Philippines Morning News For December 13

Infra spending up 50% in 10 months
Construction of more roads, health facilities, school buildings as well as local projects in Mindanao nearly doubled the national government’s infrastructure expenditures in October to P94.4 billion, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said on Wednesday.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Ecozone investments plunge 44% in 11 months
Investments approved by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) dropped 43.98 percent in 11 months this year compared to last year as all sectors, except information technology (IT), recorded declines.
— The Philippine Star

ADB sees PH inflation at 10-year high
The Asian Development Bank sees inflation in the Philippines hitting a 10-year high of 5.3 percent in 2018 even as the central bank’s aggressive interest rate hikes in the past months were expected to ease consumer price increases in the near term.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Philippine MPs approve martial rule extension for south
The Philippine Congress granted President Rodrigo Duterte’s request to extend martial law in the country’s south until the end of 2019 on Wednesday, ignoring opposition warnings of a creep towards authoritarian rule.
— Bangkok Post

PH growth second fastest in Southeast Asia: ADB
The Philippines is expected to become the second fastest growing economy in Southeast Asia after Vietnam over the next years, supported by robust public and private investment, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said.
— PTV News

Lacson: P9 billion in ‘pork’ lump sum now available for urgent items in 2019 budget
Senator Panfilo Lacson bared on Wednesday that at least P9 billion in “pork” lump sums will now be available for “urgent” items in the proposed P3.7-trillion budget for 2019.
— Business Mirror

Slowing inflation may force BSP to cut rates in 2019
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas may opt to cut interest rates by the second quarter of 2019 if inflation continues to decelerate in the coming months, the local unit of Dutch financial giant ING Bank said Wednesday.
— Manilastandard.net

PHL salaries seen growing 6% in 2019 — Mercer
HUMAN RESOURCES consultancy Mercer said it expects Philippine salaries to increase 6% in 2019 as companies seek out new skills to deal with digital disruption to their business models.
— BusinessWorld Online

P1 million reward offered for capture of gunman who killed Baguio imam
Muslims from Marawi said they have collected P1 million to serve as a reward for the capture of the gunman in the shooting of Imam Bedejim Abdullah.
— ABS-CBN News

Firm to spend P1.8B to build 5 new ferries
The operator of FastCat ferry service is tapping a P1.8-billion loan to build new ships as part of a two-year modernization drive.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

DOH: Measles cases breach 18,000 from 3,800 in 2017
From 3,804 in 2017, cases of measles ballooned to over 18,000 this year, health officials reported yesterday.
— The Philippine Star

Gov’t raises another P2.5B in bonds via tap facility
THE GOVERNMENT raised another P2.47 billion via the seven-year bonds on Tuesday after it opened its tap facility to accommodate excess demand from investors.
— BusinessWorld Online

MRC Allied to build P67-M solar rooftop for Mindanao mall
MRC Allied Inc. (MRC) continues to broaden its portfolio of solar projects after signing a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with a mall operator in Mindanao for a P67-million 1.1-megawatt solar photovoltaic rooftop system.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Higher fines for illegally parked vehicles take effect Dec. 17
VEHICLES parked in undesignated areas and/or caught obstructing traffic flow will be slapped higher fines beginning Monday, Dec. 17, after the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) published on Dec. 12 the related guidelines under Regulation No. 18-008.
— BusinessWorld Online

DTI to regulate flat glass as safety fears aired
THE government will again regulate flat glass under the draft department administrative order (DAO) of the country’s trade agency, following calls from business leaders to do so.
— Business Mirror

SWS: More than half of Filipinos believe U.S. will defend PH vs. invaders
More than half of Filipinos believe the United States will come to the country’s defense in case of a foreign invasion, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) poll.
— CNN Philippines

Ressa’s Time citation: A ‘recognition of the tenacity’ of Philippine press, says NUJP
“The selection of Maria (Ressa as one of Time’s Person of the Year) is a recognition of the resistance and tenacity of the Philippine press in upholding truth and fighting for the freedom of the press and expression,” the National Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said in a statement on Wednesday.
— Inquirer.net

How China’s love of online betting is boosting the Philippine property sector
The Chinese passion for betting has become a major driver of the Philippine property market.
— The Star Online

Agus rehab estimate lowered to P37-40B
THE National Power Corp. (Napocor) expects the rehabilitation of the Agus hydroelectric power plant complex to cost between P37-P40 billion, lower than the P50 billion previously anticipated by the government.
— BusinessWorld Online

Balangiga Bells on display for public viewing at PAF museum
The newly-returned Balangiga Bells will be on display and public viewing at the Philippine Air Force (PAF) Aerospace Museum at Villamor Air Base, Sales Road, Pasay City until Thursday.
— Philippine News Agency

House ratifies National Cancer Center bill
The House of Representatives has ratified the reconciled version of a bill seeking to establish a national integrated cancer control program, a lawmaker said Wednesday.
— ABS-CBN News

Daiwa offers funding for PH infra
Tokyo-based Daiwa Securities Group has offered to help provide funding for the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” program and continue its support for the Philippines’ future yen-denominated bond issuances in the Japanese market, the Department of Finance (DOF) said.
— Manila Bulletin

Diokno not involved? Sorsogon got P10-B infra projects in 2018 – Andaya
House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr still does not buy Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno’s assertion that he did not influence the approval of billions of pesos worth of infrastructure projects in Sorsogon for 2018.
— Rappler

House urges Duterte to reconsider Diokno’s appointment
The House of Representatives on Wednesday adopted a resolution urging President Rodrigo Duterte to reconsider the appointment of Department of Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno.
— Philippine News Agency

P13.4M road turned-over to AgSur farmers
The most awaited road that is expected to lessen the mobility cost of goods and services and provide easy access to market for farmers was recently turned-over to farmers during the Project ConVERGE’ Midterm Review Mission held recently at Barangay Concepcion Covered Court, Sta. Josefa, Agusan del Sur.
— Philippine Information Agency

The NPA arms landing that convinced Marcos to declare Martial Law
NPA fighters trekked through the Sierra Madre to Digoyo Point in Isabela where a grand arms landing was about to take place from aboard the MV Karagatan.
— ABS-CBN News

NEDA asks gov’t to support exports as trade gap worsens
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) appealed to government to “be bolder” in supporting the exports sector as the country’s trade balance swelled in October 2018.
— Rappler

PH, Israel sign labor agreement
THE Philippines and Israel signed a labor agreement that would allow close to 1,000 Filipinos to work in hotels in Israel.
— The Manila Times

Cigarette price at P20 per stick can stop youth from smoking
Studies show that smoking or tobacco use remains to be the biggest preventable cause of death, disabilities and diseases across nations.
— Philippine News Agency

Ayala group accounts for 20% of P1-trillion PH bond market
The Ayala group of companies has listed a total of P203.13 billion worth of bonds this year, making up about 20 percent of the Philippine bond market today.
— Manila Bulletin

Nokia testing emergency drone tech system in PH
The industrial research arm of Nokia has partnered with Smart communications and the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) in a disaster-response initiative called “Nokia Saving Lives.”
— ABS-CBN News (video)

First hybrid trimaran takes off in PH
NAVAL architects in the Philippines are excited over the ongoing construction in New Washington town in Aklan province of the P96-million “Hybrid Trimaran Project,” a fastcraft that would be utilizing mix of gas and ocean wave energy, which will be the first in the world.
— The Manila Times

Makati government, consortium ink MOU on $3.7-billion subway
THE Makati city government has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a consortium to pave the way of the ambitious Makati Subway Project expected to be completed by 2023.
— Business Mirror

Gov’t wants more laws repealed for business
THE TRADE DEPARTMENT as well as other state agencies and offices have identified a host of laws either for repeal or amendment in their bid to further ease the burden on small businesses and to improve public services.
— BusinessWorld Online

Mass housing sector developers seek TRABAHO Bill incentives
The Subdivision and Housing Development Association (SHDA) said it would press its request for the inclusion of housing units costing up to P3 million in Metro Manila and above P2 million outside Metro Manila to be eligible for tax incentives and as priority sector under the TRABAHO (Tax Reform for Attracting Better and High-quality Opportunities) Bill.
— Manila Bulletin

Additional building safety rules to be implemented in Davao City
BUILDINGS and other gathering areas in the city will soon be required to have photo-luminescent safety and directional markings leading to exit points as an additional safety measure in case of fire and other emergencies.
— BusinessWorld Online

Filipinos among the least generous in Southeast Asia–poll
FILIPINOS are among the least generous people in Southeast Asia, with only a few donating money to a charity and volunteering their time to an organization, according to a global Gallup poll involving 146 countries.
— Business Mirror

Demand for term deposits surges
DEMAND FOR term deposits soared this week, with players crowding the one-week tenor ahead of the central bank’s rate-setting meeting.
— BusinessWorld Online

13 PDEA informants get P3.16-M reward
A total of 13 informants received cash rewards amounting to more than PHP3.176 million from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Wednesday.
— Philippine News Agency

DICT targets 500k digital workers
THE Department of Information and Communications Technology targets to train some 500,000 unemployed Filipino workers from the provinces to make them globally-competitive digital workers by 2022.
— Manilastandard.net

Gov’t to provide skills training to PUV drivers, operators
Drivers and operators, who will be affected by the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), will be provided skills and livelihood training programs through a partnership between the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA).
— Philippine News Agency

Feature photo World Bank

This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo acknowledges International Universal Health Coverage Day, December 12.

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 December 13 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on December 13, 2018
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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.