Duterte declares state of calamity for six months

President Duterte declared a state of calamity across the Philippines for six months due to rising COVID-19 cases.

The declaration allows local government units to access emergency funds and mobilize resources to combat the virus.

On Monday night, Duterte inspected quarantine checkpoints around Manila which were causing chaos with long lines of private cars and crowded entry points.

As of Tuesday, there are 187 confirmed cases in the Philippines, including 45 new cases reported that day.