COVID-19

Cases

PH Covid-19 cases now 12,513; 7 new deaths reported
The total number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in the country reached 12,513 on Sunday, with 208 more persons contracting the disease. In its latest case bulletin, the Department of Health (DOH) also reported 74 new recoveries and seven new deaths.
Philippine News Agency, GMA News

New virus cases recorded as more areas go on GCQ
A day before the city transitioned into a general community quarantine (GCQ), an 18-year-old woman who just gave birth at the hospital here contracted the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Covid-19 cases in PNP rise to 231
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has reported 231 confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections among its personnel after 17 more police officers tested positive for the virus.
Philippine News Agency

125 immigration personnel at NAIA tested negative for COVID-19
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said yesterday that a total of 125 immigration personnel assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) all tested negative for coronavirus 2019.
Manila Bulletin

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DFA: 37 new Covid-19 cases, 3 new deaths among overseas Pinoys
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Sunday reported 37 new Filipinos abroad infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), bringing its total number to 2,397.
Philippine News Agency, Philippine Daily Inquirer

Department of Health

DOH issues back to work guidelines as NCR eases quarantine measures
The Department of Health (DOH) has issued the guidelines for those who will be returning to work as the National Capital Region (NCR) gradually eases quarantine restrictions.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Lacson asks why PPEs of DOH are more expensive
Senator Panfilo Lacson on Sunday vowed to ask the Department of Health (DOH) why it is purchasing expensive personal protective equipment (PPEs) that can be bought at a lower price by private organizations.
Manila Bulletin

IATF

Be cautious on ECQ lifting, task force official tells public
The spokesperson of the National Task Force (NTF) against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Sunday, May 17, expressed alarm over the public’s excitement over the relaxation of some quarantine restrictions under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).
Manila Bulletin

Task Force vs. COVID-19 alarmed over public’s excitement with looser quarantine restrictions
The excitement of the public with the start of looser quarantine restrictions on Saturday alarmed the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19, its spokesperson said on Sunday.
GMA News

Malls warned of closure if physical distancing is not observed
The Joint Task Force COVID Shield warned on Sunday that that it will shut down malls that would continuously fail to strictly enforce physical distancing amid reports and social media posts showing glaring violations on the first day of operations of some malls in country.
Manila Bulletin, GMA News

Bishop says IATF's limitations on religious gatherings is 'impractical'
Manila Archdiocese Apostolic Administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo on Sunday said the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases’ restrictions on religious gatherings in terms of the number of persons allowed is “impractical.”
GMA News

Regions

Male nurse is Baguio City's 32nd COVID-19 case
A 32-year-old male nurse is the latest case of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Baguio City, its public information office said Sunday.
GMA News

Naga village under ‘total lockdown’ until May 30 after nurse tests positive for COVID-19
A “total lockdown” was enforced in San Francisco village in this city that started Saturday night, May 16, and will end May 30 after a resident tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Elderly barangay tanod tests positive for coronavirus in Zambales
A mass testing for the coronavirus in this province on Saturday yielded only one positive result, local health officials said.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Quezon COVID-19 update: 2 more residents test positive; 81 total cases
Two more coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases have been recorded in Quezon Saturday night (May 16), bringing the total number of infections in the province to 81, health authorities reported.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Valencia City lifts liquor ban; Ozamiz allows holding of masses
The local government of Valencia City in Bukidnon lifted its liquor ban this week but warned drinkers that they should follow strict quarantine measures before they can buy alcoholic drinks and intoxicating liquor.
Mindanews

Dabawenyos urged to avoid barangays with significant number of COVID-19 case
The city government here urged the public to avoid “unnecessary travels” to barangays with significant number of cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), classifying these areas as “very high risk,” “high risk” and “moderate risk.”
Mindanews

Issuance of travel pass in Legazpi City suspended after seekers crowd city hall
Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal on Sunday ordered the suspension of issuance of travel pass to city residents  after the noticeable influx of applicants at the city hall compound.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Heavy traffic at Edsa in Balintawak on first day of MECQ
Heavy traffic was seen at the northbound lane of Edsa in Balintawak, Quezon City on Saturday, the first day of the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in Metro Manila.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Coronavirus testing in Cebu may slow down with ‘decontamination’ of main lab
Testing for the new coronavirus (COVID-19) in Cebu may slow down for a few days following the “decontamination” of the main laboratory at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC).
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Diplomatic, Development and Private Sector 

