Medialdea bared details of Duterte directive to contain nCoV –Panelo
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on Sunday disclosed the details of President Rodrigo Duterte's directive to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus-acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD) in the Philippines,  Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said.
GMA News

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VFA review, not termination, one option of Cabinet Cluster
Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said Sunday a review, not a termination, of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the United States is one of the options under consideration by the Cabinet Cluster on Security, Justice and Peace.
Manila Bulletin

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Solons hail ADB involvement in crafting new agreements with water concessionaires
Lawmakers considered on Sunday,  February 2 as a boon for the 16 million customers the involvement of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the government’s crafting of a new water concession agreement with Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water Company.
Manila Bulletin

Salceda welcomes ADB participation in drawing new water concession deal
A senior administration congressman on Saturday welcomed the participation of the Asian Development Bank in revising the Metro Manila water concession agreement with two business giants, saying ADB is a “good faith partner” of the government.
Manila Bulletin

Solon slams IEMOP deal anew
Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) Party-List Rep. Jericho Nograles has branded as “unacceptable” the claim of National Transmission Corporation (TransCo) Spokesperson Andres de Jesus that the controversial Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) deal was “above board.”
Manila Bulletin

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

Duterte should wield popularity to allay fears over nCoV – Robredo
President Rodrigo Duterte should wield his popularity to allay the public’s fears over the 2019 novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD) outbreak, Vice President Leni Robredo said on Sunday.
GMA News, Manila Bulletin

Robredo urges Filipinos to respect Chinese amid coronavirus spread
Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday, February 2, urged the public not to resort to discrimination against Chinese in the Philippines amid fears over the global spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus .
Rappler

Robredo believes review of VFA should not be used to get back at US
A review of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and other defense pacts with the United States should not be used as a way to “get back” at America, Vice President Leni Robredo said on Sunday.
Manila Bulletin

ELECTION RELATED

Comelec exploring possibility of election voting through mobile app
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is eyeing the possibility of having its own mobile application that would allow voters to cast their votes in the May 2022 polls.
Manila Bulletin, Philippine Star

DISASTER

Taal Volcano unrest enters 4th week
State volcanologists maintained Alert Level 3 for Taal Volcano in the province of Batangas on Sunday, February 2, as the unrest entered its 4th week. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the Taal Volcano Network recorded 153 volcanic earthquakes in the past 24 hours, lower than the 182 in the previous 24-hour period.
Rappler

Angara pushes LGUs, other agencies for report on Taal eruption damage to expedite rehab programs
Now that the alert level on Taal Volcano has been lowered from Level 4 to 3, Senator Juan Edgardo Angara urged on Sunday all local government units (LGUs) and other agencies to immediately conduct an assessment of the damage wrought by the eruption so that Congress can help expedite the recovery and rehabilitation efforts of the affected communities.
Manila Bulletin

China vows P7.2-million cash donation for Taal disaster-stricken residents
THE People’s Republic of China (PROC) has pledged a 1-million renminbi or P7.2-million cash donation to help the country in disaster relief efforts for victims of the Taal Volcano eruption.
Business Mirror

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Revolutionizing disaster preparedness
Many calamities bombard our country year after year, but they are increasing in frequency and impact. We saw this with the four earthquakes we experienced within the first four months of 2019. The disaster was felt even in the city, damaging property and hurting people, the worst of which claimed 18 lives in Porac and Lubao.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MINDANAO

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

JUDICIARY

LEGISLATIVE

Senate of the Philippines

Senate panel to hold hearing anew on alleged POGO-related prostitution
The Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality is set to hold another inquiry into the proliferation of alleged prostitution dens catering to Chinese nationals in the country.
GMA News

De Lima wants students’ use of phones, gadgets regulated
Senator Leila de Lima is seeking the passage of a bill that would regulate the use of mobile phones and other electronic gadgets among young students. In filing Senate Bill No. 1271, de Lima said it was imperative that the government ensures that students in private and public schools are able to focus on improving their academic performance and achieve academic excellence.
Manila Bulletin

