September 2, 2022
Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) of select ASEAN economies, August 2022
Source BusinessWorld
NEP breakdown: Education, public works get largest budgets; agri highest increase
Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 2, 2022
Jerome Aning
“A budget that is responsive to every need of every Filipino” was how Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman described the 2023 National Expenditure Program (NEP) that the Marcos administration submitted to Congress to be the basis of the 2023 General Appropriations Act...
PIDS: Pandemic deepened income gaps, hurt poor
BusinessMirror, September 2, 2022
Cai Ordinario
The pandemic was not the “great equalizer” that many believed it to be, as it hurt the poor more and exacerbated existing inequalities in the country, according to the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS)...
SSS raises alarm on pension benefits
Philippine Star, September 2, 2022
Louise Maureen Simeon
At least half of the total members of state-run pension fund Social Security System (SSS) may not be able to enjoy their pension once they retire amid unstable contributions...
PH recovery seen on track
The Manila Times, September 2, 2022
Tiziana Celine Piatos
The country's economic recovery appears to be firming up but inflation and supply constraints remain a threat, a senior National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) official said on Thursday...
Neda wants buffers for future shocks
Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 2, 2022
Ben O. de Vera
The Marcos administration’s socioeconomic plan must include emergency management in case another extraordinary crisis like COVID-19 happens in the next few years, the state planning agency National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said Thursday...
DOH insists: Not yet time to lift mask mandate
ABS-CBN News, September 1, 2022
Davinci Maru
It is "not the proper time yet" to relax rules on mask wearing in the country, the Department of Health said Thursday, as severe and critical COVID-19 cases continued to increase...
GDP grew by 7.8% in 1st semester of 2022 – NEDA
The Manila Times, September 1, 2022
Tiziana Celine Piatos
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on Thursday said Philippine economy grew by 7.8 percent in the first semester of 2022...
DepEd reviewing K-12
Daily Tribune, September 1, 2022
Neil Alcober and Raffy Ayeng
A failed experiment of the administration of the late former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III?...
FIRB: PEZA WFH reprieve for IT-BPM has no basis
BusinessMirror, September 2, 2022
Bernadette D. Nicolas
The Cabinet-level Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) said Philippine Economic Zone Authority’s (PEZA) decision to extend work-from-home arrangements (WFH) for the information technology and business processing management (IT-BPM) sector until March next year “lacks legal basis.”..
House urged to work with Pagcor on POGO tax review
BusinessMirror, September 2, 2022
Jovee Marie De La Cruz
If lawmakers want to halt the exodus of foreign-based gaming firms, a senior lawmaker on Thursday said Congress may have to work with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) in conducting an early review of the law taxing Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs)...
SC rules ‘no spouse’ employment policy discriminatory, violates Labor Code
BusinessMirror, September 2, 2022
Joel R. San Juan
The Supreme Court (SC) has declared that the “no spouse” employment policy of employers is “discriminatory” unless there is a reasonable business necessity...
BSP hikes rural banks’ required capital
BusinessWorld, September 2, 2022
Keisha B. Ta-asan
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) raised the minimum capital requirement for rural banks to at least P50 million, as it seeks to further strengthen the local banking industry...
BBM seeks new nursing law
The Manila Times, September 2, 2022
Kristina Maralit
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Thursday joined the call for the passage of the new Philippine Nursing Practice Act to further advance the profession...
SC allows some inmates to vote
Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 2, 2022
Dona Z. Pazzibugan
Detainees, inmates serving less than one-year imprisonment and convicted insurgents with pending appeals can now vote in local elections, after the Supreme Court lifted the temporary restraining order (TRO) it issued in 2016...
PBBM to raise cap on nurses deployed abroad
Manila Standard, September 2, 2022
Vince Lopez and Vito Barcelo
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Thursday he plans to raise the current 7,500 deployment limit for Filipino nurses abroad...
IC lifts teachers’ group conservatorship status
Philippine Star, September 2, 2022
Louise Maureen Simeon
The largest professional association of public school teachers in the country has exited the conservatorship of the Insurance Commission (IC) after 17 years...
House bill penalizes prank callers to emergency hotlines with jail terms, fines
Manila Bulletin, September 1, 2022
Raymund Antonio
Prank callers to emergency hotlines may soon face jail time and fines if the proposed measure of Parañaque 2nd District Rep. Gus Tambunting becomes law...
DepEd issues guidelines on suspension of classes, work in schools
CNN Philippines, September 1, 2022
CNN Philippines Staff
The Department of Education (DepEd) has released its updated guidelines on the suspension of classes and work in schools during natural disasters and calamities...
