COVID-19

Cases

PH COVID-19 cases now at 5,223, with deaths at 335 and recoveries at 295
More than 5,000 person who have tested positive for coronavirus disease, as the Department of Health (DOH) reports 291 new cases in the country on April 14, Tuesday.
Manila Bulletin, Rappler, Philippine Star, GMA News, CNN Philippines, ABS-CBN News

Makati Med 'health hero' and mentor dies due to COVID-19
The Philippines lost another frontliner, known cardiologist and mentor to young doctors, Roberto Anastacio, due to COVID-19. Makati Medical Center mourned the loss of Anastacio, a “health hero” who stood at the frontlines in the hospital’s fight against the novel coronavirus.
Philippine Star

--------------------------------------

COVID-19 cases among Filipinos overseas increase by 31.6% — DFA
The Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday reported a 31.6 percent spike in the number of overseas Filipinos with confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases compared to last week’s figures.
Manila Bulletin, Rappler, Philippine Daily Inquirer

PH envoy to Switzerland says Pinoys with COVID-19 are in ‘stable condition’
A total of seven Filipinos in Switzerland have tested positive with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). One had already been discharged from the hospital, while the other one remains under home quarantine, Philippine ambassador to Switzerland Bern Dennis Lepatan said on April 14, Tuesday.
Manila Bulletin

Philippines has most number of coronavirus cases in Southeast Asia: Johns Hopkins tally
The Philippines has the most number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Southeast Asia as of Tuesday, according to the running tally of the US-based Johns Hopkins University.
ABS-CBN News

Department of Health

COVID-19 frontliners given water salute for service
The water salute, the highest honor given to firefighters, were given to medical frontliners on Tuesday as they continued to fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
GMA News

Physical distancing holds even after ECQ –Vergeire
The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday said that physical distancing should be observed even after the enhance community quarantine in Luzon ends.
Manila Bulletin

DOH: Critically ill, vulnerable groups have priority in COVID-19 mass tests
People without coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms will not yet be included in the mass testing as the country does not have sufficient resources, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday.
Manila Bulletin

DOH: It’s not true we’re not helping with Marikina city’s COVID-19 testing center
The Department of Health (DOH) said that it has been providing technical assistance to the Marikina city government for its proposed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing center.
Manila Bulletin

House leader thanks DOH for clarifying policy on misting
Deputy Speaker and Laguna 1st district Rep. Dan Fernandez on Tuesday thanked the Department of Health (DOH) for heeding his and the public’s clamor to clear up the agency’s guidelines on spraying disinfectants or misting.
Manila Bulletin

PGH launches ‘Tele-Kumusta,’ puts COVID-19 patients in virtual contact with relatives
As part of its holistic approach in treating persons with COVID-19, the Philippine General Hospital has launched an online communication service for its patients and their respective families.
Manila Bulletin

FAST FACTS: Donating blood plasma for COVID-19 patients
As COVID-19 cases continue to spike globally, researchers and scientists have been racing against time to find a cure for this mysterious disease.
CNN Philippines

UP COVID-19 team suggests localized quarantine after initial lockdown ends
The COVID-19 response team of the University of the Philippines (UP) has suggested enforcing localized quarantine measures after the initial enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) deadline ends on April 30.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

IATF

Enhanced community quarantine averted COVID-19 disaster in PH
Around one to eight million Filipinos could have been infected with the new coronavirus disease had the government not promptly imposed enhanced community quarantine in Luzon, a Palace official said Tuesday.
Manila Bulletin

Lockdown not for the entire country –Galvez
There is no possibility to expand the lockdown of Luzon to the entire country amid the coronavirus disease (2019) pandemic, COVID-19 Response Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. said Tuesday.
Manila Bulletin

Galvez: 15,000 persons need to be tested for COVID-19
At least 15,000 people need to be tested in the country for possible infection of the coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19 Response Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. said Tuesday.
Manila Bulletin

Gov’t preparations vs. COVID-19 seen to last until year-end, says task force chief
The government’s preparations to combat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) may last until September to December as the public is advised to ready themselves for a “new normal” way of living, the national response team bared on Tuesday.
Manila Bulletin

Gov’t allows ‘limited practice’ of medical graduates to augment frontliners in COVID fight
The government has allowed the “limited practice” of medical graduates as a last resort to augment healthcare personnel battling the coronavirus pandemic.
Manila Bulletin

