COVID-19

Cases

Another day, another 2,965 spike in COVID-19 cases
The country saw another spike in its coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases as close to 3,000 new infections were confirmed on Tuesday, August 25. 
Manila Bulletin

COVID-19 cases in PNP hit 3,506
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has recorded another surge in coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 cases, with 126 recorded on Monday. PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said the total number of cases in the police force is now 3,506.
Philippine Star

Department of Health

Backlogs in COVID-19 test results all cleared —DOH
The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday said there are no more backlogs in the issuance of results of COVID-19 tests in the country.
GMA News

Vergeire on flattening COVID-19 curve in September: Nothing is certain at this point
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Tuesday said she cannot tell if the COVID-19 curve in the country will flatten in September as projected by some experts from the University of the Philippines.
GMA News

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DOST to produce bamboo dispensers, foothbaths
Hands-free disinfectant dispensers made of bamboo as connected to a foot bath made of  bamboo, were among products recently approved as project by the Department of Science and Technology-Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI).
Manila Bulletin

IATF/NTF COVID-19

91.5% of PH COVID-19 cases asymptomatic, mild – Galvez
About 91.5 percent of the total active coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the Philippines are either asymptomatic or simply exhibit mild symptoms, the probable reason the country has huge number of recoveries.
Manila Bulletin

LIST: 28 state universities, colleges used as quarantine facilities
Here's a list of the state universities and colleges that are being used as quarantine facilities for probable and suspected cases of COVID-19.
Rappler

Police to maximize quarantine rules to prevent terror attacks
THE Joint Task Force (JTF) Covid Shield has ordered police commanders to maximize the implementation of existing quarantine protocols to prevent terror attacks.
Sunstar Manila

Regions

Luzon including NCR

Over 3,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Makati City
There are now over 3,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Makati City. Based on the data of the Makati Health Department (MHD), the city has a total of 3, 242 confirmed cases as of 9 p.m. of August 24, 2020.
Manila Bulletin

Masinloc coal plant reels from Covid-19
This town in the northern part of Zambales took the threat of the new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) seriously. Putting up checkpoints, imposing curfew, requiring quarantine and travel passes, and even setting up market schedules, Masinloc kept the virus at bay even when border controls somewhat eased as the province entered modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) in mid-July.
Business Mirror

Why Cainta has more recoveries than new cases
The number of recoveries in this town has surpassed the number of new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases
Manila Bulletin

Free cremation for Manileños who died of COVID-19
The Manila North Cemetery in Santa Cruz is offering free cremation services for residents of the city who died of COVID-19.
Manila Bulletin

Visayas

Samar prov’l gov’t requires wearing of face shields in public
The Samar provincial government has issued an executive order requiring all residents to wear face shields outdoor on top of a face mask to help mitigate the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Manila Bulletin

Gov seeks ‘timeout weekend’ in Negros Occidental to help curb COVID-19
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson has requested the National Inter-Agency Task Force (NIATF) to allow the four-day “timeout weekend” in the province and Bacolod City to help curb the increase in coronavirus cases.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Siquijor now free of COVID-19
The island province of Siquijor is “COVID-free” again. The provincial government of Siquijor on Monday said the place is free from the threat of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) after all four of its patients recovered.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Mindanao

1 ROF, 5 local Apors in Oro test positive for coronavirus
SIX new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases were logged in Cagayan de Oro City and one of the patients is a returning overseas Filipino worker (ROF) and five are local Authorized Persons Outside Residence (Apors), City Health Office Epidemiologist Dr. Joselito Retuya reported on Tuesday, August 25.
Sunstar Cagayan de Oro

Mayor Sara blasts powerful clans for holding grandiose wedding
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte blasted on Tuesday members of prominent families after holding a grandiose wedding celebration here recently where a guest was later tested positive for the highly infectious coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Mindanews

Medical wastes in Davao Region soar with COVID-19 pandemic
The volume of medical wastes being thrown away in Davao Region has increased over the past three months amid the raging coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, according to an executive of RAD Green Solutions Corporation, which treats 50 tons of used personal protective equipment (PPE) a month with its bio-medical waste treatment technology called Pyroclave situated in New Carmen, Tugbok District here.
Mindanews

Diplomatic, Development and Private Sector 

ADB loans Philippines another $125 million for pandemic response
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved another $125-million (around P6.1 billion) loan for the Philippines' coronavirus pandemic response.
Rappler

Group wants public warned about face masks being sold without FDA approval
An environmental health organization is calling on government regulators to address the proliferation of unregulated and mislabeled protective face masks in the local market.
Manila Bulletin

Incidents and Violations

Ex-NCMH exec masterminded hospital chief's slay – QCPD
Former National Center For Mental Health (NCMH) administrative chief Clarita Avila was behind the murder of NCMH chief Roland Cortez and his driver Ernesto dela Cruz, the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) alleged on Tuesday, August 25.
Rappler

Editorial, Analysis, Opinion and Features

Meet the generals leading COVID response in Philippines, Indonesia
The Philippines and Indonesia are the two laggards of Southeast Asia in controlling the coronavirus pandemic. Both countries are experiencing exponential growth in confirmed COVID-19 cases, and experts say both have employed a militarized response to this health crisis.
Rappler

Lidasan: The importance of assistance during Covid-19
The year 2020 has been a very hard year for many of us. The current pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019, more commonly referred to as Covid-19, has turned our lives upside down and inside out, especially for the common Filipino. Its effects on the general public are becoming subtlety catastrophic. While some Filipinos feel a strong pinch of the virus on their daily lives, others feel a choke-hold and are fighting to just survive.
Sunstar Davao

World

India Now Reports More Daily Covid-19 Cases Than Any Other Country
India is now reporting more daily coronavirus cases than any other country in the world, averaging above 60,000 cases each day, putting it ahead of Brazil and the U.S. as the pandemic continues to steadily climb in the country.
Forbes

Covid-19: South Korea closes Seoul schools amid rise in cases
Nearly 200 staff and students have been infected in the greater Seoul area over the past two weeks. Remote learning will continue until 11 September, the Ministry of Education said.
BBC News

Gaza in lockdown after first COVID-19 community transmission
A full lockdown has been imposed on the besieged Gaza Strip after authorities confirmed the first coronavirus cases spread through the community, raising fears of a potentially devastating outbreak in the impoverished Palestinian territory. 
Aljazeera

Battling the 'Quarantine 15': Experts fear COVID-19 weight gain could lead to health complications, weak immune systems
A few months into the coronavirus pandemic, in July, Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a preventative cardiologist and the owner of Step One foods, saw a longtime patient: a 70-year-old man who showed up to the appointment 18 pounds heavier than he was on his last visit. He told her, "I have gained the 'COVID 19.'"
ABC News

College campuses face explosion of COVID-19 cases — and challenges to get students to follow safety protocols
The exploding number of new COVID-19 cases on campuses across the country has left many colleges and universities grappling with the same vexing question: How do you get students to cooperate with new safety measures?
NBC News

Mexican wrestlers improvise as industry struggles amid COVID-19
Mexico has one of the highest coronavirus death rates in the world and it has had more than 500,000 confirmed infections.
Aljazeera

‘Everything has changed’: How hurricane preparations are adapting to a deadly pandemic
People who live along the low-lying reaches of coastal Louisiana can be surprisingly sanguine about what hurricane season delivers come August. Lesser storms with names like Danny or Gustav sweep ashore and are soon forgotten. 
National Geographic

Contact tracing the missing link in Indonesia's battle with COVID-19
Breaking the chain of transmission is key to containing the COVID-19 outbreak, but in Indonesia, contact tracing remains weak due to problems ranging from an insufficient number of tracers to people's reluctance to open up to these workers.
The Jakarta Post

Maldives: Covid-19 Exposes Abuse of Migrants
The harsh treatment of foreign workers in the Maldives during the Covid-19 pandemic has left many migrants vulnerable to abuse, Human Rights Watch said today. The Maldives government should adopt urgent measures to protect migrant workers, including upholding the right to peaceful protest and ending longstanding labor rights violations.
Human Rights Watch

