Leftist party-list groups lead survey due to ‘deception’: city dad
A former communist leader-turned-democracy defender on Friday said left-leaning party-list groups that topped a recent survey as most preferred for the May 13 mid-term elections are those that have “mastered the art of deception and propaganda” and making noise in protest rallies.
Philippine News Agency

Sen. Bam Aquino slams ‘red tagging’ against him and other senatorial candidates
Reelectionist Senator Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV on Friday slammed allegations he has been endorsed by communist groups in exchange for millions of pesos.
Manila Bulletin

Now red-tagged groups fight back via the courts
In early March, they instantly came out with vigorous denials, condemning the ramped-up red-tagging campaign waged against them, here and in Europe, by the Duterte government. 
Philippine Star

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Brutal murder of 2 ex-rebels condemned
Task Force "Balik Loob" head, Defense Undersecretary Reynaldo C. Mapagu, on Friday expressed outrage over the recent killing of two rebel returnees in Butuan City by Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army (CPP-NPA) terrorists.
Philippine News Agency

PNP probes Northern Samar attack that killed 10-year-old boy
The Philippine National Police (PNP) is conducting a full dress probe to identify and file  charges against suspected communist rebels behind a recent attack that killed a 10-year-old boy (not 9-year-old as earlier reported) in a remote village in Northern Samar.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Calabarzon soon an insurgency-free region, says pres'l adviser
Presidential Adviser for Southern Tagalog, Secretary Dennis Hernandez, expressed optimism on Wednesday the Calabarzon region will soon become insurgency-free.
Philippine News Agency

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Military condemns NPA’s ambush of rescue vehicle as proof of plain banditry
The Philippine Army (PA) on Friday said that the recent ambush perpetrated by Communist New People’s Army Terrorists (CNTs) on a rescue vehicle of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) in North Cotabato, is further proof that they are plain bandits.
Manila Bulletin

NPA terror haunts north Samar community
A week after losing a 10-year-old boy to a blast perpetrated by communist rebels, the remote village of San Miguel in Las Navas, Northern Samar remains grieving after its village chief was gunned down by alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA) on Thursday. 
Philippine News Agency

Former Rebels turned over to DSWD and DILG
Nine Former Rebels (FR) who surrendered to subordinate units of Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) were formally turned over by Lt. General Felimon T. Santos Jr., Commander of Eastmincom to Karen Gayonan, Representative of DSWD, and Carl John Mahinay and Edwin Mayormita of DILG, during a simple ceremony at Headquarters Eastmincom, Naval Station Felix Apolinario, Panacan, Davao City in the afternoon of April 25, 2019.
Kalinaw News

Peace Talks

Incidents/ Operations   

5 enemy troops killed in NPA offensives in North Cotabato, ComVal    
New People’s Army units in the provinces of North Cotabato and Compostela Valley actively countered combat operations of Armed Forces of the Philippines troops this week, inflicting casualties in three separate tactical offensives. 
NDFP

Wanted Abu Sayyaf man posing as security guard falls in Muntinlupa
A suspected member of the Abu Sayyaf group wanted for kidnapping and serious illegal detention was arrested in Muntinlupa City Thursday evening. A report from the Philippine National Police (PNP) identified the suspect as Aldemar Murih Sayari. 
Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Manila Times

MARAWI

Duterte on Marawi private properties: I don’t think I should spend for them
President Duterte is cold to help rebuild private properties destroyed in the war between government forces and pro-ISIS terrorists in Marawi in 2017 saying there are many affluent people in the city, some of whom are even involved in the illegal drug trade.
Manila Bulletin

PRRD hails Marawi rehab efforts
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte applauded the swift rebuilding of temporary shelters for the displaced households of Marawi City in the situation briefing on the effects of earthquake held at the Pampanga Provincial Capitol in San Fernando City Wednesday.
Bangon Marawi

May polls to push through in war-torn Marawi, says Comelec exec
The May 2019 midterm elections will push through in war-torn Marawi City, two years after it was held under siege by the terrorist Maute group, a Commission on Elections official said Friday. At a press conference, Comelec Director Teopisto Elnas Jr., deputy project director of the Project Management Office for the May 13 elections, said there will be 33 voting centers for Marawi City’s 63,014 registered voters under 106 clustered precincts.
GMA News, Philippine Daily Inquirer

SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE WORLD     

The Week in Tech: Data Doesn’t Support Sri Lanka’s Social Media Blackout
On Easter, after terrorist attacks killed over 350 people, the Sri Lankan government blocked social media platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat. Harindra Dassanayake, a presidential adviser in Sri Lanka, said officials had acted out of fear that misinformation about the attacks and hate speech could spread, provoking more violence.
The New York Times

Tech Tent - Sri Lanka’s social media ban
Even a year ago a government move to block access to social media would have been greeted with a global outcry. On Tech Tent this week we look at why the Sri Lankan government's ban has received a more muted response.
BBC News

Sri Lanka fears new attacks as weekend prayers begin
The ongoing hunt for terrorist suspects in Sri Lanka, and fears of reprisal attacks, have cast a shadow over the country still reeling from the devastation of the Easter Sunday bombings.
CNN, Fox News, Reuters

Suspicion stalks Sri Lanka's Muslim community after bombings
In Dematagoda, a diverse neighbourhood in the capital Colombo, residents are still struggling to understand how a wealthy Muslim family who had lived in the area for 25 years turned into killers.
Aljazeera

Sri Lanka bombers' mentor is dead, but his memory still stokes fear
Zahran Hashim preached hate and violence for years. On Easter Sunday, he put his words into action. Sri Lankan officials said Friday that Hashim -- apparently a leading figure in the band of suicide bombers who targeted hotels and churches across the country -- blew himself up at the Shangri-La hotel in Colombo.
CNN, Reuters

The Western-educated bomber who botched Sri Lanka hotel attack
His target was the breakfast buffet at the Taj Samudra, a luxury hotel on Colombo’s seafront. Instead, he ended up detonating his explosive device in a budget motel by the city’s zoo, killing a couple who had arrived only half an hour earlier.
Reuters

'Mawanella was the start': Sri Lankan town reels from bombing links
It was crude stuff: young men armed with hammers, arriving on motorbikes in the middle of the night. At four sites in Mawanella, a central Sri Lankan town, they hacked at Buddhist statues, lopping off parts of their faces and hands.
The Guardian

Who are the NTJ? Tracking the group blamed for Sri Lanka bombings
In Sri Lanka, investigations into Sunday's deadly terror attacks have pinned the blame on a little known extremist group called the National Thowheeth Jamaat (NTJ), which emerged in 2014 in eastern Sri Lanka.
France24

Sri Lanka: Solidarity with the victims, unity against the forces of hatred
The Sri Lankan government should ensure that all communities are protected and that there is accountability for the heartrending crimes that resulted in more than 250 people being killed on Easter Sunday, Amnesty International said today.
Amnesty International

From the Ruins of the Caliphate: Sri Lanka’s Bloody Easter
No sooner had the news of the serial bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday spread than fevered attempts were made to pin the attacks to the known brands of international terrorist outfits like the Islamic State (IS) and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).
The Diplomat

Explosions during Sri Lanka raid
What we covered here: Three explosions went off while Sri Lankan security forces conducted raids in several cities, police tell CNN. Officials also exchanged gun fire and found explosives, ISIS flags and uniforms during the raids.
CNN

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ACT Strategic
ACT Strategic is aimed at those responsible for writing policies and procedures or strongly influencing them. Events are aimed at 20-30 delegates from a range of organisations and business sectors. 
UK Government
 

NCMF hands out books to correct misimpression on Islamic schools
To help address incorrect information that some Madrasah (learning) institutions in Mindanao have been breeding violent extremist ideologies among Muslim Filipino youth, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) began distributing on Thursday textbooks on the traditional “madaris” or Islamic school system.
Philippine News Agency

BARMM

Groundwork for decommissioning of MILF forces, weapons, communities readied
Top military and police officials together with front and base commanders of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) gathered here last Tuesday in a security and socio-economic forum to lay down the groundwork for the smooth implementation of the Normalization Track of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
Luwaran

MAGUINDANAO AND COTABATO CITY

Cops nab suspected leader of private armed group in Maguindanao
A suspected leader of a private armed group in Maguindano was arrested on Friday morning, police said. Through a search warrant, personnel of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) swooped down the hideout of suspect Datu Ibrahim Sema Sinsuat Jr., tagged as the leader of the Datu Ibrahim S. Sinsuat Group.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Malacañang task force asks CMFR, NUJP, media groups about Maguindanao massacre aid
Malacañang's task force on media security has asked various journalist and media groups about funding for Maguindanao massacre victims' families that have been coursed through them. Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) Executive Director Joel Sy Egco confirmed to Rappler that his office sent letters to Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), National Press Club (NPC), Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), Publishers Association of the Philippines Inc (PAPI), and Philippine Press Institute (PPI).
Rappler

NORTH COTABATO

LANAO PROVINCES

BASILAN

SULU 

Sakur Tan rival Ben Loong hosts Sara Duterte, Hugpong in Sulu
In a political move that has sent waves through Sulu, Benjamin Loong, rival of Sakur Tan for the island province's governorship, hosted a campaign rally for presidential daughter Sara Duterte and Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) senatorial bets.
Rappler

TAWI-TAWI 

DRUGS

Circulars in Duterte’s drug war violate constitutional rights – research
The circulars that operationalized President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war violate the rights of suspects guaranteed in the Constitution, according to a research paper presented by the Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC) on Friday, April 26.
Rappler, GMA News

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DOJ probes 'leakage' of resolution vs. Acierto, others in drug smuggling case
The Office of the Prosecutor General is investigating the supposed leakage of the resolution charging dismissed police official Eduardo Acierto and seven others in connection with the massive shabu shipments found hidden in magnetic lifters last year.
GMA News, Philippine Daily Inquirer

Guevarra: Guban could become state witness
There is still a chance for former Bureau of Customs (BOC) intelligence officer Jimmy Guban to become a state witness in the case concerning the 2018 smuggling of billions of pesos worth of illegal drugs using magnetic lifters, said Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra Friday (April 26).
Manila Bulletin

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PNP-Region 11 nets 31 suspects, P8-M illegal drugs in a week
Police units in Region 11 have confiscated more than PHP8 million worth of shabu and marijuana in police operations from April 15 to 21, a police official said Thursday. Brig. Gen. Marcelo Morales, Police Regional Office-11 director, said the continued campaign against illegal drugs in the region also led to the arrest of 31 drug suspects.
Philippine News Agency

Operations/ Incidents

Drug den dismantled, 12 nabbed in Cotabato City
Anti-narcotics operatives dismantled a drug den and arrested 12 drug suspects during a law enforcement operation here Thursday afternoon, an official said. Juvenal Azurin, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-BARMM) director, said a minor was also rescued during the 4 p.m. drug raid in Barangay Rosary Heights Mother.
Philippine News Agency, NDBC News

Alleged drug group member dead in Batangas; Cavite cop hurt in buy-bust
An alleged member of an illegal drug syndicate in Batangas province was killed in a police operation in Balayan town, early Friday. Col. Edwin Quilates, Batangas police chief, identified the slain suspect as Dennis Pantoja, an alleged member of the Maamyog Drug Group.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

P1-M shabu seized in Taguig buy-bust
Authorities seized shabu worth PHP1.12 million and arrested four suspects in a buy-bust operation in Taguig City on Friday. National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director, Major Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, said suspects Joseph Marcelo, 41; Ronald Kerwin Bustos, 32; Anthony Cruz, 41; and Robert Saligan, 40 were arrested at C6 Road in Barangay Napindan at around 12:30 a.m.
Philippine News Agency, Philippine Daily Inquirer

