BTA unites ex-Moro rebels Palace sees it as sign MILF, MNLF members heed BBM unity call
By Vince Lopez
HE composition of the new 80-member Bangsamoro Transition Authority is proof that the former warring members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have finally united under one Bangsamoro autonomous government.
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“The fact that the unity between the MNLF and MILF happened under the present administration is an indication that President Marcos’ call for unity is being heeded by the former Moro rebel groups,” Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said on Sunday. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday led the oath taking of the new members of the BTA, the interim government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Next page
UNITED BANGSAMORO. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his speech before the new members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, which now includes representatives from the Moro National Liberation Front – namely the son and daughter of MNLF chairman Nur Misuari. Inset photo shows Misuari and MILF chairman and BTA interim chief minister Murad Ebrahim meeting for the first time in several years in Oct. 2019 during an event at Malacanang to mark the end of September as the month of peace.
VOL. XXXVI • NO. 180 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 MONDAY, MONDAY AUGUST 15, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Positivity rate in NCR declines, BBM eyes sugar import of 150,000 MT by Oct. seen as COVID-19 has hit peak By Willie Casas THE COVID-19 positivity rate of Metro Manila dropped to 16.4 percent on Aug. 12, the first time it has done so in the current wave of infections, the independent OCTA Research Group said Sunday. The positivity rate, which refers to the percentage of people who were found positive for COVID-19 among the total number of people tested—had declined from 17.5 percent on Aug. 6, OCTA fellow Guido David said. “This is the first time in the current wave the weekly positivity rate decreased,
and it gives us optimism that cases in the NCR (National Capital Region) may have already peaked,” he said. Despite this, David said, the number of COVID-19 cases is still increasing in the NCR at a rate of 5 percent. However, he said this was low compared to the rate of growth before, which went as high as 50 percent. Meanwhile, the Quezon City government said on Saturday that their COVID-19 positivity rate increased from 15.2 percent to 17.9 percent, citing OCTA’s data from August 2 to August 8. Next page
By Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said there may be a need to import sugar come October, but it will only be at most half of the 300,000 metric tons contained in an aborted illegal order issued by the Sugar Regulatory Administration. “Perhaps, come October, our domestoc supply will already run short and we may need to import, but it will only be a little," he said in a vlog posted on his Facebook page. "It will not be as many as the 300,000 metroc tons that they are
PH population: More seniors as few babies born FILIPINOS are having fewer babies while the number of senior citizens has doubled in the last 20 years to account for 8.5 percent of the total population in 2020, the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) said Sunday. The agency said that the Philippine "population pyramid” is currently constricting at the bottom, which consists of Filipino children ages zero to 4; while it is increasing at the top, reflecting the part of the senior citizens as they continue to register growth. Citing a recent Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) report, POPCOM derived that the percentage share of Filipino children under 5 is now down to 10.2 percent in 2020 from 10.8 percent in 2015, and 12.6 percent in 2000. In the last two decades, the percentage in the population of Filipinos under 15 has dropped from a 37 percent share in 2000 to 30.7 percent in 2020. Meanwhile, the median age of Filipinos also went up to 25.3 years old, from 23.3 years old in 2010, continuing a 30-year trend. In 2020, Filipinos 60 years of age and older comprised 8.5 percent of the population, or 9.2 million people. That year saw the doubling of the country’s
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rising prices of urea in the country. "The high price of urea and fertilizer has become a big problem," he said. The President said the Department of Trade and Industry is already conducting dialogues with fertilizer traders to “control” the prices of urea. The government is likewise planning to release “e-vouchers” for fertilizers to aid farmers. “My dream is simple: For farmers to have sustainable income so that the next generation will be encouraged to continue this industry. My dream is for no Filipino to suffer from hunger," Marcos added. The House of Representatives is Next page
DOTr, Chinese embassy agree to restart talks on rail projects
RESTARTING TALKS. Transportation Sec. Jaime Bautista and Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian restart 'negotiations for major transport projects' in a formal meeting at the Chinese Embassy in Makati City on Aug. 11, 2022. DOTr
SINO GAMING TYCOON HELD FOR ILLEGAL OPS
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COOL SMASHERS STUN TAIWANESE, NAIL PVL CROWN
saying. Perhaps 150,000 metric tons will already be more than enough for the entire year. In my opinion, we cut down significantly on the importation of sugar," said Marcos who is also the concurrent head of the Department of Agriculture and chairman of the SRA. Marcos said he would have preferred to do away with importation, but is constrained to do so to prevent a spike in prices if supply remains low. "While we are still improving our production, we are forced to import but we have to make sure we do not overimport," he said. Aside from sugar, Marcos said he is also eyeing government-to-government procurement of fertilizer to temper the
SHE ZHIJIANG
AUTHORITIES in Bangkok have detained a controversial Chinese tycoon who has business interests in Cambodia, Myanmar and the Philippines and is the subject of an international arrest warrant for allegedly running an illegal online casino, Thai police said. Next page
MARCOS NAMES FIRST FEMALE TO LEAD BCDA
AILEEN ZOSA
By Othel V. Campos PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Aileen Anunciacion Zosa as the new president and chief executive officer (PCEO) of the Bases Conversion and Development Next page
THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Sunday it had agreed with the Chinese Embassy in Manila to restart negotiations for major transportation projects in the country, three days after Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista and Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian had their first meeting. “The two officials discussed resumption of talks for the major Chinafunded railway projects such as the PNR South Long Haul Project (NorthSouth Commuter Railway), SubicClark Railway and Mindanao Railway (Tagum-Davao-Digos),” the DOTr wrote on its Facebook page. Earlier, Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Cesar Chavez said the Chinese government did
OWWA TO BRING BACK 'HATID SAYA' FOR OFWS
ARNELL IGNACIO
THE Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said Sunday it would revive the "Hatid Saya" entertainment program for Filipinos working abroad. OWWA Administrator Arnell Ignacio told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo Next page
not act on the Duterte administration’s request for loan financing for three major railway projects, which meant these were considered withdrawn and needed to be renegotiated by the incumbent government. Chavez said the Duterte administration’s National Economic and Development Authority Board approved the three railway projects to be funded by China's official development assistance loans. But the negotiations that began in 2018 did not prosper because China did not act on the Philippine government’s requests for funding, according to the DOTr. Also, Chavez said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered them to Next page
AUTHOR JK ROWLING GETS ONLINE THREAT
JK ROWLING
SCOTTISH police said on Sunday they were investigating an apparent "online threat" made to Harry Potter author JK Rowling in response to her tweet supporting Salman Rushdie following his stabbing. "We have received a report of Next page