Duterte joins 400 VIPs in Japan emperor’s enthronement rites
President Duterte joins 400 foreign heads of government and dignitaries in witnessing the ceremonial enthronement of new Japanese Emperor Naruhito today, October 22.
Manila Bulletin

Medialdea named OIC during Duterte’s Japan trip
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea will be officer-in-charge (OIC) while President Rodrigo Duterte is away for his fourth trip to Tokyo to attend the enthronement ceremony of Japanese Emperor Naruhito on October 22.
Philippine News Agency

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Honeylet emphasizes that Duterte in good health after motorcycle mishap
President Rodrigo Duterte was in good health after after last week's motorcycle mishap, his common-law wife Cielito "Honeylet" Avanceña said on Monday.
GMA News

Joko Widodo, Bolkiah expressed concern for ‘good friend’ Duterte after motorcycle accident — Locsin
The post-motorbike accident condition of President Rodrigo Duterte became a topic among world leaders who attended the inauguration of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro "Teddy Boy" Locsin Jr. on Monday.
GMA News

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Palace on NUPL’s vow to sue Duterte in 2022: It’s a free country
Any person can file criminal charges against President Rodrigo Duterte once he steps down and loses his immunity from suit in 2022, Malacañang said Monday, after a group of lawyers vowed to sue him over alleged human rights abuses during his term.
GMA News, ABS-CBN News

Palace takes no offense at UP Visayas students’ ‘Kill-this-President’ joke
Malacañang on Monday seemed to have taken no offense by the cheer routine performed by students from the University of the Philippines Visayas that did not sit well with the supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte.
GMA News, Manila Bulletin

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Israel ‘tries to hide’ arms sales to the Philippines – report
An Israeli court banned media coverage of its hearings on a petition to block Israeli arms sales to the Philippines, which follows an apparent trend of media silence on Israel’s weapons deals with “repressive regimes,” according to a report by the Israel-based investigative magazine The Seventh Eye, republished by its English-language counterpart, +972 Magazine.
Rappler

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Palace: Duterte agreed with PNP revamp
The reshuffle of people in key positions in the Philippine National Police (PNP) had the blessing of President Rodrigo Duterte, Malacañang said Monday.
GMA News

‘Kill me if I don’t end crime in 6 months’
IT WAS not clear if then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte was addressing God or the people when he made that “Kill me if…” statement on Jan. 17, 2016, in the heat of his campaign for the presidency.
Philippine Star

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

ELECTION RELATED

Macalintal refutes ‘frivolous’ claim of Marcos lawyer; VP Robredo well aware of case details
Vice President Leni Robredo knew so much about the election protest she is facing, her lead lawyer said, contrary to claims by the camp of former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that she was unaware of the details of the case.
Manila Bulletin

DISASTER

NDRRMC confirms seventh fatality in Mindanao quake
The death toll in the powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake that hit Tulunan, North Cotabato last week has risen to seven, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) confirmed on Monday.
Manila Bulletin

Phivolcs says NoCot aftershocks to last for 6 months
Aftershocks, as a result of the magnitude 6.3 earthquake on Oct. 16 that struck Tulunan, North Cotabato, will continue for the next six months, a volcanology station official said Monday.
Philippine News Agency

NDRRMC calls warnings of another Mindanao quake a hoax
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) called a message warning of another earthquake that would follow the magnitude 6.3 tremor that struck Tulunan, North Cotabato last October 16 a hoax.
GMA News

DPWH estimates damage caused by 6.3-magnitude quake in Mindanao at P86 million
The initial estimated damage of the 6.3-magnitude earthquake that shook parts of Mindanao on Wednesday has reached P86 million, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said.
Manila Bulletin, Philippine Daily Inquirer

MINDANAO

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

JUDICIARY

Supreme Court honors 'statesman, patriot' Carpio as he nears retirement
Officials and employees of the Supreme Court (SC) wore the colors of the Philippine flag Monday as they honored outgoing Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio days before he retires from an 18-year career in the tribunal.
GMA News

