We look high and low for major Philippine stories to keep you updated about what’s happening on this side of the world.
Here are some of the top headlines from this first week of May 2021.
PAGASA: Metro Manila heat index could hit 38.2 degrees Celsius
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration on May 7 said the heat index or human-perceived temperature in Metro Manila could reach to 38.2 degrees Celsius.
A high heat index could also be felt in the Dagupan station (39 degrees), Laoag (39.1 degrees) and Sangley (39.6 degrees).
Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines may arrive in Philippines in May
Is the long wait for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine finally over?
An initial delivery of 193,000 doses of the vaccine may arrive on May 11, said vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr on May 5, during a meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
COVID vaccine applications for commercial distribution possible by 2021: FDA
Applications for the commercial distribution of COVID-19 vaccines could come as early as next year, the Food and Drug Administration said on May 6.
The Philippines has so far only granted emergency use authorization to vaccine candidates of 7 drugmakers:
- Pfizer-BioNTech
- Oxford-AstraZeneca
- Gamaleya Institute
- Sinovac Biotech
- Johnson & Johnson
- Bharat Biotech
- Moderna
Magnitude 5.1 quake jolts Davao del Sur
A magnitude-5.1 earthquake rocked Davao del Sur on Thursday afternoon, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.
The tremor, which happened 8 kilometres southwest of Magsaysay town at 2:24 p.m., was tectonic in origin and had a depth of 17 kilometres.
Unemployment eases in March; 3.44 million Filipinos jobless
Unemployment eased in March to 7.1% compared to the previous month, the state statistics bureau said on May 6.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the unemployment level is equivalent to 3.44 million jobless Filipinos for the month.
Inflation steady at 4.5% in April within gov’t expectation
The pace of increase in prices of basic goods was unchanged at 4.5% in April, the same as in March, as the government reimposed the strictest lockdown restrictions over the Greater Manila area.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed inflation settled at 4.5% for the month, the same as that posted in March, but quicker than 2.2% a year ago.
Meet the freaky fanged frog from the Philippines
Researchers at the University of Kansas have described a new species of fanged frog discovered in the Philippines.
The species is nearly indistinguishable from those on a neighboring island except for its unique mating call and key differences in its genome.