DOT ‘super app’ to link travelers, food hubs
BusinessMirror, September 2, 2022
Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo
The Department of Tourism (DOT) will be creating a one-stop shop app that will enable travelers to have an easier time making bookings for their visits to the country or its other destinations...
BSP moves to boost banks’ cyber defense
BusinessWorld, September 2, 2022
K.B. Ta-asan
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is working to strengthen banks’ cyber resilience through industry-wide initiatives to protect consumers amid increasing digital payments...
DOTr rolls out contactless payment in modern PUVs
CNN Philippines, September 1, 2022
Gienel Barroga
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Thursday rolled out the interim operation of the Automatic Fare Collection System (AFCS), a contactless payment option for commuters using special transit cards in modern public utility vehicles (PUVs)...
Peza eyed as model for ecozone best practices
BusinessMirror, September 2, 2022
Andrea E. San Juan
The Commonwealth Secretariat in London is looking at the Philippines’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs) as basis for a case study for its Trade Competitiveness Section, according to the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza)...
PH shortlisted for 2023 grant from US aid arm
Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 2, 2022
Ben O. de Vera
The Philippines has been shortlisted among the possible recipients of grants given away yearly by the United States’ aid arm, the Millennium Challenge Corp. (MCC), even as the Marcos administration sees no need yet to tap this financing for next year...
US trains Pinoy emergency personnel on chemical, biohazard response
Philippine Star, September 2, 2022
Pia Lee Brago
The United States government, through the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), has trained Filipino emergency personnel on how to respond to chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear (CBRN) incidents...
Marcos to witness signing of defense, culture pacts during state visit to Indonesia
ABS CBN News, September 1, 2022
Katrina Domingo
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will witness the signing of agreements in the areas of defense and culture together with Indonesian President Joko Widodo when the Philippine leader travels to Jakarta next week for his first state visit...
Counter-terrorism, data privacy pacts to be signed during Marcos visit to Singapore
ABS CBN News, September 1, 2022
Job Manahan
Agreements in the areas of counter-terrorism and data privacy will be signed during the state visit of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to Singapore next week, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Thursday...
WHO: New Covid cases, deaths keep falling nearly everywhere
BusinessMirror, September 1, 2022
Associated Press
The number of new coronavirus cases and deaths reported globally continued to fall nearly everywhere in the world in what the World Health Organization described as a “welcome decline” at a media briefing on Wednesday...
APEC seeks common ground
The Manila Times, September 2, 2022
Philippine News Agency
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) senior officials forged ahead to establish common ground for advancing APEC's goal for an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community after a timely cluster of trade, sectoral meetings concluded in Chiang Mai, Thailand...
Greenhouse gas, sea levels at record highs in 2021
The Manila Times, September 2, 2022
Agence France-Presse
Earth's concentration of greenhouse gases and sea levels hit new highs in 2021, a US government report said Wednesday, showing that climate change keeps surging ahead despite renewed efforts to curb emissions...
Xinjiang abuses may be crimes vs humanity – UN
The Manila Times, September 2, 2022
Agence France-Presse
The United Nations released on Wednesday night a bombshell report on serious human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang region, saying torture allegations were credible and citing possible crimes against humanity...
Biden’s curbs on chips to China part of broader effort
Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 2, 2022
Reuters
Chip designer Nvidia Corp this week said the United States told it to restrict exports to China of two computing chips for artificial intelligence work, the latest move in a broader government effort to hamper China’s access to the most sophisticated semiconductors...
Grain ship from Ukraine grounded in Istanbul, halting traffic
Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 2, 2022
Reuters
A cargo vessel carrying more than 3,000 tons of corn from Ukraine drifted aground in Istanbul on Thursday, halting shipping on Turkey’s Bosphorus strait in the first such incident since a United Nations-brokered export deal in July...
Indian troops join Russian military exercise despite US concerns
Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 2, 2022
Reuters
Soldiers from the Indian army have landed in Russia for a week-long military exercise, India’s defense ministry said on Thursday, days after the United States said it had concerns about any country exercising with Russia now...
EU regulator backs Omicron-adapted COVID shots
Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 2, 2022
Reuters
The European Union’s drug regulator on Thursday backed two separate COVID-19 vaccine boosters updated to target the Omicron variant and developed by Moderna and the team of Pfizer and BioNTech...
Some G20 nations ‘backsliding’ on climate targets, says UK envoy
Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 1, 2022
Reuters
Some of the world’s major economies are “backsliding” on their emissions commitments, Britain’s climate delegate Alok Sharma said on Thursday, a day after a meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) nations failed to adopt a joint communique at climate talks...
IMF approves $2.9-b bailout for Sri Lanka
Manila Standard, September 1, 2022
Agence France-Presse
Bankrupt Sri Lanka will receive a conditional $2.9-billion bailout to repair its battered finances, the International Monetary Fund said Thursday, following a bruising economic crisis that saw the island nation’s president chased from the country...
Russia cuts more gas supplies to Europe as inflation hits another record
CNN Philippines, September 1, 2022
Anna Cooban, CNN Business
Russia has temporarily halted natural gas deliveries to Europe through a vital pipeline and cut off all supplies to a French utility, deepening an energy crisis that has sent inflation in the region to a record high of 9%...
NPC probes spread of targeted SMS
BusinessMirror, September 2, 2022
Andrea E. San Juan
The National Privacy Commission (NPC) said it is monitoring and investigating the proliferation of unsolicited text messages from anonymous numbers, with some containing the receiver’s names...
DILG, attached agencies, seek P251.18-B budget for 2023
BusinessMirror, September 2, 2022
Jovee Marie De La Cruz
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and its attached agencies are seeking a P251.18-billion budget for next year to hire more cops, firefighters and build jails...
Health workers’ benefits still unpaid
Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 2, 2022
Kathleen de Villa
More than half of health-care workers in public and private facilities across the country have yet to receive the full amount of the One COVID-19 Allowance (OCA) that was granted to them, according to a union president of health-care workers...
ABS-CBN, TV5 terminate landmark partnership deal
BusinessWorld, September 2, 2022
Arjay L. Balinbin
ABS-CBN Corp.. and TV5 Network, Inc. of the Pangilinan group’s MediaQuest Holdings, Inc. on Thursday said they have “mutually agreed” to terminate their landmark investment deal, after some lawmakers raised questions over its legality...
DepEd, DND begin exploratory talks on ROTC revival
Philipine Star, September 2, 2022
Janvic Mateo
The Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of National Defense (DND) have begun exploratory talks on a “more comprehensive” Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program in senior high school...
Senators scold agri officials over unspent, misspent funds
Philipine Daily Inquirer, September 2, 2022
Melvin Gascon
Agriculture officials received a tongue-lashing from senators on Thursday for their failure to spend funds allotted for their agencies and for improper spending that deprived farmers of the money’s intended benefits...
Hire more K-12 grads, DTI chief urges companies
Philipine Daily Inquirer, September 2, 2022
Alden M. Monzon
Promised quick employment upon graduation, senior high school (SHS) students who finished the K-12 program are now flooding the job market but face less-than-bright prospects, as employers in the country still prefer applicants with undergraduate degrees...
Comelec 80% ready for barangay, SK polls
Philipine Star, September 2, 2022
Robertzon Ramirez
Preparations for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections are almost 80 percent complete. At the Laging Handa briefing yesterday, Commission on Elections Chairman George Erwin Garcia said the Comelec would soon release the resolutions and guidelines for the conduct of the twin polls...
DOH planning to conduct special week of vaccinations
Philipine Star, September 2, 2022
Rhodina Villanueva
The Department of Health (DOH) has bared its plan to conduct a special week of vaccination drive by the end of the month in line with the efforts to ramp up the country’s immunity against COVID-19...
Sugar import cap questioned
Philipine Daily Inquirer, September 2, 2022
Carla Gomez
Three groups of sugar producers are asking the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to explain how it arrived at the proposed importation figure of 150,000 metric tons of sugar...
DTI backs industry users to import sugar
Manila Standard, September 2, 2022
Othel V. Campos and Macon Ramos-Araneta
Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual on Thursday proposed allowing food and beverage manufacturers to import their own sugar needs as the Bureau of Customs admitted that the bags of sugar it seized in Subic port were not illegal or smuggled...
Cebu City firm on mask order
Manila Standard, September 2, 2022
Joel E. Zurbano, Maricel Cruz
Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama said Thursday his city will push through with plans to make the use of face masks voluntary in open spaces despite an appeal from the national government not to do so...
Learning ‘3 Rs’ a struggle for kids back in schools
Philipine Daily Inquirer, September 2, 2022
Jane Bautista
Back in their classrooms, many schoolchildren are finding it hard to read and pronounce words correctly or perform basic arithmetic operations, a sign of huge “learning gaps” after two years of remote schooling, according to teachers and education officials...
