Good day. Here are the top stories of The Manila Times for Monday, Aug. 28, 2023.

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READ: Election period starts

THE election period for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) starts today, August 28, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Sunday. The election gun ban is also in force. Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco said the Philippine National Police (PNP) will start setting up checkpoints across the country by Sunday night. The Comelec will accept certificates of candidacy (CoCs) from August 28 to September 2, from Mondays to Saturdays. Laudiangco said once a CoC is filed, the applicant is automatically considered a candidate and is subject to the election period prohibitions. The campaign period will be from October 19 to 28.

READ: Hundreds flee floods unleashed by 'Goring'

HUNDREDS of people fled their homes as floods unleashed by Super Typhoon "Goring" (international name Saola) swept through rural villages in the northeastern Philippines, rescue officials said Sunday. Goring brushed past the northeast section of Luzon overnight Saturday, bringing its 185-kilometer-per-hour central winds within 125 kilometers of Tuguegarao City and knee-deep floodwaters swamping homes in the town of Aparri. There were also widespread electricity cuts across the province due to downed power lines, but otherwise there were no casualties or signs of serious damage. "Goring" headed south off Luzon's east coast early Sunday, with the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) saying it would stay in coastal waters instead of making landfall. The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) said Sunday it has initially allocated more than P2 billion in standby funds and prepositioned relief goods in anticipation of Goring's onslaught. The NDRRMC also placed five regions in Luzon under red alert: the Cordilleras, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Mimaropa (Occidental and Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan).

READ: LWUA target: Water for 7.2M households by 2028

THE Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) aims to provide potable water to about 7.2 million families, or around 29 million individuals, before the end of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s term in 2028, the agency's top official said. Speaking at SMNI's "Business and Politics" program hosted by The Manila Times Chairman and CEO Dante "Klink" Ang 2nd, LWUA Administrator Vicente Homer Revil said the agency is heeding the President's call to ensure the country's water security. LWUA, a government-owned and -controlled corporation, provides clean water to around 5.4 million households, or about 22.3 million people, and operates with 532 water districts outside Metro Manila. Revil affirmed that the goal is "achievable," as LWUA pushes for the "Patubig sa Buong Bayan at Mamamayan" legacy projects — including over 700 water supply and 40 sanitation projects.

READ: Pope warns vs social media perils

Pope Francis on Saturday warned against the danger of reducing human relationships to "mere algorithms" and urged lawmakers to be vigilant against "partisan" propaganda and divisiveness on social media. In a speech to participants of the International Catholic Legislators Network, who were holding their annual conference in Rome, Francis noted that social media networks can be a way to help people realize they are part of something larger than themselves. He cited the deliberate spread of false information about people, fake news, and the promotion of hatred and division. Francis further decried what he called "partisan propaganda and the reduction of human relationships to mere algorithms." Another peril on social media networks is "a false sense of belonging, especially among young people, that can lead to isolation and loneliness," he said. As a remedy, Francis advocated a "culture of authentic encounter, which involves a radical call to respect and to listen to one another, including those with whom we may strongly disagree."

Topping Business

READ: Growth could slow to 'around 5.1%'

PHILIPPINE economic growth could slow to well below the government's target this year following a steeper-than-expected second quarter slowdown and renewed headwinds, Moody's Analytics' Sarah Tan told The Manila Times. The government earlier this month reported that economic growth had slowed to 4.3 percent in the second quarter, well below the consensus forecast of 6.0 percent and markedly lower than the first quarter's 6.4 percent. With year-to-date growth decelerating to 5.3 percent, analysts have warned that the country could miss this year's gross domestic product growth (GDP) goal of 6.0-7.0 percent.In June, the financial intelligence firm raised its forecast for 2023 Philippine growth to 6.1 percent from 5.7 percent, saying that growth would be boosted by fiscal support and a government-led infrastructure push.

In Sports

READ: Obiena snares PH's first-ever silver in Worlds

FILIPINO pole vault ace Ernest John "EJ" Obiena matched his personal best of 6.0-meter (m) clearance for a silver medal finish in the World Athletics Championships at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary early Sunday, August 27 (Manila time). Obiena aced the said height, which is also the Asian record, in his second attempt and thus made history of giving the Philippines its first silver in the world meet. Last year in Eugene, Oregon, Obiena also made a historic breakthrough, becoming the first Filipino to podium in the world meet with a bronze medal finish. In this Budapest version of the Worlds, Obiena tried to establish a new personal high and Asian standard but failed to do so as he could not clear the 6.05-m and 6.10-m bars. With this silver medal run, Obiena kept his podium streak alive this season as he has not finished outside the top three in 11 consecutive competitions now. World No. 3 Obiena finished second to Swedish and world No.1 Armand Duplantis who defended his title by surpassing 6.10 m for another gold medal run.

READ: Opinion/Editorial

The Times, in its editorial, says Japan must commit to safely disposing of nuclear wastewater. Read the full version on print or digital or listen to the Voice of the Times. Featured columnists on the front page are Rigoberto Tiglao, Fr. Ranhilio Aquino and Francisco Tatad. Tiglao proposes to the government to pursue joint development in the disputed South China Sea; Aquino on coordinating the three branches of government; and Tatad asks whether Teodoro Locsin Jr.'s reported appointment by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as special envoy to China is a trial balloon or fake news.

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