by Pathricia Ann V. Roxas, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Aug 28, 2019 MANILA, Philippines – Health Secretary Francisco Duque III admitted on Wednesday that the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) law nationwide by 2020 is not possible due to lack of funding and preparedness.

by Andrew J. Masigan (The Philippine Star) – Aug 28, 2019 President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11360 or the Service Charge Law earlier this month. The law mandates hospitality establishments like hotels and restaurants to distribute 100 percent of service charges to its rank and file employees. The law is not clear whether…

by Czeriza Valencia (The Philippine Star) – Aug 28, 2019 MANILA, Philippines — The immediate passage of the CITIRA (Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act) bill and the further easing of restrictions on foreign investments will enable FDI to recover after the record slowdown in May, economic managers and bank economists said yesterday.

Potential new source of revenue, official says By: Ben O. de Vera, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Aug 27, 2019 As more travelers and even those who go on “staycation” now book their accommodations online through Airbnb, the taxman is looking into tighter monitoring of tax compliance of Airbnb property owners.

by Louella Desiderio (The Philippine Star) – Aug 27, 2019 MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will continue to push for a longer transition period on the rationalization of fiscal incentives when the proposed second package of the government’s comprehensive tax reform program is tackled at the Senate.

By Samuel P. Medenilla, Business Mirror, Aug 27, 201924 Thousands of workers march toward the Presidential Palace in Manila to pay tribute to workers in celebration of International Labor Day, May 1, 2019.

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by Christia Marie Ramos, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Aug 27, 2019 MANILA, Philippines — The creation of a separate Department for Overseas Filipinos might send the wrong message, Sen. Joel Villanueva said on Tuesday.

By: April Lynn Tan, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Aug 26, 2019 Property companies are among the worst performers in the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) this August. The main reason for their poor performance is news that China wants the Philippines to ban online gambling, a request it made after it lauded the Philippine Amusement and Gaming…

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by Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star) – Aug 26, 2019 MANILA, Philippines — The Senate committee on agriculture and food is set to start this week its inquiry on the implementation of the Rice Tariffication law, which some critics said has adversely affected farmers.

By Genalyn Kabiling, Manila Bulletin, Aug 26, 2019 The government is planning to spend P35.4 billion to implement the free college tuition program, P20 billion to build classrooms, and P12.6 billion for learning resources next year.

by Gillian M. Cortez, Business World, Aug 25, 2019 A US UNION called for improved workers’ rights and benefits in the Philippine Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector, saying that keeping Philippine compensation low affects work conditions of their US counterparts.

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By Robert Williams, Bloomberg, 23 Aug 2019 More than 30 of the world’s biggest companies signed on to an effort to spread the benefits of economic growth, saying that rising inequality is the “defining challenge of our time.”

by Boo Chanco (The Philippine Star), 23 Aug, 2019 By the reckoning of Agriculture Secretary William Dar, it would take six years for the RCEF (Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund) to make our rice farmers competitive to imports.

by Artemio Dumlao (The Philippine Star), 23 Aug 23, 2019 TABUK CITY, Kalinga, Philippines — A Chinese firm was fined by the regional Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for illegally employing foreign workers in the construction of the P4.3-billion Chico irrigation project in the province.

‘HUMAN TRAFFICKING’ By: Consuelo Marquez, INQUIRER.net, Aug 23, 2019 MANILA, Philippines — Twenty-one victims of alleged human trafficking have been rescued after police agents conducted separate entrapment operations in two spas in Quezon City.

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By Anthony Giron, Manila BUlletin, 22 Aug 2019 IMUS CITY, Cavite — An offshore gaming operation will be put up in this city. Mayor Emmanuel Leonardo Maliksi said on Thursday Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) building will be put up at a mall on Aguinaldo Highway in Barangay Tanzang Luma I.

by ABS-CBN News, 22 Aug 2019 Nasa 184 manggagawang Chinese sa GN Power Coal Plant sa Mariveles, Bataan ang tinamaan ng dengue mula pa noong Enero, ayon sa pamunuan ng planta.

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By: Ronnel W. Domingo, Philippine Daily Inquirer 22 Aug 2019 The Philippines is a “moderately attractive” location for investments, especially among the 122 countries that China has signed agreements with respect to its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

by Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star) 22 Aug 2019 MANILA, Philippines — The minimum salary of domestic workers in Mimaropa will increase this month.

by JULIET C. REVITA, Sun Star, 22 Aug 2019 THE Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (Iacat)-Davao said 38 cases of human trafficking, involving mostly minors, have already been resolved, resulting in the conviction of the suspects, including 10 foreign nationals.

by BEN KRITZ, Manila Times, Aug 22, 2019 THE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and the Department of Finance (DoF) have been at odds for months over the latter’s proposal, contained in the second package of the comprehensive tax reform program (CTRP) currently stalled in Congress, to rationalize fiscal incentives. Because somebody at PEZA does…

by Bilyonaryo, 21 Aug 2019 Four of the country’s biggest banks were forced to book massive impairment losses after the bankrupt Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Philippines defaulted on their combined $412 million loans.

By MAITA DE JESUS, LA, GMA News, Aug 21, 2019 It all started when Rach’s dad suffered a heart attack in 2013. He managed to recover in a few months, but things took a turn for the worse in 2016. For two years, he was in and out of the hospital due to his heart…

By: Christia Marie Ramos, INQUIRER.net, 21 Aug 2019 MANILA, Philippines — After the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) suspended the issuance of new applications for Philippine off-shore gaming operators (Pogos), China has called on the Philippines to take it a step further with a ban on all online gambling operations in the country.

Norwegian review of 36,000 cases links more activity overall, light or intensive, with lower risk of death by Nicola Davis, 21 Aug 2019 Even a small increase in light activity, such as washing dishes, a little gentle gardening, or shuffling around the house, might help stave off an early death among older adults, researchers say.