Philippines morning news for March 3

Philippines morning news for March 3
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Philippines morning news

Gunman surrenders, releases hostages after day-long standoff at Manila mall
A sacked security guard gave himself up and set free dozens of hostages he seized at gunpoint on Monday (Mar 2) in a Manila mall, ending a day-long standoff that terrified shoppers and left one man wounded.
— CNA

Customs, anti-money laundering body to probe influx of foreign bucks in PH
The Bureau of Customs is set to launch a probe with the Anti-Money Laundering Council on the huge amounts of cash brought into the country by alleged foreign syndicates.
— CNN Philippines

Philippines: Church attendance hits low over coronavirus fears
The Philippines is home to the largest Roman Catholic community in Asia, and churches can traditionally rely on a strong showing for Sunday mass services.
— Aljazeera

Government debt soars to P7.76 trillion
The Philippines’ debt pile rose to P7.76 trillion as of end-January following the government’s issuance of euro-denominated offshore bonds during the month, the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) reported yesterday.
— The Philippine Star

Coronavirus forces job cuts at Philippine Airlines
Philippine Airlines has taken decisive action to try and curb losses due to the travel bans caused by the novel coronavirus.
— Travelmole

2019 tourism receipts expand 20.8% to P482.15 billion
THE Philippines earned $9.31 billion or P482.15 billion in tourism receipts last year, up 20.8 percent from the earnings in 2018, latest data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) show.
— Business Mirror

NEDA hikes COVID-19 impact on GDP
The spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019) could shave off as much as one percentage point from the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2020 due to its impact on trade and tourism, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
— The Philippine Star

Magnitude 5.7 earthquake rattles central Philippines
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 shook central Philippines early on Monday, the Philippine Institute of Seismology and Volcanology (Phivolcs) said.
— Xinhuanet

Philippine passports being sold to Chinese tourists – Hontiveros
Philippine passports, among several government-issued documents, were being peddled by travel agencies to Chinese tourists through a messaging application, Senator Risa Hontiveros revealed during a Monday Senate inquiry.
— GMA Network

Special powers for PRRD to fast-track BBB hurdles House panel
The House Committee on Flagship Programs and Projects on Monday approved a measure granting President Rodrigo Duterte special powers to speed up the implementation of the “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program.
— Philippine News Agency

Philippines mall surrounded by police as gunman takes hostages
A shopping centre in the Philippines capital has been surrounded by heavily armed police after an assailant opened fire and took dozens of people hostage, officials have said.
— ABC News

Third Filipino in Singapore tests positive for novel coronavirus
A third Filipino in Singapore tested positive for the novel coronavirus, Singapore’s health ministry said on Monday, March 2.
— Eagle News

No new defense deal with US, says Palace
The Duterte administration is not seeking a new deal that could replace the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States, Malacañang said yesterday, even as it gave assurance that existing defense pacts with other countries would not be touched unless there are “compelling reasons” to do so.
— The Philippine Star

Boosting international trade: Philippines seeks food safety gains for exports to reduce recalls
The Philippines is developing local reference standards to raise the quality control and monitoring of exported food products, and as such reduce the probability of these being rejected overseas and resulting in forced recalls.
— Foodnavigator-asia

Philippine manufacturing up in February — IHS Markit
The Philippine manufacturing sector posted slight gains in February as new orders rose at the fastest pace in four months, results of the monthly survey conducted by IHS Markit showed.
— GMA News

PH military spots 136 Chinese vessels near Pag-asa Island since January 2020
More than 100 Chinese vessels have been spotted near the Philippine-occupied Pag-asa (Thitu) Island in the West Philippine Sea since the start of the year, in what could be a sign that Beijing has all but ignored Manila’s diplomatic protests and consultative talks to continue its aggression in the area.
— Inquirer.net

10 quarantined Filipinos test negative for coronavirus, 4 await lab results
Ten Filipinos quarantined at the New Clark City have been cleared for coronavirus infection while four others are awaiting their test results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), a health official said Monday.
— CNN Philippines

Philippines’ retaliation in Thai tobacco tiff stalled by frozen WTO
The Philippines is prodding the World Trade Organization to let it retaliate against Thailand over a decadelong tobacco customs dispute, as simmering trade tensions between the two nations start to boil over.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)

200 Pinoy crew barred from getting off cruise ship
Two-hundred Filipino crewmembers were barred from disembarking after their cruise ship arrived in Manila last Sunday due to the threat of the novel coronavirus.
— Tempo

Senate adopts resolution questioning Duterte power to solely end treaties
Voting 12-0-8, the Senate on Monday, March 2, crossed party lines and adopted Senate Resolution No. 337, seeking to ask the Supreme Court to rule on the need for Senate concurrence in treaty termination.
— Rappler

