Philippines Morning News For March 6, 2019

Gov’t hits target with slower 3.8% inflation in February
Philippine inflation further slowed to 3.8 percent in February 2019, the Philippine Statistics Authority said on Tuesday.
— CNN Philippines

37 of 75 flagship infra projects get NEDA Board nod
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board has approved 37 out of the 75 flagship infrastructure projects under the “Build, Build, Build” (BBB) program as of January this year, an official said on Tuesday.
— Philippine News Agency

Manufacturing output declined 4.1% in January
Factory output fell 4.1 percent in January from a year ago, pulled down by lower demand, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show.
— Manilastandard.net

2019 budget yet to reach Palace – Lacson
SEN. Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday said the 2019 national budget is doomed because it has yet to be transmittted to Malacañang, forcing the government to continue to operate on a reenacted budget.
— The Manila Times

House itemizing 2019 budget for transparency: Andaya
The House of Representatives is detailing the items in the proposed PHP3.75-trillion national budget for 2019 in order to make all projects and programs funded per agency and by district “clear and evident”, House appropriations committee chair Rolando Andaya Jr. said Tuesday.
— Philippine News Agency

Senate demands more transparency in government loans, projects
The Senate economic affairs committee is focused on the passage of a law on public debt management that seeks, among others, public discussions on the issue of transparency, as the country’s economic managers revealed that the Duterte government has entered into a P2.1 trillion loan agreements for its 75 flagship projects.
— Manila Bulletin

Philippines worried it may get involved in war at sea for US
The United States is more likely to be involved in a “shooting war” in the disputed South China Sea than the Philippines but the latter would be embroiled in such a conflict just the same because of its 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty with Washington, the Philippine defence chief said Tuesday.
— Bangkok Post

Duterte OKs proposed EO on normalization process in Bangsamoro
President Rodrigo R. Duterte approved a proposed executive order (EO) on the implementation of the annex on normalization under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, Malacañang bared on Tuesday.
— Philippine News Agency

Arroyo denies manipulating ratified 2019 budget — Palace
House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo denied manipulating the 2019 budget after it was ratified by the two legislative chambers, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said Tuesday.
— The Philippine Star

Zamboanga City under state of calamity due to dry spell
The city council on Tuesday, March 5, passed a resolution placing Zamboanga City under a state of calamity due to drought caused by the weak El Niño.
— Rappler

12 towns, P300-M crops affected by dry spell in NoCot
The low amount of rainfall currently being experienced across North Cotabato province has already affected 12 towns and damaged an estimated PHP300-million worth of agricultural crops.
— Philippine News Agency

DA expects surge in 2020 budget to at least P490 B
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol got a word from President Rodrigo Duterte that the Department of Agriculture (DA) will see a surge in its 2020 budget.
— Manila Bulletin

DPWH starts desilting, dredging ops in Manila Bay
An estimated 225,000 cubic meters of silt will be removed over the approximately 1.5-kilometer stretch of Manila Bay from the Manila Yacht Club breakwater to the United States Embassy in Manila as the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) officially started its desilting operations on Tuesday.
— Philippine News Agency

NFA buys 232K bags of palay in first 2 months of 2019
While the peak of harvest season is still to come, the National Food Authority (NFA) continues to aggressively buy palay from local farmers with the total palay procurement reaching 232,447 bags in the first two months of 2019.
— Philippine News Agency

Close to 500 drug suspects fall in Davao Region
Close to 500 suspected drug personalities were either arrested or neutralized in buy-bust operations around Region 11 (Davao Region) since January this year.
— Philippine News Agency

DOH wants Philippines rabies-free by 2030
The Department of Health wants the Philippines to be free of rabies cases by 2030, its head Secretary Francisco Duque III said on Tuesday, March 5.
— Rappler

DOE unearths 10%-20% profit margin of oil firms
On the cost unbundling proposal for the deregulated petroleum industry, the Department of Energy (DOE) is fleshing out the various pricing components being passed on to consumers at the pumps – and with particular focus on what the agency unearthed as 10 to 20-percent take of the industry players.
— Manila Bulletin

Sarangani gets P9.8M more in livelihood grants
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has allocated an additional PHP9.8 million in livelihood grants for marginalized workers in Sarangani province.
— Philippine News Agency

Hanjin workers mark 5th day of protest amid tight security
For the fifth day, some 100 workers of the financially troubled Heavy Industries and Construction-Philippines or Hanjin continued to stage a protest rally at the Korean shipbuilding company’s facility here Tuesday.
— Philippine News Agency

