MARCOS SAYS PHILIPPINES TO NURTURE TIES WITH CHINA 'MORE THAN PAST DECADES'

MANILA — The Philippines will take care of its relationship with China “more than it did in the past decades,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on his vlog posted on Saturday evening.

“Ang relasyon ng Pilipinas at Tsina ay patuloy nating pangangalagaan, higit pa sa ginawa natin nitong mga nakalipas na dekada,” Marcos said.

“Para sa interes ng ating bayan, kapakanan ng mamamayan, ‘yan po ang tanging gabay ng pundasyon ng ating polisiya sa pakikitungo sa lahat ng mga bansa, hindi lang sa Tsina,” he added.

Marcos gave the statement shortly after his 3-day trip to China, his first state visit outside Southeast Asia, and his first foreign travel in 2023.

“As the economy of the world and the global economy changes, it will present to us many new opportunities and I believe that if we face those challenges together, and if we take advantage of the opportunities together, it would certainly be of mutual benefit to our two countries,” he said.

“As a matter of fact yung mga meeting namin, karamihan ay lumampas sa oras dahil sinabi ko sayang naman nandito na ako, kailangan lahat ng ating mapagusapan ay paguusapan.

Maging naman si President Xi, sinabi niya na kailangan lahat ng paguusapan ay tapusin natin ngayon para yung ating mga ministers, mga opisyal sa pamahalaan ay alam na nila kung ano ang gagawin nila sa utos nating dalawa,” he added.

Marcos underscored that bilateral relations between the Philippines and China began during the administration of his father and namesake former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

CHINESE BUSINESSMEN EYE INVESTING 'SUBSTANTIAL' $22.8B IN PH: NEDA

Some private Chinese businessmen are interested in placing "substantial" investments in the Philippines, National Economic and Development Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said on Monday.

He said the businessmen are eyeing $22.8 billion in investments in agribusiness, energy and select manufacturing industries such as vehicles and mineral processing, Balisacan said.

“What we’ve heard of Chinese businessmen, the interest to invest a substantial resources in the Philippines. We’re talking about $22.8 billion in various areas,” Balisacan told ANC.

“What we need to do is to facilitate our processes so that they come in quickly and get 2023 starting on the right foot,” he added.

The investments were discussed in 3 roundtable meetings during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s state visit in China last week. Some 40 Filipino businessmen accompanied the president during the visit.

Balisacan said the estimates are separate from government-to-government pledges.

ONION PRICES MAY DROP BY FEBRUARY: GROUP

Prices of onions may drop in February with more farmers expected harvest them starting next week, an agriculture group said Monday.

Speaking with TeleRadyo, Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) President Rosendo So said farmgate prices for onions are currently at P250.

“Ang farmgate, nasa P250, yun ang nakikita natin doon sa area ng Bayambang tsaka Bongabong, yun ang monitoring natin doon sa presyo so far doon sa pulang sibuyas,” he said.

He noted that prices could go down as the onion harvesting season rolls around.

“We hope ‘no na continuous yung ani. Nitong January 15 to third week ang umpisa ng ani ng pulang sibuyas tsaka puting sibuyas. So we expect na dadami itong second to third week of January,” he said.

“Yung presyo siguro more or less nasa P200 ang presyo ng itong buwan na ito, baka by next month, bababa na ng ano, P150 to 170, yun ang tingin natin,” he added.

So said 8,000 to 9,000 metric tons of onions may be harvested in January.

“We hope na ano, next month eh kaya nang umabot ng 20,000 metric tons,” he said.

SENIOR METRO MANILA POLICE OFFICIALS TEST NEGATIVE IN SURPRISE DRUG TEST

MANILA — Senior officials of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) tested negative in surprise drug tests amid a call to cleanse the police force of officers involved in the illegal drug trade.

In a statement, the NCRPO said the urine samples taken on Sunday from 72 third-level officers, including its top cop MGen. Jonnel Estomo, all came back negative in the said surprise test. This was after they filed their courtesy resignations as requested by Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr.

"From the beginning, I am with the PNP leadership in cleansing our ranks of the drug protectors and scalawags. As I formerly said that should there be anyone found to be positive of illegal drugs, he is automatically deemed resigned from the service immediately. Fortunately, none of the officers with me yielded positive results of the test," Estomo said.

He noted that the NCRPO supports Abalos' call to "purge" the police force, describing their recent test results as a "positive indicator."

