Philippines morning news for April 15, 2020

Government appeals for patience as outbreak aid gets entangled in red tape
Nearly a month into the Luzon’s lockdown, aid is nowhere to be found for majority of the government’s intended beneficiaries.
— Philstar

Rice, pork, other goods now under coronavirus price freeze
The Department of Agriculture (DA) expanded goods covered by the price freeze and enforcement of the suggested retail price scheme amid the coronavirus pandemic .
— Rappler

PH coronavirus cases exceed 5,000, death toll hits 335
The Philippines now has more than 5,000 coronavirus cases, as the Department of Health (DOH) reported 291 new cases on Tuesday, April 14.
— Rappler

Philippines approves $1 billion wage aid to 3.4m workers
The Philippines will extend 51 billion pesos (33.1 billion baht) in wage subsidy to 3.4 million workers in small businesses, adding to the costs of a lockdown that has shut the nation’s economic engine.
— Bangkok Post

IMF cuts PH growth forecast to 0.6%
The International Monetary Fund downgraded its 2020 growth forecast for the Philippines to 0.6 percent from a previous estimate of 6.3 percent after the debilitating impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 on the economy.
— Manilastandard.net

COVID-19 cases may jump to 44,000 by end-April
CORONAVIRUS CASES in the Philippines may multiply by almost nine times to 44,000 by the end of the month, better than without a lockdown for the entire Luzon island that started on March 17, according to university health experts.
— BusinessWorld

Philippine Airlines to Operate Special Flight Between Melbourne and Manila on 19 April
Philippine Airlines has unveiled plans to operate a special flight from Melbourne to Manila on 19 April 2020 using Airbus A330 aircraft.
— Travel News Asia

DOH: Consultation with doctors required before one can be tested for COVID-19
Filipinos still cannot go directly to certified laboratories to be tested for COVID-19 even with the start of mass testing, the Department of Health said on Tuesday.
— GMA Network

Gov’t to buy 2 million rapid test kits for novel coronavirus
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte said his government would buy two million rapid test kits for COVID-19 as part of a plan to boost capacity to contain the virus.
— BusinessWorld

P370-B stimulus package pushed to mitigate Covid-19 impact
A technical working group (TWG) of the House of Representatives’ Defeat COVID-19 Committee (DCC) will draft a consolidated bill proposing a PHP370-billion economic stimulus package to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic on the country’s economy.
— Philippine News Agency

Countries should have fair, easy access to COVID-19 vaccines, treatments –Duterte
All countries should be given “fair and easy” access to vaccines and treatments for the coronavirus disease 2019 once they become available, President Rodrigo Duterte told Asian leaders on Tuesday.
— GMA Network

Zamboanga City: We cannot take in Filipinos deported from Malaysia
We cannot receive deportees because of the dangerous predicament our city and country faces, Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said.
— Philstar

Nationwide lockdown ruled out
The government on Tuesday ruled out the expansion of the Luzon-wide lockdown to the entire country in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
— Manilastandard.net

NEDA’s 3-phased program to help economy recover faster
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) assured on Tuesday that the government’s measures and interventions on coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) crisis will help the economy to recover faster.
— Philippine News Agency

DBM: emergency boosted state’s budget usage rates
THE budget usage rate exceeded 100% during the crisis-hit month of March as emergency spending ramped up during the public health emergency and the ensuing quarantine, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said.
— BusinessWorld

Philippine president pushes for sustained food security, open trade in ASEAN amid COVID-19
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday stressed the importance of sustained food security and open trade in Southeast Asia as the region battles the COVID-19 pandemic.
— China.org.cn

Do ‘fat dynasties’ pose a risk to peace in Bangsamoro?
It has been over a year since the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) that established the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the Philippines.
— East Asia Forum

Telecom companies ordered to submit business continuity plans
THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is requiring all public telecommunication entities and internet service providers to submit business continuity plans to ensure uninterrupted services during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and the greater dependence on the industry by workers performing their duties remotely.
— BusinessWorld

Gov’t plans P51-billion subsidy program for middle-class workers
Middle-class workers severely affected by the lockdown imposed amid the coronavirus pandemic will receive wage subsidies from the government totaling P51 billion.
— Rappler

AirAsia execs take unpaid leave to cut costs
LOW-COST carrier Philippines AirAsia, Inc.’s management and senior-level employees have taken voluntary unpaid leaves of absence to reduce costs because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.
— BusinessWorld

PHL to continue paying debt despite crisis
THE Philippines will not consider suspending interest payments on its debt obligations despite the rising costs of keeping the economy afloat amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said on Tuesday.
— BusinessWorld

