April 11, 2022
69.4% of 2022 budget out – DBM
The Manila Times, April 11, 2022
Mayvelin U. Caraballo
More than 69 percent of this year's national budget has already been distributed to agencies, according to the Department of Budget and Management numbers released over the weekend...
FIRB flags low take-up on fiscal perks, CREATE
BusinessMirror, April 14, 2022
Bernadette D. Nicolas
The Cabinet-level Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) has flagged the “low utilization rate” of its online registration and incentives application portal for investors or enterprises, as well as limited awareness on the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) law among stakeholders...
Tourists from abroad exceed arrivals in 2021
BusinessMirror, April 14, 2022
Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo
Travelers from the United States continued to lead the total number of foreign tourists arriving in the Philippines...
Inflation seen to breach 5% in Q2
Philippine Star, April 11, 2022
Lawrence Agcaoili
New York-based think tank Global Source Partners Inc. expects Philippine inflation to breach five percent in the second quarter and remain elevated for the rest of 2022...
MSME contribute 63% jobs in pandemic year
Daily Tribune, April 11, 2022
TDT
Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) were pivotal at the start of the pandemic in 2020 with more than 5 million jobs generated comprising 62.66 percent of total employment during the year...
Outstanding local IOUs climbed to new high of P 8.57T in March
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 11, 2022
Ben O. de Vera
The value of outstanding local debt securities climbed to a new high of P8.57 trillion in March following the issuance of P457.8 billion in retail treasury bonds (RTBs) last month...
IT-BPO workers want WFH arrangements indefinitely
BusinessWorld, April 11, 2022
Revin Mikhael D. Ochave
Information technology-business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) firms and other registered enterprises should be allowed to continue work-from-home (WFH) arrangements indefinitely, according to a group of IT-BPO workers...
DTI issues rules on energy consuming products
The Manila Times, April 11, 2022
Anna Leah E. Gonzales
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through the Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS), has issued a department order that provides the new technical regulation prescribing the mandatory product certification of energy consuming products (ECPs)...
Loophole to allow remote work for 30% of BPO staff
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 11, 2022
Roy Stephen C. Canivel
The co-chair of the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) said business process outsourcing (BPO) firms can have up to 30 percent of their employees working off-site, although the companies might only be eligible for tax incentives for work done in the office...
Labor official: No to lifting deployment ban
Manila Standard, April 10, 2022
A labor official has dismissed proposals to lift the ban on the deployment of Filipino workers in some parts of the Middle East, saying it may be unwise to do so at this time...
US extends helping hand to Philippines for MSMEs’ digitalization
Philippine Star, April 11, 2022
Louella Desiderio
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has tied up with the US-Association of Southeast Asian Nations Business Council (US-ABC), and US Agency for International Development (USAID) to launch an upgraded online learning platform that aims to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) accelerate business recovery...
PayMaya rolls out cryptocurrency feature in app
BusinessWorld, April 11, 2022
Tobias Jared Tomas
Paymaya Philippines, Inc. has rolled out a cryptocurrency feature in its mobile app, it said in a statement last week...
Global panel cites ways to fill Covid-tied PHL learning gaps
BusinessMirror, April 11, 2022
Rory Visco
As the Philippines starts opening more schools, a global advisory panel on education made suggestions on how to address learning gaps due to the long school closures caused by the pandemic...
PHL, Japan eye military exercises a la Balikatan, citing sea tensions
BusinessMirror, April 11, 2022
Malou Talosig-Bartolome and Rene Acosta
Manila and Tokyo are eyeing holding large-scale joint military exercises between the Philippine and Japanese armed forces similar to PH-US Balikatan in a bid to improve bilateral defense cooperation as they both expressed “serious concern” on the increasing tension in the South China and East China seas...
More reforms urged to protect vulnerable sectors
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 11, 2022
Ben O. de Vera
While targeted subsidies to sectors worst hit by expensive fuel would be an effective stop-gap measure in the near term, the World Bank urged the Philippines and its neighbors to introduce more agricultural reforms to keep food prices stable in the long-run...
Pinoy teleseryes gain global following amid coronavirus pandemic
BusinessWorld, April 11, 2022
Michelle Anne P. Soliman
Le Marie Grace Balderama, 28, watched The Broken Marriage Vow, ABS-CBN Entertainment’s adaptation of the BBC original series Doctor Foster, on YouTube from her home in Canada...
Duterte, Xi agree on ‘dissipating’ South China Sea tensions
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 10, 2022
Nestor Corrales
President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday renewed their call for “dissipating tensions” in the heavily disputed areas of the South China Sea, during a telephone summit initiated by the Chinese government...
High prices seen cooling PH ’22 GDP growth
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 9, 2022
Ben O. de Vera
The Philippines’ mainly consumption-driven economic growth will be beset by high inflation and shrinking savings amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, UK-based think tank Pantheon Macroeconomics said...
Japan-PH air ‘serious concern’ over South China Sea conflict
Manila Standard, April 10, 2022
Agence France-Presse
Japan and the Philippines agreed to boost security ties in their first foreign and defense ministerial meeting on Saturday, amid worries over China’s increasingly assertive maritime activities....
Dominguez pushes ASEAN cooperation
Manila Standard, April 10, 2022
Julito G. Rada
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III urged his fellow finance ministers and the central bank governors in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to explore new areas of cooperation to collectively contain the economic fallout from the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine...
DA suspends poultry imports from 5 US states
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 9, 2022
Jordeene B. Lagare
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has temporarily barred the entry of poultry products from five states in the United States after recording numerous bird flu outbreaks there...
ASEAN urged to craft plan to contain prices
Philippine Star, April 11, 2022
Elijah Felice Rosales
The Philippines has urged its Southeast Asian peers to form a group of experts to assess how the region can best respond to inflationary pressures brought about by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine...
Vaccine supply exceeds demand
The Manila Times, April 11, 2022
Agence France-Presse
After two years of racing to vaccinate the world against Covid-19, the number of available doses now surpasses demand in many areas...
Civilians flee east Ukraine as Kyiv readies for 'big battles'
The Manila Times, April 10, 2022
Agence France-Presse
Ukraine is preparing for "big battles" against Moscow's forces in the east of the country, officials in Kyiv said, as thousands of civilians flee in fear of an imminent Russian offensive...
US will supply Ukraine with ‘the weapons it needs’ against Russia
Rappler, April 11, 2022
Reuters
The United States is committed to providing Ukraine with “the weapons it needs” to defend itself against Russia, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday, April 10, as Ukraine seeks more military aid from the West...
Kyiv keeps pressure on West to do more
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 10, 2022
Reuters
Ukraine said on Sunday it was seeking another round of European Union sanctions against Moscow and more military aid from its allies as Russian forces destroyed an airport and other targets in the east of the country...
Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre ‘resurrected’ for Palm Sunday mass as pilgrims return
Rappler, April 10, 2022
Reuters
Prayers in Arabic and Latin echoed in the rotunda of Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Sunday, April 10, as Christians from around the world were once again able to attend Palm Sunday mass after two years of COVID-19 travel restrictions...
Ukraine invasion places sharp new focus on calls for UN reform
Philippine Star, April 10, 2022
Philippe Rater, Agence France-Presse
The long-simmering debate over UN reform — and particularly over the role of the Security Council, which does not represent today's world and which failed to prevent Russia's invasion of Ukraine — has suddenly become acute...
Covid protocols affect OFW poll in HK
Daily Tribune, April 11, 2022
Gab Humilde Villegas
The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong on Sunday advised the overseas Filipino voters to consider voting in the following days as they already reached the capacity limit on accepting voters...
What would happen if mainland China cut off Taiwan’s energy supplies?
ABS-CBN News, April 11, 2022
Jack Lau, South China Morning Post
This is the first in a two-part series on tensions between mainland China and Taiwan. Here, Jack Lau looks at what would happen if mainland China cut off Taiwan's energy supplies...
Scholz and Zelenskiy discuss more sanctions on Russia
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 10, 2022
Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted on Sunday that he had discussed possible additional sanctions on Russia in a call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz...
Food prices hit record high in March, says UN agency
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 8, 2022
Reuter
World food prices jumped nearly 13% in March to a new record high as the war in Ukraine caused turmoil in markets for staple grains and edible oils, the U.N. food agency said on Friday...
Overseas voting for May 9 polls off to a bad start
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 11, 2022
Dona Z. Pazzibugan, Jeannette I. Andrade and Tina G. Santos
Absentee voting for Filipinos overseas was off to a bad start, described as “chaotic and disorganized” on the first day on Sunday in Hong Kong and delayed in North America as the ballots and other election paraphernalia from Manila got stalled in transit in Alaska...
Congress lacks time for ‘endo’
Manila Standard, April 11, 2022
Macon Ramos-Araneta
There is no more time for Congress to make changes to the security of tenure bill that President Rodrigo Duterte vetoed, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Sunday...
Poor more prone to pandemic-induced mental illnesses – study
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 11, 2022
Jane Bautista
Underprivileged or poor people are most likely to suffer pandemic-induced mental illnesses due to less access to resources, according to a study made by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)...
No Metro Manila lockdowns for the 1st time since 2020
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 10, 2022
Dexter Cabalza
For the first time since March 2020, no area or even household in any of Metro Manila’s 16 cities and one municipality was considered on lockdown, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) confirmed on Saturday...
DA testing new anti-ASF vaccines
Philippine Star, April 11, 2022
Catherine Talavera
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is testing new vaccines against African swine fever (ASF), which has been affecting the country’s hog industry...
High-risk events may spark virus surge—expert
Manila Standard, April 11, 2022
Willie Casas
A government adviser has warned of a possible surge in COVID-19 cases in the next two months due to big events including the May 9 elections and religious events such as Ramadan and the Holy Week...
'Booster cards won't dampen business'
The Manila Times, April 11, 2022
Kristina Maralit
Intensifying the campaign for booster shots against the coronavirus disease will not slow down business activity but instead will reap benefits for the country in the long term, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Jose Maria "Joey" Concepcion 3rd said Sunday...
High-risk events may spark virus surge—expert
Manila Standard, April 11, 2022
Willie Casas
A government adviser has warned of a possible surge in COVID-19 cases in the next two months due to big events including the May 9 elections and religious events such as Ramadan and the Holy Week...
Robredo-Pangilinan campaign draws largest crowd in Pampanga
Philippine Star, April 11, 2022
Pia Lee-Brago
Pampanga’s “Manalakaran” rally on Saturday drew the biggest crowd for the campaign of presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo and her running mate Sen. Francis Pangilinan...
Free rides on EDSA bus carousel start today
Philippine Star, April 11, 2022
Neil Jayson Servallos
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will roll out today the third phase of the government’s service contracting program for public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers, which includes free rides for commuters nationwide...
PHL reports more culling to OIE as bird flu spreads
BusinessMirror, April 11, 2022
Jasper Y. Arcalas
The Philippines culled over 85,000 birds, mostly ducks and quails, to curb the spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza that has penetrated at least nine provinces this year...
No Covid recombinants detected yet–Vergeire
BusinessMirror, April 11, 2022
Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that no XE, XD and XF recombinants of Covid-19 have been detected yet in the country...
Population Commission: Gains in RH must level-up
BusinessMirror, April 11, 2022
Cai Ordinario
Addressing the country’s population and development concerns does not end with gains in the government’s reproductive health efforts, according to the Commission on Population and Development (Popcom)...
Logistical woes stall OAV in 6 PHL posts
BusinessMirror, April 11, 2022
Samuel P. Medenilla
Logistical difficulties delayed the start of overseas voting in the six Philippine posts, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec)...
Health authorities seeking FDA nod for 12-17 y.o. booster COVID-19 jabs
ABS-CBN News, April 10, 2022
Job Manahan
The Department of Health has sought amendments for the emergency use authorization of COVID-19 vaccines so teens aged 12 to 17 could have their boosters, authorities said...
Fuel subsidy rollout hindered by absence of driver database
BusinessWorld, April 10, 2022
Ram Christian S. Agustin
Nearly a month after the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) commenced its P3-billion Pantawid Pasada program on March 15, only 110,287 beneficiaries as of April 4 have received the fuel subsidy, with a senior legislator blaming the absence of a database for the delay...
Post clearance audits net BOC P534M
BusinessMirror, April 11, 2022
Bernadette D. Nicolas
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) collected a total of P534 million in additional revenues through the post-clearance audits it conducted in the first quarter of this year...
Fewer bank branches were built in ’21–BSP
BusinessMirror, April 11, 2022
Bianca Cuaresma
Amid the pandemic disruption and the increasing popularity of digital banking and online payments in the last two years, local banks have scaled down their physical network expansion in 2021, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed...
More banks signal intent to sell NPAs
BusinessWorld, April 11, 2022
Luz Wendy T. Noble
Another asset management company (AMC) has been given regulatory approval to buy banks’ bad assets amid the pandemic...
Investors to play safe on shortened trading week
Philippine Star, April 11, 2022
Iris Gonzales
With trading shortened to three sessions this Holy Week, investors are likely to hold on to their portfolio unless major developments on the local and global fronts prod them to remain active...
Digital payments top P 42T in BSP-backed system
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 11, 2022
Ronnel W. Domingo
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is pushing for taking in more participants in its digital payment settlement system, dubbed PhilPaSSplus, as overall transactions more than doubled over a period of years to reach P42.4 trillion at the end of February...
African swine fever infection downtrend reported
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 11, 2022
Jordeene B. Lagare
The incidence of African swine fever (ASF) in the Philippines has substantially waned after the outbreak was first detected in 2019, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA)...
Incentives for P119-B projects approved
GMA News, April 11, 2022
Prices of fish and vegetables have started to increase at the start of Holy Week, but those of onions have significantly declined due to the oversupply amid the ongoing harvest of the commodity...
Price hike in agri products seen
Manila Standard, April 10, 2022
Agence France-Presse
The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) sees prices of agricultural commodities increasing in the coming weeks...
Fish, vegetable prices climb as Holy Week starts
The Manila Times, April 11, 2022
Anna Leah E. Gonzales
The Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) has approved, upon the recommendation of the Board of Investments (BoI), the grant of tax incentives to five big-ticket projects with a combined investment capital of P119.5 billion...
Private, public sectors borrowing more, says BSP
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 9, 2022
Ronnel W. Domingo
Nonfinancial corporations in the Philippines sank deeper into a net debtor position with aggregate liabilities rising by 18 percent to P7.9 trillion at the end of the third quarter of 2021 from P6.7 trillion, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)...
PH forex reserves rose to $108.54B in March
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 9, 2022
Ronnel W. Domingo
The Philippines’ gross international reserves (GIR) increased further to $108.54 billion as of end-March from $107.98 billion a month earlier, preliminary data at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) show...
Confident PH consumers ready for retail therapy
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 9, 2022
Miguel R. Camus
Eager to move on from the pandemic, Filipino consumers were raring to spend more on retail shopping and “large” items such as cars and appliances on expectations they would earn more over the next year, a new survey showed...