Philippines morning news for August 15

Philippines morning news for August 15
Advertisement
Online English lessons

Philippines morning news

US group sees expansion of PH drug war killings to crackdown on Left
Attacks on civilians in the Philippines now included the killing of members and leaders of protest groups branded as communists, aggravating the violence arising from the government’s bloody campaign against drugs and increasing risks of a free fall to authoritarian rule, according to a United States-based conflict research and analysis group.
— Inquirer.net

Philippines hardest hit as dengue cuts a deadly path through Asean
The Philippines remains the hardest hit of Asean member states reporting outbreaks of the debilitating and frequently fatal mosquito born disease dengue this year, with more than 720 deaths and a further 167,000 people infected between January 1 and July 27.
— AEC News Today

Foreign researchers in EEZ must ‘turn over command, control’ to Filipinos
oreigners wanting to conduct maritime research within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) must “turn over command and control” to Filipinos, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Wednesday.
— Inquirer.net

Office of the President ordered to answer Rappler’s plea vs ban on Palace coverage
The Supreme Court has ordered the Office of the President and other government agencies to answer the petition filed by Rappler last April questioning the ban on one of its reporters from covering President Rodrigo Duterte.
— Inquirer.net

Military: Chinese warships seen passing through PHL territorial waters anew
-Chinese warships have been spotted passing through Philippine territorial waters anew, the military said on Wednesday, Aug. 14. Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said the two Chinese warships were first spotted by the Navy in Sibutu Strait in July.
— Eagle News

Power consumers get P1.7-B refund – PEMC
POWER consumers in the country can expect some relief in paying their electricity bills after the Philippine Electricity Market Corp. (PEMC) reported that the P1.774-billion refund ordered by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) because of overbilling has been implemented.
— The Manila Times

Vehicle sales pick up pace in 7 months
Vehicle sales further picked up in July, finally bringing year-to-date take-up at a faster pace than last year to signal a recovery for the local automotive industry.
— The Philippine Star

Ex-PhilHealth officials name members of ‘mafia’ in agency
Former PhilHealth officials named members of an alleged mafia in the agency in today’s Senate Blue Ribbon Committee probe.
— CNN Philippines

Tolentino wants white-collar crimes punished by death
White-collar crimes that “leads to massive deception” should also be punishable by death, neophyte Senator Francis Tolentino said on Wednesday.
— Inquirer.net

DBM releases P2.6 billion for upgrade of DOH facilities
THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released P2.6 billion for the purchase of medical equipment and upgrade of the Department of Health (DOH) hospitals under the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP).
— Business Mirror

Lawmakers to minimize risk of 2020 budget delay
LAWMAKERS of both chambers of Congress are moving to avoid another delay in enactment of the national budget, which has put the government’s economic growth target this year at risk.
— BusinessWorld Online

Government eyes raising cement safeguard duty 40%
AS the P210 per metric ton (MT) tariff failed to stop the import surge, the government is eyeing to increase the safeguard duty on cement by over 40 percent to further protect the domestic industry, as recommended by the Tariff Commission.
— Business Mirror

DoE to evaluate 3 exploration bids, warns participating firms to meet qualifying requirements
THE Department of Energy (DoE) has warned three entities which nominated areas to explore for possible petroleum or gas deposits that it will disqualify any of them should they fail to meet eligibility requirements.
— BusinessWorld Online

Zambo City remains in state of calamity due to drought
This city remains in a state of calamity due to drought as water resources continue to deplete despite the rains in recent weeks.
— Philippine News Agency

Sufficient workforce for ‘Build, Build, Build’–Tugade
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said on Wednesday there are enough workers for the administration’s “Build, Build, Build” projects.
— Business Mirror

Israeli firm unveils $100-million loan to build agri processing sites
AN Israeli firm on Wednesday launched a $100-million loan facility for the construction of domestic agricultural processing facilities as part of the deals signed by President Duterte during his state visit to Israel last year.
— Business Mirror

DFA signals openness to bigger foreign role in EEZ surveys
FOREIGN AFFAIRS Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. is considering opening up marine surveys of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zones (EEZs) to more foreign participation, subject to the condition that they use Philippine ships or cede leadership of the survey mission to Filipinos.
— BusinessWorld Online

