Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Tuesday, May 30, 2023.
READ: 'Betty' lingers near tip of Luzon
TYPHOON "Betty" is almost stationary in the waters off the tip of Northern Luzon and is expected to unleash rains that could generate floods, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Monday. Hardly moving at 20 kilometers per hour, Betty will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring rain to a wide swathe of the country, Esperanza Cayanan, Pagasa's officer in charge, said. It is expected to linger until late Wednesday or Thursday, when it could gradually accelerate toward the waters east of Taiwan and the southern portion of Ryukyu Islands, Cayanan said. Storm Signal No. 2 has been raised in Batanes and the northeastern portion of Cagayan, including Babuyan Islands. Government officials began evacuating thousands of villagers, shut down schools and offices, and imposed a no-sail ban Monday ahead of the typhoon. Army troops, police, firefighters and volunteer groups were standing by for search and rescue operations in northern provinces and more than a million food packs have been prepared for any contingency, officials said.
READ: Navy getting more ships, aircraft
THE Philippine Navy is getting more new modern ships and aircraft as part of its modernization program. The two patrol gunboats were christened as B.R.P. Gener Tinangag and B.R.P. Domingo Deluana last May 8 at the Naval Shipbuilding Facility Wharf at Fort San Felipe, Cavite City. Built by Israel Shipyard Ltd., the ships were named after members of the Philippine Marine Corps and awardees of the Medal of Valor.
READ: AI, metaverse showcased at Taiwan trade show
Artificial intelligence (AI), high performance computing and the metaverse are among the key themes of Computex Taipei 2023 that begins here today, March 30. Computex is Taiwan's largest international trade show for the information technology industry, with more than 1,000 manufacturers from 26 countries and regions, and 3,000 booths crowding the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Halls 1 and 2. Taiwan External Trade Development Council (Taitra) Chairman James Huang said Computex's virtual events during the past two years saw firsthand how technology can bring everyone together.
READ: House eyes stiffer penalty for Teves
THE House Committee on Ethics and Privileges will recommend "stiffer disciplinary action" for Negros Oriental Third District Rep. Arnolfo "Arnie" Teves Jr. On Monday, the committee met to discuss his "continuous unauthorized absence in" the House of Representatives. Coop Natcco Rep. Felimon Espares, the committee's chairman, told reporters after the meeting that the committee "unanimously decided to recommend to the plenary the imposition of a stiffer disciplinary action" on Teves.
BUSINESS: Govt posts P66.8-B April budget surplus
Over to business, the government recorded a budget surplus of 66.8 billion pesos in April as revenue collections outpaced government expenditures, Treasury bureau data showed on Monday. The result, which was significantly higher than the 4.9-billion peso surplus recorded a year earlier, narrowed the year-to-date shortfall to 204.1 billion from 311.9 billion pesos. For April alone, revenue collections rose by 26.66 percent to 440.7 billion pesos. This brought the January-April tally to 1.3 billion pesos, 11.22 percent higher year on year.
SPORTS: Home crowd gives Gilas 'big advantage'
In sports, former Philippine team coach Rajko Toroman believes a well-prepared Gilas Pilipinas, backed by a massive support from its hometown crowd this August will be huge ingredients to a strong showing in the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Manila. With the top performing Asian team in the world basketball showpiece earning an automatic berth in the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 68-year-old Toroman knows Gilas will get the much-needed energy from rabid Filipino basketball fans, who are expected to pack the playing venue during the World Cup.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta, Orlando Mercado, and Jeffrey Sachs are today's front page columnists. Contreras discusses the single-term limitation for presidents, Makabenta recalls the Marcos campaign promise of modernization, Mercado talks about the culture shock after the fire that destroyed the Manila Central Post Office last week, and Sachs tackles the United States' wars and debt crisis.
Today's editorial believes brain drain is sapping the economy. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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