Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Thursday, December 22, 2022.
READ: PH concerned over China 'reclamation'
THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday expressed serious concern over the reported reclamation activities by China in "unoccupied features" of the Spratlys which Beijing denied. The DFA made the remark when asked to comment on the Bloomberg article stating that China conducted expansion activities in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea (SCS). The Spratly Islands, believed to be rich in gas and mineral deposits, are being claimed in whole by China and in part by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
READ: 5 in 10 Pinoys see better economy next year
AROUND five in 10 Filipinos believe that the economy will improve and that their quality of life will be better in the next six months, a survey released by OCTA Research said, The Tugon ng Masa poll commissioned last October 23 to 27 showed that 46 percent of adults surveyed believed that the economy will improve over the next six months, while 38 percent said that it will stay the same. Only 10 percent said that the economy will worsen.
READ: Marcos vetoes 3 budget items
PRESIDENT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. vetoed three provisions in the P5.268- trillion 2023 national budget, Malacañang said on Wednesday. One of the vetoed provisions is the use by the Department of Education of the revolving fund of DepEd TV. DepEd TV served as the agency's platform for multimedia classes at the height of the coronavirus pandemic when learning shifted strictly online. It also aired quick tips, updating students on Covid-19 safety protocols. Marcos said there is no law authorizing the agency to establish a revolving fund for the said purpose.
READ: More charges to be filed vs Bantag
THE Bureau of Corrections said on Wednesday it will assist two New Bilibid Prison (NBP) inmates in filing charges of serious physical injuries against suspended BuCor Director General Gerald Bantag, who allegedly stabbed them in February. The inmates said gang leaders at the NBP were summoned by Bantag on Feb. 1, 2022, concerning a jailbreak that transpired a month before resulting in the escape of four prisoners.
READ: 'More climate change investments needed'
ENVIRONMENT Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga underscored the need for more investments to address biodiversity and climate change challenges at the 15th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Yulo-Loyzaga highlighted the need to shore up biodiversity investments to establish the adaptive management and capacity of regions and communities. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources chief represented President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the summit. Yulo-Loyzaga reported the steps being undertaken by the Philippine government to address biodiversity and climate change challenges when she participated in the High-Level Panel on Financing Delivery of the Global Biodiversity Framework upon the invitation of the United Kingdom. She said the Philippines has begun to align its official development assistance (ODA) with strategic goals such as extending support to the 10-Point Agenda for Financing Biodiversity and the High Ambition Coalition.
READ: SMC announces toll holiday
SAN MIGUEL Corp. Infrastructure (SMC Infra) announced on Wednesday its yearly toll holiday for Christmas and New Year. PARADE OF STARS Spectators line on Quezon Avenue in Quezon City to watch the Parade of Stars which featured floats of movies participating in the Metro Manila Film Festival on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022. PHOTO BY JOHN ORVEN VERDOTE SMC President Ramon Ang said in a statement that toll fees at the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR), South Luzon Expressway (SLEx), Skyway System, NAIA Expressway, and Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx) will be waived on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
BUSINESS: Nov. budget deficit narrower at P123.9B
Topping business, the national government's budget deficit narrowed in November from a year earlier as revenue growth outpaced that for expenditures, Finance department data showed on Wednesday. At P123.9 billion, last month's shortfall was P4.8 billion or 3.71 percent lower compared to the year-earlier P128.7 billion. Revenues rose by 16.57 percent to P331.1 billion from P284 billion. Tax collections comprised the bulk at P312.9 billion while non-tax revenues accounted for P18.2 billion. The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) netted P237.1 billion of the tax take, a 12.53-percent increase from the year-earlier P210.7 billion. The Bureau of Customs (BoC) raised P75.7 billion, 30.74-percent up from P57.9 billion. Other offices contributed nothing for the month compared to the P1.3 billion earned a year ago.
SPORTS: PH memory team bags 9 golds in Indonesia
In sports, the Philippine memory sports team brought home 21 medals, including nine golds, from the Indonesia Open Memory Championship held on December 17-18 in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. The two-day tournament, which also drew top memory athletes from Japan, was the first face-toface memory sports event held in the region since the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020. The Philippines' campaign here was led by 12-year-old Charles Andrei Galamgam who collected eight golds, including the overall championship in the Kids division. He ruled seven out of the 10 regular events namely: the 15-minute random numbers, 10-minute random cards, 5-minute speed numbers, 5-minute random images, 5-minute speed cards, 5-minute fictional dates, and spoken numbers. The other gold medal was won by Jaychelle Miranda Calumpong who topped the random words event in the Juniors division. She also copped the bronze in the 10-minute marathon cards.
Antonio Contreras, Ricardo Saludo and Danton Remoto are today's front page columnists. Contreras asks about government dole-outs, Saludo discusses the right and wrong ways of dealing with China and Remoto talks about Thai millionaire Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip.
Today's editorial believes funding climate action needs a broader approach. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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This is Peter Stephen Llevares reporting.