Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Tuesday, August 30, 2022.
READ: Jeepney fare hike inevitable – LTFRB
THE jeepney fare is expected to go up by the second week of September, but by how much has not been determined. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said on Monday it is likely to approve the petition of jeepney operators to raise the fare. But first, the agency will seek guidance from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in coming up with a very "reasonable and balanced" increase, LTFRB chairman Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil said. The jeepney operators want a fare increase of P2. Velicaria-Garafil acknowledged that public utility jeepneys or PUJs are long due for a fare hike.
READ: BFAR: P100M allotted for salt production
THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) claimed that it allotted P100 million for salt production last year. The BFAR was reacting to the statement of Department of Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban that the saltmaking sector has been neglected for 15 years, forcing the government to import salt to make up for the shortfall. BFAR has confirmed that 93 percent of salt being sold in the market comes from abroad, "an unfortunate circumstance for a country with 36,000 kilometers of shoreline." Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. President Danilo Fausto said the country imports 550,000 metric tons of salt from China and Australia. The retail price of salt has gone up to P15 from P10 per 250 grams.
READ: Covid positivity rate in Luzon down
NEARLY all provinces in Luzon logged a decrease in the Covid-19 positivity rate, the independent monitoring group OCTA Research reported on Monday. OCTA Research fellow Guido David said only Rizal had a slight increase in the positivity rate, from 14.8 percent on August 20 to 15 percent on August 27. Albay recorded the highest drop — from 31 percent to 21.2 percent. Still, the province remained at very high risk for Covid.
READ: Govt to put more hospitals for war veterans
RECOGNIZING the bravery and sacrifice of war veterans in the country, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Monday bared his plan to have hospitals for them built in more parts of the country. In his speech during the National Heroes Day celebration at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City, the Chief Executive said the medical facilities will be put up in Visayas and Mindanao.
REGIONS: 'Florita' damage reaches P500M
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Monday said that damage to infrastructure due to tropical depression "Florita" has reached P500 million. According to the latest situation report from the NDRRMC, the damage to infrastructure in the Ilocos Region and Cagayan Valley is now at P498,980,000. They are from 102 infrastructures in the said regions. The majority of them come from Ilocos with 93 infrastructure, amounting to P474,580,000. Cagayan Valley had nine damaged infrastructure worth P24,400,000. The reported damage according to the Department of Agriculture has reached P3,414,672 in the Ilocos Region's agriculture sector due to Florita.
BUSINESS: Asean central banks to tighten policies
Over to business, Southeast Asian central banks tightened their monetary policies in response to an aggressive monetary tightening in the United States and rising inflationary pressures. In an email sent to The Manila Times on Monday, Coface Asia Pacific economist Bernard Aw noted that some central banks conducted unexpected meetings or raised interest rates more than anticipated. The Monetary Authority of Singapore has tightened policy four times since October 2021, including at two off-cycle meetings in January and July 2022. In a July off-cycle meeting, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas raised its interest rate by 75 basis points (bps), above forecasts for a 50-bps increase in August.
SPORTS: Obiena snares gold in Germany
Filipino Olympian pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena picked up a gold medal after ruling the 2022 True Athletes Classic at the Manforter Stadio in Leverkusen, Germany on Sunday evening (Philippine time). The 26-year-old Obiena leaped 5.81 meters in his second attempt to win the event, which, however, did not have his top rivals in American Chirstopher Nilsen and world record holder Armand "Mondo" Duplantis.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras and Yen Makabenta are today's front page columnists. Contreras celebrates a milestone in his teaching career, while Makabenta continues to believe his view on climate and pandemic alarmists.
Today's editorial discusses opening the door to global universities. 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.