Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Saturday, July 10, 2021.

READ: PDP-Laban panel expels Cusi

The squabble inside the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) is expected to worsen after its National Executive Committee (NEC) expelled Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and two other partymates, accusing them of violating the party's constitution. In a statement released on Friday, PDP-Laban Executive Director Ron Munsayac said the party president, Sen. Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao, and the executive committee decided to expel Cusi, the PDP-Laban vice chairman; Deputy Secretary General Melvin Matibag; and Membership Committee chief Astra Naik for endorsing the potential presidential run of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, the daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte. Cusi, Matibag and Naik "showed allegiance to a political party apart from PDP-Laban," the ouster order stated. In a statement issued Friday night, Cusi belittled the order to expel him, claiming Pacquiao was "demeaning" himself by resorting to "underhanded tactics" and is clearly "misguided".

READ: Children in GCQ, MGCQ areas allowed outdoors

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has allowed children more than five years old living in modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) and general community quarantine (GCQ) areas to go outdoors. Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. on Friday said the children can roam in parks, playgrounds, beaches, biking and hiking trails, and outdoor tourist sites. They can also go to outdoor non-contact sports courts and venues and al-fresco dining establishments. But they still cannot go inside shopping malls and similar establishments, said Roque. It is the first time restrictions on the movement of children have been partly lifted since the coronavirus pandemic began. While outdoors, the children must be supervised by adults and observe the usual health measures such as wearing face masks and physical distancing. Roque said the new policy will apply to the National Capital Region, Rizal and Bulacan, which are in GCQ "with some restrictions," but not to Laguna and Cavite, which are in GCQ with "heightened restrictions."

READ: World Bank apologizes to PH for critical education report

THE World Bank has apologized to the Philippines after it released a report criticizing the country's education system. The World Bank admitted there was an oversight on its part in releasing the report. On Monday, Education Secretary Leonor Briones demanded a public apology from the World Bank after it published a report that used old data from the results of PISA or the Program for International Student Assessment, and of Timss or the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study.

READ: 'Micro-herd immunity' crucial to economic recovery – Concepcion


PRESIDENTIAL Adviser for Entrepreneurship Jose Maria "Joey" Concepcion 3rd on Friday made his pitch for his proposed "micro-herd immunity" in malls and other workplaces in order to help boost the full recovery of the country's economy from the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. In a virtual town hall meeting on the private sector-led "roadmap to the new normal," Concepcion stressed the need to "create an environment that will protect our citizens from severe illness and death and allow the economy to be opened." This, as he pushed anew the concept of "micro-herd immunity" whereby "safe spaces" will be implemented among establishments like malls, office buildings and factories. Concepcion said micro-herd immunity could be achieved by vaccinating 80 percent of employees in order to make establishments safe spaces.

READ: Pacquiao forms body to probe Marawi rehabilitation project


SEN. Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao has created an independent body to investigate the ongoing rehabilitation of strife-torn Marawi City. At least 350,000 residents were displaced by the five-month battle in 2017 between government forces and the IS-backed Maute and Abu Sayyaf Groups. President Rodrigo Duterte had formed Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM), composed of government agencies tasked to rehabilitate the Islamic city. But the Marawi-based Moro Consensus Group headed by a certain Drieza Lininding alleged there was corruption in the ongoing rehabilitation.

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BUSINESS: Trade deficit widens to $2.75 billion in May


Topping business, the country's trade deficit widened by 109.7 percent to $2.76 billion in May, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Friday. Preliminary data from the PSA showed that the balance of trade in goods, the difference between the value of exports and imports, stood at a deficit of $2.76 billion, 109.7 wider than the $1.31-billion trade shortfall in May 2020. This compares with the $3.08-million deficit in the previous month of April.

SPORTS: PBA gets go signal to start season on July 16



In sports, the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) gave the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) the green light to start its 46th season on July 16, according to Games and Amusements Board (GAB) chairman Baham Mitra. Based on the Joint Administrative Order (JAO), the pro league is still not cleared to resume its games in the National Capital Region but Mitra said since the IATF-EID approved it, it will be included in the JAO. The PBA will hold its games at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City under a semi bubble setup (home-venue-home). However, fans are still not allowed to enter the playing venues, as only 100 people are permitted inside the arena in every game, including players, coaches, team staff, television crew and PBA personnel. Since the area at the Ynares Sports Arena is relatively small and unequipped with a spacious dugout, the PBA will set up tents outside that teams can use during game day, Mitra said.

READ: Opinion and editorial


Antonio Contreras and Yen Makabenta are today's front page columnists. Contreras shares voter bases' agreements on specific national issues, while Makabenta asks if the Constitutional Commission of 1986 paved the way for a eunuch presidency.

Today's editorial believes the transition to renewable energy is a looming economic opportunity. Read a full version on the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.

For more news and information, get a copy of The Manila Times on print, subscribe to its digital edition or log on to www.manilatimes.net. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and Keep Up With The Times.

On behalf of The Manila Times, this is Christian Crow Maghanoy reporting.