Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Sunday, May 7, 2023.
BANNER: Filipinos believe PH on right track
NEARLY eight out of 10 Filipinos believe that the country is heading in the right direction, a survey by independent pollster OCTA Research showed. The Tugon ng Masa First Quarter 2023 Survey conducted from March 24 to 28, 2023, revealed that 76 percent of Filipinos believed the country was on the right track while only 10 percent believed that it was heading in the wrong direction. This was a decline of 9 percentage points from the October 2022 fourth quarter survey, where 85 percent reported that the country was moving in the right direction. The decline in the overall percentage was attributed to the decreases across major areas and socioeconomic classes. The percentage of adult Filipinos who thought that the country was headed in the right direction decreased by 4 to 11 percentage points.
Vigilance vs Covid-19 must remain – experts
HEALTH experts said that while the World Health Organization has declared that Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency, Filipinos must remain vigilant against the disease. The Department of Health (DoH) said that it will convene members of the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to discuss and reassess policies and other guidelines affected by the declaration. It added that all factors in determining the country's next action in line with the WHO's proclamation will be considered and discussed for the approval of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Infectious disease expert Dr. Rontgene Solante warned that the lifting of the global emergency declaration for Covid-19 does not mean the pandemic has ended. He urged the continued use of mitigating protocols and interventions such as testing, genomic surveillance, health infrastructure preparedness, as well as vaccination for vulnerable and at-risk populations.
Charles 3rd on Saturday finally met his date with destiny after a lifetime as heir to his late mother Queen Elizabeth 2nd, as he was officially crowned king in the first coronation in Britain since 1953. At 12:02 p.m. exactly, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby placed the solid gold St Edward's Crown on Charles's head as a sacred and ancient symbol of the monarch's authority. Cries of "God Save the King" rang out from the 2,300-strong congregation at Westminster Abbey and trumpet fanfares sounded at the climax of the solemn religious confirmation of his accession. Outside, ceremonial gun salutes blasted out across land and sea while bells pealed in celebration at churches across the country. The build-up to the Christian ceremony of prayer and praise — steeped in 1,000 years of British history and tradition, with sumptuous robes and priceless regalia — has been mostly celebratory. But even before Charles, 74, and Queen Camilla, 75, left Buckingham Palace for a rainy procession to the abbey, police arrested dozens of protesters using new powers rushed onto the statute book to crack down on direct action groups.
PH adds 5 golds, keeps No. 2 spot in SEAG
Team Philippines collected five gold medals on Saturday to stay in second place in the medal tally of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games. As of 5 p.m. Saturday, the Philippines got a total of seven gold medals on top of six silvers and five bronzes for a total of 18 medals. Team Philippines was in second place, behind host Cambodia which has nine golds, six silvers and four bronzes.
SPORTS: OCR bets deliver 2 golds for PH
Staying in the action, Precious Cabuya and Jaymark Rodelas ruled the obstacle course race women's and men's divisions, respectively, on Saturday, May 6, at the Chroy Changvar Convention Center car park to give the Philippines two gold medals in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games. Cabuya clocked in a world record of 32.73 seconds to defeat fellow Filipino Kaizen de la Serna who timed 35.52 seconds in the women's individual final.
BUSINESS: Hike in BSP rates still possible
Over to business, a hike in the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) key rates is still possible despite another deceleration in domestic inflation rate, with economists noting that prices of some commodities remain high and supply issues continue to persist. The Philippine Statistics Authority reported earlier in the day a slower rate of price increases last April to 6.6 percent from the previous month's 7.6 percent. However, average inflation in the first four months this year is still above the government's 2- to 4-percent target at 7.9 percent. Core inflation, which excludes volatile oil and food items, also posted a slower rate of 7.9 percent from 8 percent last March.
Marlen Ronquillo is today's front page columnist, as he cites that all is quiet on the labor front.
Today's editorial calls for a review of waste management laws. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
For more news and information, read The Manila Times on print, subscribe to its digital edition or log on to www.manilatimes.net. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and LinkedIn; and be part of our communities on Viber, Telegram, and Mastodon.