Philippines Morning News For May 2, 2019

Money supply in slow growth of 4.2% in March
MONEY supply circulating in the economy reached P11.4 trillion by the end of the year’s first quarter, posting a slow growth from its level in the same period last year, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported.
— Business Mirror

Credit growth eases to 9.9% in March, slowest in 8 years
Credit growth slowed for the fifth straight month in March, hitting single-digit level for the first time in more than eight years due to the decline in household loans after a series of rate hikes by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) last year to control inflation.
— The Philippine Star

Groups hit Duterte policies, unfulfilled promises in Labor Day marches
Workers marked Labor Day with protests across the country insisting on higher wages and an end to contractualization as President Rodrigo Duterte promised when he ran in 2016.
— GMA News

ADB-PH partnership translates to over $19.3B in support
The Philippines has had a special partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) since 1966 that translates to over $19.3 billion of public sector financial support in forms of loans, technical assistance and grants in alignment with the government’s Five-Year Development Plan, and focusing on the administration’s Build-Build-Build programs and national spatial strategy.
— Manila Bulletin

‘Totally unnecessary’ for Palace to prove alleged Duterte ouster martix – Panelo
The Palace on Wednesday said it is not their responsibility to show proof to back its claim that journalists, news organizations, and lawyers are conspiring to oust President Rodrigo Duterte.
— CNN Philippines

Gov’t owes Filipino workers P1.349 trillion – labor group
The government owes P1.349 trillion to Filipino workers, a labor leader said Wednesday, citing a study conducted by the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP).
— Inquirer.net

How much do you need to become senator?
Want to craft the country’s laws and be a senator of the Philippines? Aside from political will and charisma, you’re going to need cash. Lots of it.
— Rappler

IN PHOTOS: Protests on Labor Day 2019
Workers took to the streets on Labor Day, May 1, demanding wage hikes , the implementation of the Expanded Maternity Leave Act , and the junking of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law .
— Rappler

Angat Dam water level may continue to go down until September — PAGASA
Angat Dam’s water level may continue to drop until September.
— GMA News

DFA raises Libya alert to Level 4, as more OFWs get trapped in conflict
THE Department of Foreign Affairs has ordered the mandatory evacuation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) based within 100 kilometers of the Libyan capital Tripoli by raising Alert Level 4, the highest and most urgent level of awareness issued in a conflict area.
— Business Mirror

Sumitomo-MHI-TESP takes over MRT-3 rehab
Sumitomo Corporation, its technical partner, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), and MHI’s fully-owned Philippine subsidiary, TES Philippines (TESP), formally took over on Wednesday the reins of the comprehensive rehabilitation and maintenance of the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3).
— Philippine News Agency

‘Unresolved US-China row to dent PHL growth’
If the United States and China fail to resolve the trade tensions between them, the Philippine economy stands to lose 0.10 percentage points in real GDP growth this year and next year, according to the Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (Amro).
— Business Mirror

Philippine Midterm Elections to Test Popularity of President Rodrigo Duterte
Rising inflation, endemic poverty, declining infrastructure and competing claims over territorial waters are among the issues facing Philippine voters when they vote May 13 in
midterm legislative elections.
— VOA

EU objects to PHL’s frequent use of glass safeguard measures
THE European Union has flagged at a World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting the Philippines’ practice of imposing sagefuard measures on float glass imports.
— BusinessWorld Online

ADB to fund elevated greenways for Metro Manila
Filipinos walking to and from the MRT and LRT will soon get some reprieve from the scorching heat of the sun and torrential rains as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the government are in the thick of preparing the construction of six to seven elevated greenways in congested parts of Metro Manila.
— Business Mirror

Duterte calls on Congress to pass measures for workers’ rights
President Rodrigo Duterte on Labor Day urged Congress to pass legislation to protect workers’ rights days after his national police chief blamed joblessness on labor protests for those rights.
— The Philippine Star

Iloilo’s P3.7-b budget OK eyed after May polls
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan committee on appropriations said the P3.712-billion executive budget will be passed after the May 13 elections.
— Manilastandard.net

AMRO keeps 6.4% PH growth forecast
PHILIPPINE economic growth is expected to pick up this year on the back of high local demand, the Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) said on Wednesday.
— The Manila Times