2 alleged drug pushers slain in Lucena buy-busts
Police killed two alleged drug pushers in separate buy-bust operations here Wednesday and Thursday, police said.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Alleged drug peddler killed; 3 others nabbed in Bulacan drug bust
A drug peddler was killed while three other suspects were arrested in separate buy-bust operations conducted Thursday and early Friday morning in this province.
Philippine News Agency

Recovery and Rehabilitation  

ILLICIT FIREARMS, EXPLOSIVES AND AMMUNITION

Gun ban violators now at 4.7K: PNP
More than 4,700 persons have been apprehended since the start of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) gun ban on January 13, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported Friday. PNP spokesperson, Col. Bernard Banac said as of 6 a.m. Friday, a total of 4,729 persons have been apprehended in 576,983 police operations since the implementation of the gun ban.
Philippine News Agency, Philippine Daily Inquirer, GMA News

Isabela village chairman nabbed for loose guns
A barangay (village) chairman in Isabela province was arrested on Friday morning for possession of assorted loose firearms, police said. Police identified the suspect as Reynaldo Hope, barangay captain of Barangay Gud, San Isidro, Isabela province.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

CROSS-BORDER TRADING/ SMUGGLING  

P60M smuggled sugar, firecrackers seized in Subic
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) confiscated a total of P60 million worth of smuggled sugar and firecrackers here on Friday. BOC officials said the smuggled sugar and firecrackers arrived from Hong Kong on March 31 and April 7 and were seized after these were found in 34 containers misdeclared as floor mats and plastic floor coverings.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, GMA News

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

17 women, including 8 minors, rescued from trafficking ring
At least 17 women, including eight minors aged between 14 and 16, were rescued from an alleged human trafficking ring by authorities in an entrapment operation conducted in Cavite, James Agustin reported on Unang Balita.
GMA News

ILLICIT FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS 

On 12th anniversary of Jonas Burgos abduction, mom cries cover-up
The mother of  missing activist Jonas Burgos on Friday claimed previous and current administrations are part of efforts to conceal the location of her son, noting their broken promises and the country's "flawed" justice system.
GMA News

Central Visayas CHR probes video showing cops beating up suspect
The Commission on Human Rights in Central Visayas (CHR-7) is investigating a viral video that showed police operatives beating up a suspect on Holy Thursday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Press Freedom/ Freedom of Expression

George Clooney throws support behind Maria Ressa
Speaking before a room filled with global leaders, rights advocates, and lawyers, American actor and businessman George Clooney threw his support for Rappler CEO and executive editor Maria Ressa as he vowed to do “everything” to ensure journalists in the Philippines continued their jobs.
Rappler

U.N.'s Callamard: 'We must go on offensive' vs EJKs, attacks on free speech
With press freedom under threat and no end in sight to extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, United Nations (UN) special rapporteur Agnes Callamard urged defenders of the rule of law to “go on the offensive” to prevent conditions from worsening.
Rappler

Martial Law  

Sandiganbayan junks P29.58-B reward claim of Marcos ill-gotten wealth 'informer'
The Sandiganbayan has dismissed the petition of a man who wanted the anti-graft court to order the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to pay him a P29.58-billion reward for reportedly helping recover the Marcos family's ill-gotten wealth.
Rappler
 

Infographic: Countries visited by Duterte since assuming presidency
As President Rodrigo Duterte attends the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China becomes his most visited country since assuming office in June 2016. This is his fourth visit to China, where he is expected to discuss the presence of hundreds of Chinese ships in the West Philippine Sea during a scheduled bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Philippine Star

Dissecting Duterte’s amped-up West Philippine Sea rhetoric
Observers are abuzz with what some describe as a change in tune in Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s rhetoric towards China’s actions in the West Philippine Sea. From his usual placating tone, he has threatened to send Filipino soldiers on a “suicide mission” to protect an island that had been swarmed by Chinese ships over several months.
Rappler

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ELECTION RELATED

Comelec to use 85,000 counting machines for 2019 polls
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) would be using 85,000 Vote Counting Machines (VCM) for the conduct of the May 2019 polls, a Comelec official said Friday.
GMA News

Comelec finishes ballot printing for 2019 elections
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced on Friday, April 26, that it has finished the printing of ballots for the May 13 elections this year.
Rappler, Manila Bulletin

Comelec starts dispatching ballots to priority areas for May polls
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has finished the printing of official ballots for the May 13 elections and has started deploying them in batches to their respective destinations.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Comelec explains use of fewer counting machines for 2019 polls
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will utilize 85,000 Vote Counting Machines (VCM) for the May 13 elections, fewer than the 92,000 VCMs used in the 2016 elections.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Comelec, energy sector mapping out blackout-free polls
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is coordinating with the energy sector to ensure a reliable power supply during the May midterm elections, a Comelec official said Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

65,000 detainees may vote in May polls – Comelec
Around 65,000 detainees will be able to exercise their right to vote in the midterm elections next month, a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official said Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Comelec field officials tasked to check poll venues, facilities
Due to the recent earthquakes that hit different parts of the country, the Commission on Elections has instructed their field officials to assess the schools as well as the transmission facilities that will be used in the May 13 midterm polls.
Manila Bulletin

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Key police officers in Abra replaced ahead of May polls
The Police Regional Office Cordillera (PROCOR) replaced several key police officers in Abra and the whole special action force in the province with less than a month to go before the May elections.
Rappler

SK Convention: NYC calls for youth participation in May polls
The National Youth Commission (NYC) has reminded the youth not to waste and sell their votes, two weeks before the upcoming elections.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Lay organization, Christian groups take stand on midterm election, endorse 10 candidates
Saying the May 13 midterm polls is crucial, the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas (LAIKO) said lay organizations and Christian organizations cannot anymore remain “non-partisan”.
Manila Bulletin

Oppositions

Otso Diretso bets challenge Duterte: Be transparent in China deals
As President Rodrigo Duterte spends time with China for the Belt and Road Forum, Otso Diretso senatorial candidates Gary Alejano, Erin Tañada III, and Romulo Macalintal challenged him to be transparent in his dealings with the ally Asian superpower.
Rappler

Alejano warns against China intervention in May 13 polls
Opposition senatorial candidate Gary Alejano warned Friday against the possibility that China may intervene in the May 13 midterm elections allegedly to maintain a “favorable political environment” and “favorable economic policies.”
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Administration

Bong Go gets rock star welcome in Parañaque, Las Piñas
Residents of Parañaque and Las Piñas gave former Special Assistant to the President Christopher Law­rence “Bong” Go a rock star welcome Wednesday affirming their support for his senatorial bid.
Manila Bulletin

Election-related Violence, Incidents and operations

Vice mayoral bet dies of heart attack on campaign trail
A town vice mayoral candidate in Sultan Kudarat province succumbed to a heart ailment in a hospital in this city where he was rushed Thursday after complaining of severe chest pains while on a campaign sortie.
Philippine News Agency

DISASTER

Visayas earthquake

Number of injured in Eastern Samar quake now 40
The number of persons injured in the magnitude 6.5 earthquake that rocked San Julian, Eastern Samar on Tuesday has climbed to 40, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said in its 6 a.m. update Friday.
Philippine News Agency

MINDANAO

Northern Mindanao economy grows to 7% in 2018
Northern Mindanao (Region 10) economy grew to 7% in the full year of 2018, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Region 10. In an economic briefing Thursday, April 25, the PSA-10 said the robust economy of Northern Mindanao surpassed the national 2018 average Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 6.2%.
Rappler

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

Opposition lawmakers back Sara on anti-federalism stand
Senior opposition and administration congressmen are in agreement with the anti-federalism stand of Hugpong ng Pagbabago chairperson and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, saying that the country indeed is not yet ready for a shift to federalism as sought by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Manila Bulletin

JUDICIARY

SC reminds lawyers, litigants to file documents on time
The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday reminded lawyers and litigants that the filing of documents like pleadings, petitions and records of judicial cases is from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the court’s official business hours, Mondays to Fridays.
Manila Bulletin

SC sets Legal Education Summit
The Supreme Court (SC) is set to hold a Legal Education Summit (LES) in July this year aimed at determining the problems encountered in legal education and formulating solutions to address them.
Manila Bulletin

LEGISLATIVE

BUDGET, FINANCE and TAXATION

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)

DEFENSE AND SECURITY

Philippines, Indonesia agree to enhance defense and security cooperation
The Philippines and Indonesia agreed to level up its cooperation both in the strategic and operational level to keep up with the evolving nature of threats and better contribute to preserving regional security.
Manila Bulletin

BRP Andres Bonifacio meets, greets Taiwan Navy ship in waters off Batanes
The Philippine Navy's BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS17) and a Taiwanese Navy ship exchanged signals in compliance with the "Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea" (CUES) during their unplanned meeting at the northern tip of Mabudis island in Batanes.
GMA News

ECONOMY AND INVESTMENTS

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD

OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

GRAFT AND CORRUPTION

FOREIGN RELATIONS  

19 deals with Chinese businesses signed during Duterte's China trip
Nineteen agreements with Chinese companies were signed during Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's visit to China in April for the Belt and Road Forum. The agreements, if all push through, could bring $12.165 billion (P634 trillion) worth of investments to the Philippines and could provide employment to 21,000 Filipinos, said Malacañang on Friday, April 26.
Rappler

New Southbound Policy seen to improve PH-Taiwan ties
Taiwan expects better trade and investment ties with the Philippines amid the implementation of its New Southbound Policy. Kristy Hsu, director of the Chung Hua Institution for Economic Research's (CHIER) Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center, said that through the policy, they expect to balance the Philippines' large labor contribution to Taiwan with higher investments.
Rappler

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Philippine Embassy keeps tab of investigation on the murder of three Filipinas in Cyprus
The Philippine government is currently monitoring the progress in the ongoing investigation on the murder of three Filipinas in Cyprus. Embassy Charge d’Affaires Judy Barbara Robianes said they have reported the cases of the missing Filipinas to Cypriot authorities and have “continuously followed up with them.”
Manila Bulletin

West Philippine Sea

Senators laud Duterte for telling Xi about China's incursions in Spratlys
Senate President Vicente Sotto and Senator Panfilo Lacson lauded Friday President Rodrigo Duterte's move to raise before Chinese President Xi Jinping the issue of China’s incursion in Philippine-held Pag-asa Island.
GMA News

Resolution of SCS conflict to take more time as China refuses to recognize arbitral ruling
It will take more time to resolve the South China Sea conflict after China still refused to recognize the ruling of the United Nations-backed arbitral court nullifying its sweeping claims in the South China Sea.
Manila Bulletin

LABOR

Duterte declares 2019 as Int'l Labor Organization Centenary
President Rodrigo R. Duterte has declared the year 2019 as the International Labor Organization (ILO) Centenary. In Proclamation 710, signed by Duterte on Wednesday and released to the media on Friday, the Philippines reaffirmed its commitment as an active member of the ILO.
Philippine News Agency, Philippine Daily Inquirer, GMA News

TRANSPORTATION

LTFRB allows pets in PUVs
Pets can now accompany their owners in public utility vehicles (PUVs) following a memorandum circular issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
Philippine Daily Inquirer

HEALTH 

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

El Niño crop losses balloon to P7.96B
Crop damage due to the El Niño weather pattern had surged to P7.96 billion, the Agriculture department said on Friday. In its latest advisory, the department’s Disaster Risk Reduction Operations Center said an ongoing drought had destroyed 447,889 metric tons of rice and corn, more than double from March 31.
The Manila Times

EDUCATION

ENERGY

‘Philippines to feel the most pain if global oil prices hit $100 per barrel’
The Philippines could be hit the hardest should world oil prices spike to $100 per barrel by the end of the year, according to analysts at Oxford Economics, who expect oil price to motor this year amid expectations of tight global supply.
Philippine Star

'Drill' program pushed after Malampaya tax case ruling
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Friday urged the government to aggressively pursue a “Drill, Drill, Drill” program to explore and develop the country's untapped oil and natural gas resources.
Philippine News Agency, Philippine Daily Inquirer

Luzon grid placed on yellow alert for Friday 
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) placed the Luzon grid on yellow alert for Friday. In an advisory, the NGCP said the Luzon grid will be on yellow alert from 10 a.m. for 4 p.m.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

POVERTY

Gatchalian: More jobs to speed up poverty reduction
The Senate economic affairs committee said Friday the government needs to continue providing Filipinos with more well-paying jobs to increase the pace of poverty reduction in the country despite poverty incidence dropping to a three-year low.
Manila Bulletin

HOUSING

TOURISM

Love Boracay festivities celebrate island’s rehabilitation
“Laboracay”, the yearly event in Boracay which coincides with Labor Day, will now be known as “Love Boracay” to celebrate the rehabilitation of the island.
Manila Bulletin

Boracay is back, business is booming – Tourism chief
The government’s rehabilitation efforts in Boracay are bearing fruit as the island is now back to its pristine condition and businesses are starting to prosper –a year after it was closed to tourists, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said.
Manila Bulletin

Boracay crime volume dives
The Malay Municipal Police Station noted a decrease in the total crime volume on Boracay island after its six-month environmental rehabilitation. Since its reopening in October last year, Captain Jose Mark Gesulga, Malay police chief, said both the index and non-index crimes were prominently lessened.
Philippine News Agency

DOT: PH tourist destinations coming forward to express interest in rehabilitation
Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat said Friday many famous tourist destinations in the country are coming forward to express interest in rehabilitation.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES 

Environmental advocates urge Canadian gov’t to take back garbage shipment
More cause-oriented groups have pressed the Canadian government to take back its garbage left languishing in the country for several years.
Manila Bulletin

103 containers of trash from Canada down to 69 containers – Customs
From 103 containers, the shipments of garbage from Canada that were dumped in two major ports in the country about six years ago have been reduced to 69 containers, the Bureau of Customs top official said Friday.
Manila Bulletin

Water crisis

Angat Dam may hit low water level by Sunday — Pagasa hydrologist
The Angat Dam in Bulacan may hit low water level by Sunday, an official of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY

USTR calls out PH on use of ‘unlicensed’ software in gov’t offices
The United States has called out the Philippines for the use of unlicensed software in government offices and urged to set a good example of respecting intellectual property rights to private sector enterprises. This issue was pointed out in the 2019 Special 301 Watch List of the US Trade Representative (USTR) even as the report maintained the country’s good standing in intellectual property rights protection for the sixth consecutive year.
Manila Bulletin, Philippine News Agency

Udenna Corp, China Telecom sign $5.4-billion deal for third telco Mislatel
Udenna Corp. on Friday said it has signed a $5.4-billion agreement with China Telecom to develop the Philippines' third telecommunication consortium Mislatel with Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp.
ABS-CBN News, Rappler

PH among countries with highest online threats
The Philippines has climbed to the 11th place in Kaspersky Lab’s 2018 global list of countries with the most web threats, from its 30th ranking in 2017. Across Southeast Asia, the country currently holds the record for having the highest number of online incidents followed by Vietnam, in 19th place and Indonesia, in 20th place.
Manila Bulletin

DEVELOPMENT SECTOR