COVID-19

Cases

PH posts 3,714 new COVID-19 cases, pushing total to 232,072
The Philippines recorded 3,714 new COVID-19 cases Friday, bringing the total to 232, 072, the Department of Health said. The DoH said 67,786 of these are active cases.
Manila Bulletin, GMA News

18 new COVID-19 cases, among Filipinos abroad – DFA
The Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday, September 4, reported 18 new confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases among Filipinos abroad with no new fatalities recorded across the main geographic regions. 
Manila Bulletin

Department of Health

DOH OKs COVID-19 test specimen collection home service
The Department of Health (DOH) has allowed the “remote collection” of specimens from the homes of individuals suspected to have the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

DOH: No new COVID-19 strain targeting young to middle-aged adults
There is no new strain of the coronavirus that is infecting young to middle-aged adults in the country, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

DoH targets start of Avigan trial on COVID patients this month
The Department of Health is targeting the start of the clinical trials for the Japanese anti-flu drug Avigan on COVID-19 patients this month.
Manila Bulletin

DOH on downward trend of new COVID-19 cases: We wait for 7 days
A Department of Health official said Friday the DOH is still observing the decreasing number of new COVID-19 cases reported in the Philippines, pointing out that a reliable analysis would only be possible if the trend goes on for a week.
GMA News

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DoST acquires COVID monitoring tool developed by Ateneo
The Department of Science and Technology officially acquired today a COVID-19 monitoring tool developed by the Ateneo de Manila University Computing Competency and Research called the Feasibility Analysis of Syndromic Surveillance Using Spatio-Temporal Ediomological Modeler (FASSSTER).
Manila Bulletin

IATF/NTF COVID-19

Año negative for coronavirus but not fully recovered — DILG exec
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año has tested negative for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), an official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Galvez: Home quarantine culprit in widespread coronavirus transmission
Home quarantine of COVID-19 patients, who are showing no symptoms and have mild cases, was the cause of widespread community transmission of SARS Cov2, the virus that causes the disease, according to the chief implementer of the government’s national COVID-19 response.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin

‘Use StaySafe app to facilitate COVID-19 contact tracing,’ Roque urges
Malacañang is hoping that the public will actually download and use the government’s contact tracing application called StaySafe.PH as this is a vital component of the country’s COVID-19 containment and mitigation efforts.
Manila Bulletin

IATF backs no-contact policy on issuance of permits
The government COVID-19 pandemic task force has endorsed a set of guidelines on the issuance of permits while the country continues to grapple with the global health crisis.
Manila Bulletin

‘Hatid Tulong’ head to LSIs: Coordinate with LGUs before going to send-off areas
Locally stranded individuals (LSIs) should coordinate with local government units (LGUs) first before going to send-off areas of the “Hatid Tulong” program, its lead convenor said Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Hatid Tulong head to LGUs: Provide LSIs with temporary shelters
The head of the Hatid Tulog program on Friday appealed to Metro Manila local government units (LGUs) to allocate their covered courts or gymnasiums as temporary shelters for locally stranded individuals (LSIs).
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Regions

Luzon including NCR

Over 400 LSIs still outside Libingan ng mga Bayani —official
More than 400 people hoping to return to their provinces are still stranded outside the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City, an official said Friday.
GMA News

City health staff member among 3 new COVID-19-positive patients in Calapan
A 22-year-old female health staff is among the three new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-positive patients in this city, according to a report on Thursday by the City Health and Sanitation Department (CHSD).
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Tarlac logs 7 new Covid-19 cases, 6 recoveries
The Tarlac Covid-19 Task Force reported on Friday seven new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in this province, bringing the total tally to 209.
Philippine News Agency

Health exec says surging COVID-19 cases in Dagupan City ‘alarming’
Two new cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were recorded in this city on Friday, bringing the total number of active cases to 13, officials said.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Quezon province records 10 COVID-19-related deaths
Ten coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-related deaths were recorded in Quezon province, authorities reported Thursday, Sept. 3.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

QC partners with private companies, NGOs in fight vs COVID-19
Quezon City has partnered with private companies and non-government organizations (NGOs) in handling the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic through promoting proper hygiene to curb its spread and helping residents affected by the crisis.
Manila Bulletin

San Juan City bid to raise more funds affected by tax collection irregularities
Irregularities in the assessment and collection of various local taxes have affected San Juan City’s bid to raise more funds last year, a report of the Commission on Audit has revealed.
Manila Bulletin

Visayas

Negros Occidental board member, 5 front liners test positive for COVID-19
A Negros Occidental board member and five members of the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (DRRMO) in Bago City tested positive for the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Philippine Daily Inquirer

At least 6 cases of COVID-19 recorded in Bohol
At least six fresh cases of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were recorded in Bohol province on Thursday. Gov. Arthur Yap, in a post on Facebook, said the patients and their close contacts were quarantined to prevent the spread of the virus.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

