Rappler's latest stories on Luzon lockdown
Meet Joseph Dante, Manila's street barber
Who is Joseph Dante, known on social media as Manila's street barber?

Inflation slows to 2.1% in May 2020
(UPDATED) Lower transportation costs and food prices cause the downtrend in the Philippines' inflation rate

Labor groups urge government to hire PUVs during quarantine
Labor groups also report that workers are getting pay cuts of as much as 25% during quarantine

[OPINYON] Ngayong may salot at walang piyesta
Pinagpipiyestahan natin ang buhay ng mga tao at mga pangyayari. Dinudumog, nilalapa, wala halos itinitira. Bihira na ang nagsusuri. Subo na lang nang subo ng inaakalang masarap na impormasyon.

Soldiers to help run 'mega swabbing center' in Taguig
Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines will provide non-medical support to the national government's COVID-19 testing center at Enderun Colleges in Bonifacio Global City

Vico Sotto peeved by ex-PBA player who cussed at gov't worker giving out aid
'Yung sense of entitlement ng ibang tao, grabe talaga,' says the Pasig mayor as he explains why the well-off are not the priority in distributing the city's supplemental emergency subsidy

Inflation slips to 2.2% in April 2020 as virus freezes economy
(3rd UPDATE) The Philippines' inflation slows down as oil prices plunge, while prices of some food items inch up in April

'BeVolts': From street dwellers to aid workers
They are used being vagrants – until helping each other to survive the coronavirus pandemic turned them into 'house parents' in homeless shelters

'Pechay for free': Family in CamSur takes up gardening to help neighbors
Aside from being able to help others during the coronavirus lockdown, the Furio family also manages to squeeze in some quality bonding time in their garden

DFA to implement 'new normal process' at consular offices
The Department of Foreign Affairs will implement new rules at its consular offices to protect both the public and its personnel during the coronavirus outbreak

Vico Sotto says coronavirus spread slowing down in Pasig City
'But we will not be complacent. We’ve seen what happened in other countries where the number of cases spiked again. We just keep fighting,' says the Pasig mayor.

Despite lockdown, Lyceans find ways to help frontliners, Filipinos in Batangas
Students, faculty members, and personnel of the Lyceum of the Philippines University-Batangas express their support for frontliners and Filipinos affected by the coronavirus outbreak in different ways

Manila’s Tondo 1 set for 48-hour lockdown
(UPDATED) The ‘hard lockdown’ will be from Sunday to Tuesday, May 3-5
5 gov't programs businesses can take advantage of during lockdown
Press release: Here are some ways a business can get help in paying salaries, getting a breather from obligations, or just staying afloat

[Kwentong COVID] Learning despite the lockdown
Ellyssa Jhen Jiao writes about what's keeping her occupied during the lockdown

[OPINYON] Sa naiinip
Huwag mabahala. Sa iyong pagkainip humahanap ka ng kakaibang hamon sa kakayahan mo, di ba? Kaya nga nakalikha ka ng 1,001 recipes ng karne norte, di ba?

[Kwentong COVID] Salute to frontliners, TikTok with mama and kuya
Distance learning and TikTok make the lockdown just a little easier to bear for Jamilah Claire Jumuad
Makati man went berserk, cursed police – PNP
Javier Salvador Parra says he intends to file a criminal case against Makati police as his lawyer studies it
[EDITORIAL] Tigilan ang giyera laban sa mga pasaway, virus ang kaaway
Ito ang serbisyo publiko na hatid ni Digong at ng pulisya: ang mang-aresto, mambrusko at manakot? We deserve better from this government.

[Kwentong COVID] Problems bigger than my grades
Yliah writes about Good Samaritans and finding a reason to hope

[Kwentong COVID] When life slows down
Jay Emmanuel Pangilinan writes about a world that's no longer in a rush

Is Baguio covered in Benguet’s extended lockdown? DILG says yes
Residents are initially confused, thinking Baguio's administrative independence from the province also applies in a quarantine situation

Angkas driver arrested for delivering beer in Quezon City
Cops arrest an Angkas driver who was found transporting 2 cases of imported beer in Quezon City, where a liquor ban is in place
[Kwentong COVID] Finding hope, easing fear in lockdown
Grade 7 student John Laurence Carullo writes about how his own family is adjusting to the abrupt change and the lockdown

Duterte's lockdown decision hinges on PH capacity to treat patients
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque says President Duterte will likely be 'conservative' in his decision
[Kwentong COVID] My 7th birthday in lockdown
Grade 1 student Kimy writes about life – and a birthday – in lockdown

[ANALYSIS] Should Duterte lift the lockdown? An imagined debate
With the COVID-19 pandemic, the stakes are much, much higher. Now is not the time for the capricious, evidence-bereft brand of policymaking Duterte has grown used to and gotten away with.

