Philippines Morning News For June 21, 2019

PHL retains Tier 1 ranking in latest US human trafficking report
The Philippines has retained its Tier 1 status in the US government’s list of countries that comply with international standards to combat human trafficking.
— GMA News

Gov’t disbursements decline in first 5 months after budget delay
FUNDING releases backed by Notices of Cash Allocation (NCAs) fell 13.48% to P1.136 trillion in the first five months, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said.
— BusinessWorld Online

Gross revenue across key industries up 8.1% in Q1
REVENUE across all industries grew in the first quarter of 2019 as stronger sales were reported across key industries, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported yesterday.
— BusinessWorld Online

Japan commits 1.3 trillion yen to help build railways in PH
The Japanese government through its aid arm Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) has pledged to lend 1.3 trillion yen (about P620 billion) to the Philippines to build more railways and ease traffic congestion.
— Inquirer.net

PAGASA spots low pressure area outside PAR
Forecasters are closely monitoring a low pressure area (LPA) located outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).
— Rappler

Dengue cases up in NegOr
SIBULAN, Negros Oriental, June 19 (PIA) — Local health officials reported a huge spike in the number of dengue cases in the province this year.
— Philippine Information Agency

Metro Manila wage board junks 4 wage-hike bids
THE regional wage board in the National Capital Region (NCR) has denied the wage petitions filed by four labor groups in April, citing lack of a supervening event.
— Business Mirror

China broaches joint probe on boat ramming
China has proposed a joint investigation with the Philippine government of the ship-ramming incident where a Chinese vessel hit and sank a Filipino fishing boat anchored near Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea to achieve a “mutually recognized results” as soon a possible.
— Manilastandard.net

900-B yen railway loans yet to be released
JAPAN is yet to release the 900 billion yen in loans that it had pledged for the Philippines to fund the country’s railway projects, according to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
— The Manila Times

Philippines enters ‘Goldilocks’ economy phase — Diokno
The Philippines has entered a “Goldilocks” economy with the right mix of high economic growth and low inflation, according to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno.
— The Philippine Star

‘Circumcision season’ in the Philippines
A row of boys lying on newsprint-covered tables howl in pain and grit their teeth as part of “circumcision season” in the Philippines, when thousands of youngsters suffer through the procedure en masse.
— The Asean Post

Government urged to invest more on kidney transplantation
HEALTH experts called on the government on Thursday to invest more in kidney transplantation to help address the issue on the alleged misspending of public funds for dialysis treatments of indigent patients.
— Business Mirror

CoA bares P5.5M in ‘irregular’ foreign travel expenses at DoJ in 2018
THE Department of Justice (DoJ) spent P5.55 million on alleged government-sanctioned foreign travels, which were attended by the same people in 2018, the Commission on Audit said in its report.
— The Manila Times

BCDA cites Japan aid in infrastructure boost
The prime mover of the government’s “Build, Build, Build” program has acknowledged the support of the Japanese government.
— Business Mirror

35 ‘illegal’ Chinese workers arrested in Parañaque construction site
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has arrested 35 Chinese nationals working at a construction site in Parañaque City despite the government’s policy banning foreigners from engaging in manual labor.
— CNN Philippines

SEC tweaks rule on REIT property manager
THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed to amend rules covering the property manager of a real estate investment trust (REIT), in time for the issuance of such a product within the year.
— BusinessWorld Online

National savings growth slower in 2018 at 4.4%
The growth of the country’s total savings slowed to 4.4 percent in 2018, according to the latest data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Thursday.
— Business Mirror

Duterte approves reduced performance-based incentives for GOCC execs
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte has moved to reduce the performance-based incentives (PBI) of appointive directors of Government Owned or Controlled Corporations (GOCCs).
— BusinessWorld Online

PHL’s resiliency projects not fairly distributed — WB
THE World Bank said the government needs to adopt a new method for estimating disaster damage that goes beyond asset losses, because the current approach tends to highlight the value of projects in or near the National Capital Region (NCR).
— BusinessWorld Online

BSP leaves policy rates untouched
THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Thursday kept rates unchanged on expectations of steady inflation and economic growth, and as it monitors the impact of recent monetary adjustments.
— BusinessWorld Online

PAL is 2019 ‘Most Improved Airline in the World’ – Skytrax
Philippine Airlines (PAL) won the “World’s Most Improved Airline Award” for 2019, besting 350 carriers all over the globe in terms of improving its product and service quality.
— Manila bulletin

SSS: Law requires protection for Filipinos here and abroad
REACTING to migrant worker solidarity groups decrying forced membership in the private pension body, the Social Security System (SSS) said it is duty-bound to implement provisions under Republic Act (RA) 11199, or the Social Security Act of 2018, to provide social protection for Filipinos, both based in the country and abroad.
— Business Mirror

DoTr to increase penalties for airport slot misuse
THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) said it will increase the penalties on airlines that “misuse” their airport takeoff and landing slots in a bid to decongest Ninoy Aquino International Airport, (NAIA) the country’s main gateway.
— BusinessWorld Online

Battle looms for SEAG control
There is a looming head-on collision between parties looking to control the organization of the country’s hosting of the Southeast Asian Games.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Inter-agency drug interdiction unit eyed in ports, air strips
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is pushing for the creation of an inter-agency drug interdiction task group against drug smuggling through the country’s private ports and airstrips.
— The Philippine Star

