Philippines morning news for May 10

Philippines morning news for May 10
Advertisement
Online English lessons

Philippines morning news

Philippine GDP growth slowed to 5.6% in Q1
As lawmakers scrambled for pork and delayed the approval of the P3.7-trillion 2019 national budget, reenacted appropriations at the start of the year slashed 1 percentage point from the country’s economic growth potential in the first quarter, resulting in a four-year low gross domestic product (GDP) expansion of just 5.6 percent.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

DTI calls for suspension of alleged Chinese-only food park in Las Piñas
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) recommended that the Las Piñas government suspend the operations of a food park in the city which allegedly only catered to Chinese nationals.
— Rappler

PH tourist arrivals up by 7.59% in Q1 2019
The Department of Tourism (DOT) reported a 7.59 percent increase in tourist arrivals to the Philippines in the first quarter of 2019, indicating that the country’s tourism “is on the right track.”
— Philippine News Agency

U.S., Japan, India and Philippines challenge Beijing with naval drills in the South China Sea
In fresh show of naval force in the contested South China Sea, a U.S. guided missile destroyer conducted drills with a Japanese aircraft carrier, two Indian naval ships and a Philippine patrol vessel in the waterway claimed by China, the U.S. Navy said on Thursday.
— Reuters

Philippines Cuts Key Rate, Considers Easing Reserve Ratio
The Philippine central bank cut its benchmark interest rate on Thursday and will consider easing the reserve ratio for lenders next week to boost economic growth from a four-year low.
— Bloomberg

Philippines begins book-building for 8-year euro bond issue
The Philippines has begun marketing a euro-denominated eight-year bond, National Treasurer Rosalia de Leon said on Thursday, confirming an initial price guidance at the “mid-swaps plus 90 to 100 basis points area”, as reported by Refinitiv IFR.
— Reuters

SC asked to void $211-million China loan agreement for Kaliwa Dam
The Supreme Court (SC) has been asked Thursday to void for being unconstitutional China’s $211-million loan grant to the Philippines for the construction of the Kaliwa Dam Project.
— Manila Bulletin

PRRD approves P1-B additional funding for SEA Games
The country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) received a big boost from no less than President Rodrigo Roa Duterte after he approved PHP1 billion additional funding to ensure the success of the biennial tournament slated from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 this year.
— Philippine News Agency

TRAIN collections exceed revised 2018 target – DOF
The Duterte administration’s first tax reform law attained its collection target last year, the Department of Finance (DOF) announced yesterday.
— Manila Bulletin

GSIS earmarks funds for El Niño Mindoro victims
The Government Service Insurance System is allocating P320 million for its active members and old-age pensioners in the province of Occidental Mindoro who have been affected by El Niño weather conditions.
— Manilastandard.net

Solicitor General asks SC to junk lawyers’ group bid for protection
The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to junk the petition of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) for court protection, calling the progressive lawyers’ group plea “a frantic and desperate cry for undue attention.”
— CNN Philippines

Why Rodrigo Duterte remains as popular as ever ahead of the Philippines’ key mid-term elections
A killer, a sexist, a corruption fighter, and a saviour. Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has been labelled a number of things since his election in 2016, but conventional is not one of them.
— ABC News

Election code reform eyed to lift infrastructure ban
AMENDING the Omnibus Election Code is important in minimizing the impact of the ban on major infrastructure projects during election years, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).
— Business Mirror (annoying pop-ups)

Acting prosecutor general asked to inhibit from Dengvaxia raps
The parents of children who allegedly died due to the effects of dengue vaccine Dengvaxia have asked the acting prosecutor general to inhibit from further proceedings in their criminal complaints against former Health secretary Janette Garin and several other officials.
— GMA News

Collective efforts needed to heal ‘relatively unhealthy’ reefs in WPS
Marred by trash and illegal fishing, the reefs of Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) were diagnosed “relatively unhealthy” by Filipino scientists, who recently concluded a joint marine science research in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
— Spratly Islands