DOT issues ‘stern warning’ vs. marked up room rates for OFWs
The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Tuesday issued a stern warning to individuals and groups reportedly hiking rates and taking advantage of the room allotments for repatriated overseas Filipino workers during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) period.
— Philippine News Agency

PAGCOR turns over P6 billion more in dividends to OP
THE Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) remitted P6 billion worth of dividends to the government Monday, after state-owned firms were ordered to provide funding for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) containment effort.
— BusinessWorld

DOF bares P120-billion small business credit guarantee
THE government is looking to implement a P120-billion credit guarantee program for affected small businesses as well as an enhanced net operating loss carryover of five years to help businesses cope with losses from the Covid-19 pandemic—moves that will cost the state around P140 billion.
— Business Mirror

Crisis logistics allows more than 5,000 farmers to sell directly
A DIRECT-marketing program has allowed more than 5,000 farmers to bypass middlemen as well as checkpoints during the enhanced community quarantine that locked down Luzon to contain coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.
— BusinessWorld

Duterte warns hospitals: Accept coronavirus patients or face charges
Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night, April 13, warned hospitals to accept coronavirus patients as well as others who are in need of medical care or run the risk of facing cases.
— Rappler

Highest recoveries in a day set at 53
With mass testing for the novel coronavirus starting Tuesday, the Department of Health announced the highest number of new recoveries from COVID-19 for one day at 53, which resulted in a total of 295 recoveries as of April 14.
— Manilastandard.net

Duterte assures Metro Manila residents of stable water supply this month
Water will keep flowing from the taps despite the onset of dry months.
— Philstar

Sotto asks LGUs to shoulder cash aid for families not on emergency subsidy list
Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Tuesday, April 14, asked local officials to shoulder first the cash aid for families who were originally on their local governments’ emergency subsidy list but were cut by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
— Rappler

14 dead PUIs in SoCot negative of Covid-19
Health authorities in South Cotabato have declared all 14 patients under investigation (PUI) for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) who died in the province since last month as negative of the virus.
— Philippine News Agency

Philippines has 2nd most COVID-19 deaths in SEA, most cases in region
Last Wednesday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque touted the low coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 ) infection rate in the Philippines compared to other countries, crediting President Rodrigo Duterte for the country’s response to the crisis.
— GMA Network

UP research team says Luzon-wide ECQ effective in delaying doubling time of COVID-19 cases in PHL
A team from the University of the Philippines looking into the effectivity of the Philippine government’s Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) said that the policy has been effective so far in delaying the doubling time of COVID-19 cases in the country.
— Eagle News

P350-billion loans eyed for business to keep workers amid pandemic
THE House Economic Stimulus Response Package Cluster on Tuesday proposed measures to flatten the recession curve and restore the country’s growth as the Philippines is expected to lose P1.08 trillion due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
— Business Mirror

Several senators favor extending community quarantine after April 30
After President Rodrigo Duterte said that he would lift the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine once the antibody medicine developed by a major pharmaceutical company becomes available in the market, several senators on Tuesday weighed in on the possibility of further extending the ECQ beyond April 30.
— GMA Network

2 Metro Manila village chiefs, in ‘hot water’ over ECQ violation
Two barangay captains in Metro Manila are now in hot water for allegedly having a hand in mass gatherings prohibited under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) measure.
— Philippine Information Agency

DFA reports 44 new COVID-19 cases among overseas Filipinos; total now at 704
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday, April 14, reported a 31.6% increase in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases involving Filipinos overseas.
— Eagle News

DOH: Details of COVID-19 patients won’t be made public, only for contact-tracing
The personal information of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients will not be publicized and will only be used by government agencies involved in contact tracing, the Department of Health (DOH) clarified on Tuesday.
— GMA Network

DOLE: No underreporting, downplaying of number of workers hit by COVID-19 crisis
We wish to take strong exception to the claim by some groups that the Labor Department is underreporting or downplaying the actual number of workers affected by the community quarantine to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country, DOLE said in a statement.
— GMA Network

Health workers with contracts as of March 8 can leave PH
The Philippine government is allowing all health workers with existing contracts as of March 8 to leave the country for work aboard.
— Rappler

PNP now has 50 personnel with COVID-19
The number of Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rose to 50, according to PNP spokesman Police Brigadier General Bernard Banac on Tuesday.
— GMA Network

Another doctor dies hero’s death in war vs. COVID-19
Roberto Bobby Anastacio, a cardiologist from the University of Santo Tomas and the Makati Medical Center (MMC), died on April 10 in the line of duty.
— GMA Network

