April 5, 2022
Philippines bond yields see biggest increase
Philippine Star, April 5, 2022
Louise Maureen Simeon
The Philippines is expected to see the highest bond yields among Asia-Pacific nations due to inflationary pressures from rising oil prices and the US Fed rate hikes...
Gov’t eyes new definition of ‘full vaccination Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 5, 2022
Jerome Aning
The government is considering a redefinition of full vaccination to include the administration of a third dose or booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine...
Rules for economic reform laws sought
BusinessWorld, April 5, 2022
Revin Mikhael D. Ochave
Foreign business chambers are pressing the government to immediately issue the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of recently signed laws amending the Public Service Act (PSA) and Foreign Investment Act (FIA) before President Rodrigo R. Duterte steps down from office by end June...
DepEd: 3.1 million learners now attending face-to-face classes in over 13K schools
Manila Bulletin, April 4, 2022
Merlina Hernando-Malipot
The Department of Education (DepEd) announced that more than 3 million students in over 13,000 schools nationwide are currently participating in limited face-to-face classes amid the public health situation brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic...
Baguio moves to avert urban decay with stricter permits
BusinessWorld, April 5, 2022
Marifi S. Jara
Baguio has started implementing stricter screening rules for business and building permits to address the mountain city’s problems brought about by rapid urbanization over the last three decades...
JFC asks government: Release IRR for reform laws
BusinessMirror, April 4, 2022
Jasper Y. Arcalas
The Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) has urged the government to fast-track the issuance of the implementing rules and regulations of the enacted economic reform laws to ensure that gains from these measures are immediately realized...
DOLE reminds employers of pay rules for April 9 and Holy Week holidays
GMA News, April 5, 2022
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) issued pay guidelines for employers for their employees' work rendered during the holidays in April 2022...
NCR wage board rejects
TUCP wage hike petition
BusinessMirror, April 4, 2022
Samuel P. Medenilla
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) issued pay guidelines for employers for their employees' work rendered during the holidays in April 2022...
Comelec ban halts LTFRB's fuel subsidy distribution
Manila Bulletin, April 4, 2022
Faith Argosino
The distribution of fuel subsidies for drivers and operators of public utility vehicles has been suspended in compliance with the order of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) announced on Monday, April 4...
PhilSys a ‘great example’ of filling digital gaps
BusinessMirror, April 4, 2022
Cai Ordinario
The country’s effort to roll out the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) is a “great example” of how governments can address digital ecosystem gaps, according to World Bank experts...
China to Philippines: Remove ‘disturbances’ in relations
Philippine Star, April 5, 2022
Pia Lee-Brago
China yesterday urged the Philippines to place maritime issues in context and “remove disturbances” in the relations between the two countries amid dangerous Chinese activities in the West Philippine Sea...
PH, US troops hold war drills in Tarlac, Cagayan
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 5, 2022
Frances Mangosing
Almost 9,000 Filipino and American troops have been training together to increase combat readiness and interoperability in various joint drills for this year’s Balikatan, an annual military exercise designed to improve response effectiveness...
China says PH priority in neighborhood diplomacy
Manila Standard, April 5, 2022
Rey E. Requejo
The top diplomats of China and the Philippines met over the weekend, as the former said it has always considered Manila as a priority in Beijing’s neighborhood diplomacy...
Unesco eyes partnership with media security group
The Manila Times, April 5, 2022
Francis Earl Cueto
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) wants to partner with the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) in capacity building projects on human rights...
‘War crime’ killings near Kyiv spark international outrage
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 5, 2022
Reuters
International outrage spread on Monday over civilian killings in northern Ukraine, where a mass grave and tied bodies of people shot at close range were found in a town taken back from Russian forces, as Moscow shifted the focus of the fighting elsewhere...
As-Pac won’t absorb full Ukraine impact
Daily Tribune, April 5, 2022
TDT
Growth momentum in Asia-Pacific will not suffer a setback as serious as elsewhere against the backdrop of military conflict, returning inflation and rising borrowing costs, according to credit watchdog S&P Global Ratings...
US pushes to suspend Russia from UN human rights body
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 5, 2022
Reuters
The United States will ask the U.N. General Assembly to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said on Monday, after Ukraine accused Russian troops of killing dozens of civilians in the town of Bucha...
Asian markets mixed as strong US jobs data boosts rate hike bets
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 4, 2022
Agence France-Presse
Asian markets were mixed Monday as another strong jobs report provided some reassurance that the recovery in the US economy remained on track but also solidified expectations for more aggressive Federal Reserve interest rate hikes...
Satellite images show bodies in Bucha for weeks, rebutting Moscow claim
ABS-CBN News, April 5, 2022
Agence France-Presse
Satellite photographs released on Monday appear to rebut Russian assertions that dead bodies in civilian clothing found in Bucha had appeared there after Russian forces retreated from the devastated Ukrainian town...
Russia seeks Monday UN Security Council meet on Bucha, Ukraine
The Manila Times, April 4, 2022
Agence France-Presse
Moscow has called for a special UN Security Council meeting on Monday to address claims that Russian forces committed atrocities against Ukrainian civilians in Bucha, a town outside Kyiv...
Turkey’s inflation jumps to 20-year high as energy prices surge
Rappler, April 4, 2022
Reuters
Turkey’s annual consumer inflation leapt to a 20-year high of 61.14% in March, data showed on Monday, April 4, fueled by rising energy and commodity prices as the fallout of the Russia-Ukraine conflict compounds the impact of the lira’s plunge last year...
Man charged in New York with hate crimes for attacking Asian women
GMA News, April 5, 2022
A man who violently attacked seven Asian women in New York over the span of three hours in February has been charged with "hate crimes," Manhattan's district attorney said Monday...
P470 pay hike in NCR nixed
Manila Standard, April 5, 2022
Vito Barcelo and Alena Mae S. Flores
The tripartite wage and productivity board of the National Capital Region has rejected a labor group’s petition for a P470 increase in the daily minimum wage in Metro Manila...
Polls must not delay subsidy for drivers – senators
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 5, 2022
DJ Yap, Dona Z. Pazzibugan and Krixia Subingsubing
Drivers and operators of buses, jeepneys, and tricycles cannot afford to wait until the end of the May elections to receive fuel subsidies from the government, Sen. Grace Poe said on Monday as she lamented the suspension of the financial assistance due to the public spending ban of the Commission on Elections (Comelec)...
LTFRB suspends fuel subsidy distribution due to election ban
Philippine Star, April 4, 2022
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board said Monday that it is temporarily halting the fuel subsidy distribution for PUV (public utility vehicle) operators and drivers due to the public works ban ahead of the elections...
PAREx environmental study suspected to have been copied
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 5, 2022
Tyrone Jasper C. Piad
A private sector-led campaign against San Miguel Corp.’s (SMC) proposed Pasig River Expressway (PAREx) alleged that some parts of the road project’s environmental impact statement (EIS) appeared to have been copied from other reports, thus casting doubts as to whether a proper assessment was conducted in the first place...
Senate to probe P203-B Marcos estate tax debts
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 5, 2022
Melvin Gascon
The Senate investigation of the P203-billion estate tax liabilities of the Marcos family will start this week, should any of the senators and the concerned committee press the issue, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said on Monday...
DILG steps up drive vs vote buying
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 5, 2022
Christian Crow Maghanoy
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to reactivate its task force against vote buying...
PNP tags 128 'red' poll areas
The Manila Times, April 5, 2022
Francis Earl Cueto
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has listed more than 100 municipalities and 14 cities as areas with the highest risk of violence erupting during the elections in May...
Taal’s abnormal activity decreasing
Philippine Star, April 5, 2022
Michael Punongbayan
Taal Volcano appears to be showing signs of decreasing activity, with only three earthquakes including one volcanic tremor lasting three minutes recorded over the past 24 hours...
Globe blocks 12,000 child pornography, gambling sites
Philippine Star, April 5, 2022
Richmond Mercurio
Globe Telecom Inc. has blocked over 12,000 illicit URLs and domains as part of its continuing campaign against illegal websites...
Only 2 pct of COVID vaccines wasted, officials say, fewer than UN average of 10 pct
ABS-CBN News, April 5, 2022
The National Task Force Against COVID-19 and the Department of Health on Monday addressed concerns regarding 27 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines that are set to expire in July...
DOF revives plan to convert PCIC into reinsurer
Philippine Star, April 5, 2022
Lawrence Agcaoili
The Department of Finance (DOF) has revived plans to convert state-run Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) into a reinsurer to improve its financial health and operations, providing more insurance for farmers and their crops...
Comelec to burn defective ballots
BusinessWorld, April 4, 2022
John Victor D. Ordoñez and Alyssa Nicole O. Tan
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will burn defective ballots for this year’s elections, according to an election commissioner...
Chamber wants next gov’t to focus on agriculture
BusinessWorld, April 4, 2022
Revin Mikhael D. Ochave
The next government needs to grant priority status of agriculture and education, according to the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII)...
DoH eyes annual Covid-19 shots
The Manila Times, April 4, 2022
Franco Jose C. Baroña
The Department of Health (DoH) is studying the possibility of giving free anti-Covid-19 shots once a year...
Covid-19 cases down by 12 percent - DoH
The Manila Times, April 4, 2022
Agence France-Presse
The Department of Health (DoH) on Monday reported that as of April 3, there were 692 severe and critical patients Covid-19 patients admitted in various hospitals...
17,479 schools ‘ready’ for expansion of face-to-face classes — DepEd
Manila Bulletin, April 4, 2022
Merlina Hernando-Malipot
Over 17,000 schools nationwide have been nominated for face-to-face classes expansion, the Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday, April 4, said...
PNP: 114 towns, cities classified as red-coded election hot spots
Manila Bulletin, April 4, 2022
Aaron Recuenco
More than 100 towns and cities have been classified as red-coded election hot spots, the Philippine National Police (PNP) disclosed on Monday, April 4...
SEC names veteran to pursue reforms
Daily Tribune, April 5, 2022
Raadee Sausa
Regulator Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) welcomed the reappointment of Commissioner Javey Paul Francisco, who has spearheaded and will continue to steer initiatives toward improving the ease of doing business in the country...
‘Infrastructure spending needs to be maintained’
Philippine Star, April 5, 2022
Louise Maureen Simeon
The next administration would have to sustain the infrastructure spending of the Duterte administration to help in the employment recovery of the Philippines from the pandemic, according to global advisory firm Oxford Economics...
BoC exceeds March collection goal by 23%
BusinessWorld, April 5, 2022
Tobias Jared Tomas
The Bureau of Customs (BoC) on Monday said it collected a record P70.72 billion in March, mainly due to higher imports and improved valuation...
Lopez sees manufacturing growth
The Manila Times, April 5, 2022
Anna Leah E. Gonzales
Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez is confident that the country's manufacturing sector will continue to grow in the coming months which will also help drive overall economic growth...
PSEi up on inflation expectations
The Manila Times, April 5, 2022
Eireene Jairee Gomez
Philippine shares climbed on Monday as investors made speculations on the latest inflation, primarily due to the anticipated decline in fuel prices...
BSP seen hiking rates by 75 bps in 2nd half
BusinessWorld, April 5, 2022
Luz Wendy T. Noble
The Philippine central bank is likely to raise its benchmark rate by a total 75 basis points in the second half when the economy is expected to regain its pre-pandemic level, Mitsubishi UFJ Group (MUFG) said...
Quasi-banks’ 2021 bad loan ratio worsens to 9.9%
BusinessWorld, April 5, 2022
Luz Wendy T. Noble
Nonperforming loans (NPL) held by quasi-banks reached P14.081 billion as of end-2021, resulting in an NPL ratio of 9.9%, based on data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)...
Megawide wants another shot at NAIA ugrade project
Philippine Star, April 5, 2022
Richmond Mercurio
Megawide Construction Corp. and its partner GMR Infrastructure Ltd. of India may bid anew for the rehabilitation and upgrade of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) should the next administration be interested in the company’s plan...
PhilGuarantee’s MSME portfolio reaches P2.95 billion
BusinessWorld, April 5, 2022
T.J. Tomas
Philippine Guarantee Corp. (PhilGuarantee) has extended nearly P3 billion in financial assistance to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through credit guarantees since 2020, the Department of Finance (DoF) said...
Stocks rise in listless trade
Philippine Star, April 5, 2022
Iris Gonzales
Local stocks managed to post marginal gains yesterday even as most investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of the March inflation report set to be released today...
PH eyes opportunities in healthcare
The Manila Times, April 5, 2022
Anna Leah E. Gonzales
Emerging trends on remote patient monitoring, medical research, and fintech provides opportunities for the Philippines' healthcare, IT- BPM sector, the Board of Investments (BOI) said...
MSME portfolio to reach P4B in 2022
The Manila Times, April 5, 2022
Anna Leah E. Gonzales
Credit guarantees granted to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) could hit a cumulative P4.4 billion this year, with an additional 8,000 businesses expected to benefit from a government-run financing program...
Oil firms roll back fuel pump prices
BusinessMirror, April 4, 2022
Lenie Lectura
Local pump prices will go down this week, oil firms announced on Monday...
DOF: Reforms to sustain PH trade growth
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 4, 2022
Ben O. de Vera
The Philippines is expected to sustain merchandise trade growth in the medium term following reforms conducive to economic recovery, the Department of Finance (DOF) said...
BTr fully awards P15-B T-bills for first time since Putin’s assault on Ukraine
Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 4, 2022
Ben O. de Vera
The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) on Monday (April 4) raised P15 billion from short-dated T-bills — the first full award since Vladimir Putin started his campaign to destroy Ukraine, as the benchmark 91-day debt paper saw bid rates decline...