Good day. Here are the top stories of The Manila Times for Monday, Jan. 2, 2023.
READ: RCEP ratification Senate priority
THE Senate will prioritize in 2023 the passage of bills of national importance and the ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri said. For this year, the Senate has lined up its priorities: RCEP ratification, the condonation of unpaid amortization and interest on loans of agrarian reform beneficiaries and the Armed Forces of the Philippines amendment on fixed term. Zubiri said the Senate will focus on the passage of the proposed Medical Reserve Corps Act, the Center for Disease Prevention and Control Act, and the Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines Act. Senate Majority Leader Emmanuel Joel Villanueva said the bill on employment recovery will also be a priority.
READ: PH group to file class suit vs top US polluters
A PHILIPPINE-BASED environmental watchdog has sent a formal notice to the United States government, through its embassy in Manila, of its intention to file a class suit at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against top industrial polluters in America together with other industrial states worldwide for the deadly effects of their carbon emissions. The Clean Air Philippines Movement Inc. (Capmi), headed by its president Dr. Leo Olarte, sent its letter of intent to US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson and received by the US Embassy in Manila on December 29. Olarte said the purpose of the letter was to provide the US government a formal notice that Capmi, together with other private sector organizations in the Philippines, will file the class suit "due to all the deadly greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming and climate change that is now a worldwide crisis."
READ: Marcos to ensure ample energy supply
THE administration of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will ensure the availability of cheap and reliable energy through the promotion and utilization of renewable energy (RE) sources in the country, Malacañang said Sunday. Citing the administration's year-end report, the Palace said the Department of Energy's (DoE) major plans for 2023 include updating the Philippine Energy Plan, pursuing contingency measures and activities to ensure energy supply during critical periods, and pushing for the continued development of alternative fuel and improving access to electricity. Marcos, in his first State of the Nation Address in July, said energy will be a "key sector" in the administration's push for economic growth and increased employment. He said the country is searching for new power sources while improving the mix of the energy supply between traditional and renewable sources. As part of these efforts, the DoE, in collaboration with the Energy Regulatory Commission, is set to develop policy and framework for new and emerging RE technologies.
READ: More countries roll out China travel checks amid Covid surge
Travelers from China now face restrictions when entering more than a dozen countries as concern grows over its surge in Covid-19 cases, with Australia the latest to demand a negative test before arrival. Last month, Beijing abruptly began dismantling its "zero-Covid" containment policy of lockdowns and mass testing, three years after the coronavirus first emerged in the city of Wuhan. As Covid overwhelms Chinese hospitals and crematoriums, officials have insisted that the wave is "under control" despite acknowledging that the true scale of infections is "impossible" to track. Australia's health minister on Sunday cited Beijing's "lack of comprehensive information" about Covid cases as the reasoning behind the travel requirement, which will take effect on January 5. The move will "safeguard Australia from the risk of potential new emerging variants," he said. In recent days, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan have also imposed either a negative Covid test requirement or testing upon arrival for travelers from China.
In Business
READ: Inflation to remain a top concern for PH
THE one thing the Filipino consumer will probably remember about 2022 is that it was a year of skyrocketing prices. Hopes were high that, after two years of pandemic-spurred lockdowns, the world was on track toward soon reopening. However, a one-two first-quarter combo — a new Covid-19 surge and Russia's invasion of Ukraine — quickly clouded the outlook for economies worldwide. Domestic inflation, which started the year at a within-target 3.0 percent, skyrocketed to a 14-year high of 8.0 by November. The full-year picture still isn't complete — December data is scheduled to be released this Thursday — but the 11-month average of 5.6 percent is well over the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' (BSP) 2.0- to 4.0-target. Further adjustments haven't been ruled out for 2023 — the BSP expects its 2.0- to 4.0-goal to again be breached this year — and monetary authorities have stressed that they remain ready to take all actions needed to bring inflation within target "as soon as possible."
Topping Sports
READ: Doncic scores 51, Mavs win 6 straight
Luka Doncic scored 51 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to their sixth victory in a row while the Brooklyn Nets stretched their NBA win streak to 11 on Saturday (Sunday in Manila). Doncic added nine assists, six rebounds, four steals and a blocked shot in a maestro performance for the Mavericks in a 126-125 victory at San Antonio. It was the third 50-point effort in five games for NBA scoring leader Doncic, who was at a loss to explain his high-point nights of the season. Christian Wood, who added 25 points and seven rebounds for Dallas, marveled at what he sees as a Most Valuable Player-style effort.
In today's editorial, the Times writes that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s visit to China is a test to his foreign policy. Read the full version on print, on digital or listen to The Voice of The Times. Rigoberto Tiglao, Fr. Ranhilio Aquino and Francisco Tatad are the featured columnists on the front page. Tiglao talks about the three issues China should keep in mind during his visit to China; Aquino and Tatad on the late Joseph Ratzinger or Pope Benedict XVI.
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This is Pete Llevares reporting.
From The Manila Times to our readers, a Happy New Year!