Good day. Here are the top stories of The Manila Times for Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023.
Today's podcast is brought to you by Wilcon Depot, the Philippines' leading home improvement and construction supplies retailer -- your trusted building partner.
READ: 2 persons of interest held in Marawi blast
POLICE in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) said on Monday they have two persons of interest in the bombing attack at the Mindanao State University (MSU) in Marawi City that killed at least four people last Sunday. In a radio interview, BARMM police chief BGen. Allan Nobleza did not name the persons of interest. The extremist group Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the bombing, saying in a statement Sunday its fighters "detonated an explosive device on a large gathering of Christian disbelievers in Marawi City." The explosion ripped through the university's gymnasium, where a Mass was in progress. Nobleza said police in the Bangsamoro region are on red alert, intensifying checkpoints and increasing police visibility. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner, speaking after a command conference at the headquarters of the Army's 103rd Infantry Brigade in Marawi, he said the AFP will "coordinate closely with the Philippine National Police, work as one in order to address this issue and make sure that this will not happen again."
READ: Proposals to fortify Ayungin weighed
BUILDING a forward operating base, much less undertaking major repairs on the dilapidated BRP Sierra Madre, in the Ayungin Shoal will depend on how far the Philippines and its ally, the United States, are willing to risk it, since China appears committed to enforcing a blockade of the shoal, according to a defense and security expert. Raymond Powell, SeaLight director at the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, told The Manila Times on Monday that the primary issue is how to get a new structure built that will replace the Philippine Navy ship that was intentionally grounded in Ayungin in 1999. The Sierra Madre has been serving as living quarters for Philippine troops stationed at Ayungin. Chinese ships have become more aggressive in confronting Philippine ships resupply missions to troops stationed on the Sierra Madre, using water cannons, and carrying out dangerous blocking maneuvers. The idea to build a forward operating base, or FOB, in Ayungin was first floated in September by Indo-Pacific maritime security expert and former US Navy intelligence officer, Blake Herzinger, who proposed to replace the derelict ship "with a permanent structure manned by combined rotational forces from both the Philippines and the US Marine Corps."
READ: Batangas town says firm botched irrigation project
THE municipal government of Lobo, Batangas, considered one of the country's 18 biodiversity hotspots, is asking state agencies to cancel the permits of a mineral extraction and processing company for violating environmental laws and local ordinances. In separate complaint letters to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary Juan Miguel Cuna, Environmental Law Enforcement and Protection Services OIC Director Reuel Sorilla and Lobo Mayor Lota Manalo accused the Efren Ramirez Construction and General Services Corp. (ERCGSC) of committing at least nine violations that warrant the revocation of its Industrial Sand and Gravel (ISAG) permit and Mineral Processing Permit (MPP). Manalo said that in 2012, seven Lobo barangay signed a memorandum of agreement with ERCGSC to dredge and desilt the Lobo River as part of an irrigation project. In 2017, Barangay Nagtaluntong was excluded from the project to avoid damaging the water intake facility there. However, ERCGSC continued dredging operations in Nagtaluntong despite the suspension of its ISAG permit. The firm had been extracting river materials within 1 kilometer of the water reservoir, "resulting in damage to NIA (National Irrigation Administration) infrastructure," according to the complaint.
READ: Filipinos see December as the 'marry' month
FILIPINOS prefer to tie the knot in December, February and April, according to the latest Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data. In 2022, December was the most preferred month for marriage, with 55,599 registered marriages, accounting for 12.4 percent of the total in the Southeast Asian country, the PSA said. February ranked second with 52,426 marriages, or 11.7 percent of the total, followed by April with 44,600 marriages, or 9.9 percent. November recorded the lowest number with 23,862 registered marriages. The PSA said there were 449,428 marriages in 2022, a 25.9 percent jump from the figure in 2021. In comparison to the pre-pandemic numbers, there was a 4 percent increase in marriages from 2019 to 2022. The PSA did not explain why December is the most preferred month for marriage among Filipinos. But analysts said the possible explanation is the cool weather and the long Christmas holiday, a favorite time for Filipinos to get together and hold annual reunions to celebrate the season.The data showed most couples in the country get married between the ages of 25 and 29.
In Business
READ: PH to get $10B in climate funds
THE Philippines will receive $10 billion in climate financing from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) between 2024 and 2029 to help the country meet commitments under a 2015 climate change treaty. Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, signatory countries committed to reduce emissions in an overall bid to limit the rise in mean global temperatures to below two degrees Celsius. Based on the Philippines' updated nationally determined contribution (NDC), the country pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent from 2020 to 2030. Most of this, however, is tied to securing international support, with just 2.71 percent classified as "unconditional." The Philippines is considered one of the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. It was ranked fourth in terms of countries most affected by extreme weather globally from 2000 to 2019 in the Global Climate Risk IndexWith poorer households disproportionately affected, especially in urban areas with less infrastructure and along the country's vast coastal areas, the ADB said that its climate financing would help improve the climate resilience of communities, ecosystems, and the economy. The Manila-based multilateral institution said it was currently preparing its 2024-2029 country partnership strategy for the Philippines that will prioritize climate action and promote inclusive growth.
Topping Sports
READ: La Salle simply wanted it more – UP coach
DE La Salle University simply wanted to win Game 2 of the UAAP Season 86 men's basketball best-of-3 Finals series more than University of the Philippines (UP) did. UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde implied that is basically the story of Game 2 on Sunday, December 3, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, where his team yielded to La Salle, 60-82, stretching the series to a decider. The Green Archers energy was evident in the rebounding department where it topped the Fighting Maroons, 58-46, especially in the offensive category, 19-11. La Salle thus gained 16 second chance points compared to UP's four only. La Salle's rim protection was also superb with the Topex Robinson-coach team collecting seven blocks, three of which came from MVP Kevin Quiambao who had one more than UP as a team. Monteverde said the Fighting Maroons aren't keen on making excuses, though, as they would rather reflect and realize what they should have done.
READ: Scheffler rules World Challenge
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler fired a bogey-free 68 on Sunday (Monday in Manila) for a three-shot win in the Hero World Challenge, where 15-time major champion Tiger Woods said he'd "come a long way" in his first tournament since April. Scheffler had four birdies in his four-under par 68 on the Albany golf course in the Bahamas, his 20-under total of 268 beating Austrian Sepp Straka by three shots to give him the trophy after runner-up finishes to Viktor Hovland the last two years. Tournament host Woods, who hadn't played since ankle surgery in the wake of his third round withdrawal at the Masters, said he was "ecstatic" with how the week had gone after carding a final-round 72 for an even par total of 288. Woods shook off a double-bogey at the second hole with birdies at the third, fifth and sixth. After bogeys at eight and 11 he birdied 14 and 15 before a bogey at 16 that left him 18th in the 20-player field.
READ: Opinion
Today's editorial is about preparing for the worst. Read the full version on print or digital or listen to the Voice of the Times. Featured columnists on the front page are Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta and Orlando Mercado. Contreras says CC intervention further weakens the rule of law; Makabenta on why climate skepticism and dissent are important; and Mercado on another attempt to attain peace.
For more news and information, read The Manila Times on print, subscribe to its digital edition or log on to www.manilatimes.net. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Linked In; and be part of our communities on Viber, Telegram, and Mastodon.