Philippines to Saudi Arabia: Clarify scope of your coronavirus travel ban
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it was seeking clarification on the full scope of the Saudi government’s travel ban, following reports that some Filipinos traveling to Saudi Arabia were denied entry over restrictions put in place due to the 2019 novel coronavirus.
— Rappler

Duterte’s drug war: Philippine fathers mourn sons in silence
It has been almost three years since Alan Celiz’s sons, Almon and Dicklie, were killed in violence related to the Philippines’s war on drugs, but he still cannot talk about them.
— Aljazeera

22 Filipinos from Diamond Princess who recovered from COVID-19 to be repatriated –DOH
The Department of Health (DOH) said Monday that 22 infected Filipinos from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan will be repatriated after they recovered from 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection.
— GMA Network

Police, military ‘helped syndicates’ bring in P18.7 billion to Philippines
Syndicates were able to sneak in dirty money amounting to P18.7 billion into the Philippines with the help of some police, military, and airport security personnel, said Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero.
— Rappler

Manila eyes travel ban for Italy, Iran amid outbreak
THE Philippines will consider a travel ban for Italy and Iran and may expand restrictions for South Korea as a novel coronavirus outbreak spreads to these countries, authorities said on Monday.
— BusinessWorld

Boracay shutdown feared amid virus scare
BUSINESSES and workers in Boracay fear that the famed tourist spot will again be closed to visitors because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) scare and its devastating effect on the resort island’s business.
— Manila Times

Quo warranto case vs ABS-CBN improper — former chief justice
Retired chief justice Artemio Panganiban on Monday said the quo warranto petition filed against ABS-CBN Corp. by the solicitor general was improper and that there were other remedies available to the network.
— Manila Times

House kicks out 2 committee heads amid rumored coup
THE House of Representatives on Monday elected new heads for the appropriations and Electoral Tribunal committees amid a rumored coup against its Speaker.
— BusinessWorld

UN ‘receptive’ to PH dignitary statement on human rights: PCOO
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) was “receptive” to the explanation defending the Duterte administration from allegations that it has violated press freedom and human rights in the Philippines, a Palace official claimed on Monday.
— Philippine News Agency

Zambo City eyes Malayal river as water source
The city government is studying the possibility of tapping the river in Barangay Malayal, Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte, to augment the water supply of the Zamboanga City Water District (ZCWD).
— Philippine News Agency

DepEd: No need to suspend classes amid Covid-19 threat
There is no need to suspend classes in high schools nationwide amid coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-2019) outbreak, an official of the Department of Education (DepEd) said Monday
— Philippine News Agency

Gov’t spending better than monetary stimulus vs. Covid-19
Fiscal stimulus will be more effective than a monetary stimulus to date, to address any economic impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) on the Philippine economy.
— Philippine News Agency

CBCP calls for a stop to implementation of Kaliwa Dam
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has urged authorities to halt the implementation of the Kaliwa Dam project, which it said will endanger indigenous communities and the ecosystem in the Sierra Madre mountain range.
— GMA Network

DOH tracks South Korean under monitoring in Cebu
One of the 26 South Koreans in Cebu who flew in from Daegu, South Korea is still being tracked by the Department of Health (DOH), Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Monday, March 2.
— Rappler

BI: South Korean government to help PHL enforce North Gyeongsang travel ban
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Monday said the Korean government will be implementing a certification-based system to ensure that no traveller from the North Gyeongsang in South Korea will be allowed entry in the country.
— Business Mirror

Is W.T.O. relevant? PHL asks as world trade body favors Thailand
THE Philippines is calling on the World Trade Organization (WTO) to favor its retaliation against Thailand in their cigarette dispute to prove that multilateral trading rules remain relevant at the height of protectionism.
— Business Mirror

Isko: Manila to put up P49-M Muslim cemetery
Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Domagoso has signed an ordinance establishing a new cemetery for deceased Muslim residents of the nation’s capital at the Manila South Cemetery and appropriating funds for it.
— Manilastandard.net

Women s wider access to RH services, contraception seen to address spike in teen pregnancies
Women s right to access reproductive health services, including contraceptives, should be protected amid the continued increase in the number of teenage mothers, a women s group leader said Monday.
— GMA Network

Philippines is 4th in the world in highest number of online threats in 2019
The Philippines was the fourth country in the world with the highest web threat detections in 2019, seven notches higher than its previous ranking of 11th.
— GMA News

UN counter-terrorism officials visit PH
The Philippine government has assured that it is taking the threat of terrorism seriously saying such acts disrupt peace and security and cause devastation to human lives and property.
— Manila Bulletin

DFA to clarify Saudi Arabia s entry ban over coronavirus fears
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday it would seek clarification from Saudi Arabia over the implementation of the kingdom s travel restrictions aimed at controlling the spread of the coronavirus disease.
— GMA Network

Biliran guv extends duration on total ban of entry of live hogs, by-products
Biliran Governor Rogelio J. Espina on January 4, signed Executive Order No. 007, Series of 2020, extending and totally ban entry of live hogs, pork, pork related products, and by-products from Luzon and Mindanao into the island province of Biliran.
— Philippine Information Agency

Immigration officials ‘deny to death’ participation in pastillas scheme
Former and current immigration officers deny all allegations linked to the moneymaking scheme at the Bureau of Immigration (BI), but Senator Risa Hontiveros found it hard to believe them.
— Rappler

Palace asks Gordon to share with gov t info on cash brought in by China citizens
Malacañang on Monday asked Senator Richard Gordon to provide government information about the possible involvement of Chinese nationals in money laundering activities in the country.
— GMA Network

At least P84 million given to OFWs hit by virus travel ban – OWWA
The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said the government has distributed some P84 million in aid to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were stranded in the Philippines due to travel restrictions imposed over the novel coronavirus outbreak.
— Rappler

Duterte didn t overspend in 2016 elections — Palace
President Rodrigo Duterte did not breach the campaign spending limit when he ran for the highest elective office in the country in 2016, Malacañang said Monday.
— GMA Network

DOH won’t ‘let guard down’ even as admitted PUIs for coronavirus down to 43
The Department of Health (DOH) gave assurances that it remains vigilant and ready to respond to the novel coronavirus even if officials noted a decrease in the number of patients under investigation.
— Rappler

Jurisprudence on treaty termination sought by Senate
THE SENATE on Monday adopted a resolution asking the Supreme Court to come up with jurisprudence on whether President Rodrigo R. Duterte can end a treaty without Senate concurrence.
— BusinessWorld

Improvement plans for scenic Pangasinan road sought
A nursery, view deck stations, and a dam will be part of further development and improvement of the scenic Daang Kalikasan road here to be implemented by various national government agencies and the local government unit (LGU).
— Philippine News Agency

Hontiveros hits classic korap moves at BI as employees admit high net worth
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday said that a former Bureau of Immigration official and his erstwhile aide’s net worth relative to their salaries was evidence of classic korap moves at the agency.
— GMA Network

DPWH to implement two flyover projects in Iloilo
The implementation of two flyover projects here is set to start this month, the Department of Public Works and Highways in Western Visayas (DPWH-6) said on Monday.
— Philippine News Agency

Villages urged to help fight violence against women
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has asked village officials to fully make the community-based violence against women (VAW) help desks functional as the country celebrates the National Women’s Month.
— Philippine News Agency

At least 4 killed in clashes with suspected NPA members in Bohol, Negros
At least 4 people were killed in clashes with suspected members of the New People’s Army over the weekend.
— Rappler

Anti-Terrorism Act targets dissenters, activists – Movement Against Tyranny
The Movement Against Tyranny, an alliance of human rights advocacy groups, on Monday expressed its opposition to the newly approved Senate Bill 1083 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2019, authored and sponsored by Senator Panfilo Lacson.
— GMA Network

With a monthly salary of P12,000, BI security guard’s net worth is P7.8 million
A classic corrupt move is all that Senator Risa Hontiveros could say, referring to a Bureau of Immigration security guard, who has a net worth of P7.8 million, and an immigration officer, who earned around P24,000 but still managed to mount a mayoral campaign.
— Rappler

Former BI official denies knowledge of, involvement in pastillas scheme
Former Ports Operation Division (POD) chief Red Mariñas on Monday denied having a hand in the alleged pastillas scheme at the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
— GMA Network

Save Masungi Movement leads online petition to stop quarrying in georeserve
Hoping to make their voices heard, groups and environmental advocates of the Save Masungi Movement started an online petition urging President Rodrigo Duterte and Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu to stop quarrying activities in the georeserve.
— Rappler

Vico Sotto to ‘crack down’ on illegal POGO, businesses, and their city hall fixers
Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto doesn’t see the point in allowing Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) in the city.
— Rappler

DHSUD go after illegal subdivision developers in Davao City, Samal
THE DEPARTMENT of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is cracking down on illegal subdivision developers in Davao City and the Island Garden City of Samal, mostly on land awarded to agrarian reform beneficiaries.
— BusinessWorld

1st Metro Manila Summer Film Fest to kick off April
For the first time ever, another round of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) will be held this summer, with its eight film entries to be screened after the Lenten season.
— Philippine News Agency

 

 

Feature photo WENet Philippines

This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo focuses on International Women’s Day, March 8.

 

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).

 

 

About Philippines morning news.

Philippines morning news roundup is the most comprehensive hand-curated selection of Philippines English language news headlines published. Each weekday we scour hundreds of local and international news sites and websites to find the most recent Philippines English language news today.

We filter our the dull, the boring, the repetitive, and the click-bait and package all of the Philippines daily news that you need to know to start your day into an easy to read, time saving format of Philippines news headlines and first paragraphs before 8.15am Manila time.

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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.

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