Good day. Here are the top stories of The Manila Times for Monday, Dec. 19, 2022.
READ: Joma's death opens window for peace
THE death of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairman Jose Maria Sison should send a signal to left-leaning groups to revive peace negotiations with the government, the agency in charge of ending the decades-long insurgency said. The 83-year-old Sison died on Saturday after a two-week confinement at a hospital in Utrecht, the Netherlands, where he had lived in a self-imposed exile for more than 30 years. National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) Secretariat Executive Director Emmanuel Salamat appealed in Filipino to Sison's followers to return to the fold of the law and live peacefully. Salamat also urged peace advocates and stakeholders to make use of "huge opportunities to make a difference by giving our passion and commitment for the people we are mandated to serve." He cited the government's gains in the fight against what it refers to as communist terrorist groups or CTGs.
READ: Inflation top concern of Filipinos
PRESIDENT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte continue to enjoy "stable" approval and trust ratings, but they have to attend to the economy and address inflation, the top concerns of Filipinos, according to PUBLiCUS Asia's end-of-the-year survey. The top concerns of the country the respondents want Marcos to immediately resolve are the high inflation rate and skyrocketing prices of commodities, the survey found. Also listed as issues needing resolution are difficulty in finding employment and not getting enough pay for those already with jobs. The President "needs to arrest inflation increase to prevent turning Filipinos' worries into disappointment with his administration," the PUBLiCUS summary for the survey which was conducted from November 25 to 30, said. PUBLiCUS said 64 percent of the 1,500 respondents approved of Marcos' performance, and 57 percent rated his trustworthiness in addressing the country's problems as "high" or "very high."
READ: Letran routs Benilde for 3rd straight NCAA title
SAN JUAN de Letran claimed its third straight championship as it dominated College of St. Benilde 81-67 in the do-or-die Game 3 of the Finals in the NCAA Season 98 men's basketball tournament on Sunday at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo City. With the team's heart-and-soul Fran Yu serving a one-game suspension after a disqualifying foul in Game 2, the Knights relied on King Caralipio, who scored 20 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. The 25-year-old Caralipio, in his fourth and final NCAA season, was named the Finals Most Valuable Player. Brent Paraiso added 16 points, while Kobe Monje, who was out in Game 2 with a one-game suspension due to a disqualifying foul in the series opener, put in 11 points. Kurt Reyson and Louie Sangalang each scored eight points. It was Letran's third straight title under coach Bonnie Tan, who joined the team in 2019 and led it to a championship that season by beating San Beda and the Mapua Cardinals before that.
READ: Congresswoman shines light on OFW welfare
FOR the last 22 years, OFW party-list Rep. Marissa "Del Mar" Magsino has been fighting for the rights of overseas Filipino workers, which she believes is the country's most vulnerable sector. Magsino, during an interview on SMNI's "Business and Politics," a Saturday weekly program hosted by The Manila Times Chairman Dante "Klink" Ang 2nd, enumerated the difficulties OFWs and their families face as a result of physical separation. Socioemotional and other behavioral issues affect families, particularly children, and these issues have a lasting negative impact on the rest of the family, she said. OFWS are regarded as modern heroes because of their remittances, which support the country's economic growth. But Magsino said they still face tough challenges such as illegal recruitment; the failure to provide required benefits; high placement fees and costs associated with other regulatory requirements; physical, emotional and psychological abuse; false accusations and unlawful detention; and human trafficking.
Topping Business
READ: Marcos OKs extended tariff cuts
PRESIDENT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has approved a recommendation to extend reduced tariffs on rice and other items in a bid to contain inflation, Malacañang announced on Sunday. Modified rates announced earlier this year by the outgoing Duterte government were due to expire at the end of this year. In a statement, the Office of the Press Secretary said Marcos had greenlit the continued implementation of Executive Order (EO) 171, which lowe current duty reductions on pork, maize and rice up to Dec. 31, 2023. Lower tariffs on coal will continue to be applied past the end of next year, the Palace said. Tariffs on pork (fresh, chilled or frozen) will remain at 15 percent (in-quota) and 25 percent (out-quota), corn at 5 percent (in-quota) and 15 percent (out-quota), rice at 35 percent (in-quota and out-quota) and coal at zero. The move aims to mitigate and stabilize the impact of inflationary pressures as a result of the Ukraine-Russia "crisis," expand supply sources and reduce the prices of key commodities.
In Sports
READ: UP, Ateneo go all out for UAAP crown
AND it has come to this. Game 3. For all the marbles. Defending champ University of the Philippines (UP) and Ateneo de Manila University go at it one last time for the glory in the decider of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 85 men's basketball best-of-three Finals today, December 19, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Game time is 6 p.m, with the Fighting Maroons and the Blue Eagles facing off in another decider just like they did last season seven months ago that ended with the former winning via a JD Cagulangan buzzer-beating triple. UP is out to pull off the unprecedented two titles in one calendar year but it's a lot easier said than done, especially after losing Game 2, 55-65, and key guy Zavier Lucero to ACL and meniscus tear. Ange Kouame, Kai Ballungay, Dave Ildefonso and Mythical Team member Forth Padrigao are expected to lead the fight for Ateneo, which took control of game two where it shot significantly better than UP from the field with 39.4 percent.
READ: Croatia finishes third at World Cup
Croatia defeated Morocco, 2-1, in the World Cup third place playoff on Saturday, with Mislav Orsic curling home the winner. Josko Gvardiol, one of the stars of the tournament in Qatar, headed Croatia into the lead in the seventh minute at the Khalifa International Stadium but Achraf Dari brought Morocco level right away. Orsic's terrific curling strike late in the first half ensured Croatia took home the bronze medal, the 11th World Cup in a row a European team has finished third. Walid Regragui, the Morocco coach, said there was a lot for his team to proudly reflect on after they became the first African semifinalists in World Cup history.
Today's Times editorial tackles the many alternatives that exist to attain the objectives of the Maharlika Investment Fund. Read the full version on print or its digital edition or listen to The Voice of the Times. The featured columnists on the front page are Rigoberto Tiglao, Fr. Ranhilio Aquino and Francisco 'Kit' Tatad. Tiglao asks who's afraid of state capitalism; Aquino on rescuing Christmas and Tatad on the possibility of a win-win situation on the controversial Maharlika Investment Fund.
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This is Pete Llevares reporting.