COVID-19

PH ranks 66th out of 91 countries in suppressing COVID-19 — study
The Philippines ranked 66th out of 91 countries in terms of suppressing the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), a study done by The Lancet, an international medical journal, showed.
Manila Bulletin

Cases

COVID-19 infections top 294,000; death toll rises to 5,091
THE DEPARTMENT of Health (DoH) reported 2,833 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections on Wednesday, bringing the total to 294,591. The death toll rose by 44 to 5,091 while recoveries increased by 765 to 231,373, it said in a bulletin. There were 58,127 active cases, 86.5% of which were mild, 9.2% did not show symptoms, 1.3% were severe, and 3% were critical.
Business World Online

COVID-19 cases among Coast Guard frontliners down to 77
Cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) among Philippine Coast Guard frontliners are now down to 77 as 1,492 of infected personnel have already recovered.
Manila Bulletin

Department of Health



IATF/NTF COVID-19

NAP Phase 3 eyes NCR’s shift to MGCQ and decrease in new COVID-19 cases, deaths
The third phase of the National Action Plan (NAP), the government’s over-all response effort to the COVID-19 pandemic, is now being crafted and it will focus on bringing down further the new confirmed cases and deaths, and the easing of the quarantine status of the National Capital Region (NCR) to modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 announced on Wednesday.
Manila Bulletin

DILG starts deploying contact tracers
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año said Wednesday that 9,285 contact tracers will be assigned in Metro Manila mostly in Quezon City where there are huge numbers of COVID-19 active cases.
Manila Bulletin

Infectious disease expert warns: Lifting quarantine restrictions will be dangerous
An infectious disease expert rejected calls to lift the quarantine restrictions in the country, saying doing so will be “dangerous.”
Manila Bulletin

It’s wrong to claim success when COVID-19 cases continue to rise – Alvarez
Former speaker and incumbent Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez has denied he has already joined the political opposition as what was speculated when he criticized the way the government is addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.
Manila Bulletin

Regions

Luzon including NCR

‘Home quarantine tack for Batangas COVID-19 patients leads to spike’ — Galvez
About 77 percent of the total active cases of COVID-19 in Batangas were subjected under home quarantine which contributed to the spike of infections in the province, an official of the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 disclosed Wednesday.
Manila Bulletin

NCR not ready for MGCQ — expert
An expert from the OCTA Research Team studying the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country said Metro Manila is still not ready to shift to the most relaxed community quarantine despite the continuing downward trend of confirmed cases.
Manila Bulletin

Only quarantine pass holders, APORs allowed to visit cemeteries in QC
Only individuals with quarantine passes and those authorized persons outside residence (APOR) will be allowed to enter cemeteries or columbaria in Quezon City for the upcoming Undas or All Souls’ Day.
Manila Bulletin

Pasay gov’t announces schedule for cemetery visits before closure from Oct. 29 to Nov. 4
The Pasay City government on Wednesday (Sept. 23) issued a scheme allowing 150 persons inside the city’s two public cemeteries who will visit and pay respect to their departed family members starting October 1.
Manila Bulletin

Cemetries in Ilocos Norte to remain open on ‘Undas’
Public and private cemeteries in the province of Ilocos Norte will remain open in time for the observance of All Souls’ Day and All Saints Day, or “Undas”.
Manila Bulletin

Bataan offers cash incentives to villages winning battle vs COVID-19
The provincial government launched a program to compensate with cash incentives villages that maintain zero or reduced cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Rappler

Visayas

96 new COVID-19 cases bloat Eastern Visayas record to 4,263
At least 96 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in Eastern Visayas on Wednesday (Sept. 23), raising the region’s tally of coronavirus infections to 4,263.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Dumaguete adopts DOH order of priority in Covid-19 testing
The city’s Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has adopted the order of priority for administering tests for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) by the Department of Health (DOH).
Philippine News Agency

Lawyers group aids Bacolod City in fight vs. Covid-19
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)-Negros Occidental Chapter has committed to assist the Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Task Force in the legal aspect of the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Philippine News Agency

