Philippine news update

Here are some recent news updates from the Philippines:

Politics

• President Rodrigo Duterte has signed an executive order creating a new department of disaster resilience, which will be responsible for disaster risk reduction and management. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
• The Senate has approved the proposed 2023 national budget, which includes a P1.1 trillion allocation for infrastructure development. (Rappler)
• The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has announced that it will conduct a nationwide automated election system (AES) testing and simulation on October 25 to 27. (GMA News)

Economy

• The Philippine economy grew by 7.4% in the second quarter of 2022, driven by strong domestic demand and a recovery in the manufacturing sector. (BusinessWorld)
• The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has raised its inflation forecast for 2022 to 4.5%, citing higher prices of food and fuel. (Philippine Star)
• The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) has approved the listing of the initial public offering (IPO) of Ayala Land, Inc., which is expected to raise up to P100 billion. (Inquirer Business)

Health

• The Department of Health (DOH) has reported a surge in COVID-19 cases, with 2,434 new cases recorded on October 18. (GMA News)
• The DOH has also announced that it will conduct a nationwide vaccination campaign against COVID-19, which will target 70% of the population. (Rappler)
• The Philippine Red Cross has launched a campaign to promote the use of face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent the spread of COVID-19. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Crime

• The Philippine National Police (PNP) has launched a crackdown on illegal drugs, which has resulted in the arrest of over 1,000 suspects in the past week. (GMA News)
• The PNP has also reported a decrease in crime rates, with a 12.5% drop in index crimes such as murder, robbery, and theft. (Philippine Star)
• The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has arrested several suspects in connection with the murder of a journalist in Laguna province. (Rappler)

Environment

• The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has launched a campaign to promote the use of reusable bags and reduce plastic waste. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
• The DENR has also announced plans to plant 1 billion trees in the next three years to combat deforestation and climate change. (GMA News)
• The Philippine government has signed an agreement with the United States to protect the country's coral reefs and marine ecosystems. (BusinessWorld)

These are just some of the recent news updates from the Philippines. If you're looking for more information, I can try to help you with that!