Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Saturday, October 7, 2023.
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READ: Philippines reclaims Asiad basketball title
AFTER 61 years, the Philippines is once again the basketball champion in the Asian Games. The long wait ended Friday night, when Gilas Pilipinas eked out a hard-fought 70-60 victory against Jordan in the final of the men's basketball tournament in the 19th edition of the Asiad in Hangzhou, China. The Philippines last won the basketball gold medal in the quadrennial regional games in Jakarta in 1962. The victory was all the more sweet because the Filipinos' road to the finals was a long, rocky one. The Filipinos had to survive two do-or-die games — a narrow 84-83 triumph against Iran in the quarterfinals and a come-from-behind 77-76 squeaker against China in the semis — to earn a finals ticket. The team was formed some two weeks before the Hangzhou Games under interim coach Tim Cone, following the surprise decision of Chot Reyes to step down at the close of Gilas' 2023 FIBA World Cup campaign.
SPORTS: Marcial thankful for support from countrymen
DESPITE not being able to bring home the gold medal from China, Filipino boxer Eumir Marcial held his head high and offered his Asian Games silver medal to his countrymen. Marcial, who bagged the bronze in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, said he would have not been able to reach this far in Hangzhou without the overwhelming support of the Filipino fans. Marcial lost his gold medal match and settled for second place in the Asiad men's 80kg class following his unanimous decision defeat to Chinese Tuohetaerbieke Tanglatihan in the final at the Hangzhou Gymnasium on Thursday evening.
READ: Chinese, PH ships in near collision
In other news, a Chinese coast guard ship came within 3 feet of colliding with a Philippine patrol ship it was trying to block in the South China Sea, in an alarming incident that intensified fears that territorial disputes in the waters could spark a larger crisis. The Philippines on Friday strongly condemned the Chinese ship's maneuvers near Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin Shoal), which the Asian neighbors both claim and have been the scene of frequent confrontations. One other Philippine Coast Guard vessel was blocked and surrounded by Chinese coast guard and militia ships in the incident, which dragged on for about eight hours on Wednesday. A major clash in the disputed waters could potentially involve the United States, which has vowed to defend the Philippines, its treaty ally, if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under armed attack. Two smaller supply boats being escorted by the Philippine Coast Guard in the contested waters managed to breach the Chinese blockade and deliver food and other supplies to a Philippine Marine outpost at the shoal.
READ: Malacañang: Rice prices stabilizing
RICE prices have stabilized following a cap to contain a price surge, Malacañang said Friday. Citing a statement from the officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA), Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said regular- and well-milled rice were retailing within 41 and 45 pesos, respectively, as of October 5. Agriculture Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian said the department expects rice prices to drop, particularly in riceproducing areas, "as the new supply from the ongoing harvest comes in." Last Wednesday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. lifted the price ceiling, saying the government has implemented various measures to ensure ample supply and boost production.
READ: Teodoro: Not the time to invoke treaty with US
DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro Jr. believes it will not be appropriate for the Philippines to invoke its defense treaty with the United States at this time when run-ins between Chinese and Philippine ships in the West Philippine Sea are becoming more frequent. He said the Mutual Defense Treaty is a "wartime endeavor" that must be activated only when conflict is imminent. Teodoro said an attack on any Philippine vessel is an event that falls within the scope of the M.D.T.
READ: DMW to probe Italy illegal job recruiters
THE Department of Migrant Workers on Thursday said that a fact-finding team would assist in the ongoing investigation of two illegal recruitment agencies offering fake jobs in Italy. DMW Officer in Charge Hans Leo Cacdac said the team will gather information from overseas Filipino workers allegedly victimized by Golden Power S.R.L.S and Alpha Assistenza, both registered companies in Milan owned and staffed by Filipinos.
BUSINESS: Jobless rate dips to 4.4% in August
Over to business, unemployment eased to 4.4 percent in August from 4.8 percent a month earlier, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported on Friday. The rate — also lower than the 5.3 percent posted in August of last year — was estimated to be equivalent to 2.21 million Filipinos without jobs, less than July's 2.27 million and the 2.68 million in August of last year. Underemployment — which counts those looking for more work or an extra job — also improved to 11.7 percent from 15.9 percent in July but was higher than August 2022's 14.7 percent. The underemployed were said to number 5.63 million. These are people "who have expressed the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job or to have additional jobs, or to have a new job with long hours of work." Employment, at 95.6 percent in August, rose from 95.2 percent in the previous month and the yearearlier 94.7 percent. The number of individuals with jobs reached 48.07 million, as opposed to 44.63 million in July. The figure last year was 47.87 million.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras, Danton Remoto and Leonor Briones are today's front page columnists. Contreras talks about the "enemy of the people" connotation, Remoto discusses American connections, while Briones talks about loyalty and betrayal to the bureaucracy.
Today's editorial thinks the Global Biofuels Alliance warrants a closer look. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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