Mindanao

16 new Covid-19 cases in Cagayan de Oro
SIXTEEN local cases, 10 of whom are close contacts of previously confirmed cases, have tested positive for Sars-CoV-2, which causes the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), City Health Office Epidemiologist Dr. Joselito Retuya reported Wednesday, September 23.
Sunstar Cagayan de Oro

Region 9 class opening unsure due to rising Covid-19 cases
The Zamboanga Peninsula Region 9 office of the Department of Education (DepEd) based in Pagadian City has “disclosed uncertainties in the opening of elementary and secondary schools in several local critical cities and urban and municipalities due to the rising cases of Covid-19,” a top education official noted.
The Manila Times

Airlines to open more Davao-Manila flights
Three more flights will be opened for the Manila-Davao-Manila route following the high demand of air travelers and the improvement of the local government’s capacity to test passengers for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) through reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction machine (RT-PCR) at the Davao International Airport (DIA).
Mindanews

Davao implements ‘one-strike rule’ for establishments violating regulations on liquors
Any business establishments caught violating the regulations on the selling of liquors will be shut down as the local government of Davao enforced a stricter “one-strike rule” to contain the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) following the lifting of the 24/7 ban on alcoholic beverages after nearly six months.
Mindanews

Diplomatic, Development and Private Sector 

PBS seeks support to provide bibles to frontliners
Help give hope to the country’s frontliners amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic by supporting the #SpreadHopeNotFear Bayanihan Campaign of the Philippine Bible Society (PBS).
Manila Bulletin

Incidents and Violations

DILG orders probe on ‘Flatten the Fear’ event organizers for quarantine violations
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Wednesday ordered the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) to investigate the “Flatten the Fear” event of the Concerned Doctors and Citizens of the Philippines (CDCPh) group for supposed violations of quarantine protocols.
Manila Bulletin

Editorial, Analysis, Opinion and Features

Managing the COVID-19 infodemic: Promoting healthy behaviours and mitigating the harm from misinformation and disinformation
The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is the first pandemic in history in which technology and social media are being used on a massive scale to keep people safe, informed, productive and connected. At the same time, the technology we rely on to keep connected and informed is enabling and amplifying an infodemic that continues to undermine the global response and jeopardizes measures to control the pandemic.  
World Health Organization

COVID-19 pandemic: countries urged to take stronger action to stop spread of harmful information
The World Health Organization (WHO) together with the UN, specialised agencies and partners today called on countries to develop and implement action plans to promote the timely dissemination of science-based information and prevent the spread of false information while respecting freedom of expression. 
World Health Organization

COVID-19 and Violence against Women and Children: A Second Research Round Up
COVID-19 has raised the profile of violence against women and children (VAW/C) within the global discourse. Nine months after the emergence of COVID-19, global stakeholders continue to advocate for increased funding and action to mitigate against the risk of violence on vulnerable populations and support survivors. How much have we learned from research since the beginning of the crisis?
Center for Global Development

Impact on workers of COVID-19 is ‘catastrophic’: ILO 
COVID-19 has had a “catastrophic” impact on workers, the head of the International Labour Organization (ILO) said on Wednesday, with lost working hours higher than originally forecast, and equivalent to 495 million full-time jobs globally in the second quarter of the year. 
United Nations

COVID-19 Is Further Disenfranchising China’s Queer Youth
In January of 2020, Fang Tianyu, an employee of a state-owned company in China, moved home to the city of Chengdu because of COVID-19. Fang’s family had made it a point not to speak about her love life since she came out as lesbian two years prior, but quarantine at home changed that. 
The Diplomat

World

Describing COVID-19 Pandemic as Wake-Up Call, Dress Rehearsal for Future Challenges, Secretary-General Opens Annual General Assembly Debate with Vision for Solidarity
World leaders gathered in pre-recorded videos for an unprecedented opening of the General Assembly’s annual general debate today, as the United Nations Secretary-General described the epic upheaval wreaked by COVID-19 across the globe, wiping out decades of development gains and laying down an ultimatum for nations to stand united in weathering the human and economic onslaught.
United Nations

ECDC launches new COVID-19 situation dashboard
ECDC has launched a new COVID-19 situation dashboard, providing users with a simpler, more user-friendly platform to explore the latest available COVID-19 data from Europe and worldwide.
European Center for Disease Prevention and Control

