Philippines morning news for April 29, 2020

Philippines now conducting 6,320 tests daily, says DOH exec
With only two days left before the end of April, the Department of Health (DOH) reported on Tuesday that the country’s testing capacity for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has increased to 6,320 tests per day.
— GMA Network

Authorize mapping agency to name features in West PH Sea – Carpio
The Philippine government can counter China’s recent moves naming districts and maritime features in the South China Sea by assigning the Philippines’ central mapping agency to name features in the country’s waters, including the West Philippine Sea.
— Rappler

PH coronavirus cases near 8,000, deaths now at 530
The number of coronavirus cases in the Philippines rose to 7,958, with 181 new cases reported by the Department of Health as of 4 pm on Tuesday, April 28.
— Rappler

Gov’t loses chance to boost infrastructure before outbreak with February outlays down
A month before the Luzon lockdown was implemented, state capital outlays slid 14.3% annually, DBM data showed.
— Philippine Star

DOH warns against home misuse of pulse oximeters for coronavirus detection
The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday, April 28, warned against the home use of pulse oximeters for coronavirus detection without the guidance of medical professionals.
— Rappler

Palace to LGUs: Distribute first tranche of cash by April 30 or face charges
Local government officials who will fail to completely distribute the first tranche of the emergency subsidy program for low-income households by April 30 may face charges, Malacañang said Tuesday.
— GMA Network

‘Offensive,’ Lorenzana says about China’s laser gun aimed at PH Navy ship
Why would a Chinese warship aim its laser gun at a Philippine corvette while in Philippine waters, considering this is usually used in target acquisition in the event of, say, a missile attack?
— Rappler

29 health workers succumb to COVID-19; over 1,300 infected -DOH
Twenty-nine health workers died on the frontlines in the battle against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday.
— GMA Network

Tourism revenue, arrivals both decline over 40%
THE Department of Tourism (DoT) said tourism revenue fell 40.62% year on year in the first quarter, after the industry experienced travel disruptions and lockdowns due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.
— BusinessWorld

Infrastructure spending down 21% as of end-February
INFRASTRUCTURE spending as of end-February slid by P20.7 percent year-on-year mainly due to the base effect of high infrastructure spending in the same period in 2019.
— Business Mirror

Over 200 overseas Filipinos test positive for coronavirus; total at 1,604
The Department of Foreign Affairs announced that 209 more Filipinos living abroad have tested positive for the coronavirus , marking the largest overnight increase in the past month.
— Rappler

Palace disagrees with US on China using COVID-19 pandemic to push territorial ambitions
Malacañang on Tuesday disagreed with the view of the United States that China is taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to advance its territorial ambitions in the South China Sea.
— GMA Network

This is what life is like in the Philippines amid one of the world’s toughest coronavirus lockdowns
The Philippines has taken some of the most hard-line measures in the world to contain the spread of the coronavirus, with the country reporting almost 8,000 confirmed cases and more than 500 deaths.
— ABC News

Mosques in Marawi City to remain closed during Ramadan
Amid Ramadan, authorities are implementing a local ordinance ordering the closure of all masjid, the Arabic term for mosque, in Marawi City due to the threat of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
— GMA Network

Philippines AirAsia passenger volume down 9% in Q1
PASSENGERS flown by low-cost airline Philippines AirAsia, Inc. declined by 9% to 1.8 million in the first quarter of the year amid the suspension of its commercial flights due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
— BusinessWorld

Depression on the rise due to ECQ
Expect the number of individuals with depression to rise in the country following the prolonged lockdown.
— Philippine Star

P4.5 million bangus lost in fish kill
Several fish ponds in three barangays in this city have been affected by fish kill.
— Philippine Star

Koronadal City bans spitting in public places
The city government of Koronadal, in the interest of public health and safety, has banned spitting and expelling substances from the mouth and nose in public places.
— Philippine Information Agency

