Every week, Remote Workmate searches for major Philippine stories to share. Here are some of the top headlines from this final week of January 2021.
Cebu City is top 1 again for new COVID-19 cases
Cebu City is once again at the top of the list of local government units (LGUs) with the highest number of new COVID-19 infections.
In the Department of Health data for January 26, 2021, the city is again the top LGU with the most number of cases with 86 as of 9 pm.
DepEd schools to be used as COVID-19 vaccination sites in Pasig City
Public schools will be designated as among the vaccination sites in Pasig in a bid to ensure an organised and fast rollout of coronavirus vaccines, city health officer Joseph Panaligan announced on Tuesday, January 26.
“We asked permission from the regional office to use public schools so the vaccination will be quick and orderly,” Panaligan said during a forum.
Cavite drops China-backed Sangley airport deal
Negotiations for a P500-billion China-funded international gateway on Manila Bay were scrapped on January 27, easing national security concerns over its location close to the Philippine capital but stalling a major project to decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla said his office approved a recommendation by the Special Selection Committee to cancel the award granted to state-run China Communications Construction Co. Ltd. and taipan Lucio Tan’s MacroAsia Corp. on February 12 last year.
Alex Eala whips tournament No. 2 seed in 2nd pro stint of 2021
Filipino tennis phenom Alex Eala is moving on to Round 16 of the second leg of the W15 Manacor ITF Rafael Nadal Academy World Tennis Tour in Mallorca, Spain on January 27.
Just three days after her first professional title, Eala bested tournament second seed Mirjam Bjorklund, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, in their clash.
Philippines protests new China coast guard law
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has filed a diplomatic protest against new China law allowing its coast guard to fire at foreign vessels in Chinese-claimed reefs.
“After reflection, I fired a diplomatic protest,” Locsin tweeted Wednesday.
PH economy plunges by record -9.5% in 2020 as Q4 GDP maintains slump
The Philippine economy shrank by another 8.3% in the last three months of 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cripple consumer spending and business activity, bringing full-year economic growth to -9.5% in 2020.
This brought the overall economic performance for the entire year to -9.5%, the sharpest since the Philippine Statistics Authority started collecting data on annual growth rates in 1946, National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said during a media briefing.
US stresses South China Sea support amid China ‘pressure’
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to the support of Southeast Asian nations in a long-running dispute with China over sovereignty in the South China Sea.
Blinken made the commitment in a phone call with his Filipino counterpart, Teodoro Locsin, on January 27.
Locsin had previously lodged a formal diplomatic protest over China’s decision to allow its coastguard, which is active in the disputed waters, to open fire on foreign vessels.
DFA to go on lockdown after officers catch COVID-19; Locsin to undergo quarantine
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) main building in Pasay City will go on lockdown beginning Jan. 29 until Feb. 2 following confirmed COVID-19 cases among its officers.
DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. announced this on January 28, adding he himself will undergo quarantine after exposure to those infected. He shared the news in response to a tweet by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, whom he spoke to earlier in the day about US-Philippine relations.
