Palace to Joma: Stop daydreaming, lest get a nightmare to cut bourgeoisie lifestyle
Malacañang on Sunday called on Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria "Joma" Sison to "wake up from his daydreaming" as he may get a nightmare which may "cut short his bourgeoisie lifestyle."
GMA News, Philippine News Agency, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, CNN Philippines, The Manila Times

Duterte claims of victory vs. revolutionary forces fake – Joma    
Contrary to the false claims of Duterte and his spokesman Panelo, the revolutionary forces of the Filipino people are winning on a nationwide scale. The CPP, NPA, NDFP, the revolutionary mass organizations and the people’s democratic government are growing in strength and advancing against the reactionary government.
NDFP, ABS-CBN News

Duterte to rebels: Keep off the elections
Communist rebels should “not mess up” the May midterm elections if they want to have a shot at the peace talks with the government, President Duterte declared recently.
Manila Bulletin

Highest honors to Comrade Jose Ma. Sison
The Second Congress of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) extends its profound appreciation and expresses deepest gratitude to Comrade Jose Ma. Sison for his immense contribution to the Philippine revolution as founding chair of the Party, founder of the New People’s Army and pioneer of the People’s Democratic Government in the Philippines.
PRWC

PH delegation to go on European roadshow on gov’t efforts to address insurgency, press freedom
A government delegation is expected to travel to Europe soon to tackle the administration’s efforts on addressing the communist insurgency as well as promoting freedom of information and media security in the country.
Manila Bulletin

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Kumpanyang gumagawa ng Kaliwa Dam, matagumpay na nireyd at pinaralisa ng NPA Quezon
Matagumpay na ni-reyd  at pinaralisa ng isang iskwad ng AMC-NPA-Quezon ang isang kumpanya sa konstruksyon na gumagawa ng KALIWA DAM sa Sityo Salok, Brgy. Magsaysay, Infanta, Quezon sa ganap na alas-4:45 ng hapon hanggang alas-6:25 ng gabi kahapon, Pebrero 7, 2019.
PRWC

Police condemns NPA for burning heavy equipment in Quezon
Calabarzon Police Regional Office Chief Supt. Edward Carranza on Saturday condemned the New People’s Army (NPA) terrorist group for the of burning heavy equipment in Infanta, Quezon.
Philippine News Agency, Philippine Daily Inquirer

Centcom lauds resident’s tip-off in foiled NPA attack
The Central Command (Centcom) on Sunday praised the act of a concerned citizen in the town of Mabinay in Negros Oriental for reporting to soldiers the plan of New People's Army rebels to disrupt a community program supported by the military and the local government unit.
Philippine News Agency

False claims by the CPP-NPA
The battle for Central Negros rages on, on the ground and in cyberspace. The New People’s Army recently claimed that its military offensives in Central Negros in January resulted to the death of not less than 23 soldiers belonging to the Philippine Army’s 94th Infantry Battalion in Guihulngan City alone.
The Manila Times

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AFP Eastmincom’s armed response, devt work combo seen to stifle NPA threat
Officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Eastern Mindanao Command (AFP Eastmincom) underwent project-monitoring orientation and training over the weekend as the military takes an increasing role in the implementation of socioeconomic and development projects around the country.
Business Mirror

Cops fishing for info vs Reds
A police lawsuit against friends and family members of slain peace talks consultant Randy Felix Malayao was meant only to fish for information about communist rebels and not solve his murder, according to a member of the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) on Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Left blasts Comelec for disqualifying 3 groups
Members of different militant groups in Cebu staged a protest rally on Friday to denounce the decision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to exclude three party-list groups from the certified list of candidates in the May 2019 elections.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Peace Talks

Incidents/ Operations   

Muslims join hands with Christians to secure Mass in Basilan
Young Moro and Christian professionals on Sunday trooped to Santa Isabel Cathedral in this city and joined their hands to form a human barricade to secure a Mass being celebrated there.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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UK removes Palawan from travel ban list
The British government has removed Palawan in the list of areas in the Philippines, particularly in Mindanao, where a travel restriction for its citizens is hoisted. “Terrorism section (Kidnapping) – removal of information on Palawan,” the United Kingdom-based Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) posted on its website on Saturday.
Manila Bulletin

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Security in ports tighten vs. terror
All police stations across the province will implement stricter measures in all ports and wharves and the shorelines especially facing north Mindanao  , to prevent terror attacks , illegal landing of arms, and other illegal activities.
The Negros Chronicle

