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(News Agency Here) THE PESO appreciated versus the greenback for the fifth straight day as inflation was steady in April and as the daily tally of coronavirus cases remained low.

The local unit closed at P48.025 per dollar on Wednesday, appreciating by 1.3 centavos from its P48.038 finish on Tuesday, data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines showed.

The peso’s close on Wednesday was its best since Feb. 15’s finish of P47.93 per dollar.

The local unit opened the session at P48.03 versus the dollar. Its weakest showing was at P48.13, while its intraday best was at P47.96 against the greenback.

Dollars traded jumped to $1.2 billion yesterday from $730.7 million on Tuesday.

The slower-than-expected April inflation print boosted market sentiment and supported the peso, a trader said in an e-mail.

Headline inflation stood at 4.5% for the second straight month in April, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Wednesday. However, this was faster than April 2020’s 2.2%.

April headline inflation was slower than the median 4.7% in an analyst poll BusinessWorld conducted late last week and settled within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) own 4.2-5% estimate.

Year to date, inflation averaged at 4.5%, still above the BSP’s 2-4% target as well as its inflation forecast of 4.2% for the year.

Inflation eased in the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages at 4.8% in April from 5.8% in March; and alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 12% from 12.1%.

On the other hand, annual increases were noted in housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels (1.5% from 0.9%); furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house (2.1% from 1.9%); health (3.1% from 2.9%); transport (17.9% from 13.8%); communication (0.3% from 0.2%); and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services (3.4% from 3.1%), PSA data showed.

The easing number of new coronavirus infections also boosted the peso versus the dollar, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said.

The Health department reported 5,685 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday to bring the total to more than 1.073 million. Meanwhile, active cases stood at 66,060.

For Thursday, Mr. Ricafort gave a forecast range of P47.97 to P48.07 per dollar, while the trader expects the local unit to move within the P48 to P48.10 range… Read More

(PEP.ph) Jericho Rosales has had several remarkable portrayals in both television and film.

But despite having played many iconic characters, he says there were roles he wished he had played.

Totoo ba? He coveted the title role in the 2015 highest-grossing independent film, Heneral Luna?

Jericho reveals in his Calamansi live cast session with the editorial team of PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) on April 21, 2021, that he, in fact, auditioned for the role.

Although he quips, “Feeling ko, if I played that role, I would suck and the movie wouldn’t have made money,” he narrates the story of his audition where he faced director Jerrold Tarog and his team.

He recounts, “I auditioned for Heneral Luna as Heneral Luna. So, I remember being in front of the camera for Jerrold Tarog and his team. I was throwing lines.

“I remember them asking me, that was 2013, 2014. ‘Can you gain 40 pounds for the role?’”

At that time, Jericho was preparing for his wedding with his wife Kim Jones.

Laughing, Jericho continues, “2014, that was my wedding and then if I do that, I’m gonna be fat on my wedding day!”

Talking about Jerrold, Jericho says, “I think he felt the hesitation there na, ‘Wait, hold on, so you can’t gain weight?’

“Because I was skinny that time, medyo payat talaga and I need to gain weight for the role.

“Eventually, of course, we all know who got the role. He’s not fat, but he is more massive than I am, he’s more muscular, he’s way more mature for the role so I think he was the best.”

The role eventually went to veteran actor John Arcilla, who did his first lead role in many years.

And looking back, Jericho has no regrets.

Says he, “I’m really happy na I got to audition for that and that experience alone was something I could tell myself na, ‘Hey, this is the life of the actor, di ba?”.. Read More

(Topgear.com.ph) The slower a car is traveling, the less likely someone is to die after being involved in an accident with one. It’s not rocket science. Now, an urban planner and mobility group is using this logic to push for the lowering of urban speed limits in the Philippines.

According to a report by Inquirer.net, Move as One Coalition mobility expert Robert Siy raised the idea of bringing city speed limits down to 30kph in a bid to reduce traffic fatalities during a recent Department of Health (DOH) media forum.

The Urban planner cited data gathered by Australia-based pedestrian advocate group Victoria Walks that showed a 40% difference in the chances of death between being hit by a vehicle traveling at 50kph (20%) and one speeding at 80kph (60%).

“One key principle when we look all over the world for what is the top strategy to protect vulnerable road users, it has to do with speed limits,” Siy said, adding that lowering urban speed limits to 30kph or less would deliver dramatic results in terms of reducing the incidents of injury and fatality.”

Siy also suggested that road elements like humps and curves, which are designed to make cars slow down, may help, too.

“So how do we control speed limits? One is to have a sign saying maximum speed is 30kph but another way is to design our roads so that vehicles naturally slow down,” Siy said.

Following Joint Memorandum Circular 2018-001 issued by the Department of Transportation, Department of Public Works and Highways, and Department of the Interior and Local Government in 2018, local government units were tasked with classifying roads as either a ‘municipal or city street,’ a ‘barangay road,’ or a ‘crowded street.’ The first classification allows for a maximum speed of 30kph for passenger cars and motorbikes, while the latter two carry 20kph limits.

Obviously, urban thoroughfares like EDSA do not fall under those classifications. What do you think of this idea?.. Read More

(GMA News) The COVAX Facility is expected to deliver in May millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines by British firm AstraZeneca and US company Pfizer, vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Wednesday.

“Maganda po ang volumes this coming May dahil may positive na nangyari na yung COVAX baka makapagdeliver ng Pfizer at Astrazeneca,” Galvez said in a Cabinet briefing presided by President Rodrigo Duterte.

“‘Yung second dose wala na po tayong problema. May makukuha tayong more or less na two million AstraZeneca,” Galvez added.

Galvez said he expected the government to receive 1.3 million vaccine doses of Pfizer vaccines also in May.

The Philippines has so far administered 2,065,245 vaccine doses as of May 4. Over 1.7 million Filipinos were inoculated with the first dose of vaccines.

Galvez said that an initial rollout of 193,000 shots of Pfizer vaccines would arrive on May 11.

He said there were about 20% to 30% health workers who have yet to be vaccinated because they were waiting for doses of vaccines made American firms Moderna and Pfizer.

Duterte tells Filipinos not to be choosy

Duterte said being picky about vaccines was “discriminatory,” adding that people should take whatever brand would be available.

“May problema tayo diyan. If you look at it, tignan mo talaga, silipin. Discriminatory,” Duterte said.

“Kaya ang akin… kung ano nandiyan, pagdating doon, kung ano maibigay na carton mo mapa- Sinovac, Sputnik, ‘yun na ‘yun para sa inyo,” he added.

Duterte ordered Galvez to assign vaccine deliveries to areas without regard for brands.

“Nobody should, iyo yan. I put to task ikaw (Galvez) mismo, just keep a blind eye, ito kunin ninyo, for Sta. Ana, for Bulacan. Huwag mo na tignan kung ano, because there will be a lot of complaints.

Galvez affirmed Duterte’s order, citing some Filipinos preferring Western brands of COVID-19 vaccines… Read More

(Coconuts Manila) Veteran entertainment columnist Ricky Lo has died, the Philippine Star, the newspaper where he had worked for decades, announced this morning.

His sister, Susan Lee, said he died at past 10pm due to a stroke, ABS-CBN reported. Lo started his career in the 1960s with the Manila Times and moved to the Star in 1986 when he was already considered well-established in the entertainment press. He was known for publishing rumors as blind items in his column called “Fanfare.” While many actors deny the veracity of his articles, almost all of his reports turn out to be correct.

Veteran entertainment columnist Ricky Lo has died, the Philippine Star, the newspaper where he had worked for decades, announced this morning.

His sister, Susan Lee, said he died at past 10pm due to a stroke, ABS-CBN reported. Lo started his career in the 1960s with the Manila Times and moved to the Star in 1986 when he was already considered well-established in the entertainment press. He was known for publishing rumors as blind items in his column called “Fanfare.” While many actors deny the veracity of his articles, almost all of his reports turn out to be correct… Read More

(Reuters) The Philippines has rejected an annual summer fishing ban imposed by China in the disputed South China Sea and encouraged its boats to keep fishing in the country’s territorial waters.

The fishing moratorium imposed by China since 1999 runs from May 1 to Aug. 16 and covers areas of the South China Sea as well as other waters off China.

“This fishing ban does not apply to our fishermen,” the Philippines’ South China Sea taskforce said in a statement late on Tuesday.

The taskforce opposed China’s imposition of the ban over the areas within the territory and jurisdiction of the Philippines, adding “our fisherfolk are encouraged to go out and fish in our waters in the WPS (West Philippine Sea)” The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Manila, which refers to area as the West Philippine Sea, has for years been embroiled in a dispute over Beijing’s sweeping claims of sovereignty over the South China Sea.

An international tribunal in 2016 invalidated China’s claims, but China has rejected the ruling.

Tensions between the two countries have recently escalated after Manila accused China of territorial incursions by hundreds of its vessels in the resource-rich waterway… Read More

(Lionheartv) Actress Maja Salvador used to prioritize her career above her relationships. One of the biggest controversies that afflicted her career in showbiz was the brawl that happened between actor Coco Martin and her ex-boyfriend Matteo Guidicelli.

In an interview with G3 San Diego of Mega Entertainment, she recalled how stressful it was when Coco and Matteo had a fight.

Salvador once played the role of Krista in the series ‘Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin’. Back then she was paired with Coco in the said series while at that time, she was dating Guidicelli in real life.

“Si Krista sa ‘Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin’. ‘Dun yung nag-click talaga yung team up namin ni Coco. Kaya favorite ko siya, iconic rin kasi, girl version ako ni Robin Padilla. So ganun yung role ko so favorite ko siya and isa yun sa mga parang tumatak sa kanila,” she shared.

The undeniable and intense chemistry that she created with Coco on screen… Read More

(theHiveAsia) After having to live alone in the Philippines for the past year, Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray is elated to finally be able to reunite with her family in Australia.

On 4 May, the beauty queen-turned-singer posted a photo of the view through the window of her plane, writing, “After countless rescheduled flights, two flight cancellations, swab tests, stress, applications and waiting… I’m finally on my way to see my parents for the first time in one and a half years.”

Gray stated that she made a vow to herself three years ago that she would go and visit her father at least four times a year, but wasn’t able to do so due to the pandemic.

“It’s always been a fear of mine, having an older father, of not having enough time with him. I don’t want to one day be full of regret for not having given time to one of the most important people in my life… I’m really thankful to my brand and advocacy families, as well as my [Cornerstone] family for allowing me this time.”

She also expressed her hope that other families facing similar situations as her would be able to be reunited with one another soon.

It is noted that both of Gray’s parents reside in Australia, with her father Ian Gray being Australian of Scottish descent.

Australia has been closing its borders to non-citizens since March 2020, and only permitting limited international flights for citizens returning from abroad… Read More