120719 - LA Weekend Edition

Page 1

DECEMBER 7-10, 2019 Volume 29 - No. 96 • 4 Sections – 30 Pages

Number of poor Filipinos down in 2018 Dennis Mapa said that in 2018, a family of five needed at least P10,727 per month to meet both THE number of poor Filipi- basic food and non-food needs. Mapa said poverty incidence nos decreased to 17.6 million in 2018 from 23.5 million in 2015, among Filipino families was estithe Philippine Statistics Author- mated at 12.1 percent from 17.9 ity (PSA) reported on Friday, De- percent in 2015. “This means that 121 out of cember 6. The PSA said the poverty inci- 1,000 families have incomes bedence among the population or low the amount needed to buy the proportion of poor Filipinos their basic food and non-food whose per capita income was not needs,” said Mapa. National Economic and Develsufficient to meet their basic food and non-food needs, was esti- opment Authority (NEDA) Undermated at 16.6 percent last year secretary and Officer in Charge Adoracion Navarro said that povfrom 23.3 percent in 2015. National Statistician Claire erty incidence further dropping by ANNA LEAH

E. GONZALES ManilaTimes.net

USA

DATELINE Philippine Consulate, US Dept. of Labor renew partnership to protect Filipino workers’ rights FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

THE Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles and the United States Dept. of Labor Wage and Hour Division (DOL WHD) Western Regional Office on Thursday, Dec. 5 reaffirmed their ongoing partnership to protect Filipino workers from exploitation. Renewing an agreement first established in 2017, Consul General Adelio Angelito S. Cruz and Regional Administrator of the DOL WHD Western Region Ruben J. Rosalez signed another memorandum of understanding (MOU) as a way to expand resources and promote protective laws for Filipino workers. “We are delighted to renew our partnership with the U.S. Dept. of Labor Wage and Hour Division as we sign this very important document today,” Cruz said at the signing. The MOU signed in 2017 was a two-year commitment to this shared goal of “improving u PAGE A3

Poll: Filipinos see US as top ally, China as greatest threat poll WHILE the Duterte administration has maintained warmer ties with China, majority of Filipinos still consider the United States as the country’s top ally. A survey by Washington-based Pew Research Center found that 64% of Filipinos said they rely on the U.S. as a dependable ally in the future. Only 9% of Filipinos saw China as a dependable ally. The Filipinos’ rating on the U.S. as a dependable ally lowered by 19 points from 83% in 2014. The poll released on Thursday, December 5, also showed that 62% of Filipinos consider China as the greatest threat to the country in the future. Aside from the Philippines, other regional neighbors also saw China as a threat, including Japan (50%), Australia (40%), South Korea (32%) and Indonesia (21%). The same survey found that only 5% of u PAGE A3

showed that the government was on track in meeting the targets set under the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022. “With a poverty reduction rate of 2.23 percentage points per annum, we are not only on track to meet our PDP target of bringing down poverty incidence to 14 percent by 2022. We are also likely to meet the Sustainable Development Goal or SDG target of eradicating extreme poverty as defined by the international poverty line and cutting by half the proportion of the population DAMAGE ASSESSMENT. President Rodrigo Duterte holds a situation briefing on the effects of Typhoon Tisoy at the Legazpi City Convention living below the national poverty Center on Thursday, December 5. The president instructed local government units (LGUs) to submit their reports to the national government line by 2030,” said Navarro. ■ for the immediate release of money for the relief and rehabilitation efforts in affected areas. Malacañang photo by Alfred Frias

Environment chief: PH in the middle of ‘garbage crisis’ by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE Philippines is “in the middle of a garbage crisis,” Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu warned as he urged Filipinos to start being mindful of how their actions impact the environment. “If we continue to act only for our independent interests, continue to spoil our water bodies and fail to responsibly manage our wastes, we will not be able to sustain our efforts on this campaign,” he said during a forum in Taguig City on Thursday, December 5, “We and the following generations will Trash washed up on the shore in Manila Bay as heavy monsoon rains poured and caused floods in Metro Manila. Philstar.com photo by KJ Rosales all suffer the consequences if we do not

change the way we behave as an organization and as individuals,” he added. According to Cimatu, the country’s problem with solid waste needs to be addressed immediately, noting that Metro Manila, with a population of 12.8 million, surpassed the baseline on the volume of solid waste generated this year. “By the first quarter, we have already produced 34,574.77 cubic meters or 59.45 percent of the total,” he revealed. “The 2019 second quarter estimated waste generation sums up to 32,221.17 cubic meters. This amounts to another 55.45 percent of the total. The target estimated u PAGE A3

No new drug czar after Robredo by CATHERINE

VALENTE ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Friday, December 6, revealed that he would no longer appoint a new anti-drug czar as he learned his lesson from Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo’s alleged incompetence. In a television interview, the Chief Executive admitted that he fired Robredo “in my mind” shortly after she began serving as co-chairman of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD). “Nadala na ako. Hindi na ako mag-antidrug czar. ‘Wag na ‘yung czar-czar, that’s actually already adapted like a cliché. Parang cliché ‘yang czar, parang ‘Top Gun’ ng taas (I have had enough. I would no longer

appoint an anti-drug czar. No more czar, that’s actually, that’s already adapted like a cliché, like ‘Top Gun’),” Duterte told CNN Philippines. “Ngayon ko lang nalaman, sabi ko na nga ba, eh, hindi pwede itong si Leni. Ba’t kasi maingay (Now I knew it, Leni couldn’t do it. She makes a lot of noise),” he added. Robredo was appointed as ICAD cochairman on October 31, but was fired on November 24 due to her supposed failure to present anti-narcotics measures. The president said he had appointed Robredo in “good faith,” but the latter opted to use her position as anti-drug czar for “grandstanding.” Margielyn Didal shows her skills during the skateboarding competition at the Tagaytay “It was all in good faith. Sabi ko kasi, Convention Center. ManilaTimes.net photo by John Orven Verdote ganito ‘yun, ‘Kung ganoon ang pagtingin

PH House to give P10-million cash Palace: Poor reading comprehension of Filipino incentives for SEAG gold medalists students a ‘reality’ that must be recognized u PAGE A2

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

Among 79 participating countries, the Philippines scored the lowest in reading comprehension in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), according to the results released Dec. 3, 2019. Philstar.com photo by End Gumban

TO reward Filipino athletes who will take home gold medals at the TO improve the country’s edu- ongoing 30th Southeast Asian cational system, Malacañang on (SEA) Games, the House of RepThursday, December 5, said that resentatives has filed a measure the Filipino students’ poor reading that will reward them additional comprehension is a “reality”that cash incentives for bringing pride must be recognized. and honor to the country. Filipino students ranked last in Resolution 568, which grants at a global survey of reading com- least P10 million to Filipino gold prehension conducted by the medalists in the SEA Games, was Program for International Student filed last Wednesday, December Assessment (PISA) of the Organi- 4, by House leaders led by Speakzation for Economic Cooperation er Alan Peter Cayetano. and Development (OECD). The amount will be deducted In the survey, the students got a from the January 2020 salaries of u PAGE A2 all House members.

“As a concrete manifestation of the commonality of the goal to bring honor and pride to the country, the leaders and members of the House of Representatives deem it proper to deduct individual pledges from their salaries for January 2020 as additional incentives to Filipino gold medal winners in the 30th SEA Games,” the resolution read. “By winning gold medals in their respective sports in the 30th SEA Games and for bringing great honor and pride to the Filipino people, it is but fitting to grant these athletes the additional incentives from the POC (Philippine Olympic Committee) and u PAGE A2


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.