Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Sunday, June 19, 2022.
READ: Marcos names BIR, Intelligence chiefs
PRESIDENT-ELECT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. named two more members of his Cabinet, his camp announced on Saturday. Marcos appointed former Internal Revenue deputy commissioner Lilia Guillermo and retired Gen. Ricardo de Leon to head the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), respectively, under his administration. Guillermo is currently an assistant governor at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) who heads the BSP Technology and Digital Innovation Office and manages the BSP's IT Modernization Roadmap of 2018-2033. Guillermo has been cited for successfully implementing the Philippines Tax Computerization Project, which established a modern tax collection system for the BIR and the Bureau of Customs (BoC). Joining Guillermo at the BIR is lawyer Romeo "Jun" Lumagui Jr., whom Marcos nominated as deputy commissioner for operations, Cruz-Angeles said.
READ: BBM tells public to wear masks
PRESIDENT-ELECT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos has urged the public to continue wearing face masks to prevent another Covid-19 surge that could impede the country's economic recovery. The incoming president issued the statement amid fears of a possible Covid-19 surge by August. Marcos also called on the public to avail of booster shots being offered by the government, noting that waning immunity provided by the primary shots could make them vulnerable to Omicron and other highly transmissible Covid variants. The Department of Health (DoH) reported that the average number of new cases daily in the country rose to 270 from 182 per day last week. The government has also recorded a slightly higher reproduction number of 1.59, from last week's 1.29. Reproduction rate refers to the number of people infected by one case. A reproduction number that is below 1 indicates that the transmission of the virus is slowing down.
READ: Sara Duterte takes oath as 15th VP
SARA Duterte-Carpio will take her oath as the 15th vice president of the Philippines today, Sunday, June 19, 2022. Duterte- Carpio will be sworn to office by her former professor, Supreme Court Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando. The ceremony will be held at the San Pedro Square in her hometown Davao City, where she served as mayor before being elected to the second highest post in the country. Former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who once served as vice president, has also confirmed her attendance. At least four ambassadors, governors, representatives and other politicians are expected to attend Duterte-Carpio's inauguration. The incoming vice president will be wearing for the occasion a custom-made Filipiniana attire by Davao-based designer Silverio Anglacer.
READ: 16 Regional Wage Boards increase workers' pay
LABOR Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd said on Saturday that the 16 regional wage boards across the country have all issued orders granting salary increases of P30 to P110 to more than five million minimum wage earners nationwide. Bello added that also granted wage increases were "kasambahay" or household service workers (HSWs) in 13 regions, though the National Capital Region (NCR) and Regions 4A and 12 have yet to come out with their orders. All wage increases granted to daily wage earners in 16 regions and to HSWs in 13 regions have all been affirmed by the National Wages and Productivity Commission. As of June 18, the minimum wage increases in 11 regions have already taken effect, while the rest will take effect within the month. Of the 13 wage increase orders for HSWs, eight have already taken effect, while the others will be on or before the end of June.
READ: Educator PH's 1st Gandhi Peace Prize awardee
COMMISSION on Higher Education (CHEd) Commissioner Dr. Ronald Adamat has formally received the Mahatma MK Gandhi Peace Prize for Non-Violent Peace 2021 during Saturday's ceremony which put him in the same level with past awardees like Britain's Margaret Thatcher, former United States of America president Jimmy Carter, South Africa's Nelson Mandela and Russia's Mikhail Gorbachev, among others. Receiving the actual award through the Heavenly World Peace Restoration of Lights (HWPL) led by its country manager John Rommel Garces, Adamat got several congratulatory greetings from various sectors along with President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (BBM), Vice President-elect Sara Duterte-Carpio and lawmakers led by Sen. Sherwin "Win" Gatchalian. The top two incoming government officials took note of Adamat, being the only Filipino to have obtained such distinction, for receiving the prestigious award that they said had put the country in the map of those who have produced the few great men and women that were conferred the same global recognition.
READ: No backpacks allowed at Marcos inauguration
POLICE and security personnel will not allow entry to anybody with backpacks at the VIP engagement areas at the National Museum during the inauguration of President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on June 30. Col. Jenny Tecson, spokesman for the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said the measure is part of security arrangements intended to foil possible criminal plots against officials attending the ceremony. The police will also exercise maximum tolerance in dealing with groups or individuals who will stage rallies. Those who wish to attend the inauguration rites were also reminded to observe minimum public health standards by proper wearing of face masks, social distancing and hand sanitation in order to prevent the further spread of Covid-19. Motorists planning to pass within the vicinity of the National Museum will be advised to take alternate routes. Tecson said the police will closely coordinate with the local government of Manila and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to ensure road safety and smooth flow of traffic. The roads which will be closed were the stretch of P. Burgos Avenue from Taft Avenue to Roxas Boulevard, stretch of Finance road from P. Burgos to Taft Avenue; stretch of T.M. Kalaw Avenue from Taft Avenue to Roxas Boulevard; stretch of Ma. Orosa Street from P. Burgos Avenue to T.M. Kalaw Avenue; stretch of Gen. Luna Street from P. Burgos Avenue to Muralla Street; stretch of C. Victoria Street from Taft Avenue to Muralla Street; and stretch of Ayala Boulevard from Gen Solano Street to Taft Avenue.
READ: Bulusan relief operations continue
THE National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) assured the continuous relief and security operations for the 44,000 individuals affected by the Bulusan Volcano's eruption. Speaking at a public press briefing Saturday, NDRRMC spokesman Mark Cashean Timbal said that 162 families from the evacuation centers have returned home since June 14 when the volcano stopped emitting plume. He confirmed that there was no transmission of Covid-19 inside the evacuation centers in Juban and Irosin in Sorsogon.
READ: PH foreign debt reaches $109B
Topping business, the country's outstanding external debt reached $109 billion at the end of March this year, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). It said the actual foreign obligations of P109.8 billion were up $3.3 billion, or 3.1 percent, from the $106.4 billion at the end of December 2021. It stated the government raised $2.3 billion from official creditors and $2.3 billion from the issue of global bonds under its 2022 Commercial Borrowings Program to fund its Covid-19 pandemic response initiatives and infrastructure projects. The introduction of its sustainability bond, which intends to finance climate change mitigation and adaptation programs, among other things, is part of the recent offering. Non-bank private sector borrowers, on the other hand, sought $995 million in external financing to supplement their working capital and fund their projects.
READ: Yulo bags 1st gold medal in Asian tilt
Over to sports, two-time world champion Carlos Yulo of the Philippines won the gold medal in the men's floor exercise event at the 9th Senior Artistic Gymnastics Asian Championships at the Aspire Academy Dome in Doha, Qatar on Friday night. Yulo scored 14.933 points to rule the event over Kim Han-sol of South Korea (14.333) and Yang Jiaxing of China (14.333). He also bagged the silver medal in the individual allaround event with the score of 83.767 points. Shi Cong of China took the gold medal with 83.833 points while Yang Jiaxing, also from China, settled for the bronze medal with 83.733 points. It was Yulo's second medal in the Asian meet after winning silver in the men's all-around in the opening day.
Marlen Ronquillo is today's front page columnist, as he wants a Philippine journalist to write on Werner Herzog's "fever dream".
Today's editorial prefers returning senator Alan Peter Cayetano in the Senate minority. Read a full version on the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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For The Manila Times, this is Paulo Dimaapi. Happy Fathers Day.