<![CDATA[https://www.manilatimes.net]]> (2024)

MANILA, Philippines — "Mix-Mix: The Filipino Adventures of a German Jewish Boy," a coming-of-age play based on the true-to-life experiences of young refugee Ralph Preiss who found solace in the Philippines is now running at Los Angeles Theatre Center in California.

The play opened just in time for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration this May, and will continue through June 16.

Produced by Latino Theater Company and Playwrights' Arena, the play is written by Boni Alvarez and directed by Manila-born Jon Lawrence Rivera.

On its website, latinotheaterco.org, Latino Theater Company shares the play is about "the coming-of-age tale of 13-year-old Rudy Preissman, who escapes Nazi Germany at the age of nine with his family to find safety in the Philippines. Their tropical refuge is upended when Japan invades the islands, forcing the family and their Filipino friends to hide in the heights and depths of sacred Mount Banahao."

In history, the late president Manuel Quezon implemented the open door policy in the late 1930s, which provided refuge to Jewish people fleeing the Holocaust. Quezon wanted to admit about 10,000 Jews in the Philippines but only 1,200 made it before the outbreak of World War 2 and the Japanese occupation.

Included in the cast are Casey Adler, Alexis Camins, Angelita Esperanza, Mark Doerr, Kennedy Kabasares, Myra Cris Ocenar, Jill Remez, Mark McClain Wilson, and Filipino-American actress Giselle "G" Tongi, who is now based in the US.

"What a privilege it is to be an actor that gets to tell these important narratives every now and then! I don't do it often but when I do, it's so encompassing that it deepens my humanity on a truly emotional level. I'm beyond humbled," Tongi wrote on her Instagram account.

For more information, visit latinotheaterco.org/mixmix.

MANILA, Philippines -- To be sure, Bulacan's Chelsea Anne Manalo didn't get on the stage of Miss Universe Philippines 2024 on Wednesday night as a top contender or a fan favorite. But her performance throughout the competition and her winning answer in the Q&A potion certainly allowed her to get off the stage wearing the coveted crown.

Manalo beat 52 other candidates including crowd favorites 1st Runner-Up Stacey Gabriel of Cainta, 2nd Runner-Up Ahtisa Manalo of Quezon Province, 3rd Runner-Up Tarah Valencia of Baguio, and 4th Runner-Up Christi McGarry of Taguig.

But who is Chelsea Anne Manalo — the first ever black Filipino-American who will represent the Philippines at the Miss Universe pageant in Mexico?

Manalo was born on Oct. 14, 1999 to a Filipina mother and a Black-American father. Her parents separated but she was nonetheless raised in a loving home by her mother and stepfather in their hometown in Meycauayan City, Bulacan.

In her candidate profile Manalo is said to have graduated from a tourism college. She also expressed a deep passion for music and dancing. Before joining the competition, Manalo was a constant sight on magazine advertorials and brand campaigns.

On her Instagram account, Manalo revealed that while she started modeling at 15, she never saw herself doing it professionally.

"I was not even interested in fashion when I was young. I can still remember that I want to be a sports car racer," she wrote.

"But I do believe that if you start loving something that you never did unexpectedly, then that's what is meant for you to be."

Joining pageants also came early for this stunner, joining her first in high school. Her biggest prior to Miss Universe Philippines was Miss World Philippines 2017, where she finished in the Top 15.

Manalo advocates youth empowerment through education, especially among indigenous communities. As written in her candidate bio, "Her advocacy aims to provide opportunities for indigenous youth to access quality education and unlock their full potential."

The 5'7 stunner is also a staunch promoter of body positivity, having been a victim of bullying because of her looks, especially her skin color.

In fact, she used these experiences in her winning answer during the coronation night.

When asked, "You are beautiful and confident. How would you use these qualities to empower others?"

The 24-year-old answered, "As a woman of color, I've always faced challenges in my life. I was told that beauty has standards, but for me, I have listened and always believed in my mother. To always believe in yourself. Uphold the vows that you have in yourself. Because of these, I am already influencing a lot of women who are facing me right now. As a transformational woman, I have 52 other delegates here with me who helped me become the woman I am."

Manalo will prepare for Miss Universe 2024 soon as the competition is scheduled to happen this September.

Others who will be competing in other international pageants are: Alexie Brooks of Iloilo was named Miss Eco International Philippines; Cyrille Payumo of Pampanga, Miss Charm Philippines; Ahtisa Manalo of Quezon Province, Miss Cosmo International Philippines; and Tarah Valencia of Baguio, Miss Supranational Philippines.

Crowds in Myanmar shuffle up a roofed stairway crammed with stalls selling flowers, candles and incense to reach the hilltop complex that dominates the skyline of commercial hub Yangon to celebrate Buddha's birthday.
Video by AFP

Alas Pilipinas opened its campaign in the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) 2024 Challenge Cup with a statement win against a formidable Australian squad, 22-25, 25-19, 25-16, 25-21, in pool A at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Malate, Manila on Thursday night, May 23.

Surrounded by 4,945 spectators, Alas Pilipinas overcame a first-set blip and made sure not to let their Filipino supporters down as Sisi Rondina swung a crosscourt kill in the fourth set to seal the victory, 25-21.

"We know that we're going to make more mistakes in attack. We didn't take the first set but also it's been close. So the error, it's already off my account that they were going to do," Alas Pilipinas head coach Jorge Souza De Brito said.

Earlier on Thursday, Hong Kong bounced back from opening day by repulsing Indonesia, 25-22, 26-24, 25-18, to level its record to 1-1 won-lost in Pool B.

Hong Kong yielded to defending champion Vietnam, 13-25, 17-25, 16-25, on opening day Wednesday.

India also scored a 25-19, 25-13, 25-16 victory over Chinese-Taipei to remain unscathed in two matches.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. leads the two-day Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair in Bongao, Tawi- Tawi that started on May 23, 2024. The government distributed close to P700 million in assistance to more than 133,000 beneficiaries, some of who received sacks of rice under the Cash Assistance and Rice Distribution Program. In an interview, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said that the aim of Bagong Pilipinas service fairs was to reach more Filipinos across the country. VIDEO BY RED MENDOZA

The House of Representatives on Wednesday ratified the bicameral committee report on the proposed Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers, setting the stage for its passage into law once President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signs it.

The Senate ratified the same bill on Wednesday.

"The ratification of the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers marks a resounding victory for our maritime industry, benefiting shipowners, manning agencies, and especially our seafarers. This legislation fortifies their rights, safety, and welfare," Kabayan Partylist Rep. Ron Salo said.

The bill includes "comprehensive provisions to substantially enhance the maritime sector, particularly through shifting educational oversight to the Maritime Industry Authority" (Marina), a statement on the bill said.

It added that the bill "establishes detailed provisions to govern the qualifications, certification, and conditions for employment of both international and domestic seafarers, as well as provisions that will bolster and promote the domestic maritime industry."

The bill covers Filipino seafarers working "in any capacity on board a ship or vessel plying international waters, whether Philippine-registered or foreign-registered."

It also covers Filipino cadets in line with its provisions on their education and training.

The bill states that seafarers working on domestic ships will be principally covered by the Labor Code of the Philippines and other applicable rules as well as the bill's provisions on seafarers' rights, women in the maritime industry, seafarers' duties, emergency rescue of domestic seafarers, manning levels and crew competency requirements, inspection and enforcement, green lane for overseas and domestic seafarers, requirements for Philippine-registered ships on shipboard training, and incentives and awards for the maritime industry.

The President was expected to sign the proposed Magna Carta into law on Feb. 26 but did not do so and marked it for further review.

Asked about the version ratified by Congress in late 2023 and the new version of the bill, Salo said on Thursday that both "versions specify the rights and obligations of the seafarers, and provide the roles of both the government and the private sector (particularly the shipowners, or their representatives, and manning agencies) in ensuring that the rights of seafarers are protected."

"The second version, which was just adopted, clearly specifies the roles of Marina in enhancing the education and competencies of seafarers. It also clearly provides which provisions are applicable to domestic seafarers vis-a-vis overseas seafarers. It also has provisions that will enhance the competencies of domestic seafarers to support the development of the domestic maritime industry", he said.

"However, the second version lacks the provision that will ultimately curb ambulance-chasing, which has been afflicting our seafarers, and has a negative impact on the attractiveness of Filipino seafarers. The provision which requires bond in executing disputed amounts and discretionary awards was not included in the second version," he said.

"This matter will be the subject of a separate legislation, specifically by amending the ambulance-chasing law," he said.

SENATE President Francis Escudero said that critics who accused Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo of not being a Filipino should prove it.

He said that the presumption that the mayor is Filipino remains based on the documents presented and testimonies given to the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality.

"Yes, there's reason to doubt, but the presumption is still there," said Escudero in Filipino.

"She ran for public office, was a registered voter, and held a Philippine passport. Thus, those questioning her nationality must prove it," Escudero said.

Escudero said that only the solicitor general can file a petition questioning Guo's citizenship.

"The only one who can question it is Solgen. The Comelec has no power to disqualify her," he said, referring to the Commission on Elections.

Escudero also mentioned the case of Senator Grace Poe, whose biological parents were unknown, but who was raised by adoptive parents – actors Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces.

"There is a fundamental legal principle that the burden of proof lies with the accuser," Escudero said.

The Malabon City government signed a memorandum of agreement with the Development Bank of the Philippines for a P3 billion loan that will finance the city's health and infrastructure projects.

"I could promise before my constituents that the loan granted to the city government would be used for projects that would help address various concerns of the Malabuenos," Mayor Jeannie Sandoval said.

Among the mayor's objectives is to build housing projects for informal settlers.

"The housing projects are meant to give residents living near danger zones in the city their homes that are secure, safe and much better," she said.

The loan was secured under DBP's Accelerating Sustainable Economic and Social Empowerment through National and Local Initiatives to Overcome Challenges (Asenso) program.

Asenso aims to accelerate infrastructure and socio-economic development consistent with the Philippine Development Plan.

Filipino high-flyer Rhenz Abando bade goodbye to his Korean ball club Jung Kwang Jang Red Boosters after spending two seasons with the team.

The former Letran star made his official announcement in his Instagram account @abandorhenz on Thursday, May 23.

"Thank you for giving me the chance to let me showcase my talent and passion for the game. Thank you for trusting me. I wouldn't be the person I am today if it wasn't for you and not because of the opportunity that you've given me, I would not receive this kind of respect that I experience nowadays," Abando wrote in a long post at his Instagram account.

The athletic Abando also took the time to thank his teammates, trainers, coaching staff and the Korean club's fans for being there during his two-year stint that saw him help the Red Boosters win the 2023 Korean Basketball League (KBL) title.

In addition to the KBL crown last year, Abando also helped the squad win the EASL Champions Week crown.

"It was a great two-year ride. It was like a roller-coaster ride with a lot of ups and downs. But nonetheless, I learned a lot. Until we meet again," he added.

Abando averaged 9.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 30 games this past season, which was marred by a horrific experience that saw him suffer a spine injury, which he sustained in late December in a KBL game following a collision with Goyang Sono import Chinanu Onuaku.

As of the moment, it is uncertain where Abando will play, though the Filipino wingman is expected to attract squads from Korea and Japan after his impressive KBL stint.

BANGKOK, Thailand—Myanmar has been scrapped as the host of this year's Miss Grand International beauty pageant due to the civil war roiling the country, its organizers told Agence France-Presse on Thursday.

Dozens of contestants were slated to arrive in the commercial hub Yangon in October to compete in the pageant, hosted by Thailand-based Miss Grand International.

"We confirm that MGI 2024 will no longer be held in Myanmar, due to the current situation," Ratchaphol Chantaratim, a representative for the company, told AFP.

An alternate venue "will be announced later," he said in an email.

Myanmar opened up to tourists in 2011 following decades of military rule, becoming popular with travelers seeking a new destination away from the well-trodden backpacker haunts of Southeast Asia.

However, foreign arrivals have plummeted since the military seized power again in 2021 and sparked a widespread armed uprising.

Around 2.7 million people have been displaced by the conflict, according to the United Nations, and the military has been accused of mass atrocities as it struggles to crush opposition to its rule.

Most of the fighting is taking place outside Yangon, but opponents of the junta regularly bomb buildings linked to the security forces and carry out assassinations of its supporters in the city.

A night-time curfew remains in place in the city of some eight million and security forces carry out regular raids and arrests of suspected dissidents.

Power blackouts frequently plunge whole neighborhoods into darkness and access to ATMs and foreign exchange counters is patchy.

Many Western embassies advise against travel to Myanmar.

Australian football club Macarthur faced criticism in 2023 after traveling to play in Myanmar against official government advice.

Honduran model Cecilia Garcia — who had been selected to represent her country at the "Miss Grand International" — said this month she would not be traveling to Myanmar due to security risks.

At the 2021 edition of the event in Thailand, Myanmar contestant Thaw Nandar Aung publicly criticized the junta and its bloody crackdown on protests against its coup.

The former psychology student, better known by her professional name Han Lay, was refused permission to enter Thailand and spent days stranded at an airport in Bangkok.

She was later granted asylum in Canada.

Twenty people were in intensive care in Bangkok hospitals on Wednesday after a terrifying high-altitude plunge on a flight from London during which an elderly passenger died and more than 100 were injured. Among them was Josh Silverstone from South London who has been released from hospital after surviving the turbulence on the Singapore Airlines flight.
Video by AFP

During a meeting with the chairman of Russia's lower house who represents the country at Raisi's funeral, Russian President Vladimir Putin praises late Iranian president Raisi. Ebrahim Raisi's helicopter crashed into a fog-shrouded mountainside in northwestern Iran on May 19 as his entourage headed back to the city of Tabriz after attending a ceremony on the border with Azerbaijan.
Video by AFP

Norway, Spain and Ireland say they will formally recognize the State of Palestine on May 28. Israel strongly opposes the move, arguing that it amounts to "rewarding terrorism" after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched its unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel. This sparked the bloodiest-ever Gaza war, with a death toll of more than 35,700 people, as announced by the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza on May 22.
Video by AFP

SYDNEY, Australia—Sun-soaked Australia's lofty renewable energy ambitions were given a harsh reality check on Thursday, as looming electricity shortfalls delayed the long-awaited shutdown of the country's largest coal-fired power plant.

The hulking, heavily polluting Eraring power plant — about a two-hour drive north of Sydney — was slated for closure in 2025 but will be kept ticking over for at least two more years while renewables are ramped up.

"The best way to undermine the renewable energy transition is to have the lights go out in 2025. I'm not letting that happen," New South Wales Premier Chris Minns announced Thursday.

His backflip highlighted the chasm between Australia's reality and its goal of having renewables supply 82 percent of electricity by 2030.

The move was deeply unpopular with environmentalists.

"Summers in New South Wales are now characterized by unprecedented floods, heatwaves or deadly fires and this extreme weather is exacerbated by extending the life of fossil fuels like coal," the Australian Conservation Foundation said.

At the center of Australia's most recent government budget was a sweeping set of policies pitched at making the country a global "renewable energy superpower."

Australia has had some success in scaling up renewable energy, and its residents are among the world's most enthusiastic adopters of household solar panels.

In 2022, renewables made up 32 percent of Australia's total electricity generation — compared to coal which contributed 47 percent, according to the latest government data.

"Coal is exiting our energy system at a record pace," said Clean Energy Council chief executive Kane Thornton, who believes only renewables can replace the existing regime while avoiding blackouts and power price hikes.

The nuclear option

But a slower-than-expected rollout of renewable energy projects has prompted Australia's energy market regulator to warn of likely shortages and blackouts in the coming years.

One proposed solution has been to extend the life of coal-fired power stations — some already more than 40 years old.

But industry and a handful of conservative politicians are also calling for Australia to revisit a decades-old ban on nuclear power.

Although Australia has 33 percent of the world's uranium deposits, nuclear power generation has been banned since 1998.

Advocates like Jaz Diab, managing director of Global Nuclear Security Partners, believe advances in small-scale reactors and non-water-cooled reactors should prompt a rethink.

"I actually think in Australia the first movers and shakers will be industry with things like small modular reactors," she told Agence France-Presse, pointing to a possible first use in remote mining sites.

"Unfortunately, politicians are grabbing onto it, and making it a political decision as opposed to allowing (Australians) to be engaged in their energy policy."

But Australia's national science agency, the CSIRO, has found the cost of a large-scale nuclear reactor in Australia could exceed US$10 billion and take 15 years to build.

CSIRO's chief energy economist Paul Graham told AFP nuclear was not "economically competitive with renewables."

His agency recently conducted a study which showed solar, wind and batteries would be cheaper and more reliable sources of renewable energy.

In many cases, nuclear makes sense for energy-deficient countries that had no domestic renewable options, such as Japan, energy analyst Tim Buckley told AFP.

"Nuclear has no future in Australia," he said. "Australia has not continuously built it, we have none of the skillset, none of the engineering, and none of the capacity for nuclear."

Buckley warned if Australia pursued nuclear it would be years until it could be used reliability.

"That would mean 15 years of blackouts," he said.

Renewables advocates say what is needed is a faster rollout and fewer political diversions.

Nicki Hutley, an economist with the Climate Council, said four years of back-to-back natural disasters — drought, bushfires and floods — had reinforced the need for renewable energy.

"We finally got to the point where the science has triumphed, but it has taken a long time," she told AFP.

"It is not about choosing between the climate or the economy, it can be climate and the economy."

TEHRAN, Iran—Thousands marched in Iran on Thursday on the final day of funeral rites for president Ebrahim Raisi, who will be laid to rest in his hometown days after dying in a helicopter crash.

Raisi, 63, died on Sunday alongside his foreign minister and six others when their helicopter crashed in the country's mountainous northwest while returning from a dam inauguration.

Thousands of people, holding placards of Raisi and waving flags, marched in the eastern city of Birjand on Thursday morning to bid the president farewell.

His final resting place will be at the holy shrine of Imam Reza, a key Shiite mausoleum in the northeastern city of Mashhad, where the ultra-conservative president was born.

Images published by Iranian media on Wednesday showed officials in Mashhad preparing for the final day of funerary rites.

Large photos of Raisi, black flags and Shiite symbols were erected throughout the streets of Iran's second city, particularly around the Imam Reza shrine.

Massive crowds had gathered for a funeral procession on Wednesday in the capital Tehran to pay their final respects to the president, whom officials and media dubbed a "martyr."

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — whom Raisi had been widely expected to succeed — led prayers for the late president, kneeling before the coffins of the eight people killed in the crash.

Among them was foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who will also be buried Thursday in the shrine of Shah Abdol-Azim in the town of Shahr-Rey south of the capital.

Iranian officials and foreign dignitaries paid their respects to the late top diplomat at a ceremony in Tehran ahead of the burial.

June 28 election

Tunisian President Kais Saied and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani attended an afternoon ceremony for Raisi on Wednesday in which around 60 countries took part, said state news agency IRNA.

Member countries of the European Union were among the absentees of the ceremony, while some non-member countries, including Belarus and Serbia had their representatives.

Khamenei, who wields ultimate authority in Iran, has declared five days of national mourning and assigned vice president Mohammad Mokhber, 68, as caretaker president until a June 28 election for Raisi's successor.

A presidential election in Iran had not been expected until next year, and Sunday's crash has caused some uncertainty as to who will succeed Raisi, with some expressing concern about the upcoming president.

"How do I find someone like him? I'm really worried about that," said 31-year-old cleric Mohsen at Wednesday's funeral in Tehran. "As far as I know, we don't have anyone of his stature."

Raisi was elected president in 2021, succeeding the moderate Hassan Rouhani at a time when the economy was battered by US sanctions imposed over Iran's nuclear activities.

The ultra-conservative's time in office saw mass protests, a deepening economic crisis and unprecedented armed exchanges with arch-enemy Israel.

After his death, Russia and China sent their condolences, as did NATO, while the UN Security Council observed a minute's silence.

Messages of condolence also flooded in from Iran's allies around the region, including the Syrian government as well as Hamas and Hezbollah.

SAN MANUEL, Pangasinan - If enough rains do not fall soon in the Cordillera Mountains, the water level at the San Roque Dam here will continue to drop and may reach its critical level of 225 meters above sea level (masl).
As of 8 a.m. on Thursday, May 23, the dam's water level was 226.86 masl, according to the dam water level update posted by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in its website.
The dam's water level is 0.11 meter lower than its reservoir level of 226.97 masl recorded at 8 a.m. on May 22.
Tom Valdez, vice president for corporate social responsibility of the San Roque Power Corp. (SRPC), allayed fears that the dam's water level will reach critical level, saying it has been raining in the mountains every afternoon.
SRPC operates the hydroelectric component of the dam.
"Slowly, the water level will rise," Valdez said in a telephone interview.
He also said that for 10 days -- from June 1 to June 10 -- the dam will go through its regular maintenance. This means that the dam will not be producing electricity on those days, enabling it to save water.
As a hydroelectric plant, the water used to turn the giant turbines to produce electricity flows to a re-regulating pond below the dam.
The water collected in the pond is later released by the National Irrigation Administration to irrigate at least 21,000 hectares of rice fields in eastern and central Pangasinan.
"We operate the power plant to provide the needed amount of water for irrigation in a day," Valdez said.
As a peaking power plant, SRPC delivers electricity to the Luzon power grid during peak hours from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
San Roque Dam has a maximum water elevation of 280 masl.
"With the water level that we have now, we are only generating 45 megawatts of electricity every day," Valdez said.
At a water level of 225 masl, Valdez said the dam would no longer be able to produce electricity. But he added that a water tunnel could be opened for the irrigation needs of farmers.
The low water level situation at the dam was no longer new, Valdez said.
The dam's lowest water level was recorded in 2007, a dry year, when its reservoir elevation went down to 225.42 masl.
San Roque Dam is one of the three dams built in the Agno River. The other two are the Ambuklao Dam in Bokod, Benguet and the Binga Dam in Itogon, Benguet.
As cascading dams, the water released by the Ambuklao flows to Binga, while the water spilled from Binga is caught by the San Roque Dam downstream of the Agno River.
According to the dam water level update of PAGASA on May 23, the water level at Ambuklao Dam was 742.75 masl. This was 0.36 meter higher than its water level of 742.39 masl on May 22. Ambuklao has a normal high water level of 752 masl.
For Binga, the recorded water level was 566.24 masl, which was 0.14 meter higher that its level of 566.40 masl on May 22. The dam has a maximum water level of 575 masl.

TAIPEI, Taiwan—Fighter jets took off from a Taiwan airbase Thursday as the self-ruled island dispatched aerial and naval forces in response to China's launch of military drills, while Taipei's coast guard warned off Chinese vessels.

Beijing commenced two days of war games, dubbed "Joint Sword-2024A," as a "strong punishment" for Taiwan's "separatist acts."

They come after the island swore in new leader Lai Ching-te, who said in his inaugural speech on Monday that Taiwan "must demonstrate our resolution to defend our nation".

China — which claims Taiwan as part of its territory — has denounced Lai's speech as a "confession of independence."

Beijing's drills began at 7:45 am (2345 GMT Wednesday) and are taking place in the Taiwan Strait and to the north, south and east of the island, PLA Eastern Theater Command Naval Colonel Li Xi said.

"In response, ROC (Republic of China, Taiwan's official name) Armed Forces have dispatched our aerial, naval and land assets in accordance with our protocols," Taipei's defense ministry said in a statement.

Four fighter jets took off at around 1 pm from a military airbase in Hsinchu, an hour southwest of Taipei.

Self-ruled Taiwan is separated by a narrow 180-kilometer (110-mile) strait from China, which has said it would never renounce the use of force to bring it under Beijing's control.

Taipei's coast guard said it had encountered Chinese ships around the Taiwan-administered outlying islands of Dongyin and Wuqiu early Thursday morning.

Two Chinese coast guard ships had sailed into the "restricted waters of Dongyin" at 7:48 am, while another was outside the restricted zone to "provide support," Taipei's coast guard said.

The ships left waters off Dongyin — around 160 kilometers from Taiwan's northern tip — about an hour later.

Another two Chinese ships were detected around Wuqiu, about 130 kilometers from Taiwan's western coast, "entering restricted waters", with a third outside the restricted area, the coast guard said. The vessels left at around 8:45 am.

Footage released by the coast guard showed Taiwanese officers ordering Chinese ships to leave over a loudspeaker.

"Your movements affect our country's order and safety, please turn away and leave our restricted waters as soon as possible," an officer said, according to the coast guard video.

"Leave right away, leave right away!"

The incidents near Dongyin and Wuqiu marked the seventh time this month that Chinese vessels breached Taiwan's restricted waters.

The IRONMAN Group is gearing up for an unprecedented turnout for the fourth Century Tuna IRONMAN Philippines and the 11th IM 70.3 Subic Bay, which fires off on June 9 at Subic Bay Boardwalk with the premier endurance races expected to draw athletes and their families from around the globe.

In addition to the main events, the 5km Century Tuna Super Bods Underpants Run will also take place on June 7, while Choco Hero IRONKIDS triathlon will be held on June 8, nurturing young talent in the sport.

Also on tap are the age-group categories, featuring individual and relay events, along with the novel team tents competition.

Greg Banzon, Executive Vice President and COO of Century Pacific, emphasized the pivotal role Century Tuna has played in the Philippine triathlon scene, saying the company has supported events from small sprint races to the prestigious IRONMAN Philippines for over a decade.

He also highlighted the rise of Filipino athletes, such as SEA Games gold medalist Nikko Huelgas, as a testament to the company's commitment to youth development in triathlon. Though their support, Century Tuna has fostered a generation of athletes excelling in the sport.

Forty-four countries will compete in the upcoming endurance race, with Japan, France and the USA leading the charge with 54, 18 and 16 entries, respectively. Meanwhile, Singapore and Vietnam will each field 10 participants and the host country has entered 147 competitors three weeks into the staging of the blue-ribbon event.

Carlo Endaya, Vice President and General Manager for the Domestic Tuna Business of Century Pacific, also underscored the broader impact of their support for triathlon events, stressing these promote health and fitness within the community, making triathlon accessible to a wider audience.

He added that the company's involvement goes beyond the elite athletes, promoting a culture of health and fitness that reaches people of all ages and backgrounds, encouraging more individuals to embrace the sport and its benefits.

Registration for both events is ongoing. For details, visit www.ironman.com/im-philippines-register.

Subic Bay, renowned for its tourist attractions such as resorts, golf courses and eco-adventure activities, remains in pristine condition year-round. This premier destination is set to challenge the athletes' skills, endurance and mental toughness in both the IM 70.3 and the full IRONMAN events.

Participants in the IM 70.3 will face a 1.9km swim, 90km bike and 21.1km run (70.3) challenge, while the full IRONMAN will test the athletes' limits with a 3.8km swim, 180km bike and 42.2km marathon.

Princess Galura, Regional Director of the organizing IRONMAN Group Philippines, acknowledged Subic as the country's triathlon capital, citing its long history of hosting various triathlon events, including 5150s, sprints and full-distance IM races.

The IM 70.3 and full IM are part of the IRONMAN Group's 2023-24 Season Pass and Flex 90 programs. These offerings allow athletes to participate in multiple race across Oceania and Asia at a reduced cost and provide flexibility in changing race dates without penalties.

With robust support from local officials and businesses, this year's event promises to be a milestone in the history of IRONMAN races in the Philippines, cultivating a strong sense of community and promoting a healthier lifestyle for all participants. TMT

MANILA, Philippines -- The House of Representatives ratified the bicameral committee report on the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers.

"The ratification of the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers marks a resounding victory for our maritime industry, benefiting shipowners, manning agencies, and especially our seafarers. This legislation fortifies their rights, safety, and welfare," Kabayan Partylist Rep. Ron Salo said on Wednesday..

The measure includes "comprehensive provisions to substantially enhance the maritime sector, particularly through shifting educational oversight to the Maritime Industry Authority," according to a statement.

It added that the measure "establishes detailed provisions to govern the qualifications, certification, and conditions for employment of both international and domestic seafarers, as well as provisions that will bolster and promote the domestic maritime industry."

The Senate on Wednesday also ratified the bicameral report which means that the measure now only needed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s approval for it to become law.

