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Sunday, October 13, 2024 Vol. 20 No. 4
P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 12 pages | 7 DAYS A WEEK
MICHAEL TURNER | DREAMSTIME.COM
CAN PHL ENDURE AND THRIVE AMIDST GEOPOLITICAL CRISES?
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By Malou Talosig-Bartolome
ATHOLIC churches started praying the Oratio Imperata for Peace in July 2024 to pray every Sunday for six months in this time of “escalating geopolitical tensions in our part of the world.”
“Spare us, Lord, from the horrors of war,” a part of the prayer reads. The obligatory prayer was crafted after Filipino bishops met in Cagayan de Oro in June 2024 and after the visit of the foreign minister of the Holy See in Manila. A few weeks before the meeting, Filipino and Chinese maritime forces clashed near Ayungin Shoal in South China Sea. The South China Sea dispute between Manila and Beijing has been going on for nearly 30 years.
But it appears that this particular geopolitical tension is hitting home, affecting (and scaring) ordinary Filipinos. Elsewhere in the world, there are major geopolitical tensions that make the Oratio more compelling each Sunday.
RUSSIA VS UKRAINE, ISRAEL VS HAMAS, HEZBOLLAH, IRAN
WHEN Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Filipino economic leaders were quick to dismiss its direct impact on the Philippine econ-
omy. Neither Russia nor Ukraine, after all, is a major trading partner of the Philippines. However, the price of oil went up as high as P80 per liter in 2022. Europe, which gets 60 percent of oil supplies from Russia, had to look for alternative countries including Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) where the Philippines also sources its crude petroleum. The global oil supply was further affected when Israel staged reContinued on A2
West Point awards Filipino soldier for valor, skills during Marawi siege
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By Troi Santos
EST POINT, New York—A Filipino soldier, earlier awarded medals in the country for exceptional courage and expertise in beating back terrorists during the 2017 Marawi siege, has been given the highest recognition by the West Point Academy, the first non-US citizen to be so honored. Major Floren Herrera, a graduate of Class 2013 of West Point, was selected to receive the 2024 Alexander R. Nininger Award for Valor at Arms on October 10, the West Point Association of Graduates said. “The awarding of the Nininger Medal to a Filipino graduate , the first international graduate to be thus honored, is highly meaningful. It is a symbol of the strong USPhilippine relationship,” is how Sonny Busa, West Point Class of 1976 and former US Consul General, described the significance of the ceremonies. The award was presented at the
MAJOR Floren Herrera, a decorated Filipino soldier, became the first non-US citizen to receive the prestigious Alexander R. Nininger Award for Valor at Arms from the West Point Academy on October 10, 2024. Recognized for his extraordinary bravery during the 2017 Marawi siege, Herrera’s leadership in critical combat missions earned him this high honor. Sonny Busa, former US Consul General, described the event as a symbol of the enduring US-Philippine relationship, highlighting the significance of Herrera’s achievements. TROI SANTOS
United States Military Academy’s (USMA) prestigious Cadet Hall, in a ceremony attended by all cadets. The event was graced by officials from the West Point Association of Graduates, along with representatives from the Filipino community and government officials based in New York City, This is how the West Point Association of Graduates described Herrera’s feat on its website to justify the award: “Then-1st Lt. Herrera displayed remarkable bravery from June 12 to October 16, 2017, as the executive officer of 2nd Scout Ranger Company, 1st Scout Ranger Battalion, Philippine Army, and leadership during the Battle of Marawi against 1,000 foreign militants and local terrorists affiliated with the Islamic State. Herrera daringly maneuvered his platoon around a 50-meter open area and tactically seized a building, paving the way for a successful ambush against unsuspecting enemy forces.” The rationale for the award continued: “His actions resulted in a significant number of enemy casualties and saved the lives of troops who were in the enemy’s kill zone.” Continued on A2
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 57.1910 n JAPAN 0.3850 n UK 74.7086 n HK 7.3602 n CHINA 8.0815 n SINGAPORE 43.8044 n AUSTRALIA 38.5353 n EU 62.5555 n KOREA 0.0424 n SAUDI ARABIA 15.2327 Source: BSP (October 11, 2024)