Philippines Morning News For September 19

Ompong death count rises to 73
The death toll from Typhoon Ompong has risen to 73, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP), even as rescuers continue to search for victims of the massive landslide in Barangay Ucab, Itogon, Benguet.
— Business Mirror

PAGASA: Brace for 4-5 more typhoons as powerful as ‘Ompong’
Filipinos should brace for four to five more tropical cyclones that could be as powerful as Typhoon Ompong (international name Mangkhut) in the last quarter of the year, an official of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said yesterday.
— The Philippine Star

Asean office space Q2 2018: Manila rallies, Bangkok balloons, Phnom Penh flat, KL in the red
Amidst the slow growth of property markets across the Asia-Pacific region the Philippine capital of Manila leads recording the strongest growth in the second quarter of this year (Q2 2018).
— AEC News Today

Philippines typhoon: Families line up to identify landslide dead
“We have two more bodies to identify,” an official told the crowd through a megaphone as they lined up in the sweltering heat Tuesday.
— CNN

Philippines plans to tap World Bank loan to assist recovery from ‘Ompong’
The Philippine government is looking into tapping a $500-million credit line from the World Bank to fund recovery and reconstruction efforts after typhoon Ompong (international name: Mangkhut) lashed northern Luzon over the weekend.
— The Philippine Star

Gov’t to lose P40-B profit from ban on small mines
The elimination of small-scale mining operations in the country could translate to as much as P40 billion profit loss, Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Director Wilfredo Moncano said.
— Manila Bulletin

Investment pledges drop 27% in 7 months
Combined projects approved by main investment promotion agencies Board of Investments (BOI) and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) declined 27 percent from January to July compared to a year ago.
— The Philippine Star

DOLE allocates P44-M for ‘Ompong’-affected workers in Region 2
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has allocated over PHP44 million to provide emergency employment to workers affected by Typhoon Ompong in four provinces and one city in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley).
— Philippine News Agency

S. Korea To Offer $300,000 In Aid For Typhoon-hit Philippines
South Korea said Tuesday it will provide the Philippines with US$300,000 in cash, as the country has suffered huge typhoon damages.
— UrduPoint

Inflation seen easing up in 4th quarter
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas expects inflation to slow down in the fourth quarter, even though the country can expect five to six more typhoons before the close of the year.
— Manilastandard.net

Philippines expects up to 5 more typhoons until end of 2018
The Philippines could be battered by as many as five more typhoons until the end of 2018, the state weather bureau warned on Tuesday.
— Xinhua

Israel firm to invest $50m in manufacturing weapons in Philippines
An Israeli company is set to invest about $50 million in a weapons factory in the Philippines next year, Filipino media reports have revealed.
— Middle East Monitor

Globe Telecom Goes Live with Incognito to Improve Digital Home Broadband Experience
Incognito Software Systems, a global provider of device and service management solutions for digital service providers, today announced that Globe Telecom, Inc., one of the largest and fastest growing mobile, fixed line, and broadband operators in the Philippines, is in production with Incognito’s Digital Home Experience Solution.
— AEC News Today/ PR Newswire (media release)

Jail for Kiwi who spent $100,000 to watch sexual abuse of Filipino kids
A millionaire local politician from New Zealand has been jailed for more than four years for the online sexual abuse of Filipino children.
— Philippines Lifestyle News

EU readies P126-M aid for ‘Ompong’ victims
The European Union (EU) on Tuesday mobilized an emergency aid package worth EUR2 million or approximately PHP125.06 million to support the victims of Typhoon Ompong (Mangkhut) in the Philippines.
— Philippine News Agency

PCSO donates P10M to Red Cross
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) recently donated P10 million in financial assistance to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to enhance its programs and services, especially in times of calamities and disasters.
— The Manila Times

Increase in Philippines’ F&B spending will drive local online grocery market growth
Strong growth in local Filipino food and beverage spending is set to propel e-commerce activity in the Philippines, especially in online mass grocery retail (MGR).
— Food Navigator-Asia

15,000 health workers to lose jobs, Senators decry DOH budget cut
A budget cut in the Health Department in 2019 could lead to massive job losses among health workers, but some senators say they will not allow it.
— CNN Philippines

5.3-M households to benefit from DSWD’s poverty alleviation drive
A total of 5,387,000 households stand to benefit from the government’s poverty alleviation program nationwide, an official of the Department of Social Welfare and Development said on Tuesday.
— Philippine News Agency

House passes bill creating Dep’t of Disaster Resilience on 2nd reading
The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on second reading a measure creating the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR), a legislative priority of the Duterte administration.
— Manila Bulletin

Philippines to become upper-middle income country by 2019 – Pernia
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia asserted that the Philippines is poised to climb to a higher income band despite headwinds in the economy.
— Rappler

House okays P51-B realignment in 2019 budget
The House of Representatives, convening as the Committee of the Whole, on Tuesday approved a report proposing the realignment of at least PHP51.792 billion of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget for 2019 to fund various programs of other government agencies.
— Philippine News Agency

Lawmakers wash hands off P55-B budget insertion
Lawmakers have denied their involvement in the alleged insertion of P55 billion in “pork” in the proposed 2019 national budget that led to the suspension of Monday’s plenary deliberations at the House of Representatives.
— The Manila Times

Coca-Cola stands firm amid criticism of ‘human rights violations’ in South East Asia
Coca-Cola has denied allegations of human rights violations against workers across the globe, including in Indonesia and the Philippines.
— Food Navigator-Asia

SC junks BIR bid to collect P3 billion from Shell, Petron
The Supreme Court (SC) has thumbed down a petition filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) that seeks to collect around P3 billion in alleged tax liabilities from oil giants Pilipinas Shell Corp. and Petron Corp.
— ABS-CBN

Kalanggaman Island tourism income jumps to P18.5 Million
TOURISM INCOME from Kalanggaman Island jumped to P18.5 million in 2017 from only P2 million the previous year, the Leyte provincial office reported.
— BusinessWorld Online

‘Ompong’ leaves Nueva Vizcaya with P280 million in crop damages
Bayombong—Typhoon “Ompong” has left the province with an initial damage to agriculture worth more than P280 million.
— Manilastandard.net

Pacquiao is new chair of Senate ethics panel
Senator Manny Pacquiao was elected Tuesday as chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, replacing Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
— Philippine News Agency

PBCom offers 5.5-year LTNCDs for long-term funding
THE PHILIPPINE Bank of Communications (PBCom) started offering long-term negotiable certificates of time deposit (LTNCD) on Monday to strengthen its long-term funding.
— BusinessWorld Online

Dubai firm interested to partner with PNOC to build PHL’s LNG hub
LLOYDS Energy Group of Dubai has expressed interest to submit soon a solicited proposal to the Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) for a partnership to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) hub in the country.
— Business Mirror

DOJ OKs filing estafa cases against 5 SMHC partners in Skyway 3 project
The Department of Justice (DOJ) approved the filing of syndicated estafa charges against 3 Indonesian businessmen and 2 Filipinos, for allegedly duping San Miguel Holdings Corporation (SMHC) of P32.6 million.
— Rappler

Myanmar to overtake PH if corruption not addressed: PRRD
President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday warned that Myanmar will overtake the Philippines if corruption as well as peace and order problem will not be addressed immediately.
— Philippine News Agency

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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 19 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on September 19, 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.