PRO-7 to train Covid-19 contact tracers in Iloilo
The Police Regional Office-7 (Central Visayas) will send a team of trainors to Iloilo to share the best practices in this city’s contact tracing techniques to the front-liners fighting against the rising number of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Philippine News Agency

Mindanao

10.5 billion peso Bayanihan Grant for Mindanao: how much did your town, city or province get and how did they spend the money?
Want to know how much money your city, town and province received from the Bayanihan Grant?  And how did they spend the millions of pesos intended to be “exclusively used for … COVID-19-related programs, projects, activities (PPAs) and expenses.”
Mindanews

29 Zambo elderly home occupants positive for Covid-19
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said 29 occupants at the agency’s home for the elderly were found positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Philippine News Agency

South Cotabato gets high-risk tag for COVID-19
South Cotabato province is now considered as a “high-risk” area for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Soccsksargen or Region 12, but officials assured the public that the “situation is still under control.”
Mindanews

Diplomatic, Development and Private Sector 

PH Red Cross opens 20th molecular lab in Zamboanga City
Stressing the importance of molecular laboratories in the country’s fight against COVID-19, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) today opened its 20th laboratory in the country and the first in Mindanao at the Pettitt Barracks, Zamboanga City.
Manila Bulletin

Incidents and Violations

Underground COVID-19 hospitals exclusive for Chinese patients probed by CIDG
The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) is looking into the reported continued operation of some underground hospitals that are exclusively catering to Chinese patients infected with COVID-19.
Manila Bulletin

Manila cops uncover another case of faking COVID-19 test results
Police on Friday collared another suspect involved in producing fake results of rapid tests for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and other falsified public documents.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Editorial, Analysis, Opinion and Features

Philippines' COVID-19 cases highest in western Pacific
The Philippines has emerged as a hotspot in the western Pacific as novel coronavirus cases surpassed 232,000 on Friday. The health department of the country said in a statement 3,714 new coronavirus cases were reported, bringing the national total to 232,072. At least 160,549 patients have recovered from the illness, with 29% of the total cases are active infections in the country. Capital Metro Manila is the epicenter of the virus.
Anadolu Agency

Tracing apps may stem COVID-19 spread even when only a few use them: Study
Contact tracing apps can sharply reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus even when only a few people use them, a study published on Thursday by researchers at Google and Oxford University showed.
The Jakarta Post

Lawmaker: Where did COVID-19 foreign borrowings go?
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman asked where did the $8 billion foreign borrowings for COVID-19 response go, and questioned the need to do so when the government is able to finance pandemic response through domestic sources.
CNN Philippines

World

Southeast Asia’s Coming COVID-19 Vaccine Windfall
There are risks, but also advantages, to sitting at the center of the intensifying geopolitical tug-of-war between China and the United States. As the world strides forward in the search for an effective coronavirus vaccine, Southeast Asia is set to become the focus of outside powers eager to win the region’s support and neutralize China’s own efforts to claim the mantle of global public health leadership.
The Diplomat

Deaths from COVID-19 are undercounted, WHO says
The World Health Organization said it is clear: COVID-19 deaths are likely undercounted at this time. “What we do know very, very clearly, is that there has been more mortality during this period then the numbers from COVID-19 alone tell us," Dr. Bruce Aylward, senior adviser to the director-general at WHO, said during a Friday briefing.
CNN Philippines

New Zealand reports first COVID-19 death since May
New Zealand Friday has reported first death from COVID-19 since May 24, authorities confirmed. According to the Health Ministry, a man in his 50s, who was part of Auckland cluster, died at Middlemore Hospital. With the new fatality, the country death tally rose to 23.
Anadolu Agency

Is Rakhine A COVID-19 Time Bomb?
ASEAN member state Myanmar confirmed its first case of the coronavirus disease on 23 March. The outbreak seemed under control, with authorities reporting less than 400 confirmed cases by mid-August. Unfortunately, new cases have soared in recent days. Today, Myanmar has reported over 1,000 infections.
The ASEAN Post

Kuwait reports 865 new COVID-19 cases, 88,243 in total
Kuwait on Friday reported 865 new COVID-19 cases and one more death, raising the tally of infections to 88,243 and the death toll to 537, the Health Ministry said in a statement.
Xinhua

COVID-19 outbreak is worsening malnutrition in India
There are warnings the world is on the brink of a "hunger pandemic". Charity Oxfam says up to 12,000 people could starve to death each day because of coronavirus-related restrictions.
Aljazeera

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Malacañang welcomes slowdown of inflation rate; says ensuring stable prices of basic goods ‘a topmost priority’
Malacañang has welcomed the slowdown of the country’s inflation rate, saying ensuring stable prices of basic goods will remain “a topmost priority” of the government. 
Manila Bulletin

