Philippines Morning News For October 25

Chinese tourists to Philippines in three quarters of 2018 exceeds last year total
The number of Chinese tourists to the Philippines during the first three quarters of 2018 has exceeded the full-year total in 2017, reaching over 970,000, the Philippine Department of Tourism said on Wednesday.
— Xinhua

More PH schools enter Asian university rankings
THE University of the Philippines (UP) took the 72nd spot in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Top 500 Universities in Asia.
— The Manila Times

TRAIN collections ahead of target at P33.7 billion
REVENUE generated by the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law amounted to P33.7 billion in the first half, exceeding the P30.1 billion target, the Department of Finance (DoF) said.
— BusinessWorld Online

Duterte orders arrest of ex-Customs exec
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday ordered the arrest of former Bureau of Customs (BoC) intelligence officer Jimmy Guban, who has been linked to the entry of P6.8 billion worth of shabu or methamphetamine concealed in four imported magnetic lifters found in a Cavite warehouse.
— The Manila Times

Oil excise suspension to cut inflation by 0.2%
THE suspension of the fuel excise tax increase in 2019, a matter on which the Executive and Congress have reached a consensus as part of inflation-busting measures, is seen to reduce the country’s inflation level by 0.2 percentage point, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said on Wednesday.
— Business Mirror

Infographic: New rules for Boracay reopening
The Department of Tourism recently released updated rules for the reopening of world famous Boracay island on October 26.
— The Philippine Star

Italian company offers $1-B loan to build PH grain silos
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has received an offer from an Italian government-funded company to finance the building of agricultural facilities worth $1 billion to boost the National food Authority’s (NFA) palay procurement.
— The Manila Times

Service robots to be deployed in SM malls
SM Supermalls has sealed a partnership with Cal-Comp Technology (Philippines), Inc. for the launch of New Era AI Robotic service robots.
— Manila Bulletin

Employers offer P20 minimum wage hike
An employers group finds “acceptable” a P20 increase in daily minimum wage for workers in Metro Manila, an amount that is way below the P344 that a labor group is seeking to allow them to recover lost purchasing power.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Duterte bans ‘thank you’ streamers in Boracay
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat has been instructed by President Duterte to tell stakeholders not to post streamers and billboards thanking him for the rehabilitation of Boracay, as he does not want to be glorified.
— The Philippine Star

3rd telco’s entry to boost implementation of work-from-home bill
Senator Joel Villanueva said Wednesday the entry of a third telecommunications service provider could boost the implementation of the proposed Telecommuting Act or the Work-From-Home Act.
— Philippine News Agency

Xiamen Air pays Philippines initial ₱16M for plane mishap – MIAA
China’s Xiamen Air has paid the Philippine government an initial ₱16 million to cover the cost of removing its aircraft which skidded off the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s main runway in August.
— CNN Philippines

Industry sees 14% drop in auto sales
The domestic motor vehicle industry expects a 14 percent decline in sales this year, worst since the Asian financial crisis, as the TRAIN Law plus other economic factors especially high inflation contributed to dampen growth.
— Manila Bulletin

DoF: Debt ratios of Philippines lower than most of Asian neighbors
The Philippines has become one of the fastest-growing emerging economies with debt ratios lower than its Asian neighbors, from being a highly-indebted developing country in the 1980s, the Department of Finance said Wednesday.
— Manilastandard.net

Collectius is Spearheading the First Secured Portfolio in the Philippines When Taking Over 40 Million USD Nonperforming Loan (NPLs) Portfolio With Cars as Collateral
Collectius is spearheading the first secured portfolio in the Philippines when taking over 40 million USD non-performing loan (NPLs) portfolio with cars as collateral.
— AEC News Today/ PR Newswire (media release)

BSP cuts 7-day, 28-day TDF offering for next week’s auction
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) cut the offering for the seven and 28-day Term Deposit Facilities (TDF) in its auction on October 31, 2018.
— Philippine News Agency

US sets PHL sugar export quota for 2018-2019
THE United States has allocated an initial volume of 142,160 metric tons raw value (MTRV) or 136,201 metric tons commercial weight (MTCW) of sugar for the Philippines as its quota for 2018-2019, according to Sugar Order No. 3 of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).
— BusinessWorld Online

