Foreign investment pledges hit P46B in Q1
FOREIGN-INVESTMENT approvals saw a substantial increase in the first quarter of 2019, the government reported on Thursday, with four investment-promotion agencies (IPA) recording growth in the period.
— The Manila Times
ADB grants $3-M for climate resilient PPP projects
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing an additional $3-million technical assistance (TA) grant to the Philippine government through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center for local climate-resilient PPP projects.
— Manila Bulletin
Duterte backs use of Marawi rehab fund to Mecca trip: ‘Ano ba naman ‘yang P5M?’
President Rodrigo Duterte has defended the use of Marawi rehabilitation funds for the pilgrimage of some displaced residents to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
— Inquirer.net
PhilHealth sues dialysis center, admits widespread ‘ghost treatments’
State insurance fund officials on Thursday said they have filed administrative cases against a dialysis center supposedly claiming benefits for nonexistent kidney treatments.
— CNN Philippines
‘Infrastructure, spending ramp-up to boost rebound in Q2’
A STRONG rebound of the economy is seen in the second quarter on the back of election spending and higher consumption, according to First Metro Investment Corp.-University of Asia and the Pacific (FMIC-UA&P) Capital Market Research.
— Business Mirror
Tourism’s revenue share in economy falls to 5-year low amid Boracay closure
Amid the six-month closure of Boracay and other challenges, the tourism sector posted its lowest total contribution to the economy in five years, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
— Business Mirror
Queensland bull breeders to buy NT’s Epenarra Station from Filipino owner for $14 million
A western Queensland bull-breeding family has agreed to pay more than $14 million for a Northern Territory cattle station owned by a Filipino businessman.
— ABC News
Chinese militia vessels start pull out near Pag-asa Island – Mon Tulfo
China has started to pull out its militia vessels near Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea, Philippine special envoy to China Ramon Tulfo said.
— Inquirer.net
Hontiveros seeks probe into PhilHealth payment of ‘ghost’ kidney treatments
Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros sought an investigation into funds of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) which were supposedly used to pay a dialysis center that claimed benefits for “ghost patients.”
— Rappler
Carpio won’t inhibit in writ case involving WPS
Known as a vocal critic of China’s provocations in the South China Sea, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio took part on Tuesday in the Supreme Court (SC)’s deliberations on the writ of kalikasan petition filed by Palawan and Zambales fishermen.
— Spratly Islands
Strengthening stainability: Nestle Philippines’ hit 75% recyclable packaging milestone but ‘more work to do’
Nestle Philippines has confirmed that 75% of all its packaging is already recyclable, a major sustainability milestone for a company once named as one of the top three plastic waste contributors in the country.
— Foodnavigator-asia.com
Term deposits undersubscribed amid RRR cuts
The auction for the term deposit facility (TDF) was undersubscribed yesterday despite the release of additional liquidity into the financial system stemming from the reduction of bank reserves kept with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
— The Philippine Star
FFW sees improving demand for construction workers with ‘BBB’ implementation
The Federation of Free Workers (FFW) is expecting a notable increase in the demand for construction workers as the Duterte administration embarks on its “Build, Build, Build” (BBB) infrastructure program.
— Business Mirror
Regulations, connectivity hampering banks’ digital shift
DESPITE expressing willingness to adopt digital banking, more than half of lenders in the Asia Pacific region are yet to offer new clients processes for opening fully digital accounts, Fair Isaac Corp. (FICO) said.
— BusinessWorld Online
Japan to expedite Philippines request on exports, tariff
The Japanese government has vowed to fasttrack the request of the Philippines to ease up on export protocols and tariff issues.
— The Philippine Star
Marina: Seafarers’ remittances to rise 30%
REMITTANCES from overseas Filipino seafarers are expected to increase by a third annually through 2022, the chief of the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) said on Wednesday, as the government buttresses efforts to further improve the skills and education of the current and future pool of marine professionals in the coming years.
— Business Mirror
House passes Teacher Protection Act
The House of Representatives has approved a measure that seeks to improve the working conditions of public school teachers and shield them from false accusations of child abuse.
— The Manila Times
Mobile speed ratings set baseline for new 5G services — Opensignal
WIRELESS COVERAGE mapping firm Opensignal said Manila lags behind most cities in the Asia Pacific region in terms of download and upload speeds and the quality of the mobile video experience, thereby setting a benchmark which new 5G services need to improve on dramatically to justify the price premium.
