twitter.com/ MlaStandard
facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH
instagram.com/ manilastandard
manilastandard.net
Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circulation@manilastandard.net For advertisement: email: advertise@manilastandard.net • 85646229
SPECIAL REPORT
BACK TO NORMAL: PH NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS on AUGUST 24, 2023
VOL. XXXVII • NO. 187• 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Trilateral naval drills in SCS set
But PH ‘cancels’ participation in joint exercises with US, Australia, Japan By Vince Lopez
J
APAN, the United States and Australia are set to conduct naval drills in the South China Sea on Wednesday.
Kyodo News, citing multiple sources, said the trilateral exercise comes on the heels of increased tensions between Beijing and Manila after a China coast guard vessel fired a water cannon at a Philippine military-chartered boat near Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea earlier this month. The Japanese news agency said the Philippines, which will host the vessels
from the three countries before the naval exercises, “cancelled” its participation. "The Philippine forces have canceled their participation in the joint drill since the three other nations' aircraft are too large to land on the decks of Philippine warships, according to the sources," Kyodo News said. Armed Forces of the Philippines
spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar could not confirm the reported decision of the Philippines not to join the naval drills. "I don't have the information right now. I am not yet aware of it. I will ask the concerned staff about it tomorrow," Aguilar said. The US Navy is expected to send its amphibious assault ship, USS America, while the Royal Australian Navy will deploy HMAS Canberra. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, on the other hand, will send its largest destroyer, the Izumo. In June, the defense ministers of Japan, the United States, Australia and the Philippines held their first Next page
‘2 Chinese missile boats spotted in Mischief Reef’ By Vince Lopez A FORMER US Air Force colonel and a security analyst posted a photo of Mischief Reef (Panganiban Reef) with two People's Liberation Army-Navymissile boats on the illegally occupied island. Raymond Powell, director of SeaLight at the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, said on a
Twitter post that aside fromthe missile boats, 75 to 80 militia and fishing vessels were also visible as of Aug. 16 at Mischief Reef, which the Chinese illegally occupied in 1995. Powell said most of the ships that were at Mischief Reef would probably not take part in a blockade that the Chinese coast guard wants to enforce on Next page
HISTORIC VICTORY. Spain's players celebrate with the trophy after winning the Australia and New Zealand 2023 Women's World Cup final football match between Spain and England on August 20, 2023. Inset photo shows Spain's defender #19 Olga Carmona celebrating after scoring her team's first and only goal during the match. AFP
Spain defeat England, 1-0, for historic Women’s World Cup win SYDNEY—Spain won the Women's victory over England in Sunday's final. side and had more chances, including World Cup for the first time in their hisIn front of a crowd of nearly 76,000 at missing a second-half penalty. tory with skipper Olga Carmona sweep- Stadium Australia in Sydney, the SpanSpain's triumph is vindication for ing in the only goal for a deserved 1-0 ish team was the more accomplished Jorge Vilda and the Spanish football fed-
eration, who stuck with the coach even England coach Sarina Wiegman, who after 15 players last year said they no has now suffered back-to-back defeats in longer wanted to represent their country the final, and her European champions can Next page under him. have few complaints.
‘No budget hike for underspending agencies in 2024‘ By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATORS blamed large government agencies for holding back the country's growth by underspending, and said these departments should not be given the additional funds they seek in 2024,
REENACTMENT. Actors dressed as Katipuneros, armed with Mauser rifles, reenact the 1898 Battle of Manila at the Luneta Park on Sunday, August 20, 2023. Danny Pata
MMDA to apprehend bike lane violators MOTORCYCLE riders who will use the bicycle lane along EDSA will be apprehended starting August 21, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said. In a social media post, MMDA said “bike riders have failed to use the lane
assigned to them due to the huge volume of motorcycles passing there.” The agency further said that the bike lane “is not meant to be a fast lane for motorcycles. Erring motorcycle riders will be fined P1,000 for disregarding traffic Next page signs,” the MMDA warned.
if they have been unable to spend their budget allocations. When a government agency or office has not spent its budgetallocation, that means the funds were not used to bankroll their intended programs and budgets, Senators Sherwin Gatchalian
and Nancy Binay said. Given this underspending, Gatchalian criticized the country's economic managers for asking for a budget increase for several government agencies that continue to underspend. Next page
Lower rice prices expected as wet harvest sets in By Othel V. Campos CONSUMERS may expect a gradual softening of rice prices in the coming weeks following the ongoing wet harvest cropping in the country’s rice-producing regions. Millers and traders saw a P2 decline in the price of palay or paddy rice in the past weeks. Prices at the farmgate dropped to P23 per kilo (kg) from P25/ kg, as harvest season sets in. Next page
FOR YOUNG AND OLD ALIKE. Ahead of the school opening on Aug. 29, a child avails of a free haircut from a group of cosmetologists in a park in Las Piñas on Sunday. Behind him, an elderly man also takes advantage of the free service. Danny Pata