Good day. Here are the top stories of The Manila Times for Sept. 30, 2021.

READ: Sara, Bongbong top presidential survey

DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio again led the list of probable presidential bets for the 2022 national elections, the September 2021 Ulat ng Bayan National Survey by Pulse Asia Research Inc. revealed. If elections were held today, 20 percent of Filipinos would support Duterte-Carpio. However, this was 8 points lower than the Pulse Asia survey results in June, where she also took the lead. The mayor had announced that she will not run for president and will seek reelection instead. Trailing the mayor was former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong"Marcos Jr., who got a rating of 15 percent. He was followed by Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso at 13 percent and Sen. Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquaio, 12 percent. Domagoso and Pacquiao had been proclaimed as the presidential bets of their respective parties. Marcos has yet to make an announcement. Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto 3rd topped the vice presidential survey at 25 percent.

READ: 'PH worst place to live amid pandemic'

THE Philippines is the worst place to live during the Covid-19 pandemic, the latest monthly ranking conducted by Bloomberg revealed. Bloomberg's Covid Resilience Ranking for this month showed that the country has a resilience score of 40.2. The Philippines placed 53rd, or last, among the countries ranked. Meanwhile, Moody's Analytics said the Philippines has a lot of opportunity for improvement in terms of virus management, especially when compared to other Southeast Asian countries.

READ: 'Goodbye, boxing'

AFTER more than two decades of fighting, boxing champ Sen. Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao formally announced that he is quitting the sports that he loved best and that changed his life. His retirement will enable Pacquiao to focus on his next big fight: the presidency. Last week, the senator accepted the nomination of the PDP-Laban faction headed by Sen. Aquilino 'Koko" Pimentel 3rd as its standard bearer in the 2022 national elections. His last fight likely helped him decide to chase his presidential bid. On August 21, Pacquiao lost by a unanimous decision to Cuban boxer Yordenis Ugás. The defeat was his second in his last five boxing bouts. In his video announcement, Pacquiao acknowledged a long list of people, including his family, his trainers and the entire world of boxing fans.

READ: Times' forum presents investment options

EXPERTS will discuss the Philippine investment market during The Manila Times' business forum today, September 30. "Grow wealth with 'The Great Investment Reset" will examine the investment opportunities in the country. Speakers will discuss which investments are hot and which are not. The forum aims to answer the most pressing question on investors' and people with cash on hand's minds: What constitutes proper portfolio management in these turbulent times? The Manila Times editor Dafort Villaseran will host the forum along with Times columnist Ben Kritz. Jose Teodoro Limcaoco, president and chief executive officer of Bank of the Philippine Islands; Eduardo Francisco, president of BDO Capital and Investment Corp.; Ramon Lerma, founder, chairman and chief specialist of Salcedo Auctions; Sheila Lobien, CEO of Lobien Realty Group; and Jose Eduardo Quimpo 2nd, president of BDO Securities Corp., will be the speakers.

Topping Business

READ: JFC requests Senate action on HB 8942

FOREIGN chambers in the country have requested for the Senate deliberation on House Bill (HB) 8942 or the proposed Ease of Paying Taxes Act, which might enhance the Philippines' ranking in global doing business index. Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) said in a statement released on Wednesday that it recently sent a letter to the Senate Ways and Means Committee requesting that the bill be considered. The proposed law was approved by the House of Representative on third and final reading on September 15 and transmitted to the Senate on the next day. According to JFC, the legislation's passage could boost the Philippine's standing in the World Bank's annual Doing Business worldwide index of 190 nations, which is closely scrutinized by foreign investors when deciding where to invest.

In Sports

READ: Rookie Oftana lifts NLEX past Meralco

AFTER a breakout performance in his last game, rookie Calvin Oftana continued to embrace a bigger role for the NLEX Road Warriors. This time he delivered the game-winning basket that kept NLEX's campaign going in the PBA Philippine Cup. Oftana scored the game-winning layup off an inbound play as the Road Warriors salvaged a thrilling 81-80 triumph against the Meralco Bolts on Wednesday at the Don Honorio Ventura State University gym in Bacolor, Pampanga. That win kept their hopes alive for a semifinals seat as seventh seed NLEX and second seed Meralco meet again on Friday in a rubber match. Oftana finished with 12 points in the game. Anthony Semerad who played one of his best offensive games in years on Wednesday topscored for the Road Warriors with 23 points.

READ: NBA releases protocols to teams for virus safety

THE NBA released tentative health and safety protocols to its teams Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila), detailing how unvaccinated players will be tested far more often than their vaccinated colleagues and face a slew of other restrictions. Among the rules for unvaccinated players: They will not be able to eat in the same room with vaccinated teammates or staff, must have lockers as far away from vaccinated players as possible, and must stay masked and at least six feet away from all other attendees in any team meeting. Further, unvaccinated players will be "required to remain at their residence when in their home market," teams were told in the draft of the rules, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press. They will also need to stay on team hotel properties when on the road. In both cases, there are limited permissible exceptions — such as going to buy groceries, taking children to school and the like.

READ: Messi's 1st PSG goal helps beat City

Lionel Messi scored his first Paris Saint-German goal and Luxembourg midfielder Sébastien Thill struck late for newcomer Sheriff to stun 13-time champion Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila). Messi's brilliant strike capped a 2-0 win for PSG over fellow big spender Manchester City in what was a repeat of last season's semifinal.

READ: Raducanu gets wildcard in Indian Wells

US Open champion Emma Raducanu has received a wildcard into the BNP Paribas Open next month. The combined men's and women's tournament will be played Oct. 4-17 in the Southern California desert, a move from its usual March date because of the coronavirus pandemic. The 18-year-old Brit stunned the tennis world earlier this month by becoming the first qualifier in the professional era to win a Grand Slam singles title. Raducanu made her WTA Tour debut in June and soon reached the fourth round at Wimbledon. World No. 1 Ash Barty has withdrawn from the tournament, joining Naomi Osaka and Roger Federer among those on the sidelines.

READ: Opinion and Editorial

The Manila Times Editorial calls for clean elections in the literal sense of the word. Read the full version on the paper's Opinion Section or subscribe to its digital edition.Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta and Edcel Lagman are the columnists on today's front page. Contreras writes about the results of a non-commissioned survey where Moreno, Marcos andDuterte-Carpio are tied at the top; Makabenta slams "fictitious and unverified" count of Covid-19 infections by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases; and Lagman tackles the Sustainable Development Goals as the centerpiece agenda of the 19t Congress.

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This is Christian Crow Maghanoy reporting.