PH, China set more talk lines

PBBM to envoy: Taiwan, WPS statements ‘might be misinterpreted’

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said some of the pronouncements that have been made recently on various issues by the Philippines and China “and many other countries might be misinterpreted” as he welcomed visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, the Philippines’ top diplomat expressed his concern to Qin over escalating tensions in waters around Taiwan, the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

“As to the conflicts, we agreed to establish more lines of communications so that any event that occurs in the West Philippine Sea that involves China and the Philippines can immediately be resolved,” Mr. Marcos added in a statement from the Presidential Communications Office last night.

“So, we are currently working on that and are awaiting the Chinese response and we are confident that these issues would be worked out that would be mutually beneficial for both our nations,” the President added.

Mr. Marcos said it was “really useful” that he was able to speak to Qin “so we can talk directly to one another and iron things out,” adding the meeting was “very useful, very productive.”

“We were able to talk things a little bit through, make plans for the future, continue to work on growing the relationship between the Philippines and China, not only in the economic field but in the cultural and educational and other exchanges,” the President said.

Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo met Qin as the two countries seek to deepen economic ties while also managing their bitter dispute over islands in the strategic South China Sea, the DFA said in a statement after the talks.

“Secretary Manalo reaffirmed the Philippines’ adherence to the One China Policy, while at the same time expressing concern over the escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait,” DFA said.

n By MARICEL V. CRUZ

THE Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) is expected to come up with an El Niño Alert starting next month as the likelihood of the weather phenomenon lasting from June until the first quarter of 2024 has increased.

This developed as the National Water Resources Board on Saturday told the public to begin conserving water and use it correctly amid El Niño, which is characterized by below-normal rainfall that can lead to dry spells and drought.

Meanwhile, water service interruptions will be experienced in several parts of Caloocan and Quezon City from April 24 to May 1 due to network maintenance, the

Maynilad Water Services, Inc. announced on Saturday.

“We are expecting by next month, May, we will raise the El Niño ‘Watch’ status to ‘Alert’ status,” said PAGASA Climate Impact Assessment and Application Section Climatology and Agrometeorology Division chief Marcelino Villafuerte at a news forum.

Villafuerte said an El Niño Alert status

Marcos on Earth Day: Let’s fight climate change

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has urged the public to participate in the global action against climate change in celebration of International Mother Earth Day.

“Our administration remains fully supportive of environmental programsand policies,” he said, noting these were in the Climate Change Commission PH Facebook account. The Department of Budget and

Management on Saturday also called on fellow government agencies to intensify climate change planning and programming, as the world observes Earth Day.

Meanwhile, the Climate Change Commission said that by “investing in our planet, we can take concrete steps toward mitigating the effects of climate change. This includes implementing sustainable practices, reducing our carbon footprint and promoting conservation efforts.”

The social arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines(CBCP) also joined the call for the government to declare a climate emergency.

According to Fr. Antonio Labiao, Caritas Philippines executive secretary, they call on the government to take action on how to address the effects of climate change. Vince Lopez

Magnate Oscar Lopez passes away, 93

OSCAR Moreno Lopez, the patriarch of the Lopez clan that owns media giant ABS-CBN, has passed away at the age of 93.

Lopez was chairman emeritus, chairman and chief executive officer of Lopez Holdings Corporation and First Philippine Holdings Corporation, which he headed for almost 25 years before stepping down in 2010 to serve as its chairman emeritus. He also served as a director of ABS-

CBN Corporation which is part of the Lopez Group, and served as chairman of the Lopez Group Foundation, and was chairman and president of the Eugenio Lopez Foundation, which administers the Lopez Museum and Library. He is survived by eight children, including Federico “Piki” Lopez, the chairman and CEO of First Philippine Holdings, and several grandchildren.

Welcome To

MANILA. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. welcomes Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang to Malacanan Palace on Saturday after the envoy met his Philippine counterpart, Enrique Manalo, who expressed Manila’s concern over tensions in the Taiwan Strait. PPA, DFA photos

The differences over the South China Sea should not prevent Manila and Beijing from seeking ways to manage the maritime rows Manalo added after meeting his Chinese counterpart at the Diamond Hotel in Manila.

“Our leaders have agreed that our differences in the West Philippine Sea are not the sum (or) total of our relations,” Manalo said. AFP