— BusinessWorld Online
Japan firm’s mango order to help ease oversupply pressures on farmers
A JAPANESE COMPANY, fruit packer Diamond Star Corp., has expressed interest in importing 100 metric tons of mango, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said, an order which is expected to help address oversupply conditions after an El Niño-fueled bumper crop.
— BusinessWorld Online
‘Approval of higher tobacco taxes ensures adequate funds for UHC’
The government will have enough funds for the expanded health care program with the approval by Congress of the bill increasing the excise tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products.
— The Philippine Star
Teachers to Briones: Salary hike not about money but our dignity
A teachers’ group on Thursday, June 6, called out Education Secretary Leonor Briones for implying that the public school teachers’ demand for higher pay was just a money issue.
— Rappler
FALSE: Photo of dead members of drug syndicates, PNP
Claim: Members of drug syndicates and policemen were killed in an encounter on the night of May 30, 2019.
— Rappler
DOLE to conduct profiling of child laborers in CagVal
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in region 2 is set to consolidate identification of child laborers regionwide to assess their needs and to refer them to concerned agencies for appropriate interventions.
— Philippine Information Agency
PCSO charity fund collection from lotto declines due to TRAIN law – GM
Collection of charity fund from the State-run lotto has declined reportedly due to the imposition of tax on bets and winnings under the much-criticized Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law passed in 2017.
— Tempo
Lightning ignites fire, destroys 14 houses
Fire believed caused by lightning destroyed 14 houses made of light materials at Barangay Capoocan, Calbayog City past 2 p.m. on June 6.
— Inquirer.net
Election violence down 55% from 2016 versus 2019 polls
The number of election-related violence cases for the 2019 midterm elections has gone down by 55 percent compared to the 2016 presidential elections, police data disclosed Thursday.
— Manila Bulletin
World Bank lauds PH for ‘proactive’ tax reform program
A top World Bank executive lauded the Duterte administration for implementing a “proactive and forward-looking” comprehensive tax reform program that aims to raise funding for public infrastructure and social services that lay the foundation for long-term high growth.
— Manilastandard.net
VCMs used in May 13 polls post record-high 99.99 percent accuracy in random audit
The vote-counting machines that were used in the May 13 elections have yielded a record-high 99.99 percent accuracy, a random audit showed.
— Eagle News
COA: 5,721 dead pensioners received P70.25M from PVAO
A total of 5,721 deceased claimants under the payroll of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) continued receiving their monthly pension amounting to P70.25 million, more than half of which remains unrefunded, according to the Commission on Audit (COA).
— GMA News
SMC finalizes plan to develop 1,200-MW solar, renewable plants
Conglomerate San Miguel Corp. firmed up its plan to develop 1,200-megawatt renewable energy projects by 2024, its top executive said.
— Manilastandard.net
Picturing Marawi: A sneak peek into ground zero
After a few visits with the presidential delegation in Marawi City, former journalist Mylah Reyes Roque brought her professional camera with her and braved grounds that saw violence and destruction.
— Philippine News Agency
Philippines turns to South Korea for potential e-vehicle industry
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez discussed possible e-vehicle industry opportunities in the Philippines in a high-level roundtable meeting with South Korean business executives recently.
— OpenGov
Sandigan affirms indictment of ex-Nueva Ecija Rep. Umali over ‘anomalous’ agri programs
The Sandiganbayan has affirmed the indictment of former Nueva Ecija Representative Aurelio Umali in connection with his graft and malversation case over the allegedly anomalous agriculture development programs in 2005.
— GMA News
Meralco to lower electricity rates for 2nd straight month
The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) announced on Thursday, June 6, that it will lower power rates for the second straight month.
— Rappler
LTFRB to Grab PHL: Explain planned deactivation of around 8,000 TNVS
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has ordered Grab Philippines to explain the deactivation of around 8,000 of its transport network vehicle service units for their failure to secure provisional authority to operate.
— Eagle News
Senate to ‘solidify’ support for admin agenda: Go
Senator-elect Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go on Thursday assured the public that the new Senate will seek improved working relations with the executive branch to fulfill the priority agenda of the Duterte administration.
— Philippine News Agency
NegOcc guv-elect names 7-member transition team
Negros Occidental governor-elect Eugenio Jose “Bong” Lacson has named a seven-man transition team to work with the outgoing administration for a smooth transfer of leadership in the provincial government.
— Philippine News Agency
‘Drug-crazed’ man stabs 2 young daughters in Bacolod
A resident of this city believed to be high on drugs is facing charges for stabbing his two young daughters while they were sleeping on Wednesday morning.The suspect is a 41-year-old resident of Purok Paraiso, Sitio Sibucao in Barangay Banago.
— Philippine News Agency
Comelec to conduct separate assessment of replaced VCMs
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will conduct a separate assessment of the vote counting machines (VCMs) that replaced those that malfunctioned in the May polls.
— Inquirer.net
Audit results differ from Duterte rant vs automated polls
A random manual audit of results of the just concluded elections last May appeared to disagree with President Rodrigo Duterte’s rant that the automated process had been marred by irregularities which Duterte blamed on vote counting machine (VCM) supplier Smartmatic.
— The Inquirer
Waste disposal in rivers threatens marine ecosystem: DENR
Saving the environment depends on the contribution of the people in their respective localities.
— Philippine News Agency
Group warns public: Don’t buy artificial nail sets with poisonous adhesive
What looks pretty on your nails may not be good for you, as an environmental group on Thursday warned the public against buying artificial nail sets that include an adhesive which contains a banned substance dangerous to health.
— Inquirer.net
Not enough workload caused USCIS to shut down Manila office, says embassy
Insufficient workload caused the US Citizenship and Immigration Services to close its office in Manila on July 5, US embassy spokesperson Molly Koscina said on Thursday.
— GMA News
Malacanang declares June 24 special non-working day in Manila
Malacañang has declared June 24 a special-non working day in Manila in celebration of its 448th founding anniversary.
— Tempo
34 Centenarians From MIMAROPA To Receive Cash Gifts From DSWD
These 34 Centenarians In MIMAROPA Will Receive Cash Gifts From DSWD 34 CENTENARIANS – P100,000 cash gifts will be given to 34 centenarians in MIMAROPA region by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
— Philippine News
Negros Occidental school opens plastic-free canteen
A public high school in Cauayan town here opened a zero-waste canteen to promote a plastic-free culture among its students and teachers.
— Rappler
Lesser crimes reported, more apprehensions in eastern metro – EPD
Incidences of crime reported to the police in eastern Metro Manila in 2018 were 5% less than in 2017, but apprehensions from these reports jumped to 30%.
— Rappler
PSC assures gov’t support for Hidilyn’s quest for Olympic gold
Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William ‘Butch’ Ramirez on Thursday reiterated the government’s commitment to support weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz’s quest for the country’s first Olympic gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
— Philippine News Agency
LTO revokes license of man driving in passenger’s seat
The Land Transportation Office has revoked the driver’s license of the man in a viral video driving his car while sitting in the passenger seat.
— Tempo
LTO opens new center for driver’s license renewal, student permit
The Department of Transportation – Land Transportation Office (DOTr-LTO) here Monday opened a driver’s license renewal center at the central business district for the convenience of the public.
— Philippine News Agency
Duty Free PH staff hailed for returning wallet with P50,000 cash to OFW
A store attendant of Duty Free Philippines at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) was lauded for returning a wallet containing US$1000 or over P50,000 cash to an overseas Filipino worker (OFW).
— Inquirer.net
Military officers snub CA hearing on NUPL’s harassment complaint
Top military officials on Thursday snubbed the Court of Appeals hearing on allegations of harassment and red tagging by human rights lawyers.
— Inquirer.net
13 W. Visayas towns complete capacity-building health course
Thirteen local government units (LGU) in Western Visayas have secured their respective responsive health systems through the Municipal Leadership and Health Governance Program Colloquium (MLGP) 2019.
— Philippine News Agency
Nueva Vizcaya’s first ‘Bugkalot’ mayor dies
Alfonso Castañeda Mayor Jerry Pelayo Pasigian succumbed to hypertension on Monday, June 3.
— Philippine Information Agency
Feature photo Rotary Club of Makati
This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo acknowledges World Environment Day, June 5.
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.
Philippines morning news for June 7 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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