Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Sunday, August 6, 2023.
Today's episode is brought to you by Wilcon Depot, The Philippines' leading home improvement and construction supplies retailer—your Trusted Building Partner.
Chinese ships harass PH vessels in WPS
China deployed its coast guard and militia vessels to the West Philippine Sea where the country's own ships were on a resupply mission in one of its islands considered as such because it lies within its exclusive economic zone. The incident on Friday, according to United States-based national security expert Ray Powell, showed at least four China Coast Guard and 32 militia vessels being sent out from Mischief Reef, another island within the Philippines' E.E.Z., but where the Chinese government had stationed its own vessels since May of this year. Powell, citing automatic identification system data that was provided to The Manila Times on Saturday, showed the Philippine Coast Guard ship, B.R.P. Cabra, escorting smaller vessels, en route to a resupply mission in nearby Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, where several Navy personnel are present.
'Be social media influencers with purpose'
CARDINAL Luis Antonio Tagle told young Filipino participants in the World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal to be "social media influencers with a purpose." The pro-prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for Evangelization said there are many ways of influencing others, but as Christians they must "be inspired by the Gospel."The "One Filipino Reunion" was highlighted with a Mass led by Bishop Rex Andrew Alarcon of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Youth at the St. Mary Magdalene Church. More than a thousand Filipino pilgrims are currently in Lisbon for the weeklong gathering of young people from across the world, which formally kicked off on August 1.
Bivalent vaccine now available to public
THE general population can now be administered with Covid-19 bivalent vaccine after the Department of Health issued revised guidelines on the updated jab. A bivalent vaccine protects against both the original virus that causes Covid-19 and the Omicron variants. In a memorandum dated July 10 but was released to the public only this week, the D.o.H. said those under the A3 group, meaning persons with comorbidities and compromised immunity, can now receive the Pfizer bivalent vaccine in hospitals and health facilities nationwide. Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa added that the general public can also avail of bivalent vaccine, noting their decision stemmed from the slow consumption of the updated jab among the A1 (health care workers) and A2 (senior citizen) subgroups. He said only 38 percent of the 391,000 donated doses allotted for these groups were used.
CVisayas is Palaro basketball king; NCR keeps overall crown
JARED Bahay came through when it mattered most, towing Central Visayas past erstwhile champ National Capital Region, 77-73, as they became the new king in the Palarong Pambansa secondary boys basketball tourney at the Marikina Sports Center on Saturday. Bahay drilled an off the bank long two jumper to give Central Visayas, represented by Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu, a 75-73 lead, with 38 ticks left in the knockout final.
SPORTS: Kai Sotto reaffirms commitment for Gilas
BY his own estimate, young Filipino slotman Kai Sotto believes he'll be ready to play for Gilas Pilipinas by the time the national team faces Montenegro and Mexico in a pair of tune-up matches, just days before the start of the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Sotto revealed that since arriving in Manila two weeks ago, he has been religiously undergoing rehab on his back, which he hurt during his last game with the Orlando Magic in the N.B.A. Summer League.
BUSINESS: BSP ready to adjust key rates
Over to business, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Friday reiterated its commitment to adjusting its monetary policy position to address a potential increase in prices of basic goods despite a 4.7 percent deceleration in inflation in July. It is considered the lowest since March 2022, from the previous month's 5.4 percent and the previous year's 6.4 percent, bringing the year-to-date average to 6.8 percent. In a statement, the B.S.P. said the deceleration is in line with its expectations of a sustained slowdown to between 4.1 and 4.9 percent in July, and to within the government's 2-percent to 4-percent target band in the last quarter of this year without any supply shocks. However, it said upside risks continue to dominate the environment due to the "potential impact of additional transport fare increases, higher-than-expected minimum wage adjustments in other regions, persistent supply constraints of key food items, El Niño weather conditions and possible knock-on effects of higher toll rates on prices of key agricultural items." These factors are expected to be countered by "the impact of a weaker-than-expected global economic recovery."
Marlen Ronquillo is today's front page columnist, as he discusses the latest news issues through the quote of a New Journalism trailblazer.
Today's editorial calls on the West to fortify economic relations with the country. 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.