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COVID-19
Cases
PH registers another single-day high of 14,610 new COVID-19 cases
For the third consecutive day, the country registered more than 14,000 new cases of COVID-19, increasing active infections to 106,672 and the nationwide tally of confirmed cases to 1,755,846, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Deja vu? Gap in detecting, confirming Lambda, Delta shows slow process
The Lambda and Delta variants of the virus SARS Cov2, which causes COVID-19, are different in many ways but share two things in common—both are now in the Philippines and the gap between testing and detection of those took weeks.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Department of Health
COVID-19 Delta variant detected in all PH regions except Caraga
The highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant has already been detected in all regions in the country, except the Caraga region, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
IATF/NTF COVID-19
Delta overtakes other COVID-19 variants detected in PH, says Genome Center official
The highly transmissible Delta variant of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has already overtaken the other strains that have been detected in the country, Philippine Genome Center (PGC) Executive Director Dr. Cynthia Saloma said on Monday, August 16.
Manila Bulletin
COVID-19 infection, deaths in children can be attributed to Delta variant — expert
The recent COVID-19 infections among children, as well as deaths, can be attributed to the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant, an expert said Monday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Regions
Luzon including NCR
30% of ECQ aid in NCR disbursed – Palace
Almost 30 percent of the P11.2-billion ayuda or cash aid allotted by the national government for low-income individuals have been distributed to qualified beneficiaries in the National Capital Region (NCR), a few days before the two-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) is expected to be lifted.
Philippine Star
Visayas
Newborn baby boy dies of COVID in Iloilo
A newborn baby boy was one of the latest COVID-19 deaths in Iloilo province.
Manila Bulletin
Mindanao
Alert against COVID-19 Delta variant up in Mindanao
Alert against the COVID-19 Delta variant prompted police officers in Zamboanga Sibugay to arrest two habal-habal (motorcycle) drivers who reportedly helped travelers enter the province without the required RT-PCR test results and other documents.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
World
Delta is ‘pandemic of unvaccinated’ bigger than breakthrough infections
The spread of Delta, a variant of SARS Cov2, is now considered a “pandemic of the unvaccinated,” making vaccination a more urgent measure to fight COVID-19 even if rare infections emerge among those already fully vaccinated.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Diplomatic, Development and Private Sector
Incidents and Violations
Editorial, Analysis, Opinion and Features
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
Duterte won’t accept it if Duque resigns: He did ‘nothing wrong’
President Rodrigo Duterte will not accept it if Health Secretary Francisco Duque III will offer his resignation over the “deficiencies” in the Department of Health’s (DOH) management of P67.3-billion worth of funds for its COVID-19 response.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Duterte to COA: Stop flagging agencies, don’t publish report
The Commission on Audit (COA) should stop flagging government transactions and publishing its report as they would taint agencies with “corruption by perception,” President Rodrigo Duterte said in his weekly taped briefing that started airing late Monday night and ended early Tuesday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Duterte ‘okay’ with persons refusing vaccination: ‘This is a democracy’
President Rodrigo Duterte appears to have changed his tune, now saying he’s “okay” with persons refusing vaccination against COVID-19, the Philippines being a democracy.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Duterte defends DOH in issue of ‘deficiencies’: ‘It’s impossible to steal P67.3 billion’
President Rodrigo Duterte has seemingly cleared the Department of Health of alleged corruption related to “deficiencies” in its management of P67.3 billion worth of funds for its COVID-19 response.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
Robredo: Low use of funds meant to subsidise public transport
Vice President Leni Robredo urged the Land Transport Franchising and Regulatory Board to act on the Commission on Audit’s flagging of its Service Contracting Programme with urgency on Sunday.
Daily Express
AUDIT, GRAFT, AND CORRUPTION
COA finds deficiencies in DepEd management of P7.2-B COVID-19 funds
State auditors flagged various transactions that covered the utilization of P7.2 billion COVID-19 funds for the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) implemented by the Department of Education.
Manila Bulletin
COA flags DSWD for P780.71-million unused cash aid amid lockdowns
State auditors have flagged the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) over P780.71 million in unutilized cash aid for Filipinos hit by lockdowns imposed to curb COVID-19 transmission.
GMA News
COA flags DOLE's 'insufficient' control measures on COVID-19 funds
The Department of Labor and Employment's (DOLE) “insufficient internal control” measures led to unclaimed amounts of funds amounting to P22.432 million intended for workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Commission on Audit (COA).
