Highest increase so far: PH reports 539 new coronavirus cases
The Philippines reported 539 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, May 28, the highest number of new cases reported in a day during the pandemic.
— Rappler
Duterte places Metro Manila under GCQ effective June 1
PRESIDENT Duterte on Thursday night placed Metro Manila under a general community quarantine (GCQ) effective June 1, easing restrictions in a region that accounts for a hefty share of the national income, now slashed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
— Business Mirror
House panel OKs P1.5-trillion infra spending bill to curb unemployment
The House Defeat COVID-19 committee passed a measure that would allot P1.5 trillion to fund infrastructure projects in rural areas to help combat unemployment caused by the pandemic.
— Rappler
P2.2 trillion in losses: Cost of COVID-19 impact on PH economy
The COVID-19 crisis will cost the Philippine economy P2.2 trillion in losses this year as firms shed profits while millions of workers lose their jobs and income.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer
Duterte says Philippines has low COVID-19 mortality rate
President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday night said with the Philippines having a low mortality rate from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the country has nothing to worry about even if its number of the confirmed COVID-19 cases continues to rise.
— ABS-CBN News
$660M in ‘hot money’ exits PHL in April
AROUND $660 million in foreign capital left the Philippines in April as investors pulled out due to worries over the widening economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting lockdown.
— BusinessWorld
Over 300 hospitals on verge of closure
More than 300 small private hospitals are in danger of closing down due to the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 pandemic and the failure of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to release insurance claims, the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPi) revealed.
— Philippine Star
P354 billion released for anti-COVID measures
The national government has released P353.86 billion so far to state agencies for the implementation of measures in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the Department of Budget and Management said yesterday.
— Philippine Star
Guv says more Cebuanos dying of other illnesses than Covid-19
Provincial and district hospitals in Cebu have recorded other diseases as leading causes of hospitalization and deaths of people than the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
— Philippine News Agency
DOH notes improvement in virus case doubling time
The doubling time of coronavirus cases has slowed to six days, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Wednesday, four days before quarantine restrictions in Metro Manila were expected to be eased.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer
5.2 quake jolts north Luzon
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake rocked San Fernando, La Union yesterday at 1:15 p.m.
— Manilastandard.net
Duterte assures Filipinos: We’re far from martial law despite health crisis
President Rodrigo Duterte has assured Filipinos that the government is not thinking of placing the entire country under military rule just to implement measures to avoid more coronavirus transmissions.
— Inquirer.net (video)
Some SC applicants see little chance for ABS-CBN’s petition vs NTC closure order
If some Supreme Court applicants would have it their way, ABS-CBN’s plea to resume broadcast operations stands little chance of surviving judicial scrutiny.
— ABS-CBN News
DOTr to expand int’l aviation gateways to Clark, Cebu, Davao
International aviation gateways in the country will include airports in Clark, Cebu, and Davao once Metro Manila shifts to general community quarantine (GCQ) on June 1, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Thursday.
— Inquirer.net
Mental health hotline: From 80 monthly calls to 400 nearly 400
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) seems to be taking its toll not just on the physical health of Filipinos but also on their mental health.
— Philippine Star
Makati shuts down COVID clinic
The Makati government has padlocked a drugstore company raided by authorities for allegedly illegally operating as a medical facility and catering to Chinese believed to be infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Mayor Abby Binay said yesterday.
— Philstar
Gov’t cites infra projects for completion in 2020, 2021
Presidential Adviser for Flagship Programs and Projects Vivencio Dizon said the government would deliver infrastructure projects under the “Build, Build, Build” program, which are targeted for completion in 2020 and 2021 despite the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) crisis.
— Philippine News Agency
House panel okays 5 bills to boost fight against virus
The House Defeat Covid-19 ad hoc Committee (DCC) on Thursday endorsed for plenary approval five more measures that will help the government’s fight against Covid-19.
— Business Mirror
DBM: No new revenue sources for supplemental budget for COVID-19 response
The government cannot seek a supplemental budget to support its coronavirus response because it does not have new revenue sources or excess tax collections, the budget department said Thursday.
— Philippine Star
Zambo City remains under GCQ until June 15
Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar announced on Thursday that Zamboanga City would remain under general community quarantine (GCQ) until June 15.
— Philippine News Agency
Too soon for GCQ in ‘high-risk’ areas like Metro Manila — UP researchers
Researchers from the University of the Philippines on Thursday warned anew against a likely shift from modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) to a less stringent general community quarantine (GCQ) in Metro Manila and other high-risk areas.
— Philippine Star
DOH reiterates 4S strategy vs dengue as rainy days start
The Department of Health is reminding the public to practice health and safety measures against dengue with the onset of the rainy season.