'End of an era' at Supreme Court as Carpio retires
After 18 years, more than 900 decisions and no backlog, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio leaves the Supreme Court this week as acting Chief Justice, hailed by his colleagues as the quintessential scholar, a patriotic Filipino and a leader.
ABS-CBN News

‘Solid anchor,’ ‘impenetrable rock’ Carpio feted at his last flag ceremony
As a fitting tribute to a patriot, the Supreme Court has used the colors of the Philippine flag to bid goodbye to one of the longest-serving Supreme Court Associate Justices – Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Gordon, De Lima clash again over GCTA law
Sen. Richard Gordon pointed out anew that Sen. Leila de Lima should have known there was something wrong with the controversial good conduct time allowance (GCTA) law when she crafted its guidelines.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

LEGISLATIVE

Senate of the Philippines

Senate to honor Nene Pimentel on Wednesday
The Senate will honor the late former Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. in necrological services on Wednesday.
GMA News

Marcos’ bill seeks to write-off agrarian reform beneficiaries’ loan obligations
Neophyte Senator Imee R. Marcos on Monday said she wants to finish what her father former President Ferdinand E. Marcos had started 47 years ago – the emancipation of landless farmers from the bondage of the soil.
Manila Bulletin

Revilla's bill seeks motorcycle medical emergency response
A bill seeking to mandate all public and private medical institutions to provide motorcycle medical emergency first responders has been filed in the Senate.
GMA News

Consider HB 4802 ‘dead on arrival’ in the Senate – Drilon
Senators on Monday objected to a measure filed by a partylist representative seeking to extend the period of probation for workers to two years from the current six months. Senate President Vicente Sotto III said House Bill 4802 filed by Probinsyano Ako Partylist Representative Jose “Bonito” Singson Jr. will go against efforts to end the practice of contractualization by companies.
Manila Bulletin

De Lima urges Senate to pass measure that will establish eye care clinics nationwide
Opposition Senator Leila de Lima has called on the Senate to expedite the passage of a measure creating eye care clinics nationwide in order to address the growing prevalence of vision impairment, including blindness, among Filipinos.
Manila Bulletin

Sotto files bill that will make IAS independent of PNP
Senate President Vicente Sotto III will push in Congress the proposal to make the Internal Affairs Service (IAS) an independent institution to discipline scalawags in the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Manila Bulletin

House of Representatives

PRRD hands-off in House term-sharing issue – Panelo
Members of the House of Representatives, not President Duterte, would make the ultimate decision on the selection of their Speaker, Malacañang declared Monday in the wake of reports a term-sharing arrangement might be derailed.
Manila Bulletin

Lagman wants repeal of 'offending religious feelings' crime
Albay Representative Edcel Lagman is urging the House of Representatives to repeal a provision in the Revised Penal Code penalizing an individual on the basis of "offending religious feelings."
GMA News, Manila Bulletin

House leader calls on colleagues to approve bill granting employees 10-day incentive leave
Believing that happy and well-rested individuals are healthier and more productive, Deputy Speaker and Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr. is calling on his colleagues to expedite the approval of a bill seeking to grant a yearly service incentive leave of 10 days to all employees.
Manila Bulletin

BUDGET, FINANCE and TAXATION

BOC’s post-clearance audit expected to increase government revenue
To generate additional revenues in favor of the government, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) has been actively conducting post-clearance audit on imports and goods.
Manila Bulletin

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)

DEFENSE AND SECURITY

PNP: Duterte dismay, execs' retirement prompted police revamp
President Rodrigo Duterte's "disappointment" with the police and the retirement of some officials prompted a reshuffle of its leaders as the organization fought allegations that some of officers resold seized drugs, its spokesperson said Monday.
ABS-CBN News

PNP OIC Gamboa says all key positions on probation; promotions on hold
A day after the Philippine National Police (PNP) announced a major shakeup in its organization, officer-in-charge Police Lieutenant General Archie Francisco Gamboa on Monday disclosed that all key positions are placed under probation and all promotions are on hold within the PNP.
GMA News

