Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Wednesday, July 26, 2023.
Today's episode is brought to you by Wilcon Depot, The Philippines' leading home improvement and construction supplies retailer—your Trusted Building Partner.
READ: Luzon braces for super typhoon
AUTHORITIES started evacuating families living in danger zones as Super Typhoon "Egay" swept toward the northern Philippines on Tuesday. "Egay" (Doksuri) was packing maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour as it headed toward the northern tip of the main island of Luzon. It was expected to make landfall or pass very close to the lightly populated Babuyan Islands or northeastern Cagayan province by Wednesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said. It would then move toward Taiwan and southeastern China. Coastal communities in northwestern and northeastern Cagayan province had been ordered to evacuate their homes in anticipation of storm surges reaching, or even exceeding, 3 meters (10 feet). Three of the five Babuyan Islands are inhabited, with a population of around 20,000 people. Local disaster official Charles Castillejos said people living near the shores of those islands had been ordered to go inland, while fishermen had been told to get their boats out of the water.
READ: Manila open to all options in sea row
EXECUTIVE Secretary Lucas Bersamin said on Tuesday that the Philippine government is considering all options, including going to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), to address the country's issues with China in the West Philippine Sea. Bersamin made the statement after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. failed to mention some issues during his second State of the Nation Address (SONA), including the reported instances of harassment by the China Coast Guard against Filipinos in the disputed waters.
READ: Marcos SONA wish list 'doable'
SEN. Juan Edgardo Angara on Tuesday described as "doable" the "wish list," or the administration's priority bills that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants Congress to pass. The senator described Marcos' SONA (State of the Nation Address) as a comprehensive and forward-looking report to the nation. important issues facing the nation. Angara thanked Marcos for including his "pet" measure, the Tatak Pinoy bill, in his list of priority measures. Among the key points raised by the President was the importance of science, technology and innovation in driving the quality and competitiveness of the country's workforce, as well as the manufacturing, export, creative and service industries. The senator said the plans of the President for the education sector, including the hiring of more teachers and the recalibration of the curriculum for schools, also stood out.
READ: Filipinas stun New Zealand for first-ever World Cup win
THE Philippines made history on Tuesday when it gained its first-ever World Cup football victory. The world No. 46 Filipinas pulled off a 1-0 upset against world No. 26 and co-host New Zealand before 32,357 fans at the Sky Stadium in Wellington. After the final whistle was blown, players celebrated on the field, and the Filipino crowd rejoiced at the stadium for the monumental football occasion, silencing the Kiwi fans. Sarina Bolden rose above three New Zealand defenders inside the box and delivered the lone goal of the contest in the 24th minute, heading in a high cross from Sara Eggesvik.
SPORTS: Brownlee tweaks ankle during Gilas practice
Meanwhile, as the nation tuned in on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 24, which was also declared a non-working day for government workers due to the threat of a typhoon, 17 members from the pool still showed up as Gilas Pilipinas continues its 2023 FIBA World Cup buildup. Naturalized player Justin Brownlee and T.N.T. big man Poy Erram were nursing separate injuries. Gilas physical therapist Dexter Aseron shared that the 6-foot-4 Brownlee tweaked his ankle. On the other hand, the 6-foot-8 Erram needed to rest his knee. Reigning P.B.A. Most Valuable Player Scottie Thompson is also currently rehabbing his shooting hand after sustaining a metacarpal fracture during the tailend of Gilas' training in Lithuania over two weeks ago. Other than Brownlee, Erram and Thompson, who still showed up in practice, others who trained Monday include June Mar Fajardo, Dwight Ramos, A.J. Edu, Bobby Ray Parks, Calvin Oftana, Roger Pogoy, Japeth Aguilar, Rhenz Abando, C.J. Perez, Thirdy Ravena, Kiefer Ravena, Jamie Malonzo, Chris Newsome and Ange Kouame. Gilas is scheduled to leave for China on August 1 and participate in a pocket tournament where the national team battles Iran, Lebanon and Senegal.
BUSINESS: IMF adjusts PH growth forecasts
Over to business, the International Monetary Fund has revised its 2023 and 2024 Philippine growth forecasts, raising the outlook for this year given strong first-quarter results but trimming that for next year due to global headwinds and higher interest rates. Philippine gross domestic product growth is now expected to average 6.2 percent instead of 6.0 percent this year, which I.M.F. Resident Representative for the Philippines Ragnar Gudmundsson said it was prompted by a better-than-expected JanuaryMarch outturn. The economy grew by 6.4 percent in the first three months of the year, slowing from 7.1 percent at the end of 2022 but beating analysts' expectations of a 6.1-percent result following aggressive monetary tightening to combat inflation. The I.M.F.'s revised outlook — a slowdown from 2022's abovetarget 7.6 percent — falls within the government's 2023 goal of 6.0- to 7.0-percent growth. For next year, however, the multilateral organization sees Philippine growth slowing to 5.5 percent instead of 5.8 percent, which Gudmundson said was "because of global headwinds and the lagged effects of monetary policy tightening."
READ: Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao and Francisco Tatad are today's front page columnists. Tiglao gives his SONA analysis, while Tatad weighs in on the International Criminal Court's pursuit on human rights abuses against the Duterte administration.
Today's editorial believes energy security should be a government priority. 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.