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Duterte won’t skip Asean-related summits: Palace
President Rodrigo Duterte is doing well and will not skip any of the events on the third and last day of the 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit and Related Summits in Thailand, Malacañang said Sunday.
Philippine News Agency
Duterte to Asean: Don’t sacrifice environment for progress
President Rodrigo Duterte has appealed to Southeast Asian leaders not to sacrifice the environment in pursuit of progress at the 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit.
Cebu Daily News
Duterte seeks regional cooperation in environmental protection, reduction of marine debris
Southeast Asian nations should not sacrifice the environment for economic development in the region, President Duterte appealed last Saturday.
Manila Bulletin
ASEAN Summit: Duterte raises alarm on impact of US-China trade disputes on food security
Food security of developing countries might be affected if the trade conflict between the United States and China is not efficiently addressed, according to President Duterte.
Manila Bulletin
South China Sea must be maintained as ‘sea of peace, stability, prosperity’ – Duterte
The South China Sea must be maintained as a “sea of peace, stability, and prosperity,” President Duterte declared Sunday amid his renewed appeal for the peaceful and rules-based settlement of disputes in the region.
Manila Bulletin
ASEAN commits to enhance cooperation with China
The Southeast Asian bloc has committed to enhance cooperation with China to step up regional trade and investment, infrastructure connectivity, smart city development, and media exchanges.
Manila Bulletin
ASEAN reminds industrialized countries of climate change targets, financial commitment
Expressing “grave concern” about the impact of climate change, the Southeast Asian bloc has appealed to industrialized countries to meet their pre-2020 mitigation targets and scale up climate finance.
Manila Bulletin
ASEAN leaders agree to greater collaboration to usher in Industry 4.0 into the region
With the advent of the fourth industrial revolution, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) vowed to intensify collaboration on digital connectivity to spur growth in the region.
Manila Bulletin
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Did FIFA almost forget to give a jersey to President Duterte?
President Rodrigo Duterte was the last ASEAN leader to receive a jersey when the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) distributed them to the leaders of Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Saturday.
GMA News
Palace slams ‘Professional Heckler’ tweet on Duterte receiving FIFA jersey
Malacañang slammed Twitter user The Professional Heckler for making fun of President Duterte belatedly receiving his football jersey during the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
Manila Bulletin, Philippine Daily Inquirer, GMA News
Series of ‘fake’ news won’t erode Duterte's popularity: Palace
Persistent critics who continue to propagate "false" news against President Rodrigo Duterte would not succeed in eroding the Chief Executive's popularity, Malacañang said on Sunday.
Philippine News Agency
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Palace offers prayers for aspiring lawyers taking 2019 bar exams
“We offer our sincere prayers to our legal aspirants who toiled day and night poring over their law books, court decisions, and jurisprudence in preparation for this life-changing moment,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo, who is also the chief presidential legal counsel, said in a statement.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
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Decoding Duterte: Facts behind his claims, rise to power
President Rodrigo Duterte has always spoken proudly of his “Moro lineage” and the “Maranao bloodline” of his maternal ancestors. “Ang lola ko, Maranaw (my grandmother is Maranao)” is a standard line in his speeches. His official Wikipedia page describes his mother, the late Soledad Duterte, as “a civic leader of Maranao descent” without citing its source.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Duterte’s way of admitting failure
Even on the assumption that he wasn’t just being sarcastic, or worse, misusing the Filipino language, President Duterte’s statements the other day are the clearest admission that his much-touted war on drugs has failed. He has run out of ideas.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
OVP seeking donations for Mindanao quake victims
The Office of the Vice President (OVP) on Sunday called for donations to aid persons and families affected by the series of strong earthquakes that rocked parts of Mindanao in the past few weeks.
Manila Bulletin
Leni goes on missions in Iloilo, Capiz before heading home to Naga to observe ‘Undas’ with kids
Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo led a series of events in the provinces of Iloilo and Capiz last week before heading home to Naga City in Camarines Sur for the observance of “Undas.”
Manila Bulletin
Robredo claims malicious criticisms against her rooted in misogyny
Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday lamented that women in politics were still targets of criticism because of their gender and that the malicious criticisms against her were rooted in misogyny.
GMA News
ELECTION RELATED
DISASTER
NDRRMC: 432 injured, 21 killed in two quakes that rocked Mindanao
After two earthquakes rattled Mindanao in just a week, 432 people were injured while 21 were killed, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said.
Cebu Daily News, GMA News
No trapped mountaineers, locals in Mt. Apo – NDRRMC
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) belied rumors on Sunday that there were trapped mountaineers and residents in Mt. Apo when a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Cotabato last October 31.
Manila Bulletin
14 trapped villagers in quake-ravaged NoCot town safely airlifted
Fourteen villagers trapped in the isolated village of Luayon following the magnitude 6.6 earthquake on Oct. 29 have been rescued and safely airlifted from the site to the town proper here.
Philippine News Agency, NDBC News
Powerful quakes affect 130K in Digos City: CDRRMC
At least 130,000 individuals here were affected by a series of strong earthquakes that struck Mindanao the last 15 days, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) confirmed on Saturday.
Philippine News Agency
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Andanar asks public to only get info from gov’t amid series of Mindanao quakes
The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) appealed to the public to only listen to official government announcements or bulletins regarding earthquakes to prevent unnecessary panic from ensuing.
Manila Bulletin
Quakes put weak steel products in spotlight
As far as House leaders are concerned, the successive big earthquakes that jolted Mindanao the past two weeks justify an inquiry on the smuggling and proliferation of substandard steel products in the country.
Manila Bulletin
Disaster Risk Reduction Management law needs review, says solon
Ang Probinsyano Party-list Rep. Ronnie Ong is prodding Congress to act on his resolution which calls for a full review on the compliance and implementation of Republic Act (RA) 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction Management Act of 2010.
Manila Bulletin
Legarda calls for conduct of nationwide structural inspection
Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda sought on Sunday the conduct of a nationwide structural evaluation of all public structures, especially bridges, school buildings and hospitals to ensure public safety.
Manila Bulletin
Solon wants passage of 3 disaster-related bills after Mindanao quakes
Senator Francis Tolentino is calling for the passage of at least three measures to mitigate the effects and damage brought about by natural disasters in the country.
GMA News
House to approve Disaster Resilience Dept bill this November –Salceda
Amid the ongoing earthquake relief operations in Mindanao, Albay Representative Joey Salceda said on Sunday that the House of Representatives aimed to approve the bill creating the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR) this November.
GMA News
Mindanao quakes seen to impact infra, poverty
THE recent earthquakes in Mindanao could lead to a temporary rise in poverty and delay in infrastructure projects in the region, according to economists.
Business Mirror
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Eastmincom raises alert level after Mindanao quakes
The Armed Forces' Eastern Mindanao Command said Sunday that it has raised the alert level of all military units and activated its disaster response group after a series of powerful quakes in Mindanao last week.
GMA News
Lorenzana: Humanitarian crisis in quake-hit areas
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Sunday appealed to residents affected by the series of earthquakes in Mindanao to be calm, assuring them there is a sufficient supply of relief goods and that it was just a matter of properly distributing them.
Manila Bulletin
No humanitarian crisis in quake-troubled Mindanao –NDRRMC chief
There is no humanitarian crisis in Cotabato, amid the destruction and the emergency situation brought about by a series of strong quakes that rocked Mindanao in the southern Philippines in October, a disaster management official said Sunday.
GMA News
One nabbed in relation to ops in quake-damaged Ecoland 4000 condo in Davao
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte on Sunday said one person was arrested for disobedience with regard to operations in the earthquake-damaged Ecoland 4000 condominium.
GMA News
Classes in quake-hit Davao City to resume on Nov. 5 —Mayor Sara
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte on Sunday announced that the resumption of all classes in the city is set on Tuesday (November 5), days after a magnitude-6.5 earthquake-hit Mindanao.
GMA News
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Cotabato gov’t, agencies appeal for coordination amid influx of relief assistance to earthquake victims
THE LOCAL government of Cotabato, the most affected province in the series of three strong earthquakes that struck central Mindanao in October, has appealed to private groups and individuals delivering relief assistance to coordinate with the incident command center at the provincial office compound in Kidapawan City.
Business World Online
Davao Region provided with P12.3-M in quake relief – RDRRMC XI
Over P12.3 million worth of assistance had been provided to earthquake victims in the Davao Region as of November 2, according to the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) XI.
GMA News, Philippine News Agency
Over P6M worth of aid distributed to Mindanao quake victims –DSWD
More than P6 million worth of assistance to earthquake victims in Mindanao have been distributed, the Department of Social Welfare and Development said Sunday.
GMA News
Surigao inmates cut food allowance for Mindanao quake victims
Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) in Surigao City Jail voluntarily made their meaningful contributions for the victims of powerful earthquakes in Mindanao by slicing portions of their food rations inside the jail.
Philippine News Agency
Negros group sends meals for kids in quake-stricken Cotabato
The Negrense Volunteers for Change (NVC) delivered on Saturday 20,000 Mingo meals to children in Cotabato province, which was among the areas in Mindanao affected by a strong earthquake last week.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Vicki Belo appeals for help for Cotabato: ‘We’ll see this through’
Celebrity doctor Victoria “Vicki” Belo is set to donate to quake-hit Mindanao, thanking Manila Mayor Isko Moreno for convincing her to lend a helping hand and teaching her “a lot of life lessons” over coffee.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Biz firms join humanitarian efforts in quake-hit areas in Mindanao
A group of companies in the service sector will be sending aid to areas in Mindanao in the southern Philippines affected by three powerful quakes that jolted the region in October.
GMA News
LGUs and soldiers hand-in- hand on relief operations
Troops from the 72nd Infantry (Gabay) Battalion and the Local Government Units in the Municipalities of Magpet and President Roxas and City of Kidapawan strengthened its relief operations to the victims of the series and disastrous earthquakes that hit the Province of Cotabato last week.
Kalinaw News
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Chinese official extends sympathy over death, destruction caused by Mindanao quakes
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday conveyed his message of sympathy to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. over the death and devastation resulting from the series of earthquakes that rocked Mindanao last week.
Manila Bulletin
Dream house built from working 7 years without break in Kuwait now a rubble
Forty-eight year old Jinky Songcolan, worked as a housekeeper in Kuwait for seven years without break so she could save enough money to build her dream house.
Mindanews
On structural integrity
Oct. 29 and 31, 2019, will forever be etched in the memory of many Mindanaoans, especially those from Davao City, Kidapawan, Makilala of North Cotabato province, and Magsaysay and Digos of Davao del Sur province. These were among the localities in Mindanao that bore the brunt of strong tremors and aftershocks, registering intensities ranging from 6.4 to 6.8 on the Richter scale.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
EDC: Mt. Apo geothermal plant doesn’t cause quakes or volcanic eruption
The Energy Development Corporation (EDC), the country’s sole producer of geothermal energy on Sunday said their geothermal production in Mount Apo does not cause earthquakes or trigger volcanic eruption, contrary to claims made in social media postings.
Mindanews
Abrigo: Are you ready for the big one?
BRACE yourself for the big one, do not panic. Associate Scientist of Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), Dr. Toto Bacolcol, hoisted cautionary account of possible magnitude 7.2 earthquake in Mindanao saying, “Based on the length of this fault in Cotabato, it’s capable of generating a 7.2 magnitude earthquake.” He warned the recent earthquakes could be foreshocks to a big one.
Sunstar Davao
Tell It to SunStar: Mindanao earthquake: A wake-up call
ASTONISHING destruction struck the Land of Promise, Mindanao, because of the tectonic earthquake that shook the area recently. What made it more destructive was the series of strong aftershocks that rattled the place. People died.
Sunstar Cebu
How to prepare for the Big One
Earthquakes have rocked various parts of the country from Batanes to Mindanao over the past year. Knowing how devastating earthquakes are, and remembering only the Ruby Tower (1968, 270 fatalities) and the Hyatt Terraces Baguio (1990, at least 80 fatalities) building collapses, we should feel lucky as we stare at media images of the collapsed Ecoland 4000 condominium building in Davao City, where fortunately no fatalities were recorded.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MINDANAO
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
JUDICIARY
Hosaka retained as SC spokesperson
Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta announced on Sunday (November 3) the retention of Atty. Brian Keith F. Hosaka as Supreme Court (SC) spokesperson and head of the public information office (PIO).
Manila Bulletin
US Marshals-type agency eyed by SC
Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta’s proposal for the establishment of a US Marshals Service-type agency to protect judges and justices from security threats has gained the support of a House leader.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
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Palace tells bar takers: Rise to the challenge!
Malacañang joined the rest of the nation in wishing the at least 8,000 individuals who took the bar examinations Sunday the best of luck, saying it was now their time to rise to the challenge.
Manila Bulletin, GMA News
Bar examinees, supporters troop to UST for first day of tests
Thousands of aspiring lawyers even their families and friends trooped before dawn during the first day of bar examinations at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) on Sunday.
Manila Bulletin
No hitch on first day of 2019 bar exams
The first day of the 2019 bar examinations kicked off without a hitch on Sunday at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila.
Manila Bulletin
LEGISLATIVE
Senate of the Philippines
Lacson says Senate may adopt House-approved 2020 budget
Senator Panfilo Lacson said Sunday that they are mulling to adopt the proposed 2020 national budget transmitted by the House of Representatives after he discovered only P9.5 billion were realigned.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, GMA News
Lacson: No pork, only institutional amendments in House-approved 2020 budget
Senator Panfilo Lacson on Sunday said there were no pork insertions in the proposed 2020 national budget that was submitted by House of Representatives.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Gatchalian to ask Senate to probe upsurge of teenage pregnancy
Senate basic education, arts and culture committee chair Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Sunday vowed that he will file a resolution asking the Senate to conduct an inquiry into the spike of teenage pregnancies nationwide with the end view of reversing this trend.
Manila Bulletin
Angara echoes support to calls for deeper probe in rise in child, teenage pregnancies
Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara is supporting other lawmakers’ call to probe deeper into the growing number of child and teenage pregnancies in the country.
Manila Bulletin
House of Representatives
House readies priority measures as sessions resume; SK, Brgy elections postponement tops list
As Congress resumes sessions Monday, November 4, the House of Representatives will prioritize the final approval of the bill seeking to postpone the May 2020 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections and the Joint Resolution extending the availability of the 2019 appropriations for maintenance and capital outlays to December 31, 2020.
Manila Bulletin, GMA News
BUDGET, FINANCE, and TAXATION
BSP wants more mergers, consolidation for rural banks for rural banks
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is preparing a program to encourage more mergers and consolidation among major stakeholders in the rural banking sector to further strengthen the country’s banking industry. BSP Deputy Governor Chuchi Fonacier said the Consolidation Program for Rural Banks (CPRB) expired last Oct. 26.
Philippine Star
GOCC Sept. subsidies rise 179% to P54.7 billion
GOVERNMENT subsidies to state firms rose 179% in September, with more than half going to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth).
Business World Online, Philippine Daily Inquirer
BIR asks alien workers to register to avail lower tax payments
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has asked foreign nationals working here to register to avail of the preferential or lower tax rate.
Manila Bulletin
LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
DEFENSE AND SECURITY
Armed Forces of the Philippines
Philippine National Police
Transfer of 150 cops from Region 7 to Metro Manila reportedly causing demoralization at NCRPO
More than 150 policemen from Central Visayas were suddenly re-assigned at the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), reportedly triggering massive displacement of assignments in Metro Manila in favor of the newcomers.
Manila Bulletin
ECONOMY AND INVESTMENTS
BUILD, BUILD, BUILD and PUBLIC WORKS
OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE
AUDIT, GRAFT, AND CORRUPTION
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Ruling on Iranian beauty queen’s asylum plea may be out next week
The Refugees and Stateless Persons Protection Unit (RSPPU) of the Department of Justice (DOJ) may come out next week with its ruling on the application for asylum filed by Iranian beauty queen Zare Bahari Bahareh.
Manila Bulletin
West Philippine Sea
Beijing says ‘ready to work’ with Asean on South China Sea rules
Beijing said Sunday it is “ready to work” with Southeast Asian nations on a code of conduct in the flashpoint South China Sea, where it is accused of bullying fellow claimants and building up military installations.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Lorenzana says China should respect freedom of navigation in WPS
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Sunday called on the Chinese government and other countries to respect the freedom of navigation and principle of innocent passage in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Manila Bulletin
Lorenzana: Scarborough 'harassment' incident should not be blown out of proportion
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Sunday said the "harassment" incident in Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal) last September 30 "should not be blown out of proportion or sensationalized."
GMA News
China harassment of Filipino-crewed tanker won't affect COC
The incident involving the alleged harassment of a Greek oil tanker with an all Filipino crew by a Chinese vessel near Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal) will not affect any progress made in crafting the code of conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, Malacañang said Sunday.
Philippine News Agency
Alleged harassment of Pinoy-crewed ship 'not our concern,' says Panelo
The alleged harassment of a Liberian-flagged commercial vessel by a “Chinese naval ship” near Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc is “not a concern” for the Philippines, Malacañang said on Sunday.
ABS-CBN News
PH gov’t not likely to file diplomatic protest for alleged harassment at Scarborough Shoal
The Philippine government is not inclined to lodge a diplomatic protest over the alleged harassment of a Filipino-manned ship passing the Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc.
Manila Bulletin
LABOR
Nearly 10,000 Filipino nurses seeking jobs in US
Nearly 10,000 Filipino nurses sought jobs in the United States in the first nine months of the year, according to the group ACTS-OFW Coalition of Organizations.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
TRANSPORTATION
New LTO scheme requires student license applicants to take exams
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) implemented stricter guidelines for motorists to secure driver's licenses, with those applying for student driver's licenses now also required to take examinations administered by the agency.
GMA News
HEALTH
Pangilinan opposes plan to tax salted foods, says gov’t should instead lift bank secrecy law to boost tax collection
Instead of taxing salted food like “daing”, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said the government should consider lifting the laws on secrecy of bank deposits to increase tax collection.
Manila Bulletin
Over 95% of kids in Metro Manila immunized against polio
More than 1.2 million children in Metro Manila under the age of 5 were immunized against the life-threatening polio disease during the two-week simultaneous vaccination campaign of the Department of Health (DOH).
Philippine Daily Inquirer
134 people got HIV in July thru transactional sex
Over 100 persons who had engaged in transactional sex were found to have acquired the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in July, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
Philippine Daily Inquirer
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
EDUCATION
More Filipinos seeking post-graduate studies in EU universities
More and more Filipino students, especially those seeking post-graduate studies, are eyeing European Union (EU) universities and educational institutions as an excellent destination for academic and scientific research programs, as well as an ideal atmosphere for scholarly activities.
Manila Bulletin
ENERGY
Mindanao region to pitch oil, power projects to Qatar
THE Southern Philippines Development Authority will pitch oil and power projects to Qatar businessmen visiting Manila this week. The projects include oil exploration in Liguasan marsh, peace villages in Tungawan, Zamboanga Sibugay, Sibutu transhipment point, Medical City in Davao City; and power plants in Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-tawi, the agency said in a statement posted on its website.
Business World Online, The Mindanao Times
POVERTY
Drop in number of hungry families elates Palace
The Duterte administration is buoyed by a recent poll showing a 4.2 percent year-on-year decrease in the number of families who experienced involuntary hunger, noting that the government’s antihunger and antipoverty policies “are meeting their desired objectives.”
Philippine Daily Inquirer
SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT
HOUSING
Housing our poor
Over the weekend, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno announced he is building condominium-like public housing for the city’s homeless people. There will be 14 floors, the Mayor said, with elevators.
Philippine Star
TOURISM
DOT commends Sorsogon for Guinness world record feat
The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Sunday commended Sorsogon after it recently bagged the Guinness World Record for the largest Filipino folk dance performance during the Kasanggayahan Festival.
Manila Bulletin
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
EcoWaste Coalition lauds efforts to return 5,000 tons of garbage from Misamis Oriental to South Korea
Quezon City-based environmental group EcoWaste Coalition has cited the move of the officials of Misamis Oriental province and Bureau of Customs – Region 10 that will expedite the re-export of over 5,000 tons of illegal waste shipments from South Korea to their origin.
Manila Bulletin
Mayor Isko in Seoul for climate, air quality conference
Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso arrived in Seoul, South Korea Sunday to speak at a conference on climate and air quality.
Manila Bulletin
Baguio tapping recycled water from sewage
The city government is tapping a Japanese technology that recycles water, including what households flush down their toilets, officials here said.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Water crisis
INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Huawei pushes 5G in SEAsia, brushing off ‘tech war’ with US
Chinese phone giant Huawei said Sunday it was ready to roll out 5G infrastructure across Southeast Asia, dismissing US warnings its tech could be used to hoover up data for Beijing.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Problematic platform
If you want to know what happens to a country that has opened itself entirely to Facebook, look to the Philippines,” wrote Davey Alba in BuzzFeed News last year.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
DEVELOPMENT SECTOR
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