Philippines Morning News For March 26, 2020

‘Worst is yet to come unless DOH, FDA act with urgency’ says Lacson
Senator Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday, March 25, said that the Department of Health and the Food and Drugs Administration must act with urgency to flatten the coronavirus curve in the country.
— Rappler

PhilHealth enhances package rates for COVID-19 patients
With the surge of Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) confirmed cases and the number of Persons Under Investigation (PUIs) admitted in the hospitals nationwide, the Philippine Health Insurance Coporation (PhilHealth) has enhanced its package rates related to corona virus infections particularly the isolation and referral.
— Philippine Information Agency

Philippines assures hassle-free departure of stranded foreigners due to Luzon quarantine
Foreign nationals who wish to leave the Philippines amid the Luzon-wide quarantine should be allowed to do so without “any impediment,” the government body overseeing measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 said.
— GMA Network

Gov t task force OKs DOLE s P1.5B proposal for OFWs affected by COVID-19
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF) has endorsed the proposal of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to release more than a billion pesos for financial assistance to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
— GMA Network

Philippines’ coronavirus infections reach 636, deaths up by 3
The Philippines’ health ministry on Wednesday reported 84 new coronavirus cases and three deaths.
— CNA

PH coronavirus cases spike to 636, death toll hits 38
The Philippines’ confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus is now at 636 as the Department of Health (DOH) reported 84 new cases on Wednesday, March 25.
— Rappler

Pandemic, uncertainty weigh on bond market
The Philippines’ local currency (LCY) bond market fell quarter-on-quarter amid a drop in government bonds, which the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said could be attributed to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic and the economic uncertainty it caused.
— Manila Times

Pilmico distributes food for Covid-19 frontliners
ABOITIZ food business unit Pilmico began its 30-day food distribution to critical sectors such as hospitals and military checkpoints in the cities of Iligan and Tarlac to aid frontliners dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.
— Manila Times

Covid-19 clock is ticking for SMEs
As countries wrestle with the still-unknown economic fallout from the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, analyses done in the United States in recent years have attracted new attention, as they strongly suggest there is only a narrow timeframe available in which to prevent a wholesale collapse of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
— Manila Times

Bong Go to undergo self-quarantine vs COVID-19
Senator Bong Go will undergo a self-quarantine after a congressman who he recently came into contact with tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
— GMA Network

Duterte’s special powers law prone to abuse – Hontiveros
Senator Risa Hontiveros slammed handing unnecessary powers to President Rodrigo Duterte, after Congress approved the measure that gave him at least 30 special powers to deal with the pandemic.
— Rappler

Task force pushes for P1.5-B financial aid to OFWs, workers hit by lockdown
The government body in charge of running the response to the coronavirus pandemic is pushing for the immediate release of P1.5 billion to fund financial assistance for overseas and local workers affected by lockdowns in Luzon and other parts of the country.
— Rappler

Makati Med frontliners ‘demoralized, apprehensive’ after exposure to COVID-19-positive Koko Pimentel
Frontliners at the Makati Medical Center (MMC) became demoralized after learning that eventual coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) positive patient Senator Aquilino Koko Pimentel III had visited their hospital and possibly exposed them to the virus, according to an official of the medical facility.
— GMA Network

Troops rescue abducted physician in Sulu
Joint police and military forces rescued on Tuesday night the physician abducted by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits in the province of Sulu.The Sulu Provincial Police Office said the physician, Dr. Daniel Moreno, was rescued following a firefight around 7:30 p.m.
— Philippine News Agency

‘Great pillar’ of PH cardiology succumbs to coronavirus in the line of duty
Dr Raul Diaz Jara, a coronavirus frontliner and “one of the great pillars of cardiology” in the Philippines, died on Tuesday, March 25, after losing his own battle against COVID-19.
— Rappler

DOJ to act only if complaint filed vs. Koko Pimentel over Makati Med trip
As I have said before, during abnormal times like these, when people are prone to commit mistakes or violations of the law, the DOJ will temper the rigor of the law with human compassion, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said in a message to reporters.
— GMA Network

DOH: Only 1 negative COVID-19 test result needed for discharge
The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday said they have revised their protocol for discharging patients confirmed to have the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a bid to decongest hospitals as the number of cases continues to rise.
— GMA Network

