ADB approves 200 mln USD loan to support Philippines' COVID-19 fight
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on April 27 approved a 200 million USD loan to support the Philippine government's effort to provide emergency cash subsidies to vulnerable households amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
A commuter's temperature is examined at a checkpoint in Manila, the Philippines, on April 24 (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on April 27 approved a200 million USD loan to support the Philippine government's effort to provideemergency cash subsidies to vulnerable households amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
ADB Vice President Ahmed Saeed said the pandemic has disrupted the livelihoodsof millions of Philippine people and could set back the very substantial gainsthe country has made in reducing poverty in recent years.
The new loan will support the government's emergency subsidy programme, whichwas designed to help vulnerable households get through this very difficultperiod and avoid falling into poverty, he added.
On March 24, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law the"Bayanihan to Heal as One Act", or Republic Act No. 11469, authorisingthe government to implement a COVID-19 emergency subsidy programme thatprovides cash payments of 5,000 pesos to 8,000 pesos (roughly 100 to 158 USD)per month for two months to 18 million low-income families nationwide.
The large programme includes 4.3 million poor households covered under thecountry's conditional cash transfer (CCT) programme known as Pantawid PamilyangPilipino Programme (4Ps). ADB has been supporting the 4Ps CCT program since2010.
The ADB said its 200 million USD loan will contribute to the 726 million USD requiredto provide emergency subsidies to 4Ps households in April and May 2020.
It added that the loan is part of the bank's comprehensive support to thePhilippines to mitigate the damaging effects of the pandemic on the economy andwell-being of the Philippine people./.
The Philippines is likely to lose about 228 billion PHP (4.5 billion USD) this year in remittances from about 10 million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has extended a lockdown in the capital Manila and high-risk localities in Luzon island for two more weeks until May 15 to contain the COVID-19.
The Philippine economy is likely to experience the first annual contraction in more than two decades this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic before it pulls back up for a U-shaped recovery in 2021.
The Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) has issued a temporary ban on the import of domestic and wild birds and their products from the US following an avian virus outbreak in South Carolina.
In his article, Oscar Sanchez Serra highlighted President Ho Chi Minh’s founding of the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper on June 21, 1925, which marked the birth of Vietnam's revolutionary press rooted in a bold and far-sighted vision.
Several ASEAN meetings are scheduled to take place in Port Dickson this September, including the Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) for ASEAN Plus Three (APT), the East Asia Summit (EAS), the 15th ASEAN Maritime Forum, and the 13th Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum.
Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered the urgent implementation of a national policy to crack down on all forms of call centre scams, online fraud, and illegal gambling, which are now considered threats to national security.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and EAEU Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev jointly declared the conclusion of FTA talks on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), according to the statement.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
A commuter's temperature is examined at a checkpoint in Manila, the Philippines, on April 24 (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) 
