Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Thursday, June 22, 2023.
READ: Marcos, Duterte keep high approval ratings
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte continue to enjoy the trust of Filipinos, PUBLiCUS Asia's Pahayag second quarter survey showed. Marcos registered a 62 percent approval rating, slightly higher than the 60 percent he received in the first quarter. The President's approval rating in North Central Luzon slightly dipped from 68 percent to 60 percent, while his approval rating in the Visayas jumped from 60 percent to 71 percent. Duterte also maintained her 67 percent approval rating in the previous quarter but suffered a 70 percent to 61 percent approval rating dip in North Central Luzon. Marcos and Duterte's approval ratings remained stable across every segment of society except among non-Catholics, where Marcos registered a 69 percent to 60 percent drop and Duterte a 73 percent to 66 percent decrease. The two officials posted a dip in trust ratings in North Central Luzon, with Marcos getting 54 percent and Duterte 61 percent.
READ: Majority of Filipinos say PH on right track
Meanwhile, the same survey said that nearly seven out of 10 Filipinos believe that the country is headed in the right direction and that their financial prospects will improve in the next quarter. It revealed that 51 percent of respondents said that the Philippines remained strong, 30 percent said that it was neither strong nor weak, and 19 percent said it was weak. Also, 68 percent of the respondents said the country was heading in the right direction, while 69 percent said national economic prospects would improve in the next quarter. Seventy percent of those polled expressed belief that their household finances would also improve. The respondents believe that the economy is the most pressing issue for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to address, slightly above corruption, inflation, poverty and jobs. Government workers showed the most improvement in their view of the country's current state, direction, and its economic and financial prospects, while other segments remained stable.
READ: PH soil under threat
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday called for urgent action to protect the health of the country's soil, saying it is "under threat" due to the "growing problem of the degradation, acidification, and pollution." Citing a report from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the President said that 75 percent of total cropland is vulnerable to erosion of various degrees, with agriculture losing about 457 million tons of soil yearly.
READ: Zubiri signs 3 ratified bills
SENATE President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri on Wednesday signed three ratified bills — the Maharlika Investment Fund Act, the Estate Tax Amnesty Extension Act and the act recognizing Baler, Aurora as the birthplace of Philippine surfing. The senator signed the documents at the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. while holding meetings with members of the United States Congress and other American government agencies.
READ: Teodoro to prioritize MUP pension reforms
DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro Jr. said during a Department of National Defense (DND)-Armed Forces of the Philippines Command Conference on Wednesday that he will prioritize military and uniformed personnel pension reforms in compliance with the orders of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The meeting, held at the A.F.P. General Headquarters in Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City, was co-presided by A.F.P. Chief of Staff Gen. Andres Centino. Teodoro said he will ensure that prudential standards are in place in the governance of M.U.P. funds and that its managers conform to the rules and regulations of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
BUSINESS: PH among top 20 economies by 2050
Topping business, countries currently classified as emerging markets will account for over half of global economic output by 2050, a Fitch Group unit said on Wednesday, with China set to become the world's largest economy, and the Philippines joining the top 20 in 18th place. In a commentary, B.M.I. Country Risk & Industry Research noted that the E.M. share of global gross domestic product — relatively stable over the past 10 years — would expand markedly on the back of an expansion in China.
SPORTS: 4 Gilas players won't join Europe trip
Over to sports, after spending four days of training and building team chemistry at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna, a banged-up Gilas Pilipinas is scheduled to leave for Estonia on Thursday night. But Gilas coach Chot Reyes isn't expecting the entire 20-man national pool to leave Manila as four members of the team are still recovering from various injuries. T.N.T. veteran gunner Roger Pogoy is still undergoing therapy since fracturing his right pinky in the recent PBA Governors' Cup Finals, while Calvin Oftana is still nursing a calf injury, which he sustained in last May's Southeast Asian Games won by Gilas.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta, and Danton Remoto are today's front page columnists. Contreras hits out at former president Rodrigo Duterte over his recent remarks, Makabenta believes the Constitution left out the official country's name, while Remoto tackles on the country's books published from Penguins Random House.
Today's editorial says the world should know the truth on the origins of Covid-19. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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