THE national government’s fiscal gap narrowed to P14.1 billion in January on the account of marginal pick up in public spending amid a contraction in revenue collection, according to the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr). Data showed on Wednesday that the shortfall was smaller than the P302.59-billion deficit in December and a turnaround of the […]

BDO Unibank Inc. forecasts a slower economic recovery for the Philippines in 2021 after taking into consideration the surge in coronavirus infections this month. During a virtual economic forum organized by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines Inc. on Tuesday, BDO first vice president and chief strategist Jonathan Ravelas said the Sy-led banking […]

Good Day! Here are the top stories of The Manila Times for Wednesday, March 17, 2021. READ: Senators link DA ring to pork ‘scam’ Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson sought a probe on an alleged syndicate in the Department of Agriculture or DA that stands to gain billions of pesos in tong-pats (padded costs) from the […]

ANAKALUSUGAN Party-list Rep. Michael Defensor tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Defensor said in an interview on Tuesday, “mga two weeks na ‘to. Nag-positive ako sa Covid…” but added that it was not severe. “So quarantine lang kami and of course ‘yung basic, ‘no, inom ng mga gamot, inom ng mga vitamins ((drink […]

IF everything goes well, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) looks to stage its games at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City, Rizal, with the Philippine Cup starting on April 18. “Yes, hopefully, (we can stage the games at Ynares and start on April 18) if everything goes well,” PBA commissioner Willie Marcial confirmed to The […]

THE Philippines logged 4,437 new cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) on Tuesday, according to the Department of Health (DoH), raising the total to 631,320 infections. More than 97 percent of the 57,736 active cases remain mild, moderate or asymptomatic. New recoveries are at 560,736, including 166 new ones. The death toll is at […]

THE state-run Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) is not soliciting money for a foundation which does not exist and warned the public against making any donation, an official said on Tuesday. Pagasa Administrator Vicente Malano on Tuesday told The Manila Times that no one has been authorized to collect money, including contractors of […]

SEN. Ana Theresia Hontiveros on Tuesday accused some Bureau of Immigration (BI) officials of receiving P50,000 per Filipino trafficked out of the country. The senator shared a personal account of a certain “Alice,” who was trafficked into Syria through the “help” of some unidentified BI officers in the airport. Hontiveros said the scam was apparently […]

MALACAÑANG on Tuesday shot down a proposal for a revolutionary government being pushed by supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte, saying the Chief Executive does not need such a form of government. Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. made the statement after the People’s National Coalition (PNC) for Revolutionary Government Towards Federalism submitted to Malacañang its recommendation […]

After top Grammy win, singer H.E.R. is heading to the Oscars NEW YORK: After winning the Grammy for song of the year for the protest anthem “I Can’t Breathe,” R&B singer H.E.R. and collaborators Tiara Thomas and D’Mile have become Oscar-nominated songwriters. The soulful song “Fight for You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah,” is […]

DETROIT: The world’s major automakers have made something abundantly clear: They believe electric vehicles will dominate their industry in the years ahead. Yet for that to happen, they’ll need to sell the idea to people like Steve Bock. When Bock recently replaced his family’s 2013 Honda Pilot SUV, he considered — and then dismissed — […]

BERLIN: A cascading number of European countries — including Germany, France, Italy and Spain — suspended use of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine Monday over reports of dangerous blood clots in some recipients, though the company and international regulators say there is no evidence the shot is to blame. AstraZeneca’s formula is one of three vaccines in […]

THOSE below 18 years old in Metro Manila will be prohibited to go out of their homes starting on Wednesday as it continues to grapple with the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) surge, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said on Tuesday. MMDA chief Benhur Abalos said only individuals from 18-65 years old will be allowed outside their […]

THE Supreme Court on Tuesday junked several petitions questioning President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to withdraw Philippine membership from the International Criminal Court (ICC) without the concurrence of the Senate, according to Manila Times sources. Sources privy to the ruling said the en banc, in a unanimous decision, acknowledged the petition as moot because the Philippines had pulled […]

Good Day! Here are the top stories of The Manila Times for Tuesday, March 16, 2021. READ: RevGov push reaches Palace The proposal for a revolutionary government being pushed by supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte has reached Malacañang. READ: AstraZeneca vouches for vaccine’s safety British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca said there is no scientific evidence to back […]

The proposal for a revolutionary government being pushed by supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte has reached Malacañang. Its proponents claimed that over 17 million people have signified their support for the document calling for the country’s shift to federalism through a revolutionary government, according to a formal declaration sent to the President by the People’s […]

