Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Thursday, October 27, 2022.
READ: Unmask Lapid slay mastermind – Marcos
PRESIDENT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has ordered the authorities to unmask the mastermind behind the killing of broadcaster Percival "Percy Lapid" Mabasa as he expressed doubt that the inmate tagged as the middleman in the case died of natural causes. Speaking to reporters, Marcos said that even though the toxicology report on the death of Cristito Villamor Palaña (previously identified as Crisanto or Jun Villamor) came back negative, he wants a thorough scrutiny of the matter.
READ: Covid cases in NCR down - OCTA
CASES of Covid-19 in the National Capital Region (NCR) are declining, OCTA Research said on Wednesday. In an infographic shared by OCTA Research senior fellow Dr. Guido David, the seven-day average cases in the region decreased from 807 cases per day during the week of October 12-18 to 491 cases during the week of October 19-25, equivalent to a 39 percent drop in the growth rate.
READ: Seafood consumption of Filipinos decline
THE seafood consumption of Filipinos has declined over the years, a study showed, with poor families consuming the least. The study revealed that the quantity of fresh fish consumed increased with the level of wealth, while the amount of processed fish consumed generally declined as wealth increased. Based on the findings, the poorest Filipinos consumed at least 179.7 grams of fresh fish; the poor, 210.9 grams; middle income, 239.4 grams; the rich, 258.3 grams; and the richest, 287.1 grams. The study conducted by the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Institute (DoST-FNRI) and commissioned by fishers' group Oceana showed that the daily protein intake of many Filipinos is only 94 grams per person, down from the 113 grams per person in 1982. The study revealed that only 55.1 percent of households meet the recommended protein intake.
READ: Marcos names Tugade as new MIAA chief
PRESIDENT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has appointed lawyer Jose Arturo "Jay Art" Tugade as the new general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), Malacañang said Wednesday. In a text message, Office of the Press Secretary Officer in Charge Cheloy Garafil confirmed that Tugade was named as MIAA's acting general manager and chief executive officer, as well as a member of its board of directors, replacing Cesar Chiong. The new MIAA head is the youngest son of former Transportation secretary Arthur Tugade, who served under the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
READ: US offers to upgrade PH choppers
The United States government has offered to upgrade at least 12 of the 36 Sikorsky helicopters that the Philippines bought so that these can be used for disaster response, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said. The money used to acquire heavy-lift Sikorsky choppers will come from the $100 million military grant from the US government, he said on Tuesday.
REGIONS: Marcos: Govt on top of quake situation
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday assured the public that the government is on top of the situation following the 6.7 magnitude earthquake that jolted Abra and nearby provinces late Tuesday. Speaking to reporters, the President said the government is focused on assisting affected individuals by providing them with food and temporary shelter. Citing reports he received, families are asking for tents as they fear for their safety due to possible aftershocks following the strong quake. The President said schools remain closed for the day to ensure the structural integrity of school buildings as well as children's safety.
BUSINESS: Govt clocks Sept deficit of P179.8B
Topping business, the government posted a P179.8-billion budget deficit in September, the Treasury bureau reported on Wednesday, bringing the year-to-date shortfall to P1 trillion. This was lower compared to the respective year-earlier tallies of P180.9 billion and 1.3 trillion, the Treasury pointed out, given higher receipts and slower expenditure growth.
SPORTS: Chot awaits players from Japan B. League
In sports, Gilas Pilipinas is again in a race against time as national coach Chot Reyes faces a number of health and player's availability issues that serve as roadblocks to the Philippine team's buildup for the November window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers. Meralco star Chris Newsome is still recovering from a calf injury, while San Miguel Beer's star slotman June Mar Fajardo is already out of the roster due to his recent throat surgery. Player availability is another major point to consider since national players currently seeing action in the Japan B.League will only be able to join the practices some time at the end of the month. The Ravena brothers Kiefer and Thirdy, as well as Bobby Ray Parks and Dwight Ramos are among the Gilas players playing in the Japanese pro league. At this point though, Reyes can't really say when the exact date of their arrival will be.
Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta and Danton Remoto are today's front page columnists. Contreras calls out President Marcos over his delay over the appointments of 2 department secretaries, Makabenta discusses the COP27 climate summit and Remoto tackles the ghosts of memory.
Today's editorial calls for a rethink of the government's national electrification drive. Read the full version in 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.