Philippines Morning News For February 6

Philippines on China military build-up: No war option
The Philippines has declared that war is not an option in resolving its dispute with China, which was found to have continued its military build-up in disputed South China Sea areas, declared by a UN arbitration court to belong to Manila.
— Al Jazeera

Philippine senator seeks legislative probe of Duterte’s bank transactions
A Philippine senator and staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday filed a resolution seeking a legislative inquiry into whether Duterte and his eldest daughter had concealed assets amounting to almost US$2 million.
— Channel NewsAsia

Sanofi rejects refund, indemnity
Sanofi Pasteur, the French pharmaceutical firm behind Dengvaxia, rejected yesterday an appeal from the Philippine government to refund about P1.8 billion in payment for used doses of its controversial anti-dengue vaccine and put up an indemnity fund for those administered with the vaccine, who later developed serious or fatal cases of dengue.
— Manila Bulletin

Tourism plan needs P2.3-trillion funding from private sector
THE country needs over P2 trillion in private-sector investments in the country’s key tourism destinations to lift foreign-visitor arrivals to 12 million by 2022.
— BusinessMirror

Philippines immunisation rates plummet amid Dengue vaccination scare
Parents in the Philippines are refusing to immunise their children against polio, chicken pox and tetanus amid a nationwide scare over a dengue vaccine, which has killed 14 children.
— Telegraph

More OFWs losing jobs due to Middle East tension
Hundreds of Filipino workers abroad are now being displaced because of the political and economic turmoil in the Middle East, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
— BusinessMirror

Fast Asia Open: Australia rates decision, Philippines CPI
Jay Powell vowed to maintain the resilience of America’s financial system as he was sworn in as the new chairman of the Federal Reserve on Monday amid a shaky spell for stock markets.
— The Financial Times

Philippine Senator Demands $74 Million Refund, Penalty for Overweight Trains
The president of the Philippine Senate is demanding that a Chinese light-rail train maker refund $74 million for 48 overweight trains and be blacklisted from all future government projects.
— Caixin Global

Pork leads Philippine meat imports in 2017
Pork accounted for the bulk of the Philippines’ meat imports in 2017 at 305,479 tonnes, posting a 10.65% increase from the 2016 figures, according to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).
— Black Sea Grain

Philippines forges stronger ties with Turkey, Hungary
The Philippines continues to strengthen its engagement with Turkey and Hungary in line with President Duterte’s vision to diversify and strengthen the country’s trade and investment relationship with non-traditional partners.
— Philstar

Nightfall in Philippine slum revives spectre of deaths in drugs war
As night falls in Manila, the Philippine capital, few of the 700 families living in the sprawling portside shanty town known as Market 3 dare to venture out of their homes.
— Channel NewsAsia

Investments approved by BOI up 538% in Jan
INVESTMENT projects approved by the Board of Investments (BOI) in January increased 538 percent to P51.3 billion from P8 billion a year earlier.
— The Manila Times

VACC, PAO sue Health officials
THE VOLUNTEERS Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) and the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) have filed administrative and civil cases against officials of the Department of Health (DoH) in connection with the controversial dengue immunization program.
— The Manila Times

Villar vows to go after rice cartels manipulating prices
Senator Cynthia A. Villar vowed on Monday to go after smugglers and cartel members foisting speculations about a looming rice-supply shortage to jack up prices, despite ample rice stocks.
— BusinessMirror

Lack of condom use contributes to rising HIV infections in PH
The Philippines remains a hotbed of HIV infection, with reported cases rising partly due to a lack of condom use and also partly due to insufficient sex education.
— Rappler

Which PH institutions are holding fast?
At the launch of the 2017-2018 Rule of Law Index of the World Justice Project (WJP) in Washington, I joined a panel of speakers tasked to discuss some of its implications.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

PH, Turkey to boost trade, economic cooperation
The Philippines and Turkey are set to kick off their Joint Committee for Trade, Economic and Technical Cooperation (JCTEC) on Tuesday to discuss strengthening of bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
— Philippine News Agency

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 February 6 added by Leakhena Khat on February 6, 2018
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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.