House of Representatives

House leadership vows to keep the legislative mill grinding
After seven laws were recently signed by President Duterte, the House leadership assured the public on Sunday, February 2, that it would keep the legislative mill grinding and would be passing more “quality” measures, including the bills creating three new departments and other economic legislation.
Manila Bulletin

Solon pushes for protection of OJTs, interns
Office interns or on-the-job (OJT) trainees will enjoy significant rights and protection from harassment should this measure from Rizal 2nd district Rep. Fidel Nograles get enacted in the 18th Congress.
Manila Bulletin

House panel commits to tackle bill seeking to use 4Ps rice subsidy to buy farmers’ palay
The House Committtee on Appropriations has committed to tackle next week a bill seeking to authorize the use of the rice subsidy, as provided for under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program  (4Ps) in the 2019 General Appropriations Act (GAA), for the purchase of palay (unhusked rice)  from farmers.
Manila Bulletin

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)

Village roads up next for clearing operation
The next round of road-clearing operations, which will start in two weeks, will focus on roads less taken by motorists, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año announced on Sunday. The operations will start on February 16 and will last for 75 days.
The Manila Times

Año orders barangays to form health response teams amid nCoV outbreak
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Sunday ordered local chief executives to form barangay health emergency response teams (BHERT) to address the 2019 novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD) outbreak.
GMA News, Manila Bulletin

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

DEFENSE AND SECURITY

Armed Forces of the Philippines

No cancellation of PMA alumni homecoming despite nCoV ARD threat
The annual alumni homecoming of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) will push through as scheduled on February 14 to 15 in Baguio City despite the risk posed by the 2019 novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (nCoV ARD).
Manila Bulletin

Philippine National Police

8 ranking cops get new posts
Eight ranking police officials were included in the latest reshuffle ordered by Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Archie Gamboa, which would take effect on Monday.
Philippine News Agency

NCRPO to receive P2-B fund for modernization
The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has been allocated with almost P2 billion to improve its personnel’s operational capability that include firepower and investigative capability.
Manila Bulletin

BUDGET, FINANCE, and TAXATION

ECONOMY AND INVESTMENTS

Buckle up
The administration’s economic team may have played down the overall economic impact of the ongoing novel coronavirus scare on the Philippines, arguing that the massive infrastructure program will push economic growth higher this year.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD and PUBLIC WORKS

OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

AUDIT, GRAFT, AND CORRUPTION

Sandiganbayan refuses demurrer request of ex-Surigao del sur town mayor
The Sandiganbayan Second Division has denied the motion for leave to file demurrer to evidence filed by former Tabgina Mayor Rufo Pabelonia of Surigao del Sur, who wanted to challenge the sufficiency of the prosecution’s evidence in his graft case.
Manila Bulletin

FOREIGN RELATIONS  

The EU and the UK: A door closes, another opens
ON JAN. 31, the United Kingdom left the European Union. We lost a member of our family. It was a sad moment for us, for European citizens — and, indeed, for many British citizens.
Business World Online

West Philippine Sea

LABOR

PH reopens labor negotiations with Kuwait
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III has reopened negotiations with Kuwait to improve the employment contracts of around 150,000 Filipino domestic helpers, amid a total deployment ban and yet another murder of a Filipino maid by her employers.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

DOLE to resume inspection of private establishments
The labor inspection of private establisments in the country will now resume. In Administrative Order No. 27, Series of 2020, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III has issued a general authority for all Regional Offices to resume the conduct of routine inspections in their area of jurisdiction.
Manila Bulletin

TRANSPORTATION

HEALTH

China coronavirus deaths, infections surge: Live updates
At least 304 people in China have died from the virus, which has infected more than 14,500 worldwide - mostly in China.
Aljazeera

China virus death toll surges past 300
The death toll from China's coronavirus epidemic soared to 304 on Sunday, February 2, as an increasing number of countries imposed extraordinary Chinese travel bans to combat the spread of the disease.
Rappler

Coronavirus infections predicted to grow exponentially; first death outside China; outbreak becomes political
The Philippines and New Zealand have joined the list of countries that have sharply restricted entry to people traveling from or through China, as the number of cases confirmed outside the mainland continues to grow.
The Washington Post

