April 1, 2022
PH debt further rises to P12.09 trillion in February
Philippine Daily Inquirer, March 31, 2022
Ben O. de Vera
With a weaker peso and additional local and foreign borrowings last month, the national government’s outstanding debt inched up to a new high of P12.09 trillion as of end-February...
Metro Manila remains under Alert Level 1 from April 1-15
Philippine Daily Inquirer, March 31, 2022
Daniza Fernandez
Metro Manila will remain under COVID-19 Alert Level 1 from April 1 to 15, Malacañang announced on Thursday...
Fiscal shortfall shrinks in Feb
The Manila Times, April 1, 2022
Mayvelin U. Caraballo
The government's budget deficit shrank to P105.8 billion in February, marginally reducing the year-to-date gap...
Comelec culls 10.5M voters
Daily Tribune, April 1, 2022
Gab Humilde Villegas
Neither can the dead nor those who missed the last two elections can vote in the 9 May 2022 elections...
BSP sees inflation rising to 3.7% in March
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 1, 2022
Ronnel W. Domingo
Inflation in the Philippines is expected to have gone faster in March at 3.7 percent year-on-year or within the expected 3.3 percent to 4.1 percent range amid rising prices of fuel, power and meat as well as a weaker peso, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)...
Concepcion pushes booster cards: Require them starting June
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 1, 2022
Roy Stephen C. Canivel
Presidential Adviser on Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion proposed that booster cards be the new requirement for entry in enclosed establishments, saying its implementation could start in June this year to give people enough time to get their shots...
BSP warns vs play-to-earn games after major cryptocurrency heist
BusinessWorld, April 1, 2022
Luz Wendy T. Noble
Philippine Central Bank officials warned the public to remain cautious when dealing with play-to-earn games involving digital tokens, following the hack of a blockchain project linked to the popular cryptocurrency game Axie Infinity...
Patent fee waivers eyed for female inventors, MSMEs
BusinessWorld, April 1, 2022
Revin Mikhael D. Ochave
The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) said it launched programs to assist female inventors and female-led micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in protecting their intellectual property (IP)...
BSP sets up program to solidify RBs capital base
BusinessMirror, March 31, 2022
Bianca Cuaresma
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) launched on Thursday its new framework to strengthen local rural banks through new regulations largely focusing on solidifying the capital base of these countryside lenders...
SC affirms nonmarital kids’ inheritance right
Daily Tribune, April 1, 2022
Alvin Murcia
Children, regardless of their parents’ marital status, can now inherit from their grandparents and other direct ascendants by right of representation, the Supreme Court (SC) has ruled...
CSC drafting policies to make ‘flexi work’ permanent in gov’t agencies
Philippine Daily Inquirer, March 31, 2022
Cathrine Gonzales
The Civil Service Commission (CSC) said Thursday it is working on making the “flexi work” arrangement permanent for government agencies even beyond the COVID-19 pandemic...
SpaceX satellite internet in PH up in 3 months
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 1, 2022
Roy Stephen C. Canivel
SpaceX, a company founded by tech billionaire Elon Musk, will launch its satellite internet service in the Philippines sometime in the last few months of the Duterte administration, said Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez...
Scientists sequence the complete human genome for the first time
CNN Philippines, April 1, 2022
Tasnim Ahmed, CNN
In 2003, the Human Genome Project made history when it sequenced 92% of the human genome. But for nearly two decades since, scientists have struggled to decipher the remaining 8%. Now, a team of nearly 100 scientists from the Telomere-to-Telomere (T2T) Consortium has unveiled the complete human genome — the first time it's been sequenced in its entirety, the researchers say...
Lopez: PH first country in SEA for SpaceX
The Manila Times, April 1, 2022
Anna Leah E. Gonzales
SPACE Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), which will provide internet services in the Philippines using its Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network constellation called Starlink, is expected to start its operations within the first half of the year, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez said...
PH still a favorite among Japanese investors
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 1, 2022
Ben O. de Vera
The Philippines has kept its ranking as the seventh most attractive foreign destination for Japanese investors for the third-straight year, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) said...
Lockdown’s impact: Unicef cites poor reading skills among PH kids
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 1, 2022
Ben O. de Vera
Less than 15 percent of schoolchildren in the Philippines, or about three in every 20, can read simple texts in large part due to the longest schools closure of more than 70 weeks as of the middle of February caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) said in a report...
