Philippines Morning News For November 2

Philippines ranks near bottom in terms of LTE availability, speed – report
The latest version of OpenSignal’s State of LTE report was released on Wednesday, November 1, and it points to the Philippines ranking lowly in both the availability of LTE connectivity and the speed of the LTE signal when compared to 76 other countries.
— Rappler

25% of Filipinos shift to digital payments
The Philippines is well on its way to be a cashless nation, with 25 percent of consumers have indicated that traditional (physical credit card, bank transfer/Internet banking, cheque, etc.) and new payment methods are now their primary payment, survey said.
— Manila Bulletin

Philippines Economy Stable But Purchasing Power Falls
hilippines Financial System Stability Committee has recorded stable economic conditions up to the third quarter this year, but it has also recorded negative perception of the people’s purchasing power, said a kontan.co.id report late Tuesday.
— Financial Tribune

Mining operation divides community on remote Philippine island
An open-pit mining operation on a remote island in the central Philippines has divided a community of farmers and fishermen, prompting a Catholic bishop in the area to voice his opposition to the extension of the venture for another 25 years.
— Ucanews

Asean will be more relevant – Duterte
THE Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) will become as relevant as the European Union (EU) and other regional blocs in the coming years, President Rodrigo Duterte said.
— The Manila Times

Impunity index: Phl 5th worst
The Philippines ranked fifth among countries with the highest record of impunity in the killing of journalists over the last decade, a New York-based press freedom watchdog said.
— Philstar

Japan pledges $9-B aid
The Philippines considers Japan a “friend closer than a brother” who treats the country as a sovereign equal, President Duterte said after bringing home some US$9 billion worth of Japan pledge of assistance and another US$6 billion in business deals.
— Manila Bulletin

San Miguel unveils long-term plan to expand expressways
San Miguel Corp. unveiled a long-term expansion program to increase the capacity of its southern Metro Manila toll roads to help the government ease traffic congestion in the metropolis.
— Manila Standard

Trump to tackle 3 major issues in ASEAN summit in Manila
United States President Donald J. Trump will have three major issues to discuss with his counterparts when he participates at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Manila on November 12 to 13. Patrick Murphy, US State Department’s deputy assistant secretary for Southeast Asia, said these are the denuclearization of North Korea, the South China Sea and the fight against terrorism.
— Manila Bulletin

What Did the ASEAN Defense Meetings in the Philippines Achieve?
Last week, defense ministers from around the region met for the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting (ADMM) and the ADMM-Plus in the Philippines, which are held annually and biannually among Southeast Asian states and some other major regional partners. The meetings, along with other bilateral engagements on the sidelines, provided some sense of what the regional defense picture looks like and where it is headed.
— The Diplomat

China, Philippines, ASEAN hold joint naval drills
China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have held their largest-ever joint maritime rescue exercise, signalling a lull in South China Sea tensions.
— ABS-CBN

Malaysia lender looking to acquire franchise for Philippine operations
Two more foreign banks were to make their presence felt in the Philippines before the end of the year, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
— BusinessMirror

PHL still most gender-equal country in Asia — report
THE PHILIPPINES still reigned as the most gender-equal country in Asia despite dropping three ranks lower in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report 2017.
— BusinessWorld

Start-ups transforming business landscape in the Philippines
THE START-UP ecosystem is blossoming in the Philippines, and conglomerates may be just what they need for their lift-off.
— BusinessWorld

Overseas Filipino Bank to be reorganized as lending business
THE PLANNED Overseas Filipino Bank will be established in April, after original plans to set it up in January, as the business plan is being reconfigured to make it a lending institution.
— BusinessWorld

‘Congress must fast-track passage of anti-red tape bill’
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) urged Congress to hasten the passage of a measure that seeks to cut red tape and make it easier for businessmen to set up shop in the Philippines.
— BusinessMirror

After illegal drugs, Rody wants to abolish slavery
Aside from illegal drugs, slavery is the other evil President Duterte wants to zealously address and “abolish.”
— Philstar

Medical marijuana to ‘save lives’ okay
THE chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography on Wednesday expressed openness to a proposal to allow the use of cannabis (marijuana) for select medical conditions.
— The Manila Times

NIA, DPWH need more time to complete 2 infra projects
The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) are asking the interagency Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) for more time to complete two infrastructure projects.
— BusinessMirror

Hog raisers ask govt to keep ban on Brazilian meat imports
The Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines (ProPork) is appealing to the Department of Agriculture (DA) to maintain the ban on pork imports from Brazil to protect the local hog sector from foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).
— BusinessMirror

PNP sets sights on motorcycle-riding killers
With the directive of President Duterte to refrain from participating in the anti-drug campaign, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has started to focus on crimes committed by criminals riding in tandem as investigators recorded 152 cases involving motorcycle-riding suspects nationwide from Oct. 10 to 29.
— Philstar

Du30 tells agencies to probe charges vs kin
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said he would let independent agencies probe the drug smuggling and corruption allegations against his son, Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, and his son-in-law, Manases Carpio.
— Manila Standard

Feature photo European Commission DG ECHO
Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

Philippines morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Philippines news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.

Philippines Morning News For November 2 added by Leakhena Khat on November 2, 2017
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Leakhena Khat

Leakhena is a junior journalist at AEC News Today who is also currently studying International Relations, which she finds adds perspective to her work reporting on the Asean Community.

“I love what I am doing so much as it gives me a lot of great experience and provides challenges to my mind.