Administrative, criminal raps will be filed vs. alleged ‘narco pols’ – Palace
Politicians who are part of the government’s drug watch list may soon face administrative and criminal charges, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Tuesday.
— CNN Philippines

In-depth probe of CPP’s EU funding vowed
As the government takes its war against local communist armed conflict a step further, the National Task Force got the assurance of European officials who vowed to look into the information presented by the Philippine government on the reported funding of Belgium and other EU-member countries for CPP activities.
— Philippine News Agency

IP filings increase by 15% on-year in 2018
The number of applications filed for the protection of intellectual rights (IP) rose 15 percent in 2018, reflecting the continued growth of the local creative and scientific economy and awareness for protection of this important tool of trade, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) said.
— Manila Bulletin

PRRD approves National Program on Family Planning
President Rodrigo R. Duterte has approved the implementation plan of a program meant to distribute contraceptives nationwide, prevent unplanned pregnancies and ultimately reduce poverty, Malacañang said on Tuesday.
— Philippine News Agency

Government to expand access of Pinoys’ to modern birth control methods
PRESIDENT Duterte has approved the implementation plan for the National Program on Family Planning, which aims to increase the Filipinos’ use of effective modern contraceptives to prevent 4 million unintended pregnancies and 2 million cases of abortion over the next four years.
— Business Mirror

Pangasinan measles cases up 400%
The number of measles cases in Pangasinan have increased by almost 400 percent since January compared to the same period last year.
— The Philippine Star

DTI: Construction industry needs 7 million workers
Private companies are requesting for an additional 3 million construction workers to sustain the country’s Build Build Build (BBB) infrastructure program.
— Business Mirror

4 hurt, 480 families homeless in Quezon City, Makati fires
Four persons were injured and at least 480 families were left homeless after fires broke out in Quezon City and Makati since Monday night.
— The Philippine Star

P67 billion allotted for expanded health care
The government is ramping up funding for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) in preparation for the implementation this year of the expanded or universal health care (UHC) program.
— The Philippine Star

Gender gap in remittance senders narrows
THE GENDER GAP among senders of remittances to the Philippines narrowed in the last four years, even as female overseas Filipino workers (OFW) tend to earn less than males, a study commissioned by WorldRemit showed.
— BusinessWorld Online

Franchisers stick to P1.3-trillion revenue goal by 2020
The franchising industry on Tuesday got a boost in its bid to achieve its P1.3- trillion revenue target by 2020 with the launch of an online platform that matches investors with franchisers.
— Business Mirror

Malaysia eyeing PH for halal value chain
Northport (Malaysia) Bhd. said it was looking for partners in the Philippines that would create the Halal value chain known as the Halal Silk route.
— The Manila Times

DOE lists 8 ECs undergoing technical and financial review
The Department of Energy (DOE) has identified eight electric cooperatives (ECs) whose technical and financial performance are currently under review.
— Business Mirror

82 politicians in narcolist
Malacañang on Tuesday said the government would release next week the “validated” narcolist, which, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) contains the names of 82 narco-politicians.
— The Manila Times

Zamboanga Sibugay town coconut farmers receive P1.2-million assistance package
Coconut farmers in the town of Buug, Zamboanga Sibugay, are getting the much-needed boost from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).
— Business Mirror

Family planning strategy targets 65% contraceptive takeup
MALACAÑANG on Tuesday said President Rodrigo R. Duterte has approved the “full and intensified” implementation plan for the government’s national program on family planning.
— BusinessWorld Online

8 ECs deemed underperfomers
The Department of Energy (DOE) said from 17 electric cooperatives (ECs), it is now only monitoring eight power cooperatives that are deemed underperforming.
— Malaya

TUCP set to endorse 12 ‘pro-labor’ senatorial bets
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) announced that it is currently surveying all its affiliate organizations in the manufacturing, services and agriculture sectors in order to come up with 12 “pro-labor” senatorial candidates who will then be endorsed for the midterm elections this year.
— Philippine News Agency

MRC Allied starts work on mall’s solar rooftop
MRC ALLIED, Inc. has broken ground on a 1.1 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic rooftop project in one of the malls in Mindanao through its subsidiary Menlo Renewable Energy Corp. (MREN), the listed company said on Tuesday.
— BusinessWorld Online

Water shortage looms in Metro Manila, Rizal as La Mesa Dam water level drops
East Zone concessionaire Manila Water has released a contingency plan for its customers as water levels in the La Mesa Dam continue to drop due to El Nino, according to a report on 24 Oras.
— GMA News

WATCH: Geothermal energy and the Philippines: A match made in heaven
Did you know that the Philippines used to be the second largest producer of geothermal energy? That was before we opted for a cheaper but less sustainable type of energy – coal.
— Rappler

BuCor chief Faeldon cancels privileges of 45,000 prisoners nationwide
Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Director General Nicanor Faeldon on Tuesday cancelled the privileges of over 45,000 inmates nationwide, amid the supposed incessant entry of various contraband items into penal institutions, especially New Bilibid Prison.
— GMA News

Calida insists government will not publicly release drug war documents
Solicitor General Jose Calida on Tuesday, March 5, said the government stands firm that it will not publicly release documents on the 20,322 killings by both police and vigilantes linked to the anti-drug campaign.
— Rappler

Boracay rehab inspires cleanup of Iloilo City coastal areas
Taking a cue from the successful rehabilitation program of Boracay Island, Iloilo City will also embark on a cleanup drive with the goal of making its coastal areas again safe for swimming.
— Philippine News Agency

PHL’s 4G availability improves — report
A RECENT report said the availability of fourth generation (4G) network in the Philippines is getting better, but while video experience, broadband speed and latency experience has also shown improvement, these still lag behind the rest of the world.
— BusinessWorld Online

PNP spokesman: ‘Drug-linked cops add to negative police image’
Reports of police scalawags involved in illegal drugs might have contributed to the negative public perception of the Philippine National Police.
— The Philippine Star

DPWH starts desilting of Manila Bay; operations set 16 hours a day, six days a week for 4 months
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) started the much-awaited desilting operations of Manila Bay on Tuesday, March 5, which will be done six days a week for about four months. Dubbed “Sagip Manila Bay,” the desilting of the bay will be done 16 hours a day
— Eagle News

Don’t deny your faith by your vote, Archbishop Villegas says in video post hitting Duterte
As the campaign period for the May 2019 polls heats up, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas posted a video on Facebook where he criticized President Rodrigo Durterte and at the same time reminded the people not to betray God with their vote.
— GMA News

Breastmilk saves babies, infants from measles – DOH-8 official
On top of the vaccine, breastmilk could have minimized the number of measles-infected babies and infants in the region.
— Philippine Information Agency

NFA rice procurement surges 22 times
The National Food Authority (NFA) procured over 200,000 bags of palay (unhusked rice) in the first two months of the year, a 22-fold increase from the same period in 2018 following the higher incentive offered by the government.
— Philippine Star

PHL to raise the bar in fight vs human trafficking as it hosts ASEAN consultative meeting, says Año
The Philippine government has set its eyes on raising the bar in the fight against trafficking in persons (TIP) as it hosts the consultative meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-member countries in Panglao, Bohol which starts Tuesday, March 5, 2019. During the recent …
— Eagle News

Gatchalian asks economic team to be ‘more transparent’ on infra loans
Senate economic affairs committee chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian asked the Duterte administration’s economic team to be more transparent on infrastructure loans, amid allegations of preferential treatment and one-sided provisions for China .
— Rappler

Farmers contest rice tariffication law hours before IRR signing
Rice stakeholders expressed frustration with what they say is the lack of safeguards in the rice tariffication law, hours before the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the measure was set to be signed.
— Rappler

Courtesy seats await PWDs, pregnant women, elderly in QC
Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista on Tuesday approved an ordinance that orders courtesy seats for persons with disability (PWDs), pregnant women and senior citizens in all private and public establishments.
— Philippine News Agency

Drought due to El Niño to hit more provinces
More provinces are expected to experience drought in the next two months due to El Niño, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration warned the public yesterday.
— Philippine Star

Palace vouches for integrity of narco-list; says list based on intel gathered by foreign gov’ts via wiretapping
The Palace on Tuesday, March 5, vouched for the integrity of the government’s narco-list, saying foreign governments had supplied the Philippines with intel through wiretapping.
— Eagle News

BFP-Maasin City kicks off Fire Prevention Month activities
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) – Maasin City Fire Station on March 1 led the opening activities of the month-long observance of Fire Prevention Month in this city
— Philippine Information Agency

Feature photo Brian Evans

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 6 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on March 6, 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.