Good day. Here are the stories of The Manila Times for Friday, July 8, 2022.

READ: Marcos scraps PACC

PRESIDENT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has abolished the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) and the Office of the Cabinet Secretary, citing the need for a "just allocation of resources" amid the Covid-19 and fiscal crises. Executive Order (EO) 1 called for the reorganization of the Office of the President, beginning with dissolving the PACC and the Cabinet Secretary post. The President also issued EO 2 reorganizing the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) into the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS). Marcos' predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, created the PACC in 2017 to "directly assist the President in investigating and/or hearing administrative cases primarily involving graft and corruption against all presidential appointees." In his EO, Marcos said the PACC's jurisdiction, powers, and functions were already inherent to the President. He said the President could discipline and remove public officials and employees, except those who are not under his authority. The PACC's anti-corruption functions will be taken over by the Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs. The Executive Secretary, Victor Rodriguez, will wind up the operations of the PACC. He will also take charge of the disposition of PACC's functions, positions, personnel, assets and liabilities.

READ: Color-coded Covid alert levels proposed

Former presidential adviser for entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Jose Maria "Joey" Concepcion 3rd has proposed a "traffic light approach" in determining Covid-19 alert level systems. Concepcion discussed the proposal with private sector representatives and a group of medical, data and economic experts in the first of several consultations to chart the country's pandemic policy direction.

READ: Survey: Filipinos back Rice Tariffication Law repeal

A MAJORITY of Filipinos, or 63 percent, support the repeal of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), signed into law by former president Rodrigo Duterte in 2019, the PUBLiCUS' second quarter survey showed. Eight percent of the survey respondents disapprove of repealing the law, while 29 percent neither approve nor disapprove. The law replaced quantitative restrictions on rice imports with a tariff system, where the import dues go to the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) and collections over the P10 billion fund to the Rice Farmer Financial Assistance (RFFA). Some groups claim that the farmers' net income significantly dropped since the law was passed due to rice importations and rising cost of production.

READ: Foreign authorities raise warning on noodle brand

SEVERAL foreign health authorities have issued warnings against a brand of instant noodles they suspect of being contaminated with the pesticide ethylene oxide. In a post on its official Facebook page, the Environmental and Health Directorate of Malta issued a notice for several flavors of Lucky Me! Pancit Canton and Lucky Me! Instant Noodles Beef Flavor for having high levels of the chemical. A similar warning was issued by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, noting that it is recalling a batch of Lucky Me! Instant Pancit Canton noodles Original flavor due to the presence of ethylene oxide, which is an "unauthorized pesticide." In its advisory, the Irish agency said that while consumption of the product does not pose an acute risk to health, there could be health issues if ethylene oxide is consumed over a long period of time. Reacting to the warnings, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is verifying the warnings. Vergeire said the FDA will check specific batches and lot numbers of the food products in question. The batch or lot found to have traces of the chemical "will be the ones that will be recalled," Vergeire said.

READ: 7 provinces report above 10% Covid positivity

SEVEN provinces in the country have posted Covid-19 positivity rates higher than 10 percent, according to data from OCTA Research. The province of Antique registered the highest positivity rate among provinces selected by OCTA in its July 5 positivity rate bulletin, with a 20.6 percent positivity rate. Other provinces that reported a positivity rate higher than 10 percent were Batangas, Cavite, Iloilo, Laguna, Pampanga and Rizal. The National Capital Region (NCR or Metro Manila) posted a 9.8 percent positivity rate, alongside the provinces of Bataan, Benguet, Bulacan, Davao del Sur, Isabela and Pangasinan, which reported positivity rates of higher than 5 percent. The World Health Organization said that a positivity rate of less than 5 percent meant that the infection remains under control. Only Cebu reported a lower than 5 percent positivity rate, clocking in at 3.9 percent.

BUSINESS: Peso falls to nearly 17-year low

Topping business, Philippine peso had its worst day in over 17 years, falling to P56 to the US dollar on Thursday. The local currency decreased 39 centavos from the P55.67 closing value of the previous day to end at $56.06:$1. It hasn't been this soft since Sept. 27, 2005 when it closed at 56.29:$1. Nicholas Antonio Mapa, senior economist at ING Bank Manila, observed that this week's trade has been dominated by wide US dollar strength as investors sought safe haven due to recessionary fears. The dollar also strengthened because it appears that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) would tighten policy in order to stop US inflation.

SPORTS: Streaking Blackwater takes on Phoenix

BLACKWATER tries to sustain its hot start in the PBA Philippine Cup today, July 8, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Bossing, the biggest surprise of the tournament so far, take on the Phoenix Fuel Masters in the first game at 3 p.m. A victory by Blackwater will bring the team within striking distance of securing a playoff berth. Blackwater is carrying a 4-1 win-loss record and currently holds the third spot. The team won only once in 22 games last season and posted the league's longest losing streak of 29 games. Now the Bossing are making heads turn with their gutsy performance and resiliency.

READ: Opinion and editorial

Rigoberto Tiglao and Ruben Torres are today's front page columnists. Tiglao weighs in on the latest inflation figures, while Torres discusses the Philippines being among the worst countries for workers.

Today's editorial believes there is no substitute for face-to-face classroom teaching. 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 Friday ahead.