Cavite starts ‘mass testing’ for coronavirus
Cavite province on Tuesday, April 14, began mass testing for the novel coronavirus disease, according to Governor Jonvic Remulla.
— Rappler

Gov’t acts on problem of overcrowded jails
THE overpopulation of our prisons has long been one of our major problems in the Philippine justice system. Photos have been published abroad showing half-naked Filipino prisoners trying to sleep right on the stairs of their prisons because here Is no place to stretch out in the cells.
— Tempo

Commentary: Philippines’ COVID-19 fight depends on the exploitation of healthcare workers
Health-related workers have been banned from leaving the Philippines.
— CNA

Pasig allots P1.5 billion as supplemental cash aid
The Pasig City government has earmarked P1.5 billion as supplemental cash assistance for families in the city not covered by the social amelioration program of the national government, Mayor Vico Sotto said yesterday.
— Philstar

Mass promotion of students up to universities, colleges – CHED
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on Tuesday, April 14, said it would be up to universities and colleges to decide whether to implement mass promotion of students amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
— Rappler

Drug store owner caught selling overpriced alcohol
A drug store owner was arrested in an entrapment in Barangay Ugac in this city on Monday for allegedly selling overpriced alcohol.
— Philstar

The dangers of trying to be fairest of them all in Philippines
The quest for whiter skin is fuelling the market for mercury-tainted creams and even illegal injections in the country, the programme Undercover Asia finds out.
— CNA

Philippines faces lower risks to cyberattacks
The Philippines has a lower risk to cyberattacks compared to its peers in the region, but appears to be less prepared for cyberthreats, a report commissioned by software firm VMware showed.
— Philstar

Philippine Red Cross-Laguna calls for blood donations
The Philippine Red Cross Laguna Chapter encourages locals to donate blood “We are doing this blood donation drive to anticipate lean months.
— Philippine Information Agency

Over 2K ECQ violators nabbed in Pangasinan
The Pangasinan Police Provincial Office (PPPO) has so far arrested some 2,079 individuals as of April 14 for violating the guidelines of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
— Philippine News Agency

Marikina testing facility certification almost complete: DOH
The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday denied allegations that it is uncooperative with the Marikina City government on the certification process of the city’s coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) testing facility.
— Philippine News Agency

LIST: Coronavirus contact tracing apps in the Philippines
There’s a big jumble of contact tracing apps and online platforms right now, all of them looking to ease the amount of manual labor involved in contact tracing or the tracking down and monitoring of people who may have been in contact with an infected individual.
— Rappler

Aid to small firm workers unveiled but disbursement schedule unclear
In an answer to calls for aid for middle-class workers, the government laid out a plan to assist 3.4 million small firm workers.
— Philstar

Makers of hygiene products, pet food cleared to resume operations — DTI
MANUFACTURERS of hygiene products and pet food have been allowed to resume operations during the extended enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said.
— BusinessWorld

Gov’t to prioritize 2.6M small biz workers for aid program
About 2.6 million workers of small businesses that pay proper taxes will be the initial beneficiaries of the PHP51 billion worth of subsidies planned for workers belonging to the middle class, a government official said on Monday. Finance Undersecretary Karl Chua said when the government implemented the enhanced community quarantine.
— Philippine News Agency

Cainta mayor kicks in sneaker collection to raise funds for residents’ relief
On the first day of his shoe auction, the Cainta mayor raised P132,000 and received a pledge for some livestock too.
— Philstar

‘Bayanihan’ in Thailand: Group helps Filipinos left unemployed by COVID-19
A group of Filipinos based in Thailand are helping their compatriots deal with the difficulties brought by the COVID-19 pandemic by giving them free groceries.
— Coconuts Philippines

Talisay City mayor donates 8-month salary to village workers
Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas has promised to allocate his eight-month salary as financial assistance to the barangay workers in Talisay City who have volunteered to waive their share of the national government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP).
— Philippine News Agency

GSIS increases life insurance coverage of health workers by P500,000
The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) said on Tuesday, April 14 that it has added P500,000 to the life insurance coverage of its members working as medical frontliners against the COVID-19 pandemic.
— Rappler

Rapid Covid-19 mass testing to help loosen ECQ: bizman
A tycoon urged on Tuesday the government to implement rapid mass testing for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) to modify the enhanced community quarantine which has affected many businesses and the workforce.
— Philippine News Agency

Ateneo de Davao launches near fully-onlineeducation
With the raging Corona Virus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Ateneo de Davao University has announced its plans to offer near fully-online education both on tertiary and basic education levels beginning with this year’s summer classes which would start on April 20.
— Philippine Information Agency

