twitter.com/ MlaStandard
facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH
manilastandard.net
Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circulation@manilastandard.net
BETWEEN US AND CHINA
PH walks a fine line—PBBM
Increasing coop with US, defusing strain with China
T
HE Philippines has been working on ways to avoid being “trampled” by two competing superpowers — the United States and China — as the country walks a fine line between them, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. told two international newspapers. Interviewed by the Wall Street Journal on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, the President said the Philippines is increasing its cooperation with the US and developing mechanisms to defuse tension with China amid the intense geopolitical rivalry in the Asia Pacific region. The Philippines is in a very precarious
balancing act, considering its bilateral ties with the two countries, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) noted in a statement Friday, as China is one of the country’s largest trading partners, while the US and the Philippines have a longstanding defense treaty. In a separate interview with the Financial Times, Mr. Marcos confirmed Next page
VOL. XXXVI • NO. 341 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Chinese Coast Guard drives off local fishermen WEEKS after the Philippines reached an “agreement” with China, the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) allegedly drove off Filipino fisherfolk from the Ayungin Shoal, part of the country’s ex-
clusive economic zone (EEZ), with the In a television report by Ian Cruz on Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) saying GMA News’ “24 Oras,” a video showed Friday they would speak with the locals a CCG vessel 5204 and a speed boat alinvolved in the incident to get a “clear legedly driving the fishermen away. picture” of what transpired. Next page
Mr. Marcos to keep MSMEs a big part of gov’t digitalization effort PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) would be empowered and enabled to participate in the digital economy under his administration. In his opening remarks during the Country Strategy Dialogue at the World Economic Fo-
rum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Marcos told potential investors that MSMEs are at the center of his administration’s digitization efforts. “We aim to empower and enable MSMEs to participate in the digital economy and thus significantly narrow the digital divide,” Marcos said.
The President said the Philippine government recognizes the importance of digitalization as a key driver for long-term development and the economic transformation of the post-pandemic global economy. Next page
FACE TIME, SCREEN TIME. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. smiles to the crowd as Filipinos based in Switzerland take phone camera shots of the Chief Executive during his meet-and-greet with the PH community in Zurich on Friday. With him were First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and House Speaker Martin Romualdez (second and first from right) and Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno and Deputy House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (first and second from left). RTVM Screen Grab
Solon says proposed wealth fund BI personnel linked to human trafficking, revamp set ‘re-engineered’, eyes IPO launch By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Vito Barcelo
By Maricel V. Cruz THE new version of the Maharlika Investment Fund pending approval in Congress dropped the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ other controversial sources of funding and is now eyeing an initial public offering (IPO), Albay 1st District Rep. Joey Salceda said on Friday. In an interview with ANC, Salceda said he was tasked, along with some other lawmakers, “to rewrite and re-
engineer” the MIF, which went through revisions and was approved by the House of Representatives during the Christmas break. Salceda, the House resident economist and chair of the ways and means committee, said the latest revisions were done “because we want [the MIF] to succeed, and this is the one actually sold by the President in Davos.” He explained that they decided to
authorities found that three of its personnel were supposedly involved in human trafficking. The ongoing probe will cover those THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Friday vowed to cleanse its ranks after inside and outside the bureau, said BI
spokesperson Dana Sandoval, who acknowledged that their personnel could have direct links to syndicates in Cambodia and other Asian countries that reNext page
Next page
DepEd to strengthen procurement procedure following Senate probe By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz THE Department of Education will examine the recommendations of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the alleged purchase of overpriced laptops in 2021 in a bid to strengthen its procurement process, agency spokesperson
SALCEDA: ONION PRICES TO FALL TO P50/KL SOON NEWS / A2
PRESIDENT TAPS ROBINSONS LAND CEO AS ADVISER NEWS / A2
Michael Poa said Friday. He also said DepEd is hoping to resolve the administrative proceedings against some of its officials involved in the controversial procurement within 20 to 30 days, “subject to additional pleadings or motions that may be filed by the parties.” Next page
READY FOR DINAGYANG. A young lady tries on Dinagyang masks on a street in Iloilo City on Friday as the Dinagyang Festival,
honoring the Sto. Nino, unwraps this weekend with a procession and fluvial parade. The festivity marks the devotion of Ilonggos to the Child Jesus icon since since it first arrive at the shores of the city in 1968. Norman Cruz
Fuel prices set 3,200 MPD cops guarding Chinese New Year fete to rise by P2.50 a liter, says DOE By Willie Casas and Joel Zurbano
AN ESTIMATED 3,200 policemen will be deployed to secure the celebrations related to the Chinese New Year on Sunday, Manila Police District (MPD) chief Police Brigadier General Andre Dizon said Friday. Dizon said they are expecting the same volume of people in Manila’s Chinatown or Binondo district, the expected center of the celebrations, as Next page
RABBIT LUCK. SM Megamall’s fashion hall is
adorned with Chinese traditional decorations -- goldtasseled red lanterns, gold coins, zodiac signs, and bunny standees -- on Friday, two days before the celebration of the Chinese New Year or The Year of the Water Rabbit in the lunar calendar. Manny Palmero
By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Department of Energy said Friday domestic fuel pump prices are forecasted to go up by as much as P2.60 per liter next week amid optimism about oil demand recovery from China. “For the four-day trading, there will be an increase in the prices of petroleum products on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. The estimate excludes adjustments for biofuels costs and other
Next page