Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Monday, December 31, 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: Marcos signs 2025 budget; vetoes P194B
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday signed the P6.326-trillion national budget for 2025 but vetoed P194 billion worth of line items that he deemed inconsistent with the administration's priority programs. Marcos signed Republic Act 12116, or An Act Appropriating Funds for the Operation of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2025," in a ceremony at Malacañan Palace in Manila. In his speech, Marcos said the executive listened to the public's concerns over the version of the budget bill submitted by Congress to Malacañang.
READ: Former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100
Jimmy Carter, the 100-year-old former US president and Nobel peace laureate who rose from humble beginnings in rural Georgia to lead the nation from 1977 to 1981, has died, his nonprofit foundation said Sunday (Monday in Manila). Carter had been in hospice care since mid-February 2023 at his home in Plains, Georgia — the same small town where he was born and once ran a peanut farm before becoming governor of the Peach State and running for the White House. Carter died "peacefully" at his home in Plains, "surrounded by his family," the Carter Center said in a statement.
READ: Philippines' only female National Master tops chess tournament in Poland
NIKA Juris Nicolas, the country's first and only female National Master , emerged as champion in the 35th International Chess Festival, which ended on Sunday at the Galaxy Hotel in Krakow, Poland. The 12-year-old Nicolas topped the Open Under-1800 category with an undefeated run of six wins and a draw for a total of 6.5 points. The win proved pivotal for Nicolas (Elo 1635), who boosted her FIDE ratings by 86 Elo points with an impressive performance rating of 2017.
READ: Leaders must focus on science literacy – analyst
Political analyst and professor Antonio Contreras emphasized the critical role of science literacy in addressing pressing national issues, particularly climate change during the "Town Hall: Preview of the 2025 Elections" hosted by The Manila Times in collaboration with DZRH. Contreras, from the University of the Philippines Los Baños School of Environmental Science and Management, highlighted a common misconception among many Filipinos regarding climate-related disasters such as typhoons and floods. He said while flood control measures are often criticized for being inadequate, the real issue lies in the intensification of typhoons due to climate change — a fact often overlooked due to a lack of understanding.
BUSINESS: NG gross borrowings markedly lower in Nov
Gross borrowings by the national government fell in November as it markedly took on less debt, Bureau of the Treasury data showed. Based on the Treasury's latest cash operations report, gross borrowings plunged by 48.16 percent to P65.05 billion last month from P125.46 billion a year ago. It was also substantially lower than the P129.26 billion recorded in October. Year to date, gross borrowings amounted to P2.49 trillion, 13.7 percent higher than the P2.19 trillion posted in the comparable 2023 period.
SPORTS: Pacers avenge blowout loss to Celtics
In sports, Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton scored 31 points as the Pacers turned the tables on the NBA champion Celtics with a confident 123-114 victory in Boston on Sunday (Monday in Manila). Two days after Jaylen Brown's 44 points propelled the Celtics to a 142-105 blowout victory over the Pacers Indiana got their revenge. Haliburton added six rebounds and seven assists without a turnover and six players scored in double figures for Indiana, whose lights-out shooting in the second quarter saw them seize a seven-point halftime lead that they would push to as many as 16.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta and Orlando Mercado are today's front page columnists. Contreras talks about the 2025 national budget while Makabenta talks about China. Mercado's column is about renewed hope for the New Year.
Today's editorial is about reports of senior citizens experiencing problems with getting their medicine discounts from the drug stores.
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