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6 of 8 external systems hacked by Medusa back up—PhilHealth By Maricel V. Cruz
VOL. XXXVII • NO. 234• 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
SIX out of eight external systems of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) that had been affected by a Medusa ransomware attack were up and running on Thursday, the agency’s spokesperson said.
Dr. Israel Francis Pargas said these include the website, members portal, e-claims portal, electronic premium remittance system, and the electronic PhilHealth acknowledgment receipt. “Tonight, we are hoping to bring out the two remaining systems. So for the Next page
Inflation rises anew to 6.1%
Rice, drinks propel prices of goods to four-month high, over gov’t target over the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent. This comes a day after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the 15 percentage-point drop in his approval NFLATION hit a fourrating in the recent Pulse Asia survey was “not surprising” given the gut issues, including high prices of month high of 6.1 percent in commodities, that his administration is trying to September, up from 5.3 percent basic address. Pulse Asia said the drop in the approval scores of the a month ago due to faster increases country's top leaders might be traced to the continued in the prices of food, especially rice, rise in the prices of basic commodities, such as food and non-alcoholic beverages, the and fuel. The same survey showed elevated inflation rePhilippine Statistic Authority (PSA) mained the top concern of Filipinos, followed by the said Thursday. need to raise the wages of workers for them to cope with the rising prices of goods and services. National Statistician and Civil Registrar General Mapa said the rise in the overall inflation in SepDennis Mapa said this was still slower than the 6.9 per- tember 2023 was primarily brought about by the higher cent inflation in September 2022, and brought average year-on-year increase in the heavily weighted food and inflation for the first nine months to 6.6 percent, well Next page
By Julito G. Rada and Charles Dantes
I
Funds for critical buildings in Pag-asa assured—House By Maricel Cruz and Rey E. Requejo THE House of Representatives will allocate funds to build critical infrastructure in Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea, including storm shelters for fishermen, a solar power plant, and ice and cold storage facilities, among others.
Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez made the announcement Thursday after he and a small contingent of lawmakers visited Pag-asa Island in Palawan province to see for themselves the challenges facing the residents and the armed personnel manning the country’s outpost in the West Philippine Sea. This developed as China insisted Next page
‘Pinoys spent more on food in last 3 mos.’ NEARLY all Filipinos reported spending more money on food in the past three months, the results of a Pulse Asia survey in September, released on Thursday, revealed. Of 1,200 adults polled in the survey, 95 percent said they spent more on food in the past quarter, higher than the 89 percent reported a year prior, Pulse Asia said. Also, 83 percent of respondents said they spent more on rice and 61 percent identified non-rice food items. "Across geographic areas and socioeconomic, majorities cite food as one of the household items they spent more Next page
Sara brands CIF opposition as ‘enemy of state’
WPS ACTIVITIES. Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez (third from right), with Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, and Ako Bicol
Party-List Rep. Zaldy Co join AFP Chief General Romeo Brawner and Wescom Commander Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos (second and first from right), inspects government projects at Pag-asa Island in Palawan on Thursday. Meanwhile, Filipino sailors meet their US Pacific Fleet counterparts aboard USS Dewey as this year's Exercise Samasama23 continues (inset). Ver Noveno
Makati files new motion against Taguig By Joel Zurbano MAKATI City officials led by Mayor Abigail Binay on Thursday filed an urgent motion for clarification with a prayer for the issuance of a status quo ante order in connection with the jurisdiction of 10 villages now under the control of Taguig City. Accompanied by her husband, Makati Rep. Luis Campos, Binay
PETITION FILED.
UMBRELLAS AND TEACHERS. Heavy rain did not stop teachers from conducting a unity walk from España Ave. to Mendiola in Manila on Thursday to voice their various concerns to the government as they commemorated World Teacher's Day 2023. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. thanked Filipino teachers for their service (story on A2). Norman Cruz
Makati Mayor Abby Binay (center) shows the petition the city filed before Branch 153 of the Taguig Regional Trial Court on Thursday. With Binay (from left) are Makati City Administrator Claro F. Certeza, City Legal Officer Michael Arthur R. Camiña, and Makati Rep. Luis N. Campos.
filed the case with Branch 153 of the Regional Trial Court of Taguig City. “Makati only wants an orderly administration of the Supreme Court decision with the least disruption to the residents and the uninterrupted delivery of basic services in the affected areas,” she said. Next page
WHOEVER is against confidential funds is against peace and is therefore an enemy of the state. This was how Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte defended the confidential funds of her offices, saying those against the allocation are “naturally assumed to have insidious motivations.” Data from the Department of Budget and Management showed that total confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) in the proposed 2024 budget amounted to P10.142 billion. Of the total, the Office of the Vice President and the Department ofEducation, both under Duterte, have a combined confidential fund allocation of P650 million. Next page
History beckons for Gilas, Jordan in Asiad finale By Riera U. Mallari HANGZHOU, China – The Philippines embarks on a mission that would have been impossible two weeks ago as it shoots for its first basketball gold medal in the Asian Games in over six decades when it plays Jordan at 4 p.m. on Friday in the men’s finals at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center here. After a rocky path to the gold-medal match, the hastily assembled Gilas Pilipinas team of coach Tim Cone has already made history as the first team to make it to the Asiad finals in 31 years since an all-pro team of coach Robert Jaworski finished behind China during the 1992 Beijing event. Next page