Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Tuesday, November 5, 2024.
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READ: Marce likely to hit inundated areas
TROPICAL Storm Marce may hit areas pounded by Severe Storm Kristine and Typhoon Leon, the state-run weather agency warned Monday and urged those in the path of the cyclone to prepare. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Marce may develop into a severe tropical storm by Tuesday and a typhoon by Wednesday. In its 5 p.m. bulletin, Pagasa said Marce is moving west-northwestward over the Philippine Sea east of Bicol Region. Estimated some 740 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes, the tropical storm has maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 105 kph.
READ: Marcos: No problem with flood control probe
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday said he would not block any probe into the government's flood control projects after many areas of the country were submerged during the recent onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine. During his visit to Batangas, one of the provinces badly hit by the storm, the President also said "there are two sides" to the flooding problem.
READ: Soldier's thumb is back; China refuses to pay damages
THE Filipino soldier who lost a thumb during a confrontation with Chinese sailors in Ayungin Shoal in June is back on duty in the West Philippine Sea, with the digit restored, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner said Monday. In an interview, Brawner said the thumb of Seaman First Class Underwater Operator Jeffrey Facundo was reattached sometime in September and is fully functional. He said the procedure to reattach Facundo's thumb was performed free of charge by doctors from the Makati Medical Center Foundation. Meanwhile, China has yet to respond to the Philippines' demand for payment for the equipment damage and losses incurred when the China Coast Guard (CCG) harassed Manila's rotation and resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal in June.
READ: Filipino soldiers training to enhance defenses
SOME 3,000 soldiers from the Navy, Marines, Air Force and Army will take part in a joint exercise to enhance their capability to operate together on external defense, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said Monday. Through the exercise, Dagit-PA, the AFP's Special Operations forces will sharpen their skills in interoperability amid evolving security challenges, Brawner said.
READ: Final US campaign blitz for Harris, Trump
Bitter rivals Kamala Harris and Donald Trump embark on a final frenzied campaign blitz Monday, with both hitting must-win Pennsylvania on the last day of the tightest and most volatile US presidential election in memory. Republican Trump has promised a "landslide" as he seeks a sensational return to the White House, while Democrat Harris said the "momentum" was on the side of her bid to be America's first woman president. But the polls suggest a different story on the eve of Election Day — total deadlock in surveys nationally and in the seven swing states where the result is expected to be decided. Now a race of dramatic twists, including two bids to kill Trump and Harris's shock late entrance, is coming down to the most viciously fought-over battleground. Harris will spend the whole day campaigning in the rust-belt state of Pennsylvania, culminating in a huge rally in its biggest city Philadelphia, featuring singer Lady Gaga. Trump will travel to North Carolina, Pennsylvania and then Michigan. In a sign of how crucial Pennsylvania is to their chances of occupying the Oval Office, Trump and Harris will even hold dueling rallies in the industrial city of Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania is the single biggest swing state prize under the US Electoral College system, which awards influence in line with population. Both sides say they are encouraged by huge early turnout numbers, with over 78 million people having voted already, around half of the total number of ballots cast in 2020. The incredible closeness of the 2024 White House race reflects a deeply divided United States, as it chooses between two candidates whose visions could scarcely be more different.
BUSINESS: PH manufacturing growth 'solid'
Topping business, Philippine manufacturing growth remained "solid" in October even as it eased slightly from a month earlier, S&P Global said on Monday. The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the sector grew for a 14th straight month, but edged down to 52.9 from September's 27-month high of 53.7. PMI readings above 50.0 point to growth while those below are a sign of a contraction. The continued expansion was said to have been supported by upticks in new orders that led to a rise in output, even as the pace for both slowed. Still, new orders and output remained positive for the 14th and 7th consecutive months, S&P Global noted.
SPORTS: Eldrew Yulo bags 4 golds in Bangkok
Over to sports, Karl Eldrew Yulo led the way for the Philippine pre-junior and junior gymnasts 3rd JRC Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Bangkok, Thailand. Yulo harvested a total of four gold medals in the three-day tilt which ended on Sunday, besting his three from last year's edition of the tournament. This year, the 16-year-old ruled the Men's Artistic Gymnastics (MAG) Junior individual all-around event, floor exercise, still rings, and vault events. He added a silver medal each in the parallel bars and all-around team event for a personal haul of six medals. The other Filipino multi-gold medalists in the competition are Jacob Alvarez, Andrei de Leon, Prince Sumabal, Chelsea Lynn Hong, and Ma. Elizabeth Medina.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta, and Orlando Mercado are today's front page columnists. Contreras says the Philippines cannot use the sovereign option to surrender its rights as a sovereign country, Makabenta says the country has too many political parties, while Mercado observes the US elections.
Today's editorial looks into quality books under the new curriculum of the Department of Education. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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