Good day. Here are the top stories of The Manila Times for Monday, April 8, 2024.
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READ: Allied warships conduct sea drills
FIVE warships from the Philippines, the United States, Japan and Australia held maritime exercises in the highly contested waters of the South China Sea to demonstrate their unity in the face of Chinese aggression in the key waterway. In response to the four-country Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) from April 6 to 7, Beijing said it would conduct military "combat patrols" in the same area as the joint drills. Five warships — the Philippines' BRP Gregorio del Pilar and BRP Ramon Alcaraz, the American USS Mobile, the JS Akebono of Japan and Australia's HMAS Warramung — took part in the four-nation exercise. On Saturday, the ships took off from Palawan, cruising to the south of the West Philippine Sea. Protecting the vessels were attack aircraft from the four countries that conducted fly-by missions alongside warships to protect the naval assets. In a joint statement, the Defense Department said the MCA would be conducted by naval, maritime and air force units "in a manner that is consistent with international law as well as domestic laws and rules of respective nations, and with due regard to the safety of navigation and the rights and interest of other states." As the joint sail proceeded, the Chinese People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command said it had organized a joint naval and air strategic patrol in the SCS on April 7. Defense Department Information Officer Director Arsenio Andolong said they expected China to malign the ongoing maritime exercise through propaganda. Andolong rejected the allegation that the MCA was aimed at provoking China.
READ: El Nino damage shoots up to P2.63B
AGRICULTURAL damage caused by the El Niño phenomenon has surged to P2.63 billion, while the government has distributed P1.1 billion in assistance. In its latest bulletin, the Department of Agriculture said the weather phenomenon had affected 53,879 hectares (ha) of farmland, equivalent to 116,792 metric tons (MT) of production volume. Losses were incurred in 10 regions: the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula and Soccsksargen. The dry spell is estimated to have damaged 72,733 metric tons of palay, 35,885 MT of corn, and 8,173 MT of high-value crops. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 18 cities and municipalities have declared a state of calamity due to the effects of the El Niño on their agriculture. This includes all the 11 municipalities in Occidental Mindoro; Bulalacao and Mansalay in Oriental Mindoro; San Vicente, Palawan; San Andres, Romblon; Mayoyao, Ifugao; Sibalom, Antique; and Zamboanga City. Task Force El Niño spokesman and Presidential Communications Office Assistant Secretary Joey Villarama said that number might increase as some municipalities were looking into declaring a state of calamity. Villarama said a municipality or city can declare a state a calamity if at least 15 percent of the population is affected, 30 percent of livelihoods are affected, and structures or vital installations are also affected.
READ: Rising temperatures heighten health risks
RISING temperatures associated with climate change are leading to more diseases transmitted by animals and longer periods of seasonal illnesses such as flu, experts said. Dr. Emine Didem Evci Kiraz of Adnan Menderes University Medical School in Aydin, Turkey, said rising temperatures could lead to significant increases in the effects of ultraviolet radiation from the sun, changes in food and water quality-related diseases, infectious disease agents and their transmissions, animal-derived diseases, and mental health issues. She also highlighted the potential emergence of new diseases, underscoring the vulnerability of our health to climate change. Kiraz said the average body temperature for a human ranges from 36.1 degrees Celsius (96.7 degrees Fahrenheit) to 37.8 C (100 F), with mechanisms such as sweating and heat transfer in place to maintain it. Increased temperatures stress the heart and blood vessels, cause fluid loss in tissues and cells, and affect kidney function, she said. Stressing the potential development of metabolic syndromes and disruptions in organ balance under stress, Kiraz warned of emergencies such as drops in blood pressure and sudden fainting due to heat. Prolonged heat and water loss can render a person immobile and lead to death, she added, while sudden heat waves can also cause mental health issues, violence and unsafe behavior.
READ: What do scientists hope to learn from total solar eclipse?
When a rare total solar eclipse sweeps across North America on Monday, scientists will be able to gather invaluable data on everything from the Sun's atmosphere to strange animal behaviors — and even possible effects on humans. It comes with the Sun near the peak of its 11-year solar cycle, setting the stage for a breathtaking display: the corona will glow spectacularly from the Moon's silhouette along the path of totality, a corridor stretching from Mexico to Canada via the United States. Total solar eclipses offer "incredible scientific opportunities," NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy told a press conference this week about the celestial event. The US space agency is one of the institutions at the ready for the eclipse, with plans to launch so-called sounding rockets to study the effects on Earth's upper atmosphere. NASA's three sounding rockets will be launched before, during and just after the eclipse from Virginia to measure these changes. The major decrease in sunlight provoked by the eclipse — more rapid and localized than a simple sunset — should allow researchers to learn more about how light affects the ionosphere so they can better predict potential problematic disruptions.
Topping Business
READ: Inflation to keep rates unchanged
MONETARY authorities are expected to keep key interest rates steady today with inflation yet to settle firmly within target, analysts said. Consumer price growth picked up for a second straight month in March, to 3.7 percent from February's 3.4 percent, as prices of key food items and transport costs rose. While it stayed within the 2.0- to 4.0-percent target and was slightly lower than expected, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has warned that inflation could again breach 4.0 percent in the next few months. Analysts said it would only be prudent for the BSP's policymaking Monetary Board to hold fire anew for a fourth straight meeting. The central bank's benchmark rate currently stands at 6.50 percent, the highest since 2007, following 450 basis points of increases beginning May 2022 as inflation surged in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
In sports
READ: Thomas sizzles as Nets rally to beat Pistons
Cam Thomas scored 32 points and the Brooklyn Nets rallied with a big fourth quarter for a 113-103 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday (Sunday in Manila). Dennis Schroder added 24 points and Noah Clowney had 17 off the bench for the Nets, who won their second straight game. Mikal Bridges chipped in with 13 and Jalen Wilson finished with 10. Detroit dropped to 13-65 with its fourth straight loss. Chimezie Metu led the Pistons with 20 points. Marcus Sasser finished with 18 and Jaden Ivey added 16. Troy Brown Jr. had 15 and Jaylen Nowell contributed 12 off the bench for the Pistons, who led by 19 and were still ahead 83-75 after three before the Nets outscored them 38-20 over the final 12 minutes.
READ: Piolo Pascual, Kara David lead Cycle PH participants
FILM and TV actor Piolo Pascual and TV host Kara David-Cancio lead the huge pack in the individual 45-kilometer (km) ride in the Sun Life Cycle PH, which drew a record turnout of 1,386 participants at the Ayala Vermosa Sports Club in Imus, Cavite on Sunday. The annual cycling event, organized as part of Sun Life's initiative to foster a healthy and active lifestyle among Filipino families, offered a range of activities designed to cater to participants of all ages and abilities. The event's highlights included a 60-km corporate team ride, individual rides of the 30 km and 45 km, and family-friendly 500-meter solo and parent-child rides, providing an inclusive and enjoyable experience for everyone involved. A record turnout of 1,386 cycling enthusiasts gather at the starting line for the Sun Life Cycle PH. Pascual, a long-standing ambassador for Sun Life in 2009, shared his enthusiasm for the event, highlighting its welcoming atmosphere for both newcomers and seasoned cyclists.
READ: Opinion
Providing the momentum for salt industry's comeback is today's editorial. Read the full version on print or digital or listen to the Voice of the Times. Featured columnists on the front page are Fr. Ranhilio Aquino and Francisco Tatad. Aquino writes about the curse of JC3; Tatad on the Ad Council taking the lead.
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