Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Saturday, February 17, 2024.

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BANNER: SMC group wins NAIA rehab bid

A CONSORTIUM led by tycoon Ramon Ang has won the contract to modernize the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the Department of Transportation (DoTr) announced on Friday. The SMC SAP & Co. Consortium will have 15 years to upgrade, expand and operate the country's premier airport, with the possibility of a 10-year extension. The group bested three other bidders, Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista said during a briefing.

Comelec urged: Make PI signature withdrawal easy

SENATE Majority Leader Emmanuel "Joel" Villanueva and Sen. Maria Josefa Imelda "Imee" Marcos on Friday called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) not to further burden the people who want to withdraw their signatures in the People's Initiative for the amendment of the Constitution. Commenting on the poll body's approval of a withdrawal form for individuals who wish to withdraw their signatures in the P.I., Villanueva noted that the form contains complicated requirements.

Collective effort key to El Niño mitigation

TASK Force El Niño, led by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., stressed the importance of the collective efforts of government agencies in mitigating the impact of the weather phenomenon, particularly on agriculture. Teodoro instilled on members of the task force the need for cooperation and coordination, not just for El Niño but for other emergency and disaster concerns.

Abducted environmental advocates to get protection

THE Supreme Court has ruled that the two environmental advocates who accused the military of abducting them were entitled to the remedies of writs of amparo and habeas data, as well as a temporary protection order. In a decision penned by Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando, the Supreme Court en banc granted the petition for the issuance of the writs of amparo and habeas data of environmental advocates Jonila Castro and Jhed Reiyana Tamano. The court's ruling obliged authorities to provide protection for the two petitioners.

BUSINESS: Business groups nix wage proposal

Over to business, a legislated wage hike is not the best solution to address economic equality in the country and lawmakers should instead work on developing comprehensive initiatives to address the issue, business groups said. In a joint statement, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other business organizations claimed that a proposal to raise wages by 100 pesos per day would favor just 5 million private sector workers and put 47 million others at a disadvantage.

SPORTS: Alyssa feels surreal to be reunited with Bea, Denden

In sports, Creamline's Alyssa Valdez is excited to play with her former college teammates Bea de Leon and Denden Lazaro-Revilla in the 2024 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference. From being rivals in the finals last year to now playing on the same side of the court, Valdez said the feeling is dreamlike since they are now wearing the same jersey.

Opinion and editorial

Antonio Contreras and Danton Remoto are today's front page columnists. Contreras looks into the latest squabbles in the two Houses of Congress, while Remoto discusses the trending jobs.

Today's editorial says the country must stand firm against nuclear proliferation. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.

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