Lifting of ban on small-scale mining nixed
Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu has turned down a petition to lift the ban on small-scale mining in the Cordillera.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Employers warn of wage increase repercussions
EMPLOYERS’ GROUPS argued before Metro Manila’s wage board in consultations on Wednesday that the hefty increase in daily minimum pay for private sector workers sought by labor groups would hit businesses — especially micro, small- and medium-scale enterprises — hard and will likely cause inflation to spike further.
— BusinessWorld Online

S.S.S. opens additional debt payment scheme to ‘delinquent’ employers
The Social Security System (SSS) has opened a new debt payment scheme for qualified delinquent employers who are experiencing financial difficulties in fulfilling their outstanding obligations to the state-run pension fund.
— Business Mirror

DBM allots P3 billion for 10,000 Police Officer 1 posts
To further beef up the country’s police force, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) yesterday allocated P3 billion in the Philippine National Police (PNP)’s budget for the creation of 10,000 Police Officer 1 positions next year.
— The Philippine Star

AFP: Massacre of farmers ‘a sinister plot’ by Reds
THE Oct. 20 massacre of nine sugar farmers in Sagay City, Negros Occidental, is “a sinister plot” by communist rebels in line with their destabilization of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s government, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
— BusinessWorld Online

PLDT brings Google WiFi to Philippines
Philippines operator PLDT has launched the Google WiFi service on the local market.
— Telecompaper

China Bank Savings hosts DepEd Venture financial wellness meet for Central Luzon tutors
A financial wellness meet for Central Luzon teachers dubbed “CBS DepEd Venture 2.0: Alay sa Mga Guro” was held at the Grand Palazzo Royale here on Friday.
— Business Mirror

Suarez files House resolution supporting Arroyo’s IPU pullout bid
Minority Leader Danilo Suarez has filed a resolution expressing the “support” of the House of the Representatives for the proposed withdrawal of the Philippines from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
— Rappler

PNPA head relieved over ‘oral hazing’
Acting Interior Secretary Eduardo Año has ordered the relief of the head of the Philippine National Police Academy over the alleged “oral sex punishment” and hazing on underclassmen by senior cadets, an official said Wednesday.
— Manilastandard.net

Quezon City property tax hike gets Supreme Court nod
The Supreme Court (SC) has allowed the Quezon City government to implement an ordinance increasing the market value of land in the city and its corresponding real estate tax.
— The Philippine Star

Campaign to end child rape launched in Iloilo
Ilonggo stakeholders gathered to express support behind the campaign to increase the age of sexual consent for statutory rape to at least 16 or older to protect children’s rights against exploitation.
— Philippine News Agency

Cashalo exec cites importance of financial literacy
Several entities offering financial products have tapped financial technology or fintech to more efficiently cater to their target market, which is normally the underserved or the unbanked population.
— Philippine Canadian Inquirer

13 Taiwanese, 2 Chinese, 7 Filipinos arrested for telecommunications fraud in Ilocos Norte
Thirteen Taiwanese, 2 Chinese, and 7 Filipino helpers were arrested by personnel of the police’s Anti-Cybercrime Group in Sitio 1 in the village of Medina in Dingras, Ilocos Norte last October 4, for allegedly conducting illegal outbound calls to China, a telecommunications fraud.
— Northbound Philippines

Some rice vendors worried over new SRPs
As the new suggested retail prices and labeling rules for rice near implementation, vendors are expressing some concerns over the measures.
— ABS-CBN News (video)

Makati caravan benefits 60k
Mayor Abigail Binay on Tuesday said some 60,209 residents of 33 barangays in Makati City have availed various free services offered through the Lingkod Bayan Caravan held every Saturday in a designated barangay.
— Manilastandard.net

KLM’s ‘Tune into your Travel’ makes waiting more pleasant
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines makes waiting at airports more pleasant and launched ‘Tune into your Travel’.
— AEC News Today/ PR Newswire (media release)

Development of eggplant varieties in the Philippines
Eggplant is considered to be the top vegetable crop of the Philippines. It is also the 16th most highly-consumed Filipino crop.
— Fresh Plaza

Feature photo Michael McDonald

This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo acknowledges World Development Information Day, October 24.

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 October 25 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on October 25, 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.