The stock market pulled a “circuit breaker” at 2:53 p.m., when the index fell by 10.33 percent to 5,697.13. The main index has wiped out 2,078.99 points or 26.60 percent year-to-date. The bourse approved in September 2008 the circuit-breaker rule to give investors time to respond to the huge drop. Should the main index decline by at least 10 percent from the previous day’s closing, the PSE would suspend trading for 15 minutes. Following the WHO’s announcement, the Department of Health reported that the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases rose to 52.

Source: Manila Times March 12, 2020 18:45 UTC