TRAIN’s hike in disposable income felt by retail sector, restaurants — DoF
TAXPAYERS saved about P111.7 billion in 2018 after the reduction in personal income due to the implementation of the tax reform law, the Department of Finance (DoF) said Thursday.
— BusinessWorld Online

Slaughterhouse test blitz ordered to stem China’s pig contagion
China stepped up efforts to control the deadly pig contagion ravaging its $128 billion pork industry, ordering mandatory testing for African swine fever at more than 10,000 slaughterhouses nationwide.
— Business Mirror (annoying pop-ups)

Malacañang declares May 13 non-working holiday
Malacañang has declared Monday, May 13, a non-working holiday throughout the country to allow voters to participate in the national and local elections.
— Rappler

Documents issued in the Philippines to no longer need authentication in Macau
The Philippine Consulate General in Macau SAR has indicated that with the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents to be enforced in the Philippines on May 14, documents issued in that country will no longer need authentication from the local consulate.
— Macaubusiness.com

Despite rains, dam water levels still below normal
WATER levels at La Mesa Dam and Angat Dam remain below normal levels despite a spate of sporadic rains for the past few days.
— Business Mirror (annoying pop-ups)

Doing business made easier
Necessity is not the only factor that can give birth to invention or innovation. Frustration can, too.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

ERC moves to ease power demand amid thin reserves
THE ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION (ERC) has issued a resolution that adds other circumstances that will prompt distribution utilities, including the country’s biggest — Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), to activate their interruptible load program (ILP) and ease energy demand in the system.
— BusinessWorld Online

Metrobank redeeming P16 B notes early
The Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank) has received the approval of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to redeem P16 billion in debt notes ahead of scheduled maturity to avoid paying a step-up interest rate.
— The Philippine Star

Atienza asks DOTr to submit progress report on P450M Pag-asa Island seaport project
An official of the House of Representatives is seeking a progress report from the Department of Transportation over the supposed construction of the P450-million seaport project along Pag-asa Island.
— Spratly Islands

Cafe fuels Thailand’s PTT expansion in PH
PTT Philippines Corp. is shelling out P500 million in capital expenditures this year as it seeks to ramp up its nonfuel business while maintaining growth momentum in fuel retailing.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Youth party seeks Congress intervention on tuition, other fees issues in SUCs, private schools
The Kabataan party-list on Thursday filed separate resolutions to look into a memorandum allowing school fees to be collected despite the existence of the free tuition law, and to disapprove applications for tuition increase.
— GMA News

P25B fund for coconut farming pushed
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is proposing P25 billion in funding — or P5 billion annually — over the next five years starting 2020 in a bid to diversify and modernize coconut farming practices under the Coconut Industry Modernization Program.
— Malaya

4.1-magnitude quake hits E. Samar
A 4.1-magnitude earthquake struck Eastern Samar on Thursday, May 9. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the quake, an aftershock of the 6.5-magnitude quake that hit the province on April 26, struck 77 kilometers northeast of San Julian at 2:38 p.m.
— Eagle News

LOOK: Ormoc Airport’s improved passenger terminal building
Transportation officials inspected the rehabilitated passenger terminal building of the Ormoc Airport in Leyte, which was damaged by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in 2013.
— Rappler

NCR office growth seen at 1 million sq.m. per year
THE METRO MANILA office sector’s capacity is expected to grow by 1 million square meters a year between 2019 and 2021, with demand for such space driven by the speed of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority’s (PEZA) investment application approvals for incentives, Colliers International said.
— BusinessWorld Online

DepEd hiring 10,000 new teachers for 2019, government allots P2.11-billion budget
THE Department of Education (DepEd) said the agency is targeting to hire 10,000 new teachers this year.
— Business Mirror (annoying pop-ups)

Judge Shot Dead in Volatile Southern Philippines
An undetermined number of gunmen shot dead a trial court judge in the volatile southern Philippines on Thursday, police said, in the fourth killing of court officers since President Rodrigo Duterte took power almost three years ago.
— Benar News

