Philippines morning news for January 16

Philippines morning news for January 16
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Philippines morning news

3 Taal evacuees die in Batangas
At least 3 evacuees in Batangas have died due to cardiac arrest, the police and military said on Wednesday, January 15.
— Rappler

Taal eruption displaces 18,000 families
The number of families in Batangas affected by Taal Volcano’s activity has already climbed to more than 18,000, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) of Batangas reported on Wednesday.
— Business Mirror

OFW remittances rise to $2.37 million in November
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Wednesday that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) sent home some $2.37 million in remittances in November 2019, 2 percent higher than the total amount they sent a year ago.
— Business Mirror

Philippines orders total deployment ban to Kuwait
The Philippine government imposed a total deployment ban to Kuwait after a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) autposy revealed the grim circumstances surrounding the death of Filipino worker Jeanelyn Villavende in the Gulf state in December 2019.
— Rappler

First batch of Filipinos repatriated from Iraq arrives
The first batch of Filipinos repatriated from Iraq amid brewing tensions between the United States and Iran arrived on Wednesday, Jan. 15.
— Eagle News

5 Batangas towns now under total lockdown due to Taal eruption
Amid safety concerns over the continuing threat of a hazardous Taal Volcano eruption, authorities in Batangas have imposed a lockdown Wednesday, January 15, on 5 towns.
— Rappler

Fear grips Taal residents as major river dries up
Fear gripped residents here after a portion of a major river that runs in this town suddenly dried up early Wednesday morning, triggering speculations that the Taal Volcano is gathering strength for a more destructive eruption.
— Tempo

Majority of CALABARZON residents have no disaster plan for volcanic eruption, survey says
Although all the households didn’t have a plan for a volcanic eruption, 80% of the CALABARZON households said that they discussed an emergency plan in general as a family.
— GMA Network

12 stores charged over overpriced face masks
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announced that 12 out of 17 business establishments in Bambang, Manila were charged with alleged profiteering amid the increase in demand for N95 masks following the eruption of Taal Volcano.
— Tempo

African swine fever hits 2 Bataan towns
Hog raisers in two towns in this province were hit by African swine fever (ASF), local officials confirmed on Wednesday, January 15.
— Rappler

Court junks Angkas plea for new TRO
A Mandaluyong City court has denied the petition of ride-hailing firm Angkas for another temporary restraining order (TRO) on the implementation of a government-imposed limit on the number of riders in the ongoing motorcycle taxi pilot run.
— The Philippine Star

Fruits, vegetables covered in ash may still be eaten after thorough washing –DOH
Fruits and vegetables covered with ash from the restive Taal Volcano may still be eaten provided that these are washed properly, the Department of Health said Wednesday.
— GMA Network

Immigration bureau waives overstaying fees of foreigners affected by airport closure due to Taal eruption
Foreigners affected by the airport closure caused by the eruption of Taal Volcano are exempted from paying overstaying fees, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Wednesday.
— GMA Network

No money for teachers’ pay hike—Rody
President Rodrigo Duterte has conceded he will not be able to fulfill his promise to increase the wages of public school teachers, saying the government does not have enough funds.
— Manilastandard.net

IT-BPM, creative services, halal products pushed as priority exports
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is pushing electronics, food and beverage, information technology – business process management (IT-BPM), creative industries and halal as priority sectors for exports this year.
— The Philippine Star

Minimum wage not enough, workers lament
Workers on Wednesday lamented their minimum wage earnings, which one said is not enough to keep a family running.
— GMA Network

DOH urges residents in schisto endemic areas to take meds for schisto
The Department of Health (DOH) Center for Health Development Eastern Visayas urged residents in two villages in the city of Baybay to submit for treatment.
— Philippine Information Agency

China Coast Guard ship spotted patrolling Ayungin Shoal
While China Coast Guard officials were in Manila for a “friendly visit, one of their vessels was seen near Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea on Tuesday night, January 14.
— Rappler

‘No man’s land’: Duterte declares Taal Volcano island off-limits
President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, January 15, declared the island volcano of Taal off-limits due to experts’ advice that hazardous eruption remains possible within hours to days.
— Rappler

Taal Volcano threat persists, at least 466 volcanic earthquakes recorded
Alert Level 4 remains in place on Wednesday, January 15, as the Taal Volcano in the province of Batangas could still have a hazardous eruption within hours to days.
— Rappler

Crunch time approaching to pass CITIRA — EIU
CORPORATE tax legislation, still pending at the Congress, needs to pass by the first half to keep the tax reform program on track, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
— BusinessWorld

Dropped communication vs. Duterte ‘sucker punch’ to ICC: Andanar
The International Criminal Court (ICC) got a “sucker punch” when lawyer Jude Sabio dropped the communication he lodged against President Rodrigo Duterte, a Palace official said on Wednesday.
— Philippine News Agency

San Juan approves separate rules regulating e-cigarettes
SAN JUAN CITY has approved an ordinance calling for the separate regulation of e-cigarettes, prescribing a different set of rules than those governing conventional tobacco products, with city officials claiming that e-cigarettes are “safer.”
— BusinessWorld

Beijing and Manila need more than coastguard diplomacy to fix South China Sea problems
This week’s first-ever visit by a Chinese coastguard ship to Manila can be seen as a milestone in confidence building between two key claimants in the South China Sea, but it comes amid growing concerns over Chinese activities in the contested waters.
— South China Morning Post

Recruitment expert Geslani says 1,500 unregistered OFWs ‘stranded’ in Beirut
Some 1,500 overseas Filipino workers (OFW) are currently stranded in Lebanon, waiting to be repatriated but unable to raise the $200 required by Beirut for being unregistered workers.
— Business Mirror

Consumption, infrastructure spending to fuel up to 6.6% growth — FMIC
Economic growth momentum is expected to be sustained this year, accelerating to a range of 6.2 to 6.6 percent, fuelled by “magnified” consumer spending and the continuation of the government’s catch-up spending plan for infrastructure, First Metro Investment Corp. (FMIC) said.
— The Philippine Star

PH should anticipate effects of Indochina drought on rice supply
News of extreme drought coming out of Indochina should be a major concern for our country given the impact of the rice tariffication law (RTL) on rice production, supply and prices.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Taal Volcano eruption likely to push up food inflation—PNB research
The Taal Volcano will likely push up food inflation this month because the affected area is a main contributor to the supply of livestock and fish nationwide, Philippine National Bank said in a report Wednesday.
— Manilastandard.net

DOJ chief to de Lima: Shift your tack to gain freedom
JUSTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Wednesday challenged detained Sen. Leila M. de Lima to avail all the legal remedies to gain her freedom rather than relying on foreign groups and individuals to pressure the government into releasing her from detention.
— Business Mirror

150,000 households still without power — DOE
Power has yet to be restored in parts of Batangas, Cavite and Laguna as ashfall from Taal Volcano’s eruption affected transmission and distribution facilities.
— The Philippine Star

Senators pitch for funds to cope with calamities, Middle East repatriation
THE Executive department was urged on Wednesday to revert to the calamity funds some P11 billion that was allocated to the Palace’s intelligence funds in the 2020 budget, as authorities scrambled to put together funding for a string of natural disasters, as well as for the repatriation of Filipinos in conflict zones in the Middle East.
— Business Mirror

China’s new PH ambassador bullish on SCS code of conduct
Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian said China remains optimistic about an “early conclusion” of the crafting of an ASEAN-China code of conduct in the South China Sea.
— ABS-CBN News

Citira won’t widen gap in tax collection–EIU
Despite the expected cut in corporate income tax (CIT) under the proposed Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act (Citira), the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) said this will not widen the shortfall in actual tax collection.
— Business Mirror

DPWH finishes P279-million slope work for Taguig River flooding
The Department of Public Works and Highways has completed the P279.3-million slope protection project along Taguig River that will ensure the safety of residents from floods during typhoons.
— Manilastandard.net

Chinese firm plans refinery in Cebu oilfield
China International Mining Petroleum Co. Ltd., the operator of the Alegria oilfield in southern Cebu, is in talks with potential partners, including East Asia Oil Engineering Group, for the construction of a small oil refinery.
— Manilastandard.net

Philippines, Chinese Coast Guards hold joint drill
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) yesterday held a joint maritime drill with the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) on search and rescue operations and firefighting in the waters off Manila.
— The Philippine Star

PHL improves score in WBL index
The extended duration of paid maternity leave approved by the government allowed the Philippines to register a slight improvement in its score in the 2020 edition of the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law (WBL) index.
— Business Mirror

E-cigs seen as less harmful relative to cigarettes—WHO representative
A representative of the World Health Organization who attended a congressional hearing in the Philippines acknowledged that electronic cigarettes are less harmful than cigarettes.
— Manilastandard.net

Villar denies endorsing cryptocurrency asset
Tycoon Manuel B. Villar clarified yesterday that he was not endorsing any cryptocurrency.
— The Philippine Star

Learn how to import merchandise to Philippines
Importation of goods can be your new source of business or a great way to save on costs to stay competitive for those who want to go direct to their source of supply of goods and commodities overseas.
— The Philippine Star

DoH freezes prices of medical goods in Batangas calamity zone
THE Department of Health (DoH) has ordered a price freeze on 218 medicines as well as other medical goods in Batangas province, following widespread panic-buying of N95 masks, which are rated for filtering out volcanic dust.
— BusinessWorld

Contingency plan in place amidst Mideast tensions-OWWA
An official of the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration in Davao Region assured that a contingency plan is in place for Filipino Overseas Workers in Iraq and Iran following the conflict between the United States of America and Iran as the Philippine observes Alert Level No. IV.
— Philippine Information Agency

Philippines struggles to keep evacuees away from volcano
Philippine authorities were struggling Wednesday to keep thousands of evacuees from returning to homes in areas threatened by a feared massive eruption of Taal volcano.
— CNA

WATCH: Fishermen risk lives for catch around restive Taal Volcano
Towns around Taal Lake are on lockdown because the volcano could blow at any moment, and yet local fishermen risk going down to the shore and taking their boats out for their daily catch.
— Rappler

SWS: VP Robredo gets +18 net satisfaction rating for 19-day ICAD stint
At least 44% of Filipinos were satisfied with Vice President Leni Robredo’s performance as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) despite her short stay with the agency with 14% expressing that they were very satisfied, 30% were somewhat satisfied, according to the Fourth Quarter 2019 Social Weather Survey.
— GMA Network

How do the Philippines’ laws and regulations compare with those of other economies in providing economic opportunities for women?
LEGAL gender equality in the Philippines slightly improved after it enacted a law that increased the duration of paid maternity leave, according to a World Bank (WB) study
— BusinessWorld

Biñan City Produces Bricks From Volcanic Ash of Taal Volcano Eruption
Biñan City Produces Bricks From Volcanic Ash of Taal Volcano Eruption Biñan City produces brick from the volcanic ash emitted by the Taal Volcano to be used for constructing facilities in the city.
— Philippine News

DOH: No need for NCR, Region 3 residents to wear N95 masks
The Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday there is no longer any need for residents in the National Capital Region and Region 3 to wear N95 masks in the aftermath of Taal Volcano eruption last Sunday.
— GMA Network

Raising HIV-AIDS awareness needed to check disease spread
One of the main challenges of the Philippine government is to address the spread of HIV-AIDS while raising public awareness for the said virus.
— Philippine Information Agency

Bamboo industry targets 19,000 hectares for new plantations
THE Philippine Bamboo Industry Council (PBIC) plans to convert at least 19,000 hectares of land into bamboo plantations this year, including 13,000 hectares in the Western Visayas.
— BusinessWorld

Mindanao rail track configuration still contentious
The start of construction for the Mindanao Railway Project, which has been pushed back more than once due to right-of-way (RoW) issues within Davao City, is facing another stumbling block amid questions over the single-track diesel-powered system approved by the national government.
— BusinessWorld

Bureau of Quarantine tightly monitors int’l. flights
An official of the Bureau of Quarantine XI clarified that the government through there agency monitors not only arrivals from China, but also from Singapore, Hong Kong and other international flights.
— Philippine Information Agency

Firm no longer authorized to receive requests for civil documents –PSA
In view of such termination, Teleserv is no longer authorized to receive requests for civil registry documents from any party.
— GMA Network

Quirino province OKs 5-year dev’t plan for Governor Rapids
The provincial government here has approved a five-year development plan for the eco-tourism facilities of the Governor’s Rapids, which boasts of sprawling rock formations and crystal-clear waters off Cagayan River in Barrio Bisangal here, Governor Dakila Carlo Cua said.
— Philippine News Agency

1st online property loan platform in PH launched
A financially-backed property fintech firm on Wednesday launched the first-ever online mortgage broker platform in the Philippines that makes the property loan application process easier and more efficient.
— Philippine News Agency

10K families stay in Calabarzon evacuation camps
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported there are now 10,000 families or 43,681 persons taking temporary shelter in 217 evacuation camps in the Calabarzon Region.
— Philippine News Agency

Cavite declares state of calamity due to Taal Volcano eruption
The province of Cavite was placed under a state of calamity on Wednesday, January 15, due to the impact of the Taal Volcano eruption .
— Rappler

Senators urge GSIS, SSS loan moratorium for members affected by Taal eruption
Senators appealed Wednesday to government financial agencies and local government units and private offices to impose a loan moratorium of six months to one year for members affected by the ongoing eruption of the Taal Volcano.
— GMA Network

Major General Allen Paredes is next commanding general of the PHL Air Force
Major General Allen Paredes is the next commanding general of the Philippine Air Force.
— Eagle News

Satellite images show “new vent craters” formed in Taal Volcano; new fissures also observed in Batangas
New vent craters have been formed inside Taal Volcano’s main crater and on the north flank of the volcano based on newly acquired satellite images, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).
— Eagle News

Court workers directly affected by Taal eruption entitled to 5-day calamity leave — Peralta
Court workers may use their calamity leave for five consecutive days or on a staggered basis within 30 days from January 13, according to Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta’s memorandum order dated January 14.
— GMA Network

Lady Resident Suffers Eye Injury Due To Continuous Ashfall from Taal
Lady Resident Suffers Eye Injury After Ashfall From Taal Hits Her Eye A lady resident suffered from an eye injury due to continuous ashfall from the ongoing Taal Volcano’s eruption.
— Philippine News

Labella defuses Sinulog 2020 exclusive broadcast rights backlash
The timely intervention of Mayor Edgar Labella Wednesday, January 15, defused a last-minute squabble over the right to broadcast the Sinulog Grand Parade, one of the highlight events of the 40th edition of the annual festival.
— Rappler

Sandigan suspends MinDA exec for bringing hubby to work seminar
For allegedly bringing her husband to a safety seminar using government money, an official of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) was slapped with a 90-day preventive suspension by the Sandiganbayan.
— GMA Network

Sabio has no credibility after withdrawing complaint vs. Duterte at ICC –solons
No credibility. This was how Senators Francis Pangilinan and Panfilo Lacson described on Wednesday lawyer Jude Sabio after he intended to withdraw the complaints he filed before the International Criminal Court against President Rodrigo Duterte.
— GMA Network

How to spot fake N95 face masks, according to DOH
As people scramble for N95 face masks amid ashfall from the Taal Volcano eruption, the Department of Health (DOH) gave the public pointers on how to spot fake ones.
— Rappler

FALSE: ‘SARS’ case reported in clinic at Shangri-La Plaza
Claim: A chain message circulated on Tuesday, January 14, warning people to avoid going to Shangri-La Plaza, a mall in Mandaluyong City, because of a supposed case of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) reported in one of the mall’s medical clinics.
— Rappler

No letup in human rights abuses under Duterte – Human Rights Watch
There has been no letup in human rights abuses in the Philippines more than halfway through the term of President Rodrigo Duterte, the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report released on Tuesday, January 14 (Wednesday, January 15, in the Philippines).
— Rappler

Maasin City calls for entries for ‘Sakay-Sakay Festival 2020’
This year’s Sakay-Sakay Festival, which is conducted in honor of Child Jesus, will be held on Sunday, January 19, at the Maasin Port Area.
— Philippine Information Agency

Maasin City grants discounts to early taxpayers
As the year 2020 has started, the City Treasurer’s Office in Maasin announced to the public to pay their real property taxes early for this year in order to avail of discounts.
— Philippine Information Agency

President Duterte brings aid to Batangas residents displaced by Taal Volcano’s eruption
Evacuees camped inside the sports complex erupted in joyful hollers on Tuesday, January 14 the moment President Duterte stepped on the improvised platform in one corner of the stadium.
— Philippine Information Agency

BARMM eyes for skilled, competent workers
In pursuit of quality public service in the Bangsamoro region, the Bangsamoro Government is eyeing for skilled and competent workers to join in the new bureaucracy.
— Philippine Information Agency

GreenMinds urges MSMEs, shoppers to practice zero waste management
Local establishment GreendMinds Inc. practices zero-waste management and encourages micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to do the same as concern on the increasing use of plastic is once again highlighted in celebration of Zero Waste Month this January.
— Philippine Information Agency

Comelec-Zambo gears for voters registration
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to conduct registration of voters in preparation for the presidential and local polls in 2022.
— Philippine News Agency

Highland farmers appeal to Mayor Isko on Divisoria closure this weekend
Vegetable farmers and traders from the Cordillera region are appealing to Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso to allow them to deliver and sell their produce amidst the planned three-day closure of the roads going to the Divisioria Market this weekend.
— Philippine Information Agency

DOJ probes Bantag’s booting out BuCor staff for favored BJMP aides
The Department of Justice (DOJ) started investigating complaints from Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) employees who said they were kicked out of their posts in favor of Director General Gerald Bantag’s trusted people from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
— Rappler

 

Feature photo @allainetan_

This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo focuses on the eruption of Taal volcano, Luzon, Philippines.

 

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.

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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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