Philippines Morning News For April 26

Duterte’s China honeymoon comes to a close
Ten months into Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte’s tenure, his strategic honeymoon with China has devolved into rocky relations.
— Asia Times

Death penalty bill already ‘dead’ in Senate – Drilon
The death penalty bill is already “dead” in the Senate.
— Rappler

Investment pledges rise 31% led by infra — BoI
INVESTMENT pledges in the year to date hit P153.97 billion as of April 25, exceeding by 31% the P117.26 billion logged in the first four months of 2016, the Board of Investments (BoI) said on Tuesday.
— BusinessWorld Online

Customs exceeds Q1 collection target
THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) said it exceeded its first quarter revenue target, with 10 out of 17 ports hitting their collection goals.
— BusinessWorld Online

Agri dept releases 25,000 fingerlings in North Cotabato river
At least 25,000 Tilapia fingerlings were released in rivers and creeks in Banisilan, North Cotabato Tuesday as part of the government’s inland fisheries program, agriculture secretary Emmanuel Piñol said Wednesday.
— ABS-CBN

Inflation seen stabilizing at 3.5% — FMIC, UA&P
INFLATION is expected to stabilize at around 3.5% until the third quarter, which, coupled with strong economic growth, will allow the central bank to keep policy rates on hold and provide some comfort for local investors.
— BusinessWorld Online

Metro Manila traffic rerouting for ASEAN 2017
Traffic rerouting will be implemented in parts of Pasay City and Makati City starting Wednesday, April 26, to Saturday, April 29, for the 30th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Meetings.
— Rappler

Indonesia-Philippines talks to fortify new trade route
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is expected to try and fortify maritime security cooperation with the Philippines during bilateral talks this week, ahead of the launch of a lucrative trade route that aims to boost connectivity along the borders of the neighboring countries.
— The Jakarta Post

SC allows Torre de Manila construction
The Supreme Court (SC), in its en banc session on Tuesday, dismissed the petition against the construction of 49-storey high-rise condominium project Torre de Manila, located along Taft Avenue, Manila, giving the green light for the resumption of the construction for the P3.6-billion project.
— ABS-CBN

Govt urged to protect seashell fossils site in Palawan
Environmentalists here called on the government to protect a site containing seashell fossils.
— ABS-CBN

TUCP to seek P157 hike in daily minimum wage
THE COUNTRY’s biggest labor union has asked President Rodrigo R. Duterte for a P500 subsidy for each private sector minimum wage earner and is poised to file for a P157 raise in the daily floor pay.
— BusinessWorld Online

‘Q1 GDP may have grown 6.5% – 7%’
Investment bank First Metro Investment Corp. (FMIC) and the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) widened their estimated range for Philippine economic growth in the first quarter by half a percentage point on improving global recovery and already robust domestic demand.
— The Manila Times

February tourist arrivals hit 4-year high
This year’s strong tourism streak continued through February, breaking the month’s records of visitor arrivals since 2013, according to official figures released by the Department of Tourism (DOT).
— Manila Bulletin

DOF, DOH link up to construct drug rehab facilities
The Department of Finance (DOF) has partnered with the Department of Health (DOH) for the construction of drug rehabilitation facilities to be funded by around $7.5 million in grants from China.
— The Philippine Star

PH, Asean urged to use UN ruling on sea row as legal reference
The international tribunal’s ruling in a landmark case on South China Sea won by the Philippines last year should be made a legal reference for future negotiations and cooperations in the disputed sea, a Vietnamese expert on international relations reminded Asean leaders
— Global Nation/Inquirer.net

Government borrowings reach P132.2 B in February
Government borrowings rose almost five times to P132.231 billion in February after the issuance of $2 billion worth of global bonds during the month, data from the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) showed.
— The Philippine Star

Chelsea Logistics to raise up to P8 B from IPO
Chelsea Logistics Corp., the logistics company of businessman Dennis Uy, is embarking on an initial public offering in July to raise up to P8 billion.
— The Philippine Star

Watchdog says ASEAN must stand vs. killings in Philippines
An international human rights watchdog is calling on Southeast Asian leaders to take a stand against the Philippines’ war on drugs that has left thousands dead under President Rodrigo Duterte, the host of this week’s regional summit.
— Daily Mail

Philippines allows ‘photobomber’ building to go up
A high-rise condominium dubbed “the national photobomber” will continue to loom over a historic Philippine monument after the Supreme Court struck down a bid by conservationists to have it torn down.
— Malay Mail Online

Malaysia cuts education budget, but Indonesia, Philippines spend more
Development expert says education is key to a nation’s progress and it is unwise for Malaysia to slash spending on education, including to universities.
— Free Malaysia Today

Feature photo Giuliana Bencovich
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Philippines Morning News For April 26 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on April 26, 2017
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Stella-maris Ewudolu

Journalist at AEC News Today

Stella-maris graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Education from Ebonyi State University, Nigeria in 2005.

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.