Ricardo Morales named PhilHealth president
After initially appointing Ricardo Dick Morales to the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), President Rodrigo Duterte has named him Philippine Health Insurance Corp (PhilHealth) president and CEO, according to two sources.
— Rappler

Lawyer of PhilHealth whistleblowers question their NBI detention
The lawyer of two whistleblowers who revealed the fraudulent claims supposedly made by their employer to Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) on Thursday assailed a plan to transfer them to a detention cell at the National Bureau of Investigation despite their application for witness protection.
— Inquirer.net

Ex-deputy Ombudsman wants NBI help to disprove document tampering raps
Former Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon Mark Jalandoni has asked the Sandiganbayan to direct the National Bureau of Investigation to examine copies of the signature of former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez to boost his defense against charges of tampering official documents.
— GMA News

JUUL Labs launches in PHL, offers adult smokers alternative
WITH the total number of smokers in the country projected to balloon by at least 250,000 every year, the clamor to increase the “sin” taxes continues to haunt tobacco manufactures and distributors.
— Business Mirror

Palace approves TESDA technical skills dev’t plan
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte has signed an executive order “approving and adopting” the National Technical Education and Skills Development Plan (NTESDP) 2018-2019 prepared by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
— BusinessWorld Online

DOE to scrap off-grid subsidies for commercial, industrial users
The Department of Energy (DOE) is advancing policy steps on the removal of subsidies for commercial and industrial end-users operating in island-grids; and will just confine the grant of subsidies to poor or marginalized end-users.
— Manila bulletin

Group to sue Manila Water over supply interruption
Party-list group Bayan Muna will file a second case against Manila Water over long hours of water supply interruptions its millions of customers are experiencing in the metropolis.
— The Philippine Star

PhilHealth receipts faked to dupe OFWs
Hours before her flight to Kuwait on Aug. 12, 2015, overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Marveleca Bautista-Jauod found herself caught in a dilemma.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

De Lima backs call for “truth movement” to “disprove lies” peddled by Chinese about S. China Sea
Senator Leila de Lima on Thursday, June 20, expressed support for the creation of a “truth movement” that she said would help rectify China’s fake historical claim on the disputed islands in the South China Sea.
— Eagle News

Criminal raps hound Banco Filipino execs; arraignment set
Nine former ranking officers and directors of the shuttered Banco Filipino—including former Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr.—will face the court today, Friday, after being charged by the Department of Justice with violating various banking laws, including granting a P350-million loan to a company of the bank’s owners despite the lender’s own financial woes.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

No conflict of interest in lease deal – Duque
Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd on Thursday denied conflict of interest allegations arising from a lease deal, claiming he had not hidden the existence and was no longer involved in the day-to-day running of a family-owned firm from which Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) was renting a building.
— The Manila Times

RPOC-7 declares CTGs ‘persona non grata’ in CV
The Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC-7), chaired by Governor Hilario Davide III, approved a resolution denouncing the communist-terrorist groups (CTGs) and declaring them “personan non grata” in all the provinces, cities, and municipalities in Central Visayas.
— Philippine Information Agency

Lawmaker vows to push passage of mango development bill
Following the reported oversupply of mangoes, a lawmaker on Thursday vowed to push for enactment of the proposed Philippine Mango Development Act in the 18th Congress.
— Business Mirror

Online hiring rises 11% in Q1 led by HR — Monster
JOB RECRUITMENT site Monster.com said online hiring activity in the Philippines increased 11% year-on-year, with each of the first three months posting successive month-on-month gains.
— BusinessWorld Online

Manila Water taps Weather Solutions to improve dam operations
LISTED Manila Water Co. Inc. has enlisted the services of Weather Solutions Inc. in improving its operations amid the water service disruptions affecting parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
— The Manila Times

Eddie Garcia, who was in comatose state, dies at 90
Veteran actor Eduardo Verchez García, popularly known as Eddie “Manoy” Garcia, died on Thursday, according to family friend and film director Bibeth Orteza and spokesperson Tony Rebosa.
— The Philippine Star

Ex-general vows ‘cleanup’ as next chief of PhilHealth
Retired Army Brig. Gen. Ricardo Morales is poised to head Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), which has been under fire for corruption and for failing to stop bogus benefit claims, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said on Thursday.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Unlike PH, Vietnam defends its fishermen vs China
Facing off with an Asian giant, Vietnam slammed China for hindering Vietnamese fishermen in the South China Sea, and demanded compensation for fishing boats driven away by Chinese vessels.
— Rappler

PH, Nepal human rights bodies vow stronger cooperation on migrant workers’ rights
The Philippine Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and Nepal’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday, June 20, vowed to forge a stronger cooperation for the protection of migrant workers’ rights.
— Rappler

400 job order workers undergo random drug test in Negros town
The municipality of Sibulan in Negros Oriental is all out in the campaign against illegal drugs with the local chief executive initiating a random drug test for all job order employees (JOs).
— Philippine News Agency

CDA probes Sarangani coop over investment operations
The Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) is set to issue a “show cause order” against a credit cooperative based in Sarangani province over questions on its investment operations.
— Philippine News Agency

DOTr, OPAV push for ‘Modern Cebu’
The Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) is pushing for urban realm development to modernize the Cebuanos’ mobility.
— Philippine Information Agency

Feature photo Department of Agriculture – Philippines

This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo acknowledges Sustainable Gastronomy Day, June 18.

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 21 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on June 21, 2019
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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.