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Towards a Sustainable Future on February 11, 2023 VOL. XXXVI • NO. 362 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Japan vows P250b to PH dev’t
Loan, investment pledges for PH to attain upper middle income status By Vince Lopez, Vito Barcelo and Maricel V. Cruz
PM Kishida, PBBM okay to strengthen security ties
OKYO—Japan pledged 600 billion yen (about P250 billion) in official development assistance and private sector investment to the Philippines on Thursday, as it vowed to provide “dynamic support” in helping its “long-time ally” attain Upper Middle Income Country (UMIC) status by 2025.
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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced this in a joint press conference with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as he vowed to support the administration of the latter in a wide range of areas of cooperation. Earlier in the day, Mr. Marcos secured billions of pesos worth ofinvestment pledges from leading Japanese semiconductor and electronics companies on Thursday, citing the need to “revitalize” business partnerships that had gone dormant during the pandemic. The President's economic team said the investment pledges could translate to more than 10,000 jobs. Kishida said Japan’s aid will be achieved through “active contribution of the ODA and private-sector investment of JPY 600 billion in Japanese Fiscal Years 2022–2023.” The leaders also reaffirmed their “distinct, continued commitment” to facilitating the “steady implementation” of ongoing and future economic cooperation projects through the High Level Joint Committee on Infrastructure Next page
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday agreed to strengthen Manila and Tokyo’s defense and security relations in response to growing Chinese military pressure in the region. In a joint statement, the Asian leaders resolved to "increase the defense capabilities of their own countries, and further strengthen overall security cooperation.” This will be done through strategic reciprocal port calls and aircraft visits, transfer of more defense equipment and technology, continuous cooperation on previously transferred defense equipment, and capacity building. "In concrete terms, the leaders affirmed to strengthen efforts tocomplete transfer of air-surveillance radar systems, and for its related personnel training,” the statement read. Mr. Marcos' trip comes a week after Manila announced a deal giving US troops access to another four bases in the country, and with Japan and the Philippines already in talks on a key defense pact. The so-called Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) would allow the
LEADERS MEET.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (right) gestures to direct President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.—who with First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos earlier met with Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako (inset)— during their meeting at the premier's official residence in Tokyo on Thursday (see related story on A2). AFP
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Hopes fading as quake deaths swell to over 17,500 HOPES were fading Thursday for rescuing survivors of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, which has killed over 17,500 people in one of the deadliest tremors in decades. Bitter cold has hampered the four-
day search of thousands of flattened buildings and the 72-hour mark that experts consider the most likely period to save lives has passed. Relatives were left scouring body bags laid out in a hospital car park in Turkey's
southern city of Antakya to search for missing relatives, an indication of the scale of the tragedy. "We found my aunt, but not my uncle," said Rania Zaboubi, a Syrian refugee who lost eight members of her
family, as other survivors sought loved ones' bodies among the corpses. The 7.8-magnitude quake struck as people slept early Monday in a region where many people had already Next page
2 injured Filipinos in Turkey now safe, PH community gets relief By Rey E. Requejo THE Philippine Embassy in Turkey on Thursday began bringing aid to Filipinos affected by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria earlier this week.
Philippine Ambassador to Turkey Maria Elena Algabre said the embassy promised not to lose hope as it begins its quest to reach out to Filipinos there. “Mindful of current regulations implemented by the Turkish government, Next page
9.6m jobless in Dec., up 800k from Oct. “The estimated numbers of jobless ABOUT 9.6 million of the adult labor force in the Philippines were jobless are 9.6 million in December 2022 and as of December last year, up by about 8.8 million in October 2022,” it said. The poll comes on the heels of data 800,000 from the last survey period two months prior, according to the latest poll released by the Philippine Statistics of the Social Weather Stations (SWS). Next page
SAVING CHILDREN. A rescue worker digs to reach children under the rubble of a collapsed building in the rebel-held town of Jindayris in Syria on February 8, two days after a deadly earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria. Rebel-held areas near Turkey's border cannot receive aid from government-held parts of Syria without Damascus's authorisation. AFP
WHO closely monitors bird flu spread abroad THE World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday said it is “closely monitoring” the detection of bird flu in mammals recently reported in several countries including the United Kingdom, France, and the United States. In a virtual press conference, WHO
confirmed a spillover of the H5N1 Avian Influenza strain to small mammals but said the virus’ transmission to humans remains “low." “Over the past few weeks, there have been several reports of mammals including minks, foxes, otters, and
sea lions having been infected with H5N1 Avian Influenza,” said WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “H5N1 has spread widely on wild birds and farm poultry for 25 years but Next page
FLOWERS APLENTY. Four days before Valentine's Day, vendors display assorted flower arrangements and heart balloons for sale at the Dangwa Flower Market in Manila on Thursday. Vendors say that they expect flower prices to rise toward February 14. Norman Cruz