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Power bills to rise with ‘strong, drier’ El Nino as DSWD vows to provide aid THE expected El Niño weather phenomenon could reach “strong” intensity by the end of the year, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Wednesday. The country may expect a “drier” El
Niño, the weather agency said, adding that the El Niño will possibly develop in July, August, and September and might last until 2024. Making things worse is the projected spike in Filipinos’ electricity bills as
VOL. XXXVII • NO. 71 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
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DOH: No MM mask mandate
Still up to public to use covering despite uptick in COVID cases
T
HE Department of Health denied Wednesday that Metro Manila, where nearly 13 million people live, would bring back the mandatory use of anti-COVID masks following an uptick in coronavirus infections. The DOH said a viral social media post on the supposed return of the mask mandate was “false.” It also clarified that Metro Manila would remain under Alert Level 1, the
lowest and most relaxed in the government’s COVID-19 alert level system (ALS), until April 30. Earlier, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said they were not considering making face mask-wearing mandatory despite the recorded rise in COVID-19 cases. She said the public should assess and know when to wear face masks especially when they belong to the A1 (senior citizens) and A3 (persons with comorbidities) populations. Next page
Use SIM card listup extension ASAP—DICT
Biden, Sen. Marcos said it is but proper to talk about EDCA, which was signed in 2014, as the 10-year effectivity of the agreement will soon expire. The President’s older sister said Mr.
THE Department of Information and Communications Technology on Wednesday said the 90 more days given to those who have not yet registered their Subscriber Identity Module or SIM cards would be the final extension and urged them to avail themselves of it right away. DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy stressed in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB that the law did not give them another extension. SIM is a removable card inside a cell phone that stores data unique to the user as an identification number, passwords, phone numbers, and messages. On Tuesday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the 90-day extension of the SIM registration period or until July 25 from the original deadline of April 26.
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FIELD DEMONSTRATION. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. admires a HIMARS precision rocket system up close, then chats with US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson (inset) as they witness the Combined Joint Littoral Live Fire Exercise of the Philippines-US Armed Forces Balikatan exercises in San Antonio, Zambales on April 26. Alfred Frias and Rolando Mailo
Imee prods President to ask US for more EDCA benefits, payments By Macon Ramos-Araneta, Vince Lopez, and Charles Dantes
before extending the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which gives US troops access to PhilipSENATOR Imee Marcos has asked her pine military bases, when he meets with brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., US President Joe Biden next month. The senator, who heads the Senate to push for better terms and conditions
foreign relations committee, said the President could use the meeting with Biden as an opportunity to talk about the possible renewal of EDCA. Although she has yet to talk to Mr. Marcos about his official trip to meet
Speaker paves way for PBBM US visit by meeting American solons By Maricel V. Cruz SPEAKER Martin G. Romualdez has laid the groundwork for the historic visit of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. this weekend to the United States to meet with President Joe Biden and other US officials. Just days before President Marcos’ visit, the Speaker embarked on a two-week trip to the US to meet with American lawmakers to discuss defense and security cooperation and economic partnership between the Philippines and the US. “I think the conditions are right for the meeting between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and
President Joe Biden. We have high hopes for the exchange of ideas between the two leaders and its outcome,” Romualdez said. The House leader is still in the US, following up on his earlier interactions with his US counterpart, Speaker Kevin McArthy, and other American lawmakers and officials. Romualdez and his delegation also had meetings with US House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Representatives Young Kim, Mike Rogers, Darrell Issa, Ami Bera, and Chris Stewart. He has described his meeting with the Speaker of the US House of Representatives and other Next page
BIRTHDAY BOY AND GUESTS. Former presidential spiritual adviser Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy (right)
welcomes two of his guests -- Senator Christopher Go and former President Rodrigo Duterte -- to his birthday party at his church compound in Davao City on Tuesday night. Also present were Senators Robin Padilla, Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, Francis Tolentino, Mark Villar, Ramon Revilla, Jr., former Senate President Manny Villar, and Cabinet officials under the Duterte administration. Sen. Bong Go FB page
Pinoys scramble to exit Sudan, French come to help By Rey E. Requejo, Maricel V. Cruz the Department of Foreign Affairs to Egypt Ezzedin Tago was on his way said Wednesday. to the border between Egypt and Sudan and Macon Ramos-Araneta A FILIPINO was wounded by a stray bullet in Sudan, while a Philippine ambassador figured in a car accident on his way to oversee evacuation efforts in the war-torn African country,
The unidentified Filipino was “wounded in the hand by a stray bullet but he has received treatment,” DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza said, adding that no Filipinos were reported killed. Meanwhile, Philippine Ambassador
when his vehicle was involved in an accident, Daza said. He was unharmed and returned to Cairo to facilitate the entry of Filipino evacuees to Egypt, Daza said. Next page
10,000 workers to demand wage hike on Labor Day By Vito Barcelo and Joel Zurbano a display of solidarity. SUMMER COOLERS. A vendor arranges fruit smoothies for customers at the Kyusi
Food Bazaar at the Quezon City Hall on Wednesday. Fruit smoothies, halo-halo, and lemonade, which are priced at P139 on a “Buy 1, Take 1” deal, are best enjoyed on hot summer days. Ben Briones
MORE than 10,000 workers from various labor groups will troop to Mendiola near Malacanang on Monday, Labor Day, in what they said was
ions (APTU). This is intended to demand an inIt said it would gather more than crease in wages, an end to contractu- 10,000 workers to march from España alization and the full recognition of to Mendiola in the morning of May 1 to the right to freely unionize, accord- collectively air their demands. ing to the All Philippine Trade UnNext page