Gov’t urges medical supply exporters to sell 80% of products in PH
The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases urged medical supply exporters to sell at least 80% of their products locally, as personal protective equipment in hospitals run low due to the coronavirus pandemic .
— Rappler

5,000 coronavirus test kits arrive in Iloilo City
A shipment of 5,000 coronavirus test kits arrived here on Wednesday, March 25, the Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas confirmed.
— Rappler

#CourageON: Campus journalists heed the call in the battle for truth
At a time when press freedom is under attack, how are campus journalists upholding the truth?
— Rappler

Makati Med denounces Pimentel’s ‘irresponsible, reckless’ protocol breach
The chief of the Makati Medical Center (MMC) did not mince words against Senator Aquilino Koko Pimentel III, who accompanied his pregnant wife to the hospital when he was already exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus .
— Rappler

PH coronavirus watch: Confirmed cases per hospital, as of March 25, 2020
Health authorities continue to ramp up efforts to detect possible cases of the novel coronavirus in the Philippines.
— Rappler

Students of top 4 PH schools urge CHED to suspend online classes
MANILA, Philippines – Students of the top schools in the country on Wednesday, March 25, urged the Commission of Higher Education (CHED) to suspend online classes nationwide, as the country grapples with the novel coronavirus outbreak .
— Rappler

WATCH: Here’s how to make hand sanitizers
In the event of a shortage or handrub formulations, or hand sanitizers, health professionals can manufacture them themselves by following World Health Organization guidelines.
— Rappler

US Navy Fires Missiles in Philippine Sea Sending Message to Beijing
The US Navy launched live-fire missiles in the Philippine Sea last week, in what is seen as a direct message to China.
— Spratly Islands

Hotel Sogo shelters frontline medical workers amid Covid-19
Hotel Sogo has offered free room accommodations to frontline healthcare workers fighting the spread of Covid-19.
— Manila Times

DoTr orders ‘rental holiday’ to soften Covid hit
The Department of Transportation (DoTr) has ordered local aviation authorities to suspend imposing leasing fees at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) this month to cushion the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic on the country.
— Manila Times

Empire East aims for double-digit profit growth
EMPIRE East Land Holdings Inc. is aiming for a double-digit growth in earnings because of robust demand.
— Manila Times

AC Energy, Vietnam firm to expand wind project
AC Energy Inc. and Vietnamese partner The Blue Circle Pte. Ltd. are proceeding with the expansion of the Mui Ne wind project in Binh Thuan province in Vietnam.
— Manila Times

“Necessity is the mother of invention.” – Plato
An era of innovation after Covid-19 Social media is flooded with pictures of healthcare workers from various hospitals in Luzon wearing and using makeshift personal protective equipment (PPE) after supplies had run out.
— Manila Times

Searca, Isaaa renew commitment to info center
THE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) has renewed its 20-year partnership with the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (Isaaa) to continually operate and manage the Biotechnology Information Center (BIC) in the Philippines.
— Manila Times

LT Group, SMC raise rubbing alcohol production
TWO of the largest alcoholic beverage companies in the Philippines have boosted their production of rubbing alcohol to donate to the frontline facilities and workers battling the spread of the 2019 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
— BusinessWorld

4 more Filipinos in Singapore get coronavirus; total now at 19
Four more Filipinos tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Singapore, the country’s Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on Wednesday, March 25, as the city-state saw its biggest number of new COVID-19 cases in a day.
— Rappler

DSWD, DBM chiefs to go on self-quarantine after congressman tested positive for COVID-19
Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado and Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista said Wednesday said they would go into self-quarantine since they attended a meeting with a lawmaker who tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
— GMA Network

Cebu City allows BPOs to operate during curfew hours
Mayor Edgardo Labella on Tuesday allowed business process outsourcing (BPO) firms here to continue operating even during curfew hours despite the general community quarantine.
— Philippine News Agency

Vietnam thanks Philippines for helping fly students home amid COVID-19 threat
Vietnamese officials on Wednesday thanked the Philippine government for helping arrange the flight back home of 172 mostly young Vietnamese students from Cebu province amid the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
— GMA Network

Essential workers brave COVID-19 scare to report for daily duties
Essential service workers continue to provide goods and necessities to the public amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) threat in the country.
— GMA Network

Donations pour in for GenSan Covid-19 frontliners, responders
Donations have poured in for the much-needed supplies like food and face masks for medical frontliners and first responders here who were deployed to contain the spread of the deadly 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
— Philippine News Agency

Maguindanao power firm assures ample supply
Power supply in Maguindanao will remain stable round-the-clock amid the coronavirus disease health crisis gripping the province and the rest of the country, the Maguindanao Electric Cooperative (Magelco) said Wednesday.
— Philippine News Agency

PH receives COVID-19 test kits, PCR machine from Singapore
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. receives the Deed of Donation from Singaporean Ambassador Gerard Ho on Monday, March 24, 2020 in a simple turover rites at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pasay City.
— Philippine Information Agency

Maguindanao village exec nabbed for selling quarantine passes
Police and military personnel on Tuesday arrested a village chairman in the Maguindanao town of Sultan Kudarat town for selling home quarantine passes to his constituents.
— Philippine News Agency

Cebu Pacific charters more GenSan-Manila cargo flights
Cebu Pacific Air has chartered more cargo flights to facilitate the shipment of food products, including tuna, from the city and the neighboring areas to Manila.
— Philippine News Agency

BARMM augments medical supplies for health workers
Health frontliners of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in the fight against the coronavirus diseases 2019 (Covid-19) received a much-needed boost Tuesday with the arrival of a planeload of medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE).
— Philippine News Agency

DSWD readies over P5-M worth of food packs in Caraga
A total of 15,599 family food packs (FFPs) worth PHP5.7 million are being readied by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 13 (Caraga) as part of the agency’s preparation for relief augmentation to the families affected by Coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
— Philippine News Agency

House appropriations panel chair Eric Yap tests positive for coronavirus
House committee on appropriations chairperson Eric Yap confirmed he acquired the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), making him the first congressman to publicly disclose his positive results.
— Rappler

ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Eric Yap tests positive for COVID-19
One of the authors of the House bill giving President Rodrigo Duterte additional powers to address the coronavirus disease 2019 emergency has tested positive for the virus.
— Eagle News

Iza Calzado hospitalized for pneumonia
Actress Iza Calzado said on Wednesday, March 25 that she is in the hospital after being diagnosed with pneumonia.
— Rappler

Limit workers’ duty to 6-8 hours, DOH urges hospitals
Amid reports of healthcare workers rendering long hours of service without overtime or hazard pay, the Department of Health (DOH) urged private hospitals to limit the working hours of their staff to allow them to get enough rest.
— GMA Network

Daughter of Mindanao’s first coronavirus death tests positive, too
She cared for her father, who fell ill after catching the novel coronavirus disease. He passed away last week and now she’s sick, too.
— Rappler

DOH eyes Quezon Institute, Philippine Red Cross as quarantine facilities
The Department of Health (DOH) is eyeing the Quezon Institute and the Philippine Red Cross as community quarantine facilities for persons probed and monitored for the coronavirus as well as COVID-19 patients who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms.
— Rappler

PH recommends Vietnam SEA Games pushback due to Olympics delay
MANILA, Philippines – The next Southeast Asian (SEA) Games may be pushed back as well.
— Rappler

Cebu bans use of airconditioning in PUVs
Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has temporarily banned the use of airconditioning units in public utility vehicles (PUVs) in Cebu to help stem the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
— Rappler

New BoC dispute settlement and protest rules
Last of two parts Last week, we discussed the salient features of the recently issued Customs Administrative Order (CAO) 02-2020 in relation to the dispute settlement and protest rules arising from tariff classification issues.
— Manila Times

More Dagupan businesses donate to efforts vs. Covid-19
Two more businesses here have donated cash to the city government to be used for the ongoing relief operations since the implementation of Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
— Philippine News Agency

Mayor closes La Trinidad, private trading posts amid COVID threat
Mayor Romeo Salda ordered the temporary partial closure of the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post(LTVTP) and all private vegetable trading areas in the municipality effective today, March 25, until further notice in view of the COVID-19 threat.
— Philippine Information Agency

Lung Center offers free COVID-19 Ask Force to public
The Lung Center of the Philippines has launched a platform where netizens can consult doctors for free through Facebook in a bid to assuage the public s fears over the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
— GMA Network

Guangzhou donates masks, thermometers to sister city Manila
From one sister city to another, the Guangzhou municipal government in China donated thousands of N95 masks, surgical masks, and infrared thermometers to aid frontliners battling the novel coronavirus in the city of Manila.
— Rappler

Agusan Norte town police chief nabbed for extortion
The chief of police in the town of Buenavista in Agusan del Norte was arrested by the operatives of Philippine National Police (PNP) Integrity Monitoring Enforcement Group (IMEG) in an entrapment on Tuesday for robbery-extortion.
— Philippine News Agency

BARMM hands over medical supplies, equipment to CRMC
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao-Inter-Agency Task Force (BARMM-IATF) on coronavirus disease (Covid-19) handed over the first set of medical supplies and equipment to the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center in this city Wednesday.
— Philippine News Agency

DTI chief to business suppliers: Expect normalization of cargo flow this week
Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez told reporters, “We can expect order and normalization in the movement of cargo this week”during his market monitoring at Unimart Supermarket Greenhills.
— Philippine Information Agency

Sexagenarian is third Covid-19 positive patient in Region 12
Two more patients, including a 68-year-old female, have been found positive of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in Region 12 (Soccsksargen), raising the total number to three, the Department of Health (DOH-12) reported Wednesday.
— Philippine News Agency

NorMin records 3 new Covid-19 patients
The Department of Health in Region 10 announced Wednesday that three new patients tested positive of Covid-19, bringing to five the confirmed cases in Northern Mindanao this March.
— Philippine News Agency

CDC inspects Clark firms allowed to operate
Health and Sanitation Division (HSD) of Clark Development Corporation (CDC) is conducting inspection on various establishments that are allowed to continue operations as the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) remains in effect.
— Philippine Information Agency

Zamboanga City confirms 1st Covid-19 infection
Local government and health authorities confirmed Tuesday this city’s first confirmed case of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
— Philippine News Agency

Bato welcomes Reds’ declaration of ceasefire amid COVID-19
Senator Ronald Bato Dela Rosa on Wednesday welcomed the Communist Party of the Philippines’ declaration of nationwide ceasefire amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation.
— GMA Network

Netflix slightly reduces video quality in Philippines to lessen load on networks
Netflix on Wednesday, March 25, said it was slightly reducing video quality in the Philippines, following an order from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to alleviate the expected rise in data traffic during the lockdown.
— Rappler

National Emergency Library lets users freely borrow 1.4M books
The Internet Archive will make some 1.4 million digitized books available to borrow worldwide without requiring users to join a waiting list, the organization announced on its blog on Tuesday, March 24.
— Rappler

PCSO turning over P420 million to PhilHealth for coronavirus response
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has been directed to transfer P420.5 million to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) for the treatment of coronavirus patients.
— Rappler

LGUs ordered to help in burial of coronavirus victims
The national government ordered local government units (LGUs) to assist families of novel coronavirus victims in the burial of their kin.
— Rappler

LOOK: PH Army turns metal drums into washing stations for checkpoints
Soldiers of the Philippine Army in the Southern Tagalog region have transformed discarded metal drums into portable washing stations, which have been brought to coronavirus lockdown checkpoints in Rizal province.
— Rappler

Quezon City records 4 new deaths, 10 new cases of coronavirus
Quezon City recorded 4 new deaths and 10 new cases of novel coronavirus on Tuesday, March 24, according to a bulletin released on Wednesday.
— Rappler

Doctors anxious as high-risk hospitals open doors to COVID-19 patients
When 33-year-old Lauren Gutierrez* got a call from her boss that all healthy hands would have to be on deck as COVID-19 cases surged in the Philippines, she couldn’t immediately leave.
— Rappler

WATCH: Policeman sings song he wrote to inspire Filipinos forced to stay home amid COVID-19 quarantine
A young Filipino policeman decided to compose a song to inspire Filipinos forced to stay at home amid the COVID-19 quarantine.
— Eagle News

Police apprehend over 1,000 curfew violators in Central Luzon
Police apprehended over 1,000 curfew violators as it strictly implements the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in Central Luzon.
— Philippine Information Agency

As lockdowns begin, freelance musicians scramble to make ends meet
As a musician, Romy, 35, depended on his regular gigs to feed his family of 6.
— Rappler

Pornhub Premium goes free worldwide
Porn site Pornhub joins a growing list of online content providers offering their content for free amid the coronavirus outbreak.
— Rappler

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Philippines morning news for March 26 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on March 26, 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.