Philippines Morning News For October 17, 2019

Philippines’ top diplomat calls for cut to ‘Abominable’ over China map
The foreign minister of the Philippines called on Wednesday for a cut to a scene in DreamWorks’ animated film “Abominable” that shows China’s unilaterally declared “nine-dash line” in the South China Sea.
— Euronews

Magnitude 6.4 earthquake rattles Philippines’ Mindanao
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Philippines’ Mindanao on Wednesday (Oct 18), according to the United States Geological Survey.
— CNA

Autopsy awaited on OFW who ‘jumped to death’ in UAE
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it would wait for the official autopsy before it “responds appropriately” to the suspicious death of an overseas Filipino worker in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

IMF sees PHL growth picking up this semester
THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF), which on Tuesday slashed its Philippine economic growth projections further to 5.7% for this year and to 6.2% for 2020, nevertheless sees gross domestic product (GDP) expansion picking up this semester on the back of improved government spending, Yongzheng Yang, IMF resident representative to the Philippines, said in an e-mail on Wednesday.
— BusinessWorld

PH climbs three spots to 67th in international property rights
The Philippines climbed three spots to rank 67th out of 129 economies in the 2019 International Property Rights Index report.
— Manilastandard.net

Lift ban on pork sale, LGUs told
The Department of the Interior and Local Government is urging local government units to lift their bans on the distribution and sale of pork and pork products, saying measures have already been taken to contain the spread of African swine fever.
— Manilastandard.net

Strong aftershocks continue to rock Mindanao after 6.3 magnitude quake; intensity 7 quake felt in Kidapawan City
Aftershocks continued to be felt in Mindanao after a magnitude 6.3 quake hit North Cotabato on Wednesday night, October 16, as many shocked and scared residents continue to stay outdoors for fear of another strong quake.
— Eagle News

Approval of tougher anti-terrorism law by November to pave way for lifting of martial law –Sotto
Senate President Vicente Sotto III said passing a stronger anti-terrorism law by November this year may pave the way for the lifting of martial law in Mindanao.
— GMA Network

8990 Holdings president Willie Uy dies
Willibaldo Willie Uy, the president and chief executive officer of listed property firm 8990 Holdings , died, the company said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Wednesday, October 16.
— Rappler

Malolos-Clark railway project attracts 6 potential bidders
The PNR Clark Phase 2 project continues to attract a number of foreign and local investors as six firms expressed interest to undertake two new contract packages under the P284-billion railway project.
— The Philippine Star

Philippine army vows to boost ties with RCAF
The Philippine army has promised to boost cooperation with the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, especially in training and sharing information.
— Khmer Times

Southeast Asian conglomerates to pump US$30 million into renewable projects in Myanmar
Two Southeast Asian business conglomerates have teamed up to invest at least US$30 million in renewable energy projects in Myanmar, which has one the region’s lowest rates of access to grid electricity.
— Eco-Business

First shared telco tower in PHL breaks ground in Ilocos Sur
The common tower initiative of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has finally taken shape, after LCS Holdings Inc. of politician Luis Chavit Singson broke ground for the construction of the first shared telco infrastructure in the Philippines late Wednesday.
— Business Mirror

DOF firm on 5-year CITIRA transition
The Department of Finance (DOF) stands firm on a five-year transition period for the proposed Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act (CITIRA) despite the Department of Trade and Industry’s call for a longer transition.
— The Philippine Star

DOE pushes review of oil deregulation
The Department of Energy (DOE) is pushing for the review of the oil deregulation law to ensure transparency in oil prices.
— The Philippine Star

SC spokesperson clarifies PET orders; parties to comment on findings, 3 more provinces
Supreme Court (SC) spokesperson, lawyer Brian Keith Hosaka clarified two important points on the order issued by the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) on the electoral protest filed by former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
— Manila Bulletin

6,000 ARMM employees will be out of BARMM by December
All the 6,000 permanent employees of the defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will be out by December as part of the transition into the new Bangsamoro ARMM (BARMM), with the first batch of 500 to end their contract of service by the end of this month.
— Business Mirror

DOLE eyes to rebid of online processing system deal in Hong Kong
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said it may conduct a new round of bidding to select the new service provider for the online processing system of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Hong Kong.
— Business Mirror

Palay price falls to eight-year low
As the government further delayed its decision on the implementation of safeguard measures versus rice imports, the price of palay (unhusked rice) continued to go down, falling to its lowest level in eight years.
— Manila Bulletin

Congress to amend Local Government Code to hike IRA in rural areas
CONGRESS will review and amend the Local Government Code of 1991 to increase the internal revenue allotment (IRA) of local government units in rural areas, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said on Wednesday.
— Business Mirror

Gain report: ASF to cut PHL’s feed wheat imports
THE Philippines may import less wheat as the outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) could cut demand for feed wheat used for manufacturing animal feeds, according to a Global Agricultural Information Network (Gain) report.
— Business Mirror

Villar, Pacquiao billionaires in Senate millionaires club
SENATORS Cynthia Villar and Emmanuel Pacquiao emerged as the only billionaires, on top of 22 other senators belonging to the so-called Senate millionaires club, based on the mandatory filing of their 2018 Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN).
— Business Mirror

Have $20,000, live permanently in the Philippines
If you’re an expat about to hit retirement age (50 or above), with some savings to your name (a minimum of $10,000, plus pension of $800/month), moving to the Philippines may be the best decision you’ll ever make.
— Gulf News

Panelo hits ‘rumor-mongering’ Washington Post for story on Duterte-Trump conversation
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo branded as rumor-mongering and political propaganda the October 5 article published by the Washington Post detailing President Donald Trump’s phone calls two years ago to several world leaders, including President Rodrigo Duterte, whom he purportedly praised for the latter’s drug war.
— GMA Network

Magnitude 6.3 quake jolts North Cotabato
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake jolted North Cotabato on Wednesday night, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.The quake of tectonic origin struck 23 kilometers southwest of Makilala at 7:37 p.m.
— Philippine News Agency

40,000 kids in Marikina to get polio vaccine
Around 40,000 kids would have to be vaccinated against polio for Marikina City to gain herd immunity against the disease, said the Department of Health (DOH).
— Rappler

PHL 100% ready for SEA Games hosting
HOUSE SPEAKER Alan Peter S. Cayetano, who also chairs the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC), said the country is 100% ready for the 30th Southeast Asian Games in November, though he admitted that the daily hosting of the event will be a challenge.
— BusinessWorld

PHL to focus on seaweed, coconut exports in ASEAN agriculture deal
THE Philippines signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), agreeing to focus on growing its exports of seaweed and coconut products to markets outside the region.
— BusinessWorld

MMDA enforcers to get insurance coverage
ALL METROPOLITAN Manila Development Authority (MMDA) enforcers will soon enjoy free insurance coverage on accidental death and disablement funded by the non-life insurance sector.
— BusinessWorld

Analysts: another RRR cut still possible
MANAGEABLE inflation paired with the still unremarkable loan growth could allow room for another slash in banks’ reserve requirement ratio (RRR) towards yearend, economists said in interviews since last weekend.
— BusinessWorld

Gov’t tempers Q3 palay, corn output projections
THE PHILIPPINE Statistics Authority (PSA) has slashed its projections for third-quarter palay and corn production, citing a decline in harvest area particularly for unmilled rice.
— BusinessWorld

NCR office vacancy rate dips in Q3
THE office vacancy rate in Metro Manila dropped to a “healthy” 5 percent in the third quarter from 6 percent in the second quarter on the back of strong demand, according to a real estate consultancy firm.
— Manila Times

GenCell offers zero-emission cells to replace diesel generation sets
ISRAELI COMPANY GenCell Energy is offering to replace diesel-fired power generation sets with zero-emission technology fuel cells that run on hydrogen and guarantee reliable and long-duration power to offices such as banks, hospitals, and utility substations.
— BusinessWorld

Mindanao task forces against insurgency meet in CDO
All Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) from the Mindanao island group gathered in Cagayan de Oro City on October 10 for the first leg of the Major Island Group Summits prior to the national summit which will be attended by President Rodrigo Roa-Duterte.
— Philippine Information Agency

Watchdog names some of govt’s red tape-burdened agencies
THE Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and Land Registration Authority (LRA) have been identified as among the most red tape-ridden agencies in the first 100 days of ease of doing business (EoDB) law implementation, a government watchdog said.
— BusinessWorld

Robredo satisfaction rating improves, gets boost from poorest sector –SWS
Vice President Leni Robredo’s net satisfaction rating improved to good at 33 percent from moderate or 28 percent three months ago due to increased ratings among the poorest sectors, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed Wednesday.
— GMA Network

DA-BPI warns farmers on fall armyworm pest
THE AGRICULTURE department’s Davao office has alerted farmers to check for possible fall armyworm (FAW) infestation after the pest was found in two farms in the region.
— BusinessWorld

GenSan bars entry of trikes from other areas
The city government has implemented a “total lockdown” against “colorum” or unregistered tricycles, which come from neighboring localities, in a bid to address the worsening traffic problem on major roads.
— Philippine News Agency

700 kilos of rotten fish pulled out from Dumaguete market
Fish inspectors of the city government pulled out from fish stalls at the public market here some 700 kilograms of assorted big fishes that were deemed unfit for human consumption.
— Philippine News Agency

Insurgency-free LGUs not exempt from forming TF vs. rebellion
A ranking official of the national task force to end insurgency in the country on Wednesday said local government units declared as insurgency-free are not exempted from participating in the whole-of-nation approach in addressing local armed conflict.
— Philippine News Agency

Makati still Philippines’ richest local government unit
Makati City remained the country’s wealthiest local government unit (LGU) for the second year in a row, reporting total assets of P230.833 billion in 2018.
— Rappler

Cotabato City officials, employees undergo drug testing
To sustain Cotabato City’s “drug cleared” status, officials, and personnel of the local government underwent a surprise and mandatory drug testing Wednesday morning.
— Philippine News Agency

Cebu City mayor sacks water district board directors
CITING “WIDESPREAD” customer dissatisfaction, Cebu City Mayor Edgardo C. Labella has terminated the members of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District’s (MCWD) board of directors. Notices of termination were sent to Chairman Joel Mari Yu, Vice Chairman Ralph Sevilla, Secretary Cecilia Jugao-Adlawan, and members Procopio Fernandez and Augustus Pe, Jr. on Oct. 15.
— BusinessWorld

EO 70 cited in decreased NPA-military encounters
President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order (EO) 70, which seeks to institute a “whole of government” approach in addressing communist insurgency, has resulted in decreased armed engagements between government troops and the New People’s Army (NPA), an official said on Wednesday.
— Philippine News Agency

SoCot town police chief probed over alleged mauling
A police official in South Cotabato province is facing possible administrative and criminal charges for allegedly mauling a civilian late last week.
— Philippine News Agency

2019 sees almost a year’s delay in Enrile plunder trial
The year 2019 is winding down but the most-awaited pork barrel scam plunder trial of Juan Ponce Enrile is yet to begin as his lawyer Estelito Mendoza again successfully scored a reset on Wednesday, October 16.
— Rappler

Butuan senior citizens seek additional free meds
Though provided with complete meals daily inside the Por Cristo, a center for the abandoned elderly, the senior citizens asked for free medicines for different types of medications including vitamin supplements.
— Philippine Information Agency

DOJ kicks off reinvestigation of 13 “ninja cops” behind 2013 Pampanga raid
The Department of Justice on Wednesday, Oct. 16, kicked off its reinvestigation into the cases against the 13 policemen behind an irregular drug raid in Mexico, Pampanga in 2013.
— Eagle News

PNP imposes weekday golf ban on cops
Cops can no longer play golf during weekdays, Philippine National Police officer-in-charge (OIC) Lieutenant General Archie Francisco Gamboa announced on Wednesday, October 16.
— Rappler

Vico Sotto suspends 2 ranking execs for ignoring environmental violations
Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto on Wednesday suspended two high-ranking officials of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) without pay, after several establishments were found to have been dumping waste water into the city’s drainage.
— GMA Network

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Philippines morning news for October 17 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on October 17, 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.