IATF names coronavirus regional task group heads
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has named the new heads of regional inter-agency task groups that will help the government address the pandemic, a Palace official said on Tuesday.
The Manila Times

DPWH to convert mega tents at Cuidad de Victoria as COVID-19 quarantine facilities
Three mega tents at Cuidad de Victoria in Bulacan are being eyed as quarantine facilities for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) bared Tuesday.
Manila Bulletin

'Last resort': Gov't greenlights 'limited practice' of medicine graduates in COVID-19 fight
The government has approved the "limited practice" of medicine graduates yet to obtain their license in efforts to control the spread of the new coronavirus disease, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Tuesday.
ABS-CBN News, Philippine Star

GSIS increases life insurance coverage of health workers by P500,000
The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) said on Tuesday, April 14 that it has added P500,000 to the life insurance coverage of its members working as medical frontliners against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rappler

Regions

Muntinlupa COVID-19 cases now up at 98
The Muntinlupa City government said on Tuesday said that it had recorded 98 confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in its area — an increase 0f 21 from the 77 tallied on Monday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Manila records 21 new COVID-19 cases; total now at 344
The nation’s capital city recorded 21 new COVID-19 patients on Tuesday, increasing the total count to 344, Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso said.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

--------------------------------------

Inday Sara gives a year pay worth P2.1M for hospital staff fighting COVID-19
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte is donating her salary for an entire year to create a trust fund for the staff of the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) here who are at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Davao Region starts to ‘flatten the curve’ – health officials
Local health authorities here believe that the Davao Region is starting to “flatten the curve” after seeing more patients recovering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) with no new confirmed cases reported over the past few days.
Mindanews

Northern Samar quarantine extended until April 30
THE Province of Northern Samar has extended for 15 more days or until April 30, 2020 the general community quarantine (GCQ) earlier declared to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Sunstar Tacloban

Zamboanga City: We cannot take in Filipinos deported from Malaysia
Zamboanga City, which has closed its borders to avoid the spread of COVID-19, will not allow in Filipino deported from Malaysia.
Philippine Star

Pangasinan extends extreme enhanced community quarantine until April 21
The provincial government of Pangasinan extended again the timeframe of its extreme enhanced community quarantine (EECQ) to last until April 21.
Rappler

Manila market crowding prompts Isko Moreno to issue schedule restrictions
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno has issued schedule restrictions on Blumentritt market on getting reports that shoppers had been crowding the area in violation of the government’s physical distancing measures enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Cavite starts 'mass testing' for coronavirus
Cavite province on Tuesday, April 14, began "mass testing" for the novel coronavirus disease, according to Governor Jonvic Remulla.
Rappler

Kidapawan food aid halted as city council pushes for probe of poor quality rice
City Mayor Joseph Evangelista has put on hold the second wave of relief aid after the Sangguniang Panlungsod suggested a probe on the quality of rice being distributed to families affected by the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
Mindanews

Tempers rise as Lubao town's FB page goes missing amid coronavirus panic
Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda and Vice Governor Lilia Pineda face mounting pressure to reveal details of confirmed coronavirus cases in their hometown Lubao.
Rappler

Bacolod imposes number coding on quarantine passes to avoid crowding
The city government of Bacolod implemented a number coding scheme for quarantine pass holders to avoid crowding in public places.
Rappler

--------------------------------------

Subanen community gets food assistance from military, ZDS LGU
Some 140 Subanen families in 128 households received food packs from the 53rd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army and the provincial government of Zamboanga del Sur.
Mindanews

Cebu vows cash aid to residents stranded outside the province
Residents of Cebu who were unable to return to the province after it was placed under lockdown on March 25 will receive cash assistance from the Cebu provincial government.
Rappler

Diplomatic, Development and Private Sector 

LIST: Coronavirus contact tracing apps in the Philippines
Contact tracing apps emerge as possible solutions to making large-scale contact tracing possible but privacy advocates and experts also warn that they may become vessels of privacy abuse if left untended.
Rappler

Taiwan donates 300,000 'medical masks'
The Taiwanese government, as part of the its worldwide effort to help fight coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is donating 300,000 face masks to the Philippines.
GMA News

De La Salle Philippines launches 'kada-uno' campaign for coronavirus response
The De La Salle Philippines (DLSP), a network of 16 educational communities, responded to the coronavirus situation by launching the "kada-uno" initiative.
Rappler

