Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Friday, October 14, 2022.
READ: No registration, no SIM card activation
THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) reminded cell phone users to register their SIM (subscriber identity module) cards to avoid their deactivation. Speaking at a briefing on Thursday, DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy said SIM card users must register within the prescribed 180-day period or their SIM will be automatically deactivated. Newly bought SIM cards must also be registered first before use, Uy said. President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has signed Republic Act 11934, or the "SIM Registration Act," which requires all public telecommunications entities (PTEs) or direct sellers of SIM cards to require users to present a valid ID with a photo upon purchase.
READ: Covid positivity down in NCR, up in 9 provinces
The Covid-19 positivity rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) is down a bit, but is up in nine provinces, OCTA Research reported. OCTA senior research fellow Dr. Guido David said Thursday NCR or Metro Manila had a 16.9 percent positivity rate on October 11, down from 19.4 percent on October 8. David said the low rate in Metro Manila is an indication that the region is heading in the "right direction," and hopes the trend will continue until the end of the year. The rate, however, is up in the provinces of Tarlac, Camarines Sur, Zambales, Laguna, Bataan, Batangas, Benguet, Misamis Oriental and Cebu. Tarlac had the biggest rise, with 51.8 percent on October 11, up from the 34.8 percent three days earlier. David attributed the rising positivity rate in the provinces to increased mobility as well the complacency in getting vaccinated. He said the lifting of the face mask requirement outdoors was not a big factor in the increase of the positivity rate in these areas. David said Filipinos may have already accepted the fact that the worst of Covid-19 pandemic is over.
READ: PH condemns annexation of some parts of Ukraine
THE Philippines joined 142 other nations in voting to condemn Russia's annexation of four regions of Ukraine. Five countries — Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Syria, and Nicaragua — voted against the resolution, while 35 countries, including China, India and Kazakhstan abstained. The Ukrainian regions in concern were Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia. The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) overwhelmingly voted to condemn Russia's annexation of parts of Ukraine, a move US President Joe Biden said sent a "clear message" to Moscow. The resolution "condemns the organization by the Russian Federation of so-called referendums within the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine" and "the attempted illegal annexation" announced last month of four regions by President Vladimir Putin. It called on all UN and international agencies not to recognize any changes announced by Russia to borders and demanded that Moscow "immediately and unconditionally reverse" its decisions.
READ: AFP, Tesda, DepEd most trusted govt agencies – survey
THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), and the Department of Education (DepEd) are the most trusted government agencies, the Pahayag 2022 Third Quarter survey showed. The AFP got the highest trust rating at 57 percent, closely followed by Tesda and DepEd at 56 and 55 percent, respectively. Office of the Press Secretary Officer in Charge Cheloy Garafil said it is not surprising for the AFP to have the highest trust rating because it is directly involved in search and rescue operations in times of disaster.
READ: Marcos revamps BARMM normalization body
PRESIDENT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has ordered the reorganization of an inter-cabinet body tasked to implement normalization initiatives in the Bangsamoro region. Marcos signed Executive Order (EO) 7 amending EO 79, designating representatives from the then-Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and the nowdefunct Office of the Cabinet Secretary (OCS) to lead the Inter-Cabinet Cluster Mechanism on Normalization (ICCMN). The order was signed on October 5 and was released to the media on Wednesday, October 12. The OPAPP was renamed as the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) by virtue of EO 158 signed in 2019, while the OCS was abolished following the signing of EO 1 in June 2022.
BUSINESS: Peso closes at P59 vs dollar
Over to business, the peso weakened again on Thursday after closing at P59 against the United States dollar. Data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) showed that the local currency opened trading at P58.90, with a high of P59.00, and a low of P58.85. The peso's average also stood at P58.95, with volume at $524.08 million. The US dollar is higher for the fourth day in five trading days, though slightly by +0.035, or +0.1 percent, to close at 59.00, matching the record closing high posted on October 3 and Oct. 10, 2022. The greenback also corrected slightly higher recently against major global currencies.
SPORTS: Red-hot Ginebra takes on dangerous Phoenix
Topping sports, Barangay Ginebra looks to build on its 18-point demolition of Bay Area when it clashes with Phoenix Super LPG in the main game of the 2022-23 PBA Commissioner's Cup tonight, October 14, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Gin Kings (2-1) face the Fuel Masters (1-3) in their 5:45 p.m. collision with supreme confidence. Ginebra led by as many as 28 points with import Justin Brownlee on the firing end, leading to a runaway 111-93 victory over Bay Area. Ginebra coach Tim Cone, however, warned his boys from falling into complacency, noting that Phoenix is a team the Kings can't take lightly.
Rigoberto Tiglao and Stephen CuUnjieng are today's front page columnists. Tiglao asks if President Marcos should resign over his decision to become Agriculture secretary, while CuUnjieng tackles the concinnous and syncretic approach to business.
Today's editorial discusses the United Nations' decision condemning Russia over a controversial referendum of annexing four Ukrainian territories. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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For The Manila Times, this is Kim Isabelle Dignadice.