Gov’t urged to file new case vs China
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 1, 2022
Tina G. Santos
Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio on Thursday said the Philippines should seek another arbitral case to oblige China to agree to ground rules in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal and claim damages for the losses incurred by Filipino fishermen...
US backs PH arbitral victory, says China ‘no lawful claim’
Manila Standard, April 1, 2022
Washington has reiterated Beijing “has no lawful claim” in areas judged by an international arbitral tribunal to be part of Manila’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf...
DTI-BITR reports ‘flourishing’ PHL-Norway trade amid Covid
BusinessMirror, March 31, 2022
Cai Ordinario
The Philippines’s free trade agreement (FTA) with Europe has boosted, and will continue to grow its total trade with Norway, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)...
PH-Norway bilateral trade jumped 120% in 2021
Manila Bulletin, March 31, 2022
Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat
Bilateral trade between the Philippines and Norway jumped 120 percent in 2021 buoyed by improved economic relations following the implementation of free trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) where Norway is a member...
Duterte is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in April
Philippine Daily Inquirer, March 31, 2022
Cathrine Gonzales
President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday he is scheduled to have a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 8...
Philippines to partner with UAE for new energy efficiency programs
BusinessMirror, March 31, 2022
Bianca Cuaresma
The Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary and designated representative of the President to the Climate Change Commission (CCC) Carlos Dominguez III announced on Thursday that they are eyeing partnership with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the creation of innovative energy efficiency programs that can be implemented in the country...
PHL business among top beneficiaries of ADB nonsovereign operations
BusinessMirror, March 31, 2022
Cai Ordinario
Local businesses were among the top beneficiaries of the nonsovereign operations (NSOs) of the Asian Development Bank between 2008 and 2020, an ADB Independent evaluation revealed...
Amid sea dispute with China, Carpio sees need to preposition US weapons to repulse ‘invasion’
Philippine Daily Inquirer, March 31, 2022
Christia Marie Ramos
“If you don’t prepare for an invasion then you will be invaded.” So said retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio as he pointed out the need to preposition American weapons and military equipment in the country for defensive purposes amid Manila’s continuing sea dispute with Beijing...
Putin’s gas threat as Ukraine, West dismiss de-escalation claim
Manila Standard, April 1, 2022
Agence France-Presse
Russia threatened Thursday to turn off its gas taps to Europe, opening up a new front in its war in Ukraine amid growing scepticism over Moscow’s claim it is scaling back its onslaught...
OPEC, allies to resist oil output pressure
The Manila Times, April 1, 2022
Agence France-Presse
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its Russia-led allies were expected on Thursday to again ignore Western pressure to significantly boost production as the Ukraine crisis has rocked prices...
Putin tells Europe: Pay in roubles or we’ll cut off your gas
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 1, 2022
Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin is demanding foreign buyers pay for Russian gas in roubles from Friday or else have their supplies cut, a move European capitals rejected and which Germany said amounted to “blackmail”...
Russia to live through highest inflation since 1999 – Reuters poll
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 1, 2022
Reuters
Consumer inflation in Russia in 2022 is expected to accelerate to its highest since 1999, while the economy will stage its deepest contraction since 2009 as a result of sweeping Western sanctions, a Reuters poll showed on Thursday...
Fuel hikes anger food delivery drivers and truckers across Asia
BusinessWorld, March 31, 2022
Bloomberg
Sky-high fuel prices are sparking waves of anger and frustration throughout the ranks of truckers and food delivery drivers in Asia, causing concerns over potential disruptions that could add to supply-chain risks...
China, Solomon Islands agree controversial security pact
Philippine Star, April 1, 2022
Agence France-Presse
The Solomon Islands on Thursday said it had inked a wide-ranging security pact with Beijing, an agreement Western allies fear will pave the way for the first Chinese military foothold in the South Pacific...
Ukraine says most Russian forces have left Chernobyl nuclear plant
Rappler, April 1, 2022
Reuters
Most of the Russian forces that occupied the Chernobyl nuclear power station after invading Ukraine have left the defunct plant and only a “small number” remain, Ukraine’s state nuclear company Energoatom said on Thursday, March 31...
IEA to hold emergency meeting following historic US oil release
CNN Philippines, April 1, 2022
Matt Egan, CNN Business
The International Energy Agency is planning to hold an emergency meeting Friday, a person familiar with the matter confirmed to CNN, setting the stage for other nations to follow the United States' lead in releasing oil from emergency reserves...