DILG Sec. Ano reiterates call to LGUs to serve Halal foods to Muslims
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo M. Año reiterated on Saturday (April 25) his call to local government units (LGUs) to ensure the provision of halal food packs to their Muslim constituents and ensure that Muslim communities are not bypassed in the relief operations.
— Philippine Information Agency

Government sets lower borrowing program in May
THE national government has set a P170-billion borrowing program in May, after exceeding its program in April.
— BusinessWorld

In 24-hour Cavite curfew, standing outside your house is prohibited
Enhanced anti-tambay (loitering) operations are also targeted, with Remulla saying that those found without a quarantine pass can be apprehended by the Philippine National Police.
— Philippine Star

Essential industries could be offered incentives under CITIRA
THE Senate Ways and Means Committee is considering amending incentives under the proposed Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act (CITIRA) to benefit industries deemed essential during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency.
— BusinessWorld

Masks stay on, buffets banned: Bill paints postquarantine life
Online classes for students. Videoconferencing for employees. Mandatory wearing of masks in public. No more restaurant buffets. Malls and banks with a maximum number of customers. Regular disinfection of your favorite salons.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

“DOH must identify COVID-19 strain types affecting Pinoys” – SHARP EDGES by JAKE J. MADERAZO
Malaysia can be considered a medical wonder if one looks at its 98 fatalities out of 5,780 confirmed new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases with 3,682 recoveries.
— Radyo Inquirer

‘Candidate vaccines’ won’t be ready till a year
The World Health Organization acting representative to the Philippines on Tuesday said several “candidate vaccines” against COVID-19 were undergoing thorough studies in different parts of the world but said these were at least a year away from being ready.
— Manilastandard.net

E-money to keep growth; P700-billion inflow seen by 2021
E-MONEY is seen to continue flourishing in the Philippines, with transaction volume and wallet inflow reaching P370 billion and P700 billion by 2021, respectively, according to a strategic advisory firm.
— Business Mirror

DBM OKs P 45.7B to fight coronavirus
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved the release of P45.717 billion to fund the efforts of the Department of Health (DOH) to combat the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Fuel-marking drive breaches 7-billion liter mark, BOC reports
The volume of fuel marked by the government nationwide has breached the 7-billion liter mark as it continue to intensify efforts to plug revenue leakages amid the virus pandemic.
— Business Mirror

Amendments to tax code eyed to help small businesses affected by quarantine
The Duterte administration is considering a proposed amendment to the tax code to help small businesses that suffered losses because of the enhanced community quarantine.
— Philippine Star

NBI evaluating info in probe of 6 hospitals that rejected senior citizen
The NBI’s legal and evaluation division (LED) is studying facts gathered from witnesses, CCTV footages, and written explanations from the hospitals involved, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Tuesday.
— GMA Network

Gov t aiming to conduct 20k COVID-19 tests daily by May 15 — Galvez
The Philippine government is aiming to conduct 20,000 tests for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) daily by May 15, the scheduled lifting of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in some areas of the country.
— GMA Network

Duterte gov’t braves volatility, raises $2.35 billion from dollar global bonds
The bond issuance was another fund raising exercise for the government’s coronavirus response.
— Philippine Star

Duterte: Less than half of 18M household beneficiaries received aid
Less than half of the 18 million low-income households targeted to benefit from the government’s emergency cash subsidy amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis have actually received the assistance as of Friday last week.
— GMA Network

PHL gov’t revises list of areas covered by ECQ until May 15
The Philippine government on Tuesday, April 28, released its revised list of areas under an extended enhanced community quarantine until May 15.
— Eagle News

‘Difficult’ to sue China over coronavirus pandemic, says Carpio
Countries around the world may be demanding China be held legally liable for the coronavirus outbreak but doing so will be very difficult as the country is protected by sovereign immunity, retired Supreme Court associate justice Antonio Carpio said.
— Rappler

Muntinlupa LGU opposes transfer of COVID-19 infected inmates
The city mayor stressed that their local government exhausted measures to attend to health needs of their residents, including those in Bilibid and flatten the curve in Muntinlupa. But COVID-19 patients were still brought into the city.
— Philippine Star

