Good day. Here are the Top Stories of The Manila Times this Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022:
READ: Prices of rice, onions soar
CONSUMERS continue to be pummeled by high prices of goods, basic or not, as the Department of Agriculture admitted on Wednesday that the prices of red onions reached as high as P720 per kilo. The retail prices of rice, the main staple of Filipinos, also increased by P2 per kilo, the farmers' group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) said. Sinag President Rosendo So said that regular milled rice costs P40 a kilo. Based on the price watch of the Agriculture department in 13 markets in Metro Manila, red onions were sold between P700 and P720 per kilo at the New Las Piñas Public Market. Agriculture deputy spokesman Rex Estoperez stood firm on the DA's decision not to import red onions despite the unabated spike in prices of the bulbs.
READ: SIM registration smooth on second day of listup
WITH technical glitches addressed, the registration of SIM cards was smoother on Wednesday, as Globe Telecoms and Smart Communications boasted of record number of successful applications. In a statement, Globe said that they logged over 1.5 million SIM registrations as of 4 p.m. Wednesday, hours after the platform went back online after some fine-tuning. Globe's SIM registration portal, https://new.globe.com.ph/simreg, was up and running early Wednesday after technical teams worked round the clock to address potential vulnerabilities found in the system. As of 4 p.m., 1,528,735 Globe and TM SIM users have completed their registration. PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications said that after a short glitch, it has received close to 400,000 successful applications. Dito Telecommunity has yet to issue any statement regarding the SIM registration.
READ: Fishers' groups to Marcos: Advance PH interest
FISHERS' groups called on President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to advance the interest of Filipinos, particularly the fishermen, during his state visit to China in January 2023. Pangisda Pilipinas National Chairman Pablo Rosales said Marcos should ask China to respect the decision of the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) which ruled in favor of the Philippines in its arbitration case against China over the West Philippine Sea. He said that fishermen no longer go to Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc after being harassed by the Chinese Coast Guard. He said that members of the Chinese Coast Guard confiscated the fishing gear and catch of some Filipino fishermen. He appealed to the Philippine Coast Guard to provide protection to the fishermen and escort them while fishing near Bajo de Masinloc. Rosales said that Marcos' visit to China will be beneficial if he will include the issue of Filipino fishermen in his agenda in his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Fishermen, he added, should be allowed to fish freely and benefit from the country's marine resources.
READ: China Covid pivot sparks jitters worldwide
Beijing's sudden pivot away from containing Covid-19 has caused jitters around the world, with the United States saying it may restrict travel from China following its decision to end mandatory quarantine for overseas arrivals. China late Monday scrapped quarantine for inbound travelers from January 8 onwards, dismantling the last remaining piece of its stringent zero-Covid policy and ending some of the world's harshest border restrictions. The move was greeted with jubilation by Chinese citizens, who rushed to book international flights, triggering a surge in ticket prices. But other countries have expressed concerns about the potential for new variants as China battles the world's biggest surge in infections. US officials said late Tuesday they were considering Covid entry restrictions on travelers from China, after countries including Japan and India introduced PCR testing on arrival for Chinese passengers. Taiwan, a self-ruled island that China claims as its own, said Wednesday that it would also screen travelers from the mainland for the virus.
READ: US digs out from monster storm; toll passes 50
The monster storm that killed dozens in the United States over the Christmas weekend continued to inflict misery on New York state and air travelers nationwide Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) as stories emerged of families trapped for days during the "blizzard of the century." The number of deaths attributed to the winter storm rose to more than 50 after officials confirmed three more fatalities in western New York's Erie County, the epicenter of the crisis. The police department "expects that number to rise," tweeted Byron Brown, mayor of the lakeside county's biggest city Buffalo — which has been paralyzed for five days by chest-deep snow banks and power outages. Kathy Hochul, New York state's governor and a Buffalo native, described the storm aftermath as resembling "a war zone."
In Business
READ: PH economy seen to grow beyond target – DoF
THE Philippine economic growth will likely grow much faster than the official target range of 6.5 to 7.5 percent this year, the Department of Finance (DoF) said on Wednesday. In the agency's year-end report, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno highlighted the "modest" recovery achieved by the country in 2021, which propelled the Philippines to a more robust economic growth this year. Diokno noted that for 2022, all sectors will be surging, led by manufacturing and construction, while strong domestic demand is supplemented by exports. He cited that the employment rate, a key metric in a labor-rich country, has exceeded pre-pandemic levels, creating some 4.6 million new jobs. He added that jobs in the manufacturing sector increased by 10.42 percent in October 2022 year on year as improved sales signaled business expansions and higher capacity use. The employment outlook is another source of optimism, said Diokno. Unemployment rate slid to 4.5 percent, lower than the 5.3 percent unemployment rate during the pre-pandemic period. There were 4.6 million new jobs in October 2022 compared to the level posted during the pre-pandemic period. Underemployment rate in October 2022 (14.2 percent) was lower than the January 2020 pre-pandemic period (14.8 percent).
Topping Sports
READ: Djokovic back in Australia a year after deportation
Novak Djokovic has arrived in Australia almost a year after he was deported over his stance against Covid-19 vaccination, Tennis Australia confirmed on Wednesday. Djokovic will open his 2023 campaign in Adelaide as he prepares for a shot at a 10th Australian Open title. The 21-time major winner has been granted a visa by the Australian government and is listed to play at the Adelaide International, which starts Sunday. The 35-year-old Serb arrived in Adelaide on Tuesday night, the governing body confirmed. Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley indicated at a news conference Tuesday that Djokovic had arrived. The Australian Open runs from January 16-29 in Melbourne. Djokovic missed the Grand Slam last year because of his refusal to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Australia has since lifted strict rules for unvaccinated travelers.
The Times editorial is for the expansion of economic zones but cites the need to reform the law first. Read the full version on print, digital edition or listen to The Voice of the Times. Featured columnists on the front page are Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta and Danton Remoto. Contreras writes about the narratives of redemption in 2022; Makabenta on a pivotal year for clean energy and of climate folly in the south; Remoto on the many faces of love.
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This is Pete Llevares reporting.