Chinese New Year celebration reflects ‘strong, inseperable’ bond of PH, China
The celebration of Chinese New Year by the Chinese-Filipino community reflects the “strong and inseparable” centuries-old relations between the Philippines and China, President Rodrigo Duterte said Saturday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine News Agency

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Trump to choose: Bato or De Lima?
The Debate over President Duterte’s attending the US-ASEAN summit in Las Vegas in March and the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States appears to have been reduced to personal issues involving senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Leila de Lima.
Philippine Star

DOJ to send study of VFA termination to Duterte on Monday
The Department of Justice (DOJ) said it would submit its study on the process of terminating the Philippines’ Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the Unites States to President Rodrigo Duterte by Monday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine News Agency, CNN Philippines

Defense, military officials to meet with Duterte on VFA cancellation'
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana is set to discuss with President Duterte all the scenarios that could occur if the Philippines cancels the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States.
Manila Bulletin

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Duterte to get full honors from US if he visits
President Duterte will be accorded full honors given to heads of state if he decides to go to the United States and accept President Donald Trump’s invitation for the Philippine leader and other heads of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to attend a special summit in Las Vegas, Nevada in March.
Philippine Star

Bato to reapply for US visa if Duterte wants him to join US-Asean summit
Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said Saturday he will reapply for a U.S. visa should President Rodrigo Duterte wants him included in the Philippine delegation to the US-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit this coming March.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Duterte’s legacy is the will to win
In my opinion Duterte’s legacy has less to do with material things than it is about his way of presiding our nation building. It has more to do with his character and personality.
Philippine Star

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

Robredo thanks public for praying for ailing mom
Vice President Leni Robredo has acknowledged the public for praying for her ailing mother, who is undergoing medical treatment in Naga City, Camarines Sur.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

VP Leni distributes solar kits to people in Oriental Mindoro mountain barangays
Two disadvantaged communities in Pola, Oriental Mindoro, are the latest recipients of solar kits from Vice President Leni Robredo’s Angat Buhay program and its private partners.
Manila Bulletin

ELECTION RELATED

DISASTER

Taal’s sulfur dioxide emission increases
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Saturday said there was an increase in sulfur dioxide emission in the main crater of Taal Volcano.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Threat of dangerous Taal eruption persists – Phivolcs
The threat of a dangerous eruption remains as Taal Volcano is still under Alert Level 4 after it continued to spew steam and ashes for a second week, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Saturday.
Manila Bulletin

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Gov’t aid to Taal Volcano eruption victims now at P27-M — NDRRMC
More than P27 million worth of aid were given to thousands of families affected by the eruption of Taal Volcano, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) said Saturday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Batangas execs, Taal evacuees thank House; hopeful on rehab efforts 
Local government executives and evacuees displaced by the Taal Volcano eruption have thanked the House of Representatives under the leadership of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano for holding the plenary session of the chamber in the province, which gave them the opportunity to personally air their urgent concerns and uncertainties about their plight. 
Philippine Daily Inquirer

PAF turns over sanitation facilities for Taal evacuees
Responding to the call to provide the hygienic and sanitation needs of the Taal Volcano eruption-affected residents staying at the Sto. Tomas evacuation center, the 355th Aviation Engineer Wing of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) turned over on Saturday 20 temporary latrines.
Philippine News Agency

Army, 'Unang Hirit' join forces to feed Taal Volcano evacuees
As part of its efforts to alleviate the plight of families severely affected by the eruption of Taal Volcano, the Philippine Army (PA) on Friday deployed the AFP Mobile Field Kitchen Trailer in partnership with the morning show "Unang Hirit" at the Pedro Palacio Sr. Memorial Elementary School in Barangay Sta. Ana, Calatagan, Batangas Friday.
Philippine News Agency

LOOK: Eyed relocation site for Taal evacuees in Ibaan, Batangas
Constructed between 2016 to 2017, Sea Breeze Residences located in Barangay Talaibon in Ibaan town in Batangas is a housing project of the National Housing Authority (NHA).
Rappler

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DTI files charges against 18 stores over overpriced face masks
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has charged 18 retail establishments for overpricing of face masks following the eruption of Taal Volcano.
Manila Bulletin

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Phivolcs removes alerts on Mt. Bulusan in Sorsogon
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Saturday morning lowered the warning on Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon from Alert Level 1 (abnormal) to Alert Level 0 (normal), following a general decline in monitoring parameters.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MINDANAO

MinDa announces successful field trial of Sorghum in Kidapawan
Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol announced Friday the success of the Sorghum field trial conducted last November 20, 2019 in Kidapawan City, Cotabato Province.
Manila Bulletin

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

JUDICIARY

Over 7,000 examinees looking forward to summer release of Bar exam results
The Supreme Court (SC) revealed that 7,685 have taken the 2019 Bar examinations. According to data released by Assistant Bar Confidant Amor Entila on Friday (Jan. 24), the number is 7.9 percent or 610 fewer than the actual number admitted by the SC to take the exams.
Manila Bulletin

Supreme Court to keep tight watch of Manila Bay rehab – Peralta
The Supreme Court (SC) has reconstituted the Manila Bay Advisory Committee to monitor and ensure that the government is doing its court-ordered obligations to rehabilitate Manila Bay.
Rappler

LEGISLATIVE

Senate of the Philippines

Zubiri wants cash incentives for octogenarians, nonagenarians
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri wants cash incentives, ranging from P30,000 to P50,000, to be given to octogenarians and nonagenarians.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Pimentel seeks review of VFA
Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Saturday said he is is mulling calling for a legislative inquiry into the Philippines’ Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States to determine whether or not it benefits the country.
Manila Bulletin

Senate to tackle ban on single-use plastics in PH soon
The Senate will soon start tackling proposals to prohibit single-use plastics in the country. Senator Cynthia Villar, chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, said this as she reiterated the need to curb plastic wastes, which she described as the “most alarming environmental issue.”
Manila Bulletin

House of Representatives

HRET resumes hearings on Jan. 31; seeks new building to occupy
The nine-man House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) is set to meet next week to tackle more than 30 electoral cases for resolution.
Manila Bulletin

Rodriguez cautions against abrogating VFA
Cagayan de Oro Rep.  Rufus Rodriguez cautioned Malacañang on Saturday, January 25, against abrogating the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States, saying that it will be “inimical” to the country’s national interest and security.
Manila Bulletin

Bill proposing medical education scholarship hurdles House appropriations panel
The House Committee on Appropriations has approved a bill seeking to establish a Medical Scholarship and Return Service Program for deserving students in the country.
Manila Bulletin

Solon proposes April 7 each yr as Brgy Health Workers Day
BHW partylist Rep.  Angelica Natasha Co is proposing to declare April 7 as Barangay Health Workers Day to recognize of the “heroic deeds” of the 840, 000 BHWs in the country.
Manila Bulletin

Lawmaker ‘optimistic’ current Congress will pass teen pregnancies prevention bill
Laguna Representative Sol Aragones, who refiled the prevention of teen pregnancies bill in the House after it languished in the 17th Congress, believes that the bill will meet the President’s pen this time around.
Rappler

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

DEFENSE AND SECURITY

Armed Forces of the Philippines

Philippine National Police

BUDGET, FINANCE, and TAXATION

ECONOMY AND INVESTMENTS

Manila jumps to 8th place among world’s most dynamic cities
Manila further moved up in the global ranking of the most dynamic cities, gaining four notches to land at eighth place in the latest survey by leading real estate and investment management services firm JLL. The 2020 edition of JLL’s City Momentum Index showed Manila rose to the eighth spot this year from 12th in 2019 and 18th in 2018.
Philippine Star

PH to have ‘most advanced’ steel mill in Asia
A steel manufacturer here has contracted Italian steelmaker Danieli Group to construct a fully automated and environmentally safe, high-speed rolling mill that would produce quality rebars.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Commentary: A cautionary tale in trade and investment
By many accounts, the Philippines is now acknowledged as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world and this is a result of administration-spanning structural reforms. For the Philippines, reducing poverty and improving people’s living standards are of primary concern. 
Philippine Star

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD and PUBLIC WORKS

OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

AUDIT, GRAFT, AND CORRUPTION

FOREIGN RELATIONS  

What Australia Day Means to Me
Every country celebrates its national day in its own way. For Australia, at this time of year, it is summer and a time for holidays. So Australia Day celebrations tend to be relaxed and fun. Australians enjoy celebrating all the things we love about the country – the unique land, the lifestyle, the freedom and the people.
Business Mirror

West Philippine Sea

LABOR

Labor group bewails alleged anti-union moves of PNP
The Nagkaisa Labor Coalition (Nagkaisa) has called on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to investigate the alleged anti-union initiative of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Central Luzon.
Manila Bulletin

36 distressed OFWs repatriated from Lebanon
Thirty six distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were repatriated from Lebanon Saturday, January 25, arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 via a Qatar Airway flight.
Manila Bulletin

TRANSPORTATION

HEALTH

China virus death toll jumps to 41–government
The number of confirmed deaths from a deadly viral outbreak in China has risen to 41, with authorities on Saturday reporting 15 new fatalities and more than 1,000 people now infected.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

China expands lockdown against virus, fast-tracks hospital
China expanded its lockdown against the deadly new virus to an unprecedented 36 million people and rushed to build a prefabricated, 1,000-bed hospital for victims Friday as the outbreak cast a pall over Lunar New Year, the country’s biggest, most festive holiday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

What’s new in the China virus outbreak
More than 1,200 cases of a new viral respiratory illness have been confirmed in China and elsewhere since an outbreak began last month in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Scientists have identified the illness as a new kind of coronavirus.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

China Orders Centralized Response to Virus Outbreak as Alert Level Rises
Xi Jinping established a new, high-level party committee to take control of the Chinese government’s response to a deadly new virus that has quickly spread across the country and around the world, as Beijing halted overseas departures of Chinese tour groups and Hong Kong raised its epidemic alert to the highest level.
The Wall Street Journal

Wuhan healthcare workers speak of challenges while dealing with coronavirus outbreak
Healthcare workers in the Chinese city of Wuhan say hospitals are running low on supplies as they struggle to cope with the outbreak of the deadly Wuhan coronavirus.
CNN

‘Just the two of us’: A bleak New Year in China’s virus-hit Wuhan
Wang Yanhong and her husband prepared a family feast for their Lunar New Year celebrations — but only two will be eating this time in their apartment in China’s virus-struck Wuhan.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Countries with confirmed cases of coronavirus
A SARS-like virus has claimed 26 lives since emerging on December 31 in a market in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Here is a list of countries that have confirmed cases of the so-called coronavirus.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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American who came from Wuhan recovering in Tacloban hospital
The 36-year-old American who arrived from Wuhan City, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus (nCoV) outbreak, is recovering well, health officials here said.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Bohol residents call on prov’l gov’t to stop flights from China to Bohol
Some Bohol residents have called on the provincial government to stop direct flights from China to Bohol due to concerns for their health in the wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan City.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Public urged to wear a face mask during Baguio flower fest
The Baguio Health Services Office (HSO) has advised residents here to wear face masks and avoid close contact with persons with respiratory infections.
Philippine News Agency

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PAL: Passengers with flights to parts of China may request for refund, rebooking 
The Philippine Airlines (PAL) announced on Saturday that passengers with tickets for direct flights to areas in China, Hong Kong and Macau are allowed to request for rebooking, rerouting or refund “with waiver of penalties.”
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Largest DOH vaccine procurement must undergo competitive bidding
To prevent another vaccine scare, due diligence must be performed, starting off with going the right route with procurement.
Manila Bulletin

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FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

DA provides P2 billion in loans to young farmers
To encourage young Filipinos to try farming, the Department of Agriculture (DA) will provide them with P2 billion of financial assistance through its two new loan programs rolled out over the week.
Manila Bulletin

Seized food items from China tested positive for ASF–BOC
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Saturday discovered that the seized food items imported from Guangzhou, China last December 2019 were positive for African swine fever (ASF).
Philippine Daily Inquirer

EDUCATION

UN alarm at education crisis: 258 million kids not in school
The U.N. deputy chief said Friday there is an “alarming” crisis in education, pointing to the 258 million children under the age of 17 who are not going to school — and only 49 percent completing secondary education.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Backlog in repair, rehab of calamity-effected DepEd facilities now at P20 billion
The Department of Education (DepEd) is grappling with repair, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of infrastructure damaged by recent string calamities that struck the country with the backlog now at P20 billion.
Manila Bulletin

DepEd may issue precautionary measures amid new nCoV threat
With the looming threat of the 2019 novel coronavirus in the country, the Department of Education (DepEd) is mulling the possibility of issuing its own advisories to schools to help ensure its students and teachers will be adequately protected.
Manila Bulletin

ENERGY

POVERTY

Number of Filipinos who experienced involuntary hunger drops to lowest in 15 years
The number of Filipinos who experienced involuntary hunger—or hunger due to lack of food—dropped in the last quarter of 2019, the lowest in the last 15 years, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.
Manila Bulletin

P323 million set aside for innovative efforts geared towards helping the poor – Angara
Congress has set aside P323 million for the implementation of the Innovation Act meant to fuel efforts to make Philippine products and services more competitive, particularly enterprises geared towards helping the poor.
Manila Bulletin

SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT

HOUSING

TOURISM

Philippines still safe travel spot, DoT assures
Amid the recent Taal Volcano eruption and the threat of the novel coronavirus (nCoV), Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat assured tourists that the country is safe for traveling.
The Manila Times

DOT exec bats for 'Muslim-friendly' accommodations
An official of the Department of Tourism (DOT) is encouraging owners of local hotels to introduce Muslim-friendly accommodations and to obtain halal certification.
Philippine News Agency

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Water crisis

INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY