Philippines Morning News For August 6, 2019

Dengue outbreak worsens in Samar
The province of Samar is now under a state of calamity as the dengue cases continue to surge despite the efforts to contain the mosquito-borne illness.
— Manilastandard.net

Navy expresses concern over planned Chinese development in strategic islands
The Navy on Monday raised concern over the reported plan by Chinese investors to develop three strategic islands of the Philippines into economic hubs.
— GMA News

Philippines auditor slams DICT free Wi-Fi project that saw UNDP pocket $1.2mln
The Philippines Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is under fire over its free Wi-Fi in public places programme, with state auditors questioning the cost effectiveness of its arrangement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
— AEC News Today

PH growth likely still below 6% in Q2 – poll
THE Philippine economy likely grew at a slower pace in the second quarter of 2019 than a year ago due to the continued impact of the delayed approval of this year’s national budget and the election ban on government spending, according to analysts surveyed by The Manila Times.
— The Manila Times

QC court dismisses case vs WellMed officials for ‘lack of jurisdiction’
The Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) dismissed on a technicality the case for estafa in relation to falsification of public documents filed against the owner and officers of WellMed Dialysis and Laboratory Center who were accused of getting payment claims for “ghost dialysis” sessions from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

CA rules Balanga City smoking ban oversteps Tobacco regulation law
THE COURT of Appeals (CA) has upheld the unconstitutionality of a Balanga City ordinance that expanded the smoking ban coverage in the city’s University Town.
— BusinessWorld Online

Advocates hope Congress will approve medical marijuana bill
Advocates calling on Congress to approve a bill legalizing medical marijuana. The House of Representatives approved it on final reading in the previous congress but it was stalled in the Senate.
— CNN Philippines

Palace mum on Chinese investors in 3 Philippine isles
Malacañang would not comment on the plan of Chinese businessmen to invest in strategic islands in the northern Philippines near the West Philippine Sea.
— Inquirer.net

Duterte, Cabinet approve first P4-T national budget for 2020
President Rodrigo Duterte and his Cabinet approved on Monday the national budget for 2020, which will be the first to breach P4 trillion.
— GMA News

DOH to decide in two weeks on the use of Dengvaxia
The Department of Health (DOH) will decide within the next two weeks whether the government will reintroduce the antidengue vaccine Dengvaxia amid the rising cases of the mosquito-borne disease.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

‘Hanna’ to intensify to severe storm but won’t make landfall
Tropical Storm “Hanna” might intensify into a severe tropical storm on Tuesday afternoon, but was not expected to bring more rains to the country as it slowly moves west, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Monday.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Debris clearing: Search for bombs continues in Marawi
Officials overseeing the reconstruction of this Lanao del Sur provincial capital are still searching for more bombs hidden underneath piles of debris left by the government’s five-month battle against Islamic State-linked militants who laid siege to Marawi in 2017, slowing down the government’s …
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

CA affirms unconstitutionality of city ordinance imposing total ban on tobacco products
THE Court of Appeals (CA) has affirmed a ruling by a trial court which declared as unconstitutional an ordinance being implemented in the City of Balanga, Bataan, imposing a total ban on the use, sale, distribution and advertisement of tobacco products.
— Business Mirror

Plan to privatize UCPB on hold as gov’t wants all its stake recovered
Plans to sell to the private sector the state-run United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) may have to wait until the government finds a way to recover or dispose of its investments in the bank.
— Inquirer.net

Duterte worries over possible ISIS attack, asks God to spare PHL
President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said he was worried about an ISIS attack, and that he prayed that God would spare the Philippines from the terror group’s “brutality and cruelty.”
— GMA News

AFP: ‘Alert memo’ on terror attack genuine, info subject to validation
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Monday affirmed the issuance of an “alert memo” but said that it is still verifying the alleged possible terror attacks in areas within the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom).
— Inquirer.net

I’ll take you to hell: Duterte to fight efforts to jail him over drug war
President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said he would not allow himself to be jailed over the drug war killings under his presidency.
— Inquirer.net

Philippine Central Bank Chief Sees 50bps in Rate Cuts Ahead
Philippine central bank Governor Benjamin Diokno said he expects to cut interest rates by another 50 basis points this year, with the timing dependent on economic data.
— Bloomberg

Corruption prompted Duterte to suspend STL, Peryahan
President Duterte yesterday revealed that he ordered the suspension of Small Town Lottery and Peryahan ng Bayan operations because of corruption.
— Tempo

Court convicts Army reservist in 2016 Manila road rage shooting
A Manila regional trial court has convicted an Army reservist of the murder of a cyclist in a road rage incident in Manila in 2016.
— Eagle News

Purge to result in ‘cleaner,’ better BoC – Duterte
The country will have a “cleaner” and “better” Bureau of Customs amid the ongoing purging of alleged corrupt personnel in the agency, President Duterte declared yesterday.
— Tempo

