Philippines morning news for April 22, 2020

Duterte to decide Luzon lockdown fate on April 23
Former presidential aide Senator Christopher Bong Go said that President Rodrigo Duterte will decide on the fate of the Luzon lockdown on Thursday, April 23, hinting that a modified lockdown may be in place.
— Rappler

‘Doubling time’ of PH coronavirus cases slows to average of 5 days – DOH
It now takes an average of 5 days for local coronavirus cases to double in number, and that is “good news,” said Department of Health Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Tuesday, April 21.
— Rappler

PH coronavirus cases now at 6,599, with deaths at 437
The Department of Health (DOH) recorded 140 new coronavirus cases in the country, bringing the total number of cases to 6,599 as of 4 pm on Tuesday, April 21.
— Rappler

Philippines slips 2 places in World Press Freedom Index
The Philippines ranked two places lower at 136th on the Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) World Press Freedom Index for 2020 .
— Rappler

‘Economy to shrink by 1%’
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas expects the economy to contract by as much as one percent this year as monetary and fiscal authorities ramp up efforts to prepare for a soft landing amid the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 pandemic.
— Philstar

Metro Manila on brink of COVID-19 outbreak, says UP professor
Metro Manila is on the brink of a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak due to the continued rise in the number of infections in the capital region, a University of the Philippines professor said on Tuesday.
— GMA Network

COVID-19 cases may hit 12,000 after lockdown — expert
CORONAVIRUS infections in the Philippines may hit 12,000 once a Luzon-wide lockdown is lifted on April 30, assuming the capacity of the country’s health system will have improved by then, according to an academic expert.
— BusinessWorld

Gov’t insists on P1.4-trillion COVID-19 funding even if some cash already spent
“No double counting” happened on the government’s P1.4-trillion economic strategy against the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, newly appointed Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said, even as some of so-called “reserve money” had already been used.
— Philstar

Virus threat far from over, but DOH notes ‘improvement’
While it now takes longer for the number of coronavirus cases in the country to double, the Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday advised the public against complacency, saying the threat was far from over.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

More than 3,000 quarantine facilities for COVID-19 with bed capacity of over 211,000 in place nationwide
There are now more than 3,000 quarantine facilities that have been set up in the country, as the government further ramped up efforts to increase isolation centers for mild and suspect cases of COVID-19.
— Eagle News

LGUs seal borders as NegOcc records 2nd Covid-19 case
Localities in central Negros have sealed their borders after Negros Occidental recorded its second coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-2019) case, a 43-year-old man from La Castellana town, on Monday night.
— Philippine News Agency

20 Filipino nurses in UK die due to coronavirus
The Philippine embassy in the United Kingdom (UK) expressed deep concern over the death of 20 Filipino nurses who were ill with the coronavirus and were among health workers battling the outbreak in frontline hospitals.
— Rappler

Ilocos Norte imposes P5K penalty vs. ECQ violators
Members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan have unanimously passed an ordinance on Monday imposing a penalty of PHP5,000 to violators of all provincial executive orders, issuances and directives related to President Rodrigo Duterte’s proclamation declaring the country under a state of public health emergency due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
— Philippine News Agency

PHL seen to benefit from slump in oil prices
THE Philippines as a net oil importer would be a “big beneficiary” of the continued slump in global oil prices, although lower prices and plunging demand would likely translate into lower tax collections for the government.
— BusinessWorld

Philippine aircraft lands in China for $2.5-M COVID-19 equipment
A Philippine Air Force C130 cargo plane has landed at Shenzhen, China to pick up COVID-19 laboratory equipment worth $2.5M, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday.
— GMA Network

PNP to set up 24-hour checkpoints in Metro Manila
The Philippine National Police will set up 24-hour mobile checkpoints in Metro Manila to prevent non-essential travel with over a week remaining in the enhanced community quarantine.
— Philstar

P 158B to fund subsidy measures vs pandemic
The government has set aside over P158 billion to fund six emergency subsidy measures of various agencies for Filipinos badly affected by the new coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

PHL among top 20 Covid real-time info innovators
THE Philippines landed in the Top 20 of the Global Coronavirus Innovation Map launched by StartupBlink on the back of innovative sites that show real-time information on the pandemic.
— Business Mirror

High number of virus-hit health workers makes PH ‘an outlier’
The World Health Organization (WHO) expressed alarm on Tuesday over the “very worrisome” trend of an increasing number of Filipino health workers afflicted with the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was at least four times more than the average in the Western Pacific region.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Duterte offers P10 million to any Filipino who develops vaccine vs coronavirus
President Rodrigo Duterte is offering millions of pesos to any Filipino who can develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus , Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a virtual press briefing on Tuesday, April 21.
— Rappler

