TODAY’S TOP STORIES (from online news monitoring)
18
December 2022, Sunday, as of 4PM
Former President Rodrigo Duterte (MalacaΓ±ang photo) and Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria ‘Joma’ Sison (Joma Sison Facebook page)
1. Joma’s death update
-Duterte
hopes Sison’s death marks end of PH revolutionary movement
-Joma
Sison’s death ends ‘greatest stumbling block’ to peace –DND
-CPP:
Founder's death not the end of rebellion
-AFP:
No threats from Reds seen with Joma Sison’s death; AFP: No one else fit to head
CPP
-CPP
declares days of mourning, honors for Joma Sison; Reds want Joma Sison buried
in PH
-CPP
says NPA can 'stage tactical offensives' in honor of Joma Sison
[CNN
PHL, ABS-CBN News, DZBB, GMA News, Inquirer, CNN PHL, Rappler, Manila Bulletin,
News5, Philstar] ©PIA-PMU
https://mb.com.ph/2022/12/18/duterte-hopes-sisons-death-marks-end-of-ph-revolutionary-movement/
2. Baliwag, Bulacan gains cityhood following plebiscite - Comelec
[ABS-CBN
News, GMA news, Inquirer, Rappler, Philstar, Manila Bulletin] ©PIA-PMU
3. North Korea fires ballistic missile: Seoul’s military
[Inquirer,
ABS-CBN News, Rappler, Reuters, Philstar, Manila Standard] ©PIA-PMU
https://www.rappler.com/world/asia-pacific/north-korea-ballistic-missile-december-18-2022/
4. 10 dead in Muntinlupa fire
[DZBB,
ABS-CBN News, GMA News, DZMM, Inquirer, Manila Bulletin] ©PIA-PMU
https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2022/12/18/putatan-muntinlupa-fire.html
5. Marcos Jr. OKs extending lower tariffs on pork, rice, corn, coal
[Manila
Bulletin, CNN PHL, ABS-CBN News] ©PIA-PMU
6. Maharlika Welfare Fund
-Romualdez
guarantees transparency in Maharlika fund [Inquirer, Manila Bulletin]
-Neda
chief backs Maharlika fund to help sustain economic growth
-Set
aside Maharlika profits for agri secto – gov’t urged [Inquirer]
-ACT
Teacher Party-list Rep. France Castro says Maharlika Investment Fund exemptions
in regulatory and safeguards
[DZBB,
Inquirer, CNN PHL, Manila Bulletin] ©PIA-PMU
7. PH moves target to become upper middle income status to 2025
[Inquirer,
GMA News, Manila Standard] ©PIA-PMU
https://business.inquirer.net/378443/ph-moves-target-to-become-upper-middle-income-status-to-2025
8. Christmas and New Year preps
-Hospitals
to be on high alert ahead of New Year celebrations - DOH
-PCG:
More travelers in ports nationwide as Christmas nears [CNN PHL, GMA News,
Inquirer]
©PIA-PMU
9. Lapid murder update
-Ex
Bucor official Zulueta photographed in Baguio; not in hiding says lawyer
-Former
BuCor official denies 'mastermind' tag in Percy Lapid murder
-BuCor
official tagged in Percy Lapid slay still in Philippines –lawyer
[Inquirer,
GMA News, ABS-CBN News] ©PIA-PMU
10. COVID-19
-OCTA
sees up to 1,200 new COVID-19 cases on Dec. 18
-1,196
new COVID-19 cases logged; active tally at 18,262
-92%
of Filipinos approve of gov't COVID-19 response –OCTA Q4 survey
-COVID-19
transmission in PH still on plateau
-More
Filipinos OK with gov't response to pandemic
[CNN
PJL, GMA News, Inquirer] ©PIA-PMU
11. Vaccine
DOH
hopes to have bivalent vaccines available by Q1 2023
Marikina
promotes COVID-19 booster vaccination campaign via bike ride in Marikina City
[GMA
News, Inquirer, DZBB] ©PIA-PMU
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1706418/doh-aims-to-have-bivalent-vaccines-available-by-q1-2023
12. 1st day of Register Anywhere Project ‘successful’—Comelec
[GMA
News, Manila Bulletin, Sunstar, News5] ©PIA-PMU
https://mb.com.ph/2022/12/17/1st-day-of-register-anywhere-project-successful-comelec]
13. Weather update
-Amihan
to bring rains to Metro Manila, parts of Luzon: PAGASA
-Sea
travels for small vessels in Batangas suspended due to bad weather
[ABS-CBN
News, GMA News, Inquirer] ©PIA-PMU
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1706411/amihan-shear-line-to-bring-rain-over-parts-of-luzon-pagasa
—Philippine Information Agency | PIA Monitoring Unit—