Red Cross to open bio-molecular lab in Subic
The Philippine Red Cross will open a bio-molecular laboratory at its logistics and training center located inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Sen. Richard Gordon announced on Sunday.
Manila Bulletin

Churches to have markers for social distancing measures, among other safety guidelines
Benches or pews in churches will have markers on it to indicate where the faithful should sit when they attend religious services under the “new normal.”
Manila Bulletin

Incidents and Violations

PNP hunts down Cebu barangay captain for organizing cockfighting amid COVID-19 threat
Police are now hunting down a barangay captain who was accused of repeatedly organizing illegal cockfighting in his barangay in Cebu despite the strict implementation of quarantine rules that include prohibition against mass gathering.
Manila Bulletin

Editorial, Analysis, Opinion and Features

Income key factor in coronavirus cases—study
People living in the most deprived areas of Britain are more than four times likelier to test positive for COVID-19 than those living in the richest neighborhoods, new research showed Saturday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

World

COVID-19: Another Rohingya refugee tests positive
Twenty-four people, including a Rohingya refugee, tested positive for Covid-19 Sunday in Cox’s Bazar.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Top China expert warns of potential second coronavirus wave
China faces a potential second wave of coronavirus infections due to a lack of immunity among its population, its government’s senior medical advisor has warned.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Russia records under 10,000 new virus cases
Russia on Sunday recorded under 10,000 new cases for the third time this week, but fluctuating figures since the start of May suggest it is too early to detect a clear downward trend.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

COVID-19 positive man refuses to be taken to hospital, hugs neighbors in rage
A 40-year-old man initialed as AR, who has tested positive for COVID-19, has caused a commotion as he refused to be taken to the hospital by a team of medical workers and fumed at his neighbors in the city of Tasikmalaya in West Java, Indonesia.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

New Zealand PM Ardern turned away from cafe under virus rules
In New Zealand, no one is exempt from the strict coronavirus prevention measures — not even Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who was denied entry to a cafe because of her own social distancing rules.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

‘COVID toes,’ other rashes latest possible rare virus signs
Skin doctors suddenly are looking at a lot of toes — whether by an emailed picture or video visit — as concern grows that for some people, a sign of COVID-19 may pop up in an unusual spot.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Linking of COVID-19 to gay clubs raises concerns among sexual minorities
When a new cluster of COVID-19 infections was linked to clubs in Seoul’s Itaewon area, many initial media reports highlighted the fact that some of the establishments were “gay clubs.”
Philippine Daily Inquirer

As mosques reopen in West Africa, COVID-19 fears grow
It’s been a Ramadan unlike any other for Abdourahmane Sall, far from the mosque during the Muslim holy month as coronavirus cases mount. With only a little over a week left, he decided to join thousands of others in tradition was worth the risk after authorities allowed prayers to resume.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

S. Korea adds 13 new virus cases; club-linked cases flatten
South Korea added 13 new cases of the new coronavirus on Sunday with nightclub-linked infections showing signs of a slowdown over the weekend, health authorities said Sunday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Qatar imposes mandatory masks on pain of prison
Qatar on Sunday began enforcing the world’s toughest penalties of up to three years’ imprisonment for failing to wear masks in public, as it battles one of the world’s highest coronavirus infection rates.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Suicide rate in Japan declines amid COVID-19 lockdown
Japan’s suicide rate has dropped by 20% last month, compared to April 2019, amid the lockdown measures imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Long queues as Thai malls reopen after virus shutdown
Shoppers flocked to Thailand’s top-end malls on Sunday, eager for retail therapy as shopping centers reopened in a gradual easing of restrictions to revive the virus-ravaged economy.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Duterte expected to return to Manila before Tuesday
President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to return to Manila on or before Tuesday to attend a scheduled meeting with members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) in Malacañang on the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) situation in the country.
Philippine News Agency

Duterte back in Davao for work, family time —Palace
President Rodrigo Duterte returned to his hometown Davao City on Saturday to monitor the coronavirus situation in Mindanao and spend time with his family after being away for months, Malacañang said Sunday.
GMA News, Philippine Daily Inquirer

