Philippines

METRO MANILA – The House leadership will be decided on Oct. 14 between incumbent Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco. The two house representative have been trading blows on who should be the house speaker after the agreed on  a term-sharing agreement in 2019. Velasco is supposed to assume the position this month but Cayetano indicated …

METRO MANILA – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has once again defies expectations as his performance rating rose to 91% in a first major nationwide survey during the health crisis. According to Pulse Asia survey, Duterte’s approval rating rose to 91% from 87% in December. The survey was conducted nationwide of 1,200 adults from Sept 14 to 20. There were no …

METRO MANILA – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said yesterday that businesses in the wholesale and service sector will be allowed at full capacity, while fastfood and restaurants may operate beyond 50% capacity on areas under general community quarantine (GCQ). On a Memorandum Circular 20-52 issued by the agency, It states that businesses under Category 2 and 3 …

METRO MANILA – According to Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center, the Philippines has become the country with the 20th highest positive cases of the coronavirus in the world. This came after the Department of Health reported yesterday that the total tally is now at 314,079 cases in the country. The country overtook Pakistan, which has 312,806 cases. While the …

METRO MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte met with House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano after the House of Representatives denied his offer to resign from his post over the speakership fued with Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco. According to Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the meeting was scheduled two weeks ago, calling it  “a coincidence,” as the Palace denied the lawmaker …

SABTANG, BATANES – The northernmost province of Batanes on Thursday, logged it’s second case of COVID-19  since the onset of the pandemic, the local government confirmed. According to the official facebook page of the Provincial Government of Batanes, the patient is currently asymptomatic and will be under strict isolation at an isolation facility in Sabtang. After the province managed to …

METRO MANILA – DPWH Secretary Mark Villar announced today the DPWH has opened the biggest quarantine facility in Metro Manila. The mega quarantine center is in partnership with Solaire and Pagcor funded by the Razon Group of Companies. The facility will be located at the Bagong Nayong Pilipino in Parañaque. 525-bed capacity Solaire-PAGCOR Quarantine Center opens | https://t.co/MV7T7YuXZR pic.twitter.com/7A5aYgqpND — …

METRO MANILA: According to the recent special survey of Social Weather Stations (SWS) held from Sept. 17 to Sept. 20, large majorities of Filipinos practice preventive measures against COVID-19 even after the quarantine period ended. SWS said that 79% of Filipinos wear face mask when they go out, an increase from the 76% in July and 76% in May. Malacañang …

MANILA – Citizens in Manila City agreed on a recent move to prioritized public market vendors, jeepney, tricycle and pedicab drivers and restaurant workers in the free mass swab testing currently being offered by the local government of Manila as it opened its second laboratory at the Sta. Ana Hospital. According to Manila City Mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso, he …

METRO MANILA – The Senate panel at the budget hearing on Wednesday restored Vice President Leni Robredo’s request that some 44-million pesos be restored after Department of Budget and Management proposed budget cut down. According to Vice President Leni Robredo, the amount was supposedly alloted for the replacement of service vehicles that is being used for the relief operations. She …