Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Tuesday, September 19, 2023.
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READ: Calamba, Bulakan named Times' model city, town
CALAMBA City in Laguna and Bulakan town in Bulacan took top honors in The Manila Times' search for the country's model city and municipality for 2023. The Model Cities and Municipalities Awards is The Times' way of giving recognition to the local government units that have made a steadfast commitment to sustainable development and achieved economic growth and expansion through innovations. The awards were handed out during a ceremony at the Diamond Hotel Ballroom in Manila on Monday. Calamba was named the Best Model City and Bulakan the Best Model Municipality. Calamba City was also recognized as a Safe Haven. The Model City First Runner-up was San Fernando in Pampanga. Mayor Vilma Caluag accepted the award. San Fernando City was also recognized as Infra Innovator and Tourism and Culture Hub. General Trias City in Cavite took the Model City Second Runner-Up award. Mayor Luis Ferrer 4th accepted the award for his city, which was also named as Retirement Haven and Sustainability Champion. Bulakan was recognized as the Best Model Municipality.
READ: Abalos bares efforts in fostering smart cities
Interior Secretary Benjamin "Benhur" Abalos Jr. disclosed the government's efforts in nurturing smart cities and sustainable communities through a series of initiatives, with an emphasis on digitalization, dynamic innovation, and enhanced connectivity. Speaking during The Manila Times Philippine Model Cities and Municipalities 2023 event, Abalos highlighted the local government units' efforts to streamline regulatory processes in accordance with Republic Act 11032, also known as the "Ease of Doing Business Act." He emphasized that during his tenure as Mandaluyong City mayor, he promptly addressed public complaints when L.G.U. offices failed to adhere to the law.
READ: Fewer Filipinos upbeat on economy
ABOUT 46 percent of Filipinos think the Philippine economy will improve in the next six months, the latest OCTA Research survey released on Monday showed. OCTA's "Tugon ng Masa" survey from July 22 to 26 showed that less than half of the 1,200 respondents remain optimistic about the short-term economic growth. It is 4 percent lower than the 50 percent recorded in OCTA's first quarter survey last March. The poll also showed that 43 percent think the economy will "stay the same," and 6 percent think it will "worsen." The percentage of respondents who think the economy will improve in the next six months ranges from 31 percent to 54 percent across major areas. The highest percentage is in Balance Luzon (54 percent), and the lowest is in the Visayas (31 percent). The percentage of respondents who think the economy will worsen ranges from 2 percent to 11 percent. The highest percentage is in the Visayas (11 percent), and the lowest is in Balance Luzon (2 percent). In terms of socioeconomic classes, the highest percentage of respondents who think that the economy will improve comes from Class D at 47 percent. Class A-B-C has the highest percentage of respondents at 14 percent who believe the economy will get worse. The percentage of respondents who are pessimistic about the economy ranges from 0 percent to 19 percent.
READ: China, Japan envoys spar over coral harvesting
THE Chinese Embassy in Manila has reacted sharply to concerns by the Japanese ambassador over the reported harvesting of coral in the West Philippine Sea. Japan's Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko on Sunday described as "very alarming news" the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command (Wescom) report suspecting China of harvesting coral in Rozul Reef in the West Philippine Sea. Replying to Koshikawa's post, the Chinese Embassy wrote, "People should be alarmed by the spreading of such disinformation."
READ: 'PH likely to lose vs China before UN assembly'
Former solicitor general Francis Jardeleza believes the Philippines will lose if it takes China's continued aggression in the West Philippine Sea before the United Nations General Assembly. In an exclusive interview with The Manila Times, Jardeleza said a Philippine resolution is likely to be turned down since China, as one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, has veto powers.
READ: Marcos, Lee agree to boost PH-Singapore ties
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Filipinos can expect enhanced collaboration between the Philippines and Singapore after his "promising" discussions with top Singaporean leaders over the weekend. In a Facebook post on Monday, the President said he met Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Sunday.
BUSINESS: Rice policy to factor in rate rulings
Topping business, key interest rates will likely be kept unchanged this Thursday, but a 25 basis-point hike could be ordered before the end of the year depending on how rice prices turn out, Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corp. said on Monday. The central bank's policy rate currently stands at a 16-year high of 6.25 percent, following 425 basis points of rate hikes beginning last year. Pauses were ordered during the last three policy meetings after inflation started easing from January's 14-year high of 8.7 percent. Consumer price growth, however, picked up in August, primarily due to a surge in rice prices due to the impact of recent typhoons and India's decision to limit exports. The government temporarily capped rice prices in response to domestic price spikes, which H.S.B.C. said would give monetary authorities room to keep interest rates steady. The cap will also likely temper September inflation, but H.S.B.C. warned that the official figure could be underestimated given that some retailers might not comply with the price restrictions. It was also noted that price ceilings could lead to a supply crisis, which in turn would lead to renewed price pressures. The government has acknowledged this and said that the cap will be lifted at the end of this month. To keep rice prices stable, economic managers have suggested that the 35-percent tariff on imports of the grain be cut to as low as zero. A decision, however, has yet to be made.
SPORTS: Holt vows to make impact in PBA
ALL eyes are on Filipino-American guard Stephen Holt heading to the P.B.A. Season 48 after heading the 2023 pro league's Draft Class following Sunday's proceedings at the Market! Market! in Taguig. A record 79 players out of 124 aspirants were drafted in the P.B.A. draft, witnessed by a jam-packed crowd at the famed mall in Taguig. Holt didn't make it on Draft day, but watched from his residence in Portland, Oregon as his name was called by Terrafirma's superstar Juami Tiongson, making him the Dyip's No. 1 pick in this year's P.B.A. draft. Shortly thereafter, he was interviewed live via video patch by the P.B.A. television panelists led by Magoo Marjon, along with coaches Charles Tiu of College of St. Benilde and La Salle's Topex Robinson.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras and Orlando Mercado are today's front page columnists. Contreras tackles the policies of the science bureaucracy, while Mercado believes the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals are in danger.
Today's editorial discusses the drop in school enrollment. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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