Philippines

METRO MANILA  – Nearly half of the country’s adult labor force was unemployed in July this year, a recent survey revealed by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) on Sunday. According to the survey conducted from July 3-6, 2020, unemployment in the country rises to  45.5% from  17.1% last December. a 28-point increase and a new record-high beating the 34.4% recorded …

METRO MANILA – A new mutated strain of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the Covid-19 disease has been detected and belived to be more infectious than the original variant, says Philippine Genome Center (PGC). According to the research center, the G614 strain, along with D614 genotype was reportedly detected on several sample positive cases in Quezon City. Philippine Genome Center …

MANILA – Malacañang announced today (Saturday) that areas under GCQ such as Nueva Ecija, Batangas, Quezon, Cebu City and Iloilo City will be extended until August 31. Mandaue, Lapu Lapu, Talisay, Minglanilla and Consolacion in Cebu will also be under GCQ until the end of the month. LOOK: Here are the quarantine classifications of different areas beginning August 16, 2020 …

MANILA – The World Bank has committed another $1.9 billion in projects in the Philippines to help and support projects that will help the economy bounce back from the impact of Covid-19 pandemic. According to the Department of Finance (DOF), the $1.9 billion-worth of “redesigned” World Bank-funded projects are expected to be approved before the year end to help the …

Close to 5,000 online sellers have registered with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) so far after taxpayers started asking them to pay taxes or risk being penalised. A total of 4,961 online merchants received tax identification numbers from the tax office from June to August 7, with only three weeks remaining before the expiration of the extended deadline. BIR …

METRO MANILA – Metro Manila shifting to a more relaxed lockdown measure or modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) is only a “remote possibility”, Malacañang said Thursday. According to Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, even if critical care capacity for COVID-19 patients improves in the following days, its highly unlike that Metro Manila will be upgrading to a more relaxed lockdown measure. …

DAVAO CITY – Abu Sayyaf leader Anduljihad “Edang” Susukan was turned over to the Philippine National Police of Thursday with the help of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chairman Nur Misuari,  PNP Chief Archie Gamboa confirmed on Thursday. Gamboa, in a statement, thanked Misuari for helping facilitate the negotiation between the Davao Police and Susukan. The handover took place at …

METRO MANILA – Russia, the first country in the world to grant regulatory approval for a COVID-19 vaccine, has offered to supply or co-manufacture the vaccine in the Philippines. Impressed by what Russia was able to accomplished, President Rodrigo Duterte has welcomed the development of the vaccines, so much so that he is willing to participate in the trials. “I …

METRO MANILA – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved fresh loan to the Philippines to support the reforms by the government to improved the country’s agri sector that could ultimately lessen poverty in provinces. According to the bank’s vice-president, poverty has remained high because of low productivity and limited crop diversification despite the country’s initative of reducing the nation’s poverty …

METRO MANILA – National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace consultant Randall “Randy” Echanis  was killed inside his rented home in Quezon City. According to the party-list group, a neighbor was also killed. Echanis, 72, who was the national chairperson of the party-list, was undergoing a medical treatment and unarmed when alleged police forces raided his residences. He was stabbed …