DPWH, private firm help Lung Center in setting up video surveillance, monitors for patients
Installation of the patient monitoring system at the Lung Center of the Philippines began Tuesday, April 14, with the help of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DSWD) and a construction company.
Manila Bulletin

SMC, AFP build isolation facilities to help ease hospital overcrowding
San Miguel Corporation is building ten emergency quarantine facilities (EQF) near military hospitals to house personnel who have tested positive for COVID-19 but have mild or no symptoms, and, more importantly, help ease pressure on health facilities flooded by patients needing intensive medical treatment.
Manila Bulletin

More firms donate funds for Project Ugnayan
Port operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI), owned by billionaire Enrique Razon Jr., said it gave P100 million to the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), as part of the business community-led Project Ugnayan.
Business Mirror

Incidents

5 arrested at Davao del Sur checkpoint for passing off cigarettes as food
Five persons were arrested Tuesday by a composite team of police and military personnel after passing off contraband cigarettes as food at a checkpoint at the border of Davao del Sur and Cotabato provinces.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine News Agency

Editorial, Opinion and Features

What is the military's role in tracing coronavirus ’close contacts’?
The defense department is at the helm of implementing the national government’s plan to address the coronavirus pandemic, and that largely involves the military.
Rappler

‘Scary part’: Can provinces deal with COVID-19 case surge?
The Luzon-wide lockdown has achieved “relative success” but COVID-19 could still trigger outbreaks in Metro Manila and 15 provinces, experts from the University of the Philippines said.
ABS-CBN News

Lockdown or Starvation? Poorer Economies Weigh Impossible Choice
As India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh extend their nationwide coronavirus shutdowns, policymakers examine whether one-size-fits-all measures make sense for the months ahead.
Foreign Policy

How do these thinkers see a post-pandemic Philippines? Part 2
What will be the new normal? Or, should we be asking, what is “normal” in the first place?
Rappler

[OPINION] Learning from Kagawad Jonjon Elago
Kagawad Jonjon is a man between a rock and a hard place. Being both the President of the local People’s Organization and concurrently Barangay Councilor, the dual roles offer him leadership advantages. Yet, they also pose difficulties for addressing the needs of the 1,500 families under Manila’s Del Pan Bridge. COVID-19 has magnified the problem enormously.
Rappler

[FIRST PERSON] Beyond health: The virus' impact on the people of Del Pan Bridge
Our world has changed a lot since COVID-19. People have to stay inside their houses. That means anywhere from 8 to 15 family members occupying the same very hot and crowded one-room space 24/7 – sleeping, eating, bathing, and everything else. People want to go outside but cannot. So they hang around the back of their houses and just chat.
Rappler

[OPINION] Keeping our eyes on the ball: Human rights in the time of coronavirus
For many of us, the reality of COVID-19 went from being a distant tremble on the horizon to a full-on earthquake, in very little time.
Rappler

‘COVID-19 time bomb’
A potentially catastrophic public health problem is threatening to engulf the country’s notoriously overcrowded prisons and jails, where social distancing is virtually impossible and thus perfect grounds for the spread of the highly infectious COVID-19.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

In the time of pandemic, we need to be vigilant
cross the world, people have been looking to governments to guide them through the coronavirus pandemic. And governments have been more than happy to oblige, filling TV screens with constant press briefings and issuing directives on what people can or cannot do. But for some, this has come at a cost - silence.
Aljazeera

Was the UK public prepared for a pandemic? Fear and awareness before COVID-19
Using public opinion data, Dan Stevens and Nick Vaughan-Williams explain that a pandemic was simply not seen as a major threat by the British public prior to 2020, despite its prominence in government security strategy. Going forward, and given pandemics will continue to be a major threat, public knowledge needs to remain close to where it is now as opposed to where it seems to have been before COVID-19.
The London School of Economics and Political Science

Covid-19, one month later (First of three parts)
MORE than one month after the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) hit the entire Davao Region, several measures were imposed to contain the further spread of the virus.
Sunstar Davao

Italy, democracy and COVID-19
The crisis triggered by COVID-19 is challenging the very meaning of coexistence and cohabitation and redesigning the boundaries of public space in an absolutely unprecedented way, with unpredictable results.
TNI

