Philippines morning news for August 20

Philippines morning news for August 20
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Philippines morning news

Graft Gobbles 20% of the Philippines’ Budget
Corruption eats up US$13.35 billion, or 20% of the Philippines’ budget every year, the country’s Deputy Ombudsman Cyril Ramos said on Thursday.
— OCCRP

Dengue cases hit 188,000; 807 dead
As the number of dengue cases hit more than 188,000 this month, the Department of Health (DOH) has asked its regional directors to localize their approach to curbing the epidemic being experienced by the country.
— The Philippine Star

Philippines checks for African swine fever as pig deaths rise
The Philippines has set up a crisis management team to determine if the deadly African swine fever virus has reached the country after officials detected a rise in pig deaths in some areas.
— Reuters

BOP surplus up at $5.04B end-July
The country’s balance of payments (BOP) surplus reached $5.036 billion as of end-July, reversing same time last year’s deficit of $3.712 billion, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported Monday.
— Manila Bulletin

PH losing P50B a year to illegal wildlife trade
When, early this year, the tip came that certain animals were to be smuggled into the country through southern Mindanao, Rogelio Demelletes Jr. was ready.
— Inquirer.net

Philippines files diplomatic protest vs China over warships in EEZ
Foreign Secretary Teodoro “Teddyboy” Locsin Jr ordered the filing of another diplomatic protest against China over the passage of its warships in Philippine waters.
— Rappler

POEA cracks down on 21 foreign, 19 local recruiters
Twenty-one foreign recruitment agencies and direct employers were blacklisted while the licenses of 19 erring local recruitment firms were either canceled or suspended in a continuing bid by the government to rid the overseas placement industry of misfits, the Department of Labor and Employment said.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Cost of road crashes in PH: P105.7B every year
Road crashes in the Philippines not only kill dozens of people but also cost at least P105.7 billion every year, according to a road safety nongovernment organization.
— Inquirer.net

Cayetano dares death penalty critics to present solutions to drugs, criminality
Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano has advised individuals who are against the passage of the death penalty bill to come up with solutions to drugs and criminality to convince the public that capital punishment is no longer needed.
— GMA News

Report claiming Duterte received millions in cash unproven -Palace
Malacañang on Monday challenged online news organization Vera Files to prove its report that President Rodrigo Duterte received cash gifts worth millions when he was still mayor of Davao City.
— GMA News

DOJ creates teams to address 14,000-case backlog
The Department of Justice (DOJ) formed teams of undersecretaries and prosecutors in a bid to address its case backlog reaching more than 14,000 – mostly accumulated even before the Duterte administration.
— Rappler

PAO’s Acosta, Erfe deny using Dengvaxia cases for corruption
Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Persida Acosta and PAO Forensic Laboratory Chief Erwin Erfe on Monday filed their counter-affidavits in which they denied the allegation that they used the Dengvaxia court cases as an opportunity for corruption.
— GMA News

Environmental groups mourn death of ‘eco-warrior’ Gina Lopez
Environmental groups on Monday, August 19, mourned the demise of former environment secretary Gina Lopez , who was known for her activism and passion for nature and communities.
— Rappler

PHL population to hit 115.37 million by 2025–PSA
THE country’s population will expand by 8.089 million between 2019 and 2025, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which updated its projections so that policymakers can use the latest data for development plans and programs.
— Business Mirror

Philippines: Still-unknown disease prompts culling of pigs
The Philippine agriculture chief said Monday that an unspecified number of pigs has died or been culled in backyard farms in recent weeks and a crisis team has been established to try to contain the still-unidentified disease causing the swine deaths.
— AP

947 rice-producing towns to get P5-million aid
Some 947 rice-producing towns in the country will receive P5 million worth of farm equipment and machinery annually to assist farmers under the law creating the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), Sen. Cynthia Villar said yesterday.
— The Philippine Star

DA: Biosecurity measures up amid rising hog deaths
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has set up a crisis management team tasked with enhancing biosecurity measures as it monitors suspected animal-disease outbreaks in the country following reports of more backyard pigs dying in some areas.
— The Manila Times

Philippines’ PPP ranked 2nd in The Economist’s Asia Infrascope Index
n The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) 2018 Infrascope Report, the Philippines ranked second in the Asia Infrascope Index, “a benchmarking tool that evaluates the capacity of countries to implement sustainable and efficient public-private partnerships (PPPs).”
— Manila Bulletin

