Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Saturday, May 29, 2021.
READ: PH shows the flag in Kalayaan islands
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) hoisted the Philippine flag in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) in Palawan on Friday in a symbolic gesture asserting sovereignty in an area in the West Philippine Sea where Chinese maritime incursions have ratcheted tensions. The Philippine tricolor was raised at a time when the country was celebrating National Flag Day. The coast guard's biggest ship - the Gabriela Silang 8301 - led two other multirole response vessels of the agency in an inspection tour to the Kalayaan Group, which is 289 nautical miles northwest of Palawan's capital, Puerto Princesa City. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral George Ursabia Jr. on Friday stressed the importance of showing the flag in the Kalayaan Group.
READ: DoH agrees incentives can boost jab acceptance
The Department of Health (DoH) sees no problem with local government units (LGUs) offering incentives to constituents who are willing to be vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). In a media forum on Friday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said forcing people to get Covid-19 shots was "ethically [un]justifiable." She said the department has taken note of a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey attributing the high vaccination hesitancy rate to the fear of dying from a vaccine's adverse aftereffects. The survey found that only 32 percent of Filipinos were willing to be vaccinated, 35 percent remained uncertain, and 33 percent did not want to get inoculated.
READ: Restrictions on staycation hotels eased
Hotels accredited by the Department of Tourism to offer "staycations" can operate at full capacity and their guests can forgo Covid-19 testing. Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said on Friday the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) allowed the Tourism department to issue a Certificate of Authority to Operate for Staycation (CAOS) to accredited hotels. The guests will not go through virus testing, Roque said, and the hotels can only accept guests who are between 18 and 65 years old. Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat earlier identified 13 hotels in the National Capital Region (NCR) authorized to offer staycations.
READ: Group denies country lacks nurses
The Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) is disputing the claim of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd of a shortage of nurses in the country. Bello had cited the shortfall in denying the request of Germany for Filipino nurses. PNA National President Melbert Reyes told The Manila Times in a phone interview Friday the shortage is limited to government hospitals and health care institutions. Some nursing graduates, instead of working for hospitals, decided to work for other government agencies and private companies that offer salaries far higher than those in state-run medical institutions, Reyes said. He mentioned higher pay offers at the Department of Education, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire, Bureau of Corrections and call centers.
READ: Fil-Am's death 'gut wrenching' for kin
THE death of Filipino American Paul Megia in the mass shooting in San Jose, California on May 26 (US time) was a "gut wrenching experience" for his loved ones as he left behind a wife, four children, including a stepson, and his parents, a relative said amid efforts to raise funds to support them. Daniel de la Cruz set up one of two fundraisers for Megia, one of nine fatalities in the carnage at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA).
READ: Bello orders deployment ban to KSA
DEPARTMENT of Labor and Employment (DoLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd ordered a temporary ban on the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) bound for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) following reports the workers were made to pay for all Covid-related expenses upon their arrival in the said oil-rich country. Bello, in a memorandum address to Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) chief Bernard Olalia, said his order is "effective immediately and until further notice."
BUSINESS: Dominguez upbeat on Q2 growth
Topping business, the Philippines will finally experience positive economic growth this quarter, according to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd, as new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases decline and vaccination deployment picks up. It can be noted that the economy remained in recession in the first quarter of this year, with the country's gross domestic product falling by 4.2 percent. This forced the country's economic managers to lower the country's growth forecast for this year to 6-7 percent, down from 6.5-7.5 percent previously. Dominguez's optimism stems from the fact that the country's second wave of infections, which began at the end of March, is now significantly reducing.
SPORTS: Gabuco fails to enter Asian Elite finals
In sports, Josie Gabuco of the Philippines failed to make the final round in the women's light flyweight division at the Asian Elite Men's and Women's Boxing Championships Thursday night (Philippine time) at the Grand Ballroom of the Le Meridien Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In a rather controversial semifinal bout, Gabuco dropped a 1-4 decision to Uzbekistan's Gulasal Sultonalieva, who was seen pushing and shoving the Filipino several times in the match. Nonetheless, Gabuco, a five-time Southeast Asian gold medalist and 2012 AIBA world champion, won herself a bronze medal in the competition.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras and Yen Makabenta are today's front page columnists. Contreras talks about dirty politics, while Makabenta discusses the plan to get the world vaccinated against Covid-19.
Today's editorial discusses a recent ruling on Shell that could spell an end to the debate on climate change. Read the full version on the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
For more news and information, get a copy of The Manila Times on print, subscribe to its digital edition or log on to www.manilatimes.net. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and Keep Up With The Times.
With Dafort Villaseran, this is Aric John Sy Cua reporting. May you have a safe weekend ahead.
READ: PH shows the flag in Kalayaan islands
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) hoisted the Philippine flag in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) in Palawan on Friday in a symbolic gesture asserting sovereignty in an area in the West Philippine Sea where Chinese maritime incursions have ratcheted tensions. The Philippine tricolor was raised at a time when the country was celebrating National Flag Day. The coast guard's biggest ship - the Gabriela Silang 8301 - led two other multirole response vessels of the agency in an inspection tour to the Kalayaan Group, which is 289 nautical miles northwest of Palawan's capital, Puerto Princesa City. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral George Ursabia Jr. on Friday stressed the importance of showing the flag in the Kalayaan Group.
READ: DoH agrees incentives can boost jab acceptance
The Department of Health (DoH) sees no problem with local government units (LGUs) offering incentives to constituents who are willing to be vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). In a media forum on Friday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said forcing people to get Covid-19 shots was "ethically [un]justifiable." She said the department has taken note of a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey attributing the high vaccination hesitancy rate to the fear of dying from a vaccine's adverse aftereffects. The survey found that only 32 percent of Filipinos were willing to be vaccinated, 35 percent remained uncertain, and 33 percent did not want to get inoculated.
READ: Restrictions on staycation hotels eased
Hotels accredited by the Department of Tourism to offer "staycations" can operate at full capacity and their guests can forgo Covid-19 testing. Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said on Friday the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) allowed the Tourism department to issue a Certificate of Authority to Operate for Staycation (CAOS) to accredited hotels. The guests will not go through virus testing, Roque said, and the hotels can only accept guests who are between 18 and 65 years old. Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat earlier identified 13 hotels in the National Capital Region (NCR) authorized to offer staycations.
READ: Group denies country lacks nurses
The Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) is disputing the claim of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd of a shortage of nurses in the country. Bello had cited the shortfall in denying the request of Germany for Filipino nurses. PNA National President Melbert Reyes told The Manila Times in a phone interview Friday the shortage is limited to government hospitals and health care institutions. Some nursing graduates, instead of working for hospitals, decided to work for other government agencies and private companies that offer salaries far higher than those in state-run medical institutions, Reyes said. He mentioned higher pay offers at the Department of Education, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire, Bureau of Corrections and call centers.
READ: Fil-Am's death 'gut wrenching' for kin
THE death of Filipino American Paul Megia in the mass shooting in San Jose, California on May 26 (US time) was a "gut wrenching experience" for his loved ones as he left behind a wife, four children, including a stepson, and his parents, a relative said amid efforts to raise funds to support them. Daniel de la Cruz set up one of two fundraisers for Megia, one of nine fatalities in the carnage at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA).
READ: Bello orders deployment ban to KSA
DEPARTMENT of Labor and Employment (DoLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd ordered a temporary ban on the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) bound for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) following reports the workers were made to pay for all Covid-related expenses upon their arrival in the said oil-rich country. Bello, in a memorandum address to Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) chief Bernard Olalia, said his order is "effective immediately and until further notice."
BUSINESS: Dominguez upbeat on Q2 growth
Topping business, the Philippines will finally experience positive economic growth this quarter, according to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd, as new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases decline and vaccination deployment picks up. It can be noted that the economy remained in recession in the first quarter of this year, with the country's gross domestic product falling by 4.2 percent. This forced the country's economic managers to lower the country's growth forecast for this year to 6-7 percent, down from 6.5-7.5 percent previously. Dominguez's optimism stems from the fact that the country's second wave of infections, which began at the end of March, is now significantly reducing.
SPORTS: Gabuco fails to enter Asian Elite finals
In sports, Josie Gabuco of the Philippines failed to make the final round in the women's light flyweight division at the Asian Elite Men's and Women's Boxing Championships Thursday night (Philippine time) at the Grand Ballroom of the Le Meridien Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In a rather controversial semifinal bout, Gabuco dropped a 1-4 decision to Uzbekistan's Gulasal Sultonalieva, who was seen pushing and shoving the Filipino several times in the match. Nonetheless, Gabuco, a five-time Southeast Asian gold medalist and 2012 AIBA world champion, won herself a bronze medal in the competition.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras and Yen Makabenta are today's front page columnists. Contreras talks about dirty politics, while Makabenta discusses the plan to get the world vaccinated against Covid-19.
Today's editorial discusses a recent ruling on Shell that could spell an end to the debate on climate change. Read the full version on the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
For more news and information, get a copy of The Manila Times on print, subscribe to its digital edition or log on to www.manilatimes.net. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and Keep Up With The Times.
With Dafort Villaseran, this is Aric John Sy Cua reporting. May you have a safe weekend ahead.