World

ASEAN leaders meet online to tackle coronavirus
Vietnam will urge Southeast Asian leaders to set up an emergency fund to tackle the coronavirus at a summit held online on Tuesday, April 14, as the pandemic ravages the region's tourism and export-reliant economies.
Rappler

Italy's coronavirus death toll tops 20,000
Italy's death toll from the novel coronavirus topped 20,000 on Monday, April 13, but its number of critically ill patients dropped for the 10th successive day.
Rappler

U.S. records 1,509 deaths in past 24 hours – Johns Hopkins tally
The United States recorded 1,509 deaths related to the coronavirus pandemic over the past 24 hours, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University as of 8:30 pm Monday (0030 GMT Tuesday), April 13.
Rappler

Iran says virus deaths drop below 100 for first time in month
Iran said on Tuesday, April 14, that the number of lives lost in the country to the novel coronavirus dropped to double figures for the first time in one month.
Rappler

Thai hospitals protect babies born in a pandemic with face shields
Fast asleep, swaddled in a towel and snug in a pink beanie, a baby born during a pandemic in a Thai hospital needs one last item to ensure its health – a face shield.
Rappler

--------------------------------------

IMF approves debt relief for 25 poor countries
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday, April 13, announced immediate debt relief for 25 poor countries to help them free up funds to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
Rappler

France extends lockdown as countries see hope of virus peak
France extended its nationwide lockdown on Monday, April 13, for another month in a bid to halt the coronavirus pandemic, as other hard-hit countries considered easing their measures with hopes rising that death rates may soon plateau.
Rappler

France warns of 8% GDP drop in 2020 after lockdown extension
France's economy is expected to shrink by a worse-than-expected 8% this year after President Emmanuel Macron extended a coronavirus lockdown until May 11, though officials cautioned on Tuesday, April 14, that any lifting of the stay-at-home orders would be gradual at best.
Rappler

Fears of silent coronavirus deaths in UK's care homes
Fears were growing in Britain on Tuesday, April 14, about the toll coronavirus is taking in care homes, with charities sounding the alarm and new figures pointing to many more deaths than so far reported.
Rappler

UK prepares to extend virus lockdown, says peak has not passed
The British government warned Monday, April 13, it would not be lifting a nationwide lockdown anytime soon as the country remains in the grip of a coronavirus outbreak that has claimed more than 11,000 lives.
Rappler

China foreign trade drops as pandemic drags outlook
China's foreign trade fell again in March even as businesses returned to work after the coronavirus outbreak, with the global pandemic weighing on the manufacturing powerhouse's outlook.
Rappler

Fearful of virus return, Beijing turns into virtual fortress
Beijing has virtually walled itself off to outsiders with drastic measures to protect China's seat of power against the threat of a second wave of coronavirus infections from other regions.
Rappler

Russia's small businesses buckling under virus restrictions
When President Vladimir Putin announced a paid holiday for the month of April to keep Russians home and prevent the coronavirus from spreading, many small business owners braced themselves.
Rappler

Putin warns Russia to prepare for 'extraordinary' virus crisis
President Vladimir Putin on Monday, April 13, warned officials to brace for "extraordinary" scenarios in the coronavirus pandemic as Moscow tightened its lockdown measures and Russia reported its highest daily infection figures yet.
Rappler

Australian unemployment rate to double as virus hammers economy
Australia's unemployment rate is expected to soar from 5.1% to 10% in the June quarter as the coronavirus fallout hits the economy, according to Treasury figures released on Tuesday, April 14.
Rappler

Australia, New Zealand flatten virus curve but keep lockdowns intact
Australia and New Zealand on Tuesday, April 14, brushed aside calls for an easing of tough restrictions on travel and public gatherings despite their success in curbing the spread of COVID-19.
Rappler

India extends world's biggest virus lockdown to May 3
India's nationwide coronavirus lockdown, the biggest in the world, will be extended until at least May 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday, April 14.
Rappler

Sidelining key health agency made U.S. 'less safe,' says ex-chief
The United States has become "less safe" as a result of the White House's decision to sideline the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) a former director of the agency said Monday.
Rappler

Angry Trump denies plan to axe coronavirus doctor but signals new fights
A furious, aggrieved President Donald Trump dismissed rumors Monday, April 13, that he was going to fire his top medical advisor on the coronavirus pandemic but launched new fights with the Democrats and the media ahead of the high-stakes reopening of the shuttered US economy.
Rappler

