Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Friday, October 13, 2023.
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READ: PH beefs up naval presence in WPS
THE Philippines has deployed another warship to the West Philippine Sea to build up its presence in the volatile waters in the face of increasingly aggressive incursions by Chinese vessels. The Davao del Sur, a Tarlac-class landing platform, will join the Antonio Luna, a guided missile frigate, in patrolling the waterway. The Western Command (Wescom) said three warships stationed in Palawan have orders to stop foreign ships from conducting illegal activities in the W.P.S. such as collecting corals and other marine resources. Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. underscored the need to project a strong naval presence in the W.P.S. Brawner said there were no new Chinese reclamation activities in the area, but dozens of Chinese militia vessels have been lingering in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. He said the sea patrols will be complemented by aerial reconnaissance flights.
READ: Filipina caregiver wanted to come home for good
Angelyn Aguirre planned to fly home to the Philippines in December and stay here for good. She had been working as a caregiver in Israel for the last seven years and felt it was time to start a family in Barangay Balagan here, a small village surrounded by bangus (milkfish) ponds. Aguirre got married in September last year, but just one week after her wedding, she left her husband and flew back to Israel to work. The 32-year-old Angelyn was one of the two Filipinos confirmed to have been killed when Hamas militants invaded Israeli communities near Israel's border with Gaza, the Palestinian enclave, and went on a killing spree. Wilma said that Angelyn last called her and her parents, William and Erlinda, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 7, to tell them that the militants were already near where she lived.
READ: Times' chairman emeritus, CEO top PAO awardees
THE Manila Times Chairman Emeritus Dante A. Ang and his son, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dante "Klink" Ang 2nd, were the top awardees of the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) during its 5th national convention last October 11. The Manila Times correspondent Arlie Calalo was also named as "Outstanding Reporter" along with other media personalities. Hailed as "Outstanding Publishers," the Angs in their acceptance speeches were one in extolling the PAO under the leadership of Chief Public Attorney Persida Rueda-Acosta for helping millions of indigent Filipinos who could not afford expensive legal services. They said it is no surprise that the PAO and its attorneys have chalked up the highest trust rating among other professionals including private lawyers in the 2021 survey of the Social Weather Stations that was commissioned by the Justice Sector Reform: Governance in Justice 2. The PAO cited The Times for being its constant partner in bringing the agency closer to the people by giving enough space for its programs and projects. Rueda-Acosta said the media have played a key role in transforming the PAO into what it is now.
READ: DoH launches 5-year mental health framework
THE Department of Health on Thursday launched the 2024- 2028 Philippine Council for Mental Health Strategic Framework, which aims to develop policy directions for mental health in the country. Supported by the World Health Organization Special Initiative for Mental Health, the P.C.M.H. promotes the basic right of Filipinos to mental health by strengthening patient navigation and referral pathways, creating the Mental Health Internal Review Board, and training media groups on ethical and responsible reporting and portrayal of suicide.
BUSINESS: SRA halts release of imported sugar
Topping business, the Sugar Regulatory Administration has halted the release of sugar imports in a bid to lift farmgate prices. The agency said the move would apply to 150,000 metric tons of the commodity and keep prices directly paid to farmers at around 3,000 pesos per bag. Raw sugar prices, he added, fluctuated from 2,550 to 3,000 pesos and down again in just two weeks. The S.R.A. halted all conversion applications and said that all imported sugar would remain classified as "reserved."
SPORTS: Mikey Williams still in USA – Lastimosa
Over to sports, with less than a month before the start of Season 48 of the Philippine Basketball Association, T.N.T.'s Filipino-American guard Mikey Williams is still not back with his team. T.N.T. debuted in the East Asia Super League Season 2 on Wednesday night, with a 93-75 beating at the hands of host squad Chiba Jets at the Funabashi Arena in Chiba, Japan. The Tropang Giga played with a depleted roster due to the absence of injured big men Poy Erram and Justin Chua. Roger Pogoy is also out due to health issues while Calvin Oftana is on a 10-day break after the Asian Games. Williams, meanwhile, is still in the United States. The Tropang Giga, however, have a chance to get back at the Jets on November 1 when T.N.T. hosts the Japanese squad in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. But when asked if Oftana and Williams will be available by then, Lastimosa said that between the two, they are only expecting Oftana to rejoin T.N.T. by then.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao and Francisco Tatad are today's front page columnists. Tiglao shares a warning from the Chinese ambassador, while Tatad urges everyone to pray for Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Today's editorial says the crisis in the climate is not gender neutral. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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