Over 9,000 erring cops sanctioned since 2016, PNP OIC Gamboa says
More than 9,000 policemen have been administratively sanctioned since July 2016, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday.
GMA News

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Army's Scout Ranger, Cyber Defense teams hailed for bagging awards
The Philippine Army's Scout Ranger Team and the Cyber Defense Team were lauded on Monday after bagging awards in two separate events.
GMA News

Cause-oriented group insists AFP-Dito deal will ‘threaten national, cyber security’
A cause-oriented group has insisted that Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s intent to approve a co-location deal between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Dito Telecommunity (Dito) could threaten national and cyber security.
Manila Bulletin

ECONOMY AND INVESTMENTS

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD and PUBLIC WORKS

Amb. Haneda highlights ‘quality and speedy implementation’ as attributes of Japan-supported projects
Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koji Haneda has reiterated his country’s commitment to “quality and speedy implementation” of Japan-supported projects under President Rodrigo Duterte’s “Build Build Build” program.
Manila Bulletin

OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

More loans: PH to borrow P182B from foreign sources in 2020
The Philippines will borrow $3.5 billion or about P182 billion in bonds from offshore markets next year, slightly lower than this year’s $3.7 billion, National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon said on Monday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

AUDIT, GRAFT AND CORRUPTION

FOREIGN RELATIONS  

West Philippine Sea

LABOR

Singson not giving up on two-year ENDO despite Malacanang rejection
HB 4802 stays. But Jose Singson is unfazed by criticisms.  In fact, he said HB 4802 started to draw support as a swift but lasting fix to the much-criticized but legal “endo or end of contract” manner of hiring personnel.
Manila Bulletin

A separate department for OFWs: Should we?
The positions of civil society organizations on the creation of a new Department for OFWs are more diverse than those of government agencies. For CMA, there is a need to ask if the creation of a new department entails a paradigm shift and if labor migration will be “here to stay instead of being just a temporary measure.”
Business World Online

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Some OFWs may start losing their jobs as Hong Kong protests persist
The United Filipinos in Hong Kong secretary general Emmanuel Villanueva said Monday that some OFWs could lose their jobs due to the protests in Hong Kong.
Manila Bulletin

Slovenia to open doors to Filipino workers
Job opportunities may soon be available for Filipino workers in Slovenia. The labor department revealed that Slovenia is seeking Philippine approval for the deployment of between 2,000 to 5,000 skilled and semi-skilled labor to supplement their workforce.
Manila Bulletin

New Mexico looks to PH in filling teacher shortage
It was a cold Monday morning at C.V. Koogler Middle School in Aztec. Students stumbled into Shannon Albores’ history class and take off their rumpled jackets. After reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, they greeted their teacher by saying in unison, ‘magandang umaga!‘— which is Filipino for ‘good morning.’
Philippine Daily Inquirer

TRANSPORTATION

LTO gears up for ‘Undas’
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) is now gearing up to ensure safe roads for passengers traveling to provinces this upcoming “Undas” season.
Manila Bulletin

Random drug tests for PUV drivers ahead of Undas 2019
To keep both travelers and motorists safe during Undas, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is activating on Tuesday, October 22, Oplan Biyaheng Ayos: Undas, which will include random drug testing for public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and conductors before they leave their terminals.
Rappler

HEALTH

PH is country with fastest growing HIV cases – UNAIDS
The Philippines has been ranked as the country with the fastest growing number of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) cases in the world, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) bared Monday.
Manila Bulletin

600 private hospitals threaten to cut ties with PhilHealth over unpaid claims
Around 600 members of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPi) threatened that they will not renew their PhilHealth accreditation in 2020 due to unpaid claims amounting to billions of pesos.
GMA News

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

Protests mark anniversary of presidential decree to 'emancipate tillers'
Farmer and peasant groups on Monday marched from the Department of Agriculture's Central Office in Quezon City to Welcome Rotonda to protest what they said was a lack of government action on issues like low palay prices.
Philippine Star

Shielding the coconut industry from uncertainties
We received an email from a reader, James Nordvik, requesting for a “good investigative view” of the current depressed copra market prices, so much so that “coconut farmers are suffering.”
Philippine Star

Año orders LGUs to allow entry of processed meat products from Luzon
Local government units (LGUs) in Visayas and Mindanao were ordered to allow the entry of processed meat products from Luzon provided that they carry all the necessary permits.
Manila Bulletin

Solon slams ‘senseless’ rice subsidy for rice farmers
The government’s rice subsidy program for rice farmers makes zero sense to Negros Oriental 2nd district representative Manuel Sagarbarria.
Manila Bulletin

Gov’t asked to impose SRP on pork, chicken
Consumer group Laban Konsyumer Inc. (LKI) has called on the government to impose suggested retail prices (SRPs) on pork and chicken products for the duration of the epidemic up to the end of the Christmas season.
Manila Bulletin

Signing of ‘Sagip Saka’ IRR sets efforts to raise farmers, fisherfolks income in motion
Opposition Senator Francis N. Pangilinan said Monday the Department of Agriculture now has the framework to effectively raise the incomes of farmers and fisherfolk following the signing of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Sagip Saka Act.
Manila Bulletin

EDUCATION

DepEd says mandatory bible reading may ‘trigger a lot of passionate debates’
Education Secretary Leonor Briones said that the proposed mandatory bible reading in public schools needs “careful” study and consideration since it may “raise a lot of questions” and “trigger a lot of debates” from various sectors.
Manila Bulletin

CHED Chairman De Vera denies ‘irregularities’ in selection of UP Deans
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairman Dr. Prospero De Vera III on Monday assured that there was “no irregularity” in the selection of all the deans that were appointed during the last board meeting.
Manila Bulletin

Too early to say if K to 12 is effective or not – DepEd 
As it continues to review the K to 12 program, the Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday said that it might be “too early” to say that its implementation is not effective.
Manila Bulletin

ENERGY

Energy security and fast growth
I came to the capital city of Malaysia to speak at the Liberalism Conference of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) last Saturday, along with the launching of the International Property Rights Index (IPRI) 2019 by the Property Rights Alliance.
Business World Online

Parts of Luzon to experience power interruption from October 21 to 27
Parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces will experience scheduled power interruptions starting Monday, October 21, until Sunday, October 27, due to maintenance works.
Manila Bulletin

Greenpeace urges PH gov’t to look into abundant sources of clean, safe, renewable energy
International environmental group Greenpeace called on the Philippine government to stop all plans to pursue nuclear energy, oil exploration, and coal expansion, and instead focus on maximizing the country’s abundant potential for clean, safe renewable energy.
Manila Bulletin

POVERTY

Fewer Filipinos consider themselves poor – SWS survey
Fewer Filipino families have considered themselves poor or “mahirap” in the past three months, as shown in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey results.
Manila Bulletin

SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT

HOUSING

TOURISM

Pujada Bay named 'one of most beautiful bays' in the world
The Pujada Bay in Mati City, Davao Oriental, has been included in the "Most Beautiful Bays in the World" (MBBW). In a press statement on Sunday, the Davao Oriental Provincial Information Office (PIO) said the declaration was made by the Club of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World during the 15th World Bays Congress in Toyama Prefecture, Japan, held from October 16 to 20.
Philippine News Agency

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Tampakan mining project to go full swing soon: MGB-12 chief
The USD5.9 billion copper-gold mining project of Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) in Tampakan, South Cotabato, is expected to go full swing in the coming months, with the fresh endorsement from the national government reportedly coming out soon.
Philippine News Agency, NDBC News

Tree is life
As countries around the world endeavor to prevent the global climate crisis from reaching catastrophic levels by 2030, reforestation remains a basic but vital strategy in mitigating climate change. A study by academic journal Science revealed that one billion hectares of forest could reduce 300 gigatons or 25 percent of carbon in the atmosphere. 
Manila Standard

Water crisis

INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY

DEVELOPMENT SECTOR