Turkey to release thousands of prisoners over coronavirus
The Turkish parliament on Tuesday, April 14, approved a law that allows for the release tens of thousands of prisoners as a safety measure against the coronavirus outbreak.
Rappler

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Duterte calls for closer ASEAN solidarity, cooperation to combat COVID-19
As the world faces an “unfolding catastrophe” brought about by the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), President Duterte has called for the closer solidarity and cooperation among Southeast Asian nations, from improving healthcare capacity to ensuring food security, to combat the pandemic and mitigate its impact on the people.
Manila Bulletin

Duterte to ASEAN: prepare for next pandemic
The Southeast Asian nations must be ready for future outbreak of diseases since the coronavirus pandemic will not be the last, President Duterte declared Tuesday.
Manila Bulletin

--------------------------------------

Duterte calls for unity against COVID-19, bats for fair, easy access to virus treatment
President Duterte has called for “fair and easy access” to vaccines and treatments for all countries in the event the cure for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is finally found.
Manila Bulletin

Duterte hopeful not all health workers will leave PH for jobs abroad
President Duterte is hopeful that not all Filipino health workers will leave the country for employment abroad amid the battle against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Manila Bulletin

Duterte cites DFA’s major role in the implementation of Bayanihan Act
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) plays a major role in the implementation of the “Bayanihan To Heal As One Act” by assisting overseas Filipinos and foreign nationals to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country.
Manila Bulletin

Duterte thanks Xi again during coronavirus briefing
President Rodrigo Duterte once again heaped praises on Chinese President Xi Jinping as he addressed the nation on the Philippine government’s latest measures to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Rappler

--------------------------------------

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

VP warns delay in social aid may cause civil unrest
Vice President Leni Robredo urged the Department of Social Work and Development (DSWD) to address concerns over the apparent delay in the distribution of cash aid to needy families affected by the enhanced community quarantine measures.
Manila Bulletin

VP gives tribute to frontliners: ‘An honor to bring you to your destination’
The Office of the Vice President (OVP) on Tuesday honored health workers and frontliners who were benefited by its free shuttle service during the initial month of the enhanced community quarantine.
Manila Bulletin

ELECTION RELATED

DISASTER

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

JUDICIARY

SC urged to exercise ‘extraordinary powers’ to allow inmates’ release amid COVID-19 crisis
The Makabayan bloc has called on the Supreme Court to use its “extraordinary powers” to order the mass release of inmates who are vulnerable to the possible infection of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) that has already killed more than 300 in the country and infected close to 5,000.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

LEGISLATIVE

Senate of the Philippines

Sotto to LGUs: ‘Speed up aid delivery’
Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Tuesday urged local government units (LGUs) to provide the necessary funds to speed up the distribution of the emergency subsidy to their constituents.
Manila Bulletin

De Lima to IATF: Heed clamor for release of detainees to decongest prisons
Senator Leila de Lima on Tuesday urged the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) to heed the growing clamor to release qualified detainees to decongest prisons amid the continuing threat of the novel coronavirus disease or COVID-19.
Manila Bulletin

Gatchalian bats for more autonomy for LGUs in procuring testing kits, setting up testing facilities
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday said local government units (LGUs) should be given more autonomy in procuring testing kits or in setting up testing facilities to expedite the detection of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) positive cases in every community and household and help flatten the curve immediately.
Manila Bulletin

House of Representatives

Health is top priority in proposed P4.640-trillion budget for 2021
Pouring in investments to health and strengthening the country’s health infrastructure will be the top priority of Congress in the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC)-approved P4.640-trillion national budget for 2021.
Manila Bulletin

P370-B economic stimulus package pushed
The House of Representatives is pushing for a P370-billion economic stimulus package that’s tailor-made to help local business get back on their feet after being floored by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Manila Bulletin

Solons urge SC: release PDL in ‘congested’ jails
Five party-list legislators have asked the Supreme Court (SC) to order the release of persons deprived of liberty (PDL) to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country’s “congested jails.”
Manila Bulletin

Rodriguez says health workers’ deployment ban is constitutional
Lawyer-congressman Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro backed on Tuesday President Duterte’s statement that the government’s deployment ban on heath workers was constitutional.
Manila Bulletin

House panel proposes extension of housing loans payment moratorium
The House Committee on Housing and Urban Development wants to extend for two more months the three-month moratorium on the payment of amortization on all socialized and economic housing loans.
Manila Bulletin

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)

LGUs tasked to ensure cremation or burial of Covid-19 cases within 12 days after death
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday has compelled the local government units (LGUs) to guarantee that the remains of confirmed and suspected novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) cases in their localities are cremated or buried within 12 hours after the death.
Manila Bulletin

DILG issues show cause orders to 2 village chiefs for violating ECQ
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Tuesday that it has issued show cause orders against two barangay chairmen for violating the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) imposed by the President to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).
Manila Bulletin

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

DOJ to start prelim probe of raps vs Pimentel on May 20
The Department of Justice (DOJ) plans to start on May 20 its preliminary investigation (PI) on the complaint filed against Senator Aquilino Martin “Koko” Pimentel III for allegedly breaching the government’s quarantine protocols.
Manila Bulletin, Rappler

Hi-tech arm of the law: 17 ‘sabungeros’ get taste of DOJ’s E-Inquest
Prosecutors offices and the courts may be physically closed but it has not stopped functioning – thanks to technology.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

DEFENSE AND SECURITY

Armed Forces of the Philippines

PH Navy distributes rice to Tondo families
The Philippine Navy’s naval special operations group (NAVSOG) distributed rice to some 260 families living in the Baseco compound along the Pasig River in Tondo Manila.
Manila Bulletin

Sea-soldier serves the frontline
Had it not been for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, the country’s oldest and premier maritime institution, the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA), would be celebrating its 200th founding anniversary. 
The Manila Times

Philippine National Police

PNP to raise P200 M to augment COVID-19 relief funds
The Philippine National Police (PNP) is eyeing to raise at least P200 million from voluntary contributions from its officers and rank-and-file members to augment the national government’s relief funds in aid of those adversely affected by the national health emergency triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Manila Bulletin

PNP to release COVID-19 hazard pay for cops
Policemen who were deployed in the frontline on the fight against the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) will receive their hazard pay on April 17, the top official of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Tuesday, April 14.
Manila Bulletin

BUDGET, FINANCE, and TAXATION

Philippines to pay debt despite COVID-19 crisis: finance chief
The Philippines “has not and will not consider a moratorium on the national government’s debt obligations despite the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic," the country's finance chief said on Tuesday. 
ABS-CBN News, GMA News, Manila Bulletin

Gov’t earmarks P50.8 B for small business wage subsidy
The Duterte administration will provide incentives to small business owners who are compliant with government tax and social security rules by prioritizing them in its wage subsidy program, the Department of Finance (DOF) said yesterday.
Manila Bulletin

--------------------------------------

Customs adopts measures to ensure unhampered flow of goods
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has instituted measures and processes to ensure that the flow of goods remains unhampered even in the middle of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
Manila Bulletin

Customs continues to look for alternate container yards to free up Manila ports
The search for alternate container yards to free up space in major ports in Manila continues as more than half of the unclaimed cargoes intended for transfer to other yards in Luzon have been moved, the Bureau of Customs said on Tuesday, April 14.
Manila Bulletin

--------------------------------------

BIR submits list of 3.5 M taxpayers qualified to receive financial assistance
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) submitted yesterday to the Department of Finance the names of the more than 3.5 million taxpayers qualified to receive financial assistance due to coronavirus fallout.
Manila Bulletin

ECONOMY AND INVESTMENTS

IMF cuts 2020 PH growth forecast to 0.6%, expects unemployment to rise amid COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic would not only slow the Philippines’ economic growth to a dismal 0.6 percent but also render more Filipinos jobless this year, the Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF) said.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD and PUBLIC WORKS

OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

AUDIT, GRAFT, AND CORRUPTION

COA flags Leyte town for hiring too many job order employees
The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the municipal government of Julita, Leyte, for hiring too many job order employees in 2019.
Rappler

Public education and corruption
Studying, practicing, and teaching law have allowed me to theorize on finding legal solutions to fundamental problems of the nation such as corruption. The Corruption Perception Index (CPI) is a survey conducted by Transparency International that ranks countries according to perceived levels of public sector corruption.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

FOREIGN RELATIONS  

ASEAN leaders hold tele-summit on COVID-19
Southeast Asian leaders – in a videoconference – reaffirmed yesterday their commitment to remain united in the effort to control the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and ease its adverse impact on societies and economies, particularly on people’s livelihood.
Philippine Star, CNN Philippines

West Philippine Sea

Pandemic not affecting China's strategy in West PH Sea – U.S. analyst
Opening new research units and harassing fishermen in the South China Sea are hardly new tactics by Beijing seeking to tighten its grip on the strategic waterway, and the coronavirus pandemic has neither helped nor distracted it from doing so, an American geopolitical analyst told reporters on Tuesday, April 14.
Rappler

LABOR

Labor sec Bello: underreporting numbers under CAMP, not true
“We have been forthright and transparent.” Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said this on Tuesday, April 14, as he belied the claim of some groups that the labor department is underreporting or downplaying the actual number of workers affected by the community quarantine.
Manila Bulletin

OFWs among stranded workers in Middle East amid COVID-19 outbreak
Charity workers are scouring the United Arab Emirates for empty buildings and Bahrain is repurposing closed schools to rehouse low income laborers from overcrowded accommodation, a hotspot for the coronavirus outbreak in the Gulf.
GMA News

TRANSPORTATION

HEALTH

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

12,000 farmers-producers, consumers have benefitted from the DA’s ‘Kadiwa’ program, says Sec. Dar
The “Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita” direct marketing program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) has so far benefited 12,000 farmers and consumers in Metro Manila and other major urban centers.
Manila Bulletin

Rice, pork, other goods now under coronavirus price freeze
The Department of Agriculture (DA) expanded goods covered by the price freeze and enforcement of the suggested retail price scheme amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Rappler

Private sector helps Bataan provide rice, food during ECQ
Governor Albert Garcia on Tuesday assured residents in 11 towns and this city in the province that they do not have to worry about shortage of food, especially rice, during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) as donations are continuously pouring in.
Philippine News Agency

EDUCATION

Schools may end current semester on April 30 –CHED
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is permitting schools using the old academic calendar, from June to May, to finish the current semester by April 30, 2020.
Manila Bulletin, Rappler

DepEd expands online learning platform to private schools
In line with its efforts to ensure that learning of all students will continue amid the enhanced community quarantine, the Department of Education (DepEd) announced that its online learning platform can now be used by learners in private schools.
Manila Bulletin

PH to join next round of PISA – DepEd
The Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Tuesday that the Philippines will be be joining the next round of Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) scheduled in 2021.
Manila Bulletin

Private school teachers urge gov’t to provide them with economic, social safety net
An organization of private school teachers and personnel on Tuesday urged the Duterte administration to come up with an “economic and social safety net” to ensure the health, welfare, and protection of rights of all employees in different private schools, colleges, and universities nationwide.
Manila Bulletin

Shortened semester, ‘deferred grade’ for UP students recommended
The President’s Advisory Council (PAC) of the University of the Philippines (UP) has recommended a shortened second semester and a “deferred grade” for students in the wake of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Manila Bulletin, Rappler

ENERGY

[OPINION] Losing 'power' in the time of the coronavirus
It may still be clear in Luzon residents’ memory that rotational brownouts (technically called “manual load dropping” or MLD) were noticeably rampant in the second and third weeks of April last year. Power interruptions have always been expected during summertime due to increased demand for air conditioning, water pumping, and refrigeration, among others.
Rappler

POVERTY

SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT

DSWD urged to expedite release of Unconditional Cash Transfer to 6.2 million beneficiaries
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has coordinated with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) for the immediate distribution of unconditional cash transfer (UCT) to its 6.2 million beneficiaries.
Manila Bulletin

HOUSING

TOURISM

DOT issues 'stern warning' vs. marked up room rates for OFWs
The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Tuesday issued a stern warning to individuals and groups reportedly hiking rates and taking advantage of the room allotments for repatriated overseas Filipino workers during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) period.
Philippine News Agency

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

DENR on alert for forest fires as dry season sets in
The regional and satellite offices of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) are on alert for forest fires that usually occur during the dry season.
Manila Bulletin

Angat Dam’s water level continues to dwindle, public urged to conserve
The Climate Change Commission (CCC) has urged the public to conserve water throughout the dry season as the Angat Dam’s water level continues to dwindle on Tuesday.
Manila Bulletin

INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY