Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Saturday, April 6, 2024.
Today's episode is brought to you by Wilcon Depot, The Philippines' leading home improvement and construction supplies retailer—your Trusted Building Partner.
READ: PH 'cannot ignore' China aggression
THE Philippines cannot close its eyes to what is happening in the West Philippine Sea, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said, as he underlined the importance of the trilateral cooperation between Japan, the Philippines and the United States in maintaining peace and stability in the region. During a meeting with Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Endo Kazuya in Malacañang, the President raised the need to find a way to maintain regional peace and at the same time respond to the actual situation in the disputed waters.
READ: Immunization gap behind measles, pertussis rise
THE World Health Organization (WHO) said gaps in the immunization program during the Covid-19 pandemic led to the increase in cases of measles and pertussis in the Western Pacific Region, including the Philippines. During a press briefing in celebration of World Health Day, World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Director Dr. Saia Ma'u Piukala said the failure to vaccinate some 1 million children in the Western Pacific because of restrictions on the movement of people during the pandemic was behind the surge of communicable diseases in the region.
READ: Panelo: No Duterte-China gentleman's agreement
FORMER president Rodrigo Duterte did not have a "gentleman's agreement" with China to maintain the status quo in the West Philippine Sea, Duterte's former chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo reiterated on Friday. Panelo said he is willing to take part in any Senate investigation that will look into the claim by Harry Roque, a former presidential spokesman, that there was such a deal.
READ: Philippines' population growth rate slows down
THE country's population growth rate has slowed down even as its aging population grew by 5 percent, the Commission on Population and Development said on Friday. The commission also noted what it calls population momentum, where the number of Filipinos is still on the rise owing to the fact that the children under the population pyramid are growing and also giving birth.
BUSINESS: Rice, meat prices tagged as inflation rises to 3.7%
Topping business, inflation rose for a second straight month in March as prices of key food items — particularly rice and meat — and transport costs rose, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported on Friday. Consumer price growth picked up to 3.7 percent from February's 3.4 percent but stayed within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' 2.0- to 4.0-percent target. It also fell within the central bank's 3.4- to 4.2-percent estimate for the month and was slightly lower than the 3.8-percent median in a Manila Times poll of economists. Inflation a year earlier was 7.6 percent, which was the first time the rate fell below 8.0 percent after hitting a 14-year high of 8.7 percent at the start of 2023.
SPORTS: Catantan aims for spot in Paris Olympics
Over to sports, fencer Samantha Catantan is aiming for a spot in the Paris Olympics through the Asian Olympic Qualifying Tournament on April 27 to 28 in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. Aside from Catantan, the Philippines' top women's foil fencer, three other Filipino fencers will see action in the Asian Olympic qualifiers, namely, Nathaniel Perez for men's foil, Noelito Jose for men's epee and Hanniel Abella for women's epee.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta, and Danton Remoto are today's front page columnists. Contreras criticizes the current generation and their teachers, Makabenta looks into political dynasties, while Remoto quells mindsets over talking to gay people.
Today's editorial has a different approach
to internal migration. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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 LinkedIn; and be part of our communities on Viber, Telegram, and Mastodon.