Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Saturday, June 11, 2022.
READ: Jobless rate hits pre-Covid low
THE number of jobless Filipinos fell in April, with the unemployment rate at its lowest since the pandemic began, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Friday. National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said in a briefing on Friday that preliminary Labor Force Survey data put the unemployment rate in April at 5.7 percent, the lowest since January 2020, when it was 5.3 percent. That translates to 2.76 million unemployed persons, significantly lower than the 4.14 million in April 2021 and the 2.93 million in January 2022. The employment rate rose to 94.3 percent, with 45.63 million people having jobs. The figure was 2.61 million higher than the 43.02 million in January and the 43.27 million in April, Mapa said.
READ: BBM vows 'high accountability' for rights abuses
PRESIDENT-ELECT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has promised a "high level of accountability" for human rights violations in the country during his watch. Marcos made the commitment during his meeting with Ambassador Gustavo Gonzales, the UN representative to the Philippines, at his office in Mandaluyong City on Friday. Gonzales said during a press briefing after the meeting that they talked at length about the Human Rights Council resolution 4533 of 2020.
READ: Peso takes a beating against dollar
THE Philippine peso had its worst day in three-and-a-half years, falling to P53 to the United States dollar on Friday. The local currency bled 5 centavos to $53:$1 from the previous day's close of P52.95. It hasn't been this soft since Dec. 20, 2018 when it closed at 53.10:$1. The peso's slide was probably due to market participants anticipating the US Federal Reserve's (Fed) 50-basis-point interest rate hike next week, Domini Velasquez, chief economist at China Banking Corp., said.
READ: Poll results a 'slap in Church's face'
AN official of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said on Friday the outcome of the last elections is "a slap in the face" of the Church's local hierarchy. Boac, Marinduque Bishop and CBCP Episcopal Commission on Social Communication Chairman Marcelino Antonio Maralit expressed his view in an interview posted in Caritas Philippines website. The Church tacitly endorsed the presidential run of Vice President Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo, referring to her as "the moral choice." Robredo lost badly to Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. Maralit said the question now is "whether we have lost our voice as the hierarchy of the Church."
READ: DoJ sacks 18 immigration personnel in 'pastillas' scam
THE Department of Justice (DoJ) has ordered the dismissal of 18 officers and personnel of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in connection with the so-called "pastillas scam," an extortion racket victimizing Chinese workers in exchange for their unhampered entry into the country. Undocumented Chinese workers, who end up working in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), pay up to P10,000 each to unscrupulous immigration officers. Justice Assistant Secretary Neal Bainto disclosed on Friday that the 18 immigration personnel were found administratively liable for grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service. Bainto said that according to the DoJ resolution released on Friday, the 18 immigration officers and personnel "facilitated or allowed the facilitation of the arrival and/or departure of Chinese nationals, without undergoing appropriate immigration formalities, for consideration."
BUSINESS: Nomura maintains 6.7% PH growth forecast
Over to business, Nomura, a Japanese investment bank, kept its economic growth outlook for the Philippines this year that is below the government's target, citing concerns on the external environment. Nomura said in a statement they continue to maintain their 2022 GDP (gross domestic product) growth forecast of 6.7 percent, which is below the government's range of 7 to 8 percent (narrowed from 7 to 9 percent) and reflects their "more cautious view" on the external environment. Despite their growth estimate being higher than the 5.7-percent actual GDP expansion for 2021, they cited the ongoing conflict in Ukraine as one of the reasons for their cautious forecast, as well as rising local prices, which they believe may reduce consumer sentiment. The country's inflation rate surged to 5.4 percent in May, the highest in three years, raising the year-to-date average to 4.1 percent, well beyond the government's 2- to 4-percent target for the year.
SPORTS: Mitra wants to leave a parting legacy
In sports, the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) represented the Philippines in the 37th International Boxing Federation (IBF) Convention on May 24 to 28, 2022 in Long Beach, California. Recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame, IBF is one of the biggest boxing organizations that sanctions boxing bouts worldwide. Representing the country in the five-day convention were GAB chairman Abraham "Baham" Mitra and newly appointed GAB commissioner Raul Lagrisola, with the primary aim to promote the country's professional sports and homegrown boxers.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras and Danton Remoto are today's front page columnists. Contreras calls for fairness with Senator-elect Robin Padilla, while Remoto discusses the Pride month, celebrated by the LGBT community.
Today's editorial believes the country needs realistic solutions for food security. Read a full version on the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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This is EJ Gomez reporting.