Neda: Special fund to unlock potential of Bangsamoro region
THE National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said on Monday that the national government will extend an “annual block grant” to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
— Business Mirror

Filipino youth more ready than SE Asian peers to work abroad
MORE THAN half of Filipino youth want to go abroad to land jobs, while the Philippines had the smallest percentage of this segment saying they would like to stay in the country to work, according to an online survey covering six Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members which the World Economic Forum published on Aug. 16.
— BusinessWorld Online

Palace to review Kaliwa Dam project
Malacañang on Monday said it would look into the report of the Commission on Audit (CoA) that questioned the selection of the contractors for the P12-billion Kaliwa Dam project in Quezon province.
— The Manila Times

Tacloban City waives business permit fees for relocated ambulant vendors
AMBULANT VENDORS in Tacloban City affected by the road and sidewalk clearing operations can get stalls at the new Night Market along Quezon Boulevard and fees for their business permit application have been waived until Aug. 31.
— BusinessWorld Online

DTI to local officials: Require all establishments, gov’t offices to go local
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) urged the officials of the city government here to come up with an ordinance requiring all tourism establishments and government offices to patronize locally-produced food and beverages and manufactured furniture and decorative items.
— Philippine Information Agency

Israeli ambassador on Filipinos facing deportation: ‘Respect the country’s laws’
Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Rafael Harpaz expressed gratitude to the Filipinos who “take care of our most beloved ones,” but expects them to respect the country’s laws.
— Rappler

DOH to treat 2.5M TB patients by 2022
The Department of Health (DOH) vowed to find and treat 2.5 million tuberculosis patients by 2022 to end the high burden of the disease in the country.
— Philippine News Agency

PAGCOR stops accepting new POGO applications
A regulatory body has stopped accepting applications to open offshore gaming hubs in the wake of growing concerns about national security.
— CNN Philippines

Ombudsman fires 7 Customs personnel, suspends 1
Ombudsman Samuel Martires dismissed 7 personnel of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and suspended one in 8 separate rulings he signed last Thursday, August 15, and released to media on Monday, August 19.
— Rappler

PH won’t give up an inch of its territory, Locsin tells senators
The Philippines will never give up an inch of its territory to any foreign power, particularly China, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin said Monday.
— Manila Bulletin

Government gets seven offers to explore new PH oil and gas fields
The government said it received seven offers to explore and develop new oil and gas fields under the Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program despite the tension in the West Philippine Sea.
— Manilastandard.net

The families ripped apart by the Philippines’ brutal, bloody war on drugs
Maria’s last memory of her father is of him lying face down and begging for his life moments before gunshots rang out.
— The Telegraph

DoE to appeal court’s ruling vs unbundling of fuel prices
The Energy Department said Monday the Office of the Solicitor General is set to appeal the decision of the Mandaluyong City Regional Trial Court Branch 213 to issue a writ of preliminary injunction against the implementation of the petroleum price unbundling.
— Manilastandard.net

DoF official slams Peza for bloating contributions
Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran on Monday described as “wrong” and “flawed” the claim of Philippine Economic Zone Authority that it contributed P10 trillion to the economy from 2015 to 2017.
— Manilastandard.net

10 QC villages under tighter dengue watch
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Monday ordered strict monitoring and intensified anti-dengue drive in at least 10 barangays with the most dengue cases.
— Manilastandard.net

36 die in Pangasinan to acute gastroenteritis
The Pangasinan Provincial Health Office is monitoring acute gastroenteritis cases as the disease has already left 36 dead from January to the second week of August this year, an official said on Monday.
— Manilastandard.net

US-Southeast Asia Counterterrorism Cooperation in the Headlines With New Philippines Training Facility
Last week, the United States and the Philippines formally inked an agreement to advance cooperation to establish a new counterterrorism training facility.
— The Diplomat

100 personnel from 9 countries participate in maritime security exercises hosted by PCG
About a hundred members of maritime law enforcement agencies from different countries arrived in the Philippines Monday for a week-long exercise to boost each country’s measures against sea piracy, smuggling, and others.
— Manila Bulletin

Dar orders stricter quarantine measures vs. animal diseases
Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar ordered stricter quarantine measures in all airports and seaports to prevent the entry of the dreaded African Swine Fever (ASF) in the country.
— Philippine News Agency

The Philippines’ #cyberREADI campaign promotes cyber wellness to the youth
The Philippine Government, through the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), recently launched its #cyberREADI campaign.
— OpenGov

PCG hosts regional maritime security exercise
The Philippine Coast Guard is hosting a maritime security exercise that aims to address threats to maritime security in the ASEAN region.
— GMA News

Call to abolish PhilHealth should be addressed to Congress
Former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque’s suggestion to abolish the Philippine Health Insurance (PhilHealth) should be addressed to Congress, Malacañang said on Monday.
— Philippine News Agency

PHO: Prevention is best measure vs. dengue
Prevention measures remain the best way to stamp out the deadly dengue disease. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Samuel Delfin of Capiz said “prevention is always better than cure,” citing the gradual positive result of community mobilization in the clean-up drive throughout the province.
— Philippine Information Agency

Davao City council to tackle P100M proposal for HPBS bus terminals
THE PROPOSED P100 million budget to construct two terminals for Davao City’s planned High Priority Bus System (HPBS) will be tackled by the city council this week.
— BusinessWorld Online

More MisOr towns urged to declare NPA ‘persona non grata’
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is urging more towns in Misamis Oriental province to declare the communist New People’s Army (NPA) as “persona non grata” following an attack on a private firm in Balingasag town on Monday.
— Philippine News Agency

Court rejects DOJ bid to revoke Satur Ocampo bail
A Manila court has denied the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) request to revoke former Bayan Muna congressman Satur Ocampo’s bail and detain him on murder charges.
— GMA News

New MinDA chief Piñol lists agriculture, poorest provinces among development priorities
Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol, taking on his role as the new head of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) on Monday, said agriculture, the poorest provinces, and indigenous people (IP) communities would be among his priority areas.
— BusinessWorld Online

Use Quezon’s legacy as compass, Israeli envoy tells leaders
As a gesture of gratitude, Israel Ambassador to the Philippines Rafael Harpaz on Monday shared his deep appreciation of former President Manuel Quezon’s order to open the country’s borders for victims of the holocaust during the ceremonial celebration of his 141st birthday in Quezon City.We may have heard of this before, but Harpaz, …
— Philippine News Agency

Cayetano won’t block debates on the Anti-Political Dynasty bill
Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday said he would not block debates on the Anti-Political Dynasty bill in the House of Representatives if the bill gains support from congressmen.
— GMA News

More measures to curb suicide in Mactan bridges
The Mactan Cebu Bridge Management Board will put more closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in two bridges that connect this city to Mactan Island and Mandaue City in mainland Cebu to prevent incidents of suicide.
— Philippine News Agency

DavNor town farmers get P5-M cash aid
A total of 306 farmers from the municipality of Sto. Tomas in Davao del Norte received on Monday a financial assistance from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC).
— Philippine News Agency

Guevarra to CSC: Consider setting guidelines on gifts for public officers
Amid reports that PACC Commissioner Greco Belgica had said a token worth P100,000 could be considered insignificant, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra suggested that the Civil Service Commission set guidelines on the amounts of gifts government workers may be allowed to accept.
— GMA News

Diokno, Tañada move for removal of OSG as CIDG counsel in preliminary probe of sedition raps
Lawyers Chel Diokno and Lorenzo Tañada III have asked the Department of Justice panel conducting a preliminary probe into the sedition charges filed against them and several others to stop the Office of the Solicitor General from representing the Philippine National Police, the complainant, and to sanction the OSG.
— Eagle News

DTI, DA collaborate to make CagVal as investment destination
Heads of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Agriculture in the Cagayan Valley Region agreed to collaborate in pushing the region as an agribusiness sourcing and investment destination.
— Philippine Information Agency

 

Feature photo PCOO/ Albert Alcain

This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo focuses on International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, August 21.

 

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).

 

About Philippines morning news.

Philippines morning news roundup is the most comprehensive hand-curated selection of Philippines English language news headlines published. Each weekday we scour hundreds of local and international news sites and websites to find the most recent Philippines English language news today.

We filter our the dull, the boring, the repetitive, and the click-bait and package all of the Philippines daily news that you need to know to start your day into an easy to read, time saving format of Philippines news headlines and first paragraphs before 8.15am Manila time.

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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.

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