SKorea donates $9.5M to boost Quirino agribusiness
The South Korean government, through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica), has provided a $9.5-million (P475-million) grant for Quirino to help boost agribusiness in the province.
— The Manila Times

Death creeps at door of error-plagued Philippine justice system
IN A FEW DAYS, 49-year-old Jun Allego will walk free after spending more than half of his life in jail.
— BusinessWorld Online

AFP seeks tougher counterterrorism law
Citing rising terror threats, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said there is now greater urgency to amend to the Human Security Act for security forces to better deal with the problem without having to worry about legal repercussions.
— The Philippine Star

PAO lawyers ask Ombudsman to suspend chief, forensics head
Lawyers from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) have asked the Ombudsman to suspend the agency’s head, Persida Acosta, and forensics chief Erwin Erfe for alleged corruption.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Año bats for revival of Anti-Subversion law
Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año backed calls for the revival of the Anti-Subversion Law on Wednesday, saying it would be a weapon against the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), its armed wing, the New People’s Army, (NPA) and its front organizations.
— The Manila Times

Philippine activists rally against Japan’s failure to repent for wartime atrocities
Up to 30 Philippine activists took to the streets on Wednesday to condemn Japan’s refusal to “repent for its wartime atrocities” 74 years after the end of World War II.
— Xinhuanet

House panel OKs second tranche of tax reform
A House panel approved on Wednesday the bill which seeks to reduce corporate income tax rates and update the current fiscal incentives program.
— CNN Philippines

FDA approves TB pill that cures more hard-to-treat patients
TRENTON, N.J. – U.S. regulators Wednesday approved a new tuberculosis medicine that shortens and improves treatment for the hardest-to-treat cases, a worsening problem in many poor countries.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

DPWH lines up P620.6-M flood control projects in Pangasinan
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) fourth engineering district office in Pangasinan has 22 flood control projects underway for towns and cities in the province, an official said Wednesday.
— Philippine News Agency

IBP, Chel Diokno ask SC to allow withdrawal of petition for writ of kalikasan
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines and human rights lawyer Chel Diokno have asked the Supreme Court to grant their motion to withdraw the petition for a writ of kalikasan they filed in behalf of several fishermen.
— GMA News

Balanga’s nature park declared ecotourism zone
President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law declaring the Balanga Wetland and Nature Park (BWNP) located in Barangay Tortugas, City of Balanga, Bataan as a community-based ecotourism zone.
— Philippine News Agency

Pasay City barangay chairman shot dead
A barangay chairman was shot dead by motorcycle-riding gunmen in Pasay City Wednesday afternoon.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

PSC allots another P1.2 billion for athletes training in bid to win SEA Games overall title
There was never a time in the history of Philippine sports that a government agency has allotted—and is prepared to spend—over a billion pesos in preparation for a big international event such as the Southeast Asian Games.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Our rights in territorial sea vs our rights in EEZ
THE 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) estab­lished the concept of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), an area in the sea measuring 200 miles (370 kilometers) from a country’s coast.
— Tempo

Chinese investors explore Davao’s business potentials
A group of investors from Chongqing town of the People’s Republic of China will arrive on Thursday (August 15) to explore business opportunities here.
— Philippine News Agency

Pangasinan cops undergo random drug test anew
A total of 254 policemen of the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office (PPPO) underwent random drug testing from January 1 to August 13 this year as part of the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) campaign against illegal drugs and internal cleansing.
— Philippine News Agency

Decommissioning of 40K MILF combatants to encourage other groups
The successful decommissioning of 40,000 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants could encourage other armed groups in Mindanao to turn in their weapons and return to the folds of the law, according to Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito G. Galvez.
— Philippine News Agency

Napoles invokes SC ruling junking Arroyo plunder in own pork barrel case defense
Businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles has asked the Sandiganbayan to drop the plunder case against her as one of the co-accused in the P183 million plunder case involving pork barrel funds leveled against former Senator Jinggoy Estrada due to the prosecution’s failure to identify the main plunderer.
— GMA News

2 Duterte Cabinet members ‘under investigation for corruption’
Two Cabinet members are being investigated by the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), the body created by President Rodrigo Duterte to weed out his abusive appointees.
— Rappler

DOTr awards Bulacan airport to San Miguel
The Department of Transportation said Wednesday it issued the notice of award to San Miguel Holdings Corp. for the P734-billion Bulacan International Airport project.
— Manilastandard.net

