Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Tuesday, August 1, 2023.
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READ: Rice stocks good for only 2 days
THE Department of Agriculture said the rice buffer stock of the National Food Authority was good for just two days. Assistant Secretary and concurrent chief of staff Rex Estoperez said during a briefing on Monday that as of July 27, the buffer stock was 53,014.26 metric tons, enough for 1.56 days, based on the daily rice consumption rate of 679,670 bags, or 33,983.5 metric tons. Estoperez said the possibility of importing rice will be discussed with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is also the Agriculture secretary. The President "will update the interagency tomorrow [on] what the volume [to be imported] is and where to get that," he said. The N.F.A. is required to maintain a buffer stock for nine days. It used to be 15 to 30 days, but the level was revised by the Rice Tariffication Law.
READ: Damage from 'Egay' rises to P5.5 billion
THE estimated overall damage from Typhoon "Egay" has gone up to 5.5 billion pesos, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported on Monday. Damage to agriculture was at 1,965,320,443 pesos and to infrastructure at 3,510,282,156 pesos, the N.D.R.R.M.C. said. It also confirmed 25 deaths related to the typhoon and 20 people still missing. A total of 654,837 families, or 2,397,336 persons, in 13 regions were affected by Egay, which was enhanced by the habagat or southwest monsoon.
READ: PH, EU restart free trade agreement
THE Philippines and the European Union will restart negotiations on a free trade agreement as they seek to accelerate "a new era of cooperation," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Monday. Marcos received von der Leyen in Malacañang where they discussed fortifying ties between the Philippines' and the E.U. in the areas of trade, climate change, maritime security and the green economy. The European Union is the Philippines' fourth-largest trading partner, and a free trade agreement would be Manila's second bilateral deal after Japan.
READ: Family, friends remember FVR on death anniversary
THE family, friends and former colleagues of former president Fidel V. Ramos commemorated his first death anniversary at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani on Monday. Despite the rain, the family, headed by his widow Amelita "Ming" Ramos, attended a Mass at his grave. Also present were his former colleagues at the Special Action Force, former senator Richard "Dick" Gordon and former Interior and Local Government secretary Rafael "Raffy" Alunan 3rd. A short, closed gathering followed the Mass.
READ: Zamboanga del Sur girl bags first gold in Palaro
A 12-YEAR-OLD girl from Zamboanga del Sur won the first gold medal of this year's Palarong Pambansa at the PhilSports Track Oval in Pasig City on Monday. Giethyl Daze Lubguban, an incoming Grade 7 student at the Upper Panikian Integrated School, ruled the elementary girls high jump with a 1.40-meter leap. High jump and other athletics events were among the sports held outside Marikina City, the host of this year's Palaro. With Lubguban's winning jump, Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula) earned the first gold medal in the return of Palaro, which has not been held in the last four years because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
SPORTS: McDaniel: WC stint is just the beginning for Filipinas
Following a historic FIFA Women's World Cup maiden stint, the Philippine women's national football team still has a lot left in the tank. Filipinas goaltender Olivia McDaniel made this known after the Filipinas World Cup campaign came to a close as they absorbed a 0-6 beating from Norway on Sunday, July 30, at the Eden Park. McDaniel and the Filipinas made history in New Zealand, giving the Philippines its first-ever World Cup appearance on July 21 when it lost to world No. 20 Sweden, 0-2. They then gave the country its first-ever World Cup goal through a Sarina Bolden header and won against world No. 26 New Zealand, 1-0, on July 25. Turning heads, the Filipino booters surprisingly kept themselves in contention for a top two Pool A finish and a knockout stage appearance with the victory. World No. 12 Norway, though, denied world No. 46 Philippines from achieving another football milestone, unfurling a clinical performance at the close of the group phase action on Sunday in Auckland. For now, McDaniel and the Filipinas, who finished last in Pool A with a 1-2 slate and three points, would just have to concede to the fact that the Grasshoppers are the much better team. Bad as the loss is, McDaniel said that the only way to improve is to face a juggernaut football team like the Norwegians who advanced to the knockout stage alongside Switzerland.
BUSINESS: BSP: July inflation likely fell to 4.1-4.9%
Over to business, inflation could have moderated to just short of hitting the upper end of the target range in July, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said on Monday. Ahead of the release of official data for the month this Friday, August 4, the central bank said that it expected consumer price growth to have slowed to 4.1 to 4.9 percent from June's 5.4 percent.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta, and Orlando Mercado are today's front page columnists. Contreras talks about privacy and celebrities, Makabenta wants a "Filipino Republic" for the country's name, while Mercado weighs in on two issues that merited collective amnesia.
Today's editorial discusses why digital literacy should be part of the education curriculum. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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