Philippines morning news for July 21, 2020

30 Zambo City areas on lockdown amid spike of Covid-19 cases
Thirty areas in 17 barangays have been placed on lockdown amid the rising coronavirus disease cases in this southern port city, officials said Monday.
— Philippine News Agency

Philippines’ Covid-19 war chest hits $21B
The Philippines’ war chest against the Covid-19 crisis inched up to $21.05 billion as of mid-July, although still lower than most of its Southeast Asian neighbours when divided among the relatively bigger population.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Lawmakers float more sanctions vs ABS-CBN: P1.97-T fine, seizure of headquarters
Although ABS-CBN’s employees and supporters have promised the fight for the embattled network is not over, its troubles also seem far from over, based on an online discussion by its accusers at the House of Representatives.
— Philippine Star

DOH monitors 638 coronavirus clusters nationwide, as PH cases top 68,000
The Philippines on Monday, July 20, tallied over 68,000 confirmed coronavirus cases as it reported more than 1,500 recent infections and a growing number of clusters of cases nationwide.
— Rappler

Philippines resumes polio vaccination campaign as COVID-19 crisis deepens
The Philippines is resuming vaccinations against polio Monday, months after the drive against the highly infectious disease was halted because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
— Philippine Star

No media allowed inside House during Duterte s SONA –PCOO
Members of the media will not be allowed inside the House of Representatives during President Rodrigo Duterte s State of the Nation Address on July 27 as per recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
— GMA Network

Stranded On Ships: Seafarers In Virus Limbo
Indian ship worker Tejasvi Duseja is desperate to go home after months stranded offshore by coronavirus border closures and lockdowns that have left more than 200,000 seafarers in limbo.
— The Asean Post

House panel to tackle charter change proposals of over 1,400 mayors
The House committee on constitutional amendments will convene soon after after Congress reopens its session next week to discuss the amendments to the 1987 Constitution proposed by 1,489 mayors in the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP).
— Rappler

China envoy warns vs US ‘meddling’ in SCS dispute
Beijing’s top diplomat in Manila on Monday urged Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member-countries to be on “high alert” over what he claimed is the United States’ “intensified meddling” in the South China Sea dispute.
— Inquirer.net

18 infrastructure projects deemed ‘high risk’ amid pandemic
Eighteen big-ticket “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure projects, including the Metro Manila Subway, the upgrade of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) and the Mindanao Railway, have been flagged as “questionable” and “high-risk” by economists, who warned that the pandemic could “severely impair their long-term viability.”
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Philippines calls out China on the South China Sea
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s government has officially called on China to comply with a 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling at The Hague against its expansive claims to the South China Sea, the first time Manila has appealed to Beijing to honor the verdict.
— Asia Times

More businesses on wait and see in the Philippines than in Southeast Asia
More Filipino businesses have taken a wait-and-see approach on the COVID-19 pandemic compared with their Southeast Asian peers, a recent poll conducted by SAP SE revealed.
— GMA News

At least 50 test positive for coronavirus in Cebu drug rehab center
At least 50 persons tested positive for the coronavirus at the Department of Health Treatment Rehab Center (DOH-TRC), the facility for drug patients in Cebu province, a health department spokesperson confirmed on Monday, July 20.
— Rappler

BARMM eyes 830K children for 2-week anti-polio drive
Health authorities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are targeting 839,677 children for its two-week anti-polio drive under the government’s simultaneous “Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio” campaign in Mindanao.
— Philippine News Agency

DOH assures polio vaccination is safe amidst COVID-19
Department of Health (DOH) officials assured parents and guardians of “nothing to fear” during the Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio continued vaccination that rolled off this morning July 10 to run until August 02 for children of zero-to-59-month young.
— Philippine Information Agency

More than 3 million workers affected by pandemic – DOLE
The number of workers who suffered loss of income and employment nationwide due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exceeded three million, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported.
— Philippine Star

Government infrastructure spending down in May
Government spending on infrastructure slowed down in May due to the suspension of construction activities amid strict movement restrictions to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
— Philippine Star

Other diseases almost unchecked due to COVID-19, DOH admits
Some patients with illnesses other than the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are having difficulty getting medical attention amid the pandemic, the Department of Health (DOH) acknowledged Monday.
— GMA Network

Travel firms brace for huge losses
MOST tourism-related businesses in the Philippines expect revenue losses of over 50% this year, amid travel restrictions and business closures due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a survey from PwC Philippines/Isla Lipana & Co. showed.
— BusinessWorld

37K online businesses register with DTI
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Assistant Secretary Jean Pacheco said Monday around 37,000 internet-based businesses have registered with the department from January to July this year.
— Philippine News Agency

MSME recovery loan applications overwhelm Trade dep’t funding
SMALL-BUSINESS LOAN applications filed with the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) financing arm are now triple the initial funding allocated, triggering a scramble to increase the size of the facility offered with the support of state banks.
— BusinessWorld

DOLE reports decline in job loss in first 2 weeks of July
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported a downturn in the increase of permanent labor displacement for the second week in a row this month, indicating a slight improvement in the country’s work force.
— Business Mirror

Over 50% of coronavirus patients in Western Visayas have recovered: health officials
More than half of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in Western Visayas have recovered, the Department of Health (DOH) in the region said Monday.
— ABS-CBN News

Pork imports decline 41 percent to 100,745 MT in H1 – BAI data
THE country’s meat imports in the first half fell slightly to 403,348.102 metric tons (MT) from 406,008.874 MT in the same period of last year, as pork purchases from abroad plunged 41 percent, latest Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) data showed.
— Business Mirror

AirAsia PHL highlights ‘longest flight’ in OFW repatriation ops
AirAsia Philippines (Z2) reported that it has marked its “longest flight” over the weekend, repatriating 125 Filipino sea-based OFWs from a port city in western India to Manila, a distance covering 5,196 kilometers.
— Business Mirror

Protests calling for ABS-CBN’s return to air enter second week
Protests calling for the return to air of ABS-CBN entered their second week. Authorities are also issuing reminders on the conduct of rallies.
— ABS-CBN News (video)

De Lima: Dead or alive, Sebastian’s testimony against me still fabricated
Senator Leila De Lima on Monday said the reported death of New Bilibid Prison (NBP) inmate Jaybee Sebastian due to COVID-19 is still being studied by her legal camp to determine whether or not it will have an impact on the drug charges filed against her.
— GMA Network

St. Luke’s Medical Center declares all facilities fully occupied with COVID-19 patients
St. Luke’s Medical Center, which owns two major private hospitals in Metro Manila, today declared that its facilities could no longer accept any COVID-19 patients due to the deluge of new cases.
— Coconuts Philippines

President Duterte to be physically present in Batasan for July 27 SONA — Palace
President Rodrigo Duterte will be physically present at the House of Representatives when he delivers his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 27, Malacanang confirmed today, Monday, July 20.
— Eagle News

More than 1 million Filipinos have taken COVID-19 tests, says DOH data
More than 1 million COVID-19 tests have been conducted so far in the Philippines, based on data from the Department of Health.
— Eagle News

Duterte signs law that allows school opening later than August amid state of emergency, calamity
Schools may now open later than August if the state of calamity or emergency has been declared over the country, or parts of it.
— Philippine Star

Majority of PH tourism players expect to be back on track in 2021
Majority of the tourism players in the Philippines remains optimistic that their businesses will return to normal within six months to over a year.
— Philippine News Agency

Solons seek upgrade of customs systems to fulfill ASEAN commitment
Lawmakers sought on Monday the full implementation of the National Single Window (NSW) System not only to upgrade the country’s customs system, but also to fulfill the Philippines’ commitment as a member-country of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
— Manila Bulletin

BSP measures continue to stabilize liquidity conditions
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said latest data indicate that the BSP liquidity measures implemented since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to help stabilize domestic liquidity conditions.
— Malaya

Coca-Cola, DTI, institutions create P157 million fund for micro-retailers
Coca-Cola Philippines has partnered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and two of the country’s leading micro-financial institutions, to allocate and distribute P157 million in funds to more than 15,000 retailers whose enterprises were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and community quarantine.
— Philippine Star

Manufacturing seen as key to economic revival
THE Trade department said it will focus its economic recovery efforts on increasing manufacturing capacity in the Philippines in order to reduce import dependence.
— BusinessWorld

PNP records 26 additional COVID-19 cases; total at 1,564
The Philippine National Police recorded on Monday 26 new cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among its personnel, bringing the total tally to 1,564.
— GMA Network

Philippines, World Bank sign $370-M loan to speed up land distribution under agrarian reform program
The Philippines and World Bank last week signed a $370-million loan agreement meant to fast-track the distribution of about 1.4 million hectares of land to an estimated 750,000 farmers who are beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
— Philippine Star

Bed capacity for COVID 19 cases in Davao Region reaches warning zone
Following significant increases on COVID 19 confirmed cases in Davao Region in the recent days, the Department of Health (DOH XI) announced in a virtual media briefing that utilization of beds for COVID-19 cases has reached the warning zone. DOH XI Assistant Regional Director Lenny Joy Rivera said with the latest …
— Philippine Information Agency

Cebu guv says traditional jeepneys may now resume operation
Traditional public utility jeepneys (PUJs) may resume operations in Cebu province’s thoroughfares under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), provided they are roadworthy and will only ply on feeder lines, said Governor Gwendolyn Garcia on Monday.
— Philippine News Agency

Data Privacy Act not a cloak to deny public’s right to know, says Commissioner Liboro
The Data Privacy Act is not a cloak for denying the public’s right to know, said Raymund Liboro, chairman and commissioner, National Privacy Commission.
— GMA Network

PNP chief says Philippnes winning war on drugs
The country is winning the war against illegal drugs.
— Philippine Star

Work on Bulacan airport to start in Oct.
SAN MIGUEL Corp. is planning to break ground on the P734-billion Bulacan airport project in October, according to the Department of Transportation (DoTr).
— BusinessWorld

Palace rejects Cha-cha moves amid pandemic
THE presidential palace on Monday rejected a congressional move to change the 1987 Constitution amid a coronavirus pandemic, saying it was no longer a priority.
— BusinessWorld

Cayetano says he’s willing to ask House members to help ABS-CBN employees
Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said he is willing to ask members of the House of Representatives to help artists, employees, and talents of ABS-CBN to form a cooperative which, according to the suggestion of another lawmaker, could manage the operations of the network in the future.
— GMA Network

P133-M farm-to-market roads to start in Surigao Norte
The Department of Public Works and Highways in Caraga Region (DPWH-13) said the agency, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture in the area (DA-13), is set to begin the construction of farm-to-market roads (FMRs) worth PHP133 million in the province of Surigao del Norte.
— Philippine News Agency

Pangilinan questions tighter evaluation for UP-developed COVID-19 test kits
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Monday demanded an explanation from the Department of Health (DOH) why the locally developed COVID-19 test kits had to apparently go through the eye of a needle before being approved for use while imported ones smoothly entered the Philippines.
— GMA Network

‘Data Privacy Act cannot be used to hide info on high-profile inmates’ deaths due to COVID-19′
The Data Privacy Act cannot be used to refuse to confirm the deaths of high-profile inmates like Jaybee Sebastian, privacy commissioner Raymund Liboro said.
— Philippine Star

Galvez admits gaps in COVID-19 contact tracing, says gov’t efforts improving
The government is working to improve its contract- tracing efforts after discovering that there were gaps, the country’s COVID-19 pandemic policy chief implementer said on Monday.
— ABS-CBN News

Drug convict Jaybee Sebastian died of coronavirus, immediately cremated – BuCor
Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Chief Director General Gerald Bantag confirmed on Monday, July 20, that high-profile drug convict Jaybee Sebastian died of the coronavirus and was immediately cremated.
— Rappler

Robredo throws support behind passage of P1.3-trillion stimulus package
VICE-PRESIDENT Maria Leonor G. Robredo expressed her support for the P1.3-trillion stimulus package, saying that such intervention is needed to help hard-hit sectors recover from the pandemic and ensuing economic crisis.
— BusinessWorld

No indiscriminate arrests of quarantine violators, Quezon City government says
The Quezon City local government urged the public Monday to be wary of a post circulating on social media, alleging that the city would be implementing a policy of indiscriminate arrests for quarantine violators.
— Philippine Star

After study finds most Pinoys wear masks, DOH says its goal is 100% compliance
After a London-based group found that most Filipinos observe health protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Department of Health (DOH) on Monday said its goal is still to achieve 100-percent compliance from the public.
— GMA Network

Palace laments slow distribution of 2nd tranche of COVID-19 cash aid
Malacañang on Monday lamented the slow distribution of the second tranche of the emergency subsidy for low-income households affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
— GMA Network

Angara wants pandemic, health crises included in school curriculum
Sen. Sonny Angara is pushing for the inclusion of pandemics, epidemics and other health crises in primary and secondary subjects to help people “behave properly whenever there is a health emergency.”
— ABS-CBN News

US donates P14.8-M in protective equipment to PGH, other COVID-19 treatment centers
The United States has donated P14.8 million worth of personal protective equipment to the Philippine General Hospital and other COVID-19 treatment centers in the Philippines, its embassy in Manila said Monday.
— ABS-CBN News

Mayors not pushing for lifting of term limits, says DILG
The country’s league of town mayors are not pushing for the lifting of term limits, the Department of the Interior and Local Governments said on Monday.
— GMA Network

IPO drought seen persisting in second half as pandemic lingers
With the local bourse still in bad shape as the coronavirus pandemic drags on, Non-listed companies will likely shelve plans to go public for the rest of the year, as they wait for better business conditions and signs of economic recovery.
— Philippine Star

Palay harvest in Antique seen to hit 250K MT
The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) is optimistic that palay harvest in the province could reach the target of 250,000 metric tons (MT) this year.
— Philippine News Agency

House panel passes bill creating e-Commerce bureau
A MEASURE creating an Electronic Commerce Bureau to regulate online transactions between businesses has hurdled the House Committee on Trade and Industry.
— BusinessWorld

BuCor invoking data privacy in Bilibid deaths ‘prone to abuse’ -Drilon
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Monday warned that allowing the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) to deflect the demands for transparency on the deaths in the National Bilibid Prison by invoking the Data Privacy Act could spell danger.
— GMA Network

BARMM gov’t strictly implements health measures for polio vaccination
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), through the Ministry of Health (MOH-BARMM), assured that the Department of Health’s minimum health protocols will be strictly observed during the conduct of the 3rd round of polio vaccination starting today until August 2, 2020.
— Philippine Information Agency

PNP eyes special units to enforce Anti-Terror Law
The Philippine National Police (PNP) is planning to create its own specialized units that would enforce the Anti-Terorrism Act of 2020 as the government started to implement the controversial law amid widespread opposition and concerns on the constitutionality of some of its provisions.
— Tempo

Quezon City to lose ‘quite a lot’ from reduced ABS-CBN operations — mayor
The junking of ABS-CBN Corp.’s bid to renew its legislative franchise and the resulting loss of employment and media services all affect Quezon City’s local government greatly, Mayor Joy Belmonte said on Monday morning.
— Philstar

Speaker Cayetano bats for a Department of Arts and Culture
Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday proposed the creation of a Department of Arts and Culture to boost government support for individuals who were involved in the creative and performing arts in the country.
— GMA Network

Kidapawan inaugurates P4.2-M Covid-19 facility
The city government inaugurated Monday a PHP4.3-million Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facility (TTMF) here for locally stranded individuals (LSIs) and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
— Philippine News Agency

Delivery Boy Shot And Killed By Soldier In Davao City
A delivery boy was killed after he got shot by a soldier in Davao City on Sunday afternoon (July 19).
— Philippine News

Nominations for the 4th Phil. Sports Tourism Awards (PSTA) now open
In spite of an inactive sports tourism sector during the first half of 2020 caused by the COVID19 pandemic, the Philippine Sports Tourism Awards will proceed to honor and recognize sports and tourism entities and institutions based on the events they organized or hosted in 2019.
— Philippine Information Agency

Feature photo Baclaran Church
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 July 21 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on July 21, 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.