Tag: philippines

Philippine tourist island in chaos as shutdown looms

  by Cecil Morella Agence France Presse MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — The Philippine tourism industry scrambled Friday to manage the fallout from the temporary shutdown of its world-famous Boracay island, which threw into chaos trips planned by hundreds of thousands of tourists. President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the once-idyllic white-sand resort closed to tourists for up to six months from April 26, after describing the country’s top tourist attraction as a “cesspool” tainted by raw sewage. […]

Facebook: PHL had second most number of Facebook accounts that “may have been” accessed by Cambridge Analytica

(Eagle News) — The Philippines had the second most number of Facebook accounts that may have been improperly accessed by British political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica. In a post, Mike Schroepfer, Facebook’s chief technology officer, said 1,175,870 accounts may have been affected, only next to the 70, 632,350 that may have been affected in the United States. Schroepfer said the Philippines was followed by Indonesia (1,096,666 accounts), the United Kingdom (1,079,001), Mexico (789,.880), Canada (622,161), and […]

Moderately strong quake off southern Philippines

MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — A moderately strong 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck at sea off the main southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Thursday, the US Geological Survey said, though local authorities said they did not expect any damage. The quake was recorded shortly before midday (0353 GMT) with the epicenter at 45 kilometers (28 miles) southeast of the town of Tarragona, the USGS added. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, which separately measured it at […]

Minaltratong OFW sa Saudi, makakauwi na sa PHL

MANILA, Philippines (Eagle News) — Makalipas ang halos apat na taon, makakauwi na sa wakas ang Filipina domestic helper na binanlian ng mainit na tubig ng kaniyang amo sa Saudi Arabia. Ayon kay Acts OFW Partylist Representative John Bertiz, nakatanggap siya ng tawag mula sa Saudi Arabia Ambassador to Manila na si Dr. Abdullah Bin Nasser Al-Bussairy at sinabing maaari ng makauwi ng Pilipinas anomang oras si Pahima “Candies” Alagasi. Si Pahima, 26 anyos ay […]

Kuwait to recruit Ethiopians amid Philippines labor crisis

  KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait (AFP) — Kuwait will recruit Ethiopian nationals to make up for a “deficit” in domestic workers, authorities said Tuesday, following the grisly murder of a Filipina maid in the Gulf state. The Philippines banned its citizens from working in Kuwait after the body of 29-year-old Joanna Demafelis was found in a freezer earlier this year, bearing signs of torture. “We aim to open the door to the recruitment of Ethiopian workers to fill the deficit of domestic servants and reduce […]

Kuwait court sentences couple to death for Demafelis murder

KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait (AFP) — A Kuwaiti court on Sunday sentenced in absentia a Lebanese man and his Syrian wife to death by hanging over the murder of a Filipina maid, a judicial source said. The court issued the sentence in the first hearing in the case of Joanna Demafelis, the 29-year-old maid whose body was found in a freezer in Kuwait earlier this year. The sentencing can still be appealed if the couple returns to […]

China backs PHL pullout from ICC

(Eagle News)–China has expressed support for the Philippines’ pullout from the International Criminal Court, saying that the tribunal “should respect the sovereignty of nations, act cautiously and avoid being used as a political tool.” “China believes that a sovereign country has the right to say no to political manipulation under the cloak of law,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang added in a press conference on Wednesday. According to the spokesperson,  since President Rodrigo Duterte […]

Dominguez cites urgency of harmonizing tax policies among Asia-Pacific economies

  Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III underscored the urgency of harmonizing and constantly updating tax policies and administration practices across the Asia-Pacific region to combat tax evasion against the backdrop of an increasingly borderless world. Dominguez cited, in particular, the cigarette manufacturing industry, where harnessing new tools for surveillance, the improved documentation of tax payments, and closer cooperation between tax and customs authorities are needed to check against tax fraud. In the Philippines, Dominguez said […]

PHL off to UAE next year for first-ever Asian Cup stint with victory over Tajikistan

By Vivem Soriano Eagle News Service Phil Younghusband netted a penalty at the 90th minute to catapult the Azkals to a 2-1 victory against Tajikistan at the Rizal Memorial Stadium  tonight. With the win, the Philippines secured the top spot in Qualifying Group F to book its ticket to the AFC Asian Cup, the first time the country will compete in Asia’s most prestigious football tournament. The 2019 AFC Asian Cup will be hosted by […]

Xi notes improvement in PHL-China relations in birthday message to President Duterte

I “stand ready to work with you” to “carry forward sustained” ties, Xi tells Philippine chief executive (Eagle News) — Chinese President Xi Jinping has extended his greetings to President Rodrigo Duterte, who will celebrate his 73rd birthday on March 28. In his letter, Xi also emphasized what he said was the “turnaround” in China-Philippines relations.   “Our bilateral relations have enjoyed ongoing betterment and improvement and reaped productive outcomes, which brought tangible benefits to […]

Malacanang urges “entire Filipino nation” to take part in “Earth Hour”

  (Eagle News) – Malacanang on Saturday, March 24, encouraged the entire Filipino nation to take part in the “Earth Hour,” a worldwide movement held annually encouraging individuals, communities, and businesses to turn off non-essential electric lights for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30, as a symbol of commitment to save the planet from the destructive effects of global warming. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that “this one simple step” will lead to a “big […]

Palace spokesperson says Boracay still open for tourists this peak season

  (Eagle News) – Malacanang is not ordering the closure of Boracay island just yet for tourists. This was according to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque who stressed that the possible closure of Boracay “will not happen during the upcoming peak season.” “Proceed to Boracay,” Roque said, citing the peak season this long summer break. I don’t think any closure will happen during the peak season of Boracay,” he said in a press briefing on Thursday, […]