Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Thursday, October 10, 2024.
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READ: Marcos at Asean: Follow law in SCS
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday reiterated his call for adherence to international law amid China’s continuing aggressive actions in the South China Sea. Speaking to reporters, Marcos said he had raised the issues on the South China Sea during the interventions at the 44th and 45th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit and Related Summits in Vientiane, Laos. The President’s statement came a day after the Philippine Navy confirmed reports that Chinese vessels fired water cannons at two ships of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) delivering supplies for Filipino fishermen in Scarborough Shoal, which Manila calls Bajo de Masinloc.
READ: China tells PH to stop ‘intruding’ on Scarborough Shoal
THE China Coast Guard (CCG) on Wednesday urged the Philippines to stop “intruding”‘ into Huangyan Island (Scarborough Shoal), insisting that the area is within China’s jurisdiction. In a statement shared by the Chinese Embassy in Manila, Liu said, “On Oct. 8, Philippine ships 3001 and 3002 insisted on intruding into the waters near China’s Huangyan Island without the Chinese government’s permission.”
READ: US offers AI to counter Chinese aggression
THE Philippines is gearing up for a long-term collaborative effort with the United States, focusing on the integration of cutting-edge technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), to combat aggression from China, among others. This was disclosed by Joe Wang, a senior advisor for the Washington, D.C.-based Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), in an interview with The Manila Times Tuesday evening. Wang, together with SCSP Vice President and Chief of Staff Angela Arriola Ponmakha and SCSP Associate Director for Foreign Policy Channing Lee, just concluded a strategic three-day visit to Manila. During their visit, the delegation engaged with multiple Philippine government bodies, including the Department of National Defense (DND), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of Science and Technology (DoST), and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), to explore the intersection of technology, security and economic cooperation. The SCSP delegation and Philippine government officials explored several critical topics during their meetings, including regional geopolitics and security. As the Philippines continues to navigate a delicate balance between relations with the United States and China, SCSP’s discussions included the roles of both nations in regional security. According to Wang, both sides examined how emerging technologies, such as AI and cybersecurity tools, are reshaping defense strategies in the Indo-Pacific region. He said they also discussed with Filipino officials the technology priorities for the Philippines. Wang said conversations addressed the country’s key technological needs, including bolstering its digital infrastructure, enhancing cybersecurity resilience and promoting STEM education. Both sides also tackled the possibility of future partnerships, considering the SCSP has a history of establishing strategic partnerships with global institutions.
READ: Ateneo ranks first among PH universities in world
THE Ateneo de Manila University, for the third straight year, ranked first among institutions in the Philippines in the annual Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. According to the 2025 edition released on Wednesday, Ateneo ranked in the bracket 1,001–1,200. Based on THE’s World University Rankings “Five Pillars,” the Ateneo ranked 744th globally in teaching, 1,673rd in Research Environment, 928th in Research Quality, 1,501st in Industry, and 1,511st in International Outlook. Five other Philippine higher education institutions — the University of the Philippines (1,201–1,500 bracket), De La Salle University, Mapúa University, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, and the University of Santo Tomas (all bracketed 1,501+), also made the ranks, with 15 universities listed as reporter status, which are universities who submitted data but did not rank.
BUSINESS: Remolona sees room for ‘calibrated’ easing
Headlining business, slowing inflation has given the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) room to pursue a measured easing of monetary policy, its top official said. In an interview with Global Finance magazine that came out on Tuesday, central bank Governor Eli Remolona Jr. said even if some risks materialize, inflation would average 3.3 percent this year, 2.9 percent in 2025 and 3.3 percent the year after that, within the 2.0- to 4.0-percent target range.
SPORTS: Obiena: I don’t compete with my friend Caloy
Over to sports, Ernest John “EJ” Obiena falsified the stories which allegedly claim he has a feud with fellow Filipino Olympian Carlos “Caloy” Yulo. Obiena took to his social media pages on Wednesday to set the record straight, saying he and Caloy have been good friends and will continue to be.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta and Danton Remoto are today’s front page columnists. Contreras talks about the country’s party-list system, Makabenta looks into military bases on the West Philippine Sea, while Remoto discusses The Discomfort Zone.
Today’s editorial weighs in on the Commission on Elections’ social media plans for the upcoming polls. Read the full version in the paper’s opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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