ABS-CBN News
COA: DICT bought P170M in gadgets from construction firm
The Commission on Audit (COA) in a report released Friday, August 13, said the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) spent P170 million in gadgets bought from a construction firm, a purchase COA said was outside the DICT's mandate.
Rappler
After backlash, DOH puts on hold purchase of 4 laptops worth P700,000
After receiving backlash, the Department of Health (DOH) put on hold the purchase of four high-end laptops amounting to P700,000
Rappler | Philippine Daily Inquirer
BUDGET, FINANCE, and TAXATION
BUSINESS, ECONOMY AND INVESTMENT
Maybank cuts Philippine growth forecast
Malaysian financial giant Maybank has slashed its second half gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for the Philippines despite the expansion in the second quarter.
Philippine Star
BUILD, BUILD, BUILD and PUBLIC WORKS
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
DISASTER AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Courts, DOJ junk 3 more cases vs activists
Three more cases against activists have been junked – one of them dismissed by the justice department which rejected a legal theory that recruiting students to join activist groups is a war crime.
Rappler
DOJ: Drug war case review done
The Department of Justice has completed reviewing 52 drug war cases of the Philippine National Police (PNP) that resulted in deaths, DOJ Secretary Menardo Guevarra said yesterday.
Philippine Star
DEFENSE AND SECURITY
Armed Forces of the Philippines
Philippine National Police
EDUCATION
DepEd-12 targets 1.2M learners next school year
The Department of Education (DepEd) in Region 12 (Soccsksargen) is targeting to enlist nearly 1.2 million learners before the opening of formal classes on Sept. 13.
Philippine News Agency
INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY
ELECTION RELATED
Comelec urged to extend voter registration until Oct. 31
The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives is urging the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to extend the deadline for voter registration at least until October 31 due to restrictions brought by the coronavirus pandemic.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Vote buying by GCash? Comelec, BSP to keep watch
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, vote buying is a challenge that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) still has to contend with in the 2022 national and local polls.
Philippine Star
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
LABOR
Health workers to stage mass protest on DOH neglect of their plight
Health workers in the public and private sectors are planning to stage a mass protest over the Department of Health's failure to listen to their grievances amid their service to the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CNN Philippines
LEGISLATIVE
Senate of the Philippines
Drilon: Duque still not off the hook from DOH issues
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III is "not yet off the hook" from other issues hounding the Health Department, even if state auditors did not make a finding on loss of funds due to corruption in the agency, a Senate leader said Monday.
CNN Philippines
House of Representatives
House briefing on DOH's 'deficiencies' in handling COVID-19 funds set Tuesday
The House briefing into the reported deficiencies of the Department of Health (DOH) in handling the P67.32-billion COVID-19 funds is scheduled on Tuesday, August 17, House committee on public accounts chairperson Jose Bonito Singson said Monday.
GMA News
Lower House panel honors three Fil-Ams in NASA's Mars exploration program
Just like gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz and her batch of Filipino athletes who made history in the Tokyo Olympics, three engineering geniuses made their country proud for contributing in the safe landing of the Perseverance rover on planet Mars last February.
Manila Bulletin
LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)
OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE
FOREIGN RELATIONS
32 Filipinos evacuated from Afghanistan, more to follow
Thirty two Filipinos have already been evacuated from Afghanistan, the Department of Foreign Affairs said (DFA) Monday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
West Philippine Sea
‘No strings attached’ to China’s jabs donation, ‘except their boats are there’ – Duterte
China donated COVID-19 vaccines to the Philippines with “no strings attached,” except “that their boats are there,” President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday during his weekly late-night briefing, adding that he had also sent ships to the West Philippine Sea.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
HOUSING and SETTLEMENT
POVERTY
SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT
TRANSPORTATION
TOURISM
WATER and ENERGY
DOE set to issue Green Energy Auction Program
The Department of Energy is eyeing to issue the improved rules for the Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP) within the month to launch the first round of auction of 2,000 megawatts (MW) by October to help the country achieve its renewable energy (RE) goals.
Philippine Star
AboitizPower sees battery storage projects operational in 2022, 2024
ABOITIZ POWER Corp. (AboitizPower) said Monday that its battery energy storage system (BESS) projects in Davao de Oro and Isabela are due to begin commercial operations in 2022 and 2024, respectively.
Business World
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