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MANILA STANDARD 36TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE (Story on A4)
IN THIS ISSUE
A 56-PAGE SPECIAL REPORT
VOL. XXXVI • NO. 363 • 13 SECTIONS 56 PAGES • P20 • SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Towards a Sustainable Future
PH, Japan blast Russia’s war
Call for troop pullout from Ukraine, tag nuke use as ’unacceptable’
T
HE Philippines and Japan “deplored in the strongest terms” the aggression made by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and called for its complete and unconditional withdrawal from the territory of Ukraine.
According to a joint statement of the two countries issued by the Embassy of Japan, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made the position during a Summit-level Working Dinner on Thursday evening, in relation to the hostilities happening in other countries.
"In this context, the two leaders stressed that the use or threat of nuclear weapons is unacceptable," the statement indicated. "The two leaders also strongly opposed any attempt to jeopardize the foundation of the international order which Next page
PBBM: Tokyo trip opens big opportunities By Vince Lopez
THANK YOU, JAPAN. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. expresses his gratitude to Japanese investors who saw the Philippines as a good destination to expand their business operations after 35 Letters of Intent (LOI) and Agreements were signed with Japan and business companies on Thursday night. Listening to Mr. Marcos on stage are (from left), Sen. Mark Villar, Speaker Martin Romualdez, Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual. Ver Noveno
TOKYO— President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday urged top Japanese business leaders to invest more in the Philippines with the promise of a strong macro-economy, liberal business policy, and massive infrastructure development agenda. Earlier in the day, Mr. Marcos witnessed the signing of 35 letters of intent (LOI) on investments and agreements between the Philippines and leading Japanese firms. On top of the list was a memorandum of cooperation between the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), signed by Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual and Nobuhiko Sasaki, chairman and CEO of JETRO. During his speech at the Philippine Business Opportunities Forum, the President said the country has been "remarkable" in its recovery from the economic slump brought by the global pandemic, Next page
Lower Meralco Quake death toll tops 21,000, 2 Pinoys among dead Senate panel eyes bill, rollback in task force, courts fuel prices set RESCUERS scoured debris in a desperate search for survivors on Friday four days after a massive earthquake hit Turkey and Syria, killing nearly 22,000 people, as the United States offered an $85-million aid package. The Philippine Embassy in Turkey confirmed that two Filipinos were among those killed in the quake but did not identify them. It said it was coordinating with their families. “It is with deepest regret that the Embassy must
By Alena Mae S. Flores FILIPINOS are getting some relief from the high prices of fuel and electricity this month. Consumers can expect a price rollback for petroleum products of as much as P2 per liter by Tuesday next week as it reflects the movement of prices in the world oil market. Rodela Romero, Department of Energy director for the Oil Industry Next page
Fil-Am family gets jail time for labor raps THREE members of the FilipinoAmerican Gamos family were sentenced to prison in San Mateo County Superior Court after being found guilty of human trafficking and labor-related crimes, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila). Next page
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SIGNS OF LIFE.
Emergency personnel conduct a rescue operation to save 16-yearold Melda from the rubble of a collapsed building in Hatay, southern Turkey, on February 9, where she has been trapped since a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country's southeast. Also among the saved was a pet dog named Pamuk (inset). AFP
vs. agri smuggling
By Macon Ramos-Araneta The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food has recommended the creation of a presidential task force and special courts to focus on cases of smuggling of agricultural products, following the recent spike in the price of onions. The anti-agricultural smuggling task force will be placed directly under the control and supervision of the Office of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is also concurrent Agriculture Secretary. “This will protect not only the onion industry but the entire agricultural sector,” said Sen. Cynthia Villar, who chairs the committee. This developed as the P125-per-kilo Next page
NEW CUSTOMS, NTC, AFP INTEL CHIEFS NAMED NEWS / A2