Battle rages inside US hospitals over how Covid-19 strikes and kills
Frontline healthcare workers are locked in a heated dispute with many infection control specialists and hospital administrators over how the novel coronavirus is spread – and therefore, what level of protective gear is appropriate.
The Guardian

Indian gov’t says it has no COVID-19 data, including doctors killed by the virus or firms forced to close
Since India’s Parliament reopened on Sept 14 with social distancing norms, after five months of coronavirus-induced restrictions, its sessions have been anything but smooth sailing.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Begin Covid-19 vaccine trials for children, pediatric specialists say
With the US surpassing 200,000 deaths due to Covid-19, a group of pediatric infectious disease specialists is calling for vaccine trials for children.
CNN Philippines

Will reopening Spanish universities spark a COVID-19 surge?
A recent study in the medical journal The Lancet listed Spain as having one of the highest transmission rates of  COVID-19 in Europe. A recent record surge in infections was linked to social gatherings of young people and as 1.4 million students prepare to return to university across the country, many fear the worst.
CGTN

COVID-19 affects Korean Thanksgiving Day
For the first time in nine years, housewife Yvonne Park will be relaxing over chuseok, or the Korean Thanksgiving Day, instead of toiling over the sink “washing a mountain of dishes the size of Mount Everest”.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

J&J COVID-19 vaccine trial moves into late stage
Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday, September 23, it was entering the final Phase 3 stage of its COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial following positive results in earlier stages.
Rappler

COVID-19 pandemic: Thailand extends electricity, water subsidies for another year
The Thai Cabinet has approved a one-year extension of a scheme to help underprivileged people with their electricity and tap water bills in this Covid-19 situation, government deputy spokeswoman Ratchada Thanadirek said in a Facebook post yesterday (September 22).
Philippine Daily Inquirer

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Duterte affirms PH’s commitment to UN goals despite COVID-19, recession
The Philippines has fallen into a recession due to the coronavirus pandemic but will continue to strive to meet the United Nations’ (UN) sustainable development goals (SDGs), President Duterte declared Wednesday.
Manila Bulletin

Duterte raises PH arbitral win in SCS at UN meet; says any attempt to undermine it will be rejected
President Duterte has raised the country’s arbitral win against China in the South China Sea dispute before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), saying the country rejects any attempt to undermine such an award.
Manila Bulletin

Duterte bats for universal access to safe, effective coronavirus vaccine at UN meet
All countries must be given access to safe and effective coronavirus vaccine once it is developed to address the pandemic, President Duterte said in his maiden address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Manila Bulletin

PH to deploy more women to UN peacekeeping missions — Duterte
President Duterte has thanked the world’s brave peacekeepers and promised to deploy more women to United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions.
Manila Bulletin

Duterte presses UN to implement bold reforms, junk ‘business as usual’ approach
The United Nations (UN) must implement bold reforms to effectively fulfill its mandate of ensuring peace, security, human rights protection, as well as better address challenges arising from the coronavirus pandemic, President Duterte said early Wednesday.
Manila Bulletin

PH committed to ratify UN-backed treaty vs. nuclear weapons
The Philippines is committed to ratify the United Nations-adopted treaty to ban nuclear weapons and hopes that other nations will do it too to prevent mass destruction, President Duterte announced Wednesday.
Manila Bulletin

PRRD promotes rights, protection of migrant workers at UNGA
President Duterte has called for the protection of migrant workers regardless of their status after many have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Manila Bulletin

Dial down the hate, de-escalate tensions, Duterte appeals to warring major world powers
President Duterte has appealed to warring major powers to dial down the hate and avoid escalating the tensions into a nuclear war.
Manila Bulletin

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Palace tells House: ‘Do what you want, but pass budget law by December’
President Duterte is letting members of the House of Representatives settle their leadership issues by themselves but considers it unacceptable if this will delay the passage of the proposed P4.506 trillion for 2021.
Manila Bulletin

‘Lifestyle check ineffective vs. ‘low-key’ officials,’ — Roque
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Ombudsman Samuel Martires made the right decision to stop lifestyle checks on government officials as this is ineffective against those who are able to keep their illegally acquired wealth under wraps.
Manila Bulletin