Even in stricter lockdown, military says it will play ‘support role’
At least 2,500 soldiers are deployed in the National Capital Region and 2,000 more are ready to be sent out if needed. But the PNP takes the lead, says the military.

Ex-Anakpawis congressman Casilao, relief volunteers post bail
Their arrest by the Norzagaray police is an 'attack on activists carrying out humanitarian activities [which] adhered to the bayanihan spirit in this time of an emergency situation,' says former partylist lawmaker, Ariel Casilao

At least 29 Metro Manila barangays failing to implement lockdown rules
The chairmen of the 29 barangays are facing show cause orders issued by the Department of the Interior and Local Government
I do, I don't? Your guide to wedding plans during a pandemic
For about-to-be-wed couples affected by the ECQ, here are some tips, factors, and alternatives to consider if you're planning to postpone your big day

FALSE: Sarah Elago quote calling for 'People Power'
Kabataan Representative Sarah Elago denies saying what was attributed to her and clarifies they don't oppose the enhanced community quarantine. The PNP says it will investigate whether their page posted the claim.

Kidlat Tahimik in lockdown: The Baguio Holy Week madness I didn't miss
The National Artist for Film writes about a Baguio on lockdown and an unusually serene Holy Week

Vico Sotto: Premature to lift lockdown, OK with military presence ‘per se’
The Pasig mayor admits it’s been difficult to get people to stay home in some parts of the city, and if the military can make people take the lockdown more seriously, then why not?

Index crimes in Pangasinan decrease due to coronavirus scare
These include crimes against persons such as murder, homicide, physical injury, and rape, as well as crimes against property, including robbery, theft, carjacking, and cattle rustling

Duterte to decide Luzon lockdown fate on April 23
This is according to his former aide, Senator Bong Go, who says the President is studying a partial lifting of the lockdown

Luzon-wide lockdown after April 30 not needed, health experts tell Duterte
But 'enhanced community quarantine' should still be imposed in Metro Manila, Calabarzon, parts of Bulacan, Cebu City, and Davao City, say experts consulted by the President

PNP begins to arrest lockdown violators without warning
(UPDATED) 'There will be no more warning,' says Philippine National Police chief General Archie Gamboa
Ex-Anakpawis congressman, relief drive volunteers charged with sedition
A legal assistance group questions the charges, saying the Anakpawis members were delivering food packs to residents and had a government-issued food pass

Duterte meets health policy experts as decision on lockdown looms
Former health secretaries and medical society leaders are asked to weigh in on post-April 30 options presented by the government

Military records 33 coronavirus cases among soldiers, families
Brigadier General Edgard Arevalo says that the Armed Forces' COVID-19 patients include soldiers, family members, civilian employees, and a reservist

Detained ex-Anakpawis congressman, relief volunteers had BFAR-issued food pass
PAMALAKAYA national chairperson Fernando Hicap says that his group applied for the food pass for relief missions which the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) approved and issued on Friday, April 17

Ex-Anakpawis congressman Casilao, relief volunteers detained in Bulacan
The Makabayan bloc condemns the detention of the relief volunteers, saying 'it seems that this is the intensification of the martial law-like lockdown as contained in an AFP memo'

DILG to LGUs: No more window hours in markets, groceries, pharmacies
Local officials' move to set window hours for buying food and medicine led to further congestion, says the Department of the Interior and Local Government

More troops to be deployed in areas most hit by coronavirus
Soldiers will augment the police 'to strictly implement' physical distancing and other measures during the lockdown, says Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana

‘Natural reaction’ for AFP to prepare for possible martial law-like lockdown
'We believe there is nothing to be alarmed about in this natural reaction of the AFP to prepare and deploy when it becomes necessary,' says military spokesperson, Brigadier General Edgard Arevalo

Pasig starts distributing subsidy, passes ordinance vs discrimination of virus cases
Adopting a similar ordinance from the City of Manila, Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto says people who harass suspected or confirmed coronavirus patients, health workers, and other frontliners will be punished

Companies urge PH gov't to lift liquor ban
Liquor makers in the Philippines say their industry is 'in much unnecessary peril' due to lockdown-related bans enforced in some areas

‘We have to stop them’: AFP ready to enforce martial law-like lockdown
If directed by the president, the military says it will work with the police to enforce discipline and order to prevent further violations of enhanced community quarantine rules

Military resumes offensives vs NPA, denies violating lapsed ceasefire
The military has reported at least 3 armed clashes with communist guerrillas since the government’s unilateral ceasefire ended on April 15