Tricycles vs terror
Dumaguete city officialdom and the people, are  dismayed over the disapproval by the Provincial Board of a new ordinance requiring all tricycle drivers to be registered under any legitimate organization of their kind and choice because this is part of the City Government’s regulatory function to protect the general welfare.
The Negros Chronicle

JOLO BLAST

The roots of war: a glimpse at the Notre Dame of Jolo Cathedral bombing
Peace seems like an ethereal dream for most people living in the war zones of Muslim Philippines: a remote, elusive, seemingly impossible dream, much like an imagined  glass of refreshing water to a weary traveller on a long journey under the harsh, humid desert sun.
The Negros Chronicle

Fallout from Jolo bombing
The bombing of a Catholic cathedral in Jolo has spawned fears of a religious strife in Mindanao. This was given credence after what seemed to be a retaliatory blast on a mosque that claimed as many lives in the Catholic church. Now, the fear of bombings has reached Metro Manila where the Philippine National Police has tightened security at shopping malls. 
Manila Standard

MARAWI

Unexploded bombs still litter Marawi
Almost two years after it was declared liberated from terrorists, Marawi City, capital of Lanao del Sur province in southern Mindanao, was still filled with unexploded ordnances, causing delay in its rehabilitation, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said on Sunday.
The Manila Times

United effort in rebuilding Marawi City
The date May 23, 2017 will go down in infamy as it marked the beginning of the first-ever urban battle in the Philippines between government security forces and militants affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, including the Maute and Abu Sayyaf Salafi jihadist groups, leaving Marawi City in destruction and rubbles. 
Manila Standard

SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE WORLD      

The human cost of Afghan war
The civilians in Afghanistan continue to die in record numbers, as the U.S. and the Taliban are negotiating a peace deal to end the 17-year-old war. The civilians in Afghanistan continue to die in record numbers, as the U.S. and the Taliban are negotiating a peace deal to end the 17-year-old war.
Philippine Daily Inquirer 

Security Report Reveals Surge in Terrorist Attacks in Africa’s Sahel
A report prepared for the annual Munich Security Conference revealed a surge in violent attacks linked to extremist groups in West Africa’s Sahel region. It cited African Center for Strategic Studies data showing fatalities linked to extremist militant activity more than doubled from 2017 to 1,082.
Asharq Al-Awsat

French army on the front line of 'final battle' against IS group
French howitzer-guns deployed in the Euphrates Valley desert just inside Iraq stand ready to pour fury on Islamic State group diehards in their last holdout across the border in Syria. Warplanes flash through the sky, followed seconds later by explosions on the Syrian side that send up a mushroom cloud.
France24

Turkey Urges China to End Mass Detention of Muslims
Turkey has called China’s mass repression of its Uighur Muslim ethnic minority a “great shame for humanity” and has urged the Chinese government to close detention camps estimated to hold a million people, a rare rebuke from a majority-Muslim country.
The New York Times, ABC News, The Wall Street Journal 

Dignity and the Needs of Young Syrian Refugees in the Middle East
Programs to counter violent extremism (CVE) are often focused on established communities in the United States, Europe, and the Muslim world. However, refugees are among the most at-risk communities, often trapped in a world of violence and despair. 
Lawfare Blog

Home Office urged to release leftwing extremism report
The Home Office is facing calls to release a report called Leftwing Activism and Extremism in the UK, which has been prepared by its extremism analysis unit (EAU). Jenny Jones, one of several politicians and activists whose inclusion on a domestic extremist database previously caused a furore, are among those expressing concerns about the report after its existence was revealed by a freedom of information request by the Guardian.
The Guardian

Mangudadatu refutes study linking poverty, political dynasties in Mindanao
Contrary to results of a study, senatorial candidate and Maguindanao 2nd District Representative Zajid Mangudadatu said there is no link between poverty and political dynasties in Mindanao.
Rappler

[OPINION] What the Bangsamoro Museum needs to do
Curating a museum around the word Bangsamoro meant diverging from the typical inclinations of museum makers. It could not be a museum of antiques. Filipinos have lost nearly all refined examples of traditional art to collections overseas; the Muslims, in the past copious makers of exquisite stuff, losing much more, earlier. 
Rappler

Can Duterte call himself a Moro people’s president?
“If I become president, if Allah gives his blessing, before I die since I am old, I will leave to you all a Mindanao that is governed in peace,” promised Rodrigo Duterte on the presidential campaign trail in 2016.
ASEAN Today

Moro food basics: Pastil
What defines a millennial more than their healthy, go-local, environmentally-conscious eating habits? As millennials, we’re prone to working long hours preparing for deadlines and meetings. We eat on the go and sometimes even during work hours.
Rappler

Employees bid goodbye to ARMM in flag rites
Hundreds of employees of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and their officials heaved a collective sigh of sadness as they bid goodbye to the autonomous government that they had been serving for the last 29 years.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

BANGSAMORO ORGANIC LAW

‘Govt, MILF conspired to ensure BOL victory’
GOVERNMENT officials, the military and even election officials allegedly conspired with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) ahead of a January 21 referendum to ensure Cotabato City would fall under the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm), Cotabato City Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani Sayadi claimed on Sunday.
The Manila Times

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No final list of appointees yet to Bangsamoro Transition Authority —OPAPP
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) on Sunday clarified that no list of appointees to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority has been released yet, contrary to posts circulating in social media.
GMA News, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin

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Murad exchanges views with Japanese FM on areas of cooperation for new BARMM
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim said he was elated with meeting on Sunday Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono with whom he exchanged views on how Japan can help the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) in the future.
Manila Bulletin

Japanese FM pledges support for new BARMM
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said the Japanese government has pledged support for the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Manila Bulletin, Mindanews, Business World Online

MAGUINDANAO AND COTABATO CITY

All set for PRRD second visit in Maguindanao to grace 3rd Inaul Festival
All is set for the second visit here of President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday to grace the 5th days of the province’s ongoing 3rd Inaul Festival, civilian and security officials said today.
Manila Bulletin, NDBC News

Agri investment in Mindanao to proceed – Pinol
Controversial French-Russian businessman Robert Gaspar has already backed out of a plan to build a massive banana plantation in Mindanao, but Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol remained confident the huge investment can still push through with or without the controversial investor.
Manila Bulletin

LANAO PROVINCES

BASILAN

SULU 

TAWI-TAWI 

DRUGS

Teachers to cops: Handsoff drug education
The Philippine National Police (PNP) should keep its hands off the implementation of drug education for students from kindergarten to Grade 12, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers Philippines (ACT) said yesterday.
Philippine Star

Gutoc asks Dela Rosa: What if your son was drug war collateral damage?
What if your own son died in the crossfire of a police anti-drug operation? This was the questioned posed by opposition senatorial candidate Samira Gutoc to the architect of the police's infamous Oplan Tokhang himself, Ronald dela Rosa, a candidate endorsed by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Rappler

Nalzaro: Police might do ‘shortcut’ on Tiu
WITH no less than President Rodrigo Duterte ordering the arrest of Nel Spencer Tiu, the boyfriend of Ashley Abad, the 19-year-old girl who reportedly died of party drug overdose, I can foresee that his life will be “miserable” in the next few days. Also ordered arrested are six of Ashley’s friends who were with her on that fateful night attending a pre-Sinulog party at the Cebu Business Park. 
Sunstar Cebu

Operations/ Incidents

Box of cocaine fished out of Camarines Norte waters
Fishermen recovered a box full of suspected cocaine from the waters off the coast of Vinzons town in Camarines Norte province Sunday, police said.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Quezon City cops nab 3 drug personalities in Novaliches sting
An ex-convict and two other noted drug personalities were apprehended by Novaliches cops in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Gulod in Quezon City last Thursday night.
GMA News

Drug suspect killed in Muntinlupa sting
A DRUG suspect was killed in a shootout with anti-narcotics operatives during a buy-bust operation in Muntinlupa City shortly after midnight Sunday. Police said the suspect, identified only as alias “Nog-Nog”, died on the spot from two gunshot wounds in the chest.
Tempo

Recovery and Rehabilitation  

ILLICIT FIREARMS, EXPLOSIVES AND AMMUNITION

CROSS-BORDER TRADING/ SMUGGLING  

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

ILLICIT FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS 

Duterte welcomes Japan foreign minister Kono in Davao City
President Rodrigo Duterte received Japanese foreign minister Taro Kono in a courtesy call last Saturday in Davao City. An article on RTVM (Malacañang media) said President Duterte was honored by Kono's visit.
GMA News

