COVID-19

Cases

Philippines' COVID-19 recoveries reach 1 million
The Philippines now has 1,087,885 confirmed cases of COVID-19 after 7,733 new infections were reported on Friday, May 7. The Department of Health (DOH) also announced 4,227 new recoveries, raising the country's total recoveries to 1,003,160. Meanwhile, deaths are up by 108, bringing total fatalities to 18,099.
Rappler

Department of Health

DOH notes decrease in samples submitted for COVID-19 testing
Laboratories are receiving a lower number of samples for COVID-19 testing, contributing to the decrease of new COVID-19 cases being reported in the country, the Department of Health (DOH) said Saturday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

DOH cautions doctors on ‘off label’ ivermectin prescription
The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday warned doctors that prescribing ivermectin to combat COVID-19 is would be an “off label” prescription and that they will be held accountable since its current certificate of product registration (CPR) with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is still for its use as an anti-parasitic drug.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Only 8 cases of Sputnik V vaccine minor adverse effects reported – DOH
Only eight recipients of Russian-made Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine have so far experienced minor adverse events following immunization, the Department of Health (DOH) said Saturday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

IATF/NTF COVID-19

Front-liners vital to PH battle vs. Covid-19: Galvez
Without the relentless dedication and sacrifices of every front-liner, the country would not have been able to face the challenges posed by the public health crisis, National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 chief implementer, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., said Friday night.
Philippine News Agency 

2 M more doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine via COVAX arrive in PH
An additional two million doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Saturday afternoon.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Regions

Luzon including NCR

Muslim compound in Ilocos Sur town locked down amid COVID-19 outbreak
At least 53 residents of a Muslim compound in Bantay town in Ilocos Sur province have tested positive for COVID-19, authorities said on Monday, May 3.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Covid-19 recoveries in C. Luzon breach 80K-mark
The total number of patients who recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in Central Luzon has breached 80,000 since the onset of the pandemic last year.
Philippine News Agency 

Ilocos Norte gives over 4K food aid to locked down residents
The provincial government of Ilocos Norte has supplied over 4,000 packages of food assistance to residents affected by a series of lockdowns due to coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infection.
Philippine News Agency 

Visayas

Negros Occidental struggling to control COVID-19 spread
The provincial government of Negros Occidental is facing difficulties in controlling the spread of COVID-19 after its quarantine facilities are now nearly in full capacity.
Manila Bulletin

Mindanao

World 

Vaccinate those at risk worldwide before children – WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday urged governments to refrain from vaccinating children against coronavirus until the elderly and at-risk worldwide have received the vaccine.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Ibuprofen does not worsen COVID-19 symptoms: study
Taking anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen does not increase the risk of developing a severe form of COVID-19 or of dying from it, according to a new study, the largest so far on this class of medicines.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Britain labels coronavirus ‘variant of concern’ linked to travel from India
British health officials on Friday labeled a coronavirus variant first found in India a “variant of concern” due to evidence it spreads more easily, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying the situation needed careful handling.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Brazilian firm to produce Russian vaccine without regulatory approval
The Brazilian pharmaceutical company that plans to produce Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine will start making it next week even before health regulator Anvisa gives approval for use in Brazil, the company’s chief executive said on Friday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Diplomatic, Development and Private Sector 

Philippines toughens screening protocols on arriving travelers
A revised screening protocol is imposed by the Philippines on inbound travelers to enable early detection of any COVID-19 infections among them. 
ABS- CBN News

Incidents and Violations

Editorial, Analysis, Opinion and Features

Neglected front liners
Medical workers, teachers and other government employees have been at the forefront of the government’s attempt to defeat the coronavirus pandemic, many of whom have fallen ill to the disease and have died. But the distribution of some of their benefits, such as hazard pay and performance based bonus, have never been as delayed as this year.
Kodao Productons 

Looking For A Bed For Daddy Lolo: Inside The Philippines' COVID Crisis
Eighty-year-old Nardo Samson, a retired policeman, lay dying in the back of a makeshift ambulance. It was nearly Easter. A surge in coronavirus cases triggered yet another lockdown in the capital Manila, where a confusing patchwork of quarantines to contain the virus persists.
National Public Radio (NPR)

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Palace: Philippines to get at least 7 million COVID-19 shots in May
The Philippines will receive at least 7 million COVID-19 shots this May, Malacañang said on Friday.  Authorities earlier Friday took delivery of 1.5 million coronavirus vaccine doses from Beijing-based Sinovac Biotech. On Saturday, the Philippines is set to get 2 million more COVID-19 shots from Oxford-AstraZeneca through the vaccine-sharing COVAX Facility. 
ABS- CBN News

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

Robredo, siblings own residential property in Camsur town; land purchase 'not linked to 2022 plans'
Vice President Leni Robredo owns a residential property in Magarao, Camarines Sur, but her spokesperson clarified it’s not intended for her supposed 2022 political plan to run for governor in her home province.
Manila Bulletin

Robredo was outside De Lima’s jail cell? No, VP says photo ‘altered’
It seems Vice President Leni Robredo can’t catch a break from fake news.On Saturday, May 8, Robredo asked her Facebook followers to report those who doctored the image of a house being built under the Angat Buhay project in Lupi, Camarines Sur.
Manila Bulletin

AUDIT, GRAFT, AND CORRUPTION

BUDGET, FINANCE, and TAXATION

China Bank assures buffer in place to absorb future shocks
Sy family-led China Banking Corp. sees itself in a good position to absorb future shocks and lead stakeholders into the postpandemic era.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

BUSINESS, ECONOMY AND INVESTMENT

PH exports, imports bounced back in Q1
The Philippines’ trade in goods with the rest of the world rose 5 percent year-on-year to $43.1 billion in the first quarter of the year amid an overall recovering global economy from last year’s pandemic-induced recession.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Factory output fell by more than 73% in March
The country’s total manufacturing output slid by 73.4 percent year-on-year in March, the fastest drop in seven months, mainly due to the temporary closure of the only remaining oil refinery in the Philippines.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Risk aversion keeps investors away from PH bourse; stocks down
The local stock barometer ended the week on a sluggish note as investors remained generally averse to risk-taking, keeping in mind uncertainties over domestic economic prospects and the COVID-19 vaccination rollout.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD and PUBLIC WORKS

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

DISASTER AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE

ITCZ to bring rains over Mindanao
Parts of Mindanao will have some rains on Saturday brought by the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ). In its 4 a.m. daily weather bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms brought by the ITCZ will prevail over the Eastern Visayas, Caraga, Northern Mindanao, and Zamboanga Peninsula regions, as well as the provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.
Philippine News Agency 

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

DEFENSE AND SECURITY

Armed Forces of the Philippines

Multi-role jet fighters acquisition program on track: Lorenzana
The program for the acquisition of multi-role fighter (MRF) aircraft remains on track as these aircraft are urgently needed in defending the country's airspace, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said. 
Philippine News Agency 

Philippine National Police

New PNP chief reshuffles Command Group’s 3 top posts
New Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, on Friday ordered the immediate reorganization of the three top posts of the Command Group.
Philippine News Agency 

EDUCATION
 
INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY  
 
ELECTION RELATED

‘ISDA’ holds month-long outreach to mark Sara’s birth month
Members of “Inday Sara Duterte Ako (ISDA) volunteer support group have lined up several outreach activities during the whole month of May in celebration of Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Z. Duterte’s birth month,.
Philippine News Agency 

Group partners with Comelec to promote voter registration
A non-partisan group is partnering with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the conduct of an online and offline information campaign that aims to encourage Filipinos to register and participate in the May 9, 2022 National and Local Elections (NLE).
Philippine News Agency 

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Popular opposition halts a bridge project in a Philippine coral haven
Activists, indigenous groups, and marine experts say the project would threaten the rich coral biodiversity in the area as well as the historical shipwrecks that have made the area a prime dive site
Rappler

LABOR

DOLE rejects one of Debold’s last schemes; KMU hails stoppage of ‘evil attempt’
General Debold Sinas may not get everything he wants after all as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) rejected the implementation of one of his last projects as outgoing chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Kodao Productons 

HK to review mandatory vaccine policy for foreign helpers amid discrimination concerns
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has suspended its new measure requiring all foreign domestic helpers to get vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) before their contracts can be renewed following discrimination concerns.
Manila Bulletin

LEGISLATIVE

Senate of the Philippines

Gatchalian pushes tax cuts for employees to offset work-from-home expenses
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian proposed on Saturday, May 8, deductions to taxes imposed on workers who have been telecommuting to make up for their expenses for working at home.
Manila Bulletin

House of Representatives

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)

DILG pushes for use of StaySafe.PH in CAR
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) is urging government agencies and establishments in the region to adopt the "StaySafe.PH" as a contact tracing system for their clients.
Philippine News Agency 

OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

FOREIGN RELATIONS  

West Philippine Sea

PRRD's UN speech 'supreme expression' of PH policy on WPS
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday it would implement President Rodrigo R. Duterte's policy statement before the United Nations, reaffirming Manila's commitment to the 2016 arbitral award in the South China Sea.
Philippine News Agency 

Biazon: West Philippine Sea dispute a 2022 presidential election issue
Amid the word war between President Duterte and retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, Muntinglupa Representative Rozzano ‘’Ruffy’’ Biazon on Saturday, May 8, said the West Philippine Sea (WPS) should be a high priority issue in the coming 2022 presidential elections.
Manila Bulletin

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

P17-M VCO plant seen to boost Agusan Norte’s coco industry
A PHP17 million virgin coconut oil (VCO) processing plant that is set to rise in Jabonga town in Agusan del Norte is expected to boost the province’s coconut industry.
Philippine News Agency 

Farm groups renew call for declaration of state of calamity
Agricultural groups on Friday renewed calls for President Duterte to place the country in a state of calamity due to the African swine fever (ASF), stressing that emergency funds were needed to mitigate further spread of the hog disease and enable the local livestock industry to recover.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

DA monitoring studies on ivermectin as anti-ASF agent
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is closely monitoring the studies on the efficacy of the  anti-parasitic drug ivermectin and two others against the African swine fever (ASF), Agriculture Secretary William Dar said on Saturday during the Laging Handa Public Briefing.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

HOUSING and SETTLEMENT

POVERTY

SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT

TRANSPORTATION

SWS: Commuters say going to work much harder now compared to pre-pandemic
Commuting to work daily in the Philippines, especially in its busiest hubs, have always been a problem; however, it appears that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated such woes as workers believe going to work has been “very much harder” now.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

TOURISM

WATER and ENERGY

GEOP expansion offers electricity consumers more choice
LAST week, the Department of Energy (DoE) announced that it had approved four more electricity suppliers to be part of the Green Energy Option Program (GEOP). The rapid pace at which the DoE is building the program, after it was stalled for years due to lack of attention, is remarkable and a welcome piece of good news.
Manila Times

City Council to 'consult' Veco, business, consumer groups on electricity cost. Yet, ERC already ordered the firm to explain and, earlier, Veco twice promised to lower rates
THE Cebu City Council has decided that its committee on energy will discuss with Visayan Electric Company (Veco) officials and representatives of Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and local consumer groups the growing complaints against the rise in electricity bills, especially during the pandemic. The date still has to be announced.
Sunstar Cebu

Meralco power rates to increase in May
POWER rates in the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) service area are expected to rise in May with the typical household expected to pay an additional P37 on its monthly bill, the first to not include the refunds for over-recoveries in transmission and other charges, Meralco said.
Business World