DOLE issues 3 new workers’ protection policies
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Wednesday issued three new policies for the protection of Filipino workers.
— Philippine News Agency

Prop-up external accounts to keep credit upgrade – BSP
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Diwa C. Guinigundo said in ensuring sovereign credit rating upgrades, the Philippines needs to shore up external accounts and pay closer attention to shortfalls as well as keep inflation within the target.
— Manila Bulletin

Marcos victims in Butuan start getting cash from sale of Marcos paintings
The American lawyer of victims of human rights violations under the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos has started to distribute compensation checks in Butuan City.
— GMA News

Hiring, labor turnover eases
LABOR turnover at the country’s large firms eased in the fourth quarter as hiring slowed, according to a report by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
— BusinessWorld Online

Canada’s trash ‘shipped out by May 15’
The tons of garbage from Canada that was dumped on the country six years ago will be shipped out on May 15, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said.
— Inquirer.net

Farmers seek help as palay prices tumble
The average buying price of palay further declined last month just after the government released the implementing rules and regulations for the new rice law—seen to deregulate the entry of imported rice in the market and give the local rice industry a boost by subsidizing its development.
— Inquirer.net

Palay price still down – PSA
THE farmgate average price of palay (unmilled rice) continued to fall in the first week of April as local farmers remained under pressure due to the expected arrival of cheaper imports under the terms of the new rice regime.
— The Manila Times

MIAA backs Cebu Pacific’s cancellation of over 50 flights
The Manila International Airport Authority backed Cebu Pacific’s cancellation of over 50 flights.
— Eagle News

IRR for Expanded Maternity Leave Law signed
The Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for Republic Act 11210 otherwise known as the Expanded Maternity Leave Law, was signed here on Wednesday.
— Philippine News Agency

Militant groups demand pay hike, crackdown on illegal Chinese workers on Labor Day
Militant groups in Negros Occidental joined the nationwide Labor Day protest, demanding a pay hike and a government crackdown on illegal Chinese workers in the country.
— Rappler

500 illegal immigrants deported back to Philippines
More than 500 illegal immigrants from the Philippines were deported back to their hometowns in Zamboanga late Tuesday (April 30).
— Inquirer.net

DOLE: No rule barring critical foreign journalists from PH
Nothing in the new government guidelines on issuing working permits to foreigners bars certain foreign journalists — even those critical of the Duterte administration — from entering the country.
— Inquirer.net

ADB plays down PH debt trap concerns
“Debt trap” fears over foreign financing from development partners like China and Japan should not be a “big concern” as long as borrowings are “sustainable,” a top economist from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on Wednesday.
— Inquirer.net

Gov’t tightens foreign worker controls
THE GOVERNMENT on Wednesday tightened rules on permits for foreigners to work in the country, amid reports of thousands of such nationals illegally hired in the gaming industry and even in construction who could be depriving the state of more than P30 billion in income tax each year.
— BusinessWorld Online

DepEd signs MOA with private sector partners, recognizes their important role in education
The Department of Education (DepEd) reiterated the important role of the private sector in addressing critical educational needs – particularly in the country’s public elementary and secondary schools.
— Manila Bulletin

Marawi weavers need more help to sustain livelihood
WEAVERS FROM Marawi City, which suffered devastation from the five-month armed clashes in 2017 arising from a siege by Islamic State-inspired local extremist groups, were among those who joined a forum in Iligan City last week intended to discuss the revival and sustaining affected businesses in the war-torn city.
— BusinessWorld Online

Global airline woes reach PH shores
THE wave of misery that has drowned at least eight significant airlines in bankruptcy so far this year is apparently now lapping at Philippine shores, with the country’s largest carrier Cebu Pacific announcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights due to unspecified “factors occurring all at the same time.”
— The Manila Times

2 Pangasinan towns test positive for red tide
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in the Ilocos advised the public against eating shellfishes from the coastal waters in the towns of Bolinao and Anda as shellfish samples collected from these areas proved positive for red tide toxin.
— Philippine Information Agency

Davao City requires drug tests for businesses with 10 or more workers
Private business establishments in Davao City employing ten or more employees are urged to comply with city ordinance 0506-13 or the Mandatory Drug Testing in business establishments as it will be strictly required for the acquisition and renewal of business permit starting 2020.
— Philippine Information Agency

Elevated ‘greenways’ to rise on Edsa
Elevated pathways that will serve not only pedestrians but also bikers will soon be built on Edsa as the Philippine government and Asian Development Bank (ADB) firm up within the year a $100-million (more than P5-billion) loan for the proposed “greenways” project.
— Inquirer.net

DOTr mulls expanded role for Japanese group repairing MRT 3
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said it was eyeing the possibility of Japan-based firm Sumitomo staying onboard as the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3’s maintenance service provider beyond the 43-month-long rehabilitation program for the train line.
— Inquirer.net

Have you heard about the Philippine mayor who banned gossip?
When the lethargic heat of summer set in, the residents of Binalonan, a small town in the Philippines, used togather under the trees and share stories about their neighbours, swapping titbits about rumoured scandals, affairs, bankruptcies and divorces.
— The Guardian

The Purpose Of Current Philippines Scientific Expedition To The Spratlys – OpEd – Eurasia Review
Amidst a ‘standoff’ between China and the Philippines near a disputed feature in the Spratlys, the Philippines is undertaking a government-sponsored marine scientific expedition to the area.
— Spratly Islands

Zamboanga City inspects integrity of buildings
The City Engineer’s Office has conducted inspections to determine the structural integrity of the old buildings in the central business district of Zamboanga City following the occurence of earthquakes in different parts of the country.
— Philippine News Agency

Local gov’t eyes ‘Bike Day’ in Iloilo City
With more bike enthusiasts converging in Iloilo City annually, the local government here is looking forward to someday observe a “Bike Day”, when people go to work or visit places riding a bicycle.
— Philippine News Agency

Blazes keep firemen busy in Malabon, QC
Around 100 families lost their houses to a fire that razed a densely packed residential area in Barangay Ibaba, Malabon City, on Wednesday morning.
— Inquirer.net

U.N. experts to PH gov’t: Stop red-tagging Corpuz, human rights groups
Three United Nations experts on Wednesday, May 1, condemned the continuous attacks and allegations linking one of their own to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
— Rappler

Authorities sign guidelines for issuance of work permits to foreign nationals — DOJ
-Authorities on Wednesday, May 1, finalized the guidelines for the issuance of work permits to foreign nationals, amid the influx of Chinese workers in the country.
— Eagle News

Supermarket workers hope to keep jobs after quake
More than a week after Chuzon Supermarket here crumbled due to a 6.1-magnitude tremor, the tragedy may have disrupted the future of its workers who are mostly breadwinners.
— Inquirer.net

TV firm to launch new digital product
Media giant ABS-CBN Corp. is planning to launch a new digital television product for mobile devices.
— Inquirer.net

Tap academe’s help in solving community woes, LGUs told
Researchers from the University of the Philippines have urged local government units (LGUs) to adopt their scientific studies or update local legislation to solve the country’s perennial problems, such as floods, water shortage and diseases.
— Inquirer.net

Bubble tea fuels Grab’s food delivery business
THE craving for bubble tea is fueling Grab’s food delivery business as it said the number of orders for the sugary drink in the Philippines grew 3,500% from June to December last year.
— BusinessWorld Online

Thousands of job seekers flock to Pampanga Labor Day fair
Rose Ann Villamor, a fresh graduate with a degree in business management from one of the universities in this province, was among the early birds in the Labor Day job and business fairs held on Wednesday at the Kingsborough International Convention Center here.
— Philippine News Agency

Ejercito seeks charges in substandard housing mess
The Senate’s Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement is set to recommend the filing of charges against those involved in building substandard houses for calamity victims in the different parts of the country.
— Philippine News Agency

Filipino Flight Attendant Helps Passenger Give Birth To Twins Mid-Flight
A Filipino flight attendant helped a passenger deliver her twin babies during their flight. A flight attendant’s job revolves around the comfort and safety of their aircraft passengers.
— Philippine News

Feature photo Bong Santisteban/ Rappler

This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo acknowledges World Press Freedom Day, May 3.

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 May 2 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on May 2, 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.