LandBank implements strict social distancing, gives out cash grants to 36,946 PUV drivers
The Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) today said it will implement additional measures to strictly enforce social distancing in its branches as it continues to release the P8,000 cash assistance to a total of 36,946 drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs) in Metro Manila.
— Philippine Information Agency

Makati City shoulders cremation of residents who succumb to COVID-19
Mayor Abby Binay said Tuesday, April 14, Makati City would shoulder the cremation expenses of residents in their city who die of the coronavirus disease.
— Rappler

FALSE: Video of body bags in East Avenue Medical Center
Claim: A video showing rows of black body bags sprawled on the floor was taken from East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC).
— Rappler

Shipping line offers to pick up over 400 stranded NegOr residents
The Maayo Shipping Lines, Inc. here has offered to ferry for free more than 400 residents of Negros Oriental who are currently stranded in Bato, Samboan town in Cebu following the sealing of the province’s borders.
— Philippine News Agency

Sagay residents warned vs. making false claims about Covid-19
Residents of Sagay City, Negros Occidental were warned against spreading fake information about the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) after two teenagers in the city were arrested for falsely claiming that they had been infected.
— Philippine News Agency

Carpio: Facebook post on P2B private jet is protected speech
Retired supreme court senior associate justice Antonio Carpio said the post about the government’s P2 billion private jet is protected speech that cannot be punished.
— Rappler

Coronavirus puts Filipino migrant workers in the corner
The pandemic is not expected to leave overseas Filipino workers, and their remittances, unscathed.
— Philstar

Private sector helps Bataan provide rice, food during ECQ
Governor Albert Garcia on Tuesday assured residents in 11 towns and this city in the province that they do not have to worry about shortage of food, especially rice, during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) as donations are continuously pouring in.
— Philippine News Agency

GenSan seeks special flights to bring home stranded OFWs
Local officials here are pushing for the commissioning of “sweeper flights” to allow Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from the area who were stranded in airports and other areas in Luzon and Visayas to return home.
— Philippine News Agency

Senate, House in talks on possible changes in legislative calendar amid COVID-19 crisis
The leaders of both the Senate and the House of Representatives are in talks on whether adjustments will be made in the legislative calendar as the country continues to grapple with the threat of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
— GMA Network

Child Rights Network urges gov t to address online sexual exploitation of children amid quarantine
The Child Rights Network (CRN) on Tuesday urged the government and private sector to improve efforts in putting a stop to the growing number of online sexual exploitation amid the enhanced community quarantine.
— GMA Network

What is the military’s role in tracing coronavirus ‘close contacts’?
The defense department is at the helm of implementing the national government’s plan to address the coronavirus pandemic, and that largely involves the military.
— Rappler

UP panel proposes ending semester on April 30 amid COVID-19 threat
The President’s Advisory Council of the University of the Philippines has recommended ending the semester on April 30 amid the imposition of community quarantines versus COVID-19.
— GMA Network

Sweeper flight ferries out 86 stranded foreign tourists in region 10
A total of 86 stranded foreign tourists were flown out of Northern Mindanao through a sweeper flight to Manila and onward to Canada.
— Philippine Information Agency

CHED tells universities, colleges to monitor health of students, faculty, staff
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has told universities and colleges to monitor the health of their students, faculty, and staff, especially those from areas where COVID-19 cases have been recorded.
— GMA Network

CHR backs temporary release of light offenders amid COVID-19 crisis
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has thrown its support for the temporary release of first-time, non-violent offenders, the elderly, among other vulnerable sectors to decongest jails amid the COVID-19 emergency.
— GMA Network

DOJ summons Koko Pimentel over quarantine breach complaint
The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday, April 14, issued a subpoena to Senator Aquilino Koko Pimentel III over a complaint for violation of the notifiable diseases law when he breached the government’s quarantine protocols.
— Rappler

Bacolod imposes number coding on quarantine passes to avoid crowding
The city government of Bacolod implemented a number coding scheme for quarantine pass holders to avoid crowding in public places.
— Rappler

FALSE: Dominguez says PH can borrow trillions of dollars from World Bank
Claim: Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the Philippines can borrow trillions of dollars from the World Bank and future generations would bear the burden of paying it.
— Rappler

Cotabato City hospital gets BARMM funding for coronavirus testing
The Bangsamoro government turned over P14.1 million to the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center (CRMC) to fund local testing for the novel coronavirus disease.
— Rappler

Antique to penalize discrimination vs front-liners
The modified enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) being implemented in the province provides penalty to anyone who will discriminate against health care workers and other essential front-liners.
— Philippine News Agency

Feature photo Ministry for the Youth – SMAP Lobo
This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo focuses on COVID-19 in Asean.

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 April 15 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on April 15, 2020
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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.