BSP waives fees to digital financial services applications
The Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has approved the suspension of charging of filing, processing, and licensing/registration fees for applications to provide electronic payment and financial services (EPFS).
— Philippine News Agency

NFA-Caraga stops supplying retailers to ensure sufficiency
The National Food Authority in Caraga Region (NFA-13) has stopped supplying rice to accredited retailers to ensure the availability of supply throughout the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) period.
— Philippine News Agency

Cebu City stores may sell liquor, but public drinking still banned
Alcohol sales may resume, but consumption can only be done at home. This was clarified in a new executive order extending the lockdown or “enhanced community quarantine” was signed by Mayor Edgar Labella on Tuesday, April 28.
— Rappler

Some courts to reopen May 4, but senior judges, lawyers can’t just return
After seven weeks on lockdown, courts will partially reopen next week in areas where restrictions to control COVID-19 have been eased from “enhanced” to “general” community quarantine.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

DTI recommends easing of restrictions on services and manufacturing sectors
The Department of Trade and Industry has recommended the easing of restrictions on the services sector and relevant manufacturing industries in areas under the general community quarantine.
— Business Mirror

AFP chief withdraws request for unregistered drug from Chinese envoy
The defense establishment sees nothing wrong with Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Felimon Santos Jr. making a personal request, using his official letterhead, to the Chinese embassy in Manila for a new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) medicine that he can give to his infected “close friends.”
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

‘Mega treatment facility’ in PHL Arena complex completed, touts govt-private sector tie-up
THE new “We Heal as One Center” in Bocaue, Bulacan has now been finished and may start serving as many as 300 patients infected with the Covid-19 virus.
— Business Mirror

Senate bill seeks creation of Philippines’ Center for Disease Control
Poe’s Senate Bill 1450 or the Pandemic Preparedness and Response Act aims to establish the country’s version of the United States’ Center for Disease Control, which will strategize and lead in communicable disease control and prevention and strengthen the country’s preparedness and response to public health emergencies.
— Philippine Star

Pandemic prompts UnionBank to jack up loan loss buffer by 750%
UnionBank drastically increased its expenses set aside for uncollected loans and payments by 750%, as the coronavirus crisis batters the economy .
— Rappler

Luzon eyes pork supply from Mindanao amid looming deficit
Negotiations are underway to bring 4,000 metric tons of pork from Mindanao to various parts of the country including Metro Manila, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday, April 28.
— Rappler

Imported vehicle sales drop 34% in Q1 2020
The Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors (AVID) reported a 34-percent decline in sales for January to March this year, the group reported Tuesday.
— Philippine News Agency

President Duterte offers P20-million reward for locally made respirators
President Rodrigo Duterte has offered a P20-million reward to any Filipino who will develop respirators for use by COVID-19 patients.
— Eagle News

Taiwan rejects deportation of OFW critical of Duterte
Taiwan has rejected the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) moves to deport an overseas Filipino worker over social media posts critical of President Rodrigo Duterte, saying the Philippines must first consult with Taiwan before taking any drastic action.
— Rappler

POGO ban sought once lockdown in Luzon eases
A SENATOR urged the government on Tuesday to bar offshore gaming operators in the Philippines from reopening once a Luzon-wide lockdown is relaxed.
— BusinessWorld

Sotto, Cayetano say slow pace of aid distribution found at local levels
The two senators who principally authored the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act on Tuesday reiterated that the delay on the distribution of emergency cash aid stems from the problems on the local government level.
— GMA Network

U.P. experts urge universal approach to address people’s needs during pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has affected thousands of people in the country regardless of socioeconomic status. It has claimed lives and cost many their livelihood and businesses.
— Rappler

Gov. Dolor: Oriental Mindoro will be under GCQ effective May 1
Gov. Humerlito A. Dolor anounces that Oriental Mindoro will be under General Community Quarantine on May 1.
— Philippine Information Agency