P3.9-M set for student summer jobs in Cavite
The city government has earmarked some PHP3.9 million as the local counterpart fund for the employment program with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for students during summer vacation.
— Philippine News Agency

Camiguin could hit 1M tourists, bolstered by Skyjet’s game-changing direct flights to the “island born of fire”
OPEN FOR BUSINESS, Eagle News Service Foreign and local tourists can now easily “come again” to Camiguin with Skyjet Airlines’s first-ever direct flight to the island in the coast of Southern Philippines whose volcanic origins and eruptions got its brand as the “island born of fire.”
— Eagle News

Inciting to sedition trial vs Trillanes to proceed
The inciting to sedition case against Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV over his remarks on President Rodrigo Duterte’s hidden wealth will proceed after a Pasay judge junked his motion to quash due to lack of merit.
— The Philippine Star

Supply shortage, penalties hurt Manila Water’s profits in Q1 2019
The supply crisis and the hefty penalties imposed on Manila Water hurt the company’s earnings during the 1st quarter of 2019.
— Rappler

Germany cites concerns over PHL’s compliance with GSP+ terms
THE German government said Thursday that it has concerns about the Philippines’ compliance with the terms of its continued participation in a European Union (EU) preferential trade arrangement.
— BusinessWorld Online

Cloud seeding conducted over three dams
An aircraft commissioned by the Bureau of Soil and Water Management (BSWM) has started cloud-seeding operations over three dams to create artificial rain and increase the water level in the facilities.
— The Philippine Star

Sotto, Lacson eye stiffer penalties for perjury
SENATE President Vicente Sotto 3rd on Thursday said he would push for the imposition of stiffer penalties for the crime of perjury, particularly on those who give false testimony in congressional hearings, by amending the Revised Penal Code when the 18th Congress opens in July.
— The Manila Times

LafargeHolcim sells Philippines business in $2.15 billion deal
LafargeHolcim has agreed to sell its Philippines operations in a deal valuing them at $2.15 billion, the world’s largest cement maker said on Thursday, as it continues to sell off units in fringe markets.
— Reuters

El Niño destroys P27.5-M crops in Cebu City
Damage to crops brought about by the mild El Niño in the 28 upland barangays of Cebu City has reached PHP27.5 million, the City Agriculture Department said Thursday.
— Philippine News Agency

ELECTION 2019: Liquor Ban Will Be Imposed On May 12 & 13
The Philippine National Police (PNP) will impose a liquor ban on May 12 to 13 for the aim to have a peaceful Election 2019.
— Philippine News

Gross domestic product quarterly performance (Q1 2019)
PHILIPPINE gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 5.6% in the first quarter, its worst performance in four years, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported on Thursday.
— BusinessWorld Online

Energy Efficiency Law a major leap–Win
President Rodrigo Duterte’s signing into law of the “landmark” Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act is a major leap forward in realizing efficient ways of utilizing energy in the country that are attuned to acceptable international standards, said Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.
— Manilastandard.net

PH on track to hit export target: DTI
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) remains confident it is still on track to attain export targets of USD122 billion to USD130 billion by 2022, even after merchandise export performance declined by 3.1 percent in the first quarter this year.
— Philippine News Agency

From dump to desk: upcycling pineapple waste into specialty paper
The Design Center of the Philippines, an attached agency to the Department of Trade and Industry committed to strengthening the Philippines’ design ecosystem, recently launched pinyapel, a locally-processed and locally-manufactured specialty paper from locally-sourced discarded pineapple leaves.
— BusinessWorld Online

Final testing and sealing of VCMs down to last two days
With voting just a few days away, the Comelec’s command center for the FST is still receiving reports that some areas have not yet received their election materials.
— GMA News

Duterte gov’t says human rights lawyers don’t need SC protection order
The Duterte government told the Supreme Court (SC) that human rights lawyers do not need a protection order from the government and the military, saying “there is no extralegal killing and enforced disappearances among the lawyer’s ranks.
— Rappler

AsiaKredit pushes into consumer finance with new suite of digital installment products for underbanked middle-class Filipinos
AsiaKredit, a leading digital consumer finance fintech, today announced its entry into mainstream consumer finance in the Philippines with the launch of a suite of digital installment loan products for the underbanked middle-class.
— AEC News Today/ PR Newswire (media release)

Duterte assures justice for victims of Negros Occidental ambush
President Rodrigo Duterte assured justice for the victims of the April 25 ambush that killed the brother and nephew of a vice mayor in Moises Padilla town here.
— Rappler

Over 162k of waste hauled from Pasig River
The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission hauled 162,390 kilograms of waste (5,413 sacks of garbage), which were pushed by the high tide in Manila Bay into the Pasig River, during a series of massive clean-up operations which started last April 27.
— Manilastandard.net

EMB slaps fine on piggery for foul smell, untreated wastewater
The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) in Central Visayas on Thursday said it has ordered a piggery farm in Pinamungajan, Cebu to pay a fine of PHP150,000 for spreading foul odor in the neighborhood and discharging wastewater to a nearby river.
— Philippine News Agency

Davao Oriental governor’s son nabbed in drug bust; Gov tells cops: ‘Job well done’
The son of Davao Oriental Governor Nelson Dayanghirang was nabbed in a drug bust in this city, but the father congratulated the police here for a “job well done.”
— Inquirer.net

Final testing, sealing of VCM in La Union set May 10
The Vote Counting Machines (VCMs) and Canvassing and Consolidation System (CCS) laptop units allotted for all 787 clustered precincts in La Union province were delivered Sunday, April 21, in preparation for the upcoming midterm elections.
— Philippine Information Agency

Duterte bugged by cockroach during speech
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s unpredictable speeches frequently contain bombshell pronouncements, but the surprise this time came in the form of a cockroach ambling along the leader’s shoulder.
— The Manila Times

EARTHQUAKES: List of Quakes That Hit Philippines Today (May 9, 2019)
Philippines Hit by Several Earthquakes Today (May 9, 2019) EARTHQUAKES – Here is a list of the quakes that hit Philippines today, May 9, 2019 (Thursday). Every day, a lot of different places in the Philippines are shaken by quakes.
— Philippine News

No brownout assured in Iloilo City on May 13
Panay Electric Company (PECO), Iloilo City’s power distribution, assured continuous electric supply in this highly urbanized city on May 13, election day.
— Philippine News Agency

EXPLAINER: What’s in it for us if the PH has good credit ratings?
The Philippines scored its highest credit rating in history from Standard and Poor’s Global Ratings (S&P), now at BBB+ and a notch away from the A category.
— Rappler

Taiwanese firms to invest in Subic
Eight Taiwan-based companies have expressed their interest to invest in this premier freeport.
— Philippine News Agency

BFAR stages TIENDA 2019 to support local farmers, fisherfolk
With the aim to support local agricultural producers in the Ilocos region, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Regional Office 1 (BFAR-RO1) stages a two-day TIENDA 2019 (trade fair) from May 9-10 in this city in celebration of the month of Farmers and Fisherfolk this May.
— Philippine Information Agency

Japanese Embassy turns over new classrooms to Davao Norte school
The Japanese Embassy has turned over new classrooms for Del Pilar Elementary School in New Corella, Davao del Norte under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project.
— Manilastandard.net

Comelec to help teachers get tax-free honoraria
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday assured public school teachers who will be serving as Electoral Board (EB) members in the May 13 mid-term polls that it will help them get their honoraria tax-free.
— Philippine News Agency

Lanao town holds ‘Kasalang Bayan’
The Local Government Unit (LGU) of Kauswagan in Lanao del Norte conducted free civil wedding to 33 couples in celebration of its Fiesta and Charter Day 2019.
— Philippine Information Agency

 

Feature photo Mongabay

This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo acknowledges World Migratory Bird Day, May 11.

 

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.

 

The following two tabs change content below.

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.

Support independent media by sharing using these tools. Do not steal our content

Make a comment

Your email address will not be published.