— Philippine Information Agency
DOTr wants more int’l flights landing in regional airports starting June 1
With the easing of quarantine measures, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) sees more international flights landing in and departing from international airports outside Metro Manila.
— Rappler
Webcam child sex abuse: Philippine court sentences US man David Timothy Deakin to life in prison
A Philippine court has sentenced an American to life in prison on charges of sexually exploiting Filipino children using webcams to sell videos, photos and live-streams to buyers abroad, an official said on Wednesday.
— South China Morning Post
No charges yet: PH settles for immigration alert on Chinese clinic operators
Unable to charge them yet, the Philippine government has settled for an immigration alert on the 2 Chinese operators behind the illegal coronavirus clinic in Pampanga, but this cannot stop them from leaving the country.
— Rappler
Filipino cruise crew member in coronavirus limbo dies of apparent suicide
A cruise ship crew member died last week of self-inflicted harm, the US Coast Guard said Wednesday, May 27, as it confirmed the latest in a series of apparent suicides among such workers trapped at sea because of the coronavirus pandemic.
— Rappler
UN calls for halt of hostilities after mortar shelling in Maguindanao
The United Nations in the Philippines condemned the mortar shelling in Maguindanao province that killed two children as it called for a halt to armed conflicts in the country.
— Philippine Star
Palace to victims: File complaints vs. cops in sex-for-pass modus
Malacañang on Thursday urged victims of the alleged sex-for-pass scheme to file complaints before the proper authorities.
— GMA Network
‘Ideal’ to extend Bayanihan law by 3 months – Malacañang
For Malacañang, a three-month extension of the coronavirus response law would be “ideal,” as it would give the government some flexibility in dealing with the pandemic.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer
DA order allows Spain to export pork and beef to PHL until 2023
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has allowed Spain, the country’s top source of imported pork products, to continue exporting pork and beef products to the Philippines until 2023.
— Business Mirror
Duterte confident China will be first to come up with COVID-19 vaccine
President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday expressed confidence that China will be the first country to be able to develop a vaccine against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
— ABS-CBN News
US Embassy cancels visa interviews until June 11
The United States Embassy in the Philippines on Thursday announced the cancellation of all visa interviews for immigrant and nonimmigrant visas until June 11 due to the community quarantine measures imposed to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
— GMA Network
Fresh funds for migrant worker assistance secured but still fall short
Fresh funds were funneled to the labor department’s aid program for migrant workers displaced by the health crisis, allowing the assistance of additional 100,000 beneficiaries, but still falling short of what is required.
— Philippine Star
Health workers with COVID-19 now 2,452; recoveries up to 1,228
The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday reported that the number of healthcare workers who have contracted the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has climbed to 2,452.
— GMA Network
DOH aiming to eliminate COVID-19 testing backlog by Thursday night
Laboratories across the country are aiming to reduce the testing backlog to zero by the end of the day, the Department of Health said Thursday.
— Philippine Star
NegOcc LGUs encouraged to resume infra projects
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson asked their local government units (LGUs) to proceed with their respective infrastructure projects to help the economy of the province bounce back amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) crisis.
— Philippine News Agency
Church, houses razed by alleged NPA rebels in MisOr
Armed men believed to be communist New People’s Army (NPA) combatants burned down a Born Again Christian church and four houses in the Misamis Oriental town of Opol in a predawn raid Thursday, police said.
— Philippine News Agency
Over 2,800 Filipinos overseas positive for coronavirus
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) recorded 157 additional Filipinos overseas infected with the coronavirus on Thursday, May 28, marking a spike in cases mostly recorded in the Middle East.
— Rappler
Diokno still optimistic on FDIs to PH despite pandemic
The global pandemic is expected to hit the Philippines’ foreign direct investments (FDIs) but the country stands to benefit from redirection or redistribution of FDI flows, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno said.
— Philippine News Agency
Bigger budget for infrastructure, health sectors eyed
THE government is planning to allocate more funds for infrastructure projects and the healthcare sector under next year’s budget, as the country adapts to a “new normal.”
— BusinessWorld
Investment management firm sees 2.5% contraction for PH economy
Sun Life Asset Management Company Inc. (SLAMCI) forecasts as much as 2.5-percent contraction for the Philippine economy this 2020 but a recovery should be underway amid the economic impact of the global pandemic.
— Philippine News Agency
PH organizes humanitarian flight for Pinoys in Timor-Leste
The Philippine Embassy in Dili, Timor-Leste organized a humanitarian flight to repatriate overseas Filipinos in Timor-Leste to support those “without work and with economic difficulties on account of the Covid-19 pandemic posing threat to the health of humankind.
— Philippine News Agency
Duterte orders LGUs to expedite hospitalization of COVID-19 patients, vows to shoulder the bill
President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday gave firm marching orders to local executives to attend to the hospitalization of Filipinos who would be found positive for COVID-19, promising to shoulder the cost.
