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Here are the Top Stories of The Manila Times for Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022
AGRICULTURE Undersecretary Kristine Evangelista said the government is eyeing the importation of both red onions and white onions to address the shortage. This is a day after the retail price of white onions hit P400 a kilo, the DA reported. It said that the bulbs are no longer available in public or wet markets in Metro Manila.Based on the daily market watch of the agency, there is no supply of white onions at Mega Q Mart, Muñoz Market and Commonwealth Market in Quezon City; Pritil Market and Quinta Market in Manila; Marikina Public Market in Marikina City; Pasay City Market in Pasay City; Guadalupe Market in Makati City; Pasig City Mega Market in Pasig City; Muntinlupa Public Market in Muntinlupa City; and Malabon Central Market in Malabon City. On Monday, the retail price of white onions reached P400 a kilo at Pritil Market. On the other hand, the retail prices of red onions range from P110 to P150 per kilo in various markets in the National Capital Region (NCR or Metro Manila).
THE 12th president of the Republic of the Philippines, Fidel V. Ramos, or FVR as he was popularly called, was laid to rest on Tuesday at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes Cemetery) in Taguig City after a state funeral that was accorded a country's leader for the first time in 25 years. Full military honors were given upon the arrival of his remains at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani, followed by a funeral procession to the gravesite. Prior to the interment of the former president's cremated remains, a funeral Mass was held at the Heritage Chapel in Taguig City. Upon his family's request, Ramos' urn was placed inside a casket by his grandson CJ Sembrano. The casket was draped with the Philippine flag. Before Ramos' inurnment, the trifold flag was presented to his wife, former first lady Amelita "Ming" Ramos, by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Marcos' father, the late president Ferdinand Marcos Sr., was Ramos' second cousin.
READ: Tagle could be next pope
FORMER Manila archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle is one of two leading candidates to possibly succeed Pope Francis, according to a report by a London-based Roman Catholic monthly newspaper. The Catholic Herald said the appointment of a "pope from the developing world — such as the Philippines' Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle — would be hailed by liberals, given the changing demographics of the Church." The other leading candidate is Hungary's Cardinal Péter Erdő, the archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest. The report came out amid speculations about the possible resignation of Pope Francis. Even bookmakers predict an Asian cardinal could succeed Francis. A recent Newsweek article said Cardinal Tagle has been given "5/1 odds" of being elected the next pope by British bookmakers Online Betting Guide (OLBG). It noted that Tagle "is viewed as a top papal contender, thanks to a series of promotions that make Francis' esteem for him clear."
READ: Drought, floods linked to infectious diseases
CLIMATE hazards such as flooding, heat waves and drought have worsened more than half of the hundreds of known infectious diseases in people, including malaria, hantavirus, cholera and anthrax, a study says. Researchers looked through the medical literature of established cases of illnesses and found that 218 out of the known 375 human infectious diseases, or 58 percent, seemed to be made worse by one of 10 types of extreme weather connected to climate change, according to a study in Monday's journal Nature Climate Change. The study mapped out 1,006 pathways from the climate hazards to sick people. In some cases, downpours and flooding sicken people through disease-carrying mosquitos, rats and deer. There are warming oceans and heat waves that taint seafood and other things we eat and droughts that bring bats carrying viral infections to people.
READ: 'Grease' star Olivia Newton-John, 73
Singer Olivia Newton-John, who gained worldwide fame as high school sweetheart Sandy in the hit musical movie "Grease," died on Monday after a 30-year battle with cancer. She was 73. The multiple Grammy-winning entertainer, whose career spanned more than five decades, including chart-topping songs such as "Physical," devoted much of her time in later years to charities after first being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. The British-born and Australian-raised star dedicated a number of albums and concerts to raise funds for research and early detection of the disease, including the construction of a health center named after her in her adopted home Melbourne.
Topping Business
READ: Economy on 'steady path' to recovery – DoF
DEPARTMENT of Finance (DoF) Secretary Benjamin Diokno reassured the public that the Philippine economy is on a steady path to recovery and expansion, as evidenced by the gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 7.4 percent across the board in the second quarter of 2022. In a statement issued by the Finance department, Diokno attributed the economy's "strong growth" to improved labor conditions, greater mobility and government support for the economy in the second quarter. According to the DoF, the second quarter's strong economic performance fell within the Development Budget Coordination Committee's (DBCC) 6.5- to 7.5-percent GDP growth target for 2022. The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that the services sector experienced the biggest increase at 9.1 percent, followed by industry at 6.3 percent and agriculture, forestry, and fisheries at 0.2 percent.
In Sports,
READ: TNT, SMB aim for commanding 3-1 lead
DEFENDING champion Tropang Giga and the San Miguel Beermen move within striking distance of reaching the championship round with another win today, August 10, at the resumption of the PBA Philippine Cup semifinal round at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. TNT takes on Magnolia in the main game at 6 p.m. while San Miguel Beer faces Meralco at 3 p.m. The Tropang Giga and the Beermen are both ahead in the series, 2-1.
READ: PH downs Vietnam at Chess Olympiad
THE Philippine women's team dealt regional rival Vietnam a vengeful 3-1 victory in the 10th and penultimate round Monday night to move on the verge of carving its best ever performance in the World Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India. Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Janelle Mae Frayna and Woman International Masters (WIM) Marie Antoinette San Diego and Kylen Joy Mordido came through with masterful wins on boards one, three and four, respectively, to seal the upset victory. Of the four, only WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda suffered a loss against WGM Nguyen Thi Ma Hung on the second board. But it was hardly felt as the Filipinas, who are backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, won their games in the other boards that gave them a spot at 22nd place with 10 other countries with 13 match points.
READ: Serena earns first win of season in Toronto
Serena Williams hadn't won in so long, she said she couldn't even remember the feeling. She picked up her first victory since the 2021 French Open on Monday (Tuesday in Manila), beating Nuria Parrizas-Diaz 6-3, 6-4 at the women's National Bank Open. It's just the second tournament of the season for the 40-year-old Williams, who returned to competition at Wimbledon just over a month ago. Williams, who will turn 41 at the end of September, will next face either 12th-ranked Belinda Bencic or Tereza Martincova.
Today's Editorial talks about the country's basic education emergency as students return to class for the new school year in less than two weeks. Read the full version on the Times print and digital editions or listen to the Voice Of The Times. Featured columnists on the front page are Rigoberto Tiglao and Fr. Ranhilio Callangan Aquino. Tiglao writes about why the war between China and the US is now in the realm of possibility; Aquino on movies.
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This is Eireene Jairee Gomez reporting.