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Duterte signs 9 new laws
President Duterte has recently signed nine new laws, including five measures converting provincial roads to national roads.
Manila Bulletin

Duterte: I can be first or last person to get inoculated with COVID vaccine
President Duterte is willing to be the first or last person to get inoculated with the coronavirus vaccine.
Manila Bulletin

Duterte: Uniformed personnel, 4P beneficiaries still priorities in COVID-19 vaccination program
Uniformed personnel and the poorest families in the Philippines will be prioritized in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated in a taped public address aired on Tuesday.
GMA News

Duterte tells VP: Don’t add fuel to the fire
President Duterte has asked Vice President Leni Robredo “not to add fuel to the fire” following her criticisms of the government’s coronavirus response, saying his death won’t solve the country’s problems.
Manila Bulletin, GMA News

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Duterte holds self responsible for accounting of billions of COVID-19 funds
President Rodrigo Duterte has assured the public that the billions of pesos the government is spending to address the COVID-19 pandemic will be accounted for.
GMA News

Duterte assures those stealing coronavirus relief funds will ‘go to prison’
Insisting the government’s coronavirus budget is not a “blank check,” President Duterte has vowed to take responsibility for the accounting of all public funds spent in the fight against the pandemic.
Manila Bulletin, Rappler

Corrupt Philhealth officials must be prosecuted, jailed — Duterte
President Duterte is determined to run after Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) officials involved in corruption and hold them accountable in the remainder of his term.
Manila Bulletin

Duterte to gov't agencies: Publish transactions in newspapers
President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said he wants transactions of various government agencies to be publicized amid allegations of corruption hounding PhilHealth.
GMA News, ABS-CBN News

Duterte asked to create PhilHealth interim management committee
President Duterte has been asked by the task force investigating anomalies at the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to create an interim management committee at the state-run insurer.
Manila Bulletin

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Duterte denies involvement in proposed revolutionary gov’t by supporters
President Duterte said on Tuesday that he is not involved in the proposed establishment of the revolutionary government.
Manila Bulletin, Rappler, GMA News

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Duterte lashes out at Customs exec who also has post at DBP
A former Customs official has become the latest official to bear the brunt of President Rodrigo Duterte's anger for allegedly being corrupt.
GMA News, ABS-CBN News

Name-dropped by Duterte, ex-Customs exec Jumamil denies corruption allegation
Lawyer Teodoro Jumamil has denied corruption allegations made by President Rodrigo Duterte, saying his former and current superiors could vouch for his character.
GMA News

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Palace urges health workers to gain experience in Philippines amid calls to lift deployment ban
Malacañang has asked healthcare workers to apply for positions under the government’s emergency hiring program amid the COVID-19 crisis despite calls to allow them to seek better opportunities abroad.
GMA News

Cabinet members welcome congressional approval of proposed Bayanihan 2
Some Cabinet members on Tuesday welcomed Congress' approval of the proposed Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, which seeks to sustain the government's COVID-19 response and aid sectors crippled by the pandemic.  
GMA News

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

As if Philippines has no leader amid COVID-19, says Robredo
Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday night accused the Duterte administration of having no clear direction as the country grapples with the impact on Filipinos of the COVID-19 pandemic.
GMA News

PPE makers back Robredo call for more gov't aid for small businesses
Several manufacturers of safety gear against COVID-19 on Tuesday backed Vice President Leni Robredo in her call for additional assistance from the national government for small businesses struggling during the pandemic. 
ABS-CBN News

ELECTION RELATED

DISASTER

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

Group proposing revolutionary gov’t not liable for inciting to sedition — DILG
The group proposing the formation of a revolutionary government may not be cited for inciting sedition as its advocates are merely exhibiting their freedom of expression.
Manila Bulletin

Calls for revolutionary gov’t could affect PH fiscal position — Gatchalian
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said on Tuesday calls for a revolutionary government could affect the country’s fiscal position.
Manila Bulletin

Pangilinan urges Malacanang to outrightly reject revolutionary gov’t and focus on pandemic
Opposition Senator Francis N. Pangilinan on Tuesday urged Malacanang to undertake steps to stop proponents of  a revolutionary government that only distracts efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).      
Manila Bulletin

EDITORIAL - Revolutionary government
President Duterte has distanced himself from the proposal of some of his supporters to create a revolutionary government, which can then railroad an overhaul of the Constitution to pave the way for a shift to federalism.
Philippine Star

Revolutionary government calls add fuel to the fire, not VP Leni —Akbayan Youth
It’s not Vice President Leni Robredo’s words that add fuel to the fire, but it’s the calls from President Duterte’s supporters for a revolutionary government, a youth group said on Tuesday.
Manila Bulletin

JUDICIARY

LEGISLATIVE

Senate of the Philippines

Senate to tackle stimulus measures to help banks, financial institutions ride out COVID-19 impacts
The Senate will start tackling on Wednesday, August 26, stimulus measures to help banks and financial institutions ride out the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Manila Bulletin

Hontiveros urges Congress to pass Magna Carta for Seafarers
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday pushed for more comprehensive reintegration programs and free legal assistance to Filipino seafarers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Manila Bulletin

Go prods PSA on PhilSys implementation, says nat’l ID long overdue
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Tuesday reminded the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to ensure the prompt and successful implementation of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) that is a key component to averting fraudulent transactions and misrepresentations as well as in improving the efficiency, transparency, and responsiveness in the delivery of essential government services. 
Manila Bulletin

Senators pushing for medical schools in SUCs
Senators are pushing for the establishment of more medical schools in state universities and colleges (SUCs) to help increase the number of doctors in the Philippines.
Manila Bulletin

House of Representatives

House logs 52nd COVID-19 case
The House of Representatives recorded the 52nd coronavirus disease (COVID-19) case among its personnel on Tuesday. According to House Secretary-General Jose Luis Montales, the 52nd patient  is a congressional staffer who last went to the House on June 15.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Creation of eCommerce Bureau gets Appropriations committee approval
The House Committee on Appropriations swiftly approved Tuesday (August 25) a substitute measure seeking the creation of the Electronic Commerce Bureau.
Manila Bulletin

House Appropriations Committee OKs substitute bill granting more benefits to solo parents
In less than 10 minutes, the House Committee on Appropriations approved on Tuesday a substitute measure granting additional benefits to solo parents.
Manila Bulletin

Bill granting custom duties exemption to donations to proposed Creative Arts System pushed in Congress
The House Committee on Ways and Means has swiftly approved a substitute bill seeking to exempt from custom duties materials that will be donated to the proposed Philippine High School for Creative Arts (PHSCA) System.
Manila Bulletin

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

DEFENSE AND SECURITY

Armed Forces of the Philippines

Philippine National Police

6 retiring PNP officials receive PMA Alumnus Award
Six senior police officials who are set to bow out of service in the next few months were given retirement honors at Camp Crame in Quezon City as it is prohibited at their alma mater, the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).
Manila Bulletin

PNP Region 12 welcomes 319 new policemen
The Police Regional Office (PRO)-12 (Soccsksargen) has hired an additional 319 police officers under the second cycle of its continuing recruitment program.
Manila Bulletin

BUDGET, FINANCE, and TAXATION

DBM submits proposed P4.5-trillion 2021 budget to lawmakers
The Department of Budget and Management submitted to lawmakers on Tuesday the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado said.
ABS-CBN News

BUSINESS, ECONOMY AND INVESTMENTS

Asia stocks rise, spurred by hopes for COVID-19 treatment
Asian shares were mostly higher Tuesday as investors hung onto hopes the coronavirus pandemic may come under control as treatments get developed.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Review trade policies amid Covid-19 for economic survival
With an already anxious global trade landscape devastated by Covid 19, is the World Trade Organization (WTO) still relevant? This is practically the gist of a Chatham House online story, which I came across while writing this piece for our legislators and government policy leaders to consider amid the pandemic, as the global economy drifts toward Social Darwinism.
Business Mirror

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD and PUBLIC WORKS

OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

AUDIT, GRAFT, AND CORRUPTION

Civil service boss told commissioners to hide PhilHealth case info, says exec
Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chairperson Alicia dela Rosa Bala ordered commissioners not to disclose to lawmakers the details of pending administrative cases faced by officials of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), according to one commissioner.
Rappler, GMA News

PhilHealth’s legal sector a ‘very ripe source’ of irregularities — DOJ chief Guevarra
The legal department of PhilHealth would have the special attention of the task force leading the probe on alleged irregularities, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said. 
GMA News

Senate report exposes PhilHealth exec's 'office nightclub' scene in birthday party
As a birthday present, one Philippine Health Insurance Corp (PhilHealth) executive received an "enormous box" right in his office, and out came a scantily dressed dancer who then gyrated before him in a sexy show. 
ABS-CBN News

FOREIGN RELATIONS  

PH embassies, consulates to remain open during COVID-19 pandemic: DFA
Philippine embassies and consulates will remain open even as the COVID-19 pandemic persists, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Tuesday. Locsin said he has instructed personnel in overseas posts to work in shifts so consulates need not close if a staffer contracts the virus. 
ABS-CBN News

West Philippine Sea

‘Establish strategic framework to address China’s moves in West PH Sea’ — Sen. Hontiveros
Malacañang should heed top government and military officials’ call for the exercise of stronger political will in fighting China’s continued aggression in the West Philippine Sea, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said on Tuesday.
Manila Bulletin

LABOR

Livelihood loan program for balikbayan OFWs eyed by OWWA
The Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA) is set to roll out next month a “group livelihood” assistance program for repatriated and returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) where up to P1 million in loans will be given to business venture proponents.
Manila Bulletin

TRANSPORTATION

No plan to turn EDSA into a toll road –Palace
The government has no plans to impose a toll on motorists passing EDSA, a major thoroughfare in Metro Manila, Malacañang said Monday.
Manila Bulletin

HEALTH

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

EDUCATION

DepEd to hire retired, displaced private school teachers as tutors
The Department of Education (DepEd) said teachers from private schools who were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will be among priorities when it starts hiring para-teachers or tutors for blending/distance learning.
Manila Bulletin

DepEd assures education for out-of-school youth, adults to continue amid pandemic
Despite the lower number of enrollees under its Alternative Learning System (ALS) this upcoming school year, the Department of Education (DepEd) assured it will continue to offer the same to the country’s out-of-school youth and adults.
Manila Bulletin

US, Philippines renew CHED-Fulbright scholarship program
Faculty members of Philippine colleges and universities can pursue graduate studies in the United States under a renewed scholarship program, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said on Tuesday.
ABS-CBN News

WATER and ENERGY

Projection of ‘Luzon-priced’ electricity in Mindanao worries solon
A vice-chairperson of the House Committee on Trade and Industry is crossing her fingers that Mindanao will never get to experience Luzon-level electricity rates, which is what the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) is projecting for the near future.
Manila Bulletin

Malampaya fuels up PH economy—lawmakers
The “power bloc” of the House of Representatives said that the Supreme Court is critical in making sure that the energy future of the Philippines is stable and secure, as they also cited the Malampaya power plant as a platform that significantly fuels up the economy and could thus be seen as long-term national partner in this regard.
Manila Standard

POVERTY

SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT

DSWD gives LGUs one more week to validate recipients of SAP 2
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has extended for a week the deadline for the local government units (LGUs) to complete the uploading of over 97,000 Social Amelioration Card (SAC) forms of beneficiaries for the second tranche distribution of emergency cash subsidies, and the validation of more than 154,000 beneficiaries.
Manila Bulletin

DSWD ready to submit expenditure report on P207.6-B SAP
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) nodded Tuesday (August 25) to President Duterte’s directive to submit an accounting of the P207.6 billion earmarked for the implementation of the first and second tranche distributions of emergency cash subsidies under the national government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP). 
Manila Bulletin

HOUSING and SETTLEMENT

TOURISM

DOT lauds bicameral panel support for struggling tourism MSMEs
After the budget realignment fiasco, the Department of Tourism (DOT) expressed its deep gratitude to the bicameral conference committee for approving allocation for losing tourism enterprises under the Bayanihan To Recover As One Act or Bayanihan 2 bill.
Manila Bulletin

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY