More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
The tourism industry is still recovering form the pandemic. To that end the DOT recently sent a large contingent to attract more Chinese tourists.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1274906 |
The Philippines has sent its largest tourism business mission to China since pandemic as it doubles down on efforts to attract more Chinese travelers into the country.
The Philippine Tourism Industry Business Mission 2026, led by the Department of Tourism (DOT), brought together 35 Philippine travel-related companies and around 280 Chinese travel agencies.
The Philippine Embassy in Beijing on Wednesday said the delegation will be holding business-to-business meetings with Chinese stakeholders in Beijing, Chengdu, and Guangzhou.
At the mission’s stop in Beijing on May 12, Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime FlorCruz said the event’s strong turnout sends a signal that “despite the challenges and uncertainties of recent years, there remains tremendous interest, confidence, and goodwill between the Philippine and Chinese tourism industries.”
“We are already seeing encouraging momentum. Chinese tourist arrivals to the Philippines have been rising significantly, helped in part by the Philippines’ visa-free policy for Chinese tourists introduced last January,” he said, adding that the Philippines is well-positioned to meet the changing preferences of the Chinese market.
Beyond leisure, the envoy said tourism could serve as bridge to build goodwill and familiarity between Filipino and Chinese people.
“The more our peoples see each other’s sights and sounds, the more they meet each other face-to-face, the more opportunities we create for understanding. And mutual understanding matters especially in times of uncertainty,” he said.
DOT Assistant Secretary Sharlene Zabala-Batin, who is part of the mission, confirmed that this is the DOT's largest tourism business mission to China in terms of the participating stakeholders and coverage since the pandemic broke out in 2019.
Beijing-based Tourism Attaché Ireneo Reyes, who also spoke at the meeting, told Chinese travel firms that the Philippines is ready to welcome more Chinese visitors.
The business mission featured presentations on the Philippines’ diverse tourism offerings, including Boracay, Cebu, Palawan, and Manila, as well as tourism products such as diving; culture and heritage; English language learning; Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE); sun-and-sea tourism; nature-based travel; and cruise tourism.
Business matching sessions and networking activities also provided a platform for Philippine and Chinese stakeholders to discuss cooperation opportunities, market strategies, service improvements, and tourism product development.
New direct routes between China and the Philippines were launched this year, including Chongqing-Manila and Quanzhou-Cebu, with more additional and charter flights in the pipeline, according to the envoy.
Latest DOT data show that arrivals from China reached 150,708 in January to April 2026 from 93,186 recorded in the same period last year.
China currently ranks as the Philippines’ fourth largest source of foreign visitors.
Surely there are other reasons than lack of knowledge about Boracay, et al which are preventing more Chinese tourists to visit. Reasons which are out of the DOT's control.
During the pandemic Mom's began side hustles which eventually turned into full-time income streams.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2026/05/16/from-side-hustle-to-lifeline-how-moms-are-rewriting-the-family-economy |
This month, modern Filipino moms are proving that motherhood and entrepreneurship can thrive hand in hand. Across the country, more mothers are stepping beyond traditional roles and embracing life as “mompreneurs,” building businesses from home, pursuing their passions, and reshaping the future of their families through digital innovation.
Through communities like PLDT Home’s Madiskarte Moms PH (MMPH), the modern “side hustle” has evolved into something far more powerful: a tech-enabled lifeline helping families navigate an increasingly unpredictable world.
For many mompreneurs, the journey began with either necessity or a spark of inspiration, a homemade chili garlic recipe, curated thrift finds, bespoke footwear, or personalized digital art. Some were driven by the economic uncertainty brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially after losing jobs or sources of income. What started as small ventures eventually became sustainable businesses that now support entire households and communities.
“I had just resigned from my corporate job, and I had an 8-month-old baby to take care of. It was challenging at first because running a business means thinking about marketing strategies, finances, and product development 24/7. That’s on top of my responsibilities as a mom. It was daunting at first, but I was able to press on,” says Ayn Stephanie Buyco Angeles, founder of Marikina-based bespoke footwear brand Hers by Godfather.
“My husband and I got laid off in Dubai, so we decided to return to the Philippines to start anew. When I started Momsatwork, all I could think of was that I had to succeed for my family. I wanted other moms who had the same struggles as me to find a support system through MomsatWork. I wanted to make an empowering and educational platform that will provide opportunities for moms like me,” echoes May Martin-Pimentel, founder of consultation firm Momsatwork.
Faced with changing realities, mothers like Angeles and Pimentel chose to adapt, rebuild, and take charge of their futures. With the support of their loved ones and the sisterhood they found through PLDT Home’s MMPH community, they learned how to scale their businesses and to transform homegrown ideas into thriving enterprises.
Apparently this is an advertisement disguised as a news article but it remains true.
Ebola is making a comeback in Africa.
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| https://www.sunstar.com.ph/amp/story/manila/doh-on-alert-vs-bundibugyo-ebolavirus |
THE Department of Health (DOH) said Monday, May 18, 2026, that it is currently on alert over the threat of the Bundibugyo ebolavirus after a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO).
In a statement, the DOH said it is prepared to face the threat of the virus and is already in close coordination with the WHO.
"The DOH is always ready and on alert. We have been notified through the International Health Regulations (IHR) channels, and are in active coordination with the WHO," said the DOH.
Nevertheless, the health department said there is nothing to worry about the Bundibugyo ebolavirus since the threat is in countries sharing land borders with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
"The PHEIC declaration is most important for countries sharing land borders with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, where the event is occurring," said the DOH.
"The WHO advice is clear for countries like the Philippines, where there is no Bundibugyo and that does not share a land border with countries that have Bundibugyo," it added.
For countries like the Philippines, the department said the WHO is merely calling for adequate information dissemination regarding the virus.
"The general public should be provided with accurate and reliable information on the Bundibugyo outbreak and ongoing measures to reduce risk," said the DOH.
Over the weekend, the WHO declared a PHEIC over the Bundibugyo ebolavirus spread in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
However, the WHO said the PHEIC does not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency.
Will that be the next pandemic?
The Philippine Eagle is facing threats to its population.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/regionaltv/news/114133/ph-eagle-faces-genetic-threat-amid-declining-population/story/ |
The Philippine eagle, the country’s national bird and one of the world’s rarest raptors, faces not only diminishing population but also genetic threat that could endanger its survival.
According to a study conducted by the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), Philippine Genome Center, and University of the Philippines (UP), the species has extremely low genetic variation, based on analysis of 35 eagles.
Because their population is dropping, they have no other available mates. As a result, eagles are forced to mate with their own relatives within the forest, which is called inbreeding.
Authorities said inbreeding produces chicks that are weaker and more prone to illness, so they have a lower chance of survival.
They also reproduce slowly as they lay only one egg every two years, making it like a race against their own species’ survival.
"One reason why the Philippine Eagle is genetically or less healthy is that there is not much exchange or gene flow in the subpopulation so what is happening is that many Philippine eagles are being shot that have thrived and migrated or gone to other mountains and this is usually immature and young eagles meaning we are losing our young eagles that supposedly would have carried the genetic diversity of their bloodline," PEF Director for Operations, Dr. Jayson Ibañez, said.At present, only around 392 pairs or 784 mature eagles remain in the wild.
Authorities said humans remain the primary cause of their continued decline as juvenile or young eagles are often trapped or become victims of illegal hunting.
“We have scientific evidence na super taas ng juvenile and sub-adult mortality rate. During the pandemic alone, we rescued a total 20 Philippine Eagles from 2019-2022 that’s the highest rescue rate ever these eagles were shot, were trapped some of them fell to the sea, 18 out of 20 eagles were immature,” Ibañez added.
But during the pandmiec more eagles were rescued than at any other time!