GCQ families to receive aid once source of funds is identified – Palace
Malacañang said families from areas under the general community quarantine (GCQ) would benefit from the second tranche of the social amelioration program (SAP) once the government is able to find a source for additional funds.
Manila Bulletin

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Palace to public: Stay at home; easing of restrictions doesn’t mean we’re safe
Malacañang on Sunday reiterated the need for the public to stay at home, saying that easing restrictions was to revitalize the economy and not because the Philippines is now safe from the coronavirus disease.
GMA News

Roque to law enforcers: Probe also VP’s detractors
Law enforcement authorities should also investigate alleged threats against Vice President Leni Robredo, not just President Duterte, on social media, according to a Palace official.
Manila Bulletin

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COVID-19 hampers construction of permanent evacuation centers
President Duterte’s order to construct permanent evacuation centers to house victims of various calamities is one of the casualties of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the country.
Manila Bulletin

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OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

Treat critics with fairness, Robredo asks PNP, NBI
Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday urged the police and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to be fair in dealing with individuals who make grave threats on social media.
Manila Bulletin

Robredo warns public not to be complacent on COVID-19
“Huwag po tayong kampante. Hindi pa po tapos iyong ating problema. (We should not complacent. Our problem is not yet over).”
Manila Bulletin

ELECTION RELATED

DISASTER

NDRRMC: TD ‘Ambo’ affects over 40K people
Tropical depression “Ambo” (International name: Vongfong) has affected 9,791 families or 40,980 individuals in the country as it continues to move towards the northern part of the country, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Sunday.
Manila Bulletin

Typhoon Ambo damage to fisheries estimated at P185.53M –DA
Cyclone Ambo, which continues to accelerate north of Luzon, has so far caused an estimated P185-million damage to the fisheries sector, the government reported Sunday.
GMA News

‘Ambo’ likely to fizzle as it exits PH
Tropical depression “Ambo” (international name: “Vongfong”) will likely fizzle to a low pressure area (LPA) within 12 to 24 hours while on its way outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR).
Manila Bulletin

DA-Bicol reports P80-M losses due to ‘Ambo’
At least PHP80 million worth of agriculture crops were destroyed due to the moderate to heavy rains brought by Typhoon Ambo that pounded Bicol Friday, the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Bicol reported. 
Philippine News Agency

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

Not the time to dance the Cha-cha – Drilon
Senators thumbed down reports that some officials in the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) are continuing to push for Charter change, saying pursuing such moves amid a global COVID-19 pandemic is a “total waste of time and resources.”
Manila Bulletin, GMA News

JUDICIARY

LEGISLATIVE

Senate of the Philippines

Angara pushes national digital careers bill
As work from home has become the new normal for most companies that continue to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic, Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara said he expects digital-related careers in the country to increase even after the global health crisis is over.
Manila Bulletin

Lacson: SC should determine if SAP 2nd tranche should be withheld from GCQ areas
Senator Panfilo Lacson said on Sunday that only the Supreme Court can determine whether low-income families in areas where quarantine protocols have eased should receive the second tranche of the government’s social amelioration program (SAP).
Manila Bulletin

Binay on first day of MECQ: Expect a ‘tsunami’ of coronavirus infections
If the number of people crowding public places on the first day of the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) is an indicator, the country should not just expect a second wave of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, but a “tsunami” of cases of infection, according to Senator Nancy Binay.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

House of Representatives

‘Reckless’ COVID-19 patients should be denied health coverage –solon
PBA party-list Representative Jericho Nograles on Sunday urged the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to exclude COVID-19 patients who were found to have been infected with the disease due to irresponsible and reckless behavior from coverage.
GMA News

Proposed P568 B Philippine Economic Stimulus Act to be presented to the plenary on Monday
Seeking to address the P1.2 trillion economic loss brought about by the months-long lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection, the House of Representatives is pushing for the P568-billion Economic Stimulus Package to cushion the impact of the coronavirus disease pandemic on the country’s economic landscape.
Manila Bulletin

PhilHealth should give full coverage to COVID-19 patients–Defensor
A House leader asked the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. to shoulder in full the hospitalization expenses of Filipino COVID-19 patients.
Manila Bulletin

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)

Solon wants barangays authorized to identify recipients, disburse cash aid
Marikina City Representative Bayani Fernando has proposed that barangays in the country be given the authority to identify the beneficiaries of the emergency cash subsidy from the government, and disburse the money themselves.
GMA News

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

DEFENSE AND SECURITY

Armed Forces of the Philippines

Philippine National Police

PNP: Health measures missed in evacuation centers amid typhoon
The Philippine National Police said Sunday that  implementing COVID-19 health measures, including social distancing, was a challenge in some evacuation centers during the onslaught of Typhoon Ambo.
GMA News

BUDGET, FINANCE, and TAXATION

90% of P4.1-T 2020 budget released as of April
Budget release quickened in April as the government fast-tracked funding for new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) response, the latest Department of Budget and Management (DBM) data showed.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

BIR asks individual, corporate taxpayers to file and pay their 2019 income taxes
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) asked yesterday individual and corporate taxpayers to file now their 2019 income tax returns (ITR) and pay the corresponding taxes.
Manila Bulletin

ECONOMY AND INVESTMENTS

The changing face of retail
THE RETAIL TRADE is among the hardest hit industries in this COVID crisis. The bloodbath has cut across all sectors — from clothing to food, appliances to motor vehicles, electronics to gasoline. No sector is spared except for those relating to health, sanitation, and wellness.
Business World Online

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD and PUBLIC WORKS

OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

AUDIT, GRAFT, AND CORRUPTION

FOREIGN RELATIONS  

West Philippine Sea

LABOR

Labor group urges employers to follow health protocols involving workers
Defend Jobs Philippines has asked the government and private employers to secure the health and safety of workers inside their respective workplaces.
Manila Bulletin

Coast Guard: Some OFWs have escaped from quarantine centers
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Sunday said some of repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have escaped from quarantine facilities.
Manila Bulletin

Uninfected OFWs may now go home, says Coast Guard
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Sunday said repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who tested negative of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may now avail themselves of free rides back to their home provinces and cities.
Manila Bulletin

TRANSPORTATION


HEALTH

Gatchalian urges more birthing facilities in rural areas
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Sunday pushed for the creation of birthing facilities in isolated and disadvantaged areas to reduce the number of maternal deaths nationwide.
Manila Bulletin

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

EDUCATION

ENERGY

Firms seen to defer PH exploration plans
SOME exploration companies are expected to shelve their plans to explore petroleum resources in the Philippines for about a year as the world continues to grapple with the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, according to the Department of Energy (DoE).
The Manila Times

POVERTY

SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT

DSWD: Over 97.1 percent of SAP first tranche distributed to 17.2-M beneficiaries
More than P97.1 billion emergency subsidies have been distributed to over 17.2 million beneficiaries of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) nationwide, the Department of Social Welfare and Development said on Sunday evening (May 17).
Manila Bulletin

SAP distribution nationwide 95-percent completed
Over 17.1 million beneficiaries or 94.8 percent of the 18 million low-income households targeted to receive the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) emergency subsidy have so far been served, the Department of Social Welfare and Development said on Sunday, May 17.
Manila Bulletin

DSWD distributes 826,000 food packs nationwide
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has extended more than P348 million in relief assistance, distributing over 826,000 Family Food Packs (FFPs) nationwide.
Manila Bulletin

HOUSING and SETTLEMENT

Salceda explains why ‘Balik Probinsya’ program will work
Economist-congressman Joey Salceda of Albay defended on Sunday (May 17) the Duterte administration’s Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa (BP2) program, particularly from criticism that it’s just a way to “dump the urban poor [in] the provinces.”
Manila Bulletin

Six local government units approve inclusion in ‘Balik Probinsya’ program
Six local governments, four of them in Mindanao, have agreed to accept disadvantaged local migrants in big cities back to their localities in the “Balik Probinsiya” (return to the province) program.
Business Mirror

TOURISM

DOT, private group launch tourism online survey
The Department of Tourism (DOT) in partnership with Guide to the Philippines and AIM-Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center is encouraging the public to answer an online survey on the state of tourism in the country and how to improve it.
Manila Bulletin

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Research group says air quality gains during ECQ should be sustained
An international research group has pointed out that improvements in air quality must not be taken for granted after the lockdowns, as the return of air pollution may further threaten the human health during the coronavirus outbreak.
Manila Bulletin

INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY