Good day. Here are the top stories of The Manila Times for Monday, Feb. 27, 2023.
READ: Senator: Abolish party-list system
SEN. Robinhood Padilla on Sunday backed proposals to abolish the party-list system which he said has been "corrupted" and has lost its relevance. The senator sought to strengthen the party system "to end the cycle of people voting for candidates on the basis of popularity and wealth." Padilla said he is not opposed to amending the Constitution's political provisions through a constitutional convention but maintained that amending the economic provisions through a constituent assembly should take priority. Padilla likewise batted for the strengthening of the party system so people would vote for candidates based on their party advocacy and not on the basis of popularity or wealth. The Commission on Elections earlier said that the abolition of the party-list system will require amendments to the Constitution. There are 54 party-list representatives in the 19th Congress.
READ: 'Higher agri productivity can boost growth'
THE agriculture sector needs to perform better if the economic growth the country is presently enjoying is to be sustained, Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual said. Guesting on SMNI's "Business and Politics" program hosted by The Manila Times Chairman and CEO Dante "Klink" Ang 2nd, Pascual said the 10 percent contributed by remittances from abroad to the gross domestic product (GDP) fuels his optimism "that resources are coming into the country despite all troubles abroad." The big challenge, however, is attaining self-sufficiency in food, which can only be achieved by improving agricultural productivity, Pascual said. To help the Department of Agriculture (DA) push food self-sufficiency, he said the Department of Trade and Industry, through its Cooperative Development Authority, is focusing on establishing more farming cooperatives. Pascual stressed the need to train the people who will improve the management of cooperatives.
READ: Ping Remulla wins Cavite special poll
CRISPIN Diego "Ping" Remulla won Saturday's special election for Cavite's seventh congressional district.
Remulla, who ran under the National Unity Party, can assume starting on Monday the position vacated by his father, Jesus Crispin Remulla, who was appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as Justice secretary. The younger Remulla, who was elected provincial board member last year, was proclaimed as the winner in the special election after getting 98,474 votes, or 66.67 percent of the total number of voters, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec). His closest rival, independent candidate Jun Sagun, got 46,530 votes. The other bets, Lito Aguinaldo and Mike Santos received 1,610 and 1,068 votes, respectively. The board of canvassers headed by Cavite provincial election supervisor Mitzele Veron Morales-Castro and Provincial Prosecutor Vivian Rojo proclaimed Remulla.
READ: Cancer third leading cause of death in PH
CANCER is now the third leading cause of death nationwide, with 96 cancer-related deaths reported daily. Lung cancer is the top killer, Dr. Rosario Pitargue, Philippine Society of Medical Oncology president, said. Speaking during a media forum on the sidelines of the National Cancer Summit on Friday, Pitargue said that there are 184 cancer cases diagnosed in 100,000 patients. Healthy Pilipinas co-convener Ralph Degollacion said the environment is a contributor to cancer diagnosis, as well as smoking, alcoholic intake, poor diet and lack of physical activities. When it comes to cancer diagnosis, Cancer Coalition Philippines vice president Carmen Auste said there are hindrances coming from the patients themselves, the medical field, and the government. The lack of knowledge on the signs and symptoms of cancer among patients and medical practitioners is another problem, as well as the system or referral pathway from the rural health units to the hospitals. Pitargue said that having cancer is no longer a death sentence, and the survival of patients starts from the diagnosis, treatment and beyond.
In Business
READ: 'One more' rate hike 'most likely scenario'
MONETARY authorities remain hawkish but are unlikely to order a hefty rate increase when they next meet in March, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Felipe Medalla said. Medalla told reporters on Friday at the sidelines of the BSP's annual reception for the banking community that the most likely scenario was one more hike. The central bank's policy making Monetary Board earlier this month raised the BSP's interest rates by 50 basis points (bps), prompted by January inflation having blown past expectations to a new 14-year high of 8.7 percent. Key rates have been increased by a total of 400 bps since May last year as inflation surged following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. These included two 75-bps adjustments: an off-cycle one in July and another during November's scheduled policy meeting. Another 75-bps hike is unlikely as the main impetus for inflation, Medalla said, is not demand but "second-order effects" where "prices are rising because previous increases influence future increases."
Topping Sports
READ: Gilas eyes big win vs Jordan
GILAS Pilipinas looks to close out its sixth window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifier on a strong and high note when it goes up against Jordan today, February 27, at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan. Coming off a high-scoring 107-96 rout of the Wael Arakji-less Lebanon, the Philippines tries to reprise its hot-shooting effort against Jordan in their 6 p.m. tip off. The game is practically no-bearing since the Philippines and Jordan have already booked a World Cup spot. The Jordanians sealed its World Cup spot even before they played India in Bangalore following New Zealand's overpowering 110-63 effort against Saudi Arabia in Christchurch last Friday. Jordan though is coming off an equally impressive game, crushing India 98-63 also last Friday on the same day the Philippines whipped Lebanon in Bulacan. Gilas coach Chot Reyes said as much as the Philippines showed its firepower against Lebanon, he's much more concerned with how the team could get better on the defensive end.
READ: Kirk grabs 2-shot lead at Honda Classic
Chris Kirk's last win on the PGA Tour was nearly eight years ago. He's put himself in a position to change that at the Honda Classic. Kirk battled his way to a 4-under round of 66 on Saturday (Sunday in Manila), putting him at 13-under 197 for the week and giving him a two-shot lead over Eric Cole (66) through three rounds at PGA National. His last win on tour was at Colonial in 2015 — 180 tournaments ago. He's a four-time winner on tour, played in the Presidents Cup in 2015, and has been waiting to hoist a trophy again since.
READ: Opinion/Editorial
In today,s editorial, the Times discusses how the laser-pointing incident in the West Philippine Sea continues to rile people. Read the full version on print, on digital or listen to the Voice of the Times. Featured columnists on the front page are Rigoberto Tiglao, Fr. Ranhilio Aquino and Francisco 'Kit' Tatad. Tiglao writes about the tragedy of EDSA; Aquino on Philosophy and the law; Tatad on defending former president Rodrigo Duterte.
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This is Pele Llevares reporting.