Monthly Archives: May 2020

By: Ben O. de Vera, Jovic Yee, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 21 May 2020 MANILA, Philippines — The government’s economic team has proposed to hire 136,000 contact tracers to boost the efforts of the Department of Health (DOH) to halt the spread of the new coronavirus in the Philippines.

by Associated Press, 21 May 2020 MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has emerged as a global hot spot for online child sexual exploitation, and coronavirus lockdowns that restrict millions to their homes may be worsening the abuses, a U.S. official said Thursday.

by Gabriel Pabico Lalu, 21 May 2020 MANILA, Philippines — The number of Filipinos who were hungry because of lack of available food nearly doubled while most areas were under the COVID-19 lockdowns, a survey from Social Weather Stations (SWS) noted.

by Katrina Hallare, 21 May 2020 MANILA, Philippines — There will be no merit scholarships that the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) will be granting this school year because of budget constraints in relation to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the commission head said Thursday.

by Ben O. de Vera, 21 May 2020 Faster food price inflation amid the COVID-19 lockdown last April hurt the pockets of poor families as they had to shell out more despite many of them losing jobs and relying on government dole outs.

WITHIN 3 YEARS By JAMIL SANTOS, GMA News, 21 May 2020 A recent study revealed that the estimated prevalence rate of internet-based child sexual exploitation in the Philippines more than tripled within three years.

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By Kris Crismundo, PNA, 21 May 2020 MANILA – Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo said seven foreign companies with businesses in China have diversified their operations in the Philippines.

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by Syahirah Syed Jaafar, 21 May 2020 KUALA LUMPUR (May 21): The Asean Business Advisory Council (Asean BAC), together with various business councils, is urging for the establishment of a high-level special commission to better coordinate the Covid-19 response and post-pandemic economic recovery across Southeast Asia.

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by Andrew J. Masigan (The Philippine Star), 20 May 2020 As of last month, our economic managers were still hopeful that the economy would grow by three percent in the first quarter and -.8 percent to +2.5 percent for the whole year. Well, to everyone’s great disappointment, the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) reported that…

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By Jen Christensen, CNN, 20 May 2020 Containers of Johnson’s baby powder made by Johnson and Johnson are displayed on a shelf on July 13, 2018 in San Francisco, California. A Missouri jury has ordered pharmaceutical company Johnson and Johnson to pay $4.69 billion in damages to 22 women who claim that they got ovarian…

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by Anna Bueno and Jessamine Pacis, CNN Philippines, 20 May 2020 The absence of a meaningful internet connection, especially in unserved and underserved communities, means many workers, learners, and citizens will be excluded. Illustration by JL JAVIER Manila (CNN Philippines Life) — On April 28, Franz Berdida posted on her Twitter account a video of…

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By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad, 18 May 2020 REMITTANCES from Filipinos abroad are likely to continue declining in the coming months after recently posting an eight-month low.

by ABS-CBN News, 18 May 2020 MANILA – Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Monday denied a report that it was collecting 2 million signatures in support of constitutional amendments as the country fought the COVID-19 pandemic.

by Lawrence Agcaoili (The Philippine Star), 18 May 2020 MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is facing a prolonged U or W-shaped recovery as the economy is expected to shrink by up to seven percent this year due to the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 pandemic, according to New York-based think tank Global Source Partners Inc.