Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Saturday, March 12, 2022.
READ: 'Secrecy' in ballot printing assailed
THE National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) is calling on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to guarantee transparency in the electoral process amid concerns that the printing of ballots and configuration of secure digital (SD) cards for voting machines were being held under a veil of secrecy. With only nine weeks before election day, the poll watchdog scored the Comelec for barring representatives of political parties and accredited groups from observing the printing of ballots at the National Printing Office (NPO) in Quezon City and the configuration of SD cards at its technical hub in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
READ: Go Negosyo recognizes 17 women entrepreneurs
Seventeen women from different fields and with different backgrounds were feted in the recent Women 2022 Entrepreneurship Summit organized by Go Negosyo. The outstanding entrepreneurs took the spotlight last March 11 as they shared how they inspired other women to start their own ventures based on inclusive, innovative and sustainable business models. Among them is a woman who teaches mothers to start a home-based business; the head of one of the country's biggest conglomerates; an accountant; and a farmer promoting coconut oil and calamansi as agri-products.
READ: Russian envoy assures ties with PH intact
THE crisis in Ukraine will not affect existing agreements between the Philippines and Russia in the fields of defense, energy and people-to-people exchange, the Russian ambassador has assured. In a roundtable discussion, he requested with The Manila Times on Friday, Ambassador Marat Pavlov affirmed his country's deep friendship with the Philippines. Among the ventures he mentioned is the planned nuclear power deal between Russia's Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation and the Department of Energy (DoE) for a feasibility study on setting up nuclear power facilities in the country as an alternative source of power. However, in a statement Wednesday, non-resident Ukrainian Ambassador to the Philippines Olexander Nechytaylo appealed to the Philippines to stop doing business with Russia and stop being an "accomplice" to the war crimes being committed against the Ukrainian people. Nechytaylo said the Russian invasion has killed thousands of civilians, including dozens of children, and caused widespread destruction of homes and critical infrastructure. Because of sanctions imposed by several countries, financial transactions with Russia are "impossible" now, he said. The Philippines has condemned the Russian attack on Ukraine, but stopped short of imposing any sanction against Moscow.
READ: Covid-19 pill gets FDA approval
THE Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved for emergency use another pill for Covid-19 patients. The Paxlovid pill, according to its developer, American drug giant Pfizer, is 89 percent effective in preventing hospitalization or death in high-risk adults. The emergency use authorization (EUA) was issued to Pfizer on March 10, FDA Officer in Charge Dr. Oscar Gutierrez said. This allows the Department of Health (DoH) and the National Task Force Against Covid-19 to procure supplies of the pill and distribute it free of charge to Covid-19 patients. The pill has two antiviral compounds, nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, and has to be taken twice daily for five days after diagnosis for Covid-19 for adults ages 18 above. It is not recommended for women who are pregnant, lactating or those with child-bearing potential.
READ: 6,100 schools PH-wide hold in-person classes
THE Department of Education (DepEd) reported on Friday that 6,122 schools nationwide have physically reopened for the progressive expansion of face-to-face classes amid the Covid-19 pandemic. DepEd Assistant Secretary for Field Operation Malcolm Garma, in a news conference, said more than 8,200 schools have been nominated by their respective regional offices to participate in in-person classes — 7,893 public schools, 208 private schools and 143 unclassified schools — and are being validated by the department.
BUSINESS: AMRO raises PH growth outlook
Over to business, the Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) has raised the growth outlook for the Philippine economy, but their forecast remains below the government's target as Covid-19 pandemic remains a key risk. The 2022 growth forecast is an upward revision from AMRO's prior projection of 6.2 percent in its Asean+3 Regional Economic Outlook, which was released in January. However, it falls short of the interagency Development Budget Coordination Committee's (DBCC) aim of 7 to 9 percent.
SPORTS: Tolentino includes Obiena in SEA Games list
In sports, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) has included Ernest John "EJ" Obiena in the list of Filipino athletes competing in the coming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Hanoi. POC President Bambol Tolentino announced this development in an interview with Playitright TV on Wednesday night.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras and Yen Makabenta are today's front page columnists. Contreras has a word for educators, while Makabenta comments on climate change being the discussion over war and peace.
Today's editorial believes the United Nations may be the biggest casualty of the war in Ukraine. Read a full version on the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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On behalf of The Manila Times, this is Aric John Sy Cua reporting. Have a safe weekend ahead.