DOH gets DBM nod to hire 15,000 health workers
The government will hire more than 15,000 health workers to increase the number of frontliners in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
— Philippine Star

Digital transactions double to P417.7 billion during lockdown
The value of digital transactions almost doubled to P417.68 billion for the months of March and April compared to a year-ago level of P2
— Philippine Star

DTI-7 opens web portal for business name registration
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Central Visayas has rolled out an online portal to cater to registration of new business names.
— Philippine News Agency

Chinese doctor charged for illegal clinic
A Chinese doctor was charged on Monday for allegedly running an illegal health facility in Barangay Baclaran, Parañaque City catering solely to her compatriots.
— Philstar

PNP to continue enforcing quarantine measures as COVID-19 cases rise to 89 within its ranks
The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday said it will continue to observe strict quarantine measures in Metro Manila and other areas under a community quarantine, after it confirmed 89 new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases within its ranks.
— GMA Network

QC officials maul, drag fish vendor for not wearing face mask
A man identified by locals as a fish vendor was mauled and dragged by Quezon City authorities after failing to wear a face mask and bringing a quarantine pass while selling outdoors.
— Rappler

Philippines sugar supply adequate — SRA
The Sugar Regulatory Administration maintains that supply of sugar in the country is sufficient even if local production is seen to hit its 10-year low and further decline in the next crop year.
— Philippine Star

SC to pilot-test videoconferencing of trials
Hearings of criminal cases through videoconferencing will be pilot-tested in selected cities amid the public health emergency due to the coronavirus disease 2019.
— Philstar

DOST unveils 15 useful apps in managing COVID-19
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on Tuesday recognized some innovative applications that can help in fighting the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
— GMA Network

Duterte s modified quarantine remark referred to shift to GCQ in other areas — Roque
President Rodrigo Duterte was referring to the upcoming shift to a general community quarantine in several parts of the country when he pushed for a partial reopening of the economy on Monday, his spokesperson said Tuesday.
— GMA Network

Miss Philippines Earth 2020 – Candidates To Wear Face Masks
The candidates for this year’s Miss Philippines Earth will wear face masks during the preliminary round.
— Philippine News

As people stay indoors, power demand drops during lockdown –Meralco
The Philippines’ largest power distributor is expected to take a hit from dismal power sales due to low electric consumption.
— Philippine Star

‘No bad intentions’ in asking Covid-19 drug from China: Palace
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff, Gen. Felimon Santos Jr. had no “bad intentions” in requesting the help of Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian in obtaining off-label medicine used to treat the symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), Malacañang said on Tuesday.
— Philippine News Agency

Energy efficiency industry bats for inclusion in stimulus program
THE energy efficiency industry is seeking a share of stimulus incentives to encourage investment in power conservation, which it touted as an opportunity to emerge from the public health emergency with greener power infrastructure.
— BusinessWorld

PH Arena’s Covid-19 center built via PPP
The 300-bed coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) mega-treatment facility at the Philippine Arena Complex made available by the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) in Ciudad de Victoria, Bocaue, Bulacan will be completed on schedule by April 29.
— Philippine News Agency

W. Visayas senior citizens start receiving social pensions
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 6 (Western Visayas) said on Tuesday senior citizens have started receiving their social pensions this month despite the community quarantine.
— Philippine News Agency

Lorenzana, AFP defend military chief’s ‘out of place’ letter to Chinese envoy
The defense secretary and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday, April 28, both defended AFP chief of staff General Felimon Santos Jr for having written a letter to the Chinese ambassador for the procurement of an off-label drug to treat COVID-19.
— Rappler

3 Iloilo City villages are pilot areas for urban agri program
Three barangays in Iloilo City were identified by the Department of Agriculture (DA)-6 as pilot areas for its “urban agriculture program.”
— Philippine Information Agency

