Page 48 - Duterte Administration News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Published April 12, 2021, 6:00 AM The Philippines, one of the top pork importers in the world, is seen doubling its pork imports to 350,000 metric tons (MT) this year amid the Duterte Administration’s decision to temporarily cut the tariff rates for the commodity.   This is based on the latest report released by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which ranked the Philippines as the world’s sixth world largest pork importer. The world’s top pork importers China and Japan are expected to import 4.85 million MT and 1.43 million MT of pork this year, respectively. Hong Kong is seen i...

Published April 9, 2021, 12:04 PM The tariff cuts on imported pork under Executive Order 128 is expected to result in P14 billion loss in government revenue, according to the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP). A customer pays for pork at a roadside market stall in Mandaluyong City, Manila, the Philippines, on Sunday, March 14, 2021. (Bloomberg) “Only the importers are happy about this development,” said KMP Chairman Emeritus Rafael Mariano, who previously served the Duterte Administration as Agrarian Reform Secretary. The reduction in the pork import tariff was one of the proposals...

[OPINION] Term limits and the rise of the Duterte dynasty Apr 6, 2021 1:48 PM PHT Nathan Gilbert Quimpo The 1987 Constitution limits the presidency to only one term of six years, stating expressly: “The President shall not be eligible for reelection.”  How is President Rodrigo Duterte dealing with this single-term limit?  With the 2022 national elections a little over a year away, it is too late for Duterte to have the Constitution amended to allow him to run again. He has other plans. Although he has been denying it, Duterte is obviously grooming his daughter, Sara, who succeeded him a...

COVID-19 cases surge in the Philippines COVID-19 daily cases are surging in the Philippines as hospitals declare themselves overwhelmed. On April 2, the seven-day moving average daily case rate hit 9,021, more than twice the peak of 4,421 cases reached last year. Active cases are at a new record of 153,809 and the death toll is now 13,297. The numbers continue to rise. The Department of Health reported 11,028 new cases on Sunday. Figure 1: Graph from Philippine Department of Health, April 03, 2021 So far, Metro Manila, the national capital region (NCR) and four surrounding provinces have born...

EXPLAINER: Can PH government make COVID-19 vaccine mandatory? Apr 5, 2021 6:23 PM PHT Even though the world has waited and worked very hard for COVID-19 vaccines, 6 out of 10 Filipinos do not want to be inoculated with a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey released last March. The Philippines targets vaccinating 50 million to 70 million Filipinos in order to achieve herd immunity and jumpstart economic recovery. But what if Filipinos do not want to get any vaccine, especially since vaccine fears are still being fanned by the Dengvaxia scare that had pulled down immu...