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FEBR U A R Y 22-28, 2019 Volume 12 - No. 18 • 16 Pages
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Duterte signs law providing health care to all Filipinos by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
President Rodrigo Duterte leads the ceremonial signing of the Revised Corporation Code and the Universal Health Care Act at the Malacañan Palace on Wednesday, February 20. Malacañang photo by Richard Madelo
USA
DATELINE Former Fil-Am MTV VJ and son experience racist rants during coffee run in LA FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
W H E N former Filipina-American MTV personality and model Belinda Panelo went out for a regular coffee run with her son, she didn’t expect them to be the target of a racist tirade. Belinda Panelo A video of the incident quickly caught attention after Panelo, 44, shared the experience on social media on Tuesday, February 12.
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US-PH Society: PH has strong human infrastructure THE United States-Philippine Society (USPS) has urged American business ventures to invest in the infrastructure sector of the Philippines because of the “strong human infrastructure” that the country can offer. USPS President John Maisto said that despite the Philippines being an economically developing nation, it boasts of having a firm human infrastructure that constitutes sectors such as health, education and nutrition. “The Philippines builds on its strong human infrastructure. In our view, that is what the Philippines can offer,” Maisto said as reported by The Philippine Star. The society president noticed that there are only a few investments from the U.S. He believes that the first-world country should engage in more business negotiations particularly in the infrastructure sector of the Philippines. “There’s not as much infrastructure investment from the U.S. as there could be. Our es-
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PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, February 20, signed into law the Universal Health Care (UHC) Bill which seeks to give all Filipinos health care coverage and benefits. In his speech during a special ceremony in Malacañang, Duterte acknowledged the importance of the Universal Health Care Law, a measure that intends to provide free and affordable medical consultations and medicine for the benefit of all Filipinos, especially the indigent.
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WARM WELCOME. Miss Universe Catriona Gray waves to the public during her homecoming parade in Pasay City on Thursday, February 21. The parade passed through the CCP Complex, Manila and Makati City. Photos courtesy of Miss Universe Organization
Senators eye first daughter DOH: Measles outbreak Sara Duterte for presidential bid could affect tourism, OFWs by NATHALIE
decision to seek a national post by January 2021. Re-electionist Senator Juan AS the presidential daughter Edgardo “Sonny” Angara said and Hugpong ng Pagbabago that the younger Duterte is seen (HNP) chairwoman Sara Duterte- to have all the qualifications of a Carpio increased her public pres- good leader with training from ence for her political party, the none other than the Chief Execupublic buzzed anew with talks of tive himself. her possibly succeeding her father “I think she’s one of the potenPresident Rodrigo Duterte. tial future leaders of the country Four senators already expressed because she has the qualifications Presidential daughter and Hugpong ng their support for the first daughter — a lawyer, has (the) heart for the Pagbabago (HNP) chairwoman Sara Duterte- despite Duterte-Carpio’s state- masses and, of course, she has a Carpio Philstar.com photo ment that she will announce her u PAGE 2
Oxford Economics: PH will be 2nd fastest growing emerging market in 2019-2028 by BEN
O. DE VERA Inquirer.net
MANILA — With an expanding labor force, the Philippines will be eclipsed only by India among emerging markets (EMs) expected to post the fastest economic growth in the next 10 years. In a February 15 report, UKbased Oxford Economics projected the Philippines’ gross domestic product (GDP) to grow
by AJPRESS
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by an average of 5.3 percent between 2019 and 2028, only outpaced by India’s 6.5 percent. For 2019, Oxford Economics had said its expects the Philippines’ GDP growth at 6.1 percent, below the government’s 7-8 percent target range. China and Indonesia’s economies were both seen expanding by 5.1 percent during the 10-year period; Malaysia, 3.8 percent; Turkey, 3 percent; Thailand, 2.9 percent; Chile, 2.6 percent; Po-
land, 2.5 percent; and South Africa, 2.3 percent. The labor force in the Philippines was projected to increase by an average of 2.3 percent during the next 10 years, the fastest among the 10 emerging markets. The labor force growth figure was computed by Oxford Economics as the number of people in the labor force multiplied to the average number of hours
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THE Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday, February 19, said that the measles outbreak in the country could negatively affect the tourism and overseas labor sectors if not contained as soon as possible. Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo revealed that foreign countries are necessarily bound to issue travel advisories once another country poses danger among their residents. “If we fail to control the outbreak, you can’t stop other countries from giving travel advisories for their nationals not to go to the Philippines because of the measles epidemic,” Domingo said as reported by The Philippine Star.
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The mother of nine-month-old Kyzhia Hope H. Montellano has decided to have her daughter vaccinated with measles following the rise of measles cases. Ellen Lumayag-Lacson a midwife at the health center in Barangay T Padilla, Cebu City administers the vaccine. Inquirer.net photo by Junjie Mendoza
DOT relaunches PH tourism campaign by AJPRESS
‘IT’S STILL MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES’. Department of Tourism Secretary (DOT) Bernadette Romulo Puyat and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año lead the launching of the refreshed “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign to promote sustainable tourism in the country. The event also unveils the new logo of the campaign and a tour of the newly-renovated National Museum of Natural History on Monday, February 18 at the National Museum, Manila. PNA photo by Rico H. Borja
THE country’s “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” tourism campaign was relaunched on Monday, February 18, by the Department of Tourism (DOT). The repurposed campaign, which would now use crowdsourcing in a bid for “sustainable tourism”, meant to attract more tourists. It was propelled by Boracay’s six-month closure, in an effort to rehabilitate the world-famous tourist spot after it was destroyed by pollution and violations on environmental laws. “We can have fun at the same time we protect the environment.
This is not mere continuity, this is sustainability. This (campaign) aims to repurpose fun into sustainability,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat in a speech during the relaunch at the National Museum of Natural History, DOT’s previous home. According to Puyat, the crowdsourced tourism materials through social media were the key aspects of the revamped campaign as the DOT saw at least 4.3 million locals and foreigners using the tagline in their photos and videos. She also said that the campaign’s popularity has brought millions to the Philippines and prompted the dissemination of
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