Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Friday, December 23, 2022.

READ: Philippine presence in WPS beefed up

THE Department of National Defense (DND) on Thursday directed the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to strengthen the country's presence in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), following increased Chinese activity close to Pag-asa Island. In a statement released by its spokesman and public affairs chief Arsenio Andolong, the DND said any encroachment in West Philippine Sea or reclamation work on the features in the area is a threat to the security of Pag-asa Island, which is part of Philippine territory. AFP spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar was reached to ask him about what concrete steps the military leadership will undertake based on the DND directive.

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READ: Millions of Christmas travelers on the move

THE Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) have said they are ready to handle the surge of passengers who will be traveling by sea or by land to celebrate Christmas and New Year in their home provinces. PPA spokesman Eunice Samonte said on Thursday the agency expects more than 67 million passengers to crowd seaports across the country, particularly the gateway ports of Batangas and North Harbor in Manila.

READ: Denmark lauds Marcos assurance of maritime rules compliance

THE government of Denmark on Thursday lauded the assurance of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. that the Philippines will comply with the standards set by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) for Filipino seafarers. Danish Ambassador Franz-Michael Mellbin said shipowners from his country are among the major employers of Filipino mariners, and Marcos' resolving the issue over their certification before the European Union in his recent trip to Belgium is a very welcome development.

READ: 'Govt can meet bivalent vaccine targets'

THE government can meet future Covid-19 bivalent vaccination targets if it taps private hospitals in procuring and administering jabs, members of the Advisory Council of Experts (ACE), led by Jose Maria "Joey" Concepcion 3rd, said on Thursday. The council is mapping out ways on how the government can proceed with the introduction of bivalent vaccines. Concepcion said he had written the Department of Health (DoH) detailing the recommendations of the group, which is composed of the country's foremost authorities on medicine, public health, epidemiology, economics, research and data analytics.

READ: 'No urgent need' to import sugar

A GROUP of sugarcane producers said they see "no urgent need" to import sugar. In a statement issued on Thursday, the presidents of the Confederation of Sugar Producers Association Inc. (Confed), the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters Inc. (NFSP), and the Panay Federation of Sugarcane Farmers Inc. (Panayfed) said millgate prices have fallen by as much as 26 percent over the last 10 to 11 weeks from a high of P3,900 a bag to a low of P2,885, and that retail prices "have not dropped significantly from a high of P 95 to P105 a kilo over the same period. The current refined sugar inventory, based on Sugar Regulatory Administration data, is higher by 56.66 percent than the inventory last year due to higher refinery output and previous import balances, "meaning there is adequate supply at this time to meet current needs," the sugarcane producers said.

READ: P20M onions seized at Mindanao port

THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) busted another attempt to smuggle into the country P20 million worth of onions through the Mindanao Container Terminal (MCT) Port in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental. Customs Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz said on Thursday that the two container-loads of smuggled onions came from China and were misdeclared as bread and pastries.

READ: BBM spreads Christmas cheer to poor families

PRESIDENT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Thursday led giftgiving and livelihood distribution activities to children and low-income families to foster the spirit of unity for the holiday season. Speaking during the "Pangkabuhayan at Pamaskong Handog ng Pangulo at Unang Ginang sa Sambayanang Pilipino" at the Open Amphitheater at the Rizal Park in Manila, Marcos reiterated that the country could hurdle any obstacle as long as Filipinos stay united.

BUSINESS: Meralco asks court to junk TRO petition

Topping business, the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has asked the Court of Appeals to deny a temporary restraining order (TRO) and writ of preliminary injunction sought by San Miguel Energy Corp. (SMEC) in relation to a power supply agreement (PSA). SMEC currently supplies 330 megawatts (MW) of Meralco's baseload power requirement under a PSA executed following a competitive selection process in 2019. In a motion dated December 21, Meralco said the issuance of an injunction would lead to the termination of the PSA with SMEC, disrupt its supply of electricity, and expose its customers to potentially higher power rates.

SPORTS: Eala makes it to Australian Open qualifiers

In sports, Filipino tennis player Alexandra "Alex" Eala is set to make her professional debut in a Grand Slam event as she will be participating in the qualifying rounds of the Australian Open in January next year. Eala confirmed her participation in a Facebook post on Wednesday. The Australian Open qualifying rounds will take place on Jan. 9 to 12, 2023 in Melbourne.

READ: Opinion and editorial

Rigoberto Tiglao, Van Ybiernas and Francisco Tatad are today's front page columnists. Tiglao shares a conspiracy theory on the Communist Party of the Philippines staging the Plaza Miranda bombing of 1971, Tatad wonders who would replace the late Jose Maria Sison in the CPP, while Ybiernas discusses the Reserve Officers' Training Corps and history.

Today's editorial discusses the playbook of peace after the death of the late CPP founder Jose Maria Sison. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.

For more news and information, get a copy of The Manila Times on print, subscribe to its digital edition or log on to www.manilatimes.net. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and Keep Up With The Times.

For The Manila Times, this is Kim Isabelle Dignadice.