Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Sunday, February 4, 2024.
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READ: China 'demands' no PH action to worsen sea row
THE Chinese Embassy in Manila on Saturday "demanded" from the Philippine government "not to take any action that may complicate the maritime situation." The statement comes as a mission to resupply Philippine troops stationed at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea was completed on Friday without interference from Chinese ships for the first time, the Armed Forces of the Philippines reported. Responding to the government's claim that no notification was sent to China before the resupply mission, the Chinese Embassy said that the Philippines was under no obligation to inform Beijing as this was within its rights but reiterated that Ren'ai Jiao, as China calls the Ayungin Shoal, "has always been its territory" and that its position on the issue "has never changed." The Chinese Embassy said, however, that China and the Philippines are maintaining communication to manage and control the situation in the disputed territory.
READ: 'We were hijacked' – NTF-Elcac on Khan trip
THE National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict was offended by the United Nations Special Rapporteur Irene Khan's proposal to abolish the task force, its official said on Saturday. he added. Khan, a UN special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, made the recommendation during her exit briefing in Mandaluyong City on Friday, which was preceded by meetings with groups associated with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front. Khan said the NTF-Elcac had not taken into consideration the ongoing peace negotiations of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration with the NDF, adding the task force was established six years ago in a different context, thus making it outdated. Meanwhile, the government has agreed to sustain further consultations with Khan on how to strengthen structures and mechanisms that uphold human rights.
READ: PH still an example of unity – Duterte
VICE President Sara Duterte on Saturday said the Philippines remains a shining example of unity amid differences. The vice president added that she was praying for a world where love would reign supreme and where prejudice would become a distant memory. She said that Christians, Muslims and other "spiritual siblings" were now walking together and acknowledging their interconnectedness toward unity and serenity.
READ: PH registers record-high rice production in 2023
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Saturday that the Philippines produced a record-high 20 million metric tons of rice last year, which is 1.5 percent higher than the country's rice production in the same period in 2022. In his speech during the ceremonial palay harvesting and distribution of various assistance in Candaba, Pampanga, the rice production in 2023 registered a 1.5 percent or 300,000-metric ton increase from the 19.76 million metric tons of palay produced in 2022. He said this came from the 0.23 percent increase in area harvested and 1.3 percent improvement in yield.
READ: Brownlee cleared to play for Gilas
NATURALIZED Filipino Justin Brownlee has been cleared to play for Gilas Pilipinas in the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers this February. The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas announced the development on Saturday, about four months after Brownlee tested positive for Carboxy-tetrahydrocannabinol, a prohibited substance by the World Anti-Doping Agency that is linked to cannabis use.
SPORTS: Beermen gun for 2-0 lead vs Hotshots
COMING off a high-octane Finals-opening win, San Miguel Beer shoots for a 2-0 lead against Magnolia as action resumes in their P.B.A. Season 48 Commissioner's Cup best-of-seven title series on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena. Game time is 6:15 p.m. The Beermen took Game 1, 103- 95 behind their strong offensive led by Best Import candidate Bennie Boatwright, who fired a game-high 28 points and C.J. Perez's 19. Though San Miguel saw its once imposing 18-point lead whittle down to five toward the endgame with Magnolia's bench players leading the charge, the Beermen managed to hold them off to take the win.
BUSINESS: PH growth momentum unlikely to last – analysts
Over to business, while the country's economic growth remained well above trend, analysts expect that this momentum is unlikely to last due to challenges posed by high inflation and interest rates, along with a sluggish recovery in external demand. While Emerging Asia economist Shivaan Tandon revised its 2024 growth projections upward — to 5.5 percent from 5.0 percent due to the stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter data — it is still below the government's 6.5- to 8.5-percent target. Gross domestic product growth came in at 5.6 percent last year, slowing from 2022's 7.6 percent and missing the government's 6.0- to 7.0-percent target. Tandon mentioned that this resilience is temporary despite strong domestic demand against increased borrowing costs. He stressed that the economy's credit growth has slowed down, indicating a potential decrease in domestic demand growth in the upcoming quarters.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Marlen Ronquillo is today's front page columnist, which looks into the top 5 richest people on earth.
Today's editorial believes that toxic politics is distracting Filipinos from pressing problems. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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