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VOL. XXXVI • NO. 198 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 FRIDAY, FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 2, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Cebu City firm on mask order Mayor Rama rebuffs DILG chief’s request to defer it
By Joel E. Zurbano, Maricel V. Cruz and Willie Casas
DTI backs industry users to import sugar
C
EBU City Mayor Mike Rama said Thursday his city will push through with plans to make the use of face masks voluntary in open spaces despite an appeal from the national government not to do so. In an interview on Dobol B TV, Ramos invoked local autonomy to justify Cebu’s decision to no longer require face masks outdoors, despite the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. “Let’s be practical because our thrust now is for economic recovery,” he said in Filipino. “We are a festival
By Othel V. Campos and Macon RamosAraneta
island.” Rama’s statement contradicted Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos, who said the Cebu mayor had agreed to defer the implementation of the executive order on masks while the case is
TRADE Secretary Alfredo Pascual on Thursday proposed allowing food and beverage manufacturers to import their own sugar needs as the Bureau of Customs admitted that the bags of sugar it seized in Subic port were not
illegal or smuggled. Pascual acknowledged that the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) had the last say on sugar imports, but said the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) also recognizes the needs of manufacturers who use sugar for their production. The DTI has included sugar in its regular monitoring rounds in groceries and supermarkets that pledged to
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PBBM to raise cap on nurses deployed abroad By Vince Lopez and Vito Barcelo
deployment limit for Filipino nurses abroad. “We will open more slots for the deployment of nurses abroad while striving to improve opportunities domestically,” he PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said said. Thursday he plans to raise the current 7,500 “With the PNA (Philippine Nurses
Association) boasting a 40,000-strong membership, I believe that together we have the ability, we have the strength to improve our nurses’ welfare and build on the Filipino distinction of excellence and competitiveness Next page
Pres. Marcos to visit Indonesia Sexual offense Sept. 4-6, Singapore Sept. 6-7 victims urged to PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will undertake a two-country swing to Indonesia and Singapore next week where several agreements are expected to be firmed up, including on defense and trade cooperation. His first state visit will be to Indonesia from Sept. 4 to upon the invitation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo. "The visit will be highlighted by the first meeting between the two leaders who are expected to discuss the two countries’ active and multi-faceted cooperation on defense, maritime, border, eco-
lower the retail price of sugar to P70 per kilo. The DTI said the inspection of warehouses storing sugar will continue until the price of sugar reflects real market prices. Before the crackdown, a group of community bakers said there could be sugar hoarding, since prices had doubled despite the availability of the sweetener. Next page
nomic, and people-to-people cooperation. They will also exchange views on major issues affecting the region and the world," the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Indonesia, the largest economy in Southeast Asia, is the current president of the G20 and the incoming chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. During the state visit, the two leaders will witness the signing of several key agreements in the areas of defense and culture, as well as a comprehensive Plan Next page
sue 7 teachers
THE Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday urged victims of alleged sexual harassment to come forward and file their complaints against seven teachers in Bacoor, Cavite. In a hybrid joint press briefing, DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa said this would strengthen the case, if there is any, against the accused teachers. “The problem is that not many complainants have filed their affidavits, so we Next page
STREET FOOD FESTIVAL. A
6-foot vegetable lumpia, expertly prepared by world-renowned Chef Boy Logro, and a giant 6-foot wide platter with approximately 6,000 pieces of sushi highlight the opening of SM Hypermarket’s Street Food Festival at the SM Mall of Asia. The twomonth street food event will make a stop at SM Hypermarket Fairview from September 16-18 and will have a grand finale at SM City Clark on September 30 to October 2.
MORE BENEFITS FOR NURSES.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in his speech during the 100th Anniversary of the Philippine Nurses Association, vows to work for more benefits for nurses, saying what they receive now is not commensurate with their sacrifices, especially during the pandemic. Also in photo are PNA Board of Governors chairperson Leticia Puguon and PNA national president Melvin Miranda. Revoli Cortez
How tall or small was Rizal? ‘Definitive proof’ says 5‘3’’ NATIONAL hero Dr. Jose Rizal was, by his own measurement, over 5-foot-3 and not 4-foot-11 as most people believe, historian and columnist Ambeth Ocampo has shared on his Facebook account. On one of his notebooks, Rizal wrote down his height—noting that at 19 years and four days old, he stood at 1.61 meters (about 5-foot-3 1/3), prompting Ocampo to note “Eureka!” on his FB page. The historian posted the note Wednesday night, as Ocampo was filing his scans of manuscripts of the national hero—supporting his claim that Rizal in fact stood about four inches taller than many have believed. "There has always been a debate about Jose Rizal's height, with many people insisting, without evidence, that the hero stood at four feet eleven inches," Ocampo said. Next page
STANDING TALL. A famous photo of Dr. Jose Rizal that was digitally colorized by the now-defunct Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office. Presidential Museum