Good day. Here are the top stories of The Manila Times for Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023.
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READ: Marcos wants PH to host climate fund
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on world leaders to back the Philippines' bid to host the "Loss and Damage Fund" as he sought the prompt operationalization of the program to support developing and vulnerable countries from the impact of the climate crisis. In his speech delivered by Special Assistant to the President Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo Jr. at the opening of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai on Friday, Marcos said "the Philippines will announce its intent to host the Loss and Damage Fund." Almost 200 nations on Friday backed the launch of the "loss and damage fund" to support countries hit by global warming. The President highlighted the urgency of confronting climate impact, citing reports from the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change that it will severely affect vulnerable and poor communities. Marcos said the Philippine government has put into action transformative solutions to curb the impact of climate change and address biodiversity loss and pollution. Duterte urged OFWs to take advantage of the "Balik-Bayan" platform that offers business models and network of industry experts. She thanked Go Negosyo founder and Private Sector Advisory Council lead for jobs Jose Maria Concepcion 3rd for helping OFWs.
READ: Go Negosyo lauded for empowering OFWs
VICE President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte commended the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship-Go Negosyo for empowering overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) through entrepreneurship. In her message read by Education Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Michael Wesley Poa during the organization's 18th anniversary celebration on Monday, Duterte said that Go Negosyo's "Balik Bayan" program will inculcate the culture of entrepreneurship among OFWs. The Philippine Statistics Authority said that 1.96 million Filipino workers were deployed overseas from April to September 2022, significantly higher than the 1.83 million reported in the same period in 2021. The 2022 figures also revealed that nearly 58 percent or 1.13 million of Filipinos seeking overseas employment were women. Duterte said the remittances of nearly 2 million OFWs reached P197 billion.
READ: FEU reclaims UAAP Cheerdance crown
THE Far Eastern University (FEU) reclaimed the title of the UAAP Cheerdance Competition at the 86th edition of the tilt at the Mall of Asia Arena on Saturday. Dazzling a crowd of 18,122 with a Super Mario-themed performance, FEU garnered 702.5 points to claim its fourth overall title. FEU also bagged all the special citations that include Skechers Most Stylish Award, Yamaha Most Unique Dance Move, BYS Best Toss, Juicy-fied Pyramid and Sikat Best Awra Dance Move. Overall, the FEU Cheering Squad won P250,000. FEU Cheering Squad coach Randell San Gregorio said that their Season 86 victory has validated their win in Season 84, coming off a two-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Last season's champion National University finished second with 597 points with an Elvis Presley-inspired performance. The Salinggawi Dance Troupe of the University of Santo Tomas finished third for the second straight time with its Blackpink-themed performance that garnered 684 points.
READ: Pope to world leaders: Turn corner on climate
Pope Francis called on leaders at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai Saturday to step up and "turn a corner" on saving the planet. The 86-year-old pontiff also said the world should move to end using fossil fuels. The speech by Francis, who canceled his trip to the United Nations climate talks due to the flu, was read by the Vatican's second-highest officer, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin. The transition "must be effective, binding and easy to monitor" and apply to "four domains: energy efficiency, renewable energy, ending the use of fossil fuels, and education to make our lifestyles less dependent on them," said the pope whi has made ecology one of the major themes of his papacy and whose 2015 encyclical "Laudato si" ("Praise be") laid out the Vatican's case for defending the environment. Last month Francis published another text on climate challenges, "Laudate Deum" ("Praise the Lord"), which called on developed economies to stop using fossil fuels.
In Business
READ: PH, UAE agree to build data centers
THE Philippines and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) target to put up data centers here with around 500 megawatts (MW) of capacity as the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to boost the digital infrastructure. In a statement on Friday, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said Secretary Alfredo Pascual signed the MoU with the UAE Ministry of Investment in Abu Dhabi on November 30 to strengthen the alliance of both countries in digital infrastructure development. He added that the agreement aims to strengthen the partnership of public and private sectors of the two countries to facilitate investments for the 500-MW data centers as well as the sharing of technical know-how in digital infrastructure.For his part, UAE Minister of Investment Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi recognized the Philippines' rapid adoption of digital technology and said the partnership with Abu Dhabi would help in accelerating digitalization in the Philippines. For the first half of 2023, bilateral trade between the Philippines and UAE increased by 19.4 percent to $506.1 million. Manila and Abu Dhabi both said that through the MoU, economic ties between the two countries would further increase.
Topping Sports
READ: UP goes for kill vs La Salle
THE UP Fighting Maroons aim to deliver the killer blow against the De La Salle Green Archers in Game 2 of the UAAP Season 86 men's basketball best-of-3 Finals series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum today. Coming off an emphatic 97-67 Game 1 win last Wednesday, University of the Philippines (UP) seeks to finish off La Salle in the 4 p.m. clash to wrest its fourth overall title in the tournament and reclaim the glory it lost to the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the finale last year. Despite a dominating performance that saw them post the biggest Finals Game 1 winning margin in the Final Four era, the Fighting Maroons are not getting ahead of themselves. As he has been all season long, coach Goldwin Monteverde said that his team could still use some improvement even in a win as lopsided as the Game 1 result. The Green Archers, of course, look to pull the rug from under the Fighting Maroons and force a deciding Game 3. Coach Topex Robinson admitted that the physicality in Game 1 caught La Salle by surprise and rather insinuated about the officiating being lax on it. But instead of complaining, Robinson said the Green Archers are just out to prepare and put themselves in the best position possible to bounce back.
READ: Opinion
Sunday's editorial is on national defense policies not needing to be threat specific. Read the full version on print or digital or listen to the Voice of the Times. Featured columnist on the front page is Marlen Ronquillo on the size of New Mexico, with 150 million and counting.
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