanced packaging to Ozamiz complementary food
Ozamiz city government received 60,000 pieces of rice monggo (RMS) baby food blend packaging material from the Department of Science and Tecnology (DOST-10).
— Philippine Information Agency
Thieves strike at Baguio Cathedral during Easter mass
BAGUIO, Philippines – Easter Sunday masses are filled to the rafters with the Baguio Cathedral being no exception, but this did not stop two people from stealing a large TV from the church premises on Sunday, April 21.
— Rappler
Feature photo Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines
This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo acknowledges World Intellectual Property Day, April 26.
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 24 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on
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Stella-maris Ewudolu
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.
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