The Vatican on Sunday celebrated the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines with a Mass led by Pope Francis along with Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said the Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica was attended by Filipino Catholics living in Rome. The event was livestreamed around the […]

NEW YORK: Female performers including Beyoncé and Taylor Swift had a record-making night at the 2021 Grammy Awards, a jam-packed but socially distanced show highlighted by live music sorely absent during the pandemic era. Four women won the top four prizes Sunday (Monday in Manila) including Swift, who became the first female performer to win […]

British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca said there is no scientific evidence to back claims that its coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine, AZD1222, triggered blood clotting or pulmonary embolism. It gave the assurance after several countries in the European Union suspended the use of AZD1222, which was co-developed with the University of Oxford, following reports of blood clotting […]

The government will launch this week a “vaccine tracker” to keep the public informed on the progress of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign. “Ilulunsad po natin ang vaccine tracker this week. Ang last na advise po sakin this Wednesday baka malunsad po yung ating vaccine tracker (We will launch the vaccine tracker this week. I was advised […]

THE Senate was placed under semi-lockdown after three in-house caterers tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). The three caterers tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday, prompting the closure of the executive lounge and canteen for two weeks starting Monday, March 15. “We will remain in semi-lockdown. Will most probably end sessions by 6 p.m. […]

The Philippines posted 5,404 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, another record high, according to the Department of Health. The figure was higher than the 5,277 cases logged on August 26, 2020, making it one of the highest numbers recorded since the pandemic began last year. The country now has 626,893 cases, a year since the […]

GENEVA: The much-anticipated report from the international mission to Wuhan to investigate coronavirus disease 2019’s (Covid-19) origins is set to be published this week, following intense US and Chinese pressure over its contents. The coronavirus pandemic has engulfed the planet, killing more than 2.6 million people and shredding the global economy since the first cases […]

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. confirmed that he tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Roque was tested on Sunday, March 14. He got the result on Monday morning. “As of 11:29 this morning, nakuha ko po ang resulta na positibo po ako para sa Covid (As of 11:29 this morning, I got the result […]

OIL companies will impose a hefty price increase on Tuesday, March 16. The cost of gasoline will rise by P1.25 per liter, diesel by 90 centavos per liter, and kerosene by 85 centavos per liter. Cleanfuel, Petro Gazz, Pilipinas Shell, and Seaoil announced the impending price increase on Monday.

Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Monday, March 15, 2021. READ: Group sees 8,000 Covid cases a day The country could have 8,000 coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases a day by the end of March if the present surge of infections continues, an expert warned on Sunday. OCTA Research Fellow […]

Sun Life Philippines rallies millennials to hit the restart button on their dreams with a new digital campaign that prompts them to claim a new beginning in their journey toward a brighter future. The campaign, titled “Ito Ang Araw Mo,” was launched on March 8 with a video highlighting the unique experiences of today’s generation […]

The country could have 8,000 coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases a day by the end of March if the present surge of infections continues, an expert warned on Sunday. OCTA Research Fellow David Guido made the projection on Sunday, saying the reproduction rate (R0) of 1.9 was higher than OCTA’s forecast of 1.6. “By the […]

Collectors of Anotoys action figures may have been asked several times what drove them to spend money and time to amass such toys. Not always an easy question to answer, as some collectors simply just want to, but this could not pass as satisfactory reason. For most collectors though, action figures evoke terrific feelings of […]

LOS ANGELES: J-Lo and A-Rod are still J-Rod. Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez said Saturday that reports of their split are inaccurate, and they are working things through. A day earlier, multiple reports based on anonymous sources said the pop star-actor and the former baseball great had called off their two-year engagement. The couple started […]

The Department of Health recorded 4,899 cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) on Sunday, for a total of 621,498. This is the second highest daily caseload this year, only behind Saturday’s 5,000 tally. There were 48,157 active cases, most of them either mild or without symptoms. The department said 13,371 survived the virus, for […]

The country’s daily tally of Covid-19 cases could hit 8,000 a day by the end of March, the OCTA Research Group warned on Sunday. OCTA Research Fellow Guido David said that if the reproduction rate of 1.95 remains, the country could see around 18,000 to 20,000 cases by mid-April. “By the end of March, pwedeng […]

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida: Spacewalking astronauts had to take extra safety precautions Saturday after possibly getting toxic ammonia on their suits from the International Space Station’s external cooling system. Victor Glover and Mike Hopkins had no trouble removing and venting a couple of old jumper cables to remove any ammonia still lingering in the lines. But […]