Pagcor earmarks P12.1 billion for disaster resilience
Philipine Star, September 2, 2022
Delon Porcalla
About P12.1 billion in government funds has been allotted by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) to help disaster-prone communities across the country survive calamities...
DOH worried other LGUs may copy Cebu City’s non-mandatory face mask rule
Philipine Daily Inquirer, September 2, 2022
John Eric Mendoza
Department of Health (DOH) officer-in-chief Maria Rosario Vergeire on Friday said it is worried that other local government units would follow the example of Cebu City’s “non-obligatory” face mask rule...
Signal No. 1 in 3 areas as Typhoon Henry slows down; Rainy Friday in Luzon, Western Visayas
Philipine Daily Inquirer, September 2, 2022
Gilbert S. Gaviola
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) Number 1 is up over Batanes, Babuyan Islands and Santa Ana, Cagayan where heavy rainfall is expected due to Typhoon Henry (international name: Hinnamnor), the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported Friday morning...
Document snags delay P63B in COVID benefits
BusinessWorld, September 1, 2022
Diego Gabriel C. Robles
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said the release of P63 billion worth of allowances for pandemic frontliners is awaiting the fulfilment of documentary requirements by the Department of Health (DoH)...
Diokno urges LGUs to embrace greater role post-Mandanas
BusinessWorld, September 1, 2022
Diego Gabriel C. Robles
Local government units (LGUs) will be expected to take on a greater role in guiding the economy to a recovery, after LGUs gained a greater share of funds from the National Government in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Mandanas ruling, Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said...
Pascual bats for general education in K-to-12
Manila Bulletin, September 1, 2022
Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat
Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual has proposed for the transfer of general education subjects from the college curriculum to the senior high school for grades 11 and 12 to be able to produce skilled graduates or the so-called “holistically developed Filipinos” to address the needs of domestic industries...
Like Duterte, Marcos wants P4.5B for OP’s confidential, intelligence funds
Rappler, September 2, 2022
Bea Cupin
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is asking for a budget of over P9 billion for the Office of the President (OP) in 2023, including over P4.5 billion in confidential and intelligence funds...
DepEd eyes hiring 10,000 new teachers in 2023
Rappler, September 1, 2022
Bonz Magsambol
The Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday, September 1, said it was planning to hire 10,000 more teachers in 2023...
PH loss from too much, or zero, water seen to hit $124B of GDP
Philipine Daily Inquirer, September 1, 2022
Kurt Dela Peña
The Philippines, which is hit by an average of 20 typhoons every year, is expected to lose $124 billion until 2050 from water-related risks, like strong storms, intense floods and prolonged droughts...
Jobs growth fastest since 2017 for manufacturing
BusinessMirror, September 2, 2022
Bianca Cuaresma
In its monthly report on the country’s purchasing managers index (PMI), S&P Global said the Philippines hit a PMI of 51.2 in August, “marginally” improving from the 50.8 PMI recorded in July...
DTI to manufacturers: Tweak pricing so poor can buy basic items
BusinessMirror, September 2, 2022
Andrea E. San Juan
Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual has appealed to manufacturers to carefully review pricing schemes so that basic commodities would remain affordable...
Rice, corn inventory declined in July
Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 2, 2022
Jordeene B. Lagare
The Philippines’ stocks of rice and corn at the beginning of July plummeted, based on a report from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)...
FIRB, Peza again at loggerheads over WFH setup of BPOs
Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 2, 2022
Ben O. de Vera
The Interagency Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) says business process outsourcing firms will have to resume onsite work beginning Sept. 12, countering the ecozone regulator’s plans to extend the work-from-home (WFH) setup until March next year...
BPI expects PHL to avoid recession with region-leading growth
BusinessWorld, September 1, 2022
Keisha B. Ta-asan
The Philippines is likely to be bypassed by the wave of recessions expected to hit developed countries and lead Southeast Asia in terms of growth this year, the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) said in a report...
Philippines vehicle output drops in 7 months, trails ASEAN peers
Philippine Star, September 2, 2022
Catherine Talavera
The Philippines continued to lag behind its Southeast Asian neighbors in motor vehicle production, as it was the only country among six that posted a decline in output in the seven months of the year...
Manufacturing activity improves in August, but risks to growth seen
CNN Philippines, September 1, 2022
Pilar Manuel
Local manufacturing activity strengthened in August amid better conditions for the sector, a survey by S&P Global published Thursday revealed...