Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024.
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READ: PNP steps up security head
THE Philippine National Police (PNP) will intensify security operations during the Christmas season to ensure public safety and curb criminal activity during the holidays. PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil on Sunday directed police forces across the nation to step up patrols and deploy more personnel in crowded areas such as malls, markets, and transport hubs. Quick response teams will also be on standby to address emergencies, Marbil said. Anticipating a surge in online transactions during the season, the PNP's Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) will focus on addressing online scams and fraud. Marbil reminded the public to always verify online transactions and avoid suspicious links.The PNP is also preparing for potential political activities, including prayer rallies announced by the Iglesia Ni Cristo in support of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s position on the issue involving the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte. Political tensions have increased after two impeachment cases were filed in the House of Representatives. The cases were filed despite the President's appeal to his allies in the House to stop efforts to impeach Duterte, saying it would be a waste of time and "does not make a difference to even one single Filipino life." Marbil assured the public that the PNP "is a professional and apolitical organization. We are here to serve and protect all Filipinos, regardless of the political climate."
READ: Marcoses distribute gifts to poor children
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos on Sunday spread some holiday cheer to underprivileged children during the first family's traditional gift-giving activity in Malacañang. The 2,199 children from 17 local government units from Metro Manila and three LGUs from the Visayas and Mindanao received their gifts personally at the Palace. Another 27,899 participated via livestream from 17 LGUs and 62 Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) centers nationwide. Each child received a gift set, including a trolley bag, pillow, raincoat, socks, face and hand towel, tumbler, and watch. The first couple was joined by sons Joseph Simon and William Vincent. The gift-giving activity, an initiative of the Office of the President, began in 2022 in partnership with the DSWD, private orphanages and communities nationwide.
READ: Dorothy's ruby slippers fetch record $32.5M
WASHINGTON — Ruby slippers worn by actor Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz" went under the hammer Saturday (Sunday in Manila), and the winning price was over the rainbow — a record $32.5 million, the auction house said. The shimmery shoes, among the most famous pairs of footwear ever, soared past the pre-auction estimate of $3 million within moments and by the time the bidding war was complete, they had become the most valuable movie memorabilia ever sold at auction, according to Heritage Auctions which oversaw the dramatic sale in Dallas, Texas. The final bid was $28 million, with taxes and fees pushing the cost to $32.5 million, Heritage Auctions said. The entire haul for the Hollywood/Entertainment Signature Auction, which also featured the sale of the Wicked Witch's black hat for $2.9 million, set a new record of $38.6 million for an entertainment auction. But it was the sequin-covered pumps — one of four surviving ruby pairs worn in the 1939 cult classic — that stole the show in Texas, as expected.
READ: Filipino film outfit holds global launch of TV series
SINGAPORE — A Filipino film production outfit stepped onto the global stage with the unveiling of its crime-drama series "Drug War: A Conspiracy of Silence" at the 2024 Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF). Held last Thursday at the Marina Bay Sands, the launch of the series attracted buyers and industry leaders, reaffirming the Philippines' growing prominence in international entertainment. Rein Entertainment — a thriving boutique production company in the Philippines co-founded by passion-driven filmmakers Lino Cayetano, Shugo Praico, and Philip King — first made waves at ATF in 2020 with the socio-political hit thriller "Bagman," which continues to stream on Netflix. A bold and gruesome depiction of large-scale corruption unfolding in the microcosm of a small Philippine town, the series not only showcased the company's commitment to hard-hitting narratives but also paved the way for a historic moment when Arjo Atayde bagged the country's very first win at the Asian Academy Creative Awards as Best Actor in a Series. Atayde's award placed Rein Entertainment and Philippine cinema promisingly on the Southeast Asian entertainment map alongside global giants like South Korea and Singapore. Since then, regulars of the ATF have been looking forward to Rein's next major offering and were not disappointed with the five-year wait for "Drug War."
Topping Business
READ: BSP to keep cutting key rates – analysts
THE need to prop up economic growth will likely lead to a third straight policy rate cut next week by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), analysts said, even as inflation accelerated for a second straight month in November. Consumer price growth edged up to 2.5 percent last month from 2.3 percent in October, hitting the median forecast in a Manila Times poll of economists and falling within the BSP's 2.2- to 3.0-percent estimate. Gross domestic product (GDP) growth, meanwhile, markedly slowed to 5.2 percent in the third quarter from 6.4 percent three months earlier, putting the government's then 6.0-7.0 percent target for 2024 at risk of not being met. Economic managers last week trimmed the upper end of the goal to 6.5 percent, but continued to insist that growth — at 5.8 percent as of end-October — could average 6.0 percent by the end of the year. Next year's target was both lowered and expanded to 6.0-8.0 percent, from 6.5-7.5 percent, to reflect the likely impact of recent reforms and "evolving domestic and global uncertainties." Inflation, which picked up as prices of some key food items rose following a series of storms, has now risen for two straight months. ANZ Research, however, said that "inflationary pressures were not broad-based, and the near-term outlook remains benign."
In Sports
READ: Jokic's 56 points useless as Nuggets fall to Wizards
LOS ANGELES — The Washington Wizards withstood a 56-point explosion from Denver star Nikola Jokic to beat the Nuggets 122-113 on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) and snap their 16-game NBA losing streak. Jokic, who won his third NBA Most Valuable Player award last season, posted a career scoring high — surpassing a 53-point performance in game four of the 2023 Western Conference semifinals against Phoenix and a 50-point regular-season best against Sacramento in 2021. The Serbian big man added 16 rebounds and eight assists but it was all to no avail as Washington, buoyed by 39 points from Jordan Poole, won for the first time since Oct. 30. Poole made a career-high nine of Washington's 16 three-pointers while the Nuggets connected on just five of their 24 attempts from beyond the arc. Justin Champagnie scored 23 points and Jonas Valanciunas added 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Wizards, who were without a string of key players including Kyle Kuzma, Malcolm Brogdon and Saddiq Bey.
READ: The Manila Times 7th Golf Cup a success
THE Manila Times successfully held its 7th Golf Cup at the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club in Cavite on Dec. 6. Michael Ang, The Manila Times Corp. managing director, made the ceremonial tee off in the one-day event joined by golfing enthusiasts including the Philippines wunderkind Rianne Malixi — winner of the 2024 US Women's Amateur and 2024 US Girls' Junior Championship. Showcasing her golfing promise, Malixi emerged with the lowest net to claim the award with a score of 69 on a gross of 74 and a handicap of five. The Manila Times President and Chief Operating Officer Blanca Mercado said The Times takes pride in holding another successful edition of its Golf Cup and was glad to have a promising star in Malixi join the tourney. Also present in the event were The Manila Times• CEO Anna Marie Ang-Thompson, VP for Sales and Marketing Roda Zabat, and Director for Marketing Communications and Services Denise Calnea.
READ: Opinion
The fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could shift the balance of power in the Middle East, the Times says in 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 Rigoberto Tiglao and Francsico Tatad. Tiglao claims that President Ferdinad Marcos Jr. may be impeached with the colossal loss of Scarborough Shoal; Tatad asks whether Congress will repeat its past sins.
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