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Padilla: Develop Pag-asa Island, push back vs. Chinese incursions By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Robin Padilla said the government needs to develop Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea so residents would be encouraged to stay on the island despite continued Chinese incur-
sions in the surrounding waters. “We need to develop Pag-asa Island so the civilians will stay there,” Padilla said in Filipino during his visit to the island on Friday. Instead of decreasing, the population there should be increasing, he Next page added.
VOL. XXXVII • NO. 180• 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • MONDAY, AUGUST 14, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
21 China ships swarm Pag-asa
US security expert says 19 Chinese vessels also remain at Ayungin Shoal T LEAST 21 Chinese maritime militia ships have been spotted heading toward Pag-asa Island while some 19 Chinese militia ships remained at Ayungin Shoal, a US maritime security expert said over the weekend.
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Former US Air Force official Ray Powell said the Philippine Coast Guard’s BRP Cabra found itself in the middle of a redeployment of the Chinese vessels traveling to Pag-asa Island on Friday. “These 21 ships were among those swarming at Mischief Reef (Ayungin Shoal) during the Philippines’ blockaded August 5 resupply,” Powell said on Twitter. Powell was referring to the Aug. 5 incident where Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels fired water cannons against Philippine vessels on a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre. “Any CCG ships still in the area have remained [automatic identification system]-dark, as have any PLA [Peoples’ Liberation Army] Navy ships (always dark),” he said in a series of tweets. Powell said three CCG vessels that took part in the blockade have returned to Hainan Island, while “three others remained AIS-dark and are unaccounted for.” The blockade and illegal use of water cannons prompted the Philippines to file a diplomatic protest against China. Coast Guard ‘hotline’ terminated As this developed, the PCG’s "hotline" to its Chinese counterpart is now Next page
High-level unrest, eruption in Mayon likely—Phivolcs
INFERNO AFTERMATH. The Ganer family looks through the ashes of their home on Malolo Place in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii. The wildfire that left Lahaina in charred ruins has killed at least 93 people, making it one of the deadliest disasters in the US state's history. AFP
‘Hundreds of Filipinos missing in Hawaii wildfires’ By Rey E. Requejo AN official of the Maui Filipino Chamber of Commerce in Hawaii said hundreds of Filipinos are among the more than 1,000 missing in the wildfires in Lahaina on Maui Island in Hawaii. "Just not to exaggerate, hundreds of Filipinos are missing," Kit Zulueta Furukaw, director of the Maui Filipino
Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview with GMA news. Furukaw said Filipinos comprise the second largest population on the island of Maui. “The majority of the workforce are Filipino, and many of our hotels are there, so there's a lot of hospitality, a lot of small businesses, and a lot of new generation families in Lahaina are
left thousands homeless. "The number of casualties is still going up; we don't know who they are yet, so search and rescue is still ongoing. We have many, many names in shelters. We have papers upon papers with names of people missing, so search and rescue is still ongoing. Next page
Speaker to help reduce LWUA's 30% annual water system loss
By Rio N. Araja MAYON Volcano in Albay is currently in a relatively high level of unrest and hazardous eruption within weeks or even days could still be possible, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). In the past 24-hour period, a slow effusion of lava from the summit crater of Mayon Volcano continued to feed the established lava flows on the Bonga (southeastern), Mi-isi (south), and Basud (eastern) gullies, Phivolcs also said. The lava flows maintained advances to approximately 3.4 kilometers, 2.8 kilometers, and 1.1 kilometers from the crater. Next page
Filipinos. Homes are gone, our friends just left there. It's pretty bad over here," Furukaw said. Authorities said the death toll has so far reached 93 but said the number could still go up as search teams with cadaver dogs look for bodies. The Maui wildfires fanned by winds of a distant hurricane erupted Tuesday and have torched 1,000 buildings and
By Rio N. Araja SPEAKER Martin Romualdez on Sunday vowed to help the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) address its problem of system losses, which could have a huge impact on the government's water conservation, affordable water, and food security efforts. LWUA Chairman Ronnie Ong met with Romualdez earlier this month to seek his assistance in reducing, if not totally eliminating, the almost 30 percent
PREPARING FOR ASIAN GAMES. The Philippine Sailing and
Windsurfing team conducts final preparations at the Manila Bay in Pasay City for the upcoming 2023 Asian Games competition from September 23 to October 8, 2023 at Hangzhou, China. Danny Pata
Miss Universe junks franchise in Indonesia
SUPER FUR BABY. Pet lovers gather at SM City Taytay in Rizal province to attend the Super Pets Club caravan where humans and their fur babies can bond over fun activities. Norman Cruz
WASHINGTON—The Miss Universe Organization has cut ties with its Indonesia franchise, it announced days after allegations of sexual harassment, and will cancel an upcoming Malaysia edition. In the complaint, more than a half dozen women said all 30 finalists for Miss Universe Indonesia were unexpectedly asked to strip for a supposed body check for scars and cellulite two days before the pageant's crowning ceremony in Jakarta. Their lawyer said Tuesday that five Next page
annual water system loss of the water districts under the agency's jurisdiction. Although startled by the figure, Romualdez was optimistic that the problem can be solved through the rehabilitation of water supply systems and capacitybuilding. "The solution to these water service interruptions could be right under our noses. Patching up these water systems l o s s e s means more water for all at a Next page
ENGLAND, AUSTRALIA TO MEET IN WORLD CUP SEMIS CLASH SPORTS / B2
ADVANCING TO THE SEMI-FINALS. England's forward #23 Alessia Russo celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the Australia and New Zealand 2023 Women's World Cup quarter-final football match between Colombia and England in Sydney on August 12, 2023. AFP