Estomo also said that surprise random drug tests will be conducted on officers under his watch, in an effort to "eliminate drug-using cops in Metro Manila."

PH CURRENT ACCOUNT DEFICIT AS SHARE OF GDP SEEN TO NARROW BY ONLY 4.7 PERCENT IN 2023

MANILA - Fitch Solutions on Monday said it expects the Philippines' current account deficit as a share of GDP (gross domestic product) to narrow only by 4.7 percent in 2023 from the previous 4.5 percent estimate.

The Philippines is expected to benefit from lower energy prices this year. Remittance inflow is also expected to remain resilient for the year which will support the current account, Fitch Solutions said in a report.

From January to September, the cumulative current account deficit is estimated to have reached 4.5 percent of GDP, the largest in 2 decades, which likely brought the total for the year to 5.2 percent of GDP, Fitch Solutions said.

"Looking ahead, while we expect the current account deficit to narrow due to lower commodity prices and resilient remittance inflows, weakening global demand and sustained high import of capital goods will keep the current account shortfall considerably larger compared to its historical five-year average of 0.5 percent," the report said.

Fitch Solutions said its forecast is in line with government projections.

The report noted that goods export growth in the Philippines is likely to slow to 5 percent in 2023 from an estimated 6 percent growth in 2022 "as the economic recovery in Mainland China is unlikely to offset a broader slowdown in global demand," it said.

It said it expects the US, the Philippines' largest trade partner, to enter a mild recession this year "which could bode poorly for the Philippine exports."

Imports, meanwhile, are expected to remain high with the infrastructure projects to boost demand for imported capital goods, Fitch Solutions said.

Two key risks to the current account deficit are the greater-than-anticipated global economic downturn that could weigh heavily on exports, and the continued Russia-Ukraine war that may push further volatility in select commodity prices, Fitch Solutions said.

PHILIPPINE MILITARY SAYS 'EVERYTHING IS NORMAL' AMID LEADERSHIP TRANSITION

The Armed Forces of the Philippines sought to reassure the public on Sunday that the military remained united, stable, and in high spirits despite its change in command and rumors of resignations in its ranks.

In a new statement, the AFP said the change of command to returning military chief Gen. Andres Centino from outgoing chief of staff Lt. Gen. Bartolome Bacarro went “smoothly.”

Military spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar also told ABS-CBN News it is “business as usual” in camps across the country, adding there was no truth to reports soldiers and other officials were resigning en masse.

AFP Public Affairs Office chief Col. Jorry Baclor backed Aguilar’s statement, saying in a text message: “Morale of soldiers remain(s) very high, wala naman nagbago (nothing has changed).”

On Saturday, both the military and the police denied destabilization rumors following the Armed Forces’ change in command and the Philippine National Police (PNP) going on heightened alert status, purportedly for the AFP’s command turnover, which was later overturned.

The military also belied stories circulating that the police was preparing to respond to destabilization threats in Camp Aguinaldo.

This included reports of helicopters landing and taking off from Malacanang on Saturday night, which neither the PNP nor the Office of the Press Secretary commented on as of press time.

TRASLACION STILL ‘HOLY, MAJESTIC’ WITHOUT ICON

The annual Traslacion, first held on January 9, 2015, has been suspended for the third straight year in 2023 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has infected and killed scores of thousands in this largely Catholic country since March 2020.

The Traslacion—from the Spanish to mean transfer—was replaced nonetheless by a 3-kilometer “Walk of Faith” from the bayside Quirino grandstand to the minor basilica in Quiapo, home to the 17th century life-sized image of the Black Nazarene, built by the Franciscans in 1586 using bamboo and nipa materials and has survived two major fires and the 1945 bombing of the capital in World War II.

Parallel to the suspension, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., himself a Catholic, declared January 9 a special non-working day in Manila to allow devotees to join the Feast of the Black Nazarene activities.

Church officials, who decided on the replacement on January 8, have said “Even without our traditional procession, the Walk of Faith will be added to our schedule of activities in the early morning of January 8.”

Fr. Earl Allyson Valdez, attached priest of the Quiapo Church where the miraculous holy image of Jesus of Nazarene is enthroned, has said the “Walk” involves devotees who will walk from the Quirino Grandstand to Quiapo Church without the image of the Black Nazarene.

“It will be well and organized like a holy and majestic procession with physical distance, the image of the Black Nazarene will not be there, but the attendees are invited to bring candles and small images of the Black Nazarene,” Valdez said.

