Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Thursday, June 27, 2024.
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BANNER: PSA: Cancel Guo birth certificate
THE Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has recommended the cancellation of Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo's birth certificate because it was fraudulently acquired, throwing her identity into limbo. Marizza Grande, Civil Registration Office assistant national statistician, told a Senate panel on Wednesday that the delayed registration of the birth of Guo and her sister Shiela on Nov. 22, 2005 was "irregular." Testifying at a hearing on human trafficking in some Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) in Tarlac, Grande said they had endorsed the cancellation of Guo's certificate of live birth to the Office of the Solicitor General because the PSA had no power to do so.
Pagcor says ban on POGOs to hurt workers, economy
DESPITE persistent reports linking Philippine overseas gaming operators (POGOs) to crimes, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) maintains that a total ban would only compound existing problems. Those who want POGOs banned altogether say the economic benefits that the government derives from them are far outweighed by their negative effects: crimes committed by erring gaming companies that include credit card fraud, serious illegal detention and human trafficking. The name, in fact, has such a negative connotation that Pagcor now calls them IGLs or international gaming licensees. Pagcor says IGLs significantly contribute to the economy, including thousands of job opportunities for Filipino workers. The number of Filipino workers hired by licensed POGOs increased from 18,150 in 2020 to 31,322 as of May 2024.
No country can claim the entire SCS, Manalo says
FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, in an international media forum on Tuesday, said no single country could claim almost the entirety of the South China Sea as its territory. At the same forum, Ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson said with like-minded countries, the US had urged China to cease harassment of Philippine vessels lawfully operating in the Philippine exclusive economic zones. Addressing the East-West Center's International Media Forum in Manila, Manalo and Carlson acknowledged the role of the media in reporting what was happening in the region, including developments in the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea (WPS). Manalo noted that some local and foreign journalists on board Philippine vessels patrolling the WPS or on humanitarian missions to Filipinos in the area had witnessed for themselves "the harassment and intimidation our people have faced."
Romualdez to seek reelection in 2025
SPEAKER Martin Romualdez said he intends to seek re-election as Leyte's 1st district representative in the 2025 elections. In a chance interview with reporters after the groundbreaking of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute's 13-story Hemodialysis Building, Romualdez was asked about his electoral plans, including the possibility of seeking a seat in the Senate.
BUSINESS: Confidence 'fragile' among PH CEOs
Topping business, chief executive officers (CEOs) in the Philippines are worried that their companies won't survive the next 10 years unless steps are taken to reinvent their businesses, the local unit of accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) said on Wednesday. Country results of PwC's 27th Annual Global CEO survey, which was released earlier this year, showed that 54 percent of the Philippine respondents believe that their firms will not be economically viable in 10 years or less, while 46 percent expect this to happen over more than a decade. The first figure is lower than the 63 percent for Asia-Pacific while the latter is higher than the regional average of 34 percent.
SPORTS: Gilas 'not ready' yet for FIBA OQT – Cone
Over to sports, Tim Cone expects the entire Gilas players to approach its two upcoming friendly games versus Turkey and Poland with a learner's attitude as part of their build up for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga, Latvia. Gilas left on Tuesday night for Europe with high hopes that the friendly games will give players a feel of playing against European players. And more importantly, the Europe trip will teach Gilas players additional lessons that could serve them in good stead heading to the OQT.
Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta, and Danton Remoto are today's front page columnists. Contreras weighs in on the country's standings at the International Student Assessment, Makabenta looks into the recent incident at the Ayungin Shoal, and Remoto celebrates TikTok's Pride Month.
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