The President was expected to sign the proposed Magna Carta into law, along with two other measures last February 26. However, he signed only the other two that day.

Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said that the proposed Magna Carta was under further review.

BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi – About 130,000 residents here are set to receive P700 million in aid during the Bagong Pilipinas Fair on Thursday.
Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said Tawi-Tawi was chosen as a symbol of the government's willingness to reach out to residents from as far as the northernmost part of the country.
About P100 million in farm aid was given to Gov. Ismael Mang Sali at the Department of Education (DepEd) Cultural and Sports Complex and P10 million in family aid to Basilan Gov. Salliman Hataman.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who oversaw the distribution of assistance, said in his speech that the government aims to serve more residents in towns displaced by the El Nino phenomenon.

For book lovers, it's always a good time for a new read. Bookworms who are also Metrobank customers are in for a treat with exclusive benefits at this year's Big Bad Wolf Book Sale happening from May 24 to June 2at Parqal Mall, Aseana City, Parañaque.

Metrobank credit and debit cardholders and Metrobank App users get first dibs during the exclusive pre-sale day today, May 23. All they need to do is present their cards or their apps at the entrance.

Moreover, users can enjoy flexibility when they pay for their latest book haul. They can avail zero-percent installment for three months for a minimum single-receipt purchase of P3,000 with their Metrobank credit card.

Metrobank cardholders are also entitled to dedicated payment lanes for an easier checkout experience.

The Big Bad Wolf Book Sale offers a diverse collection of over a million books, ranging from timeless classics to modern bestsellers across various genres, catering to readers of all ages and interests.

Don't miss the sale happening at the 3rd level of Parqal Mall from May 24 to June 2.

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines blamed Chinese fishermen on Monday for a massive loss of giant clams in a disputed shoal controlled by China's coast guard in the South China Sea and urged an international inquiry into the amount of environmental damage in the area.

The Philippine coast guard presented surveillance photographs of Chinese fishermen harvesting large numbers of giant clams for a number of years in a lagoon at Scarborough Shoal, but said signs of such activities stopped in March 2019.

Parts of the surrounding coral appeared to be badly scarred, in what the coast guard said was apparently a futile search by the Chinese for more clams. The lagoon is a prominent fishing area which Filipinos call Bajo de Masinloc and the Chinese calll Huangyan Dao off the northwestern Philippines.

"Those were the last remaining giant clams that we saw in Bajo de Masinloc," Philippine coast guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said at a news conference.

"We are alarmed and worried about the situation that's happening there," National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said. He said China should allow an independent inquiry by experts from the United Nations and environmental groups.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Beijing has repeatedly asserted its sovereignty over much of the busy South China Sea. The territorial disputes involve China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. The Indonesian navy has also been involved in skirmishes with the Chinese coast guard and fishing vessels in the Natuna waters in the margins of the South China Sea.

The Philippines has adopted a policy of publicizing China's increasingly assertive actions in the contested waters to gain international support, and the news conference was its latest effort to condemn China's stewardship of Scarborough Shoal.

China effectively seized the shoal in 2012 after a standoff that ended when Philippine government ships withdrew based on what Manila said was a deal brokered by American officials to ease the dangerous confrontation. China reneged on its promise to remove its ships and has since surrounded the shoal with coast guard and suspected militia ships, according to Philippine officials.

Since then, the Chinese coast guard has had a series of skirmishes with Philippine patrol ships and fishing boats, which have been prevented from entering the lagoon, ringed by mostly submerged coral outcrops. Three weeks ago, Chinese ships fired powerful water cannons that damaged Philippine coast guard and fisheries vessels.

"They're preventing us from getting into the lagoon," Malaya said. "We can ask third-party environmental groups or even the United Nations to do a fact-finding mission to determine the environmental situation."

The Philippines has brought its territorial disputes with China to international arbitration and largely won. The 2016 ruling invalidated China's expansive claims to much of the South China Sea, a key global trade route, on historical grounds and cited Chinese government actions that resulted in environmental damage in the offshore region.

China refused to participate in the arbitration, rejected its ruling and continues to defy it.

The territorial hostilities have sparked fears of a larger conflict that could involve the U.S., which has warned that it's obligated to defend the Philippines, its long-time treaty ally, if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea.

STRESA, Italy: G7 finance ministers gather in Italy on Thursday for a three-day meeting dominated by plans to use Russian assets to help Ukraine, as well as new sanctions on Moscow and the commercial threat posed by China.

The ministers and central bankers from the Group of Seven world powers are meeting in Stresa, on the shores of northern Italy's Lake Maggiore, to prepare for the larger summit of G7 heads of state next month in Puglia.

Top of the agenda is a plan to finance crucial aid to Ukraine using the interest generated by the 300 billion euros ($325 billion) of Russian central bank assets frozen by the G7 and Europe.

The United States has proposed granting Ukraine, which has been fighting a Russian invasion for more than two years, up to $50 billion in loans secured by this interest.

"It's vital and urgent that we collectively find a way forward to unlock the value of Russian sovereign assets immobilised in our jurisdictions for the benefit of Ukraine," US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said this week.

The details of the US plan have not yet been finalised, including who would issue the debt -- the US alone or G7 countries as a whole.

But it will serve as a basis for G7 discussions, according to a Treasury source in Italy, which as G7 president this year is hosting the Stresa talks.

The US proposal is an "interesting way forward" but "any decision must have a solid legal basis", the source said.

Time is of the essence, as the slow speed of European material reaching Kyiv and the near-halt in US aid for months during wrangling in Washington have strained Ukraine's capabilities just as Russia has regained the initiative on the ground.

In addition to the United States and Italy, the G7 includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany and Japan.

'More ambitious options'

The European Union took a first step in agreeing a deal this month to seize revenues from frozen Russian assets to arm Ukraine, a windfall that will reach 2.5 to 3 billion euros ($2.7-$3.3 billion) a year.

Yellen will now try to convince her G7 counterparts to consider "more ambitious options" to "provide more money to Ukraine as quickly as possible", according to a US Treasury spokesperson.

EU members of the G7 "will face continued pressure from the US to do more, with support from Canada and perhaps the UK", John Kirton, director of the University of Toronto's G7 Research Group, told AFP.

Yellen had initially advocated a more radical solution -- the confiscation of the Russian assets themselves.

But European countries worried about creating a precedent in international law and the risk of serious legal disputes with Moscow.

Stresa host Giancarlo Giorgetti, Italy's economy minister, has made no secret of the complexity of the issue.

He said Rome would be an "honest mediator" in discussions but said the task was "very delicate".

France on Wednesday welcomed the US plan, saying it was hoping the G7 finance ministers would reach a deal this week.

"The Americans have made proposals that fall within the framework of international law, and we are going to work on them openly and constructively," Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said.

Russian retaliation?

In April, Moscow sent a thinly veiled warning to Italy in its capacity as G7 chair, taking "temporary" control of the Russian subsidiary of the Italian heating equipment group Ariston in retaliation for what it called "hostile actions" by Washington and its allies.

Experts warn that any further G7 action against Russia could lead to similar reprisals hitting other European companies still operating in the country.

In March, Russia threatened the European Union with legal action "lasting decades" if the proceeds from its frozen assets were used to benefit Ukraine, describing it as "theft".

Kirton noted that tapping just the interest on Russian assets "would considerably reduce the legal problems".

"Legally, it would not be confiscating the 'assets'," he said.

As to further sanctions on Moscow, Yellen said the Stresa meeting would consider "additional action, including to further restrict Russia's access to critical goods to support its military-industrial base", according to extracts of an address due Thursday.

She has also said the G7 will discuss Chinese overproduction of key green technologies, which Washington fears is driving cheap exports and stifling growth elsewhere.

TEHRAN: Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash, will be buried Thursday in his hometown after two days of funeral processions attended by thousands of mourners.

Raisi, 63, died on Sunday alongside his foreign minister and six others when their helicopter crashed in the country's mountainous northwest while returning from a dam inauguration.

His final resting place will be at the holy shrine of Imam Reza, a key Shiite mausoleum in the northeastern city of Mashhad, where the ultra-conservative president was born.

Images published by Iranian media on Wednesday showed officials in Mashhad preparing for the final day of funerary rites.

Large photos of Raisi, black flags and Shiite symbols were erected throughout the streets of Iran's second city, particularly around the Imam Reza shrine.

Massive crowds had gathered for a funeral procession on Wednesday in the capital Tehran to pay their final respects to the president, whom officials and media dubbed a "martyr".

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei -- whom Raisi had been widely expected to succeed -- led prayers for the late president, kneeling before the coffins of the eight people killed in the crash.

Among them was foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who will also be buried Thursday in the shrine of Shah Abdol-Azim in the town of Shahr-Rey south of the capital.

June 28 election

Tunisian President Kais Saied and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani attended an afternoon ceremony for Raisi on Wednesday in which around 60 countries took part, said state news agency IRNA.

Member countries of the European Union were among the absentees of the ceremony, while some non-member countries, including Belarus and Serbia had their representatives.

Khamenei, who wields ultimate authority in Iran, has declared five days of national mourning and assigned vice president Mohammad Mokhber, 68, as caretaker president until a June 28 election for Raisi's successor.

A presidential election in Iran had not been expected until next year, and Sunday's crash has caused some uncertainty as to who will succeed Raisi, with some expressing concern about the upcoming president.

"How do I find someone like him? I'm really worried about that," said 31-year-old cleric Mohsen at Wednesday's funeral in Tehran. "As far as I know, we don't have anyone of his stature."

