Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Friday, July 22, 2022.
READ: Expiring jabs cost private sector P1.3B
THE Covid-19 vaccines that will expire by the end of July will cost the private sector more than P1.3 billion, Go Negosyo founder Jose Maria "Joey" Concepcion 3rd said on Thursday. In a statement, Concepcion said the P1.3 billion does not yet reflect the vaccines it donated to the government. The expiring vaccines were acquired by the private sector through the tripartite agreement, A Dose of Hope, which was formed in October 2020. Under the agreement, half of the vaccines acquired are shared with the government.
READ: Most Filipinos worried about catching Covid – survey
A MAJORITY of Filipinos are still worried that they or someone in their family could be infected with Covid-19, the April Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed. Around 9 in 10 adult Filipinos, or 88 percent, said they were "a great deal worried" or "somewhat worried" about catching the virus, while 12 percent were "a little worried" or "not worried." The percentage of respondents who said that they were a great deal or somewhat worried about catching Covid-19 was highest in the Visayas at 94 percent, followed by Mindanao (93 percent), Balance Luzon (85 percent) and Metro Manila (83 percent).
READ: 30-yr infra plan pushed to spur economic growth
THE Philippines needs to legislate a 30-year infrastructure plan that can be sustained despite the change of government every six years, Barry Paulino, executive director of the Philippine Constructors Association (PCA), said on Thursday. Speaking at The Manila Times Online Business Forum titled "Road to Prosperity: Paved with Good Intentions," he said the Marcos administration must prioritize efforts that will pave the way for a 30-year roadmap for the infrastructure industry. He said having such tools is vital, especially when the country is still recovering from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
READ: New BoC chief calls for support
NEWLY appointed Bureau of Customs (BoC) Acting Commissioner Yogi Felimon Ruiz called on his colleagues, the public and port stakeholders for support in carrying out the marching orders of the President in one of the government's problematic agencies. Ruiz, who hails from Cebu, served as director of the BoC's Enforcement and Security Service (ESS) for five years from 2017 to 2022. The President swore in Ruiz on Wednesday, a move that took everybody by surprise, particularly his co-workers in the customs bureau as his name was never mentioned as a possible replacement for former commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero.
BUSINESS: ADB hikes PH growth forecast
Over to business, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) now expects the Philippine economy to hit the lower end of the government's 2022 target. The economy, as measured by gross domestic product, grew by 8.3 percent in the first quarter of the year. The government is targeting a 6.5- to 7.5-percent expansion for 2022, recently reduced from 7.0 to 8.0 percent but still stronger than last year's actual growth of 5.7 percent. The forecast for 2023 was kept at 6.3 percent, below the government's 6.5- to 8.0-percent target.
SPORTS: Pacquiao returns to boxing for charity
Topping sports, Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao will fight in the boxing ring once more. The former senator, who ran for president last May, however, is not fighting because he wants to fill his personal bank account but rather said he is returning to the sport he loves for a "charitable cause." Aside from raising funds to rehabilitate the devastated areas in Ukraine and help the people affected in the Ukraine-Russia war, the 42-year-old Pacquiao said he is fighting martial artist and Korean YouTuber DK Yoo so he can continue his charitable mission of building houses to homeless Filipinos.
Rigoberto Tiglao and Maria Isabel Ongpin are today's front page columnists. Tiglao brags former president Rodrigo Duterte's survey numbers mainly for the sake of rubbing it into the critics' faces, while Ongpin hits the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas over the new P1,000 bill, which is made out of polymer.
Today's editorial calls for a crank up of Covid-19 booster shots. 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.