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‘Medical populism’? Palace says science, data guide Duterte response to COVID-19 pandemic
Science and hard data are guiding the decisions of President Rodrigo Duterte in the country’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Malacañang said Thursday, dismissing the “medical populism” style tag of an international medical journal on the Chief Executive.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

ELECTION RELATED

DISASTER

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

JUDICIARY

LEGISLATIVE

Senate of the Philippines

Senators call for immediate implementation of Bayanihan 2 law
Senator Juan Edgardo  Angara urged on Wednesday the Department of Finance (DOF) and other concerned government agencies to implement the provisions of the Bayanihan 2 law without delay.
Manila Bulletin

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Central Luzon as regional investment, infra hub pushed
Senator Richard J. Gordon has started conducting a public hearing on the bill seeking to create a regional investment and infrastructure hub in Central Luzon.
Manila Bulletin

Hontiveros calls on DBM to reconsider DSWD’s request for feeding program’s additional budget
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday called on the government to increase the budget of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to cover the additional 200,000 children projected to be included in its national feeding program.
Manila Bulletin

House of Representatives

Surigao Sur guv tests positive for Covid-19
Surigao del Sur Governor Alexander T. Pimentel has tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), his chief of staff, Marjorie Pagaran, said Wednesday morning (Sept. 23). Pagaran said the governor is asymptomatic and now under quarantine.
Philippine News Agency

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2 pro-gov’t solons slam oust-Cayetano try
Two senior administration lawmakers have decried reported attempts to oust Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and foment division in the House of Representatives which is supposed to concentrate efforts in swiftly and effectively addressing the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Manila Bulletin

House rigodon in the offing when Velasco assumes speakership
Two partymates of President Rodrigo Duterte who were unceremoniously booted out  from key House of Representatives posts for allegedly plotting to unseat Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano will be given vital roles and influential positions as soon as Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco assumes the speakership.
Manila Bulletin

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‘Create office to protect telco consumers’, solon urges
Northern Samar 1st District Rep. Paul Ruiz Daza has sought the passage of a bill seeking the creation of a new office solely tasked to protect the rights and welfare of consumers in the telecommunications industry. 
Manila Bulletin

House bill seeks to declare funds, key positions of BTVWWII as public
The House Committee on Veterans Affairs and Welfare has endorsed for plenary approval a substitute bill seeking to declare the Board of Trustees of the Veterans of World War II (BTVWWII) as a public office and the funds entrusted to it as public funds.
Manila Bulletin

House panel adopts resolution honoring American quartermaster
The House Committee on Veterans Affairs and Welfare has adopted a resolution seeking to “honor” the heroic acts and gallantry of American war veteran Quartermaster 2nd Class (QM2) Raymond Joseph Olley, and for serving the Philippines against the Japanese during World War II.
Manila Bulletin

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

‘NBI lawyer’s arrest shows gov’t won’t tolerate corruption’ — Guevarra
The arrest of a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) lawyer should serve as a warning that the government will not tolerate corruption, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said on Wednesday, Sept. 23.
Manila Bulletin

NBI lawyer, brother BI officer face raps for asking P200,000 from BI officer tagged in ‘pastillas’ scheme
A National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) lawyer and his brother who works as a Bureau of Immigration (BI) officer are facing complaints before the Department of Justice (DOJ) for asking P200,000 from an immigration officer tagged in the “pastillas” scheme.
Manila Bulletin

Drilon urges NBI to file disbarment case vs. lawyer in alleged ‘pastillas scheme’ bribery attempt
Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon on Wednesday urged the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to immediately file a disbarment case against lawyer Joshua Capiral, whom the NBI arrested in an entrapment operation for alleged bribery and extortion of several individuals who were implicated in the so-called “pastillas” scheme.
Manila Bulletin

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DOJ advisory protecting kids using video conferencing services for online classes cited
Private schools welcomed Wednesday the advisory issued by the Department of Justice Office of Cybercrime to protect children using video conferencing services for online classes.
Manila Bulletin

Ombudsman orders prosecutors to review cases for withdrawal
The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered all of its Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officers (GIPOs) and Assistant Special Prosecutors (ASPs) to review all of their pending cases before the Sandiganbayan and other lower courts as part of “unclogging of dockets” efforts.
Manila Bulletin

DEFENSE AND SECURITY

‘Dito telco a ‘very Filipino’ company,’ says official
Dito Telecommunity Corporation, a new player in the Philippine telecommunications industry that is backed by investors from the People’s Republic of China, is a “very Filipino” company, one of its top officials said on Wednesday.
Manila Bulletin

Armed Forces of the Philippines

Philippine National Police

PNP to give hazard pay to cops on duty in ECQ, MECQ areas since June
Good news for policemen in the frontlines of the country’s fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Manila Bulletin

PNP disowns fake accounts shut down by Facebook
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has disowned the fake accounts shut down by Facebook for what it describes as coordinated inauthentic behavior relating to Philippine politics and campaign against terrorism and local communist insurgency.
Manila Bulletin

BUDGET, FINANCE, and TAXATION

DOF frowns at DSWD’s unspent P10B allocation to help the poor
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said on Wednesday that he was also surprised with the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) decision to save some P10 billion from its allocation for assisting poor households.
Manila Bulletin

BIR revises collection assignment to improve agency’s collection target
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has revised the collection assignment of its field offices nationwide after fiscal authorities further reduced the agency’s target for the year to P1.686 trillion.
Manila Bulletin

BUSINESS, ECONOMY AND INVESTMENTS

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD and PUBLIC WORKS

OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

Aid from foreign friends for PHL Covid-19 response nearly $10B, reports DOF
THE Department of Finance (DOF) has so far secured nearly $10 billion in loans and grants from foreign lenders to fund the government’s Covid-19 response. 
Business Mirror

AUDIT, GRAFT, AND CORRUPTION

FOREIGN RELATIONS  

West Philippine Sea

Palace: Nobody can do anything, nor erase arbitral ruling
Malacañang said there is nothing more that can be done regarding the country’s victory in The Hague ruling that grants the Philippines sovereignty over disputed parts of the South China Sea, emphasizing that it is already part of international law.
Manila Bulletin

Locsin lectures House leader on ‘savage’ style of diplomacy
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Teddy Boy Locsin Jr. lectured a top House of Representatives official who tried to check his use of scathing tweets when pertaining to other nations that the Philippines have territorial disputes with.
Manila Bulletin

LABOR

OFWs to benefit from Qatar’s reform in employment laws
The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) on Wednesday said overseas Filipino workers will benefit from Qatar’s abolition of the “kafala” system.
Manila Bulletin

TRANSPORTATION

HEALTH

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

Amidst COVID-19 pandemic, DA-NFA intensifies “Palay-Buying” for higher income of farmers
Amidst COVID-19 pandemic, farmers nowadays need not be at the mercy of private traders offering low buying of palay as the government through the Department of Agriculture-National Food Authority (DA-NFA) intensified its “Palay-Buying” to increase farmers’ income, DA 13 Regional Spokesperson Emmylou T. Presilda, on Tuesday said.
Manila Bulletin

EDUCATION

Gatchalian urges CHED to fast-track free higher education tuition process
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday urged the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to fast track the automation of reimbursing tuition and miscellaneous fees under the free college education law warning that failure to reimburse these fees soon will result in the schools’ absorption of deficiencies and the passing of costs to students in the years ahead.
Manila Bulletin

WATER and ENERGY

POVERTY

SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT

HOUSING and SETTLEMENT

TOURISM

Boracay’s reopening on Oct. 1 to build momentum for PH domestic tourism — Puyat
The reopening of Boracay Island to more local tourists on October 1 will further build momentum for the country’s domestic tourism, according to Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.
Manila Bulletin

DoT eyes Manila Bay carrying capacity
The Department of Tourism (DoT) is looking at implementing carrying capacity in the now rehabilitated Manila Bay after throngs of visitors took the opportunity to visit the “white sand” project over the weekend.
Manila Bulletin

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

DENR assures it has played a role in fight vs. COVID-19
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said it has ensured to provide its fair share of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) assistance even though it is not tasked to address health and social welfare concerns.
Manila Bulletin

INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY