Philippines morning news for June 23, 2020

Economic recovery to start in 4th quarter, Diokno says
ECONOMIC RECOVERY is likely to start by the fourth quarter, with growth seen in key sectors such as agriculture and construction, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said on Monday.
— BusinessWorld Online

Coronavirus cases near 31,000; death toll reaches 1,177
THE Department of Health reported 630 new coronavirus infections on Monday, bringing the total to 30,682.
— BusinessWorld Online

RRTS: Increasing inter-island trade in the Philippines through island hopping
The Philippines is an archipelago of over 7,000 islands. Internal connectivity is a major challenge, with domestic maritime trade costs high.
— AEC News Today

Over 200 Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia died of ‘natural causes’ – DFA
Philippine Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Adnan Alonto said on Monday, June 22, that over 200 Filipinos whose remains will be repatriated to the Philippines died due to natural causes.
— Rappler

Diokno sees legal battle if anti-terror bill becomes a law
The constitutionality of the proposed Anti-Terrorism Act will be questioned in courts if ever it becomes law, according to human rights lawyer Chel Diokno on Monday.
— GMA Network

Duterte report: Up to 100,000 OFWs may be repatriated due to pandemic
The Palace is expecting that the number of repatriated migrant Filipinos due to the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic would reach 100,000 in the coming months.
— Philippine Star

Duterte’s China policy is ‘opposite of appeasement’: DFA
President Rodrigo Duterte’s policy towards China is “the opposite of appeasement,” his top diplomat said Tuesday after a former Supreme Court justice warned that Beijing can soon put up air and naval bases in contested waters.
— ABS-CBN News (video)

Duterte to join virtual ASEAN Summit on Friday
President Rodrigo R. Duterte will be joining the virtual 36th Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) Summit on Friday.
— Business Mirror

Roque defends lockdown, says 100,000 lives saved
Even if the number of COVID-19 cases is rising, the Philippines is actually doing better in its fight against the disease because the number of people testing positive for the causative virus is lower and the case doubling time is seven days, according to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

NCR wage board defers pay hike talk indefinitely on Covid crisis
MINIMUM-wage earners in Metro Manila may have to wait until after the Covid-19 crisis before they can get a pay hike.
— Business Mirror

Philippines charters flight to bring home remains of 282 Filipinos from Saudi
The Philippine government is arranging a flight to bring home the remains of 282 Filipinos in Saudi Arabia, nearly a fifth of whom died due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday.
— ABS-CBN News (video)

Provincial bus firms’ job losses top 14,000; 10,000 more seen
ABOUT 14,000 workers of provincial bus firms have lost their jobs due to operational restrictions, according to bus operators, warning that another 10,000 may be let go because of the implementation of cashless fare systems.
— BusinessWorld Online

Judges’ group cries foul over bashing of judiciary after Ressa conviction
The Philippine Judges Association (PJA) on Monday, June 22, cried foul over bashing of the judiciary following the high-profile conviction of Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and former researcher-writer Reynaldo Santos Jr.
— Rappler

Deployment of sea-based, OFW rehires dips 53% in January to May period
The deployment of sea-based and rehired overseas Filipino workers (OFW) also took a major hit this year due to the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
— Business Mirror

Doctors, nurses, health workers with COVID-19 reach 3,122
Health workers infected with COVID-19 in the Philippines increased by 253 cases from last week, according to the Department of Health.
— ABS-CBN News

DFA: COVID-19 cases among overseas Filipinos reach 8301
The number of coronavirus disease 2019 cases among overseas Filipinos has breached the 8300 mark. The Department of Foreign Affairs said of the 8301 cases, 2160 were recorded in the Middle East and Europe.
— Eagle News

Wirecard says missing $2.1B likely does not exist; withdraws results
Wirecard AG on Monday said there was a likelihood that the 1.9 billion euros ($2.13 billion) reported missing from its accounts simply did not exist in the first place.
— BusinessWorld Online

PhilHealth pushing to postpone Universal Healthcare due to funding woes
State insurer Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is pushing for the postponement of the implementation of the Universal Health Care Law, due to poor collection caused by the COVID-19 quarantines.
— Coconuts Philippines

Phivolcs records 136 earthquakes at Kanlaon Volcano in 24 hours
A total of 136 earthquakes were recorded at Kanlaon Volcano from 8 am on Sunday, June 21, to 8 am on Monday, June 22, or a 24-hour period.
— Rappler

6K BPO jobs to cut down unemployment: Bello
At least 6,000 jobs in business process outsourcing (BPO) companies will put a “silver lining on job opportunities” amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) health crisis affecting the country’s workforce, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said.
— Philippine News Agency

Caving in to criticism, PNP scraps Chinese help desks
After facing criticism, the Philippine National Police (PNP) scrapped its Chinese help desks, Rappler learned.
— Rappler

No large-scale collusion to commit graft in PhilHealth, Morales assures
PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Ricardo C. Morales on Monday admitted there could be some bureaucratic “inefficiencies” within the state health insurer agency but belied allegations of large-scale collusion to commit graft.
— Business Mirror

Law enforcers capacity, resources vs. terror lacking, not Human Security Act –Chel Diokno
The government should look for ways to strengthen the capacity and resources of law enforcers against terrorism instead of passing the controversial anti-terror bill, according to human rights lawyer Chel Diokno on Monday.
— GMA Network

PANDEMIC IN CHARTS: Hundreds arrested daily, filing delays leave thousands in jail
Philippine police have been arresting hundreds daily since the start of the pandemic lockdown on March 15, but 3 months have passed and the system has not yet cleared its backlog, leaving more than 2,000 Filipinos still in jail.
— Rappler

Next House hearings on ABS-CBN franchise moved to next week
The next House hearings on the ABS-CBN franchise issue, originally scheduled for this Tuesday and Wednesday, was moved to Monday next week, House Committee on Legislative Franchises chair Franz Alvarez announced.
— GMA Network

Palace: Government to study letting more foreign workers in for flagship projects
The government will look into proposals to allow foreigners working in state flagship projects to come to the country.
— Philippine Star

Magnitude 5 quake shakes Ilocos Sur
A magnitude 5 quake shook Ilocos Sur on Monday at around 4 p.m., according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).
— Eagle News

Quezon City street placed on ‘special concern lockdown’
Quezon City placed part of a private subdivision’s street on special concern lockdown (SCL) after recording six active cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the same area.
— Philstar

RCBC named best digital bank in Philippines
The Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) was recognized yesterday as the “Best Digital Bank in the Philippines” by a Hong Kong-based institutional investment magazine.
— Manilastandard.net

As lockdown eases, Manila’s dirty air is back. It doesn’t have to stay
Air quality in Metro Manila is returning to its usual noxious levels as Covid-19 lockdown measures are loosened up.
— Eco-Business

Foreign investors discouraged by lack of progress on tax reform laws
THE Philippines needs to address the lack of clarity on investment policy, which is discouraging foreign direct investment (FDI), an economist from Fitch Solutions Country Risk & Industry Research said.
— BusinessWorld Online

2020 gov’t infrastructure spending seen higher than originally thought
Government infrastructure spending this year would be reduced, but not as much as originally thought, putting the economy on a stronger footing ahead of an expected recovery next year crucial for the country’s credit rating.
— Philippine Star

Duterte halted VFA termination due to South China Sea tensions
Despite earlier asserting he wanted the military deal scrapped, President Rodrigo Duterte decided to suspend his earlier decision to terminate the Philippines’ Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States due to rising tensions in the South China Sea during the pandemic.
— Rappler

Amnesty PH slams PDEA for seeking info on ‘drug suspects’ via Facebook
Amnesty International (AI) Philippines on Monday, June 22, slammed the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for using a dedicated Facebook page to gather tips on suspected drug personalities.
— Rappler

Greenpeace: Reusable systems, ban on single-use plastics needed amid quarantine
An environmental organization called on local governments to enforce reusable systems and bans on single-use plastics after the coronavirus disease pandemic set back efforts to reduce the country’s dependency on plastic.
— Philippine Star

Duterte plans to visit military camps nationwide despite COVID-19 threat
Despite the ongoing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Rodrigo Duterte plans to go around the country to visit military camps in the next few days.
— ABS-CBN News

186 free wifi zones to be installed in Davao de Oro
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will install a total of 186 wifi free zones all over Davao de Oro.
— Philippine Information Agency

ADB Loan to Help Strengthen Metro Manila’s Water Supply Infrastructure
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $126 million loan to the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) to support the construction of a 15-kilometer (km) water transmission pipeline aimed at helping secure water supply for Metro Manila’s nearly 13 million residents.
— Modern Diplomacy

City buses, ‘modern jeepneys’ resume operations in Metro Metro Manila amid pandemic
Various groups accused the Duterte administration of using the pandemic to enforce the phase out of old public utility vehicles.
— ABS-CBN News (video)

PhilRice says DBM-proposed budget for 2021 points to 5% decline in funding
THE Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) said Monday that its prospective budget of P621 million for next year represents a 5% decline in funding levels for this year.
— BusinessWorld Online

P 1.8-B fertilizer deal imposes ‘heavy conditions’ on farmers
The P1.8-billion fertilizer supply deal of the Department of Agriculture (DA) under its COVID-19 response program is not only overpriced but has also forced farmers to turn to loan sharks, former Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano said on Monday.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Año: ‘Full-blast’ distribution of 2nd tranche of SAP has started
The all-out distribution of the second tranche of cash aid under the social amelioration program (SAP) during the coronavirus pandemic has already started, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Monday.
— ABS-CBN News

President Duterte signs law transferring Rizal capital, seat of gov’t from Pasig to Antipolo
President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law transferring the seat of government and capital of Rizal. In signing Republic Act 11475 on June 19, the President formally gave Antipolo City that recognition, and removed Pasig which had held the role under Act 137 on paper.
— Eagle News

BPI suspends employee over possible Wirecard scandal involvement
An employee of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) was suspended following investigation for possible involvement in the Wirecard scandal.
— Rappler

Palace doubts anybody wants Duque’s post as DOH chief
Malacañang on Monday expressed doubt on the claim that someone is eyeing the post of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, who has been criticized for his alleged mishandling of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.
— Philippine Star

PhilHealth chief: ‘Premature’ to meet Duterte over corruption allegations
For Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) President and CEO Ricardo Morales, it was premature to go to President Rodrigo Duterte to discuss the corruption allegations in the agency following reports that P154-billion worth of funds could not be accounted for.
— Rappler

Cebu town mayor tests positive for COVID-19 after meeting with province’s politicians
The mayor of Daanbantayan town in Cebu province yesterday announced that he tested positive for the coronavirus, shortly after meeting with the province’s other mayors and governor.
— Coconuts Philippines

Catura: Ressa “politicized” press freedom
Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat (PHRCS) Undersecretary Severo Catura on Monday night cautioned against the politicization of human rights, particularly of press freedom, in relation to the cyber libel conviction of Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa.
— Philippine News Agency

DOH deploys more medical front-liners to fight Covid-19 in Cebu
The Department of Health (DOH) in Central Visayas is ramping up the fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in Cebu province by deploying more medical front-liners.
— Philippine News Agency

Less than half of nearly 9,000 slots for health workers for COVID-19 response filled
More than half of the nearly 9,300 available jobs for healthcare workers under the government s COVID-19 emergency hiring program have yet to be filled, President Rodrigo Duterte told Congress on Monday.
— GMA Network

RDC XI endorses reprioritized list of Region’s BBB Flagship Projects
The Regional Development Council (RDC) XI, during its virtual meeting on June 17, 2020 endorses reprioritized list of Davao Region’s Build, Build, Build (BBB) Flagship Projects for endorsement to the Cabinet Economic Development Cluster (EDC).
— Philippine Information Agency

DSWD XI records 1,187 duplication of beneficiaries in Davao City
Following a rigid house to house validation and cross-matching of beneficiaries for the first tranche of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP), the Department of Social Welfare and Development XI (DSWD XI) has so far found out 1,187 duplications of beneficiaries who received other subsidy aside from the cash assistance.
— Philippine Information Agency

Nat l Security Council denies surveilling businessman Wilfredo Keng
The National Security Council (NSC) on Monday disputed a 2012 Rappler article alleging that it conducted surveillance activities on businessman Wilfredo Keng.
— GMA Network

Bato says he had to free nabbed ISIS suspect sans anti-terror law
Senator Ronald Bato Dela Rosa said a personal frustrating experience against Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said a personal frustrating experience against terrorism as a former PNP chief was among the reasons why he was supporting the anti-terror bill which would allow the detention of a suspect without a warrant up to 24 days.
— GMA Network

DTI offers relief loans of up to P500,00 for small businesses
Small businesses, such as online merchants, may now borrow up to P500,000 from the government to help them survive the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said on Monday.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Japan, South Korea top leisure destinations of Filipinos
BEFORE the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Filipinos had been increasing their spending on holidays and vacations abroad, with an expectedly widening amount of extra funds for leisure and entertainment brought by an expanding economy.
— Business Mirror

EastWest Bank not for sale, says Filinvest
Filinvest Development Corporation (FDC) denied rumors that EastWest Bank is up for sale.
— Rappler

Razon getting 50% of Leviste’s Solar PH Tarlac for P1.5 billion
Enrique Razon Jr’s Prime Metroline Infrastructure Holdings (Prime Infra) will be getting 50% of Solar Philippines Tarlac Corporation, a company owned by Leandro Leviste , for P1.5 billion.
— Rappler

Agencies to submit input on anti-terror bill this week — Roque
President Rodrigo Duterte is expecting to receive recommendations on the anti-terrror bill from government agencies this week, his spokesperson Harry Roque said on Monday.
— Philippine Star

GCash transactions see ‘unprecedented growth’ in May
The GCash mobile payments system had unprecedented growth in May, with the number of transactions up 700% year-on-year likely in part caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and the increasing need to pay digitally.
— Rappler

Globe launches P50 5GB prepaid data promo
Globe launched a new promo for its prepaid users which significantly increases the amount of data Filipinos are used to getting for the price.
— Rappler

Aboitiz to raise P9.55 billion for thermal power expansion
Aboitiz’s power unit is looking to tap individual retail investors to raise up to P9.55 billion and fund new investments into its thermal power business.
— Philippine Star

DOST OKs telepsychiatry proposal for OFWs in Kuwait
The Philippine Council for Health Research and Development has approved a telepsychiatry project for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Kuwait, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato dela Peña said Monday.
— Philippine News Agency

Andanar backs plans to boost agri sector opportunities thru BP2
Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar is supporting the initiative of providing opportunities in provinces through the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa (BP2) Program.
— Philippine News Agency

SEC-Davao urges non-profit organizations to follow new MDF submission
The Securities and Exchange Commission-Davao Extension Office (SEC-DEO) has urged non-profit, non-stock corporations take note of the new guidelines on the submission of the Mandatory Disclosure Form (MDF) that the Commission recently released.
— Philippine Information Agency

Families in areas eventually placed under GCQ to get second tranche of COVID-19 cash aid –DSWD
An official of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday clarified that qualified beneficiaries in areas that were eventually placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) will still receive the second tranche of COVID-19 cash subsidy.
— GMA Network

Commuters, including elderly, still spend hours waiting for buses
Many commuters, including senior citizens, still had difficulty with public transportation despite the additional buses deployed in Metro Manila on Monday.
— GMA Network

Philippine Olympic Committee chief to lobby for PH athletes’ allowances
If the allowances of national athletes continue to get slashed, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham Bambol Tolentino will resort to using his role in the Congress.
— Rappler

Anti-terror bill still under review by legal team – Duterte
President Rodrigo Duterte on late Monday evening said his legal team is still reviewing the bill seeking to strengthen the country s anti-terrorism campaign.
— GMA Network

Palace outlines PRRD’s busy sked for 36th Asean Summit
President Rodrigo Duterte will have a “full schedule” on Friday (June 26) for the virtual 36th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit, Malacañang said on Monday.
— Philippine News Agency

Duque claims DOH ordered PPEs as early as February
As the Department of Health (DOH) faces an investigation over its coronavirus response, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Monday claimed that the department ordered personal protective equipment (PPEs) as early as February.
— GMA Network

Go urges thorough review of Hatid Tulong initiatives
Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go on Monday urged for a “thorough review” of the implementation of Hatid Tulong initiatives amid calls from various sectors following an increasing number of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases in the provinces reportedly attributed to the program.
— Philippine News Agency

Communists are biggest threat to the Philippines -Duterte
President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night said communists were the biggest threat to the Philippines.
— GMA Network

Feature photo Maritime Industry Authority
This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo focuses on Day of the Seafarer, June 25.

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.

We filter our the dull, the boring, the repetitive, and the click-bait and package all of the Philippines daily news that you need to know to start your day into an easy to read, time saving format of Philippines news headlines and first paragraphs before 8.15am Manila time.

We clearly identify the source of all the Philippines news headlines, whether it is behind a paywall, a media release, or whether the news site uses annoying pop-up advertising or auto-play video, in case those things annoy you too. If a website uses particularly invasive pop-up adverts, we’ll tell you.

This enables you to make an informed choice of whether you want to learn more by clicking directly through to the original Philippines news article, or keep on reading the remaining Philippines daily news headlines.

Click here to get your Philippines English language news today by email before 9am Manila time daily. Remember to watch out for the confirmation email from us to confirm your subscription. Check your trash folder if you do not see it.

For more immediate updates download the AEC News Today Mobile App from the Apple or Google stores, or follow us on Twitter.

#Independentmedia

Governance, not government; policies not politics.

Philippines morning news for June 23 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on June 23, 2020
View all posts by Stella-maris Ewudolu →

Bio
Latest Posts

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.