Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Sunday, March 3, 2024.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Wilcon Depot, The Philippines’ leading home improvement and construction supplies retailer—your Trusted Building Partner.
READ: Marcos: Security cooperation with US, Japan doing ‘very well’
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the Philippines’ security cooperation with the United States and Japan was “proceeding very well” — a trilateral partnership aimed at ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, including the disputed South China Sea. The President issued the statement during the farewell call of outgoing Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa in Malacañang on Friday. In his remarks, the President said the Philippines and Japan entered a new phase in their relationship in terms of defense and security, trade and investment, and infrastructure development during Koshikawa’s term.
READ: Makati-Taguig feud worsens after foiled park ‘takeover’
THE feud between the cities of Makati and Taguig escalated further when Makati claimed it foiled an alleged attempt by the Taguig Traffic Management Office to forcibly enter the city’s Park and Garden at Barangay West Rembo on Saturday. In a statement, Makati said the T.M.O. personnel attempted to force their way into the city-owned park but were prevented by security guards and personnel of the Makati Public Safety Department. In Filipino and English, the Makati local government unit said Taguig has “once again proven that it is bent on grabbing property.” It accused Taguig of “land grabbing,” of wanting to “take advantage of the land that doesn’t belong to them and of reaping the benefits that the people of Makati have worked hard for using their taxes.”
READ: Bishop urges govt to recognize church annulment of marriage
A HIGH-RANKING member of the Philippine clergy launched on Saturday a book that explored the possibility of civil courts accepting marriage annulments granted by the Church. Auxiliary Bishop Nolly Buco of Antipolo, the judicial vicar of the National Tribunal of Appeals, a Church office that handles marriage nullity cases in the Philippines, released “Freeing Distressed Couples from Guilt: The Need for State Recognition of the Church’s Declaration of Marriage Nullity” at the Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of the Abandoned in Marikina City.
READ: 7K unlicensed vehicles seized in Feb – LTO
OVER 7,000 delinquent or unregistered motor vehicles were apprehended across the country in February 2024, according to a report from the Land Transportation Office. L.T.O. Chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza 2nd said that aggressive implementation of the “No Registration, No Travel” policy resulted in the apprehension of 7,252 motor vehicles, of which 243 were caught picking up passengers without the necessary permits. Mendoza said that last month alone, a total of 1,653 “colorum,” or unregistered public transportation vehicles, were impounded across the country. These unlicensed P.U.V’s operate without the necessary permits or proper authorization from relevant government agencies, particularly the L.T.O.
BUSINESS: DoF leads G-24 technical meetings
In business, the Department of Finance, which currently sits as chairman of the Intergovernmental Group of 24 (G-24) Board of Governors, recently led the G-24 Technical Group Meetings. In a statement on Friday, the DoF said the technical meetings on February 21 and 22 in Manila aim to tackle global challenges. During the two-day T.G.M’s, strategies to effectively address economic challenges, including climate financing, changes in the global trade regime, domestic resource mobilization and sovereign debt resolution, among others, were discussed.
SPORTS: Terrafirma, NLEX clash for early lead
Over to sports, Terrafirma and NLEX face off on Sunday as both teams gun for a 2-0 start in the P.B.A. Season 48 Philippine Cup action at the Araneta Coliseum. The Dyip and the Road Warriors collide at 3 p.m. With top rookie pick Stephen Holt and Juami Tiongson on the firing end, the Dyip kicked off their All-Filipino campaign with a 107-99 triumph against the Converge FiberXers. Holts delivered all-around numbers of 27 points, 10 rebounds, five steals and four assists, while Tiongson exploded for 30 as the duo led Terrafirma to the big win. Terrafirma coach John Cardel said they can’t be too high on the conference-opening win.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Marlen Ronquillo is today’s front page columnist, as he looks into the 11 undersecretaries of the Department of Agriculture.
Today’s editorial discusses miscommunication in the Commission on Elections. Read the full version in the paper’s opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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