Who will benefit most from the President's endorsement?
In the days leading to February 12, the start of the 2019 campaign season, posters and tarpaulins of President Rodrigo Duterte holding up the hand of one politician or another have become a common sight.
Rappler

Why Duterte vetoed bill on Philippine Coconut Authority
Why did President Rodrigo Duterte use, for the first time, his veto powers against a bill reconstituting the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), the entity that will manage billions in coco levy funds for coconut farmers?
Rappler

Did DU30 get a new kidney?
TWO complementary sources, neither of which wants to be named, have claimed that on Wednesday morning, Jan. 29, 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte underwent a successful kidney transplant surgery amid rumors that he had fallen seriously ill. The first source said a team led by Dr. Rose Marie Rosete-Liquete, the nation’s first woman kidney transplant doctor and executive director of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), performed the procedure at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan, Metro Manila.
The Manila Times

Commentary: Is the populist tide finally retreating?
The dysfunctional politics of Brexit in the United Kingdom, and the midterm election reaction against President Donald Trump in the United States, are generating second thoughts about the populist tide sweeping the world’s democracies in recent years. 
Channel News Asia

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Automatic PhilHealth membership for PWDs ready for Duterte’s signature
The measure providing mandatory coverage for all persons with disability (PWDs) under PhilHealth is now up for President Rodrigo Duterte’s signature.
Manila Bulletin

DISASTER

MINDANAO

Retired SoCot bishop passes away
A former long-time Catholic bishop of the provinces of South Cotabato, Sarangani and this city succumbed to an illness before dawn on Sunday. Retired Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez, 79, of the Diocese of Marbel, passed away at around 5:03 a.m. at the General Santos Doctors' Hospital here, incumbent Bishop Cerilo Casicas announced.
Philippine News Agency, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Mindanews, NDBC News

No aid for road crash victims
THE City Government of Davao reiterated that there will be no financial and medical assistance for road accident victims who are found to be driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs as they violated the city's law.
Sunstar Davao

ELECTION RELATED

With personality-based politics, expect junking of party-mates
Although a dozen senators are to be elected in May, no national party is able to put up a full slate of 12. Party mates are even likely to junk each other, as their basis of unity is weak. It’s every man to himself in personality- instead of platform-rooted politics.
Philippine Star

Eco-Waste Coalition calls for ‘green’ campaign
An environmental group pleaded with all political parties and their candidates and party-list groups participating in the May 2019 midterm polls to spare the environment from being ruined further by irresponsible campaign activities.
Manila Bulletin

Election-related Violence, Incidents and operations

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

JUDICIARY

LEGISLATIVE

House bullying kept unreasonable amounts in 2019 budget —Hontiveros
The supposed "bullying" of the House panel at the bicameral conference committee on the 2019 national budget led to the retention of "unconscionable" or "unreasonable" amounts in this year's general appropriations.
GMA News

House no longer interested to force Diokno to attend budget inquiry —Andaya
The House of Representatives is no longer interested in pushing Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno to attend its inquiry into the supposed anomalies in the 2019 national budget, House Committee on Appropriations chair Rolando Andaya Jr. said on Sunday.
GMA News

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Corporate Social Responsibility bill gains in House
The House of Representatives has approved on second reading a bill seeking to institutionalize corporate social responsibility in corporations, whether domestic or foreign, partnership and other establishment performing business in the country.
Manila Bulletin

BUDGET AND FINANCE

Diokno rejects bid to ‘pressure’ Duterte into budget veto
BUDGET Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said President Rodrigo R. Duterte should not be “pressured” into drafting a veto message for the budget, amid threats by some legislators to question the 2019 spending program before the Supreme Court.
Business World Online

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)

WATCH: Estrada punches man during Chinese New Year parade
A short clip which circulated on social media showed Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada hitting a man during a Chinese New Year parade in Binondo.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

DEFENSE AND SECURITY

CSAFP visits NoLCom, attends brief conference, recognition ceremonies
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Benjamin R. Madrigal, Jr., visited the Northern Luzon Command (NoLCom) in Tarlac on Friday, February 9, 2019, to assess the advancement of their campaign and activities in connection in fulfilling the mission of the AFP.
Manila Bulletin

Mandatory ROTC? Think hard first
The House of Representatives is poised to pass a bill reviving the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) after the May elections. The Senate is still deliberating on its version of the measure at committee level.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

ECONOMY AND INVESTMENTS

Duterte's Jobless Economic Boom
The problem with President Rodrigo Duterte’s jobless booming economy in the Philippines isn’t the liberal economic policies his administration has been pursuing. It’s the persistence of corruption and cronyism and cultural populism that divide up Filipinos -- and limit job opportunities for those on the wrong side of the “system.”
Forbes

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD

PH, Japan exchange notes on P24-B road, bridge projects
The Philippine and Japanese governments on Sunday signed an exchange-of-notes for the construction of 150 kilometers of roads and 40 bridges worth PHP24 billion under the Road Network Development Project in Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao.
Philippine News Agency

OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

GRAFT AND CORRUPTION

House panel to file graft charges vs Diokno
The House of Representatives will no longer compel the presence of embattled Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno in its investigation on budget irregularities, as it intends to file criminal complaints against Diokno and others for allegedly favoring Aremar Construction, which is owned by his in-laws’ family.
Manila Bulletin

The mother of all corruption scams
The challenge posed by Sen. Panfilo Lacson to President Duterte constitutes the ultimate test of whether the chief executive is serious in his anticorruption campaign.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

FOREIGN RELATIONS  

Japan will be ‘steady partner’ of PH — Kono
Japan will remain as the Philippines’ “steady partner” in strengthening the country’s defense capabilities as the two sides continue to explore new areas of cooperation in regional security and military modernization.
Manila Bulletin

Robredo on taho incident: 'Pambabastos sa bansa natin'
Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday, February 10, said the recent incident involving a Chinese national who threw her plastic cup of taho at the security personnel of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) was also an insult to the Philippines.
Rappler

NCRPO chief wants Chinese woman in MRT incident deported
Director Guillermo Eleazar, head of National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), on Sunday said he would recommend that the Chinese woman who assaulted a policeman assigned at the Metro Rail Transit’s (MRT) Boni Avenue station in Mandaluyong City be declared as undesirable alien.
Philippine News Agency, Philippine Daily Inquirer

West Philippine Sea

Pimentel: Don't fear China, focus on legality of joint exploration
Administration bet Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III said Filipinos should not fear China if it engages in joint exploration with the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea. Instead, Filipinos should pay attention to how legally sound and consistent with the Constitution any agreement with China on joint exploration will be.
Rappler

LABOR

OFWs to enjoy remittance fee discounts
The House of Representatives has approved on second reading a bill mandating banks and non-bank financial intermediaries to provide up to 50 percent discount on remittance fees.
Manila Bulletin

Aklan LGU mulls council to ban illegal foreign workers in Boracay
The local government of Aklan is looking into the possibility of forming a council to stop foreigners from illegally working in Boracay. According to a report on GMA News' "Balitanghali" on Sunday, Aklan local government unit (LGU) consultant Odon Bandiola recommended the creation of the council after reports of some 2,000 illegal foreign workers on the island.
GMA News

TRANSPORTATION

HEALTH 

Duterte to campaign for immunization
Amid a measles outbreak, President Duterte is taking a direct hand in the information campaign that seeks to restore the public’s confidence in the government’s immunization program, Malacañang said yesterday.
Philippine Star, The Manila Times

Acosta claims ‘underdistribution’ of measles vaccines from 2014–2017
Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief Persida Acosta on Sunday claimed that a Commission on Audit (COA) report shows an under-distribution of measles vaccines from 2014 to 2017. Acosta made the claim in response to Senator Risa Hontiveros' statement blaming the PAO chief for the measles outbreak and calling on her to resign.
GMA News

Mobilize airlines, airports, schools, barangays to address measles outbreak —solons
Lawmakers from the House of Representatives on Sunday suggested mobilizing airlines, airports and other transport hubs, as well as schools and barangays to address the measles outbreak in some parts of the country.
GMA News

Solons cite need for national effort to combat measles outbreak
Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy called on airport and civil aviation authorities to strictly implement protocols to keep measles virus from spreading. She made the call following the confirmation by the Australian government that a child, who came from the Philippines, carried the measles virus to Western Australia.
Manila Bulletin

Solon slams measles outbreak blame game
House Deputy Speaker Pia S. Cayetano appealed to national leaders Sunday to stop trading blame over the measles outbreak and focus on restoring of Filipino mothers’ trust in the government’s vaccination program.
Manila Bulletin

4-month-old baby dies after getting measles; Duque spearheads mass immunization
A four-month-old baby died in Tarlac City after contracting measles, according to a report by Mav Gonzales on Balitanghali on GMA News TV on Sunday. Meanwhile, the baby's twin, who also has measles, is still at the hospital.
GMA News

Mayor Sara tells parents to have kids immunized vs. diseases
Mayor Sara Duterte has called on all parents here to have their kids vaccinated not only against measles but also against other diseases for their protection.
Philippine News Agency

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

To the Duterte Administration: pay attention to Agriculture!
The recent spike in rice inflation and its harm on the macro-economy and poverty incidence has focused attention to long-standing failures of our agricultural sector. This is evident in comparative statistics vs. peers, e.g. farm productivity (see table below), agriculture sector growth, rural poverty incidence.
Business World Online

Duterte seeks clarification why farmers oppose rice tariff
President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered government agencies to squeeze in a “one-page” position paper all the issues farmers have raised against the Rice Tariffication Bill, but did not say what exactly he was going to do with it.
Manila Bulletin, Business World Online

Piñol orders ban on pork from Japan due to swine flu reports
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol has ordered a temporary ban on pork and pork products coming from Japan following reports of African swine flu (ASF) in that country.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

EDUCATION

More schools in Canada to teach Filipino language
More schools in Alberta, Canada, will soon offer a Filipino language and culture program as part of the curriculum in a bid to preserve the "deep roots" of the community, the provincial government said.
Rappler

Enrile vows to support bill increasing salary of private school teachers
Former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile said he will support the draft bill increasing the salary of private school teachers through government subsidy.
Manila Bulletin

ENERGY

Utilities collected P26-B customers’ bill deposits
The country’s distribution utilities (DUs) have collected as much as P26.28 billion worth of bill deposits from customers as of January this year, prompting the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to device appropriate action to protect electric consumers.
Manila Bulletin, The Manila Times

POVERTY

[OPINION] Poverty and the 'trapos'
The campaign period for the May 2019 elections is nearing and a lot of trapos (traditional politicians) are on the prowl again, imitating hungry wolves hunting for a herd of lost sheep. In general, election season is the time when politicians try to win the hearts of Filipino voters by making sweet promises. Like how their promises continuously fall from the sky, so do the funds they use to buy votes.
Rappler

HOUSING

TOURISM

DOT accredits 316 dwelling places in Boracay
There are now a total of 316 accommodation establishments accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT) to operate in Boracay.
Manila Bulletin

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES 

DILG convenes today 178 mayors to discuss Manila Bay rehab
As the “Battle of Manila Bay” goes into high gear, the Department of Inte­rior and Local Government (DILG) will convene Monday 178 city and municipal mayors to spell out to them their critical roles and responsibilities in the reha­bilitation of Manila Bay.
Manila Bulletin

Late Marbel bishop stood firm vs open-pit mining in South Cotabato
Bishop Emeritus Dinualdo Gutierrez of the Diocese of Marbel, who died on Sunday morning at 79, was an outspoken critic of the Duterte administration’s drug war and an outspoken critic of open-pit mining in South Cotabato province.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

LLDA cites 17 more bay polluters
A total of 17 more establishments in the cities of Manila and Pasay, including the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) and several hotels, have been cited by the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) for polluting Manila Bay.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

DENR, DepEd to promote planting of native trees in public schools
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is partnering with the Department of Education (DepEd) to promote the planting of native trees in public schools nationwide. DENR Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and International Affairs Jonas Leones said the School in a Garden Project (SIGA) aims to teach children about the importance of trees and forests, and help them become an environmentally conscious generation.
Manila Bulletin

CDO, UN agency mull partnership for climate-resilient areas
The city government is in talks with the United Nation Habitat (UN-Habitat) for an initiative to create large open spaces that are environment-friendly and disaster-resilient. 
Philippine News Agency

INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY

Solon expects PLDT, Globe to sell 16,000 communications towers
Makati City Rep. Luis Campos Jr. said Sunday he was anticipating the sale of wireless communications towers by the PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc. to any of the seven independent private firms, which will be putting up new towers for collective use.
Manila Bulletin

Roxas pushes for fast internet connection in PH
For senatorial candidate Mar Roxas, a fast internet connection is no longer a luxury in the Philippines but a basic necessity.
Manila Bulletin

DEVELOPMENT SECTOR