Azores volcanic island hit by thousands of quakes starts evacuation as fears grow
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 1, 2022
Reuters
Authorities on a mid-Atlantic Portuguese island hit by thousands of small earthquakes in recent days started evacuating people living at the bottom of coastal cliffs on Thursday as fears of a stronger tremor or a volcanic eruption grow...
WHO warns of virulent Covid variant risk
Manila Bulletin, March 31, 2022
Agence-France-Presse
The World Health Organization on Wednesday laid out three possible paths that the Covid-19 pandemic might follow in 2022 — with a new, more virulent variant the worst-case scenario...
Russia sanctions threaten to chip away at dollar dominance — IMF official
BusinessWorld, March 31, 2022
Reuters
Financial sanctions imposed on Russia threaten to gradually dilute the dominance of the US dollar and could result in a more fragmented international monetary system, Gita Gopinath, IMF’s First Deputy Managing Director, told The Financial Times...
Trudeau says no to having Putin at G20 meeting
ABS-CBN News, April 1, 2022
Agence France-Presse
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined allies in saying he does not wish to see Russian President Vladimir Putin at this year's G20 meeting, citing Moscow's invasion of Ukraine...
Russia bombards Kyiv outskirts, regroups for offensive in east Ukraine
Philippine Daily Inquirer, March 31, 2022
Reuters
Russian forces bombarded the outskirts of Kyiv and a besieged city in northern Ukraine on Wednesday after promising to reduce attacks there in what the West dismissed as a ploy by Moscow to stem its heavy losses and regroup for other offensives...
'Hybrid immunity' gives best COVID-19 protection — studies
GMA News, April 1, 2022
People with the "hybrid immunity" of having been both fully vaccinated and previously infected with COVID-19 have the strongest protection against the virus, two new studies said on Friday...
US House approves bill setting strict cap on insulin costs
GMA News, April 1, 2022
Richard Cowan and Ahmed Aboulenein, Reuters
The high cost of insulin to treat diabetes would be drastically reduced under legislation the US House of Representatives passed on Thursday, in a rare example of drug price reform gaining traction in Congress...
Ex-DOH chief: Bets must make health top agenda
BusinessMirror, March 31, 2022
Rizal Raoul Reyes
As the country continues to confront the Covid-19 for the last two years, a former health secretary said the health agenda must be on top of the candidates’ agenda in the 2022 elections...
PHL ‘safe’ for tourists, DOT
chief says after recent deaths
BusinessMirror, March 31, 2022
Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo
The Philippines is still a relatively safe destination for travel, as government agencies have partnered to further beef up security for tourists...
DILG warns barangay officials vs campaigning for candidates
Philippine Star, April 1, 2022
Romina Cabrera
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has warned barangay officials against endorsing or campaigning for any candidate in the coming elections...
Pinoys want government to provide free medicines to patients
Philippine Star, April 1, 2022
Janvic Mateo and Mayen Jaymalin
Almost all Filipinos think the government should provide medicines to patients for free, according to results of a survey done by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) last December...
DOJ to tail rallies for vote-buying
Manila Standard, April 1, 2022
Rey E. Requejo
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Thursday ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to get men out in the field to monitor campaign rallies and sorties of national and local candidates for cases of vote buying...
Duterte remains neutral, no bet yet for president
Manila Standard, April 1, 2022
President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he is not supporting any candidate to succeed him in the May 9 general elections...
Comelec monitoring 300 candidate areas of concern nationwide for May 2022 polls
Manila Bulletin, March 31, 2022
Dhel Nazario
Members of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the past few days, have been visiting several areas in the country where usual armed conflicts occur ahead of the elections to ensure that peace is observed and will prevail until the actual day of voting...
Vaccination card expiry date, others ideas eyed to push COVID-19 booster shot
Philippine Daily Inquirer, March 31, 2022
Christia Marie Ramos
A health official on Thursday said setting an expiration date on vaccination cards would be a “good strategy” to encourage Filipinos to get booster shots against COVID-19...
Defective ballots near 179,000 mark – Comelec
Philippine Daily Inquirer, March 31, 2022
Daniza Fernandez
Defective printed ballots for the May 2022 elections polls increased to nearly 179,000, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Thursday...
Concepcion urges gov’t: Require booster cards in enclosed establishments by June
Philippine Daily Inquirer, March 31, 2022
Cathrine Gonzales
Presidential Adviser on Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion urged the government on Thursday to require COVID-19 booster cards from people who will enter enclosed establishments starting June...
Doctors note more diabetic cases after COVID infection
Manila Standard, April 1, 2022
Willie Casas
Doctors on Thursday said more persons became diabetic after being infected with COVID-19. “There’s what we call new onset diabetes after contracting COVID-19,” said Dr. Carol Montano, vice president of the Philippine Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism (PSEDM)...
Govt preparing to auction Marcos properties due to tax deficiencies – DOF
CNN Philippines, March 31, 2022
CNN Philippines Staff
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is consolidating the titles of the Marcoses' properties in favor of the government so they can be sold at a public auction and the proceeds used to settle the family's tax deficiencies, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said on Thursday...
Inflation may have breached target in March — BSP chief
BusinessWorld, April 1, 2022
Luz Wendy T. Noble
Headline inflation could accelerate beyond the central bank’s target in March, driven mainly by successive oil price hikes and the depreciation of the peso, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said in a Viber message to reporters...
Lending growth picks up in Feb. on rising demand
BusinessWorld, April 1, 2022
Luz Wendy T. Noble
Bank lending growth quickened further in February as credit for both businesses and consumers expanded during the month and as domestic liquidity recorded a steady rise...
Lower power rates ‘easing inflation’
Daily Tribune, April 1, 2022
Raadee Sausa
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has seen the March 2022 inflation ending within the 3.3 percent to 4.1 percent range, its Governor Benjamin Diokno said Thursday...
Cash in circulation grows 8.5% — BSP
Daily Tribune, April 1, 2022
Raadee Sausa
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported that the cash-rich economy becomes even more awash with money as domestic liquidity (M3) grew by 8.5 percent year-on-year to about P15.2 trillion in February...
Pangilinan-backed firm sees more e-jeepneys plying metro roads
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 1, 2022
Tyrone Jasper C. Piad
Buoyed by the recent capital infusion from Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), modern jeepney operator Byahe plans to expand its fleet to 500 electric vehicles in the next two to three years...
Agri execs told to scale up food production
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 1, 2022
Jordeene B. Lagare
Agriculture Secretary William Dar has issued a marching order to regional executives amid the challenges of food stability and security: bolster food production to ensure the affordability of food items nationwide...
Higher budget for transport sector sought
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 1, 2022
Tyrone Jasper C. Piad
Increasing the government budget, not necessarily hiking fares, is the way to uplift the public transportation sector amid the double whammy from prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and fuel price surge, a transport group representative said...
Power spot market prices increase as demand surges
Philippine Star, April 1, 2022
Danessa Rivera
Average electricity spot market prices rose in March as margins thinned with power demand breaching the pre-pandemic level, the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) said...
BSP warns of risk of tokens in e-games
Manila Standard, April 1, 2022
Agence France-Presse
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) warned the public again on the risks of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) following the theft of $615 million worth of digital tokens from a digital ledger used by players of the popular online game Axie Infinity...
Government debt shoots up to record P12.09 trillion
Philippine Star, April 1, 2022
Elijah Felice Rosales
The country’s outstanding debt has risen to a fresh record P12.09 trillion as of February, which will necessitate the reopening of the economy to the fullest to obtain additional revenues...
Higher oil, power prices to hike inflation in March
Manila Standard, March 31, 2022
Julito G. Rada
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said Thursday inflation in March likely accelerated to at least 3.3 percent from 3 percent in February, driven by higher oil and power prices...
Budget deficit narrows in February as spending, revenues drop
CNN Philippines, March 31, 2022
CNN Philippines Staff
The national government's budget deficit eased to ₱105.8 billion in February following a contraction in public spending and a drop in revenue collection, data from the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) showed Thursday...
PHL aircraft maintenance market seen growing as travel industry recovers
BusinessWorld, March 31, 2022
Arjay L. Balinbin
Demand for aircraft maintenance in the Philippines is “growing strongly” as the airline industry sees a recovery in travel, according to Dornier Technology, an aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) company...
SB Corp. starts processing
P4-B window for MSMEs
BusinessMirror, March 31, 2022
Cai Ordinario
The government will open a P4-billion assistance program for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in April, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)...