Philippines

The Senate Public Services Committee began its hearing on the ABS-CBN Corporation franchise bill on Monday. Among those present at the hearing are Carlo Katigbak, President and Chief Executive Officer of ABS-CBN; Mark Lopez, Chairman; Cory Vidanes, Chief Broadcast Operating Officer; Mark Nepomuceno; Ron Valdueza, Chief Financial Officer; Maxim Uy, Legal Division of ABS-CBN; Mario Bautista, General Counsel of ABS-CBN; …

A Filipino tested positive for coronavirus disease in South Korea in 2019 (COVID-19), the Department of Health (DOH) reported on Monday. South Korea increased its virus warning to the highest level on Sunday as the number of confirmed cases within its borders exceeded more than 600–the highest outside China, apart from the virus-hit cruise ship Diamond Princess docked at Japan. …

According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Monday, workers who will be in duty during the anniversary of EDSA People Power Revolution, a special non-working holiday, will receive proper payment of wages. In an advisory, DOLE stated that those who will report on February 25 for work are entitled to an additional 30 percent of their basic …

The election of the candidates for vice governor of DKI Jakarta conducted privately received criticism from DKI Jakarta Gerindra Politician, M. Taufik. According to him, a closed election has the potential for money politics. “If it is open, there is no money politics, the possibility of money politics being closed is rolled up and written like that,” he said, at …

As many 74 Indonesian citizens who have been quarantined due to coronavirus outbreak will be planned to be brought home by the Indonesian government. This was said by a health official said on Friday. All passengers and crew members of the ship have been quarantined inside Diamond Princess cruise ship off the Japanese city of Yokohama. Since the two-week onboard …

Four new coronavirus infections reported by Japanese authorities on Saturday as the number of cases outside China continued to climb. One of the new cases, according to a Prefectural Government official, is a woman in her 60s who is a junior high school teacher in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo. The woman first showed symptoms on Feb. 12 and according …

The Health Department on Saturday rejected the idea of distributing repatriated Filipinos to different provinces as this increases the risk of coronavirus disease spreading in 2019 (COVID-19). Advertising The local government of Capas suggested that repatriates be quarantined in their respective provinces in the Philippines rather than in the New Clark City (NCC) only. Capas residents on Friday were saddened …

Senator Win Gatchalian said that the Universal Health Care (UHC) bill would include the medical diagnosis of children with disabilities. Gatchalian said in a statement on Saturday that this was the purpose of Senate Bill 171 or the “Inclusive Education for Children and Youth with Special Needs Act.” SB 171 intends to create “Inclusive Education Learning Centers” in all public …

The scheduled repatriation on Sunday of nearly 500 Filipinos aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan will be postponed, Health Department (DOH) reported on Saturday. In a statement, the DOH said the Emerging Infectious Disease Task Force of the Inter-Agency (IATF-EID) would change the schedule as a cautionary measure to ensure the health and safety of the Filipinos on …

The Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) estimated that in 2019, rice farmers lost a total of P68.18 billion, twice as much as consumers saved because of lower grain prices in the first year of Rice Tariff Law implementation. According to the FFF report, from 2018 the average retail price of regular milled rice (RMR) decreased by P2,61 per kilo, while …