Solon wants relaxed quarantine to save MSMEs
A leader of the House of Representatives on Tuesday recommended the relaxing of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine in selected areas to allow micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to resume business activities in their respective localities.
— Philippine News Agency

DOF chief eyes rollout of P1-billion study now, pay later program for students and schools
Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III has revealed he is eyeing a P1-billion loan program for private schools—both high schools and colleges—to bankroll a study now, pay later plan program as part of measures to cushion the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
— Business Mirror

Investors offer to explore 3 oil blocks in West Philippine Sea
Investors have offered to develop three areas in the West Philippine Sea under the Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program, according to the Energy Department.
— Manilastandard.net

Luzon-wide lockdown after April 30 not needed, health experts tell Duterte
There was a near-consensus among health policy experts consulted by President Rodrigo Duterte that the current Luzon-wide lockdown be lifted on April 30, with only some parts of the region to remain under quarantine.
— Rappler

DILG to LGUs: Focus on contact tracing
Local government units were directed by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to focus and intensify contact tracing efforts, in view of the LGU-led strategy adopted by the government to combat COVID-19.
— Eagle News

Beijing names islands in disputed South China Sea
China on Tuesday, April 21, defended its naming of 80 islands and other geographical features in the South China Sea in a move likely to anger neighbors as the country asserts its territorial claims.
— Rappler

Household savings seen drained with 2nd ECQ extension
WITH some government officials batting for a second extension of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), analysts are worried that household savings of the vulnerable sector may be exhausted already as the Philippine economy hit pause due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
— Business Mirror

Coronavirus to sap Philippines’ dollar sources — DBS Bank
Earnings from exports and remittances are likely to get hit hard by the pandemic.
— Philstar

Duterte told to limit lockdown to some areas and industries
HEALTH experts on Monday advised President Rodrigo R. Duterte to limit the lockdown to certain areas and industries, while expanding the government’s testing capacity to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
— BusinessWorld

Filipino coronavirus cases abroad breach 1,000
The Philippines recorded 94 more Filipinos infected with coronavirus abroad, pushing to 1,084 the number of confirmed coronavirus cases overseas, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced on Tuesday, April 21.
— Rappler

RITM to limit COVID-19 testing on specimens from 4 NCR cities
The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) will temporarily limit to four cities in Metro Manila the areas from where it will receive specimens for COVID-19 tests, the Department of Health said on Tuesday.
— GMA Network

P1-billion government guarantee eyed for private schools during pandemic
The Philippine government is studying a proposal to provide around P1 billion worth of guarantees to private schools that will secure loans to shoulder unpaid tuition during the coronavirus pandemic.
— Rappler

To stop coronavirus spread, suspend classes till December 2020 – U.P. experts
Experts from the University of the Philippines (UP) have recommended to President Rodrigo Duterte the suspension of classes until December 2020 to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
— Rappler

Reopening POGOs amid COVID-19 poses high risks, says Villanueva
Allowing Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) to resume business amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation could be dangerous, Senator Joel Villanueva said Tuesday.
— GMA Network

Sampaloc in Manila to be placed under 48-hour shutdown starting Thursday
Sampaloc will be shut down from 8 p.m. on April 23 to 8 p.m. of April 25 to conduct disease surveillance, testing and rapid risk assessment, Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno announced Tuesday.
— Philstar

Negros Occidental man says coronavirus symptoms showed 3 weeks after exposure
A 43-year-old resident of La Castellana town in Negros Occidental tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease 3 weeks after he was exposed to confirmed cases in Iloilo province.
— Rappler

18 inmates, 1 staff positive for coronavirus in Mandaluyong City women’s prison
At least 18 inmates and one staff at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City have tested positive for the coronavirus, the Bureau of Corrections announced today in a Facebook post.
— Coconuts Philippines

Students, college councils urge University of San Carlos to #EndTheSem
Thousands of students and members of the University of San Carlos (USC) community have called on school administrators to reconsider their position on ending the semester, as hundreds of coronavirus cases continue to be recorded in the country.
— Rappler

Public warned on fake DOST face shields sold online
The Department of Science and Technology on Tuesday warned the public against purchasing face shields supposedly made by its Metals Industry Research and Development Center.
— GMA Network

5M nat’l ID registrants eyed this year
Newly-appointed acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua on Tuesday said the government aims to have five million Filipinos enrolled into the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys ID) this year and possibly complete the registration of the entire population by 2022.
— Philippine News Agency

SPV-like measure for companies hurt by pandemic sought
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno on Tuesday pitched a measure similar to the Special Purpose Vehicle (SVP) Act of 2002 to help companies hit by coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
— Philippine News Agency

Allow makers of non-essential goods to open — industry group
THE Federation of Philippines Industries (FPI) has recommended a set of conditions for the reopening of non-essential manufacturing operations.
— BusinessWorld

Philippines-German firms seen investing less
More than half of German-Philippine businesses are likely to make fewer or put off any investment in the next 12 months given the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 pandemic to operations, according to a survey of the German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
— Philstar

CHR seeks immediate decongestions of jails amid COVID-19 pandemic
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has called on the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to move for decongestion of jails amid the increasing number of inmates getting infected with COVID-19.
— GMA Network

DepEd considers August as class opening for school year 2020-2021
The Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday, April 21, said that it was eyeing August as class opening for school year 2020-2021.
— Rappler

At least 40 staff at RITM infected with coronavirus, lab scales down operation
At least 40 staff members at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), the primary government lab that runs coronavirus tests, were found to have been infected with COVID-19, its director announced yesterday.
— Coconuts Philippines

PHLPost employees tapped as front line workers to assist LGUs
PHLPost has been vital not just in transporting letters and parcels but in assisting local governments in the delivery of relief and emergency services to health workers battling the coronavirus pandemic.
— Rappler (media release)

Cebu City Jail tests for COVID-19 after inmate dies from disease
Inmates are being tested for the coronavirus at the Cebu City Jail after a male detainee who died on Sunday morning tested positive for COVID-19, Mayor Edgar Labella said in a virtual presser yesterday.
— Coconuts Philippines

Health groups back Duque amid call for his resignation
Medical and hospital associations nationwide expressed on Tuesday their support for Health Secretary Francisco Duque III as he continues to serve the country in the thick of the fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
— Philippine News Agency

Biz group wants phased resumption of Metro Manila trains, buses to restart economy
The government should allow trains and buses to operate again in Metro Manila to help essential companies partially resume operations and maintain a skeletal workforce, a business group said.
— Philstar

Zambo City to have own Covid-19 testing lab
This city will soon have its own testing laboratory for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), officials said Tuesday.
— Philippine News Agency

NFA-Bicol has enough supply of rice amid health crisis
The National Food Authority (NFA) in Bicol said it has sufficient supply of rice to sustain the staple food requirement needed under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
— Philippine News Agency

House may hold session online if Luzon ECQ still in effect by May 4
The House of Representatives may have to hold its session on May 4 online if the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine is still in effect by then, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said Tuesday.
— GMA Network

DTI: 9 drugstores in Vizcaya violating Price Freeze law
At least nine drugstores in the province were found violating the Price Freeze law implemented under the Enhanced Community Quarantine(ECQ) in Luzon.
— Philippine Information Agency

High time for PH to import LNG: Fitch Solutions
Fitch Solutions said it is an opportune time for the Philippines to start the importation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as prices fall in the global market.
— Philippine News Agency

Dominguez clarifies resumption of POGOs not gov’t priority
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said allowing Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) to open again is not a priority for the government as the country continues to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
— Rappler

Pasay barangay on total lockdown as locals ignore stay-at-home order
Local officials placed Pasay City’s Barangay 178 Maricaban under a total lockdown after residents defied stay-at-home orders amid the enhanced community quarantine.
— GMA Network (video)

DepEd s online learning platform for teachers, students now accessible free of data charges
Teachers and students can now access the online educational platform of the Department of Education (DepEd) without any data charges.
— GMA Network

PNP begins to arrest lockdown violators without warning
The Philippine National Police (PNP) will be arresting coronavirus lockdown violators without warning, top cop General Archie Gamboa announced on Tuesday, April 21.
— Rappler

Lanao del Sur frontliners get online training from USAID, WHO
The program is a joint initiative of the Lanao del Sur provincial government, the Integrated Provincial Health Office, the USAID and WHO.
— Philstar

Repurposing of mega tents kicks off at Philippine Arena
Repurposing of three mega tents at the Philippine Arena complex in Bocaue, Bulacan into additional Covid-19 quarantine health facilities has formally started on Monday.
— Philippine News Agency

FALSE: Bills for March and April 2020 now free – Meralco
A YouTube video said that Manila Electric Company (Meralco) billings for March and April 2020 are now free to help consumers affected by the coronavirus crisis .
— Rappler

Sacked guards get over half of Makati City’s P24.9-M payment to security agency
A group of illegally dismissed security guards got more than half of the P24.93 million that their former employer has collected from the Makati City government for unpaid services in 2015.
— Rappler

Feature photo Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines
This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo focuses on 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).

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Philippines morning news for April 22 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on April 22, 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.