Raisi was elected president in 2021, succeeding the moderate Hassan Rouhani at a time when the economy was battered by US sanctions imposed over Iran's nuclear activities.

The ultra-conservative's time in office saw mass protests, a deepening economic crisis and unprecedented armed exchanges with arch-enemy Israel.

After his death, Russia and China sent their condolences, as did NATO, while the UN Security Council observed a minute's silence.

Messages of condolence also flooded in from Iran's allies around the region, including the Syrian government as well as Hamas and Hezbollah.

For the first time, the number of Americans who use marijuana just about every day has surpassed the number who drink that often, a shift some 40 years in the making as recreational pot use became more mainstream and legal in nearly half of US states.

In 2022, an estimated 17.7 million people reported using marijuana daily or near-daily compared to 14.7 million daily or near-daily drinkers, according an analysis of national survey data. In 1992, when daily pot use hit a low point, less than 1 million people said they used marijuana nearly every day.

Alcohol is still more widely used, but 2022 was the first time this intensive level of marijuana use overtook daily and near-daily drinking, said the study's author, Jonathan Caulkins, a cannabis policy researcher at Carnegie Mellon University.

"A good 40% of current cannabis users are using it daily or near daily, a pattern that is more associated with tobacco use than typical alcohol use," Caulkins said.

The research, based on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, was published Wednesday in the journal Addiction. The survey is a highly regarded source of self-reported estimates of tobacco, alcohol and drug use in the United States.

From 1992 to 2022, the per capita rate of reporting daily or near-daily marijuana use increased 15-fold. Caulkins acknowledged in the study that people may be more willing to report marijuana use as public acceptance grows, which could boost the increase.

Most states now allow medical or recreational marijuana, though it remains illegal at the federal level. In November, Florida voters will decide on a constitutional amendment allowing recreational cannabis, and the federal government is moving to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug.

Research shows that high-frequency users are more likely to become addicted to marijuana, said Dr. David A. Gorelick, a psychiatry professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study.

The number of daily users suggests that more people are at risk for developing problematic cannabis use or addiction, Gorelick said.

"High frequency use also increases the risk of developing cannabis-associated psychosis," a severe condition where a person loses touch with reality, he said.

WASHINGTON, D.C.: A second case of bird flu has been found in a human, US health authorities announced Wednesday, less then two months after the first one as an outbreak of the disease circulates widely among dairy cows.

Both individuals infected with the virus called H5N1 -- the first in Texas, the second in Michigan -- were dairy farm workers who suffered only minor symptoms and have recovered, according to authorities.

Despite the second infection, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said its risk assessment for the general public remained "low," but it did suggest it expects more cases.

Given the high levels of the virus "in raw milk from infected cows, and the extent of the spread of this virus in dairy cows, similar additional human cases could be identified," the CDC said.

However, "sporadic human infections with no ongoing spread will not change the CDC risk assessment for the US general public, which CDC considers to be low."

The latest case in Michigan was detected in "a worker on a dairy farm where H5N1 virus has been identified in cows," the agency said.

According to Michigan Health and Human Services, the worker had only mild symptoms and has recovered.

Two specimens were collected from the worker -- one from the nose and the other from the eye -- with only the eye specimen testing positive.

Additionally, "similar to the Texas case, the patient only reported eye symptoms," the CDC said.

Chickens, cows, humans
As of Wednesday a total of 52 US herds were infected with bird flu across nine of the 50 states.

The US Department of Agriculture said it has identified spread between cows within the same herd and between dairies associated with cattle movements.

When treated, sick cows can recover "with little to no associated mortality," the department said in a statement in late April.

It added: "It is important to remember that thus far, we have not found changes to the virus that would make it more transmissible to humans and between people."

The USDA has made financial aid available to help affected farms, for example by providing protective equipment for their employees.

According to the CDC, "people with close or prolonged, unprotected exposures to infected birds or other animals (including livestock)... are at greater risk of infection."

Though the current H5N1 strain has killed millions of poultry during the present wave, affected cows have not fallen severely sick.

Cows and goats joined the list of victims in March, surprising experts because the animals were not thought to be susceptible to this type of influenza.

Virus fragments meanwhile have been found in pasteurized milk, but health authorities say milk sold in US stores is safe because pasteurization effectively kills the disease.

There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission at present but health officials fear that if the virus were to eventually spread widely it could mutate into a form that could pass between humans.

Avian influenza A(H5N1) first emerged in 1996 but since 2020, the number of outbreaks in birds has grown exponentially, alongside an increase in the number of infected mammals.

UNITED STATES: Delicate pink buds sway in the desert breeze, pregnant with yellow pompoms whose explosion will carpet the dusty corner of Nevada that is the only place on Earth where they exist.

Under their roots lie vast reserves of lithium, vital for the rechargeable electric car batteries that will reduce planet-heating pollution.

But campaigners fear the extraction of the precious metal could destroy the flower's tiny habitat.

"This mine is going to cause extinction," says Patrick Donnelly, an environmentalist who works at the Center for Biological Diversity, a non-governmental organization.

"They somehow claim that they're not harming the (plant). But can you imagine if someone built an open-pit mine 200 feet from your house? Wouldn't that affect your life profoundly?"

The plant in question is Tiehm's buckwheat.

There are only around 20,000 known specimens, growing in a few very specific places on a total surface area equivalent to around five soccer fields.

In 2022, the wildflower was classified as endangered by US federal authorities, with mining cited as a major threat to its survival.

The plant and the lithium reserve on which it grows embody one of the key challenges and contradictions of the global climate struggle: how much damage can we inflict on the natural world as we seek to halt or reverse the problems we have already created?

'Coexist'

Bernard Rowe, boss of Australian miner Ioneer, which holds the mineral rights to the area, says the lithium produced at Rhyolite Ridge "will be sufficient to provide batteries for about 370,000 vehicles" a year.

"We'll do that year-on-year for 26 years," he said.

Those nearly 10 million vehicles will go a long way towards meeting the goal President Joe Biden has set of cutting down the nation's fleet of gas-guzzlers as a way to slash US production of planet-warming pollutants.

So-called zero-emission cars make up around 7.5 percent of new vehicle sales in the United States today -- more than double the percentage just a few years earlier.

In California, the figure is more than 20 percent.

And while expansion in the sector has slowed, the category remains the fastest-growing, according to Kelley Blue Book.

And it's not only in the United States: Global demand for lithium will increase five to seven times by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency.

The difficulty for US manufacturers is that much of the world's lithium supply is dominated by strategic rival China, as well as Australia and Chile.

"The United States has very, very little domestic production," said Rowe.

"So it's important to develop a domestic supply chain to allow for that energy transition, and Rhyolite Ridge will be an integral part of that."

Ioneer's plans show that over the years the mine is in operation -- it is projected to start producing lithium in late 2027 -- around a fifth of the plant's habitat will be directly affected.

But the company, which has spent $2.5 million researching the plant, says mining will not affect its survival; it is already growing well in greenhouses and biologists think it can be replanted.

"We're very confident that the mine and Tiehm's buckwheat can coexist," Rowe said.

'Greenwashing'

Donnelly counters that Ioneer is "basically greenwashing extinction."

"They're saying. 'We're going to save this plant,' when actually they are going to send it to its doom," he said.

Under the company's plans, the strip mine will use hundreds of trucks, which Donnelly says will raise clouds of dust that will affect photosynthesis and harm the insects that pollinate the plants.

Ioneer says it has already planned mitigation methods, like dust curtains, and keeping the roads wet.

Still, Donnelly says, why not just move the mine? But Rowe counters that it's not as simple as just digging somewhere else.

Ioneer has invested $170 million since 2016 to demonstrate the feasibility of this site, which it believes is one of the best around.

"Many of these other deposits haven't had that amount of work, so they're not viable alternatives to a project like this," he said.

The US Department of Energy has offered Ioneer a $700 million loan for the project, if the Bureau of Land Management signs off on an operating permit.

Donnelly insists the issue is not just the future of one obscure wildflower, but rather just one example of large-scale biodiversity loss that is threatening millions of plants and animals.

"If we solve the climate crisis, but we drive everything extinct while we do it, we're still going to lose our world," he said.

CONARKY: Guinean prosecutors on Wednesday demanded life sentences for former dictator Moussa Dadis Camara and six other military or government officials over a 2009 massacre, saying they were guilty of crimes against humanity.

The chief prosecutor, Alghassimou Diallo, denied the defendants any mitigating circ*mstances, pointing to their lack of regret since the landmark trial began in September 2022.

On September 28, 2009, and in the days that followed, members of the presidential guard, soldiers, police and militiamen brutally cracked down on an opposition rally at a stadium in the suburbs of the capital Conakry.

At least 156 people were killed, 109 women were raped and hundreds injured, according to a UN-mandated commission of inquiry, in one of the darkest chapters in the West African nation's history.

In a silent courtroom, the defendants listened without flinching as chief prosecutor Diallo set out the prosecution's demands.

He asked the court to reclassify the charges against Dadis Camara as "crimes against humanity by murder, assassination, torture, holding people against their will, rape and superior responsibility".

Diallo requested that the charges also be reclassified for the 11 other defendants, one of whom is being tried in absentia and another of whom escaped prison after the trial began.

The chief prosecutor called for Dadis Camara and six other defendants to be sentenced to life imprisonment with a 30-year non-parole period, during which he would not be eligible for a modified sentence.

Diallo requested sentences of 15 years' imprisonment for three other defendants, and 14 years for two others.

The trial is due to resume Monday with the defence case, which is expected to last several days before the judges give their verdict at a date yet to be determined.

