Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Wednesday, October 11, 2023.
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READ: Foreigners among war dead, missing
Dozens of foreigners have been killed, injured or taken hostage during a surprise attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas that has left 900 people dead in Israel. Among the victims are Filipinos. The Philippines' ambassador to Israel said Tuesday five citizens were unaccounted for, with one of them possibly abducted. Many of the missing foreigners were at an electronic music festival in the southern Israeli desert, at which scores of revelers were massacred. Eighteen Thais have been killed, nine have been wounded, and 11 have been taken captive, foreign affairs officials said Tuesday. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Jakkapong Sangmanee said about 5,000 Thai nationals had been evacuated from high-risk areas, and "more than 3,000 people [are] asking to return to Thailand." The United States confirmed the deaths of at least 11 U.S. citizens and said it was "likely" that Americans were among the hostages being held by Hamas.
READ: POEA bans OFW deployment to Israel
THE Philippine Overseas Employment Administration has imposed a total ban on the deployment of Filipino workers to conflict-hit areas in Israel, citing dangers from the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict that erupted on Saturday with the surprise attack by the Palestinian Islamist group on civilians in southern Israel. The government is ready to implement a mandatory evacuation and repatriation of Filipinos in Israel who want to go home if the need arises. according to the Department of Migrant Workers.
READ: Bulacan, QC, Cainta top-earning LGUs in 2022
THE Province of Bulacan, Quezon City and the Municipality of Cainta in Rizal topped the list of local government units with the highest revenue, the 2022 Annual Financial Report of L.G.U's released by the Commission on Audit (CoA) showed. Bulacan topped the 2022 list of high-earning provinces with 8.4 billion pesos, followed by Cavite, Ilocos Sur, Rizal, Cebu, Batangas, Pangasinan, Laguna, Negros Occidental and Quezon.
READ: OVP, DepEd, others get zero confidential funds
THE Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education are among the agencies that will get "zero" confidential funds under the bill on the 2024 national budget. The Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Foreign Affairs will also get no confidential funds. Under the bill, the bulk of the funding will be channeled to agencies tasked with ensuring national security, especially in the West Philippine Sea.
BUSINESS: PH trade deficit narrows in August
Over to business, the country's trade deficit narrowed in August as exports rebounded while imports continued to contract, preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed on Tuesday. At $4.13 billion, the merchandise trade gap eased from July's $4.20 billion. It was also significantly lower compared to the year-earlier $6.03 billion. Total trade in goods fell by 7.2 percent to $17.53 billion from $18.89 billion a year earlier but rose from July's $16.53 billion, with imports totaling $10.83 billion and exports at $6.70 billion. Exports gained by 4.2 percent year on year, reversing from the 0.9-percent drop in July and the previous year's -1.7 percent, while imports slipped by 13.1 percent, albeit improving from the previous month's 15.2-percent plunge. Imports comprised 61.8 percent of total external trade in August and exports accounted for the rest. Year to date, export earnings amounted to $47.81 billion, 6.6 percent lower compared to the $51.18 billion posted in the comparable 2022 period. Imports for January-August amounted to $84.12 billion, down 9.6 percent from the year-earlier $93.05 billion. For August alone, the country's top export — electronics — rose to $3.88 billion from $3.65 billion a year earlier. It accounted for 57.8 percent of total outbound shipments. The United States was the biggest buyer of Philippine-made goods during the month, purchasing a total of $1.10 billion or 16.4 percent of total export sales.
SPORTS: Cash incentives await Asiad winners
Headlining sports, Filipino athletes who won any medal of color in the recently concluded 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, are set to receive cash incentives from the government. This is by virtue of Republic Act 10699, or the "National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act." Gold medalists Ernest John "E.J." Obiena in pole vault, Meggie Ochoa and Annie Ramirez in jiu-jitsu, and Gilas Pilipinas in basketball are to benefit the most from this act. Under RA 10699, Asian Games gold medalists are entitled to receive 2 million pesos for individual sports. Hence, Obiena, Ochoa and Ramirez are set to become 2 million pesos richer. In Gilas' situation, winning gold in a team sport with five or more participants, as per the law, "shall receive 25 percent of the cash incentives for individual medal winners." That means each of the Gilas players who gave the Philippines its first gold medal in Asiad basketball in 61 years will receive 500,000 pesos. Meanwhile, Athletes who participate in team sports with less than five members will receive "the same cash incentives for individual medal winners." Silver medalists like boxer Eumir Marcial and wushu sanda fighter Arnel Mandal will receive 1 million pesos each from the government. The 12 bronze medalists, on the other hand, are entitled to get 400,000 pesos.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao, Fr. Ranhilio Aquino and Francisco Tatad are today's front page columnists. Tiglao calls on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to have a crisis group set up for distressed Filipinos affected by the Israel-Hamas war, Fr. Aquino talks on penalizing obscenity, while Tatad believes not all of the country's troubles are to be blamed on China.
Today's editorial looks at the e-commerce industry of Indonesia. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
READ: Marcos hails Manila Times' vital service to Filipinos
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. hailed The Manila Times' unwavering service to the Filipino people for more than a century now. Marcos recognized the Times' "critical service" to Filipinos on the 125th anniversary on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, of the oldest English-language daily newspaper in the Philippines. Established on Oct. 11, 1898, The Manila Times is one of the oldest national broadsheets in the Philippines. The Manila Times has survived the country's most turbulent times, including closures under two previous administrations. For decades now, Dante A. Ang has steered the paper to be one of the country's leading English-language newspapers. Ang, The Manila Times' chairman emeritus, has promised to give news that is accurate, fair and comprehensive. He's also proud of The Manila Times' Opinion Page, which he said "is more ruminative and reflective, delving more deeply into the meaning of the news and into the motive of those who make the news." In particular, Ang said The Manila Times is also committed to pursuing "enterprise-driven investigative stories" and would continue to "honor its rich heritage and snoop into the future." He said he would be aided by a strong editorial, advertising and production staff with a high degree of professionalism and experience that honor the ethics of the trade. The Manila Times will capitalize on its rich and illustrious — if not tumultuous — history since 1898. Ang's vision is to make The Manila Times "handsomely profitable" as well as one of the top influential dailies in the country. The members of The Manila Times family are carrying on the torch, led by its chairman and chief executive officer, Dante Ang 2nd. Aside from its print edition, The Manila Times has established an online presence to reach more readers.
Read the special 125th anniversary supplement on the paper's print and digital versions.
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