NGO pressing gov’t to complete sardine management plan
OCEANA, a non-government association, said the government must manage the sardine fishery more systematically to ensure food security during national emergencies and generate jobs.
— BusinessWorld

DSWD partners with DICT for automated emergency subsidies
As the second month of the emergency subsidy program (ESP) approaches, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced it is partnering with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to perform automated cash payouts for poor families.
— Rappler

Universal Records says they are ‘not involved’ in ‘Iisang Dagat’
Universal Philippines denied any involvement in ‘Iisang Dagat, the controversial song written by the Chinese embassy touting the supposed partnership between the Philippines and China in facing the coronavirus pandemic.
— Rappler

Lockdown forces cash-dependent Filipinos to go cashless
The Philippines lags developing neighbors in ASEAN-5 in volume and value of transactions coursed through electronic channels.
— Philippine Star

TESDA, DepEd donate 8K face masks to Surigao Sur front-liners
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in Surigao del Sur (TESDA-SDS) and the Department of Education (DepEd) have produced some 8,050 face masks to be distributed to front-liners here fighting the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
— Philippine News Agency

Salceda fears second wave, cites poor contact tracing and testing
Albay Representative Joey Salceda said he is afraid a second wave of coronavirus infection could hit the Philippines when lockdown measures are lifted, citing poor contact tracing and testing around the country.
— Rappler

Davao City activates Stranded Persons special team
The City Government of Davao has finally activated a team to look into the situation of both city residents stranded outside Davao City and people stranded in the city but living outside Davao Region.
— Philippine Information Agency

How embassies are helping their nationals stranded in the Philippines
Here is running list of how these embassies have been helping their stranded citizens
— Philippine Star

Robredo to police, military: ‘Coronavirus is the enemy, not Filipinos’
Vice President Leni Robredo urged the police and the military to be more humane in performing their duties as parts of the country remained under lockdown due to the coronavirus.
— Rappler

Another cruise ship with Pinoy workers docks in Manila Bay
With the Philippine Coast Guard monitoring seven cruise ships with Filipino crew aboard for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, an eighth Filipino-crewed vessel docked in Manila Bay on Tuesday.
— GMA Network

Pork supply shortage seen by end-2020, surplus in other agri products –DA
While pork supply is seen to be sufficient for the rest of the year and during the lockdown periods due to COVID-19 crisis, The Department of Agriculture (DA) is expecting a supply shortage by the end of 2020.
— GMA Network

Duterte’s ‘no more peace talks’ declaration not a surprise — CPP
Marco Valbuena, CPP information officer, pointed out that the government has had an all out war policy against the rebels since 2017.
— Philippine Star

Caraga region fastest to distribute coronavirus emergency subsidies – tracker
The Caraga region in northeastern Mindanao has been the fastest in distributing coronavirus emergency subsidies, based on the tracker of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
— Rappler

PH athletes experiencing anxiety, sleeping difficulties
Apart from physical health, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) is also monitoring the national athletes’ mental wellbeing as they deal with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) to the sporting world.
— Tempo

Mocha Uson urged to resign after allegedly organizing ‘mass gathering’ of quarantined workers in Batangas
Outraged netizens took to social media yesterday to call for the resignation of pro-government influencer Mocha Uson after she spoke at a mass gathering of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Batangas over the weekend.
— Coconuts Philippines

MovePH Webinar: Coronavirus impact on PH employment and workers’ welfare
Over 2 million workers have been displaced in the Philippines following the lockdown in Luzon for more than a month.
— Rappler

Immigration Bureau warns foreigners to follow quarantine law after Makati scuffle
Foreigners living in the Philippines have to follow quarantine laws or else face deportation, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said today in a statement.
— Coconuts Philippines

Spas, salons allowed under GCQ, but not libraries
The Philippine government will allow spas, salons, and barbershops to operate in areas under a relaxed form of community quarantine, but not libraries.
— Rappler

Feature photo WWF Philippines
This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo focuses on World Tuna Day, May 2.

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Philippines morning news for April 29 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on April 29, 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.