Philippines Morning News For March 21, 2019

House clears 2019 budget hurdle
THE LEGISLATIVE DEADLOCK over the P3.757-trillion national budget for 2019 appears finally headed for resolution, with the House of Representatives “physically retrieving” on Wednesday the copy it transmitted to the Senate on March 11.
— BusinessWorld Online

Duterte: Misuari threatened war if federalism doesn’t happen
For Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leader Nur Misuari, it’s either federalism or war.
— Rappler

PH, Japan sign labor cooperation pact
Philippine and Japanese officials have signed a landmark memorandum of cooperation (MOC) laying the groundwork for more secure recruitment and employment of skilled workers between the two countries.
— Manila Bulletin

Fire guts residential area in Quezon City
A huge fire hit an informal settlers’ area in Barangay Damayang Lagi in Quezon City Wednesday afternoon.
— CNN Philippines

Duterte EO allows 2019 salary hike for gov’t workers despite reenacted budget
President Rodrigo Duterte issued an executive order (EO) allowing the salary hike for government workers, military, and uniformed personnel despite the reenactment of the 2018 national budget.
— Rappler

DOF: Progress made in China-funded infra projects
Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III has cited the significant progress made in the implementation of Philippine infrastructure projects funded with concessional loans from China.
— Manila Bulletin

Philippine economy less likely to be hurt by US-China trade war — Moody’s
The Philippine economy is somehow insulated from “spillovers” from slower global trade volumes partly triggered by tensions between the United States and China, Moody’s Investors Service said.
— The Philippine Star

Duterte dissolves gov’t panel leading peace talks with Communist rebels
President Rodrigo Duterte has dissolved the government panel that leads peace talks with the Communist rebels.
— Eagle News

Boracay Inter-agency Task Force demolishes erring resort
The Boracay inter-agency task force demolished Boracay Plaza Beach Resort on Tuesday, March 19, for not adhering to the 30-meter easement rule and not taking the initiative to tear down its own illegal structure.
— Rappler

Senate panel eyes Manila Water sanctions
The Senate committee on public services is set to recommend sanctions for water concessionaire Manila Water after holding a hearing on the water shortage in Metro Manila and Rizal province.
— The Philippine Star

Govt taps WB instead of China to fund hydropower plant
The government is now tapping multilateral funding institutions led by the World Bank, instead of China, to support the construction of the 982-megawatt Agus-Pulangi hydro powerplant in Mindanao, according to the National Power Corp.
— Manilastandard.net

MinDA endorses 7 agro ecozones in Mindanao
The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) has endorsed seven pilot Agro-Economic Zones (AEZs) in Mindanao to prospective local and foreign investors.
— Philippine News Agency

Domestic trade volume grows 12%
Domestic trade grew both in terms of volume and value in the fourth quarter of 2018, driven by higher shipments of food and live animals as well as machinery and transport equipment, the Philippine Statistics Authority said.
— The Philippine Star

Manila is 12th most dynamic city
Manila ranks 12th among the top 20 most dynamic cities in the world, measured in terms of economic and real estate momentum.
— Malaya

CA junks Trillanes’s plea to halt trial on rebellion raps
OPPOSITION Sen. Antonio F. Trillanes IV has failed to get an immediate relief from the Court of Appeals (CA) in connection with his plea to stop his trial for rebellion, a case that was recently revived by the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Makati City.
— Business Mirror

Maternity leave law to affect hiring of women, firms admit
Costs entailed in implementing the Expanded Maternity Leave Law would affect the decision to hire women by a majority of small and large companies surveyed by the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (Ecop).
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

PH first ASEAN nation to get excess Japanese defense equipment
Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Tuesday said the Philippines is very lucky as it is the first country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to receive excess Japanese defense equipment.
— Philippine News Agency

CDO, Nestle open Mindanao’s first ‘eco-brick’ facility
The city government, Nestle Philippines, and Green Antz company opened Tuesday Mindanao’s “Eco-bricks” facility that converts plastic wastes into bricks used in construction.
— Philippine News Agency

Acuva Technologies partners with Kooler Industries to bring UV-LED water purification to the Philippines
Acuva Technologies today announced that it has partnered with Kooler Industries, the Philippines’ largest manufacturer of drinking fountains and water dispensers, to bring Acuva UV-LED water purification technology to the Philippine market.
— AEC News Today/ PR Newswire (media release)

Duterte wants gov’t salary hike to come from 2018 budget
President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to look for available funds in the reenacted 2018 budget to cover salary increases this year.
— CNN Philippines

Two more bridges up for China funding
Two more bridge projects in Visayas and Mindanao have been added to the list of infrastructure initiatives that could be funded by Beijing, the Finance department said on Wednesday.
— The Manila Times

Growth seen hinging largely on domestic demand
THE PHILIPPINES will have to rely on domestic activity to boost growth at a time of a global economic slowdown, but a foreign consultancy flagged that the current deadlock on 2019’s national budget will likely weigh on the country’s economic prospects.
— BusinessWorld Online

Water execs told: ‘Shape up or ship out’
WATER SERVICE disruption since earlier this month in Metro Manila’s east concession zone prompted President Rodrigo R. Duterte to summon both regulatory and corporate officials overseeing the current situation to Malacañan Palace on Tuesday night where he told regulators to “shape up or ship out” and threatened termination of concessionaires’ contracts, according to statements of the Palace and parties present in the meeting.
— BusinessWorld Online

MWSS chief ready to resign if he fails to solve water crisis
Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System administrator Reynaldo Velasco on Wednesday expressed readiness to resign if he fails to comply with President Duterte’s directive to solve the water crisis.
— The Philippine Star

MWSS exec: China-funded Kaliwa Dam project cheaper, better than Japanese proposal
Government officials on Wednesday said the China-funded Kaliwa Dam project, which aims to give additional water supply to Metro Manila, is better and cheaper compared to the proposal of a Japan-based company.
— GMA News

‘Stronger antitrust law needed before opening up PHL economy’
Removing the constitutional restriction on foreign ownership sans a strong regulatory framework on competition and law enforcement could be “disastrous” to the economy, senatorial aspirants from the minority bloc have argued.
— Business Mirror

Philippines among least affected by China slowdown — Moody’s
The Philippines is among the countries in Asia Pacific that is least exposed to a fall in Chinese demand arising from the trade war between the US and China, according to Moody’s Investors Service.
— The Philippine Star

PHL bans porcine protein meal from ASF-hit nations
The Philippines has banned processed porcine animal proteins used in manufacturing animal feeds and pet food from countries struck by African swine fever (ASF) to protect the domestic hog population from the dreaded disease.
— Business Mirror

P1.1 billion worth of meth seized in Muntinlupa buy-bust ops
Philippine authorities said on Wednesday that they have seized methamphetamine, concealed in tea wrappers and biscuit cans in their second-largest drug haul this year in a sign of how the problem has persisted despite the President’s bloody antidrug crackdown.
— Business Mirror

Duterte admin nixes Laiban Dam project
The Duterte administration will not push for the construction of the proposed Laiban Dam in Tanay, Rizal, an official of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) said Wednesday.
— GMA News

Culture of equality fuels worker innovation: Study
A research commissioned by Accenture established the connection between the innovative mindset of workers to the culture of equality of the organization.
— Malaya

DOLE sets rules for availing jobless insurance
Qualified displaced workers will be required to first secure certification from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) before they could avail themselves of the new unemployment insurance of the Social Security System (SSS).
— Business Mirror

DA pushes solar-powered irrigation
THE government must ramp up the installation of solar-powered irrigation system (SPIS) in all regions to minimize the effects of El Niño, according to Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol.
— The Manila Times

PDEA warns politicians in narco-list against traveling abroad
PHILIPPINE DRUG Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron N. Aquino warned politicians in the controversial narco-list that they may face charges if they leave the country without proper authorization or violate the terms of such authorization.
— BusinessWorld Online

NUPL: ‘Surveillance’ on foreign delegation shows threats vs Philippine lawyers
The reported harassment and intimidation of a delegation of foreign lawyers in the country gives credence to claims of attacks against Fiipino lawyers, National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers president Edre Olalia said.
— The Philippine Star

DENR-10 highlights river preservation for World Water Day
In celebration of the World Water Day on Friday (March 22) the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Region 10 (DENR-10) will highlight the importance of preservation and protection of rivers in Northern Mindanao.
— Philippine News Agency

Foreign lawyers claim being tailed, threatened by state agents
THE INTERNATIONAL delegation of lawyers who conducted an examination on the killing of lawyers in the Philippines said they were tailed and subject to threats and surveillance by alleged state agents.
— BusinessWorld Online

Canadian nabbed for receiving asthma drug illegal in PH
A Canadian man was arrested by the Philippine National Police (PNP) led by its Drug Enforcement Group (DEG) after receiving an illegal asthma drug through mail courier on Tuesday, March 19.
— Rappler

DILG says cases already filed against 46 narco-politicians named by Duterte before Ombudsman
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has already filed complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman against the 46 incumbent government officials tagged as “narco-politicians” who had been earlier named by President Rodrigo Duterte.
— Eagle News

Interfaith group endorses 10 Senate aspirants
Ten senatorial candidates–eight from the opposition slate–received endorsement from a religious movement composed of Catholic, Evangelical and Protestant lay leaders.
— The Philippine Star

Ex-Zamboanga del Sur mayor ambushed by riding-in-tandem gunmen
MANILA, Philippines – Riding-in-tandem gunmen ambushed a former Zamboanga del Sur town mayor in Bacolod town, Lanao del Norte, on Wednesday morning, March 20.
— Rappler

Power coop’s financial woes may plunge Camiguin into darkness – congressman
The financial problems of Camiguin Electric Cooperative, Incorporated (Camelco), if left unresolved, may plunge the island province into darkness, a congressman warned.
— Rappler

CHR probes alleged illegal detention, extortion in QC barangay hall
The Commission on Human Rights on Wednesday condemned the alleged illegal detention and extortion done by barangay officials in Quezon City.
— The Philippine Star

‘Hard life’ molded SC chief justice’s youth
Supreme Court Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin on Tuesday said the rigorous life he spent as a teenager inside the seminary contributed to his formation as a lawyer, as the highest official of the judicial branch and as a person.
— Philippine News Agency

Drought destroys P101-M crops in Isabela
At least PHP101 million worth of agricultural crops have been destroyed by the drought in this province caused by a weak El Niño since the start of this year.
— Philippine News Agency

Robredo pushes for sanctions vs. anonymous accounts peddling ‘fake news’
Anonymous social media accounts peddling falsehoods should be held accountable over their actions by sanctioning them under a law, Vice President Leni Robredo said Wednesday.
— GMA News

Women leaders converge in first BARMM’s women stakeholders forum
Around 300 women leaders and stakeholders from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) recently participated in the first women stakeholders’ regional forum under the newly established Bangsamoro government.
— Philippine Information Agency

Guns, ammo recovered after NPA-Army skirmish in Kalinga
A platoon of Army soldiers recovered high-powered guns and explosives after a 30-minute skirmish with some 20 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels on the mountains of Barangay Buaya in Balbalan, Kalinga around 4:50 a.m. on Wednesday, the military said.
— Philippine News Agency

Immigration bureau warns public vs. ‘online love scams’
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Wednesday renewed its warning to the public against online love scams amid reports that a criminal syndicate is targeting Filipinas again.
— GMA News

Feature photo Yahoo! Philippines

This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo acknowledges World Water Day, March 22.

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 March 21 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on March 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.