Victims had been waiting years for justice, before the case was brought before a court under the junta which seized power in 2021.

Nene Aissatou Ndane Doumbouya, a retired nurse who was raped at the stadium and left for dead, expressed her joy after the closing arguments.

When she heard the prosecutor's requests, "the rest didn't interest me anymore, I was so relieved, so drunk with happiness," she said.

'Got what they deserved'
On Wednesday, three representatives from the public prosecutor's office recounted before the court the sheer brutality of the acts committed in September 2009.

One of the representatives, Elhadj Sidiki Camara, burst into tears as he recalled how a mother of a three-week-old baby was abducted from the stadium and held captive for a month by a soldier who used her as his sex slave.

"I remember this doctor who came with a photo of his mother cut up among other bodies," said prosecutor Diallo.

But, he said, "I have not felt the slightest remorse on the faces of these defendants", adding that it had been a "surprise throughout these 18 months".

"Mitigating circ*mstances are granted to those who regretted the acts they committed. Them? You must not even think about that, Mr President," he added.

During the trial, the defendants blamed each other for the events that took place in September 2009.

Dadis Camara always argued that he had been overtaken by his subordinates and denied any responsibility.

The prosecution disagreed.

"He did nothing to ensure that the meeting was not repressed. On the contrary, he planned it," said Elhadj Sidiki Camara.

He added that Dadis Camara later took no action against his men.

Convictions in line with the prosecution's requests would "put the sword of Damocles on the heads of every member of the nation to say that the path taken by these defendants here today is a path prohibited by law," said prosecutor Diallo.

"We couldn't have wished any better for our persecutors, they got what they deserved," one victim, Aminata Camara, a retired teacher, told an AFP correspondent who was himself a victim of the events.

"From this evening, I'm going to pray that the judge will follow the prosecutor's request exactly," she added.

LONDON, United Kingdom: China is sending "lethal aid" to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine, Britain's defence minister Grant Shapps said on Wednesday.

"Today I can reveal that we have evidence that Russia and China are collaborating on combat equipment for use in Ukraine," he said in a speech at a London conference.

Shapps warned that NATO needed to "wake up" and bolster defence spending across the alliance.

"US and British defence intelligence can reveal that lethal aid is now flowing from China to Russia and into Ukraine."

He argued that democratic states should make a "full-throated case" for freedoms that are dependent on the international order, meaning "we need more allies and partners" worldwide.

"It's time for the world to wake up. And that means translating this moment to concrete plans and capabilities. And that starts with laying the foundations for an alliance-wide increase in spending on our collective deterrent," he said.

China and Russia's strategic partnership has only grown closer since the invasion of Ukraine, but Beijing has rebuffed Western claims that it is aiding Moscow's war effort.

China has also offered a critical lifeline to Russia's isolated economy, with trade booming since the invasion and hitting $240 billion in 2023, according to Chinese customs figures.

US President Joe Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan, however, appeared to take issue with some of Shapps's comments.

He said the possibility that China might "provide weapons directly -- lethal assistance -- to Russia" had been a concern earlier, but that "we have not seen that to date".

The United States did though have a "concern about what China's doing to fuel Russia's war machine, not giving weapons directly, but providing inputs to Russia's defence industrial base", he added.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin put on a strong show of unity during a meeting in Beijing earlier this month.

Xi said in a statement following talks with Putin during his visit that the two sides agreed on the need for a "political solution" to resolve the war.

THE Bantay Konsyumer, Kalsada, Kuryente (BK3) group pressed the Senate to prioritize the passage of two bills designed to curb online piracy.

The group in a statement said these bills would help address internet scams.

The BK3 noted that there is a need to review and update existing laws in relation to these cases, specifically the law creating the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines.

"We believe that the existing laws are no longer effective to protect the creations or inventions of Filipino inventors," BK3 said.

It lamented that online piracy continues, adversely affecting the creative industries in the country and resulting in revenue losses.

"Our lawmakers must act now and swiftly as there is a need to update this almost 30-year-old Intellectual Property Code," the group said.

"The creative industries are not just losing money but talent because some of them have started to leave and this might lead to the creative industry's demise," the group warned.

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) said earlier that due to online piracy, the country has lost $781 million in 2022 and if the problem remained unaddressed, the revenue loss would increase up to $1 billion.

Last month, Senator Mark Villar, head of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, conducted a hearing on Senate Bills 2150 and 2385 which seek to amend the Intellectual Property code.

The passage of these bills would protect the creative industries and solve the issues on online piracy, the senator said.

(UPDATE) Beijing - China on Thursday launched two days of military drills to surround self-ruled Taiwan in what it said was "strong punishment" for the island's "separatist acts."

The war games come after Lai Ching-te was sworn in as Taiwan's new president this week and made an inauguration speech that China denounced as a "confession of independence."

Communist China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to bring the island under its rule, by force if necessary.

Thursday and Friday's drills involve military aircraft and naval vessels surrounding the island to test their combat capabilities, China's People's Liberation Army announced.

Taiwan responded quickly to China's announcement on Thursday morning, saying it had deployed sea, air and ground forces to "defend freedom".

"The Ministry of National Defence strongly condemned such irrational provocations and actions that undermine regional peace and stability," it said.

China has previously branded Lai a "dangerous separatist" who would bring "war and decline" to the island.

On Tuesday, it warned of strong reprisals to Lai's inauguration speech, in which he vowed to continue to build up Taiwan's defence capabilities.

"In face of the many threats and attempts of infiltration from China, we must demonstrate our resolution to defend our nation," said Lai, 64.

'Kill independence'
The drills, which began at 7:45 am (2345 GMT Wednesday), are taking place in the Taiwan Strait and to the north, south and east of the island, PLA Eastern Theater Command Naval Colonel Li Xi said.

They serve as a "strong punishment for the separatist acts of 'Taiwan independence' forces and a stern warning against the interference and provocation by external forces", Li said.

As the drills -- dubbed "Joint Sword-2024A" -- were launched, commentary on state Chinese broadcaster CCTV declared them "a powerful disciplinary action" against Taiwanese separatism.

China's military put out a series of posters touting what it called its "cross-strait lethality". They featured rockets, jets and naval vessels next to blood-stained text.

One showed rockets being fired at an island, while another showed tanks emerging from the sea.

"The weapon aimed at 'Taiwan independence' to kill 'independence' is already in place," it declared.

'Strong message'
Beijing, which split with Taipei at the end of a civil war in 1949, regards the island as a renegade province with which it must eventually be reunified.

Relations have plunged in recent years as China has stepped up pressure on the democratic island of 23 million people, periodically stoking worries about a potential invasion.

"(China) clearly feels it needs to send a very strong message to Lai and anyone who supports him", analyst Bill Bishop wrote in his influential Sinocism newsletter.

"I would be surprised if this new exercise is smaller and less threatening than any last year," he said.

The last time China announced similar military exercises around Taiwan was in August 2023 after Lai, then vice president, stopped over in the United States on a visit to Paraguay.

Those drills also tested the PLA's ability "to seize control of air and sea spaces" and fight "in real combat conditions", according to state media.

Beijing at the time described them as a "stern warning".

They followed April drills that simulated the encirclement of the island, launched after Lai's predecessor Tsai Ing-wen met then-US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

China also launched major military exercises in 2022 after Nancy Pelosi, then the speaker of the US House of Representatives, visited Taiwan.

World powers are keen to see as much stability as possible between China and Taiwan, not least because of the vital role the island plays in the global economy.

The Taiwan Strait is one of the world's most important maritime trade arteries, and the island itself is a major tech manufacturer, particularly of vital semiconductors -- the tiny chips used in everything from smartphones to missile systems.

The United States switched its diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979 but remains the island's most important ally and supplier of military hardware.

US President Joe Biden has said he does not support Taiwan's independence but also that he would back sending forces to defend the island. The official US position on intervention is one of ambiguity.

The low pressure area (LPA) spotted east of Mindanao will likely enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and develop into a tropical depression to be named Aghon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

Weather specialist Aldczar Aurelio said the LPA was estimated some 1,080 kilometers east of southeastern Mindanao.

"Based on Pagasa's analysis, the LPA would likely enter PAR today (Thursday)," the Pagasa forecaster said.

"Its (LPA) movement would be re-curving as the LPA would pass through eastern Visayas before it passes through the eastern section of Luzon," he added.

Once it intensifies into a tropical depression, the weather disturbance will be named Aghon, the first storm in 2024.

In the meantime, Pagasa said the country will continue to experience hot weather due to the easterlies which will also bring isolated rain showers or thunderstorms in Metro Manila and the rest of the country.

PASSENGERS flying out of Clark International Airport will soon enjoy the convenience of checking in at SM City Clark before heading to the airport. This initiative is part of a collaboration between the Department of Transportation, SM Supermalls and various stakeholders to enhance the travel experience.

The city check-in facility is a result of a memorandum of understanding signed by key players in the aviation and tourism industries, including the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, Department of Tourism-Region 3, Clark Development Corp., Clark International Airport Corp., Luzon International Premier Airport Development Corp., Premier Central Inc., and Plaza Premium Lounge Clark International Airport Inc.

Passengers flying out of Clark International Airport can soon enjoy a smoother and more relaxed travel experience. The city check-in facility at SM City Clark allows them to check in for their flights before even reaching the airport.

This eliminates pre-departure stress and frees up valuable time for passengers to explore the mall's offerings. Whether grabbing a bite to eat, doing some last-minute shopping or simply relaxing before their flight, passengers can make the most of their time at SM City Clark.

The establishment of the city check-in facility at SM City Clark demonstrates the power of collaboration between government agencies, aviation authorities and the private sector. This initiative is expected to boost tourism in the region and contribute to a more positive travel experience for passengers.

To know more about government partnerships, visit www.smsupermalls.com or follow @SMSupermalls on social media.

MANILA Philippine – Chelsea Anne Manalo of Bulacan was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2024 during the pageant's coronation night on Wednesday. The event, which took place at the Mall of Asia Arena, extended into the early hours of Thursday, May 23.

Manalo triumphed over 52 other contestants of the Miss Universe Philippines and succeeded Makati's Michelle Dee, who concluded her journey in the Miss Universe 2023 in the Top 10.

She becomes the first black Filipino-American representative of the Philippines at Miss Universe which will be held this year in Mexico.

First runner-up goes to Stacey Daniella Gabriel of Cainta, while Maria Ahtisa Manalo of Quezon Province is 2nd runner-Up. Third is Justine Tarah Marie Valencia of Baguio, and Taguig's Christi Lynn McGarry is 4th runner-up.

During the Top 5 Question and Answer segment, Manalo was asked, "You are beautiful and confident. How would you use these qualities to empower others?"

The 25-year-old Filipino-American beauty answered, "As a woman of color, I've always faced challenges in my life. I was told that beauty has standards, but for me, I have listened and always believed in my mother. To always believe in yourself. Uphold the vows that you have in yourself. Because of these, I am already influencing a lot of women who are facing me right now. As a transformational woman, I have 52 other delegates here with me who helped me become the woman I am."

This year's competition marked the first time candidates were selected through local pageants under the Accredited Partners Program. The roster also includes candidates representing overseas Filipino communities, with no age restrictions for participation.

The coronation night was hosted by Alden Richards, Miss Universe 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel, and American TV personality Jeannie Mai with backstage updates and commentary from Gabbi Garcia and Tim Yap.

Special performances featured drag queen Marina Summers, OPM band Lola Amour, and Thai actor Win Metawin.

MANILA, Philippines -- The House of Representatives adjourned session sine die on Wednesday night, closing its second regular session.

The adjournment will last until late July 2024 when the third regular session opens on July 23—the day of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s third State of the Nation Address.

Under the 1987 Constitution, the Congress is mandated to convene once a year on the fourth Monday of July for its regular session unless another date is fixed by law.

The Constitution also mandates the president to address the Congress at the opening of its regular session.

The second regular session started on July 24, 2023.

"All these legislative measures that we had approved are not merely words on paper; they embody our commitment to the welfare of every Filipino ...", House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said in a speech on Wednesday before the adjournment.

Among those he mentioned were Republic Act (RA) 11959 (the Regional Specialty Centers Act), RA 11965 (the Caregivers' Welfare Act), RA 11984 (No Permit, No Exam Prohibition Act), and RA 11962 or the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act.

Also in his speech, Romualdez said that the House's social welfare initiatives "are designed to uplift marginalized communities and ensure equitable access to resources."

"Our work in this session has been driven by a clear and compelling mission. Our focus: national security and economic transformation, which are key to improving the living condition for all Filipinos," he said.

"This holistic approach underscores our commitment to safeguarding our nation while fostering economic growth and ensuring that every Filipino experiences a tangible improvement in their quality of life," he said.

Also, Romualdez said that the House "passed critical measures on sovereignty and defense to enhance our national defense capabilities."

"Another equally crucial matter that requires our ongoing effort is the economic stability and growth of the nation. To sustain our impressive economic growth, we have enacted fiscal measures and created a stable economic environment conducive to long-term prosperity by ensuring improved revenue collections and prudent spending," he said.

He mentioned RA 11976 or the Ease of Paying Taxes Act.

Also in his speech, Romualdez mentioned RA 11954 or the Maharlika investment fund law.

"This is a significant step towards attracting high-impact investments that will drive economic growth and create jobs for our people," he said.

Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Thursday, May 23, 2024.

Today's episode is brought to you by Wilcon Depot, The Philippines' leading home improvement and construction supplies retailer—your Trusted Building Partner.

BANNER: Ex-Wescom chief says he made no secret deal

THE former commander of the Western Command (Wescom), Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos, told the Senate Wednesday that he did not make any secret deals with China on a "new model" to manage resupply missions to Filipino troops on Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal. Testifying before the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, Carlos — who is at the center of a wiretapping scandal — admitted receiving a phone call in early January from a Chinese military attaché whom he identified as "senior Col. Li." But he said that the supposed agreement on a "new model" to handle the Ayungin situation was never part of their conversation, which lasted only about three to five minutes. Carlos, who was relieved as Wescom chief only recently, said Li had initiated the call and that he did not allow anyone to record their conversation. Carlos declined to discuss the matter publicly and said he would reveal this in a closed-door meeting or an executive session. Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian, who was invited to the hearing, was a no-show. The Chinese Embassy did not reply to media queries on why it did not send any representative to the wiretapping inquiry. The embassy on May 7 released the supposed transcript of the taped conversation between Carlos and Li, which showed that the former Wescom head agreed to the said new model to address the sea row.

Old school calendar returns in SY2025-26

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the country's gradual return to the old June-to-March academic calendar by school year 2025-2026. As part of the transition, school year 2024-2025 would begin on July 29 this year and end on April 15, 2025, Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said Wednesday. The President met with Vice President Sara Duterte, who heads the Department of Education (DepEd), to discuss the two options for SY 2024-2025. The first option comprised 180 school days with 15 in-person Saturday classes, while the second option was to have 165 school days with no in-person Saturday classes. Both options would end the SY on March 31, 2025. However, the President said the 165-day school calendar was too short as this would significantly reduce the number of school days and contact time, which may compromise learning outcomes. He also did not want students to go to school on Saturdays to complete the 180-day school calendar because it would jeopardize their well-being and demand more resources. As a compromise, Marcos said instead of ending on March 31, 2025, DepEd should adjust the SY to end on April 15, 2025, to enable students to complete 180 days without using Saturdays to go to school.

Senators question 'love child' explanation

SENATORS on Wednesday expressed exasperation over the repetitive answers provided by Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, whose identity has come under question because she could not provide basic details about her childhood. As the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality resumed its inquiry into Guo's identity and her possible links to illegal online gambling operations in her town, Sen. Raffy Tulfo asked the mayor if she was willing to take a lie detector test to address her conflicting statements. Tulfo and other senators seemed skeptical about Guo's claim that she was raised and hidden away on a farm because she was the love child of her father and a domestic, who left when she was young.

First couple hosts dinner for senators

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos hosted a "casual dinner" for senators on Tuesday in Malacañang, a day after the change of leadership in the Senate. Senators and their spouses attended the dinner documented in a photo the first lady shared on her official Instagram account. Most of those who attended were senators who backed newly installed Senate President Francis Escudero, who replaced Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri on Monday.

Even unborn babies tagged for sale online

EVEN unborn babies are being scheduled for sale online, the executive director of the National Authority for Child Care (NACC) said Wednesday, just a week after police arrested a woman and her agent for trying to sell an 8-day-old boy on the Facebook marketplace. NACC executive director Janella Estrada said her agency, attached to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), is monitoring some 40 Facebook profiles that are being used to illegally sell babies online. In a press briefing Wednesday, Estrada also said they were actively engaging with social media providers such as Facebook to monitor accounts, pages and groups involved in these illegal activities.

'No border tightening' amid new Covid threat

THE Department of Health (DoH) on Wednesday said it would not recommend border restrictions amid the resurgence of Covid-19 infections in neighboring Singapore. The new Covid variants, known as FLiRT, triggered the surge in cases in Singapore that surpassed the 25,000 mark for the period of May 5 to 11. Currently, KP.1 and KP.2 make up over two-thirds of the cases in the city-state. The resurgence of the disease has resulted in high demand for at-home testing kits among Singaporeans. Herbosa advised the public to get tested for Covid-19 when their respiratory distress last longer than five days, adding the number of Covid-19 infections in the country was still very low.

DoLE: consultations of NCR wage hike set

ROUGHLY 1.1 million minimum wage earners in Metro Manila are expected to get another round of increase this year in their current 610-peso daily pay. This pay hike prospect emerged after the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) announced on Wednesday the May 23 and June 4 schedule for public consultations for the labor and business sectors regarding the next round of wage increases in the National Capital Region (NCR). After the consultations, a public hearing will follow, initially set for June 20.

BUSINESS: Timing of BSP cuts uncertain – analysts

Topping business, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will still likely start cutting interest rates this year, but the timing has become more critical given the peso's recent decline, analysts said. The currency fell to an 18-month low of 58.27 pesos against the dollar on Tuesday, and the central bank's having signaled a readiness to start easing, to the extent of moving ahead of the US Federal Reserve, was said to have been a factor. Following the drop, Security Bank Corp. chief economist Robert Dan Roces said, "it may be early days to ascertain if they push through with tapering before the Fed ... this will be a function of how stable or volatile the exchange [rate] will be." The peso recovered some ground on Wednesday, strengthening by 21 centavos to 58.06 pesos to the greenback. However, it remains at a level last prevalent nearly two years ago, at the height of aggressive tightening by the Fed. The BSP has downplayed the decline and said that Tuesday's drop was in line with other currencies weakening against the dollar, but added that it was also ready to intervene if needed.

