Philippines

The Philippine government has expressed trust in the British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, even though some critics cast doubt on it over concerns about its reported success rate. They are confident that the AstraZeneca vaccine is being developed, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Friday when the Philippine government signed the first procurement agreement for a coronavirus vaccine, a tripartite …

In an effort to integrate automated contact tracing data eight months after the pandemic, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) also allows national government departments and local government units to use StaySafe.ph, the government’s official contact tracing software. In its battle against the coronavirus, the government policy-making body also urges private organizations to use …

This time in Zamboanga City, not even the coronavirus pandemic that emptied shopping centers could deter retail giant SM Supermalls from opening another outlet, as the organization aims to take advantage of travel restrictions to attract shoppers. Sy-led SM Prime Holdings Inc., the consolidated property arm of the SM Group, said in a statement sent to the stock exchange on …

The Department of Tourism condemned the reckless mass assembly of Halloween parties in an institution on the island of Boracay. In view of this, Secretary of Tourism Bernadette Romulo-Puyat previously sent a video showing a Halloween party that took place in Boracay at Casa de Arte, Sitio Cagban, Barangay Manoc-Manoc. Visitors attending the social event were seen not practicing obligatory …

The Duterte administration declared that it intends to get 60 to 70 million Filipinos vaccinated against coronavirus in three to five years, with some 35 million inoculation priorities already established. In a Laging Handa briefing, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., the vaccine czar of the country, shared that by mid-2021, mass vaccination could begin in the best case scenario. But he …

Philippine Airlines is planning a major restructuring of its activities, which supposedly involves running to court to request compensation from paying creditors and holding the airline afloat. The declaration of Dominguez was accompanied by that of PAL, which said that a comprehensive plan for recovery and restructuring is ongoing, all but suggesting plans to seek court involvement. Strictly speaking, after …

When the travel ban on medical staff is lifted in January, the Philippines is supposed to still have enough health professionals to battle COVID-19. This is the reason why Harry Roque said President Duterte had sought the assurance of the Department of Health (DOH) that before accepting the proposal to lift the ban on deployment, the country would have enough …

The United States government handed over to the Philippines precision-guided munitions worth P868 million ($18 million). The new donation fulfills the pledge made by US President Donald Trump during a conference call with President Rodrigo Duterte in April, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. stated. The weapons, including 100 TOW-2A missiles, 12 ITAS and 24 MK-82s, were handed over by …

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) stated that digital transformation will continue to play a stronger role in the growth and recovery of Metro Manila‘s economy in the midst of the pandemic. In view of this, NEDA Assistant Secretary for Regional Development Greg Pineda said growth by new offerings will commence from the services sector during the presentation of …

More relief for commuters coping with the shortage of transportation choices is in sight with the green light obtained by motorcycle taxi firm Angkas to hit the roads again beginning on November 23rd, eight months after they were first suspended in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. Bong Nebrija, MMDA EDSA traffic leader, shared that some 6,000 Angkas units have …