The Basilica and the local government of Manila have also agreed on the strict enforcement of the wearing of masks by every attendee.

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PALAWAN RESIDENTS REPORT BLASTS, TREMORS FROM ‘METEOR’ FROM SKY

Residents of Bataraza and Rizal towns in Palawan province said they heard an explosion and felt a tremor when an unidentified object fell from the sky on Saturday night.

This came about 10 days after the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines issued a notice to airmen (NOTAM) informing them about the closure of several area navigation (RNAV) routes over the province in anticipation of possible debris drops from the rocket launch by China.

A Super Radyo report on Sunday said that the falling object, which looked like a meteor to the residents, was seen at around 7 p.m. Saturday.

Eddie Bonsato from Bataraza Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) said he saw the falling object which was shaped like a ball. After 15 minutes, he said they heard an explosion and felt the ground shaking.

Rizal MDRRMO’s Anthony Lorenzo said they were still gathering information about it, as they only received reports about the incident from local officials around 9 p.m. Saturday.

Late last month, the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) and the CAAP urged the public to take precautionary measures due the expected falling debris from China’s rocket launch on December 29.

CUSTOMS SEIZES P13.8M IN SHABU

The Bureau of Customs on Sunday seized P13.8 million worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu” from Bangkok, Thailand.

The illegal drugs arrived on Jan. 2 in a parcel labeled as containing “microserver double stairless ceramic.”

Physical examination of the parcel led to the discovery of four pieces of 3-liter stainless sports jugs containing substances wrapped in plastic and aluminum foil.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) confirmed that the substance was crystal meth.

The seizure of the shipment led to the arrest of two claimants from Pasay City, both women, after a joint delivery operation was conducted by PDEA, Bureau of Customs-Port of Clark, and Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

This developed as the government called on senior police officials to tender their courtesy resignations in a bid to cleanse the force of “ninja cops” or those involved in illegal drugs.

Just the day before, more than P1.5 million worth of illegal drugs were seized from a couple during an anti-drug operation in Subic town, Zambales province on Saturday.

DUMARPA JOINS CHR AS NEW COMMISSIONER

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) welcomes the appointment of lawyer Faydah Dumarpa as its new commissioner, but the institution still needs two more officials for its leadership to be complete.

In a statement released on Sunday, the CHR said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Dumarpa’s appointment papers last Dec. 28, which was transmitted to the agency last Jan. 5

Dumarpa will serve until 2029 along with CHR chairperson Richard Palpal-latoc and Commissioner Beda Espres, who were appointed by Mr. Marcos last September.

“CHR looks forward to her future contributions in the policy, protection, promotion, and prevention work of the Commission,” it said.

TROUGH OF LPA TO BRING RAINS TO VISMIN: PAGASA

MANILA -- The trough of a low pressure area (LPA) is expected to bring rains to parts of Visayas and Mindanao on January 9, Monday, according to state weather bureau PAGASA.

PAGASA said cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms are likely over Visayas, Mindanao, Bicol Region, and the southern portion of Palawan including Kalayaan Islands due to the LPA.

Flooding or landslides due to moderate to heavy rains may happen in these areas, said state meteorologists.

Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, the rest of MIMAROPA, Quezon, and Aurora, meanwhile, will have cloudy skies with rains due to the northeast monsoon or amihan.

Metro Manila--where thousands of devotees have gathered to celebrate the Feast of the Black Nazarene--and the rest of Luzon will also face partly cloudy to cloudy skies with light rains due to the amihan.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

'IT’S NOT TRUE': GERALD ANDERSON ON SECRET MARRIAGE WITH JULIA BARRETTO

MANILA, Philippines — Kapamilya actor Gerald Anderson denied that he and girlfriend Julia Barretto are now married.

In an interview with the media after the press conference announcing the partnership between Star Magic and Mavx Productions, Gerald said he and Julia will never tie the knot secretly.

“Oh! Secret!? No, no, come on guys hindi ko gagawin sa inyo iyan. Kapag dumating tayo diyan, there’s nothing to hide," he said.

“At saka hindi na ako sa edad na iyan. Wala na dapat ganyan. So, no, it’s not true!” he added.

Gerald, however, said that Julia is the one he wants to spend his life with.

“Is she the person? Yeah, she’s the person. But you know, knowing me, kapag nangyari 'yun, I want to start a family right away," he said.

“Gusto ko tuloy-tuloy na. So, before that comes, kailangan ano na tayo, I’m in a position na I know na kahit anong mangyari, magiging set 'yung family ko,” he added.

Gerald and Kapuso actress Kylie Padilla star in the film "Unravel," directed by RC delos Reyes.

STAR MAGIC PARTNERS WITH MAVX PRODUCTIONS TO RELEASE 3 FILMS IN 2023

MANILA -- Fate versus faith. Open marriage. Finding a reason to live.

These are the different perspectives on love that talent agency Star Magic is set to offer this 2023 in cinemas as part of its collaboration with production house Mavx Productions, which is behind the Netflix hits "A Far Away Land" and "Doll House."

On Friday, Star Magic and Mavx formally launched the three movies they made starring five Kapamilya stars which will be released this year.

Carlo Aquino, Barbie Imperial, Gerald Anderson, RK Bagatsing and Jane Oineza are bannering the projects alongside Kapuso actress Kylie Padilla.

"Naniniwala ako sa kakayanan ng Mavx to produce a lot of quality programs. Kaya naman 'pag may pini-pitch sa 'min na concept, masigasig din kami magprisinta ng aming artista so we can have good content. Good content and good artists will make a good movie," Star Magic head L:auren Dyogi said at the media conference.

Meanwhile, director RC delos Reyes was beaming in pride as he presented the trailers of the three projects that hope to open discussions on the complexities of love. "Bawat kwento has their own perspective on love," he said.

First to be released is "I Love Lizzy" with Aquino and Imperial, which will open in cinemas on January 18.

The film follows the story of Jeff (Aquino), a seminarian, who visits Albay for a vacation. There he meets Lizzy, popularly known as Madam Oragon in the province, who acts as his tour guide. Jeff's adventures in Albay with Lizzy leads to a deeper connection which puts his journey to priesthood in jeopardy.

Meanwhile, real-life couple Bagatsing and Oineza are starring the steamy movie "The Swing," which has many intimate scenes as the trailer suggested.

The two actors will play a married couple struggling to have a child of their own. Out of frustration, Kevin (Bagatsing) turns to different women to satisfy his sexual desires which Pam (Oineza) eventually finds out.

But instead of splitting up, the couple moves to Switzerland and agrees to have an open marriage setup that results in Pam having an affair with a Swiss man.

The last movie in the partnership is "Unravel" starring Anderson and Padilla. The story tackles mental health issues of Lucy (Padilla) who meets Noah (Anderson) in Switzerland.

Noah convinces Lucy to try different adventures in the foreign land before taking her own life. But in the process, the two find themselves developing feelings for one another and ultimately stops Lucy from her plan.

The collaborations are part of the 30th anniversary of Star Magic.

SPORTS

PBA FINALS GAME 5

Ginebra def. Bay Area Dragons, 101-91

Crowd favorite Barangay Ginebra defeated Andrew Nicholson and Glen Yang-less Bay Area Dragons, 101-91 in Game 5 to take a commanding 3-2 lead in their best-of-7 finals series in the 2022-23 PBA Commissioner's Cup on Sunday, January 8 in front of 21,823 crowd at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Justin Brownlee led the Gin Kings with game-high 37 points on 14-of-22 shooting including five 3-pointers to go with 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 4 blocks. Stanley Pringle Jr. with a solid game of 20 points (7/13fg, 6/9 3pts) including back-to-back clutch three pointers, along with 5 rebounds, 1 assist and a steal while Japeth Aguilar added 12 points (4/7fg, 4/4ft), 6 rebounds, 1 assist and led Ginebra's block party, 11-1, with game-high 6 rejections.

Dragons Import Andrew Nicholson and star guard Glen Yang out indefinitely with ankle injury.

Finals Game 6 in on Wednesday, January 11 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum at 5:45pm. Buy PBA Game Tickets

The Scores:

GINEBRA 101 - Brownlee 37, Pringle 20, J Aguilar 12, Tenorio 8, Malonzo 7, Thompson 7, Standhardinger 5, Pinto 3, Gray 2, Mariano 0.

BAY AREA 91 – Blankley 29, Lam 16, Zheng 15, Liu 10, Ewing 9, Song 5, Zhu 3, Ju 2, Reid 2.

Quarters: 23-24, 54-43, 76-62, 101-91

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but your thoughts about it. - Eckhart Tolle