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Here are the top stories of The Manila Times for Wednesday, October 20, 2021.

READ: Nurses leaving in droves ‒ PHA

With more health care workers resigning to work abroad or avoiding contracting Covid-19, the Philippines may lose many of its nurses in the next six months, the head of the country's private hospital group warned on Tuesday.

READ: OCTA, Go Negosyo join forces

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Acknowledging the importance for the private sector to work hand-in-hand with the government in mitigating the effects of the coronavirus pandemic in the country, Go Negosyo and OCTA Research formalized on Tuesday their partnership through a memorandum of agreement to better guide business industries in navigating the economy amid the crisis.

READ: Marcos wins big in Manila Bulletin survey

Former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. may end up winning the presidential race next year, based on the results of an online survey, published by one of the country's leading newspapers.

READ: What numbers are needed to win in 2022

The overwhelming interest in party-list seats in the Lower House, evidenced by 270 aspirants who registered as candidates, piqued interest into finding out statistics available on party-lists.

Meanwhile, in other news...

READ: Turning pests, pesky times into a diamond opportunity

Decades of being subjected to the pressure of critical situations and the heat of explosive events have crystallized Mapecon Philippines Inc. into a shining example of a clear-cut, rock-solid company, much like the diamond that represents its 60th anniversary.

READ: P227M awarded to 'Princess' victims

The Public Attorney's Office announced on Tuesday that a Cebu trial court has ordered indemnification, amounting to P226.9 million, to at least 55 heirs of the victims of the sinking of the M/V Princess of the Stars in 2008.

READ: Gatchalian grills Tesda on P6.2B-unspent funds

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said on Tuesday the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority or Tesda has P6.2 billion unspent funds this year and grilled the agency on how it plans to use the money.

READ: Isko vows Covid hospitals if he wins

Manila Mayor and presidential aspirant Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso hopes to strike a balance between health and livelihood should he win in next year's elections.

In regional news,

READ: 2 Sayyaf terrorists surrender to MILF

Two members of the Abu Sayyaf Group surrendered to members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front or MILF that handed the former terrorists to security forces in the Muslim province of Basilan, officials said on Monday.

In world news,

READ: NKorea fires nuke missle

North Korea fired a ballistic missle into the sea on Tuesday, its latest in a series of tests with analysts saying it would have been a submarine-launched weapon, South Korea's military aid said.

READ: 'No free speech during pandemic'

Oppressive regimes around the world have used the coronavirus pandemic to crack down on critics, Amnesty International said on Tuesday.

In business,

READ: Digitalization to unlock P5T from economy

Digital transformation can unlock up to P5 trillion worth of economic value in the Philippines by 2030, a report released by Google and AlphaBeta said.

And in sports,

READ: Magnolia's experience versus TNT's energy

In any championship series in the Philippine Basketball Association, establishing an early lead is vital to every team.

Rigoberto Tiglao and Fr. Ranhilio Aquino are the featured columnists on the front page of The Times.

Tiglao lambasts the

READ: Coalition of accusers and accused, of the unprincipled

Fr. Aquino evaluates

READ: Catholic university education

In The Times editorial, a call for help is sent out because the

READ: LWUA urgently needs funding

Read all about it.

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With Aric John Sy Cua, Paolo Dimaapi and Christian Maghanoy, this is Dafort Villaseran reporting. Have a great week!