Chinese army to oversee virus hospital
China's army on Sunday, February 2, was given control of a nearly-finished field hospital that will treat patients at the epicentre of a deadly virus epidemic that has severely strained medical facilities.
Rappler

Novel coronavirus may spread via digestive system—experts
Chinese experts warned that the novel coronavirus could be transmitted through the digestive system, according to the latest findings.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

More foreigners leaving China as virus fears mount
Wearing a mask and plastic gloves to protect himself from infection, an Uzbek student is among a rush of foreigners trying to fly out of virus-hit China to wait things out overseas.
Rappler

Chinese city outside virus epicenter shuts down
The eastern Chinese city of Wenzhou restricted the movement of residents and closed roads on Sunday, February 2, in the most drastic steps taken by authorities outside the epicenter of a deadly virus.
Rappler

China coronavirus outbreak: How governments have reacted
The coronavirus outbreak has killed more than 300 people and infected more than 14,000 in mainland China and beyond, forcing governments around the world to take drastic measures.
Rappler

Beyond coronavirus: Things to know about China's Wuhan City
All eyes are on Wuhan City in China after it was identified as the epicenter of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019 nCoV), spreading to various countries, even beyond Asia.
Rappler

Chinese central bank to pump $173 billion into economy in virus fight
China's central bank said Sunday, February 2, it would pump 1.2 trillion yuan ($173 billion) into the economy as it ramps up support for a nationwide fight against a deadly virus that is expected to hit growth.
Rappler

UAE announces fifth coronavirus case
The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), announced on Saturday, February 1, there was a new case of coronavirus infection in the country, some 4 days after disclosing a family of 4 from China had been confirmed as having the disease.
Rappler

S. Korea reports 3 more cases of novel coronavirus, total now at 15
South Korea on Sunday reported three more cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the total here to 15, with 87 people in quarantine for detailed checks, amid concerns over person-to-person transmission.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Coronavirus won’t turn you into a ‘zombie’, says Malaysia
The deadly coronavirus will not cause victims to act like zombies, Malaysia’s government said on social media, as officials act to correct the spread of misinformation surrounding the outbreak.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Tokyo to 'strengthen testing' for coronavirus before Olympics
Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike promised Sunday, February 2, to implement "thorough measures" to protect people from the deadly coronavirus in the run-up to this summer's Olympic Games.
Rappler

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H5N1 bird flu outbreak reported in Hunan, China
Amid the coronavirus scare, China reported an outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu virus in Hunan province in southern China.
Rappler

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24 negative of nCoV, 2nd case dies: DOH
The Department of Health (DOH) on Sunday reported that 24 more patients under investigation (PUIs) tested negative for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), while the second confirmed case died on Saturday.
Philippine News Agency

Philippines confirms 2nd novel coronavirus case, 1st death outside China
Philippines' Health Secretary Francisco Duque III confirmed Sunday the second coronavirus-acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV-ARD) case, and first death in the country and outside China.
GMA News, Rappler

Coronavirus: What we know about first death outside China
The Philippines has reported the first death outside China in the virus epidemic that has killed more than 300 people and spread to 24 nations. The 44-year-old Chinese man who died in the Philippines was from Wuhan, the city that has been ground zero for the epidemic.
Rappler

Duterte orders temporary travel ban on tourists from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau
President Rodrigo Duterte has decided to implement a temporary travel ban on all travelers coming from mainland China and its special administrative regions Hong Kong and Macau amid the threat of the novel coronavirus.
GMA News, Rappler, Manila Bulletin

BI expands travel ban to include all foreigners coming from China, Hong Kong, Macau
Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Jaime Morente announced that he has ordered the implementation of the expanded travel ban for foreigners coming from China and its Special Administrative Regions.
Manila Bulletin

Filipinos, permanent residents will be allowed entry in PH, to go straight to 14-day quarantine
Filipinos, as well as holders of permanent resident visas from China and its Special Administrative Regions, will be allowed to go back home to the Philippines as long as they subject themselves under self-quarantine, airport officials said on Sunday.
Manila Bulletin

PH consulate in Guangzhou temporarily suspends issuance of visa
The Philippine Consulate General temporarily suspended on Sunday the processing and issuance of visa in Guangzhou, China amid the outbreak of the 2019 novel Coronavirus Acute Respiratory Disease (2019-nCoV ARD) that has killed more than 300 people.
Manila Bulletin

Army allays fear on mega drug rehab as quarantine site
The Philippine Army's 7th Infantry Division (7ID) which manages this vast military reservation, is open to a proposal to make a portion of the Mega Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Center (DATRC) here as quarantine area for repatriates from China.
Philippine News Agency

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DOH urged: Coordinate with LGUs, solons on nCoV info dissemination
Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano is urging the Department of Health (DOH) to coordinate with local government heads and congressional representatives to help disseminate timely and comprehensible information regarding the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
GMA News, Manila Bulletin

Senators welcome Duterte’s travel ban pronouncement
Senators on Sunday welcomed President Duterte’s pronouncement of a travel ban from China, Hong Kong and Macau, saying this will help ease the fear of Filipinos now that a second case of a novel coronavirus in the Philippines has been reported by the Department of Health (DOH).
Manila Bulletin

Sen. Sotto seeks creation of ‘One Info’ agency for nCoV news, updates
Senate President Vicente Sotto III proposed the creation of a "One Info" inter-agency body tasked to update the public on the status of the novel coronavirus as well as the actions government has taken to control it.
GMA News

Criticisms, bashing pointless in addressing nCoV threat –Bong Go
Senator Bong Go on Sunday pointed out that criticisms targeted at President Rodrigo Duterte and his administration can't help address the threat of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the country.
GMA News, Manila Bulletin

Solons enjoin Filipinos to be ‘fair, humane’ in treating foreigners amid nCoV scare
Another House leader has voiced his rejection of the racism and discrimination against the Chinese people even as Filipinos grapple with the fear of potentially contracting the 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV).
Manila Bulletin

Time to unite, not blame each other in fight vs nCoV – Garin
“Take politics out of the situation, and stop blame game.” This was the appeal made by former health secretary and Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin as the Philippines recorded its first death of a patient who tested positive for the 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV).
Manila Bulletin

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XiamenAir cancels Jinjiang-Davao flights for February due to 2019-nCoV
Xiamen Airlines (XiamenAir), which serves the direct flight between the cities of Jinjiang in the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian and Davao City in Mindanao, has cancelled all flights for February due to the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) health emergency, China’s top diplomat in Mindanao confirmed.
Mindanews

Cebu Pacific alerts fellow passengers of Philippines' 2 coronavirus cases
With two cases of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) confirmed in the Philippines, Cebu Pacific has alerted passengers who took the flights also taken by the patients.
Rappler, Manila Bulletin

Air Asia temporarily suspends flights to China, Hong Kong, Macau
In compliance with the government’s directive imposing travel restrictions from China and its Special Administrative Regions (SAR), AirAsia canceled its flights to these places starting Sunday, February 2, until further notice from the government.
Manila Bulletin

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PNP to help DTI, LGUs monitor face mask supply amid nCoV outbreak
The Philippine National Police said Sunday it is prepared to assist the Department of Trade and Industry, and local government units in preventing the hoarding of items needed against the 2019 novel coronavirus acute respiratory (nCoV ARD disease outbreak.
GMA News

Gordon stresses need for PH to spur medical supply businesses
Noting the lack of manufacturers of surgical masks and other medical supplies in the Philippines, Senator Richard Gordon urged the government to open up the economy and encourage Filipino and foreign medical supply companies to set up business in the country.
Manila Bulletin

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‘Collapsed’ man in viral video turns out to be a drunk Korean
The supposedly Chinese man who collapsed on a sidewalk in Manila Saturday afternoon turned out to be a Korean who just had too much alcohol.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Brazilian family found nCoV-free, discharged from hospital in Palawan
The Brazilian family isolated in a Palawan provincial hospital for suspected novel coronavirus (nCoV) has been discharged, following a negative result on the third and final confirmatory test done by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Wiping, kissing of religious images discouraged to prevent the spread of 2019-nCoV ARD
Wiping and kissing of religious images are being discouraged in the Diocese of Borongan to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCov ARD).
Manila Bulletin

