Philippines morning news for July 10, 2020

Cebu Pacific to lay off over 800 workers as virus impact ‘worsened’
Cebu Pacific said Thursday it would lay off more than 800 employees by August as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to “negatively impact” the airline industry.
— ABS-CBN News

Palace admits early lapses in response to pandemic
Malacañang on Thursday admitted that the government should have immediately expanded its capacity to test for the coronavirus when the Philippines recorded its first case from outside transmission on January 30.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Philippines ranks last in cancer preparedness in Asia-Pacific — report
The Philippines ranks last in cancer preparedness in the region with an overall score of 42.6 out of 100, well below the regional average of 66.5, while Australia (92.4), South Korea (83.4), and Malaysia (80.3) lead the region.
— BusinessWorld Online

No new deaths reported as COVID-19 tally in Philippines hits 51,754
Confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) case in the Philippines increased to 51,754 Thursday after the Department of Health reported 1,395 infections.
— Philippine Star

COVID-19 in Asean: update for July 9 — new records in Philippines & Indonesia as global infections top 12 mln
As of 00:38 GMT July 9 there was 73,769 active cases of COVID-19 throughout the 10 Asean member countries, an increase of 3,108, or 4.40 per cent, on the day prior. Of this 219, or 0.30 per cent, are regarded as serious or critical. An additional 1,340** people were discharged or marked as recovered.
— AEC News Today

Citing danger to organized labor, trade unionists join legal fight vs Anti-Terrorism Law
Trade unionists assailed the constitutionality of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 before the Supreme Court, citing the danger the law poses on labor rights defenders.
— Philippine Star

Filipinos from non-essential travel abroad must undergo quarantine at designated facility
A Filipino who returns to the country from a non-essential overseas trip must undergo quarantine at a government-designated facility while waiting for the result of the COVID-19 test, Malacañang said Thursday.
— GMA Network

DOH: Licensed labs up to 83; over 19,000 tests conducted daily in past week
The Philippines now has 83 laboratories that have been licensed to conduct independent testing for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Department of Health (DOH) said Thursday.
— GMA Network

Cebu City hospitals urged to expand Covid-19 spaces
A ranking official of the Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday urged private hospitals here to fulfill their promised 30 percent increase in bed capacity intended for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients.
— Philippine News Agency

COVID-19 testing in PH averaging 19,459 daily — DOH
The number of COVID-19 tests conducted daily in the Philippines has finally reached the 23,000-mark and is now averaging nearly 19,500, the Department of Health said Thursday.
— ABS-CBN News

Military says gunmen in attack on Misamis Occidental cops linked to unidentified politician
The armed men who attacked policemen at a quarantine checkpoint in Concepcion town, Misamis Occidental province are being linked to a former politician, who has not been named.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Palace tells Filipinos: No need to worry about bubonic plague
Filipinos should not worry about the bubonic plague entering the Philippines, Malacañang said Thursday, as it assured the public that authorities are guarding the country’s borders.
— ABS-CBN News

Hundreds return to NegOr via sweeper flights in July
Hundreds of locally-stranded individuals (LSIs) and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have returned to or departed from Negros Oriental on board sweeper flights via the Dumaguete-Sibulan airport in July.
— Philippine News Agency

BIR exempts imported diabetes drugs from VAT
THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is exempting imports of prescription drugs to treat diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension from value-added tax (VAT).
— BusinessWorld

DOH urged to cover funding for COVID vaccine
The House of Representatives has given assurance of a budget allocation for potential vaccines for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
— Philippine Star

AMLC to Philippines: Implement new anti-terror law
The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) said the Philippines should effectively implement the recently enacted Anti-Terror Act and also amend the country’s anti-money laundering law to avoid sanctions from Paris-based global watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
— Philippine Star

Stimulus bills ready; special session still under study
The proposed stimulus package intended to revive the pandemic-battered economy has been completed but the executive branch is still studying whether to ask Congress to hold special sessions to pass the measure, Malacañang said Thursday.
— Philippine Star

Only 50 guests, staffers may be allowed in Duterte’s 5th SONA: Zubiri
President Rodrigo Duterte will likely deliver his 5th State of the Nation Address at the Batasang Pambansa with only 50 individuals – including lawmakers and staffers – physically present in the usually packed chamber, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said Thursday.
— ABS-CBN News

World Bank to act on $300-M loan for Agus-Pulangi rehab next year
THE World Bank said the estimated approval date of the $300-million (around P15 billion) loan to support the Agus-Pulangi Hydropower Complex Rehabilitation Project is Sept. 29, 2021.
— BusinessWorld

Cayetano again says ABS-CBN franchise not press freedom issue
Ahead of a House committee’s looming verdict on whether to grant or deny ABS-CBN’s franchise application, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano once again denied this was a press freedom issue.
— Rappler

Duterte yet to change mind on VFA termination even after US restored Bato’s visa
President Rodrigo Duterte’s mind has yet to change his mind as regards the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement with the US even after the superpower decided to restore his visa, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said on Thursday.
— GMA Network

Searching for a coronavirus vaccine: What PH clinical trials will look like
Six months into the coronavirus crisis, researchers and scientists around the world are racing to find a cure for the disease that has infected over 11 million and killed over 544,000 people worldwide as of early July.
— Rappler

DOJ chief: Slain prosecutor probably handled hazardous cases
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Thursday said he is confident that the ambush-slay of Manila Senior Assistant City Prosecutor Jovencio Senados will be solved soon, adding that the 62-year-old official may have handled hazardous cases in his many years in the service.
— GMA Network

323 Filipinos from Qatar flown home as govt repatriation continues
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) yesterday brought home 323 Overseas Filipinos from Qatar aboard a Philippine Airlines chartered flight.
— Business Mirror

No Filipinos infected with COVID in Australia
The Philippine Embassy in Canberra on Thursday said there are no Filipinos infected with COVID-19 in Australia, even as Melbourne implements a six-week lockdown due to an increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the State of Victoria.
— Tempo

Bicol tightens border control after spike in COVID-19 cases
Bicol’s Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) has ordered tighter control of the region’s border with Quezon province after Bicol recorded its highest spike in COVID-19 cases.
— Rappler

Appealing to colleagues, 6 solons cite jobs, press freedom in defense of new ABS-CBN franchise
Stressing that none of the allegations against ABS-CBN have been proven, some congressmen on Thursday urged their colleagues to vote in favor of a new franchise for the network to save jobs and uphold press freedom.
— ABS-CBN News

Philippine local government units go digital
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is urging all local government units (LGUs) to boost the digital economy and move towards digitised government transactions to reduce contact, impede further infection, and boost economic activity amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
— OpenGov

Swine fever’s return in Laguna farms jacks up pork prices
The viral swine disease that has ravaged hundreds of thousands of hogs, pulling down local pork supply and raising pork prices, has infected backyard farms anew, including that of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) that is meant for experimental or research purposes.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

ADB boosts Covid response fund by $4 billion
THE Asian Development Bank (ADB) raised additional funds from the US dollar bond market for its ordinary capital resources (OCR) to boost its coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19) response in Asia and the Pacific.
— Business Mirror

Stocks drop as PHL virus cases exceed 50,000
LOCAL SHARES declined anew on Thursday on dampened investor sentiment as the Philippines’ coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases breached the 50,000 mark.
— BusinessWorld Online

Philippines starts online course on COVID-19 preventive measures in the workplace
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), a government-run organisation, has an online course on “Practicing COVID-19 Preventive Measures in the Workplace”, which is now open to the public.
— OpenGov

Duterte unauthorized to declare groups as terrorists under anti-terror law: Lacson
President Rodrigo Duterte has no unilateral authority to declare an organization as a terrorist group under the newly signed anti-terror law, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Thursday.
— ABS-CBN News

Coronavirus infections among health workers in PH continue to decline — DOH
The Department of Health on Thursday said the percentage of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines involving health workers continues to go down.
— ABS-CBN News

Philippines: Banana exporters may lose Chinese market to Vietnam
Philippines, one of the most badly hit countries by COVID-19 pandemic across Asia, may see a decline in banana exports moving forward.
— Fresh Plaza

NNC Chairs the 1st ASEAN Video Conference on Progress of ASEAN Strategic Framework and Plan on Nutrition
Adopting to the new normal, the Philippines, as lead country for the ASEAN Strategic Framework and Action Plan for Nutrition 2018-2030, virtually convened the nutrition focal points of the (ten) 10 ASEAN Member States last 18 June 2020.
— Philippine Information Agency

30 more overseas Filipinos contract COVID-19; total climbs to 8,792
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Thursday 30 more Filipinos abroad caught COVID-19, raising the total tally of overseas infections among Philippine nationals to 8,792.
— ABS-CBN News

Philippine Medical Association provides free online consultation
The Philippine Medical Association (PMA) is offering free online consultation to help patients in their medical needs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
— OpenGov

Leveraging asymmetric warfare
Almost four years after the Philippines’ arbitral victory, the Duterte administration continues its overt inaction in asserting the country’s claims over the West Philippine Sea.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Teachers’ groups reject computer loan for distance learning
Teachers’ groups on Thursday rejected a loan program by the Government Service Insurance System, which sought to help government workers buy computers for distance learning.
— ABS-CBN News

Palawan hailed world’s ‘best island’ anew
Palawan has regained its “Best Island in the World” title from the readers of the international travel magazine, Travel + Leisure.
— Philippine Star

Makati gov’t raids, closes down illegal POGO
The Makati City government has issued a closure order against an illegally operating Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) that was discovered by police and city personnel at a residential condominium last Monday.
— ABS-CBN News

Davao City, private sector join forces vs. Covid-19
The city government and the private sector here have initiated complementary initiatives to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) on the local economy while preventing the deadly disease from infecting more residents.
— Philippine News Agency

PNP-Caraga announces online recruitment for applicants
The Police Regional Office in Caraga Region (PRO-13) has announced the opening of online recruitment for those interested in joining the police service in the area.
— Philippine News Agency

Dela Rosa says VFA may be ‘fully reinstated’ but not due to his US visa
Sen. Ronald dela Rosa on Thursday said there is a “possibility” for the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the United States to be “fully reinstated” over “changing” dynamics in the West Philippine Sea.
— ABS-CBN News

MisOcc quarantine checkpoint attacked; 4 cops hurt
Four police officers were wounded when unidentified armed men fired at the quarantine checkpoint in the Misamis Occidental town of Concepcion Thursday morning.
— Philippine News Agency

Davao City installs 7 disaster warning systems
The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) conducted city-wide testing on Thursday for the seven newly-installed Public Alert and Warning System Project, which would warn Dabawenyos if a weather disturbance or an approaching natural calamity occurs.
— Philippine News Agency

Tarlac farmers receive P2-M worth of livelihood assistance from DAR
About PhP2 million worth of livelihood assistance was distributed by Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) in the province.
— Philippine Information Agency

Cop, civilian killed in Maguindanao blast, ambush
A policeman and a civilian were killed while 4 other Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel were wounded after an explosion followed by an ambush in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao Thursday night.
— ABS-CBN News

Manila Bay cleanup continues amid COVID-19 pandemic
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has continued efforts to clean and restore the Central Luzon portion of the Manila Bay amid the COVID-19 health crisis.
— Philippine Information Agency

Philippine geothermal industry seen becoming world’s fourth largest
THE Philippines is expected to become the fourth-largest global producer of geothermal energy over the next decade, according to a report by Fitch Solutions Country Risk and Industry Research.
— BusinessWorld

New Clark City being evaluated as agri-industrial site
NEW CLARK City in Tarlac is being positioned as a possible center for agri-industrial companies, following a partnership to pursue such initiatives between the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).
— BusinessWorld

NBI almost done with probe into fatal Jolo shooting, Westmincom chief says
Lt. Gen. Sobejana said tension between the police and military forces in Sulu over the incident has already been addressed.
— Philstar

NEA extends deadline for payment of electric coops loan amortization
The National Electrification Administration (NEA) said Thursday it has extended the payment deadline for loan amortization of the electric cooperatives due for the second quarter of 2020.
— GMA Network

Risk takers send ABS-CBN shares up ahead of crucial House vote
Risk-lover investors pushed up ABS-CBN Corp. shares on Thursday, as a lawmakers hearing the network’s franchise bill is expected to vote on the measure, the outcome of which would determine the fate of the company and its 11,000-strong workforce.
— Philippine Star

6 PH universities offer free ‘flexible learning’ training for faculty members
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) announced on Thursday, July 9, that 6 universities would offer for faculty members in the country free training on how to conduct flexible learning.
— Rappler

European Parliament urges Duterte to ‘drop all charges’ vs Maria Ressa, Santos
Members of the European Parliament’s (EP) Media Working Group have called on President Rodrigo Duterte to drop all charges against Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and former researcher Reynaldo Santos Jr.
— Rappler

IATF hails Cebu City’s Covid-19 burial site project
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) said the city will soon have a burial site intended for residents who died of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
— Philippine News Agency

CHED: 2,000 small universities may not be as prepared as big schools for flexible learning
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chair Prospero De Vera III on Thursday expressed concern over the level of preparation of nearly 2,000 small universities in the country for flexible learning.
— GMA Network

PHL’s first missile-capable frigate to be commissioned today in Subic
The country’s most powerful warship, the BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150), will officially enter military service today (Friday, July 10, 2020) after handover, christening, and commissioning ceremonies at the Alava Pier here that will be led by no less than President Duterte who will “attend virtually.”
— Business Mirror

DILG: Couples can ride motorcycle together starting Friday, July 10
Couples will be allowed to ride motorcycles together starting Friday, July 10.
— Eagle News

Philippines improves in global real estate transparency index
THE emergence of sustainable property development and digitization helped lift real estate transparency in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, according to a report by property consultant JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle) and investment manager LaSalle Investment Management.
— BusinessWorld

Group warns vs youth unemployment
Advocacy group Philippine Business for Education has issued a warning on increased unemployment of the youth as the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect various sectors and industries.
— Philstar

DSWD-CAR disburses P266.87M for social pension of sr. citizens
The Department of Social and Welfare and Development affirms that assistance to senior citizens remains to be a priority in this time of COVID-19 pandemic.
— Philippine Information Agency

New video inspires Filipinos to be #ConnectedAsOne
Recognizing the pandemic’s toll on medical and other essential frontliners, who not only must deal with the virus but also distance themselves from their loved ones to ensure their safety, Globe unveils an inspirational video dedicated to the heroes of the current crisis.
— Manilastandard.net

Mt. Province town hailed for declaring CPA as persona non grata
The League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Mountain Province chapter on Tuesday expressed support for the municipal peace and order council of Sadanga town and its resolution declaring the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) as persona non grata.
— Philippine News Agency

Feature photo Philippine Collegian
This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo focuses on protest against anti-terror law passage.

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).

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Philippines morning news for July 10 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on July 10, 2020
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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.