The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a new strain of

coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in
Wuhan, China, in December 2019.

On 30 January 2020, the Philippine Department of Health reported the first case of
COVID-19 in the country with a 38-year-old female Chinese national. On 7 March, the
first local transmission of COVID-19 was confirmed. WHO is working closely with the
Department of Health in responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. 

ARTICLES:

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 25) — Senator Aquilino "Koko"

Pimentel III has tested positive for COVID-19, he confirmed on
Wednesday. He is the second Philippine senator to contract the viral
disease.

"I was informed late last night March 24, 2020 that I have tested
positive for the COVID-19 virus. The swab was taken last Friday, March
20, 2020... I have quarantined myself upon the doctor’s advice and
consistent with the protocol. I feel I am, with God’s help, on the way to
recovery," he said in a statement.

The former Senate President asked for prayers for himself and his
family, as his wife is about to give birth.

He and Senator Migz Zubiri have tested positive for COVID-19. Most of
the other 22 senators have undergone testing despite being
asymptomatic and their results turned out negative.

This is a developing story

Concerns In Philippines After

Duterte Given Emergency Powers
To Fight COVID-19 Spread
In the Philippines, Congress granted President Rodrigo Duterte special temporary
powers on Tuesday to manage the COVID-19 crisis that continues to surge in the
country of 110 million people.
To date, there are 552 confirmed cases, and 35 deaths.
The measure granting Duterte the new powers was the first to be approved by Philippine
lawmakers using Zoom, the remote teleconferencing service, and puts the country under
a "state of national emergency."

However, Duterte failed to win approval to take over private companies and utilities,
authority he had sought.

The president has been locked in battle with private concessionaires who supply water
to Metro Manila, accusing them of over-charging and under-performing, and
repeatedly threatening to put water under government control.
Duterte's new powers extend to the narrower sectors of hospitals and public
transportation. He can direct private hospitals and medical facilities to house health
care workers and serve as quarantine centers, and take over public transport operations
to ferry front-line workers.

But even these measures have drawn criticism.

"No to emergency powers. The existing powers are already being abused," University of
the Philippines law professor Jay Batongbacal said in a Facebook post, the South China
Morning Post reported.