Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Sunday, December 11, 2022.
Trade tops Marcos agenda in Belgium
PRESIDENT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will raise several issues, including post-pandemic recovery, addressing disruption in the supply chain, maritime security, digital transformation and climate action when he confers with fellow world leaders at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-European Union (Asean-EU) Summit in Belgium next week. Marcos, along with the members of his official delegation, will leave Manila on Sunday evening for a summit meeting that will be held in Brussels from December 12 to 14.On the sidelines, Marcos will hold bilateral meetings with leaders from the Czech Republic, Belgium, Estonia, Spain, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Finland, the Netherlands and the EU. Among the topics to be covered are cybersecurity, agriculture, defense and shipbuilding cooperation. With the EU, discussions would include ways forward for the pending Philippine-EU free trade agreement as well as the potential EU ban on Filipino seafarers.
'More agrismugglers operating in Philippines'
FARMERS' group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) President Rosendo So said on Saturday that 20 more smugglers of agricultural products are now operating in the country, bringing in illegally sourced white and red onions, rice and frozen meat products. So added that these are new players not included in the list of agricultural smugglers submitted to the Senate.
US sanctions Quiboloy over rights abuse
THE United States government imposed on Friday (Saturday in Manila) financial sanctions against Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, the founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, the Name Above Every Name (KOJC), amid allegations of human rights abuse. The US State Department and the Department of the Treasury announced the sanctions in separate statements posted on their respective official websites on the occasion of the International AntiCorruption Day and on the eve of International Human Rights Day. Aside from Quiboloy, the US State Department and the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also sanctioned 39 other individuals and entities that are connected to corruption or human rights abuse across nine countries.
US, Chinese envoys in one-on-one meeting
AMID the volatile conditions in the Indo-Pacific region, US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Loss Carlson met with her Chinese counterpart, Ambassador Huang Xilian, on Friday at the latter's office in Manila. The ambassadors met just weeks after US Vice President Kamala Harris affirmed the United States' commitment to defend the Philippines if its vessels or aircraft are attacked in the South China Sea, where Beijing and Manila have competing claims. The diplomats of the world's two superpowers, the United States and China, posted similar pronouncements about their one-on-one meeting.
Bivalent vax importance stressed
GO Negosyo founder Jose Maria "Joey" Concepcion 3rd called on the government not to repeat the "same mistakes" in the country's Covid-19 vaccination efforts as he reiterated the importance of bringing in bivalent vaccines to the Philippines. Concepcion made the statement as he raised concerns on the lack of urgency and unclear delineation of the roles of different agencies on the acquisition of bivalent vaccines. This, after he consulted with several medical and policy experts comprising the Advisory Council of Experts, a group he organized to provide guidance to the private sector on matters of public health and the economy. The group is composed of the country's foremost authorities on medicine, public health, economics, and research and data analytics.
THE National University (NU) Pep Squad reclaimed the throne in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Cheerdance Competition, taking the Season 85 crown on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena. Dancing and grooving under the theme of Cheer-obics, the NU Cheerdancers wowed the 18,029 live audience and the fans watching on their screens with an exquisite performance. NU's solid performance got the school 723 points for its seventh overall title, which denied last season's champion Far Eastern University Cheering Squad a historic second straight title in just one year in the process.
UP, Ateneo begin finals rematch
Sticking to the UAAP, defending champ University of the Philippines and Ateneo de Manila University engage in a Finals rematch as they begin their best-of-three series on Sunday at the Season 85 men's basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia arena. Game One of the Finals is set at 6 p.m. Coming out on top after three grueling games in the Season 84 Finals where JD Cagulangan ended the Fighting Maroons' 36-year title drought with a buzzer-beating triple, UP now aims to make another history. The Maroons look to become the first team to win two titles in one year or make history as the team with the most short-lived reign should they lose to the Blue Eagles.
Provinces ripe for developments
In business, global real estate management firm Colliers said that several provincial locations, especially those with big investments in major infrastructure, are primed for township developments. According to Research Associate Director Joey Bondoc, they have observed that developers have been actively land-banking in the provinces to take advantage of the government's infrastructure and decentralization program. Colliers recommends developers assess the viability of launching more mixed-used communities which feature office towers, residential condominiums and retail establishments.
Marlen Ronquillo is today's front page columnist, as he brands the controversial Maharlika sovereign wealth fund as a "Potemkin fund".
Today's editorial believes President Marcos' priority bills in Congress deserve more attention. 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 Paulo Dimaapi.