— GMA Network
Rules set on equity for firms
The proposed equity infusion by the government for large companies hit hardest by the pandemic will come with conditions meant to promote the prudent use of resources.
— Philippine Star
DOTr to deploy buses in EDSA as trains cut capacity
Hundreds of buses will be deployed in EDSA to augment the limited capacity of trains in Metro Manila, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said Thursday night, as the country reopens public transportation next week.
— ABS-CBN News
Need a job? DOH to set qualifications for hiring 95,000 contact tracers
The Department of Health (DOH) is set to come out with the qualifications for the 95,000 contact tracers it needs to hire to boost government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
— Business Mirror
Government may tap ABS-CBN for distance learning
The government may tap private broadcast networks, including ABS-CBN if its franchise is renewed by Congress, for the planned distance learning as face-to-face classes will not be allowed due to health risks posed by the coronavirus, Malacañang said yesterday.
— Philstar
Computer sales brisk but internet speed remains slow amid need to work, study from home
Computer sales have spiked, but internet speed remains slow amid the need to work and study from home due to quarantine.
— GMA Network (video)
Duterte defends Duque anew, tells senators to wait for official report amid overpricing claims
Defending Health Secretary Francis Duque once more, President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday told senators to wait for the official report on the bidding for the medical equipment used by the government against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
— GMA Network
House okays bill on proposed Parent-Teacher Community Act
The House of Representatives has approved on final reading House Bill 6139 or the proposed Parent-Teacher and Community Association Act.
— Manilastandard.net
DOJ to NBI, BI: Join drive against illegal clinics
JUSTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Thursday directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to join the police crackdown on clandestine medical facilities catering to foreigners, mostly Chinese nationals.
— Business Mirror
Duterte asks schools to allow ‘staggered tuition payment’ amid pandemic
President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday asked schools to accept installment-form tuition payment from students amid the coronavirus pandemic.
— ABS-CBN News
Even under GCQ, liquidity support to stay–BSP chief
THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has given assurances that its liquidity support and regulatory relief measures will stay in place for banks and other financial institutions even if regions transition from modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) to general community quarantine (GCQ).
— Business Mirror
China-led lender OKs $750M loan to PH for COVID-19 response
The China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) on Thursday (May 28) approved a second loan to the Philippines, worth $750 million, for COVID-19 response.
— CDN/ Philippine Daily Inquirer
Duterte greenlights DepEd’s blended learning program
President Rodrigo R. Duterte has given the Department of Education (DepEd) the green light to proceed with the school year beginning August 24, 2020, using blended or distance learning modality.
— Business Mirror
Duterte urges landlords, lessors to allow delay in payments
In a changed tone, President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday appealed to landlords and lessors to allow a delay in payments from their tenants and lessees amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
— ABS-CBN News
Special session urged for ‘CREATE’, stimulus
IF all else fails, a special session of Congress should be called to pass two key measures—a stimulus plan and a corporate recovery bill—to revive the economy and help millions impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, a key House leader said on Thursday, as both chambers are nearing a June 5 adjournment.
— Business Mirror
BARMM inaugurates P21-M Covid-19 isolation facility
Top officials of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) inaugurated Thursday a PHP21-million coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patient care center (PCC) in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.
— Philippine News Agency
Prices of chicken, pork in NegOcc slightly increase under GCQ
The prices of chicken, pork, and other meat products in Negros Occidental have slightly increased while the province is under general community quarantine (GCQ).
— Philippine News Agency
Metro Manila, other areas under thunderstorm advisory
A thunderstorm advisory has been hoisted over Metro Manila and other areas.
— Eagle News
De Lima staff, family barred from visiting her in Camp Crame
For over a month now, the family and staff of detained Senator Leila de Lima have been barred from visiting her at Camp Crame in Quezon City, with the Philippine National Police (PNP) citing quarantine policy on social gatherings.
— Rappler
#PLDTHacked: Hackers take over Twitter account, call for faster internet
Hackers allegedly from the international group Anonymous took over telecom giant PLDT’s Twitter account today to demand something we all need during quarantine: faster internet.
— Coconuts Philippines
DSWD: Denying cash aid to families of those who used SAP for liquor, gambling is unfair
Beneficiaries of the social amelioration program (SAP) who used their cash aid to gamble, buy liquor and fund illegal activities amid the COVID-19 pandemic will not be excluded in the second tranche of SAP distribution, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rolando Bautista said Thursday.
— GMA Network
BOC, BIR on track in fuel marking as virus heightens revenue drive
THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) marked 7.7 billion liters of fuel nationwide since the start of the fuel-marking program in September 2019 last year.
— Business Mirror
SC urged to release sick, elderly detainees amid rising COVID-19 cases in jails
The number of COVID-19 cases in Philippine jails continues to rise. That’s why a group of relatives of detainees is urging the Supreme Court to release sick and elderly inmates.
— ABS-CBN News (video)
Zarate wants payment of one-month electric bill of Meralco customers waived
Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate on Thursday proposed that the payment of the electric bills of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) customers for one month be waived while the areas that the power distribution company serves were on lockdown.
— GMA Network
Deportation of aliens in illegal clinics urged
The government should immediately deport and blacklist Chinese nationals involved in underground clinics in the country, Senator Risa Hontiveros said on Thursday.
— Tempo
Catriona Gray helps raise P2.3 M for families in Smokey Mountain
Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray has helped raise P2.3 million to feed over 6,000 families in Smokey Mountain in Tondo who have become even more vulnerable during the coronavirus crisis.
— Rappler
House committee passes bill requiring masks, distancing post-pandemic
A bill that would institutionalize safety measures, including new norms of physical distancing in public spaces, was approved at the committee level in the House of Representatives.
— Rappler
176 stranded OFWs now back in Antique
A total of 176 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) stranded in Manila have already returned to Antique through the OFW Return Program of the national government.
— Philippine News Agency
7.8K families in Catbalogan City get health kits
Some 7,878 families in Catbalogan City, Samar have received health kits from the local government in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
— Philippine News Agency
Shift to bikes in new normal? DOTr says holistic approach needed for envi-friendly transpo
The public commuters’ expected shift to bicycles under the new normal and its long-term sustainability would require a holistic approach, according to a Department of Transportation official on Thursday.
— GMA Network
UP researchers: Vastly improved mass testing, contact tracing needed when NCR shifts to GCQ
The government should vastly improve its mass targeted testing and contact tracing efforts by the time the National Capital Region and other high-risk areas for COVID-19 transition to general community quarantine (GCQ), a team of UP researchers said Thursday.
— GMA Network
In post-lockdown Grab rides, passengers cannot open doors to avoid virus spread
Doors will be opened to passengers of ride-hailing service Grab once it resumes people transport operations when quarantine rules are relaxed, not because riders are royalty, but as precaution against the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).
— Philippine Star
Focus crimes decrease during quarantine period –PNP data
The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday said it has recorded a 59% decrease in focus crimes during the quarantine period, or 4,479 crimes which are lower compared to the 11,004 pre-lockdown.
— GMA Network
Health protocols for Balik Probinsiya pushed as beneficiary tests positive for COVID-19
Health screening protocols must be strictly followed by government agencies implementing the Balik Probinsiya, Bagong Pag-asa Program after one of its pilot beneficiaries tested positive for COVID-19 upon returning to Leyte, Senator Christopher Bong Go said Thursday.
— GMA Network
DFA vows to work on continued repatriation of OFWs as cases of infections abroad continue to rise
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported more confirmed COVID-19 cases involving overseas Filipinos, as it vowed to work “to safely repatriate” more stranded Filipinos home.
— Eagle News
Private schools eye fee reduction with distance learning
Some private schools have been discussing a possible reduction on fees that they charge enrollees due to reduced activities and operations as the face-to-face classes in campuses are replaced by online or distance learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
— GMA Network
This one-month-old bakeshop is donating its profits to help child abuse survivors
Looking for a sweet treat while helping a cause?
— Rappler
Makabayan Bloc files free COVID-19 mass testing bill
Members of the House Makabayan Bloc have formalized their call for mass testing by filing a measure mandating free mass testing for all suspected cases of COVID-19 as well as for health workers and other vulnerable sectors.
— GMA Network
Gov t yet to decide whether to ease restrictions on religious gatherings — Roque
The government has yet to decide whether to ease restrictions on religious gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic, Malacañang said Thursday.
— GMA Network
[ANALYSIS] Free money for every Filipino, at least during emergencies
Economists like to say there’s no such thing as a free lunch. But this is the closest thing to it — and we may very well need it.
— Rappler
Face Masks in Church: Weddings and baptisms to continue as PH eases lockdown rules
Feeling guilty over a sin you committed during the lockdown? Well, fret not, because confessions will make a comeback now that various parts of the Philippines have eased their lockdowns.
— Coconuts Philippines
Gov’t employee, 7 others nabbed in Zambo anti-drug ops
The operations of anti-illegal drug units of the Police Regional Office-9 (PRO-9) resulted in the arrest of a government employee and seven others and the seizure of PHP263,900 worth of prohibited drugs, a top official said Thursday.
— Philippine News Agency
Antique front-liners get weekly ration of fresh milk
Front-liners in this province get fresh dairy milk every week rationed for free by a multi-purpose cooperative in Belison town.
— Philippine News Agency
Feature photo AKTIB Philippines
This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo focuses on World No-Tobacco Day, May 31
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 May 29 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on
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Stella-maris Ewudolu
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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