Good day. Here are the top stories of The Manila Times for Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023.
READ: Namfrel pushes hybrid poll count
THE election watchdog National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) proposed that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) switch to a modified hybrid version of counting votes to assure that the process is transparent. Guesting at SMNI's weekly public affairs program "Business and Politics," hosted by The Manila Times Chairman and CEO Dante "Klink" Ang Jr., Namfrel President Lito Averia said the 2022 elections may have proceeded smoothly, "but not without issues." He cited allegations of irregularities such as the replacement of secured digital (SD) cards and cheating during transmission, which could be easily resolved if the Comelec opens the vote-counting machines' "log" to scrutiny. A vote-counting machine's log provides a digital record of every transaction and operation that it performed. Averia reiterated the proposal of former Namfrel president Gus Lagman that the votes should be counted manually at the precinct level and to upload the election returns immediately to a public website to enhance transparency and accuracy.
READ: Justice vowed for OFW slain in Kuwait
THE Department of Migrant Workers (DWM) has vowed justice for the overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who was slain in Kuwait. Migrant Workers Secretary Susan "Toots" Ople said she has spoken with the family of Jullebee Ranara and extended the department's and her condolences. The Kuwaiti media has reported that the burned remains of the 35-year-old Ranara were found in the desert Sunday night. Ople said her agency is waiting for the official report on the incident from Kuwaiti authorities.
READ: Private sector affirms support for MSMEs
THE private sector has reaffirmed its support for government efforts to provide more opportunities to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). In a televised briefing on Monday, Go Negosyo founder Jose Ma. "Joey" Concepcion 3rd noted that 99 percent of the country's economy, as well as the Southeast Asian region, is driven by small businesses. Concepcion lauded President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.s' resolve to help fledgling entrepreneurs, particularly farmers. Among the government agencies front and center in the efforts to help MSMEs are the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Department of Agriculture (DA). Concepcion, the former presidential adviser on entrepreneurship, also cited the creation of the Private Sector Advisory Council, a group composed of some of the country's biggest and most respected business leaders, as proof of a dynamic public-private relationship.
READ: Imported onions start to arrive
THE first shipments of imported onions have arrived as part of the government's strategy to bring down the bulbs' soaring prices. Agriculture deputy spokesman Rex Estoperez told The Manila Times on Monday that 5,000 metric tons (MT) of onions are being unloaded in select ports in the country. The onion shipments will be limited to the ports of Manila, Subic, Cebu, Davao and Cagayan de Oro City. Estoperez said the importation negates the efforts of the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives to delay the onion shipments. The bloc had filed House Joint Resolution 18 calling on the Marcos administration to suspend the onion importation because it will affect the livelihood of the already marginalized local onion farmers. Estoperez said the importers were only allowed to bring in 5,000 MT. Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban had approved a maximum importation of 21,060 MT.
In Business
READ: PH 'fertile ground' – Diokno
STRUCTURAL reforms and policies have made the Philippines highly attuned to global risks, economic managers claimed on Monday as they made the case for investing in the country. These and strong macroeconomic fundamentals have allowed the Philippines "to weather the pandemic" and positioned it to be "one of the fastest rising economies in the Asia-Pacific region," Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno told potential European investors. He spoke in Frankfurt, Germany during the first leg of the 2023 Philippine Economic Briefing (PEB) that will run up to Friday, January 27, with another stop in London. Diokno highlighted the recovery made following 2020's 9.5-percent contraction, with gross domestic product having rebounded to an annual 7.7 percent as of the end of September last year. Fourth-quarter and full-year results will be announced this Thursday, and Diokno has previously said that 2022 growth would be at least 7.5 percent, at the upper end of the government's 6.5- to 7.5-percent target.
Topping Sports
READ: Linette shocks 4th seed Garcia, enters QF
Caroline Garcia became the latest top-10 seed to fall at the Australian Open with a shock defeat to Magda Linette, but Aryna Sabalenka blasted her way into the quarterfinals on Monday. This is the first Grand Slam since the Open era began in 1968 to lose the top two seeds in both the men's and women's draws before the last eight. There has been a series of surprise results at Melbourne Park, and unseeded Pole Linette got in on the action with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 victory over France's fourth-seeded Garcia. The 45th-ranked Linette faces Karolina Pliskova next after the former world number one romped past China's Zhang Shuai 6-0, 6-4.
READ: O'Neale lifts Nets past Warriors
THE Brooklyn Nets capitalized on Golden State's third straight game squandering a double-digit lead, beating the Warriors 120-116 on Sunday (Monday in Manila). Kyrie Irving. finished with 38 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for a Nets team that won a second straight game without Kevin Durant, who missed facing his former team after winning titles and NBA Finals MVP honors in 2017 and '18 with Golden State. Nic Claxton contributed career highs of 24 points and 15 rebounds with three blocks as the Nets won two in a row following a four-game losing streak that followed Durant getting hurt. Stephen Curry had 26 points, seven assists and six rebounds while Jordan Poole added 17 points for the Warriors.
READ: Opinion/Editorial
The Times editorial today is on reading as an antidote to learning poverty. Read the full version on print, digital or listen to the Voice of The Times. Featured columnists on the front page are Antonio Contreras and Yen Makabenta. Contreras writes about the drama and dangers of courtesy resignations; Makabenta on the sensible and bizarre that have emerged on Davos 2023.
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This is Kim Dignadice reporting.