We scour the major news outlets for notable Philippine stories to keep you informed about what’s happening on this side of the world.

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

13 staycation hotels open to NCR Plus tourists; Airbnb bookings still prohibited

Over a dozen accredited staycation hotels in Metro Manila are allowed to accommodate guests aged 18 to 65 from the NCR Plus, the Department of Tourism said on May 20.

Allowed to operate are:

• Grand Hyatt Hotel
• Okada Manila Hotel
• Shangri-la at the Fort
• Nobu Hotel
• Joy Nostalg Hotel & Suites Manila
• EDSA Shangri-la Manila
• Solaire Resort
• Hyatt Regency and Nuwa Hotel of City of Dreams
• The Peninsula Manila
• Aruga by Rockwell
• Sheraton Manila Hotel
• Hilton Manila

83% of OFWs still jobless 3 months after returning home

Months after returning home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 80% of Filipino migrant workers were still unemployed, the UN’s migration agency said in a report released on May 20.

The report showed that 83% of the 8,332 OFWs, who were interviewed by the UN agency from September to December 2020, were still searching for a job three months after coming back to the Philippines.

PBA scrimmages still barred in NCR plus

Teams from the Philippine Basketball Association, as well as clubs from other professional leagues, are still not allowed to hold training in the National Capital Region plus.

Games and Amusements Boards chairman Baham Mitra made the announcement, citing a clarification his office received from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

DBCC cuts 2021 growth projection to 6 to 7%

The government’s economic team slashed its 2021 growth projection for the Philippine economy to 6-7% from its previous range of 6.5-7.5%, due to reimposed strict lockdown measures in the National Capital Region Plus where COVID-19 cases surged.

The Cabinet-level Development Budget Coordination Committee also downgraded its growth projection for the country’s GDP next year to 7-9%, down from its previous forecast of 8-10% in DBCC’s December meeting.

DOH: Over 786,000 fully vaccinated against COVID-19

The Philippines has fully vaccinated 786,528 individuals against COVID-19 as of May 18, over two and a half months since the launch of its inoculation campaign, the Department of Health said on May 19.

Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said a total of 3,299,470 doses have been administered across 1,129 active vaccination sites.

Duterte signs DITO franchise; good for 25 years

New telecommunication player DITO Telecommunity will now be able to operate in the next two decades.

This after President Duterte finally signed Republic Act No. 11537, which extended the franchise to Mindanao Islamic Telephone Company Inc., now known as DITO, by another 25 years.

Globe Telecom inks $100-M loan to finance capex

Globe Telecom secured $100 million in debt financing to help fund its 2021 spending. The telco told the local bourse on May 17 that it inked the loan facility with Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited.

“The loan shall be used to finance the company’s capital expenditures,” Globe said in a disclosure.

Daily COVID-19 cases in NCR now down to less than 1,500

The National Capital Region has posted a 27% decrease in COVID-19 cases, with daily cases in the region logging less than 1,500 cases in the past week, a team of researchers reported on May 17.

“The average new COVID-19 cases per day in the NCR decreased by 27% to 1,479 for the period from May 10 to 16, 2021,” OCTA said in its report.

Cebu City opens new vaccination site

The Cebu City Government has started inoculating individuals who belong to the priority sectors using the Pfizer vaccine.

The ceremonial inoculation of the Pfizer vaccine was held at the University of Cebu Senior High School Private Campus located along J. Alcantara Street on May 17.