Budget airlines cancel domestic, in’tl flights till May 31
Budget carriers Cebu Pacific (CEB) and AirAsia Philippines on Wednesday announced further cancellation of all their international and domestic flights from May 16-31.
— Philippine News Agency
Lower House approves on 2nd reading bill giving “provisional franchise” for ABS-CBN to operate until Oct 2020
The House of Representatives approved on second reading a bill allowing ABS-CBN to operate under a provisional franchise that will be valid until October 31, 2020.
— Eagle News
Duterte unlikely to block provisional franchise for ABS-CBN –Palace
President Rodrigo Duterte will not likely oppose the granting of a provisional franchise for ABS-CBN so that it could resume its free TV and radio broadcast.
— GMA Network
Philippines Is Bracing for Deepest Slump in Three Decades
The Philippine economy could face its deepest contraction in more than three decades, with the government now projecting it to shrink by 2% to 3.4% this year in the wake of the pandemic.
— BloombergQuint
Entire PH stays under quarantine
The entire Philippines will remain under quarantine after the lockdown ends on Friday, with the government’s coronavirus task force placing eight regions where the risk for infection is considered low under restrictions again on Wednesday.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer
March domestic liquidity accelerates 12.9%
THE growth of cash circulating in the local economy continued to accelerate in March this year, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Tuesday.
— Business Mirror
Typhoon Ambo barrels toward Eastern Visayas, Bicol
Tropical cyclone Ambo (international name Vongfong) has further intensified into a typhoon, as it moved closer towards Eastern Visayas and the Bicol region, state weather bureau PAGASA said Wednesday.
— ABS-CBN News
“Ambo” intensifies into severe tropical storm; more areas under Signal No. 1
More areas are under tropical cyclone wind signal no. 1 as “Ambo” intensified into a severe tropical storm on Wednesday, May 13.
— Eagle News
COVID-19 cases in PHL climb to 11618; 2251 recoveries recorded
The number of coronavirus disease 2019 cases in the country rose to 11618 on Wednesday, May 13, after the Department of Health reported 268 new cases.
— Eagle News
Gov’t changes mind, imposes modified GCQ in 8 low-risk regions
The government’s coronavirus task force changed its mind overnight about lifting quarantine measures in 8 low-risk regions, saying these areas would be placed under modified general community quarantine (GCQ) beginning May 16, in response to the clamor of governors and mayors.
— Rappler
Palace shrugs off study giving PH ‘red’ mark in fighting virus
Malacañang on Wednesday shrugged off a study that showed that the Philippines is among the worst-performing countries in responding to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
— Philippine News Agency
Neda, DOF: NG needs P734 billion for stimulus after Covid damage
THE national government needs an additional P734-billion initial stimulus to boost the economy, according to estimates made by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) and the Department of Finance (DOF).
— Business Mirror
Government falling short on needed contact tracers, needs to hire about 136,000 more
The government will need to hire 135, 962 contact tracers to reach the prescribed ratio of the Department of Health (DOH) to effectively combat the spread of infectious diseases like the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
— Business Mirror
Cut CIT rate now–business groups
FOREIGN investors on Wednesday asked the government to speed up plans to reduce corporate income tax (CIT) rate to 25 percent, as the Philippines has to catch up with its Asian neighbors that implemented tax cuts lately to attract investors.
— Business Mirror
Group decries cash aid loss for GCQ families
Malacañang’s decision to leave out of its cash aid the poor living under general community quarantine (GCQ) is breaking the Bayanihan to Heal as One law, said a public interest organization that conducts policy analysis and advocacy on key economic issues.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer
Pandemic impacts most PH startup firms
The coronavirus pandemic has the potential to significantly impact the business operations of most startup companies in the Philippines, according to
— Manilastandard.net
NHA bares plan to move 1-million Metro residents to regions in next 6 months
The National Housing Authority (NHA) is expecting to catch the interest of about a million Metro Manila residents in going back to their provinces in the next six months.
— Business Mirror
Galvez denies anomaly in P20 billion PPE purchase
National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. on Wednesday denied irregularities in the government’s procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) sets worth P20 billion.
— ABS-CBN News
PHL firms lost P875 billion in revenue from ECQ
PHILIPPINE companies, including agriculture businesses, lost P875.5 billion in revenues due to the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), according to the survey conducted by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) and the Department of Finance (DOF).
— Business Mirror
Metro Manila transport problems seen as workers go back to work
Commuting is bound to be a problem when workers troop back to offices and factories in Metro Manila on May 16, the first day of the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), business groups said on Wednesday.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer
137 Pinoys in US die of COVID
At least 137 Filipinos in the United States, including 18 medical frontliners, have died of the coronavirus disease 2019, the Philippine embassy in Washington reported yesterday.
— Philippine Star
FATF gives Philippines more time to address dirty money flaws
Paris-based watchdog Financial Action Task Force has given the Philippines more time to address strategic deficiencies in its anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financing system amid the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 pandemic.
— Philippine Star
Number of health workers with COVID-19 rises to 2,125; no new deaths reported
The number of health workers who have contracted the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has climbed to 2,125, the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday.
— GMA Network
20,000 OFWs stranded in Metro Manila
Some 20,000 overseas Filipino workers remain stranded in Metro Manila, according to presidential adviser on the peace process Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the National Task Force against Coronavirus 2019 Response.
— Philippine Star
Budget deficit to widen to 8.1% of GDP — DBCC
Government economic managers expect the country’s fiscal deficit to widen further than initially expected, with efforts to fight the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 seen shaving off government revenues while increasing expenditures.
— Philippine Star
ABS-CBN ready to respond to issues, welcomes provisional franchise bill approval
ABS-CBN network on Wednesday welcomed the House Committee of the Whole’s approval of a bill granting it a provisional franchise until October 2020.
— GMA Network
Mining firms can start full operations under GCQ
MINING COMPANIES will be allowed to resume operations at full capacity as long as they follow strict safety guidelines, after the national government began relaxing quarantine restrictions around the country.
— BusinessWorld
Banks shifting to safer liquid assets
Banks continued to shift to safe and high liquid assets as well as park their excess funds in the liquidity absorption facility of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas amid the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 pandemic.
— Philippine Star
New oil import tariffs expected to raise P6.78 billion
THE government could raise P6.78 billion in 2020 from oil import tariffs imposed to help fund the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) containment effort, the Department of Energy (DoE) said Wednesday.
— BusinessWorld
Philippines to digitize surveillance of COVID-19 cases –DOH
The Philippines is working with the World Health Organization to digitize its surveillance of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and prevent data inconsistencies, the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday.
— GMA Network
Senate OKs on 2nd reading heavier penalties for perjury committed outside courts
The Senate on Wednesday approved on second reading a bill seeking to impose longer prison time for persons who give false testimonies under oath or affidavit outside court proceedings.
— GMA Network
Duque on data errors: ‘Less than 1%, doesn’t affect decision-making’
Reacting to the report on the alarming data errors, Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III said that the issues were just less than 1% of the whole dataset and does not prejudice the overall interpretation of data and decision-making.
— Rappler
Sorsogon imposes entry ban vs. VisMin-bound vehicles
Vehicles transiting to Visayas and Mindanao would not be allowed entry into Sorsogon province starting Wednesday as precautionary measure due to an approaching storm.
— Philippine News Agency
Public transport still suspended, gatherings limited to 5 people in modified ECQ areas — Palace
Public transport will remain suspended in areas under modified enhanced community quarantine, Malacañang said Wednesday.
— GMA Network
Errors in DOH data were honest mistakes, says data scientist
The errors and inconsistencies in the Department of Health s (DOH) data on coronavirus patients were mostly a result of honest mistakes by frontliners, a data scientist said Wednesday.
— GMA Network
Davao Region placed under GCQ until May 31,2020 – IATF
The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emergency Infectious Diseases (IATF) announced yesterday that it has categorized Davao Region under General Community Quarantine until May 31, 2020.
— Philippine Information Agency
Agri dep’t seeking to tap P66B from stimulus funds
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) sought P66 billion worth of funding from Congress to bolster the rice supply, improve logistics, and provide emergency employment in response to the pandemic.
— BusinessWorld
Guidelines out as shift to Modified ECQ nears
Some businesses, including non-leisure establishments in malls, will be allowed to reopen and transportation restrictions will be eased under a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).
— Philippine Star
Beijing continues South China Sea aggression during pandemic
As the world struggles to beat the coronavirus pandemic, China has remained as aggressive as ever in the South China Sea, including the part that Filipinos call the West Philippine Sea.
— Rappler
COVID-19 cases among overseas Filipinos rise to 2,310; recoveries breach 700 mark
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported 77 new confirmed COVID-19 cases involving overseas Filipinos, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 2,310 as of Wednesday, May 13.
— Eagle News
US committed to AFP modernization despite VFA termination, says envoy Romualdez
The United States remains committed to helping the Philippines modernize its military despite President Rodrigo Duterte s decision to abrogate the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), Manila s Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez said Wednesday.
— GMA Network
Philippines to remain world’s top rice importer until 2021
The Philippines will continue to be the world’s top rice importer in 2020 and 2021 to meet demand of over 107 million people, while production of the staple is expected to dip.
— Rappler
Palace assures UN rights body: Alleged violations during quarantine will be investigated
Rule of law would prevail and wrongdoers would be punished, Malacañang said Wednesday, after the human rights body of the United Nations raised concerns over the alleged brutality of state forces enforcing lockdowns in some countries including the Philippines.
— Philippine Star
In PH pandemic: Due process for allies, warrantless arrests for the rest
Cases of violations of quarantine protocols under a pandemic situation paint a clear picture of double standard: there is due process for allies of the administration, while the rest are subjected to warrantless arrests.
— Rappler
Senators push for medical scholarship bill amid COVID-19
Acknowledging the need for thousands of additional doctors in the country, several senators on Wednesday pushed for the passage of a bill seeking to give full medical scholarships to deserving Filipino students.
— GMA Network
Military and police kill 17 NPA rebels in weeklong attacks
A full week of military and police offensives against the communist New People’s Army (NPA) left dozens of rebels killed, arrested, or surrendered to the government, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced on Wednesday, May 13.
— Rappler
Stop threatening Duterte, top presidential bodyguard tells netizens
Threatening President Rodrigo Duterte is a big no-no, even more so if you’re doing it over the internet, the Presidential Security Group (PSG), the chief executive’s bodyguards, warned today.
— Coconuts Philippines
Parents told: Don’t fetch students stranded in NCR, government will bring them home
Parents living in provinces will not be allowed to fetch their children stranded in their schools and dormitories in Metro Manila, the Department of the Interior and Local Government said Wednesday.
— Philippine Star
Quezon City places 20 areas under two-week ‘special concern lockdown’
Due to a high number of COVID-19 cases, the local government of Quezon City has placed 20 areas in five villages under a “special concern lockdown” which will remain in effect for 14 days starting today.
— Coconuts Philippines
While classes are on hold, students find ways to help affected communities
While classes are suspended due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a number of students have chosen to make good use of their free time to heed the needs of communities they’ve encountered through various immersion programs.
— Rappler
Sign the petition: Join the call urging gov’t to put ABS-CBN back on air
Echoing calls to uphold people’s right to information, thousands have signed a petition urging government agencies to put ABS-CBN back on air.
— Rappler
Virus-hit Samar town seeks community quarantine extension
With 15 confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in Tarangnan, Samar, its mayor has asked the national government for an extension of the town’s enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
— Philippine News Agency
95K rice farmers in W. Visayas to get cash aid from DA
A total of 94,953 rice growers in Western Visayas have been identified as recipients of the Financial Subsidy for Rice Farmers (FSRF) under the Department of Agriculture (DA).
— Philippine News Agency
DepEd assures schools would follow IATF guidelines, minimum health standards
The Department of Education said that it would follow guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and the Department of Health (DOH) once the new school year starts on August 24.
— Eagle News
DTI: Bizmen can apply aid under CARE program
The Department of Trade and Industry is now accepting application for COVID-19 Assistance to Restart Enterprise (CARE) Program for micro, small and medium enterprises affected by the health pandemic.
— Philippine Information Agency
Gov’t offices to have work-from-home arrangements, skeletal workforce in modified ECQ areas
There is work for government offices in areas under a modified enhanced community quarantine after May 15.
— Eagle News
Non-contact sports allowed under GCQ
Non-contact sports such as tennis, golf, and biking are allowed in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ), a top government official said on Wednesday.
— Philippine News Agency
NCRPO restricts Rappler coverage after story on Sinas birthday party
The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has restricted Rappler’s coverage after it published the story of NCRPO chief Major General Debold Sinas violating quarantine protocols by celebrating his birthday with fellow cops inside Camp Bagong Diwa on May 8.
— Rappler
Habal-habal driver who offered P100-M reward to ‘kill Duterte’ arrested, too
Cops arrested on Tuesday, May 12, a 40-year old habal-habal (motorcycle-for-hire) driver in Boracay Island after posting in his social media account that he will give P100-million reward to anyone who will kill President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
— Rappler
IPOPHL sees stronger partnership with WIPO as ASEAN partner takes helm
The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) celebrates the appointment of Singapore’s Mr. Daren Tang as the new Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
— Philippine Information Agency
‘Law is law unless friends kayo:’ Netizens slam gov’t double standards
“Law is law” trended on Twitter on Wednesday, May 13, after dozens of policemen gathered to celebrate the birthday of Metro Manila police chief Debold Sinas on May 8.
— Rappler
Toyota Motor Philippines partners with DOTr, launches free shuttle service for medical frontliners
Toyota Motor Philippines, in collaboration with Toyota Mobility Foundation, is providing free shuttle services to medical frontliners.
— Philippine Star
Feature photo Seed Quest
This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo focuses on World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, May 17.
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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About Philippines morning news.
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Philippines morning news for May 14 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on
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Stella-maris Ewudolu
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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