Government debt payments in Q1 rise 11% to P220.2 billion
DEBT payments made by the national government as of the first quarter of 2019 amounted to P220.179 billion, increasing by 11.09 percent from the P198.2 billion recorded in the same period for 2018, with amortization outpacing interest payments for the period.
— Business Mirror
Filipino boat sinks after collision with ‘Chinese vessel’ in West Philippine Sea
A Filipino vessel sank after colliding with a suspected Chinese ship in the West Philippine Sea Sunday night, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorezana said Wednesday.
— CNN Philippines
ASEAN apologizes for using inverted PH flag
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Wednesday apologized for using an inverted Philippine flag in its Independence Day greeting.
— ABS-CBN News
Foreign tourist arrivals increased 12% in April
International tourist arrivals in April hit 662,987, up 12 percent from over 591,137 visitors year-on-year, the Tourism Department reported Wednesday.
— Manilastandard.net
$100-M WB funding sought for civil service modernization plan
The Philippines is seeking a $100-million financing from the World Bank to modernize the government’s civil service.
— Inquirer.net
Duterte regrets move to run for president, cautions Inday Sara
President Duterte on Wednesday said he regretted running for president due to the insurmountable problems he had to face, and warned his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio not to follow in his footsteps.
— Inquirer.net
Cause-oriented groups rally at Chinese Consulate to assert PH’s sovereign rights in West PH Sea
Members of cause-oriented groups held a protest in front of the Chinese Consulate in Makati City to assert the Philippines’ sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea as the nation celebrates Independence Day.
— Manila Bulletin
No revamp of airport officials as Duterte ‘sort out’ problems
President Duterte is not yet inclined to implement a revamp of airport officials despite the recent flight delays that affected passengers in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
— Manila Bulletin
BOC to collect 35% MDM tariff difference
IMPORTERS of mechanically deboned meat (MDM) of chicken whose shipments were assessed a lower tariff of 5 percent even after the effectivity of the rice trade liberalization law in March will have to pay the government more.
— Business Mirror
DBM releases P54-billion pension funds of AFP, uniformed personnel
THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released the pension requirements of military and uniformed personnel (MUP) amounting to around P54.231 billion, in line with Congress Joint Resolution (JR) 1, Series of 2018.
— Business Mirror
Reforms eyed to boost FDI inflows
FOREIGN direct investments (FDI) inflows to the Philippines dropped in 2018 even as most Southeast Asian countries saw gains that pushed the region’s overall haul for the year to an all-time high.
— BusinessWorld Online
Foreign funds to continue fleeing PHL stock market
BPI SECURITIES, Inc. sees up to $600 million worth of foreign funds exiting the local stock market this year as more investors place their funds in China, following its greater weighting on the MSCI index.
— BusinessWorld Online
Government allots P3.9 billion for TVET programs
A party-list lawmaker on Wednesday urged Filipinos, including returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), to avail themselves of the free training and job opportunities offered by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda).
— Business Mirror
China, US welcome to help PH
Supreme Court Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin, who led the flag-raising ceremony Wednesday at the Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan City, gave his own definition of independence: “It’s simple: No one else can solve our challenges and problems but us.
— Inquirer.net
Malacañang calls for probe of Recto Bank incident, sanction on Chinese crew
Malacañang calls for an investigation into the collision of a Chinese vessel with a Filipino fishing boat and sanctions should be imposed on the Chinese crew.
— GMA News
COA flags OVP project for deficiencies
The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged some P28.189 million in the Angat Buhay project of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for deficiencies, including lack of official receipts, liquidation reports and progress reports.
— The Inquirer
Philippines slams suspected Chinese vessel for ‘contemptible’ sinking of fishing boat
The Philippines on Wednesday condemned the actions of a suspected Chinese fishing vessel accused of abandoning a Filipino fishing crew after a collision in the disputed South China Sea.
— South China Morning Post
Ex-DOH chief Garin calls for an end to ‘fraud virus’ in PhilHealth
Former Health secretary and Iloilo 1st District Representative-elect Janette Garin pointed out that non-implementation of radical reforms aimed at system improvement, lack of safeguards in policies, and in-fighting are among the issues that are hounding the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
— GMA News
Duterte pays tribute to patriots during Independence Day rites in Lanao del Sur
President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday night, June 12, explained why he commemorated the country’s Independence Day in Malabang, Lanao del Sur, instead of more traditional venues such as Cavite.
— Rappler
Duterte: Gov’t working on salary hike for teachers but there are millions of them
President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday assured public school teachers that his government would raise their salaries even as he took note of their number.
— GMA News
Chinese, Koreans continue to dominate Boracay arrivals
China and South Korea continued to be the largest sources of visitors to Boracay Island for the first 5 months of 2019.
— Rappler
Shift to renewable energy and avert power crisis, gov’t urged
The government should no longer tarry and transition now to renewable energy sources to avoid a looming power crisis, an energy and environment group said on Wednesday.