NAIA Consortium bares 4-year plan for airport rehab
The country’s biggest conglomerates which banded together to end congestion problems at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have laid down a four-year plan in its latest proposal to bring significant improvements at the country’s main international gateway.
— The Philippine Star

Peso 2nd top perfomer in Southeast Asia–D.O.F
THE Department of Finance (DOF) said the Philippine peso, which appreciated by 2.82 percent in the January-to-July period, ranked second among Southeast Asian currencies.
— Business Mirror

Biggest number of alien work permits seen
THE country is now poised to register its biggest number of applications for Alien Employment Permit (AEP) this year with the implementation of new government permit regulations for foreigners.
— Business Mirror

Tesda lauds BARMM, earmarks P270 million for region
The Technical Skills Development Authority has lauded its regional office in the south as “topmost contributor” to the agency’s Program Expenditure Classification, a government gauge on organizational performance set by the Department of Budget and Management.
— Manilastandard.net

House eyes Oct. 4 OK of national budget
THE HOUSE of Representatives targets final approval of the proposed P4.1-trillion 2020 national budget by Oct. 4, before the 18th Congress takes a month-long break, according to a senior official of the chamber’s Appropriations committee.
— BusinessWorld Online

Kaspersky ranks Philippines 5th among nations most attacked online
THE Philippines placed fifth among economies with the highest number of detected online attacks as Filipino Internet users continue to visit unsecured and malicious web sites, according to antivirus provider Kaspersky.
— Business Mirror

Central Bank donates P5 million to PHL Red Cross
THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) donated P5 million in humanitarian aid to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to support the group’s ambulance services.
— Business Mirror

Visa-upon-arrival scheme for Chinese to be ‘tightened,’ not scrapped
The Duterte Cabinet decided not to scrap the visa-upon-arrival (VUA) privilege for Chinese nationals, choosing to tighten the system instead to prevent abuse.
— Rappler

Makati OKs P10,000 yearly cash gift for seniors aged 90 and above
After being thumbed down last year, the ordinance granting a P10,000 annual cash gift for Makati City’s senior citizens aged 90 and up has finally been approved by the city council.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

NIA, DENR sign MOA for watershed management
The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Monday signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the effective management and development of the 143 watersheds supporting the National Irrigation Systems (NISs) in the Philippines,NIA administrator Ricardo Visaya and DENR Secretary Roy …
— Philippine News Agency

Philippines ‘Iron Lady’ Leads Push for Fair Alcohol Taxes
Olivia Limpe-Aw is leading a group of Philippine liquor billionaires in asking President Rodrigo Duterte for equitable treatment in his plan to raise liquor taxes.
— Bloomber

Philippines sends ex-rebels on lavish trip abroad in surrender push
The Philippines has sent scores of former communist rebels on an all-expenses paid foreign shopping trip, in an attempt to end one of Asia’s longest-running insurgencies, the military said Monday.
— The Sun Daily

FDA expands pork importation ban list
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded its list of countries temporarily banned from exporting pork meat and other pork products to the Philippines due to suspected cases of the African Swine Fever (ASF).
— UNTV News

Philippine gov’t imposes new tourist rules to save El Nido, Palawan from Boracay-style closure
On Thursday (August 1), the Philippines announced that El Nido, Palawan, famed for its pristine beaches, turquoise waters and kayak-worthy lagoons and canals, will not be closing down for a Boracay-style clean-up, which took a total of six months to complete.
— The Independent

Environment ‘victory’ in Philippines bodes ill for mining firms
A faith-based group has claimed victory in a campaign against mining after the Philippine government agreed to declare an island in the central part of the country as a “critical habitat” for endangered species.
— UCA News

Isko plans to build first Islamic cemetery in Manila
The Philippine capital’s top official, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, on Monday bared his plans to construct an Islamic cemetery in the city.
— ABS-CBN News

Duterte names former Davao city administrator as new Budget secretary
President Rodrigo Duterte has named Wendel Avisado as the new secretary of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
— CNN Philippines

Pay delinquent contributions by Sept 6 or face charges, SSS warns employers
The Social Security System (SSS) is keeping an eye on business establishments and employers that do not remit the employees’ contributions, said a senior SSS official last week.
— Philippine Information Agency

Dominguez vows to recoup funds used in saving UCPB
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said that all means will be exhausted to recover government’s investment in United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB), which may be due for privatization.
— Philippine News Agency

Converge ICT to install fiber optic technology for free
Converge ICT Solutions Inc. announced on Monday that it will install fiber optic technology at no cost to consumers, initially in this province, to empower home and business establishments.
— Philippine News Agency

NegOcc joins coast watch for missing persons in sea mishap
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) here has directed city and municipalities, which are located along the shorelines of Negros Occidental, to join the coast watch for missing persons in the Iloilo-Guimaras sea mishap.
— Philippine News Agency

Feature photo DFA Philippines

This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo acknowledges Asean Day, August 8.

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).

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Philippines morning news for August 6 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on August 6, 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.