News Report 17 May 2018 Local
1. Total ban to Kuwait lifted
Manila Bulletin, 17 May 2018, p. 1, continued on p. 4
Upon the recommendation of Special Envoy to Kuwait Abdullah Mamao, President Duterte
instructed Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello to totally lift the ban on deployment of Filipino workers to Kuwait, according to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. Apart from skilled workers, domestic workers would be allowed again to seek employment in Kuwait.
Korea
2. North Korea threatens to scrap historic Trump-Kim summit Manila Bulletin, 17 May 2018, p. 1, continued on p. 4
North Korea threatened to scrap a historic summit next month between its leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump, saying it has no interest in a “one-sided” affair meant to pressure them to abandon their nuclear weapons. North Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister criticized recent
comments by Trump’s top security adviser John Bolton who said that North Korea should follow the
“Libyan model” of nuclear disarmament.
This warning came after North Korea abruptly cancelled a high-level meeting with South Korea to protest US-South Korea military exercises.
Economic
3. Bidding for 3rd telco slot in Sept
Philippine Daily Inquirer, 17 May 2018, p. B1
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is poised to issue next week a new set of draft rules outlining the selection criteria for a new major telco player. DICT Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio said that the final terms to become effective late June or early July 2018, and the actual bidding process will be launched after, by September 2018.
Previous reports showed that interested foreign telcos include China Telecom, South Korea’s LG Uplus Corp, Japan’s KDDI, and Vietnam’s Viettel. Rio said he expected more players to join the race once the terms have been finalized.