— Inquirer.net
Duterte laments entry of rich people in party-list system
President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday lamented the use of the party-list system by millionaires to gain seats in the House of Representatives, undermining the original goal of providing representation to marginalized sectors.
— GMA News
PLDT to redevelop Makati offices, sell Smart Tower
PLDT, Inc. said it is pushing through with its plan to redevelop two offices and sell Smart Tower in Makati City, and to replace them with a new office building.
— BusinessWorld Online
DFA says Chinese vessel’s abandonment of Pinoy crew ‘condemnable’
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Wednesday said that he found the abandonment of the Filipino fishermen whose boat sank after being hit by a Chinese fishing vessel in Recto Bank contemptible and condemnable.
— GMA News
PHL defense chief condemns “cowardly actions” of Chinese vessel which hit PHL boat near Recto Bank
The Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) “denounced the actions of a Chinese fishing vessel” which hit a Philippine vessel that had 22 Filipino crewmen, abandoning them after the incident.
— Eagle News
Gov’t to run after corrupt health providers, PhilHealth officials – Duque
After a dialysis center was found to have charged the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) for “ghost” kidney treatments, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III warned the government would run after all medical treatment facilities and officials found to have committed fraud.
— Rappler
Filipinos on Independence Day 2019: ‘We’re far from free’
Independence Day has long been an annual ritual for reflecting on freedom.
— Rappler
Independence Day greetings extended to Duterte by UAE leaders
Leaders from the United Arab Emirates sent congratulatory greetings to President Rodrigo Duterte on the country’s celebration of its 121st Independence Day on Wednesday, according to the Emirates News Agency.
— GMA News
Comelec reminds candidates, parties of Soce deadline
Candidates and political parties who ran in the May 13 midterm elections have until today, Thursday, June 13, to file their statements of contributions and expenditures (Soces) “before the appropriate Commission on Elections (Comelec) office,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer
SEC targets to release ICO rules later this year
THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is optimistic it can come out with the guidelines for initial coin offerings (ICO) this year as it hopes to regulate the number of businesses using this method to raise money.
— BusinessWorld Online
More privileges and rights to PWDs
On May 27, 2019, House Bill (HB) 9106 (HB 9106) entitled “An Act Granting Additional Privileges to Persons with Disabilities,” was approved on third reading by members of the House of Representatives of the 17th Congress, and transmitted to the Senate on May 28, 2019.
— The Manila Times
Duterte: I’m “still trying to sort out” problem at NAIA
President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, June 12, said he was “still trying to sort out” the problem at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, amid complaints of delayed and cancelled flights.
— Eagle News
Atienza calls for change of poll watchdogs, calls PPCRV a ‘lapdog’
Buhay Party-list Representative Lito Atienza on Wednesday called for a change in election watchdogs as he accused the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) of being a lapdog.
— GMA News
DFA urges Filipinos in HK to exercise caution amid massive demonstrations
The Department of Foreign Affairs has urged Filipinos in Hong Kong to exercise extreme caution as massive demonstrations take place there.
— Eagle News
Lorenzana calls for probe after Filipino vessel collides with Chinese vessel near Recto Bank, sinks
Chinese vessel abandoned Filipino vessel crewmen, he says -Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana called for a probe into what he said was a collision between a Filipino vessel and a Chinese vessel near Recto Bank that led to the sinking of the former.
— Eagle News
Duterte to Bangsamoro: Exploit your territory of riches
President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday urged the Moro people to expedite the exploitation of natural resources in the Bangsamoro region including potentially oil-rich Liguasan Marsh.
— GMA News
Duterte urges Moros to take advantage of BARMM
President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday urged Moros to exploit their resources and take advantage of the transition from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) as mandated by the ratified Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).
— Philippine News Agency
DOLE to ‘limit’ deployment of nurses abroad
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is planning to decrease the deployment of nurses to other countries, Secretary Silvestre Bello said on Wednesday.
— Philippine News Agency
PH seeks speedy arrest of suspect in Pinay rape case in Kuwait
The Philippine government is hoping for the speedy arrest of the suspect in the rape case of a Filipina household worker in Kuwait.
— Philippine News Agency
COA wants Napolcom to stop paying personnel dietary benefits
State auditors called as illegal the payment of dietary supplement allowance to officials and personnel of the National Police Commission (Napolcom).
— Rappler
Local rice, corn stocks higher in May – PSA
THE country had more stock of rice and corn as of May 1, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Wednesday.
— The Manila Times
New markets eyed for PH exports
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) is still upbeat for the export industry this year despite the slowdown in performance due to weak global demand as new markets are being eyed by both exporters and the government.
— The Manila Times
Feature photo Rakso Air Travel & Tours
This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo acknowledges Philippines Independence Day, June 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 June 13 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on
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Stella-maris Ewudolu
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.
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