SPORTS: Alas Pilipinas begins AVC Cup campaign

Over to sports, Alas Pilipinas begins its AVC Challenge Cup for Women campaign against Australia at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum today. Led by coach Jorge Souza de Brito and team captain Jia de Guzman, the Filipinos face the Aussies at 6 p.m. Australia, ranked 10th in Asia and 59th in the world, was playing its first game of the tournament against Taiwan at press time on Wednesday evening. The debuting Philippines, on the other hand, is 12th in Asia and 63rd in the world. With the home team hastily formed, captain and main setter de Guzman stressed the importance of communication for Alas that could somehow mitigate their short preparation for the tournament.

Opinion and editorial

Antonio Contreras and Yen Makabenta are today's front page columnists. Contreras looks into the country's "misplaced Sinophobia", while Makabenta thinks the Senate is a barrier against constitutional reform.

Today's editorial has a wish list for the Senate under the leadership of new Senate President Francis Escudero. Read the full version in the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.

For more news and information, read The Manila Times on print, subscribe to its digital edition or log on to www.manilatimes.net. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and LinkedIn; and be part of our communities on Viber, Telegram, and Mastodon.

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will still likely start cutting interest rates this year, but the timing has become more critical given the peso's recent decline, analysts said.

The currency fell to an 18-month low of P58.27 against the dollar on Tuesday, and the central bank's having signaled a readiness to start easing, to the extent of moving ahead of the US Federal Reserve, was said to have been a factor.

Following the drop, Security Bank Corp. chief economist Robert Dan Roces said, "it may be early days to ascertain if they push through with tapering before the Fed ... this will be a function of how stable or volatile the exchange [rate] will be."

The peso recovered some ground on Wednesday, strengthening by 21 centavos to P58.06 to the greenback. However, it remains at a level last prevalent nearly two years ago, at the height of aggressive tightening by the Fed.

The BSP has downplayed the decline and said that Tuesday's drop was in line with other currencies weakening against the dollar, but added that it was also ready to intervene if needed.

"It seems monetary officials aren't concerned, recognizing the strength of the USD (US dollar) as the main cause and with the peso reacting as with regional currencies," Roces noted.

ING Manila Bank senior economist Nicholas Antonio Mapa said the BSP would continue to prioritize keeping inflation under control.

"Whether or not we will see rate cuts in August or October, it appears that the worst could be over for the local market, with central banks easing sometime in 2024 and bonds likely finally enjoying a recovery after months of battling uncertainty," Mapa said.

"As for the PHP (Philippine peso), depending on the timing of the BSP cut, we could see the spot market taking its cue from the general USD direction, although we remain wary of becoming the first emerging market central bank to ease policy rates ahead of the Fed," he added.

Easing monetary policy before the US central bank does could make local interest rates less attractive and weaken the peso. The currency's plunge in 2022, when it hit a record low of P59 against the dollar, came as the BSP did not initially match the Fed's tightening spree.

The BSP's benchmark rate currently stands at 6.5 percent — the highest since 2007 — following rate hikes totaling 450 basis points beginning in May 2022. The federal funds rate, meanwhile, is at an over 20-year high of 5.25-5.5 percent after 525 basis points of increases.

Local monetary authorities maintained the rate unchanged for a fifth consecutive meeting last week, but indicated the possibility of easing starting as early as August due to an improved inflation outlook.

Fed officials, on the other hand, have said that rates could remain higher for longer as US inflation has yet to reach target, Cuts are expected to only begin in September.

THE peso strengthened on Wednesday, but remained at the P58 to the dollar level, and concerns over its direction continued to weigh on the stock market.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index fell for a second day, shedding 26.44 points, or 0.4 percent, to 6,607.22. The broader All Shares index also dropped, by 0.33 percent, or 11.82 points, to 3,523.95.

The peso, which fell to an 18-month low on Tuesday, strengthened by 21 centavos to P58.06 against the dollar.

It opened trading at P58.15:$1 and ranged from P58.06 to P58.235. Volume reached P1.292 billion, lower than the P1.620 billion recorded in the previous session.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort attributed the gain to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) having said that it could intervene in the foreign exchange market to mitigate excessive volatility.

The last time that the peso breached the P58 level was on Nov. 8, 2022, when it closed at 58.275 against the greenback. It had fallen to a record low of P59 against the dollar a month earlier following aggressive rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve (Fed).

BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr. has downplayed the decline, saying the peso had moved in tandem with other regional currencies. Analysts, however, have said that his statements last week that the BSP could start cutting rates ahead of the Fed had factored in the peso's plunge.

Claire Alviar, research associate at Philstocks Financial Inc., said the weakening of the Philippine currency could have adverse effects on the economy, including the "upward pressure it may exert on inflation if this trend persists."

Regina Capital Development Corp. Managing Director Luis Limlingan, meanwhile, said investors had stayed on the sidelines while awaiting the minutes from the Fed's April 30-May 1 meeting.

Market participation was weak, resulting in a thin value turnover of P4.76 billion.

Sector indices had mixed results: services had the biggest gain of 0.9 percent while property dropped the most by 1.39 percent.

Decliners outnumbered advancers, 111 to 82, while 50 were unchanged.

THE implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 11981, or the Tatak Pinoy Law, were signed on Wednesday and officials expressed hope that implementation of the law's implementation would increase the country's competitiveness.

"Tatak Pinoy is a crucial step toward growing, expanding and developing Filipino products and services," Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said.

"Through this law, we aim to address current challenges and improve the productivity and competitiveness of industries in the Philippines in the global market," he added.

The Department of Trade and Industry has allocated P350 million to implement the law this year. Allocations for succeeding years will be provided through the General Appropriations Act.

Signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Feb. 26, 2024, the Tatak Pinoy Law aims to enhance Philippine industrialization by improving the productivity and competitiveness of local industries.

"We aspire to produce higher quality products and services, and integrate them into the global value chain," Pascual said.

Countries that have done so tend to achieve faster growth, he added.

As part of the law's implementation, the Trade Department will launch the Center for Artificial Intelligence Research in June or July.

Trade Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba said they were in the process of designing the center's program and list of participants.

A budget of around P75 million has been allocated for the project, the bulk of which will go to data scientists.

"We can't move forward without an AI strategy," Aldaba said, adding that "AI is the future; that's why we're investing."

"If there is no Tatak Pinoy, it's difficult ... We will really be left behind."

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Progress in the US Federal Reserve's (Fed) fight against inflation "likely resumed" last month, a senior bank official said Tuesday, adding that additional rate hikes were probably unnecessary.

Consumer inflation ticked lower in April, providing Fed policymakers with some good news following an uptick in the first quarter that had led some officials to question whether to cut rates at all this year from their current two-decade highs.

"The inflation data for April suggests that progress toward two percent has likely resumed," Fed Governor Christopher Waller told a conference in Washington, referring to the US central bank's long-term 2-percent target.

"One month does not constitute a trend, but this data suggests that policy is doing its job to moderate aggregate demand, which will support renewed progress in lowering inflation," added Waller, a permanent voting member on the Fed's rate-setting committee.

"Central bankers should never say never, but the data suggests that inflation isn't accelerating, and I believe that further increases in the policy rate are probably unnecessary," he said.

Waller's more positive tone will likely be welcomed by the financial markets, which have been digesting a series of less positive outlooks from Fed officials since the inflationary uptick began.

On Monday, Fed Vice Chairman for Supervision Michael Barr — another permanent member of the bank's rate-setting committee — said that recent data had not given him the "increased confidence" he needed to support easing monetary policy.

Waller sounded a more optimistic note Tuesday — but with some notable caveats.

"While the April inflation data represents progress, the amount of progress was small," he said, adding: "The economy now seems to be evolving closer to what the Committee expected."

"Nevertheless, in the absence of a significant weakening in the labor market, I need to see several more months of good inflation data before I would be comfortable supporting an easing in the stance of monetary policy," he said.

THE National Food Authority (NFA) recorded a higher rice inventory in May following its decision to raise palay (unmilled rice) buying prices.

Since the approval of the higher buying price, the NFA has purchased 2.41 million 50-kilo bags as of May 15. This is higher than the 142,244 bags between January 1 and April 15.

"I think the NFA Council's strong understanding of NFA's challenges has resulted in stronger collaboration. We thank Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. and the Council for this," NFA acting administrator Larry Lacson said.

He added that the new price scheme is "really the game changer."

Last month, the NFA Council raised the procurement price per kilo of palay to P23 to P30 for clean and dry palay from P19 to P23.

Meanwhile, the buying price for fresh and wet increased to P17 to P23 from P16 to P19, respectively.

This measure has allowed the NFA to compete with private traders and build up its buffer stock. NFA started buying palay at higher prices on April 17.

As of the start of the year, a total of 2.5 million bags of palay have been procured by the agency. This represents 82.76 percent of the 3.08-million target for the period.

"We're still aiming to hit that target since there are other areas like Bulacan where farmers haven't completed their rice harvest," said Lacson. He added that farmers are also happy with the initiative.

As of May 15, the NFA said that its volume of milled rice has reached a total of 111,720 metric tons (MT), up 14.6 percent from the same period last year. Lacson said the rice stocks would have been higher if not for disbursem*nts for assistance to El Niño-affected areas.

Last week, the NFA asked for a procurement budget worth P16.3 billion for next year to purchase target rice stocks and upgrade storage capacity.

Under the Rice Tariffication Law, NFA is mandated to maintain a buffer stock equivalent to about 9 days of national rice consumption.

The NFA receives an allotment worth P9 billion for palay procurement, with an assumed procurement price at a maximum of P23 a kilo.

Under the DA's proposed budget in 2025, the NFA is to receive P24.85 billion, a 77-percent increase from this year's budget of P14.03 billion.