Good day. Here are the top stories of The Manila Times for Tuesday, April 25, 2023.
READ: Marcos eyes shift in water supply plan
THE government will step up efforts to reduce the practice of drilling wells to tap underground sources of water as part of a strategy to ease the impact of prolonged dry spells such as the El Niño, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Monday. Majority of Filipinos draw their drinking water, as well as water used in cooking and for washing, from wells instead of rivers, the President said in a radio interview. The plan also calls for building "collection pools" in different areas to store water during the El Niño, he said. Marcos said the impending El Niño could impact "all aspects of life," affecting agriculture, irrigation, water supply as well as the energy supply. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has predicted that an El Niño episode could start as early as July and last well into 2024.
READ: Govt weighs return to March school break
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday said Malacañang and the Department of Education (DepEd) would "decide very soon" on whether to return the school break to March. Several lawmakers and other stakeholders are calling on the DepEd to go back to the old June-to-March academic calendar to spare students from the scorching heat during the dry months. The national health emergency which is still in effect and the new surge of Covid-19 cases in some parts of the country will also be taken into consideration. The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has placed Benguet and 25 other areas under Alert Level 2 from April 15 to 30 as part of the government's Covid-19 response.
READ: PH, EU launch space cooperation
THE European Union (EU) and the Philippines on Monday launched the P610 million (10 million euro) Copernicus Capacity Support Action Programme for the Philippines (CopPhil), the "first space cooperation" in the region. Copernicus, the EU's earth observation flagship program, provides free environment and climate data derived from a constellation of satellites — the Sentinels — which monitor the earth and its many ecosystems 24 hours daily, the EU delegation to the Philippines said. The EU mission in Manila said in a statement the Copernicus program will help Philippine authorities develop national systems to make use of EU's earth observation satellites data in the country's disaster mitigation, climate change adaptation, and food security strategies. Luc Véron, EU ambassador to the Philippines, said "the Copernicus program for the Philippines is a pioneer initiative in Asia and Asia Pacific and a starting point for a larger program on digital connectivity."
READ: Australia unveils biggest defense reform in decades
Australia launched its biggest defense shakeup in decades Monday, vowing to turn a military that is "no longer fit for purpose" into a fighting force that could deter China or any would-be foe. Defense Minister Richard Marles unveiled a strategic review that called for a sharp shift toward long-range deterrence — using missiles, submarines and cyber tools to keep adversaries at arm's length. Describing China's military buildup as the largest and most ambitious of any country since World War 2, the review warns "the risks of military escalation or miscalculation are rising."Australian planners have viewed China's military rise warily, fearing Beijing's now-vast capabilities could effectively cut Australia off from trading partners and global supply chains. In response to that threat, Australia's military will develop the ability to strike from air, land and sea, strengthen northern bases and recruit more troops.
In Business
READ: GDP goals kept, other targets revised
ECONOMIC managers on Monday decided to maintain existing growth targets but adjusted other assumptions for this year up to 2028 following a review of the government's priorities and developments here and abroad. The gross domestic growth (GDP) goals for 2023 and 2024-2028 were kept at 6.0-7.0 percent and 6.5-8.0 percent, respectively, but that for this year's inflation was raised to 5.0-7.0 percent from the 2.4-4.5 percent announced last December. Projected Dubai crude oil prices were lowered to $70-90 per barrel (bbl) for this year from December's $98-100/bbl given a slowdown in global demand. The outlook for 2024 was kept at $70-90/bbl — the forecast for 2024-2028 in December — while that for the following four years was lowered. The peso-dollar rate was forecast to average P53-57:$1 this year, improving from P55-59:$1 previously, while that from 2024 to 2028 was kept at $53-57 versus the greenback.
Topping Sports
READ: Wolves hold off Nuggets; Warriors win
Anthony Edwards scored 34 points, including a three-point dagger with 11.5 seconds left, as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets 114-108 in overtime Sunday (Monday in Manila) to stay alive in the NBA playoffs. Western Conference top seeds Denver, led by 43 points from reigning two-time Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic, closed regulation on a 12-0 run to force overtime.But they were outscored 18-12 in the extra session at the Target Center in Minneapolis as the Timberwolves pulled within 3-1 in the series. Minnesota still faces a daunting task — no NBA team has come back from 3-0 down to win a best-of-seven series. Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors held off a ferocious fourth-quarter fightback from the Sacramento Kings to secure a 126-125 victory that leveled their series at two games apiece.
READ: Swiatek wins second straight Stuttgart crown
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek defeated Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets to win her second consecutive Stuttgart title on Sunday. Swiatek eased past her second-ranked Belarusian opponent 6-3, 6-4 on the clay in one hour and 50 minutes. A first tournament triumph since February will give Swiatek a confidence boost ahead of her French Open title defense in May. unday's match was a repeat of last year's final in Stuttgart, which Swiatek also won in dominant fashion, 6-2, 6-2. She has now sat atop the WTA rankings for more than a year and is a red-hot favorite for another title at Roland Garros.
READ: Opinion/Editorial
In today's editorial, the Times notes the urgency of a divorce law. Read the full version on print or digital or listen to the Voice of the Times. Featured columnists on the front page are Antonio Contreras and Orlando Mercado. Contreras writes about misreading the Constitution and Mercado on why taking precautions is not anti-science.
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This is Kim Salinas reporting.