Palace rules out return to ECQ this March despite spike in new Covid cases

Malacañang on Monday ruled out possible return to the strictest quarantine measure within the month of March despite a spike in the country’s new Covid-19 cases. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, however, admitted he was not sure about the quarantine status for April, noting the fast reproduction number or r-naught of Covid-19.

Mayor Isko: Manila may be placed under lockdown when need arises

Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso said on Sunday that he may place the capital under lockdown if citizens will continue to be complacent amid increase in the city’s COVID-19 cases. Moreno noted that the city’s bed capacity in hospitals is now at 41%, coming from 32% only last Friday, while occupancy in quarantine facilities is at 73%. He also said they recorded 270 new infections on March 14.

Palawan plebiscite: What you need to know

On March 13, residents of Palawan gather to the polls to vote on whether they approve or reject the move to split the province into three. The Palawan plebiscite is the first voting event in the country to take place in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic with the implementation of minimum health protocols.

PH to continue AstraZeneca vaccine rollout as more nations probe blood clot reports

The Philippines will continue to include Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines in its nationwide inoculation drive even as more European nations pause its use as blood clot reports are being investigated.

LIST: Areas under lockdown in Metro Manila

Some local governments in Metro Manila have imposed lockdowns in several areas to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the region. Here is a list of areas that have enforced strict movement restrictions as of Saturday.

Over 9,000 cops to be deployed in NCR during implementation of uniform curfew hours

A total of 9,634 cops will be deployed to the National Capital Region as the region implements uniform curfew hours, which will be from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., starting Monday, March 15. 

‘Granular lockdowns’ instead of national quarantines sought

Stricter quarantines should be targeted instead of enforcing these nationally, Senator Francis N. Pangilinan said. Mr. Pangilinan said the economy should be reopened to allow Filipinos to earn their livelihood. But the government should intensify mass testing and contact-tracing to prevent the spread of the virus, he added.

January exports shrink as recession bites

Philippine exports shrank in January after rising in the previous two months, while imports continued to decline for the 21st month, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said. The latest trade figures brought the trade balance to a $2.421-billion deficit in January, wider than the $2.149-billion gap in December, but narrower than the $3.504-billion shortfall in January last year.

December state infra spending fall

Government spending on infrastructure fell for the sixth straight month in December due to budget cuts and construction delays amid a coronavirus pandemic, according to the Budget department. State infrastructure spending and other capital outlays fell by a quarter to P132.3 billion from a year earlier, based on preliminary data from the agency.

Local government units start to borrow more

Local Government Units (LGU) are ramping up their borrowings in order to fund more programs as the pandemic continues, the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) reported. Based on preliminary data on the first two months of 2021, the BLGF issued 53 certificates of net debt service ceiling and borrowing capacity to LGUs, who are planning to borrow a total of P14.927 billion. This amount is higher by 116% than the P6.9-billion proposed loan amount a year ago.

COVID-19 variant detected in PH 'developed locally', may be more transmissible: expert

The new coronavirus variant first detected in the Philippines could have developed locally and may be more transmissible but does not suggest it has increased pathogenicity, the Philippine Genome Center said. The Department of Health on Saturday confirmed the P.3 variant, with a total of 98 cases so far detected.

PH may reach 8,000 daily new COVID-19 cases by end-March: OCTA Research

The Philippines might record up to 8,000 daily new COVID-19 cases by the end of the month, and 18,000 to 20,000 by mid-April if the current reproduction rate does not change, the OCTA Research Group said Sunday. The projection is based on a 1.9 reproduction rate, or the number of people infected by a virus patient, according to OCTA Research fellow Guido David.

ADVOCACY CORNER

Aviation Committee Meeting | 15 March 

The ECCP Aviation Committee held its first meeting for the year to discuss industry updates including limitations on the number of allowed passengers per day for airlines as well as initiatives on border safety and management. The committee also heard a presentation from IATA Philippines Country Manager, Mr. Samuel David on the recent initiatives of the organization to revamp the Aviation industry.