Philippines Morning News For September 14

PH slips 1 notch in human capital index
The Philippines has slipped in an annual ranking of how countries are developing their human capital but overall its performance remains above the global average.
— The Manila Times

Manila among world’s most stressful cities: study
Manila is among the most stressful cities in the world, according to a new study.
— ABS-CBN

Peso slips ahead of data
THE PESO snapped its week-long rally versus the dollar as it resumed trading yesterday as sentiment towards the United States recovered, and ahead of the release of inflation data which could dictate the next moves of the Federal Reserve.
— BusinessWorld Online

Stock price index stays above 8,000 mark
The local stock barometer slightly gained yesterday, staying afloat 8,000, while tracking firmer US stocks overnight.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

P33.5-B ARMM budget hurdles House, set for Senate committee deliberation on Sept. 18
THE P33.469-billion proposed budget of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) for 2018 was approved late Tuesday by the House of Representatives and is set for committee-level deliberation at the Senate on Monday, Sept. 18.
— BusinessWorld Online

Media hit ban on police spot reports
JOURNALISTS covering the police beat including Camp Crame are up in arms in connection with an order purportedly issued by Philippine National Police chief General Ronald dela Rosa instructing all police units and offices to deny the media access to police spot reports.
— Manilastandard.net

Philippines urges Australia to open doors to banana imports
Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez wants to export Philippine bananas to Australia, reiterating a call to allow market entry after the Australian government has kept its doors barred for more than two decades.
— Fresh Plaza

DU30 gives SEAG medalists P16M bonus
President Duterte yesterday gave Filipino athletes who brought home medals from the 29th Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia cash incentives in elaborate rites in Malacañang.
— The Philippine Star

P5.5-trillion savings seen from energy-efficiency policy
As much as P5.5 trillion in electricity cost savings can be realized over the next 12 years from the proposed energy-efficiency and conservation policy.
— Business Mirror

PH internet quality improving but still below global average
Philippine telecom operators have improved mobile internet quality, especially in 4G (LTE) services but results in a new crowdsourced survey showed the country was still “well behind” global averages.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

ADB study shows only a third of Filipinos own a dwelling
A newly released study of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) showed the inequality of land-ownership distribution in the Philippines, with only about a third of Filipinos owning the properties they live in and less than 10 percent having an agricultural land of their own, according to the results.
— Business Mirror

Cement, power, healthcare top PCC probe list
The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), the government’s anti-trust body, is investigating the cement, power, garlic and health industries for possible anti-competitive practices, officials said yesterday.
— The Philippine Star

House approves LGBT rights bill on 2nd reading
The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved on second reading a measure that aims to protect the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.
— ABS-CBN

World Bank to aid PH infra push
The government and the World Bank may work together to accelerate the rollout of the Duterte administration’s ambitious infrastructure buildup program over the next five years, the Department of Finance said yesterday.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

P1,000 budget for 3 agencies called part of gov’t checks
Malacañang said that the House of Representatives’ (HOR) move to give three government agencies a budget of P1,000 each for 2018 is part of the government system’s checks and balances.
— Manila Bulletin

Philippines businesses lukewarm to benefits of ASEAN links
Businesses in the Philippines are still largely unenthusiastic on the benefits of membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to a study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).
— The Philippine Star

NFA looking at Q1 rice imports to minimize domestic price impact
THE National Food Authority (NFA) hopes to time rice imports for early 2018, in order to stabilize inventories after the rainy season, with an eye towards not distorting prices realized by domestic rice farmers.
— BusinessWorld Online

P170.3-M farm-to-market road to benefit 5,000 Batac households
At least eight villages composed of more than 5,000 households will benefit from the ongoing rehabilitation of a farm-to-market road in Rayuray village, Batac City.
— Philippine Canadian Inquirer

Term deposit rates up
Term deposit rates rose yesterday, bringing the seven-day term deposits to 3.3484 percent from last week’s 3.3334 percent with accepted rates ranging from 3.235 to 3.4 percent.
— The Philippine Star

Senate to retain ‘50%-70%’ of DoF tax package
THE SENATE is planning floor deliberations on Sept. 20 on new revenue measures that will partly compensate for dilutions of the original tax reform program proposed by the Department of Finance (DoF).
— BusinessWorld Online

Govt to return MRT trains to China
THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) will return all 48 new light rail coaches procured by the previous administration from Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stocks Co. for P3.8 billion if a third party qualifier will conclude that the trains are unusable, according to Undersecretary Cesar Chavez.
— The Manila Times

PHINMA Energy sues PSALM over IPPA deal
PHINMA Energy Corp. formally filed a case against the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) Corp. and its former president, Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. to stop it from terminating an agreement on naming independent power producer administrators (IPPAs) for the Unified Leyte Geothermal Power Plant.
— The Manila Times

PH, Malaysia strengthen trade ties
The Philippines and Malaysia have discussed various measures to enhance trade and investment relations including regional economic integration.
— Malaya

Condo complex sees P20B sales
Filinvest Land Inc., expects to generate P20.75 billion from the sale of its multi-tower residential project The Levels it is constructing in the 244-hectare Filinvest City in Alabang.
— Malaya

China to donate USD3-M worth of engineering equipment to Marawi
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) will be donating some USD3 million worth of engineering equipment for the proposed rehabilitation and reconstruction of war-torn Marawi City.
— Northbound Philippines

China donates P65M for wounded Filipino soldiers
President Rodrigo Duterte today witnessed the turnover of check worth PHP65 million donated by the Chinese government for soldiers who sustained injuries in the conflict in Marawi City.
— Update Philippines

Laguna under state of calamity after ‘Maring’ leaves P18-M in damage
Provinces in Southern Luzon experienced improved weather condition on Wednesday, a day after Tropical Depression “Maring” dumped heavy rains, triggering widespread flooding that displaced thousands of residents.
— Inquirer.net

PH to begin importing renowned Argentinian beef
The Philippine government is set to start the importation of beef from Argentina after three companies from the country received accreditation from the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Senators warn of ‘deadlock’ if House insists on P1,000 CHR budget
Senators on Wednesday, September 13, warned of a deadlock should the House of Representatives insist on the measly P1,000 budget for the Commission on Human Rights for 2018, as they vowed to restore the CHR’s full allocation.
— Rappler

This Stock Soared 400% Thanks to Grounded Jets and In-Flight Food
Behind the five-fold increase in MacroAsia Corp. shares this year is a venture’s expanded jet service and maintenance business. The company is the top performer among the 274 equities listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange, with its market value approaching $300 million. More gains may lie ahead.
— Bloomberg

Feature photo Adam Cohn
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 September 14 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on September 14, 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.