Duterte meets with IATF officials

President Rodrigo Duterte held a meeting with the officials of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) in Malacañang on March 19, 2020.

The photos showed he met with Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Senator Bong Go, and other officials.

The details of the topics and issues discussed during the meeting are unavailable as of posting.

Earlier, however, Duterte has called for a special session of Congress for lawmakers to pass a supplemental budget in order for the government to prevent the further spread of the COVID-19 and address its impact on Filipinos.

He also called on government agencies and state-run schools to conserve water.

The President has also slashed the percentage of annual net earnings state-owned Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) must remit to the government for 2018.

Signed on Wednesday, Executive Order 109 reduced the dividend rate of LandBank from 50% of its annual net earnings to 0% for 2018.

The order took effect immediately.