UNEMPLOYMENT RATE STEADIES IN JUNE; JOB QUALITY IMPROVES

MANILA - About 2.99 million Filipinos were jobless in June as the Philippines' unemployment rate remained steady at 6 percent coming from May, the state statistics bureau said Monday.

In May, the unemployment rate was also at 6 percent, but there were 2.93 million workers who were counted as jobless, the Philippine Statistics Authority said.

Although the rate was unchanged, employed individuals in June 2022 rose by 508,000 compared to May, said National Statistician Dennis Mapa.

While the jobless rate remained steady, June had a higher number of employed people because more people entered the workforce.

The unemployment rate in June was also an improvement from the same month in 2021, which was 7.7 percent, equivalent to 3.77 million who were jobless.

Meanwhile, the underemployment rate, which counts workers who seek more jobs or work hours, settled at 12.6 percent in June, equivalent to 5.89 million.

June's underemployment rate was also an improvement compared to May's 14.5 percent or 6.67 million and June 2021's 14.2 percent with 6.41 million, the PSA said.

The employment rate for June 2022 was at 94 percent, equivalent to 46.59 million, the PSA said.

Sectors which registered high growth include industry, agriculture and services sectors.

Employment also grew across all sectors, particularly in the industry, agriculture, and services sectors amidst the easing of restrictions.

The labor force participation, or those part of the labor market, is at 64.8 percent in June, or equivalent to 49.58 million. This is higher than May's 64 percent or 49.01 million.

Compared to June 2021, over 1.5 million Filipinos joined the labor force in June 2022, data showed.

PINOY NURSES IN US ARE ‘ANGELS,’ BLINKEN TELLS PRESIDENT

US State Secretary Antony Blinken hailed Filipino nurses in his country for their work ethic, describing them as “angels” in the United States.

“There are not so many angels in the world. But if there are angels in the United States, among the angels are the Filipino nurses who are caring in so many ways all throughout our country for our fellow Americans,” Blinken said during his courtesy call on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday.

Blinken, who left Manila for South Africa on Saturday night, was joined by US Ambassador MaryKay Loss Carlson,

Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, Director of the Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff Salman Ahmed, Spokesperson Ned Price, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Thomas Sullivan, and Political Counselor Brett Blackshaw.

Blinken stressed that Filipino nurses have demonstrated “profoundly touching” compassion, something his own family has experienced.

“And I have to tell you, I have felt that in my own family with different experiences in the past. And that, on a most human level, is profoundly touching,” Blinken told Marcos.

For his part, Marcos said the dedication of Filipino healthcare workers around the world “is a value that we should be very proud of.”

“We are so terribly proud of our healthcare workers, the doctors, and nurses, the Filipinos who have been working in the United States and the way they performed in the face of COVID,” he said.

“We were here watching them and saying again that we Filipinos are playing a global role in combating this pandemic,” he added.

Blinken also said Washington is proud to be Manila’s partner in diverse global issues, including efforts to fight COVID-19 and the need to address climate change.

“We have been proud to be your partner in working on that and protecting all our people. Whether it’s climate and the need to deal with that existential challenge or whether it’s the impact of all these new technologies on the lives of our people,” Blinken said.

LACUNA THANKS BLINKEN FOR US AID

MANILA — Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna thanked US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as the city received pandemic assistance from the United States on Saturday.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Lacuna expressed appreciation for the pandemic aid given to Manila by the United States government.

Lacuna joined Blinken and Department of Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire during the handover of personal protective equipment, testing and hygiene kits at the Manila Zoo.

According to the city government, Manila is among the beneficiaries of the $33 million US aid to the Philippines at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

OVER 3,200 AFTERSHOCKS RECORDED AFTER LUZON EARTHQUAKE: PHIVOLCS

MANILA — Hundreds of aftershocks have been recorded since a major earthquake struck northern Luzon, the state seismological agency said Monday.

Of the 3,235 aftershocks, some 977 were plotted while 63 were strong enough to be felt, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in its latest advisory.

The magnitude of the aftershocks ranged between 1.4 and 5.1, the agency added.

A 7-magnitude earthquake rocked Abra province on July 27 and its impact was felt as far as Metro Manila.

Eleven people were reported killed and 574 others were injured in the powerful tremor, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Over 34,000 houses were damaged while 600 others were destroyed, the agency said.

Damage to infrastructure, which include roads, health and government facilities, and cultural sites, was estimated at P1.5 billion. Agricultural damage has also been estimated at P55.9 million.

Half a million people or 136,000 families were affected in the quake across 3 regions in Luzon, the NDRRMC added. More than 53,000 people are still displaced nearly 2 weeks since the earthquake struck Abra.

NIA: MAGAT DAM RELEASES WATER AMID HEAVY RAINS

Magat Dam in Isabela released water on Sunday due to heavy rains in Luzon.

A spillway gate was opened at 2 p.m. to release 200 cubic meters or about a thousand drums of water every second.

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) as dam manager said the allowable amount of water released was safe.

This developed as the southwest monsoon or “habagat” will continue to affect Central Luzon, southern Luzon, the Visayas, and the western section of Mindanao, the state weather bureau said.

As of Sunday, Magat Dam’s water level was at 188 meters, just 2 meters short of its 190-meter spilling level.

The management advised residents living on the riverside to take extra measures to ensure their safety, such as avoiding fishing and other activities near the river.

On Saturday, Bustos Dam in Bulacan released excess water amid continuous rains in the area. It released 226 cubic meters of water per second.

Bustos Dam’s spilling level is at 17.20 meters.

Due to rains, the water elevation rose to 17.40 meters above sea level.

PHILIPPINES' GROSS INTERNATIONAL RESERVES DECLINE TO $98.8 BILLION IN JULY: BSP

MANILA - The Philippines' gross international reserves (GIR) level slightly declined to $98.8 billion as of the end of July, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas showed.

Reserves were at $101.98 billion in June, also a decline from $103.65 billion in May, according to previous central bank data.

The latest GIR level represents a more than adequate external liquidity buffer equivalent to 8.3 months' worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income, the BSP said in a statement.

It is also about 6.9 times the country's short-term external debt based on original maturity and 4.5 times based on residual maturity, it added.

"The month-on-month decrease in the GIR level reflected mainly the National Government’s (NG) foreign currency withdrawals from its deposits with the BSP to settle its foreign currency debt obligations and pay for its various expenditures, and downward adjustment in the value of the BSP’s gold holdings due to the decrease in the price of gold in the international market," the BSP said.

BSP Governor Felipe Medalla earlier said the reserves serve as the country's "safety net" for any unexpected global headwinds.

The "hefty" GIR level earlier helped the Philippines respond swiftly to the COVID-19 pandemic, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said.

‘F2F CLASSES TO BOOST RECOVERY’

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said a successful resumption of face-to-face classes later this month will boost economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic as businesses around schools revive and parents get to go back to work while their children are in school.

In his weekly vlog uploaded Saturday, Marcos enjoined local government units (LGUs) to be more aggressive in their COVID-19 vaccination and booster drives to ensure the safety of everyone, especially students, once Academic Year 2022-2023 starts Aug. 22.

But a group of teachers called on the Department of Education (DepEd) to extend the current school break to give educators more time to prepare for the opening of face-to-face classes.

Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) national chairman Benjo Basas said they met with Vice President Sara Duterte, concurrent secretary of the Department of Education, who ruled out postponing the start of classes but asked them to document their request anyway.

'MAID IN MALACAÑANG A MALICIOUS ATTACK ON NUNS'

THE Conference of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (CMSP), an organization of Catholic church leaders, condemned the movie "Maid in Malacañang" for putting all Catholic nuns in a bad light.

The group said that portraying Carmelite nuns playing mahjong with President Corazon Aquino at the height of the nation's political crisis is reprehensible.

The film, now showing in cinemas, is a depiction of the last 72 hours of the President Ferdinand E. Marcos and his family in the presidential palace before fleeing to Hawaii in 1986, during the height of the People Power Revolution.

CMSP Co-chairmen Fr. Elias Ayuban, CMF and Sr. Cecilia Espenilla, OP lambasted the movie as "a malicious attack on the integrity of the nuns and an affront to all consecrated women and harms the unity of the Church at large."

Ayuban and Espenilla said they "express our solidarity with the maligned nuns, who are our fellow consecrated persons, in their cry for truth and fairness."

They said the movie, produced by Sen. Maria Imelda Josefa "Imee" Marcos and directed by Darryl Yap, was a misrepresentation of the truth.

"We are one with the Church and the nation in building unity based on truth. Thus, we call on each one to be discerning and critical not just about this film, but in all aspects of communication media," they said.

"To tell the truth, to stand for the truth, and to defend the truth is a moral imperative in a society where fake news, disinformation, misinformation, and peddling of lies become normal and natural," Ayuban and Espenilla said.

MARCOS SETS POLICY FOR POLICE IN VISIT TO CAMP CRAME

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will make his first official visit to Camp Crame, the headquarters of the Philippine National Police, on Monday for the 121st Police Service Anniversary.

The 227,000-strong police force is expected to receive orders and policy guidance from Marcos.

The event will commemorate the founding of the former Philippine Constabulary, the country’s first insular police force, on Aug. 8, 1901.

As commander-in-chief, Marcos will present awards and citations to outstanding PNP units and personnel. He will be assisted by Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. and Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., the newly installed PNP chief.

Azurin is the 28th PNP chief and the first under Marcos. He will serve until April 24, 2023, when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56.

He said the anniversary will highlight the PNP’s peace and security framework.

THE REST

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PHILIPPINES RECORDS 4,621 NEW COVID-19 CASES, 18 NEW DEATHS

MANILA — The Philippines recorded 4,621 new COVID-19 cases, data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed on Sunday.

This is fourth straight day that the number of new COVID-19 cases exceeded 4,000, said ABS-CBN Data Analytics Team head Edson Guido.

The total number of COVID-related deaths in the country has reached 60,807, after 18 new deaths were also reported.

The number of people currently positive for the coronavirus stood at 37,805, while total recoveries are at 3,705,343.

The country's total confirmed COVID-19 cases climbed to 3,803,955.

RETAIL PRICE OF WHITE ONIONS HITS P400 A KILO

As the cost of refined sugar hit P120 per kilo, the retail price of white onions soared to P400 a kilo, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Monday, August 8, 2022.

It is by far the highest price increase for the bulb.

Based on the latest monitoring of the DA, the price for a kilo of white onions ranges from P270 to P400 in various markets in Metro Manila.

At Pritil Market in Manila City, white onions sell for P380 to P400 per kilo.

In a text message to The Manila Times, Agriculture Undersecretary Kristine Evangelista said that supply of white onions was low.

"We have shortage in the supply," Evangelista said.

Months ago, the price of white onions was lower than the red bulbs.

Evangelista said that many farmers prefer to plant red onions, resulting in the limited supply of white onions.

She said that the DA is coordinating with the onion growers to encourage them to shift to white onions.

HEADS UP! ANOTHER ROUND OF PRICE ROLLBACKS SET ON AUG. 9

MANILA - Kerosene, gasoline, and diesel prices will see another round of price cuts this week, oil firms announced Monday.

Adjustments will reflect on Aug. 9, Tuesday.

PILIPINAS SHELL

• Gasoline P2.10 per liter rollback

• Kerosens P2.55 per liter rollback

• Diesel P2.20 per liter rollback

PETRO GAZZ

• Diesel P2.20 per liter rollback

• Gasoline P2.10 per liter rollback

CLEANFUEL

• Gasoline P2.10 per liter rollback

• Diesel P2.20 per liter rollback

One of the key priorities of the administration of President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr is to reduce dependency on imported fuel and the improvement in energy production from alternative sources.

2-3 STORMS COULD AFFECT PHILIPPINES THIS AUGUST: PAGASA

Pack an umbrella, Kapamilya! It's going to be a rainy Monday as the southwest monsoon continues to affect Metro Manila, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, and MIMAROPA, weather bureau PAGASA said.

PAGASA weather forecaster Obet Badrina said a low pressure area has left the Philippine area of responsibility but has strengthened the southwest monsoon in Luzon.

Two to 3 storms could affect the country before the end of the month, he added.

Weather conditions in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, and MIMAROPA will remain cloudy with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms, which could lead to possible flash floods or landslides. The western section of Luzon will experience moderate to strong winds.

The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

PH BET CAMELLE MERCADO GAINS MISS UNITED CONTINENTS CROWN

Camelle Mercado won the Miss United Continents beauty pageant crown on Saturday in Portoviejo, Ecuador (Sunday in Manila), the second for the Philippines.

The local organization of Miss United Continents congratulated Mercado for her feat, posting on its official social media page: “CONGRATULATIONS!!! MISS UNITED CONTINENTS 2022—CAMELLE MERCADO. We’re so proud of you!!! Mabuhay Pilipinas!”

Before this, Mercado was more famously known for tripping on stage in the evening gown competition of the 2019 Miss World Philippines pageant.

“At that moment I felt embarrassed and discouraged. But while standing up from that fall, I had become stronger. I will always stand tall and continue what I have started,” she said at the Ecuador event.

“Fast forward today, I am spreading my wings again and this time our country, Filipinas, is carved across my heart,” Mercado added.

The Filipina said the pageant was life-changing for her as she beat out Ivanova Velez from the host country, who finished first runner-up.

They were followed by Karen Ortiz from Colombia, Lis Arbelaes from Venezuela, Gretha Matiauda from Paraguay, and Ayram Ortiz from Mexico.

SPORTS

TNT DEF. MAGNOLIA, 93-92 (VIDEO) AUGUST 7 | PBA SEMIS GAME 3

TNT veteran guard Jayson Castro drains the game-winning triple to lift the TNT Tropang GIGA escapes past Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots, 93-92 in Game 3 of their best-of-7 semifinals of the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup on Sunday, August 7 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

JP Erram led the Tropang GIGA in scoring with 22 points on 8-of-17 shooting including three 3-pointers along with 8 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks and 1 assist for TNT's 2-1 series lead. Jayson Castro finished with 16 points, 2-of-4 from behind the arc including the game winning triple with 2.4 seconds remaining.

Mikey Williams with a double-double performance of 15 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds and a steal while Glenn Khobuntin added 15 points and 9 rebounds.

The scores:

TNT 93 – Erram 22 (8reb 3/7 3pts), Castro 16 (6ast), M Williams 15 (10ast 5reb), Khobuntin 15 (9reb), Rosario 8 (2reb 2ast), Pogoy 7 (3reb 3blk), K Williams 7 (7reb), Montalbo 3 (2reb), Reyes 0, Alejandro 0, Gauelas-Rosser 0 (4reb 3ast).

MAGNOLIA 92 – Abueva 18 (6ast 5reb), Sangalang 17 (9reb 4stl 3ast), Barroca 15 (5reb), Dionisio 10 (8reb), Dela Rosa 9, Lee 9 (2/11 fg), Wong 6 (2/3 3pts), Jalalon 4 (7ast 5reb), Corpuz 2 (4reb), Laput 2 (6reb), Escoto 0.

Quarters: 18-24, 47-41, 66-73, 93-92.

SAN MIGUEL DEF. MERALCO, 96-91 (VIDEO) AUGUST 7 | PBA SEMIS GAME 3

San Miguel Beermen escapes past Meralco Bolts, 96-91 in Game 3 of their best-of-7 semifinals of the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup on Sunday, August 7 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

CJ Perez led the Beermen in scoring with 26 points on 10-of-23 shooting including four 3-pointers along with 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals for SMB's 2-1 series lead. June Mar Fajardo finished with a double-double game of 21 points (5/7 fg, 11/16 ft) to go with 16 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Jericho Cruz with a solid game of 15 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists while Vic Manuel added 11 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal.

Semis Game 4 is on Wednesday,August 10, at 3:00pm.

The Scores:

SAN MIGUEL 96 - Perez 26 (3reb 3ast 3stl), Fajardo 21 (16reb 11/16ft), Cruz 15 (2reb 2ast), Manuel 11 (7reb 2ast), Tautuaa 8 (5ast 3reb), Ross 8 (5ast 3reb), Brondial 4 (3reb 2ast), Lassiter 3 (3reb), Enciso 0 (2ast), Herndon 0 (2reb).

MERALCO 91 – Newsome 16 (6ast 4reb), Black 15 (9reb 3ast), Maliksi 15 (3reb 4/7 3pts), Hodge 12 (13reb 4ast), Jose 9 (7reb), Banchero 8 (5ast), Pascual 4 (2reb), Quinto 4, Almazan 4 (5reb), Pasaol 2 (2reb), Baclao 2.

Quarters: 25-24, 46-42, 71-66, 96-91.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

It is ok to question yourself, but never ok to doubt yourself. - Jeffrey Fry