Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Thursday, May 23, 2024.
Today's episode is brought to you by Wilcon Depot, The Philippines' leading home improvement and construction supplies retailer—your Trusted Building Partner.
BANNER: Ex-Wescom chief says he made no secret deal
THE former commander of the Western Command (Wescom), Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos, told the Senate Wednesday that he did not make any secret deals with China on a "new model" to manage resupply missions to Filipino troops on Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal. Testifying before the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, Carlos — who is at the center of a wiretapping scandal — admitted receiving a phone call in early January from a Chinese military attaché whom he identified as "senior Col. Li." But he said that the supposed agreement on a "new model" to handle the Ayungin situation was never part of their conversation, which lasted only about three to five minutes. Carlos, who was relieved as Wescom chief only recently, said Li had initiated the call and that he did not allow anyone to record their conversation. Carlos declined to discuss the matter publicly and said he would reveal this in a closed-door meeting or an executive session. Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian, who was invited to the hearing, was a no-show. The Chinese Embassy did not reply to media queries on why it did not send any representative to the wiretapping inquiry. The embassy on May 7 released the supposed transcript of the taped conversation between Carlos and Li, which showed that the former Wescom head agreed to the said new model to address the sea row.
Old school calendar returns in SY2025-26
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the country's gradual return to the old June-to-March academic calendar by school year 2025-2026. As part of the transition, school year 2024-2025 would begin on July 29 this year and end on April 15, 2025, Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said Wednesday. The President met with Vice President Sara Duterte, who heads the Department of Education (DepEd), to discuss the two options for SY 2024-2025. The first option comprised 180 school days with 15 in-person Saturday classes, while the second option was to have 165 school days with no in-person Saturday classes. Both options would end the SY on March 31, 2025. However, the President said the 165-day school calendar was too short as this would significantly reduce the number of school days and contact time, which may compromise learning outcomes. He also did not want students to go to school on Saturdays to complete the 180-day school calendar because it would jeopardize their well-being and demand more resources. As a compromise, Marcos said instead of ending on March 31, 2025, DepEd should adjust the SY to end on April 15, 2025, to enable students to complete 180 days without using Saturdays to go to school.
Senators question 'love child' explanation
SENATORS on Wednesday expressed exasperation over the repetitive answers provided by Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, whose identity has come under question because she could not provide basic details about her childhood. As the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality resumed its inquiry into Guo's identity and her possible links to illegal online gambling operations in her town, Sen. Raffy Tulfo asked the mayor if she was willing to take a lie detector test to address her conflicting statements. Tulfo and other senators seemed skeptical about Guo's claim that she was raised and hidden away on a farm because she was the love child of her father and a domestic, who left when she was young.
First couple hosts dinner for senators
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos hosted a "casual dinner" for senators on Tuesday in Malacañang, a day after the change of leadership in the Senate. Senators and their spouses attended the dinner documented in a photo the first lady shared on her official Instagram account. Most of those who attended were senators who backed newly installed Senate President Francis Escudero, who replaced Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri on Monday.
Even unborn babies tagged for sale online
EVEN unborn babies are being scheduled for sale online, the executive director of the National Authority for Child Care (NACC) said Wednesday, just a week after police arrested a woman and her agent for trying to sell an 8-day-old boy on the Facebook marketplace. NACC executive director Janella Estrada said her agency, attached to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), is monitoring some 40 Facebook profiles that are being used to illegally sell babies online. In a press briefing Wednesday, Estrada also said they were actively engaging with social media providers such as Facebook to monitor accounts, pages and groups involved in these illegal activities.
'No border tightening' amid new Covid threat
THE Department of Health (DoH) on Wednesday said it would not recommend border restrictions amid the resurgence of Covid-19 infections in neighboring Singapore. The new Covid variants, known as FLiRT, triggered the surge in cases in Singapore that surpassed the 25,000 mark for the period of May 5 to 11. Currently, KP.1 and KP.2 make up over two-thirds of the cases in the city-state. The resurgence of the disease has resulted in high demand for at-home testing kits among Singaporeans. Herbosa advised the public to get tested for Covid-19 when their respiratory distress last longer than five days, adding the number of Covid-19 infections in the country was still very low.
DoLE: consultations of NCR wage hike set
ROUGHLY 1.1 million minimum wage earners in Metro Manila are expected to get another round of increase this year in their current 610-peso daily pay. This pay hike prospect emerged after the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) announced on Wednesday the May 23 and June 4 schedule for public consultations for the labor and business sectors regarding the next round of wage increases in the National Capital Region (NCR). After the consultations, a public hearing will follow, initially set for June 20.
BUSINESS: Timing of BSP cuts uncertain – analysts
Topping business, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will still likely start cutting interest rates this year, but the timing has become more critical given the peso's recent decline, analysts said. The currency fell to an 18-month low of 58.27 pesos against the dollar on Tuesday, and the central bank's having signaled a readiness to start easing, to the extent of moving ahead of the US Federal Reserve, was said to have been a factor. Following the drop, Security Bank Corp. chief economist Robert Dan Roces said, "it may be early days to ascertain if they push through with tapering before the Fed ... this will be a function of how stable or volatile the exchange [rate] will be." The peso recovered some ground on Wednesday, strengthening by 21 centavos to 58.06 pesos to the greenback. However, it remains at a level last prevalent nearly two years ago, at the height of aggressive tightening by the Fed. The BSP has downplayed the decline and said that Tuesday's drop was in line with other currencies weakening against the dollar, but added that it was also ready to intervene if needed.
SPORTS: Alas Pilipinas begins AVC Cup campaign
Over to sports, Alas Pilipinas begins its AVC Challenge Cup for Women campaign against Australia at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum today. Led by coach Jorge Souza de Brito and team captain Jia de Guzman, the Filipinos face the Aussies at 6 p.m. Australia, ranked 10th in Asia and 59th in the world, was playing its first game of the tournament against Taiwan at press time on Wednesday evening. The debuting Philippines, on the other hand, is 12th in Asia and 63rd in the world. With the home team hastily formed, captain and main setter de Guzman stressed the importance of communication for Alas that could somehow mitigate their short preparation for the tournament.
Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras and Yen Makabenta are today's front page columnists. Contreras looks into the country's "misplaced Sinophobia", while Makabenta thinks the Senate is a barrier against constitutional reform.
Today's editorial has a wish list for the Senate under the leadership of new Senate President Francis Escudero. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
For more news and information, read The Manila Times on print, subscribe to its digital edition or log on to www.manilatimes.net. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and LinkedIn; and be part of our communities on Viber, Telegram, and Mastodon.
Read The Rest at :
