Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Saturday, January 22, 2022, brought to you by Wilcon Depot, the country's leading home improvement and construction supplies retailer. Shop conveniently 24/7 with the Wilcon online store, just go to shop.wilcon.com.ph.

READ: Phaseout of travel quarantine proposed

PRESIDENTIAL Adviser for Entrepreneurship Jose Maria "Joey" Concepcion 3rd is proposing the gradual lifting of Covid-19 quarantine restrictions for arriving international travelers once the Omicron-driven surge subsides. In his remarks during the Go Negosyo's Booster to the Max town hall meeting on Friday, Concepcion said phasing out facility-based quarantine for international arrivals and shifting to home-based quarantine would help the country's the tourism and airline sectors recover faster. He said countries like Thailand and Switzerland have done away with mandatory quarantine on arrival in a move to attract more travelers.

READ: PDP-Laban wing backs Sara for VP

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A faction of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) has adopted Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio as its candidate for vice president for the May elections. The faction of the ruling party led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi deferred announcing its choice for president, saying it was still screening the list of contenders, including Duterte-Carpio's running mate Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. Cusi also said on Friday the party was finalizing an alliance with the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) headed by Duterte-Carpio. The rival wing in PDP Laban is supporting the presidential run of Sen. Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao. Cusi said during a virtual press briefing his group chose Duterte-Carpio because "the quality of her advocacies and vision are strongly aligned with that of the party."

READ: Robredo: Good governance key to business growth

VICE President Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo committed to create a more transparent, ethical and trustworthy government that will spur the growth of the business sector. During the open forum of "Meet the Presidentiables: Economic Reforms in the New Frontier," organized by the Financial Executive Institute of the Philippines (Finex), the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII), Cignal, and The Manila Times, along with other organizations, Robredo, who is running as an independent presidential candidate, expounded on her economic platform and underlined the significance of economic reform in addressing the issues the country faces. She anchored her presentation on two strategies: the Kalayaan sa Covid Plan and the Hanapbuhay Para sa Lahat Jobs Plan.

READ: PH among countries eyed for anti-Covid pill

THE Philippines is among the 105 countries being considered for the more affordable version of Merck's anti-Covid pill in deals announced on Thursday by a UN-backed organization. The global Medicines Patent Pool signed agreements with 27 manufacturers to produce the oral antiviral medicine molnupiravir, for supply in low- and-middle-income countries. Other countries covered include some of the world's most heavily populated nations like India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Egypt.

READ: Anti-jab Filipinos drop to 8% – SWS

FILIPINOS' skepticism on getting vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) continued to wane as only 8 percent of the adult population remain unwilling to get vaccinated, the fourth quarter survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed. Compared to May 2021 when the SWS first asked respondents about their willingness to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, the 8 percent recorded in December 2021 was 25 percent lower than the 33 percent in May. Unwillingness to receive the vaccine continued to decline at 21 percent in June 2021, down to 18 percent in September 2021. The percentage of those unwilling to get vaccinated fell in all areas in the country, with 4 percent in Metro Manila, 8 percent each in Balance Luzon and Mindanao, and 15 percent in the Visayas from the May 2021 results at 30 percent each in Metro Manila and Mindanao, 34 percent in Balance Luzon, and 38 percent in the Visayas.

BUSINESS: Standard Chartered sees 7.5% PH growth

Over to business, banking giant Standard Chartered Bank projects Philippine economic expansion to meet the government's target, but warned that slow vaccination progress and persistently high inflation are major risks to growth. According to the bank's economist for the Philippines Jonathan Koh, the country's gross domestic product is expected to rebound by 7.5 percent. The growth outlook is within the lower end of the 7- to 9-percent range set by the interagency Development Budget Coordination Committee for the year.

SPORTS: Financial aid for Obiena still pending at PSC

Topping sports, Olympian pole vaulter Ernest John "EJ" Obiena said he has not received financial assistance from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) since September 2021. During a roundtable discussion with The Manila Times on Thursday, Obiena said there was nothing to complain about. The PSC, however, clarified that the budget request by Obiena has been approved by the government's sports arm until December 2022, and the amount will only be released after the completion of Obiena's liquidation report for the previous financial assistance. Having been a recipient of the PSC's support for elite athletes since 2017, Obiena understands how the system works.

READ: Opinion and editorial

Antonio Contreras and Yen Makabenta are today's front page columnists. Contreras talks about the EQ and IQ of democracy, while Makabenta wonders if the Supreme Court allegedly engage in electioneering on the suspension of lawyer Lorenzo "Larry" Gadon.

Today's editorial discusses the maritime issues between the Philippines and China. Read a full version on the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.

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On behalf of The Manila Times, this is Aric John Sy Cua reporting. Have a safe weekend ahead.