Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Saturday, April 8, 2023.
READ: P5/kilo increase in rice price seen
THE retail price of rice could go up by P5 a kilo in the next few weeks because of a lower import volume and high farm production costs, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has projected. DA deputy spokesman Rex Estoperez said in a briefing Thursday he is hoping the price increase will not be as high as forecast since the government has stepped in. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has reported that a kilo of well-milled rice was selling at between 19 centavos and P2.13 higher in six trading centers toward the end of last March. Last year, rice imports reached 3.7 million metric tons (MMT), almost 1 MMT higher than the 2.77 MMT last year, making the Philippines the world's second biggest rice importer. But according to the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), the volume of imported rice fell 16.20 percent year on year, translating to 3.6 MMT as of last March. Estoperez is puzzled why rice inventories have dropped despite the increase in rice imports from the previous year.
READ: Marina sues owner of sunken tanker
THE Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) has pressed administrative charges against the owner of the MT Princess Empress, the tanker that caused a massive oil spill in the province of Oriental Mindoro and nearby coastal areas. Marina Director Ronald Bandalaria said during a press briefing there is "probable cause" to sue RDC Reield Marine Services Inc., for unauthorized operations due to the absence of a valid Certificate of Public Conveyance (CPC). Bandalaria said that during the preliminary hearing last March 17, Marina discovered that RDC Reield "still chose to operate the subject ship, and this they had done not only once but nine (9) times." Operating a ship in domestic trade without a valid CPC is a violation of Section 16, Chapter VI of Republic Act 9295, which promotes the "development of Philippine domestic shipping, shipbuilding, and ship repair and ship breaking..."
READ: Sara's Lenten message: Unite to rebuild the country
VICE President Sara Duterte said she hopes the spirit of Lent will inspire Filipinos to unite for the rebuilding of the country. In her Lenten video message Friday, the vice president said the country's strong faith has allowed Filipinos to display resiliency despite the global crisis affecting the Philippines and challenges in both personal and professional lives.
READ: As deadline nears, 111M SIMs are still unregistered
AS of April 3, 58,277,996 SIMs (subscriber identity modules) or only 34.49 percent of all SIMs in the country have been registered, according to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC). Users of cell phones and other online communication devices have only until April 26 to register their SIMs. The NTC said it is not likely to extend the deadline. There are 168,997,773 SIMs in the Philippines. That means about 111 million more SIMs remain to be registered.
BUSINESS: AMRO retains PH growth forecast
Over to business, the Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) is keeping its 6.2-percent forecast for 2023 Philippine growth, noting that prospects for the year remain clouded by global headwinds. The gross domestic product (GDP) growth estimate — trimmed to 6.2 percent in January from 6.3 percent last October — is lower than the above-target 7.6 percent posted in 2022. It is, however, within the government's 6.0- to 7.0-percent goal. Philippine growth next year, meanwhile, is expected to pick up to 6.5 percent, at the lower end of the government's 6.5- to 8.0-percent target for 2024 to 2028. High inflation caused by the Russia-Ukraine war and other supply factors could dampen domestic consumption, AMRO said.
SPORTS: Hovland, Rahm, Koepka share Masters lead
In sports, Norway's Viktor Hovland, Spain's Jon Rahm and American Brooks Koepka shared the first-round lead at the Masters on Thursday (Friday in Manila), taking advantage of easier-than-usual conditions to card seven-under par 65s. Rain in recent days has softened Augusta National, making the often rapid and challenging greens much more benign, and the trio seized a two-stroke lead over American Cameron Young and Australian Jason Day. Favorite, defending champion and world number one Scottie Scheffler was one of seven players sitting three strokes behind the leaders after shooting 68. But five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods looked more likely to be fighting to avoid the cut than for the title after he shot a two-over par 74 in a round that included five bogeys. Hovland, who was playing in the same group as Woods and Xander Schauffele, got off to a flying start with an eagle on the par-5 second hole, where he followed up a brilliant iron shot with a 25-foot putt. Further birdies came on the ninth, 11th and 13th holes, but the Norwegian was less tidy in the final five, finding himself in trouble on the par-5 15th, where he went far to the left but was able to scramble to make par as he ensured he finished bogey free.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras and Danton Remoto are today's front page columnists, as they share their holy week pieces.
Today's editorial believes joint exploration talks with China should be welcomed, not condemned. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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