Dumaguete, Baguio adopt preventive measures to avert spread of nCoV
The cities of Dumaguete and Baguio have already implemented preventive measures to avert cases of novel coronavirus (nCoV) from reaching their areas.
GMA News

2 public hospitals in Davao Region ready for 2019-nCoV patients
State-run Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City (SPMC) and Davao Regional Medical Center (DRMC) in Tagum City assured the public that they have the “capability and expertise” to handle patients with the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
Mindanews

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OPINION: Glaring omission
During crises, silence is the enemy. Information dissemination is among the most critical of tasks in the management of emergencies and disasters. Silence provides a vacuum, allowing lies and half-truths fertile ground to take root and spread, sparking confusion and, sometimes, hysteria.
ABS-CBN News

A sober, fact-based piece on the coronavirus threat
THANK God for social media, or I wouldn’t have chanced upon the following sober, knowledgeable and concise piece posted in Facebook on the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) threat,.
The Manila Times

China’s efforts to contain virus outbreak: Lessons for PH
The Chinese government has used strong measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan. The human costs and economic impact will depend on the eventual diffusion and infectiousness of the new virus.
The Manila Times

DoH’s credibility problem worsens nCoV fears
THE Philippines has just made another world record, but it’s something we can’t be proud of. The country is in the global news this weekend for having the first coronavirus death outside China.
The Manila Times

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

DA on top of ASF cases in Davao Occidental
The deadly hog disease African Swine Fever (ASF) has managed to creep into Mindanao’s backyard farms despite the transport ban that some of the region’s province placed against meat coming from Luzon.
Manila Bulletin

Soccsksargen intensifies monitoring against ASF
With the African swine fever (ASF) so far killing at least 1,000 pigs in Don Marcelino, Davao Occidental in Region 11, a livestock expert in Soccsksargen urged Sunday the public to help in preventing the spread of the disease in the area through close monitoring.
Mindanews

Banana industry faces land problems
THERE is more than the Panama disease that is hounding the Philippines’ banana industry, In the 2018 Banana Market Review, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) noted that the Philippines regained its spot as the world’s second exporter of fresh banana next to Ecuador.
Sunstar Davao, Business Mirror

EDUCATION

ENERGY

Gatchalian clarifies: Davao not working with Japanese firm in energy project
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has clarified that the Davao City government is not working with a Japanese private sector partner in constructing a P5-billion waste-to-energy project there.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Parts of Luzon to experience power interruption starting February 3
Parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces will experience scheduled power interruptions starting Monday, February 3, until Sunday, February 9, due to maintenance works.
Manila Bulletin

POVERTY

POPCOM: Family planning vital in fighting poverty
The Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) maintains that the national program on family planning is a crucial element in radically reducing incidence of poverty, citing the latest pronouncement from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) that the poverty rate in the Philippines can be cut in the years between 2016 and 2022.
Manila Bulletin

SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT

DSWD completes construction of 178 projects, including rehab centers for CICL
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has completed the construction of its 178 infrastructure building projects, which include regional rehabilitation centers for children in conflict with the law (CICL).
Manila Bulletin

HOUSING

TOURISM

The Philippine’ Golden Age of Tourism
After decades of lethargic growth, the Philippine tourism industry is finally riding on strong tailwinds. From January to November last year, foreign tourist arrivals topped 7.46 million, which translates to 15.58% year-on-year growth. 
Business World Online

PH tourism to be adversely affected by nCoV outbreak – solon
House Deputy Speaker and Surigao del Sur 2nd Rep. Johnny Pimentel said the Philippines’s booming tourism industry will likely take a hit from the slump in the number of Chinese visitors amid the 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV) scare.
Manila Bulletin

DOT assures tourists travel to PH remains safe, viable despite nCoV outbreak
The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Sunday assured tourists that traveling to the Philippines “remains viable” amid the threat of the 2019 novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019 nCoV ARD).
Manila Bulletin

PH tourism showcased in Madrid, New York travel fairs
The Philippines is bringing its tourism campaign to a higher level with its participation in two of the world’s biggest travel fairs aimed at attracting more visitors from western countries such as Spain and the United States.
Manila Bulletin

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY