Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Saturday, September 10, 2022.
READ: 'Dar tried to stop tractors purchase'
AS Agriculture secretary in 2021, William Dar had tried to stop the acquisition of P1.737-billion worth of farm tractors, a deal that is now being investigated for possible overpricing. In a press conference on Friday, Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) Director Dionisio Alvindia said Dar issued a memorandum stopping the bidding for the tractor contract, but the bids and awards committee went ahead with the proceedings. Dar was appointed Agriculture secretary by then-President Rodrigo Duterte in 2019, replacing Emmanuel Piñol. He stepped down after the Marcos administration took over this year.
READ: Marcos: Queen Elizabeth is 'a true figure of majesty'
PRESIDENT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Friday joined the world in mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth 2nd, saying the world has "lost a true figure of majesty." Queen Elizabeth, Britain's longest-serving monarch, died Thursday afternoon at her official residence in Scotland, Buckingham Palace said. She was 96.
READ: BBM provides guidance for optional masking
President Marcos has provided guidance for the gradual lifting of the mandate for wearing masks outdoors. The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has approved the optional use of masks in low-risk areas such as open spaces during its meeting on Tuesday. In a media briefing on Friday, Health Officer in Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the Department of Health (DoH) explained to Marcos the recommendations of the IATF and other sectors to lift the mask mandate.
READ: Peso closes at P56.82 vs US dollar
THE Philippine peso on Friday yielded a P56.82:$1 level as the dollar depreciated against most world currencies. Friday's local currency increased 36 centavos from Thursday's closing rate of P56.82:$1, marking the fifth straight trading day in which it fell to record lows.
READ: DBM allocates P3.7B for DSWD's feeding program
THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Friday announced the allocation of P3.7 billion for the Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP) for children under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Republic Act 11037, also known as "Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act," institutionalized a nationwide feeding program for undernourished children in public day care, kindergarten, and elementary schools to arrest hunger and undernutrition among children. DSWD is the lead implementing agency of the SFP.
READ: Poll chief keen to reset Dec 2022 BSKE
AMID calls from Congress to postpone the Dec. 5, 2022 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE), there is also a need for Congress to allocate corresponding appropriations for the purpose in the 2023 national budget if the elections are to push through at all at later dates next year, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec). The BSKE controversy has prompted Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia to suggest during a hearing of the House Committee on Appropriations on Friday, September 9, that the BSKE set for December 5 this year be reset "to allow more voters to vote and [therefore] more voters to choose their leaders for the SK and the barangay elections."
BUSINESS: Trade gap hits record $5.93B
Over to business, the Philippines posted an all-time high trade deficit of $5.93 billion in July due to a surge of imports that outpaced exports, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). From its preliminary data, PSA said the balance of trade or difference between the country's exports and imports reached $5.93 billion in July, 64.2 percent higher than the $3.51-billion deficit recorded in the same month last year.
SPORTS: NCAA Season 98 tips off today
In sports, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA )men's basketball tournament returns for Season 98 today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum carrying the theme "Achieve Greatness Everyday." An hour-long opening ceremony takes center stage beginning at 12 p.m. before host Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) and Arellano University (AU) lock horns at 3:30 p.m.
Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta, and Danton Remoto are today's front page columnists. Contreras believes the color red is a spectrum, Makabenta believes there's a nine-dash line claimed by China in Indonesia's exclusive economic zone, and Remoto recalls the day he met the late Queen Elizabeth 2nd in his visit to Scotland.
Today's editorial believes that food security aims must address food waste. 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.