Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Sunday, July 23, 2023.
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Marcos lifts Covid-19 health emergency
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has lifted the state of public health emergency nationwide, more than three years after his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte declared it because of the Covid-19 pandemic. In a statement on Saturday announcing the President's order, Malacañang said, however, that all emergency use authorizations that had been issued by the Food and Drug Administration on the remaining vaccines will be in effect for another year. In signing the proclamation, Marcos cited the continued immunization and decrease in the number of Covid-19 cases in the Philippines and the existing safety and travel protocols.
'ICC probers barred from entering PH'
THE Philippine government would not allow the International Criminal Court to come to the country to conduct an investigation into the drug war waged by then-president Rodrigo Duterte, the Department of Justice said on Saturday. Justice Senior Undersecretary Raul Vasquez said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has taken a firm stance to end dealings with the I.C.C. after its latest move to reject the Philippine government's appeal to suspend its investigation.
Marcos urged to discuss plight of the masses during SONA
SENATE Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel 3rd on Saturday said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should address the struggle of ordinary Filipinos during his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday. Pimentel said job creation is the key to improving the economic condition of Filipinos, but for this to happen, the Philippines must first become an investor-friendly country. He also underscored the importance of enacting laws to improve the reliability of online transactions. Citing the Internet Transactions Act as an example, the senator said the measure has provided protection for delivery riders against hoax orders and other scams.
PH Navy can now sink submarines
THE five-day bilateral maritime exercises with the Royal Australian Navy that ended on Saturday have equipped Philippine Navy personnel with the knowledge and skill to handle ships with antisubmarine capabilities, such as the one purchased by the government and which is expected to arrive soon, to beef up security in the West Philippine Sea. The 23rd iteration of Exercise Lumbas 2023 that began on July 18 saw around 100 P.N. personnel aboard B.R.P. Conrado Yap train in anti-submarine warfare alongside at least 191 of their Australian counterparts onboard H.M.A.S. Anzac.
Tropical storm 'Egay' slightly intensifies
TROPICAL Storm "Egay" (international name "Doksuri") has slightly intensified while moving west over the Philippine Sea, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its 5 p.m. bulletin on Saturday. Egay's center was estimated at 685 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes, as of 4 p.m., with maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kilometers per hour.
Economist sees 6% GDP growth in Q2
In business, the Philippine economy is likely to have grown by 6 percent in the second quarter of the year, driven by the growth in consumer spending, an economist said on Friday. Michael Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., told the Philippine News Agency that the growth in consumer spending could be attributed to the lower individual income tax rates implemented earlier this year.
Obiena bags silver in Monaco tilt
Over to sports, Filipino pole vault sensation Ernest John Obiena captured a silver medal in the Monaco leg of the Wanda Diamond League at the Stade Louis 2nd in Fontvieille, Monaco early Saturday, July 22 (Manila time). The newly minted world No. 2 cleared 5.82 meters to finish second to American Christopher Nilsen who got the gold with a 5.92-meter clearance. It was some sort of redemption for world No. 3 Nilsen who previously held the second place in the world rankings before being overtaken by Obiena.
Marlen Ronquillo is today's front page columnist, as he talks about overseas Filipino workers in his piece.
Today's editorial calls for a repeal of Proclamation 55 for Mindanao tourism. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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