More fisherfolk withdraw writ of kalikasan petition to protect West Philippine Sea
Eighteen more fishermen have opted to withdraw a writ of kalikasan petition before the Supreme Court, based on a filing by their counsel the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) on Wednesday.
— ABS-CBN News

10-year-old boy eaten by crocodile in Palawan town
A boy was killed after being snatched from a boat by a saltwater crocodile in the southern Philippines, as the reptiles’ shrinking habitat leads to repeated attacks, authorities said Wednesday, August 14.
— Rappler

Duterte signs law creating PH Coast Guard General Hospital
The Philippine Coast Guard will now have a hospital dedicated to its personnel, their children, and retirees under a new law signed by President Rodrigo Duterte this month.
— Rappler

Will PH give up control of seas in 60-40 joint exploration deal with China? Expert asks
Will the government “give up control and supervision of the activity” as part of the “60-40” sharing scheme for joint exploration in the South China Sea?
— Spratly Islands

DPWH urged to stop firm from dredging in Cagayan for operating without permit
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) should stop the dredging activity in Cagayan due to the absence of a necessary permit.
— Inquirer.net

200 execs subjected to lifestyle check –PACC
At least 200 government officials have been subjected to a lifestyle check by the anti-corruption agency formed by President Rodrigo Duterte.
— GMA News

Senators scold PhilHealth for lack of safeguards
SENATORS on Wednesday scolded officials of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) for failing to enforce safeguards against fraud.
— BusinessWorld Online

PNP beefs up ‘cyber-patrolling’ vs. terror attacks
The Philippine National Police (PNP) will strengthen its cyber-patrolling to curb illegal and terrorism-related activities in online platforms.Brig. Gen.
— Philippine News Agency

Locsin: For now, only PH-flagged ships can conduct marine survey in EEZ
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Wednesday said only Philippine-flagged ships are allowed to conduct marine survey in the country’s waters for now.
— Inquirer.net

CHR condemns discrimination vs. transgender woman who used ladies’ room at QC mall
“The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) strongly condemns the discrimination faced by Gretchen Custodio Diez on Tuesday, August 13, while at a Cubao mall,” the CHR said in a statement.
— GMA News

Duque: No conflict of interest in family business dealings with gov’t
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said on Wednesday, August 14, that there was no conflict of interest in his family businesses’ dealings with the government when led the health department under a previous and current administrations.
— Rappler

LTFRB ordered to approve all valid TNVS applications
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Wednesday directed the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to implement the order of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) to automatically approve all valid transport network vehicles services (TNVS) applications.
— Philippine News Agency

TESDA to conduct skills training for FRs in SurSur town
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), led by its Provincial Director Rey Cueva, has expressed its commitment to extend the agency’s services to the Former Rebels (FRs) through the conduct of skills training during the recent “pulong-pulong” (dialogue) conducted on Aug. 6, 2019 in Barangay Janipaan, San Agustin town, this province.
— Philippine Information Agency

 

Feature photo Janwen

This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo focuses on the current dengue epidemic.

 

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).

 

About Philippines morning news.

Philippines morning news roundup is the most comprehensive hand-curated selection of Philippines English language news headlines published. Each weekday we scour hundreds of local and international news sites and websites to find the most recent Philippines English language news today.

We filter our the dull, the boring, the repetitive, and the click-bait and package all of the Philippines daily news that you need to know to start your day into an easy to read, time saving format of Philippines news headlines and first paragraphs before 8.15am Manila time.

We clearly identify the source of all the Philippines news headlines, whether it is behind a paywall, a media release, or whether the news site uses annoying pop-up advertising or auto-play video, in case those things annoy you too. If a website uses particularly invasive pop-up adverts, we’ll tell you.

This enables you to make an informed choice of whether you want to learn more by clicking directly through to the original Philippines news article, or keep on reading the remaining Philippines daily news headlines.

Click here to get your Philippines English language news today by email before 9am Manila time daily. Remember to watch out for the confirmation email from us to confirm your subscription. Check your trash folder if you do not see it.

For more immediate updates download the AEC News Today Mobile App from the Apple or Google stores, or follow us on Twitter.

 

#Independentmedia

Governance, not government; policies not politics.

 

The following two tabs change content below.

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.

Support independent media by sharing using these tools. Do not steal our content

Make a comment

Your email address will not be published.