Philippine Headlines This Week – Apr 12 to 16, 2021

We search all over for notable Philippine stories to share and keep you updated about what’s happening on this side of the world.

Here are some of the top headlines from this third week of April 2021.

Severe Tropical Storm Bising enters PAR

On April 16, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration announced:

At 6:20am today, Severe Tropical Storm ‘SURIGAE’ entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility and was assigned the domestic name ‘BISING’.

Lockdown in the Philippines slows spread of virus but devastates jobs

The Philippines is coming out of another lockdown and signs are it may have succeeded in putting a break to an alarming resurgence in coronavirus infections.

While the lockdown prevented about 260,000 new infections and some 4,000 deaths, it also led to at least 130,000 workers in Metro Manila alone losing their jobs and over 50,000 more going hungry.

Peso appreciates on February remittance data

The Philippine peso appreciated against its US counterpart on April 15, following the release of February remittance data.

The local currency gained 5.9 centavos to close at PHP 48.44:USD 1 from April 14’s finish of PHP 48.59:USD 1.

Philippines extends travel curb on foreigners until April 30

The Philippines is extending its ban on the entry of foreign nationals until the end of the month, Malacañang said on April 16, as the country battled a surge in coronavirus infections.

The travel ban, which took effect on March 22, was initially set to end on April 21.

Philippines, US kick off joint military drills amid COVID-19 surge

Credit: Armed Forces of the Philippines via ABS-CBN News

Soldiers from the United States and the Philippines began their annual joint military exercises after the maneuvers were cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The “toned down” exercises kicked off on April 12 at the Armed Forces of the Philippines headquarters in Quezon City, with officials insisting that activities will be conducted “with utmost consideration and compliance to guidelines” set by the Philippine inter-agency task force against COVID-19.

Metro Manila, six provinces to shift to MECQ

Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal will transition to a more relaxed quarantine status beginning April 12 after being placed under the tightest restrictions for two weeks due to a surge in COVID-19 cases.

The Greater Manila area will be placed under the modified enhanced community quarantine until April 30, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced on April 11.

Transport workers, vendors, gov’t workers among next in line for COVID-19 vaccination

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) released a list of the sectors that are next in line for COVID-19 vaccines, following the vaccination of health workers, senior citizens and people with comorbidities.

NEDA Undersecretary Rose Edillon said during a Department of Health briefing that they chose the following economic sectors due to their “high levels of interaction with or exposure to the public.” She said these are workers or individuals “who cannot really maintain a bubble.”

Foreign investments poured into PH in Jan, up by 41.5%, says BSP

The flow of long-term capital between the Philippines and the rest of the world reversed for the better in the first month of 2021 after a sharp drop last year caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the central bank.

In a statement, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said foreign direct investment net inflows grew by 41.5% to reach $961 million in January 2021 from $679 million in January 2020.