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‘Buy all-Filipino products to preserve jobs, support local industries’ — Nograles
Consumers are urged to patronize local food and other products whenever they go to the groceries and markets.
Manila Bulletin

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

ELECTION RELATED

Postponing voter’s registration might cause problems — Comelec
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said postponing the voter’s registration as recommended by the Metro Manila Council (MMC) “might cause problems down the line.”
Manila Bulletin

DISASTER

Quake drills with a twist during pandemic: Duck, cover at home
The country’s disaster response agency will soon hold the quarterly earthquake drill but scale it down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

JUDICIARY

LEGISLATIVE

Senate of the Philippines

Drilon hits ‘very impractical’ plan of MTRCB to regulate content of Netflix, others
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon strongly thumbed down a proposal by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to regulate content on streaming platforms like Netflix as he cautioned the agency against becoming a “tool of censorship.”
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Lapid bill pushes for lifetime ID validity for PWDs with permanent disabilities
Senator Lito Lapid has filed a bill seeking to remove the “superfluous and burdensome” requirement for persons with disabilities (PWDs) who have permanent disabilities to renew their identification cards every three years.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Gatchalian pushes Internet Transactions Act to protect consumers
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said Friday the passage of the proposed Internet Transactions Act will help protect consumers amid the radical changes in the country’s business climate with more online entrepreneurs now registering.
Manila Bulletin

Bong Revilla: My quarantine is done
Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., who tested positive for the coronavirus in early August, completed his quarantine period after a month away from his family.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

House of Representatives

Cayetano: MTRCB call to regulate content in Netflix, other video streaming sites ‘mind-boggling, ridiculous’
The call of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to regulate video content in streaming platforms such as Netflix is “mind-boggling” and “ridiculous,” House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Lawmaker questions proposed P16-B barangay development program
A lawmaker on Friday questioned the government's proposed P16-billion barangay development program for communities "cleared" of insurgency.
GMA News

House panel OKs two bills crucial in fight vs drugs
Two measures deemed instrumental in the government’s campaign against illegal drugs were approved back-to-back by the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs today.
Manila Bulletin

Bill seeking regular drug tests for inmates gets past House panel
A proposed measure to carry out regular drug tests among inmates of the country’s penal facilities has hurdled the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs.
Manila Bulletin

Defensor defends House panel’s bid to grant Duterte emergency powers to save PhilHealth
The chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts defended the House panel’s bid to grant President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers to take swift and decisive action that would save the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) from graft-triggered bankruptcy.
Manila Bulletin

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Task Force PhilHealth ready to submit report to Duterte by Sept. 14 — Guevarra
The task force investigating anomalies at the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is set to conclude its hearings next week. 
Manila Bulletin, GMA News

DEFENSE AND SECURITY

Armed Forces of the Philippines

Philippine National Police

New PNP chief: No major revamp in the offing
Newly-designated Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Camilo Cascolan on Friday said there will be no major reorganization to be implemented in the nation’s police force in the near future.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Building stronger relationship with public is top goal of new PNP Bicol chief
Police Brigadier General Bartolome Bustamante, the new Philippine National Police (PNP) Bicol chief, said on Friday that he would reinforce the “Kasurog Cops,” a police community program that would build stronger relationships with the communities in Bicol.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

QCPD probes shooting incident among cops near Camp Crame
The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) has been ordered to investigate a shooting incident involving a distressed police officer, who even used his son as a shield against responding policemen in a barangay near Camp Crame.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

BUDGET, FINANCE, and TAXATION

BSP mulls selling gold reserves to keep it at 10% of GIR
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is considering to sell some of its gold reserves to reduce its share from the country’s gross international reserves (GIR).
GMA News

DBM: P66M allocated for vaccine ‘solidarity’ trials in 2021
The government is allocating at least P66 million for the Philippines’ participation in the solidarity trials aimed at finding a vaccine against COVID-19 in the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget in 2021.
GMA News

BIR files more tax evasion cases vs. 10 Manila businesses
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) filed criminal complaints against 10 more business taxpayers for their alleged refusal to pay tax debts amounting to more than P420 million.
Manila Bulletin

BUSINESS, ECONOMY AND INVESTMENTS

COVID-19 impact: PH debt to hit P13.7T in Duterte’s last year in office
President Rodrigo Duterte will leave behind a record P13.7 trillion in debt when he steps down in 2022, elevating debt-to-GDP ratio to its highest in 17 years, as the government borrows more in the near-term to fight COVID-19 and revive the economy.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

DTI backs passage of bill protecting Filipino online consumers
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) backed on Thursday the immediate passage of the “Internet Transactions Act” to protect online consumers.
Manila Bulletin

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD and PUBLIC WORKS

OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

AUDIT, GRAFT, AND CORRUPTION

COA reiterates recommendation for disposal of abandoned, surrendered properties to PCGG
The Commission on Audit has reiterated its recommendation for the disposal of all abandoned or surrendered properties to the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) to avoid further depreciation or loss.
Manila Bulletin

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PhilHealth approved P600-M denied hospital claims, alleges Barbers
A lawmaker on Friday questioned PhilHealth's payment of P600 million worth of late claims to hospitals under an amnesty program, saying that such claims cannot turn valid after being initially rejected by the state insurer.
GMA News

PhilHealth denies paying out P600-M in denied claims to hospitals
The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) on Friday belied allegations that it had paid out P600 million in denied claims to hospitals under an amnesty program.
GMA News

FOREIGN RELATIONS  

West Philippine Sea

LABOR

361 OFWs repatriated from Lebanon
A Philippine Airlines flight with 361 Overseas Filipino Workers from Beirut, Lebanon arrived in Manila today.
Manila Bulletin

TUCP urges gov’t to further analyze unemployment data
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) has urged the government to analyze further the unemployment data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), saying “the quality of employment is extremely problematic.”
Manila Bulletin

TRANSPORTATION

DOTr, MMDA to open 3 additional median bus stops on EDSA Busway
The Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority will open three additional median bus stops for the EDSA Busway System Saturday.
Manila Bulletin

HEALTH

DOH: Dengue cases, deaths see ‘sharp decline’ in 2020
The number of dengue cases and deaths in the country has significantly decreased in 2020, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Political will, not emergency powers needed to reform PhilHealth — Lacson
Before resorting to emergency powers to address issues hounding the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), a strong political will is needed starting with the sacking of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Senator Panfilo Lacson said.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

Rice from Vietnam arrives in Iligan, CdeO ports
Rice imported from Vietnam arrived at the ports in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro City, Medardo Sosobrado Jr., acting manager of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) in Iligan said.
Mindanews

EDUCATION

DepEd recommends 1-4 hours screen time for online distance learning
The Department of Education (DepEd) reminded teachers and parents that the screen time for students who will be attending online distance learning (ODL) classes this upcoming school year must be limited to 1-4 hours daily depending on their respective grade levels.
Manila Bulletin

DepEd-NCR gearing up for Oct. 5 school opening
A month before the opening of classes on Oct. 5, the Department of Education-National Capital Region (DepEd-NCR) continues to roll out various initiatives this September to further prepare public schools in Metro Manila.
Manila Bulletin

DepEd, private schools oppose academic freeze amid COVID-19 pandemic
The Department of Education (DepEd) and the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) on Friday said they are against an academic freeze this school year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
GMA News

Students say they have a hard time with online classes
Several private schools have started their online classes and it seems like students are having a tough time coping with the new set up and vented their frustrations on Twitter with the hashtag #AcademicFreeze.
Manila Bulletin

Labor education to be included in higher education curriculum
The Senate is set to start plenary discussions on the measure that would require the inclusion of labor education in the curriculum higher education curriculum to enhance awareness on workers rights. This would, in turn, bring about higher compliance with labor laws as well as lower incidence of violations of workers’ rights.
Manila Bulletin

‘Invest in electronic journal resources,’ DOST urges CHED
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on Friday, Sept. 4, urged the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to invest in electronic journal resources so that researchers in the country’s higher learning institutions (HEIs) could keep up with the latest global developments.
Manila Bulletin

WATER and ENERGY

POVERTY

SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT

HOUSING and SETTLEMENT

TOURISM

Reopening of domestic tourism looms; LGU’s tapped to ensure health, safety — Roque
The national government is working closely with local government units (LGUs) to determine when tourism operations can resume in their areas of jurisdictions, Malacañang said Friday.
Manila Bulletin

PH famous dive spots featured in Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet, the largest travel guide book publisher, has cited two of the country’s famous dive spots as among the six national parks around the world with offer a “surprisingly spectacular diving” experience.
Manila Bulletin

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Dolomite sand project in Manila’s baywalk criticized
An infrastructure-oriented think tank on Friday urged the government to reject the 500-meter Manila Bay white sand project with a P795,000 per meter tag price.
Manila Bulletin

White sand at Manila Bay worth P389M, won't affect ecosystem -DENR
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources today defended from critics its ongoing project to cover the Manila Bay beachfront with “white sand.”
GMA News

‘White sand’ to discourage littering in Manila Bay, says DENR
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources on Friday defended its “white sand” makeover of Manila Bay’s shore, saying it will discourage people from throwing garbage in the area.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Senators express mixed views on DENR’s Manila Bay ‘white sand beach’ project
Senator Joel Villanueva said Friday that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) could have spent its funds for projects that would actually protect the country’s natural resources or were attuned to the current COVID-19 pandemic than investing on its “white sand” beach project along the Manila Bay.
Manila Bulletin

INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY