Monthly Archives: February 2020

by Businessworld, 7 Feb 2020 THE PHILIPPINES has space to adopt expansionary fiscal and monetary policy if risks to economic growth emerge, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said, even as it expects expansion to improve this year amid downside risks.

By CNN Philippines Staff, 7 Feb 2020 The Department of Trade and Industry will soon allow vendors to sell face masks at higher prices amid rising cost of raw materials.

By: Tetch Torres-Tupas, INQINQUIRER.net, 7 Feb 2020 MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to conduct an investigation and case build-up on the alleged involvement of Bureau of Immigration (BI) officials and personnel in human trafficking activities and escort services.

The defendant pleads guilty to 4 cases involving the trafficking of children for online sexual exploitation by Ryan Macasero, 7 Feb 2020 CEBU CITY, Philippines – A 22-year-old Filipina from Lapu-Lapu City was sentenced Wednesday, February 5, to 17 years and 4 months in prison for 4 counts of online sex trafficking.

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by Dona Magsino/LBG, GMA News, 6 Feb 2020 Married couples in the Philippines do not need divorce law as legal remedies for separation is already available, according to an official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines on Thursday.

By BusinessMirror, 6 Feb 2020 GLOBAL think tanks and credit watchers agree that the novel coronavirus (nCoV) now wreaking havoc on China and other countries in Asia-Pacific could dent economic growth in the region.

By Recto Mercene, Business Mirror, 6 Feb 2020 Seven women allegedly attempting to leave the country using bogus travel documents were nabbed by immigration authorities, while they were about to board a Cebu Pacific flight to Dubai last Thursday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).

By The Manila Times, 6 Feb 2020 THE 2019-novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) acute respiratory disease is likely to slow down the Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) growth by 0.3 percent for the whole year, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno revealed on Thursday.

by Helen Flores (The Philippine Star), 5 Feb 2020 MANILA, Philippines — The number of jobless Filipinos dropped by around 2.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, according to the latest survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

by Mary Grace Padin (The Philippine Star), 5 Feb 2020 MANILA, Philippines — The spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV) may create a temporary adverse impact on the local tourism industry as well as the export sector, according to the Department of Finance (DOF).

by Rudy Santos, Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star), 5 Feb 2020 MANILA, Philippines — Thousands of Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong and Macau fear losing their jobs amid the travel ban imposed by the Philippines for China and its special administrative regions.

by Rainier Allan Ronda, Rudy Santos, Paolo Romero, (The Philippine Star), 5 Feb 2020 MANILA, Philippines — Cabinet secretaries yesterday tried to shift the blame during a Senate hearing where it was learned that only 58 out of 331 passengers on three flights from China that carried the first fatality from the novel coronavirus acute…

by Czeriza Valencia (The Philippine Star), 5 Feb 2020 MANILA, Philippines — Despite its immediate impact on tourism and travel, the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country is not expected to slowdown economic growth this year as domestic consumption is still expected to be robust alongside government spending, the country’s chief economist said.

There are many things to fear because of the outbreak, but also a few good lessons for our children By: Audrey Tan-Zubiri, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 5 Feb 2020 My 5-year-old has a new word, and it is the same one that is on everyone’s mind these days: “coronavirus.”It seems nobody can ignore the threat of…

by Philippine Daily Inquirer, 5 Feb 2020 MANILA, Philippines — Rice farmers in Central Luzon will receive P5,000 each as the Department of Agriculture (DA) readies a P575-million fund for distribution through its Rice Farmers Financial Assistance.

5 Feb 2020 The rice tariffication law (RTL) turns one year old on Feb. 14. The government credits the law for giving Filipino consumers access to cheaper rice and for helping to bring down the inflation rate from the high levels of 2018.

by RSJ, GMA News, 5 Feb 2020 Philippine manufacturing fell for the 13th straight month in December, data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Wednesday showed.

by Alexis Romero (Philstar.com), 5 Feb 2020 MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has approved a program that seeks to review the K to 12 program and enhance the skills of teachers after the Philippines got low scores in an international study that gauged students’ knowledge in reading, science and mathematics.

By: Ben O. de Vera, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 4 Feb 2020 Japan is beating China in providing financial assistance to the Duterte administration’s ambitious “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program as Beijing itself had been slow in approving financing deals, the country’s chief economist said.

by Louella Desiderio (The Philippine Star), 4 Feb 2020 MANILA, Philippines — Amid a surge in demand and tight supply of face masks following confirmed cases of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the country, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has ordered attached agency Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC) to start sourcing masks from suppliers…

by Peter S. Goodman, The New York Times, 3 Feb 2020 In 2002, when a lethal, pneumonialike virus known as SARS emerged in China, the country’s factories were mostly churning out low-cost goods like T-shirts and sneakers for customers around the world.

By BusinessMirror Editorial, 3 Feb 2020 The human loss is a tragedy; the economic consequences are going to be disastrous. Everyone is an expert with 20/20 hindsight. Nonetheless, some of us need to start thinking about what the future may look like.

by Czeriza Valencia (The Philippine Star), 3 Feb 2020 MANILA, Philippines — The effect of the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus on industry will be more clearly seen this month with the service sector expected to take the initial impact, said London-based Capital Economics.

By: Marlon Ramos, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 03 Feb 2020 MANILA, Philippines — Several travel agencies should be held criminally liable for facilitating the visas of Chinese women who have fallen prey to prostitution rings catering to male Chinese workers of Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos), according to Sen. Risa Hontiveros.

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by Mary Grace Padin (The Philippine Star), 2 Feb 2020 MANILA, Philippines — Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has condoned almost P700 million in penalties under its loan restructuring program, helping inactive members pay off their outstanding debt with the state-run fund.

By William B. Depasupil, Manila Times, 1 Feb 2020 THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) is encouraging employers and business establishments to be flexible and compassionate in granting additional leave with pay to workers who need to take a leave of absence because of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

By Mayvelin U. Caraballo, TMT, Manila Times, 1 Feb 2020 Amid the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) scare in the country, private analysts have shared the view of the government’s economic managers that the outbreak would only have a minimal impact on Philippine economic growth.