US TRIP YIELDS OVER $1.1B IN INVESTMENT PLEDGES

American companies, including those involved in pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, solar power and business process outsourcing–committed to invest more than $1.1 billion in the Philippines and told visiting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. they were eager to tap the country’s “critical mix of talent and global business service expertise.”

Executives from pharmaceutical and biotechnology leader Moderna, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, told President Marcos they intended to set up a vaccine-making facility in the Philippines during a meeting with Filipino officials at Blair House in Washington DC.

Moderna Chief Commercial Officer Arpa Garay and Senior Vice President and General Manager Patrick Bergstedt said they are set to establish a shared service facility, their third in the world.

Marcos met with the Moderna executives on Tuesday afternoon (Wednesday, Manila time) at the Blair House in Washington DC along with former president and now Senior Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Speaker Martin Romualdez, Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual and Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno.

Moderna plans to begin operations in the Philippines in the second or third quarter of 2023.

At the same time, the President welcomed the plan of Analog Devices Inc. (ADI) to invest $200 million to build a new R&D facility to add to its semiconductor plant in the Gateway Business Park in Cavite.

During a meeting with the President, ADI executives said they have continued to increase the level of technology that’s been introduced, and are setting up a 300-mm Center of Excellence in Cavite, which is doing all of the company’s wafer programs. Established in 1965, ADI is a global semiconductor leader.

Solar company Maxeon, meanwhile, said it will invest some $900 million (P49.8 billion) in solar energy in the Philippines, while American health care services provider Optum will invest some P800 million in medical business process outsourcing (BPO) in the Philippines.

Bill Mulligan, CEO of Maxeon, which operates the SunPower brand in all global markets, said the investment will provide more than 3,000 jobs in the next few years.

John Prince, president and COO of Optum, said the firm is committed to the Philippines and lauded the “strategic partnership that we have for a very long time.”

In March this year, Optum met with the Board of Investments (BOI) to discuss details of their planned new project in Davao and queries on the importation of equipment.

Since 2011, UHG/Optum has invested P5.1 billion in capital expenditure in operating four sites in Taguig, Muntinlupa, Quezon City and Cebu City.

In a separate meeting, the President welcomed the decision of BPO company Atento to set up its first call center in the Philippines at the Iloilo Business Park in Madurriao, Iloilo.

Meanwhile, an organization of prominent Filipino and American civic and business leaders vowed greater cooperation and partnership in the development and Philippine economy.

US, PH AGREE ATTACK ON RESPECTIVE COAST GUARDS IN S. CHINA SEA TO TRIGGER MUTUAL DEFENSE TREATY

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III on Wednesday night (Philippine time) assured President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. that Washington will always support Manila on issues surrounding the South China Sea, as tensions continue in the disputed waters.

Austin hosted Marcos at The Pentagon tackling recent developments on expanding and modernizing bilateral defense cooperation "in support of a vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region and rules-based international order shared by both countries," said Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder.

The Pentagon said Marcos and Austin reaffirmed the two countries' commitments under the Mutual Defense Treaty, which now covers "their respective Coast Guards in the Pacific, including anywhere in the South China Sea."

This was based on the Bilateral Defense Guidelines, established on May 3 by Acting Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez and Austin, a fact sheet showed.

Article V of the 1951 treaty originally states that any armed attack on either of the US and Philippines' armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific, will trigger the agreement.

"President Biden has made clear our commitment to the defense of the Philippines is ironclad. And let me tell you once again that our Mutual Defense Treaty applies to armed attacks on our armed forces, coast guard vessels, public vessels, or aircraft in the Pacific including anywhere in the South China Sea," Austin told Marcos in his speech.

"So, make no mistake Mr. President, we will always have your back in the South China Sea or elsewhere in the region," he added.

For his part, Marcos said this development heeded the "call of the times."

"And the call of the times unfortunately is asking for us to meet these challenges — new challenges that perhaps we have not faced before," he said.

The President cited the importance of his previous meeting with US Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as his visit continued exchanges they have started.

OVER 100 CHINESE MILITIA SHIPS LINGER IN JULIAN FELIPE REEF: COAST GUARD

MANILA — Over a hundred Chinese maritime militia vessels lingered in the Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea over a week after they were first spotted in the area, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Wednesday.

"With regard [to the] Chinese maritime militia that we documented last April 22, 'yung more than 100 — the number still remain. There is still more than a hundred Chinese maritime militia in Julian Felipe," said Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG's spokesperson for West Philippine Sea.

The PCG also spotted 2 Chinese Coast Guard vessels in Ayungin Shoal in its latest monitoring, Tarriela said in a public briefing.

Philippine marines are stationed in a run-down navy ship grounded at the Ayungin Shoal to assert Manila's territorial claim in the waters. The shoal is located some 100 nautical miles off Palawan and is also near Mischief Reef, where China has been building various structures for years.

Describing China's "persistent radio challenges" against PCG vessels, Tarriela said, "Tinatawagan nila ang Philippine Coast Guard at sinasabing tayo ang nag-iintrude sa waters nila, at they are directing us to depart, leave immediately sa maritime features na pinapatrolan natin."

"We are not going to be threatened, our presence will still be there. The Armed Forces of the Philippines and PCG vessels and aircraft will continuously patrol our West Philippine Sea," he said. .

MR. MARCOS, DELEGATION OFF TO LONDON TODAY FOR CORONATION OF KING CHARLES

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and their family are leaving the United States today to proceed to London for the Grand Coronation of Britain’s King Charles III slated on May 6, joining other world leaders and dignitaries.

The First Family’s trip, following the President’s five-day official visit to the US, is in response to the invitation sent by the United Kingdom to Mr. Marcos as relayed by UK Ambassador Laure Beaufils.

In a statement, Malacañan Palace confirmed the President had accepted the invitation for his attendance at the coronation of the new British sovereign. It was still unclear at presstime who in the presidential entourage to the US would accompany the Marcoses to London as well.

The coronation will be held at Westminster Abbey on Saturday (Sunday in Manila), the Presidential Communications Office said.

The PCO said Mr. Marcos and the First Lady accepted the invitation of the Master of the Household, upon command of His Majesty, to a reception at Buckingham Palace on May 5 ahead of the coronation of King Charles and Her Majesty the Queen Consort, Camilla Parker-Bowles.

A trip to Indonesia soon follows for Mr. Marcos as he attends the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.

PHILIPPINES IMPROVES TO 132ND PLACE IN 2023 PRESS FREEDOM INDEX

MANILA — The Philippines climbed 15 spots in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, which described the Filipino media as "extremely vibrant despite the government’s targeted attacks and constant harassment" since 2016.

The country ranked 132 out of 180 countries, and had a global score of 46.21, according to the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in its report released Wednesday, World Press Freedom Day.

The media watchdog noted that the election of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as president in June 2022 was "unsettling" for most Filipino journalists because of his father and namesake's dictatorial regime.

While there have been fewer verbal and violent attacks against journalists since Marcos Jr became president, they are still worrisome, the RSF said.

It noted that during former President Rodrigo Duterte's term, journalists were harassed more, especially those critical of his administration then.

"During Duterte’s term, Congress refused to renew the ABS-CBN network’s franchise in 2020, leading to the closure of dozens of radio stations and TV channels. Several news websites, such as the Altermidya network sites, were also the targets of cyberattacks by pro-Duterte trolls, which could lead to their suspension," the RSF said.

The Philippines is still one of the world’s deadliest countries for journalists, it emphasized, despite a presidential task force on media security which "has proved unable to stem the vicious cycle of violence against journalists."

"At the regional level, many journalists are the targets of threats and lawsuits, while women journalists are subjected to specific gender-based threats – threats of rape, cyber-harassment, disclosure of personal details and so on," the RSF said.

FOREIGN FIRM PUSHED TO RUN NAIA

MANILA — There are no legal impediments in having a foreign company with a solid track record run the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), which has been consistently ranked as the world’s worst airport and was hit by another major power outage this year, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said yesterday.

The six-hour power interruption at NAIA Terminal 3 on Monday forced flight cancellations. The NAIA last had a similar incident on Jan. 1.

Zubiri said Meralco pointed out that there was no power surge on Monday but the power cables at the airport were over 30 years old and could no longer bear high electric loads.

“I think if they can’t run it efficiently, then they should be replaced by competent people or even better. Why don’t you get an internationally known airport operator to run the airport, without fear or favor? So that if there are politicians trying to create trouble, they can be blocked,” Zubiri told the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.

He said Republic Act 11659 of 2022 or the law that amended the Commonwealth-era Public Services Law allows up to 100 percent ownership of public services, including telecommunications, railways, expressways, airports and shipping industries.

Zubiri cited the company that operates the Changi International Airport in Singapore as a good candidate for running the NAIA.

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COVID POSITIVITY RATE IN METRO MANILA RISES TO 19.7 PERCENT: OCTA

MANILA — Metro Manila's weekly COVID-19 positivity rate rose to 19.7 percent as of May 2, according to pandemic monitor OCTA Research.

OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David said Wednesday night the latest positivity rate or the percentage of tests turning out positive for the coronavirus increased by 7 points from 12.7 recorded on April 25.

"This could go as high as 25 percent," he warned in a tweet.

The World Health Organization recommends a 5-percent threshold for COVID-19 positivity rate.

The hospital occupancy in the capital region, Guido also said, increased to 24.7 percent on May 2 from 22.5 percent on April 25.

MAGNITUDE 5.8 QUAKE HITS NORTHERN LUZON

MANILA — A magnitude 5.8 earthquake rocked parts of northern Luzon Thursday morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

Phivolcs said the quake, which was tectonic in origin, hit off the shores of Maconacon, Isabela at 8:49 a.m.

The quake was felt in the following areas across the Ilocos Region and Cagayan Valley:

Intensity V - Peñablanca, Enrile, and Tuguegarao City, Cagayan

Intensity IV - Batac City, Ilocos Norte

Intensity II - Pasuquin, Bacarra, and Laoag City, Ilocos Norte

Instrumental intensities were also recorded in the following places:

Intensity V - Penablanca, Cagayan

Intensity IV - Gonzaga, Cagayan

Intensity III - Ilagan, Isabela

Intensity II - Casiguran, Aurora; Pasuquin, Laoag City, and Batac, Ilocos Norte; Vigan City, Ilocos Sur; Santiago City, Isabela; Tabuk, Kalinga; Madella, Quirino

Intensity I - Bangued, Abra; Diapaculao and Baler, Aurora; Narvacan, Ilocos Sur; Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya

No damage was expected from the quake, Phivolcs said, but it advised residents of the quake-hit areas to prepare for possible aftershocks.

4 HURT AS MRT-3 TRAIN USES EMERGENCY BRAKES

MANILA — Four people were hurt after a train of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) activated its emergency brakes yesterday morning.

The train’s brakes were applied “to stop a defective index approaching Boni station” at around 9:08 a.m., the MRT-3 said in an advisory.

The defective train ran again after eight minutes “upon intervention by on-board technicians,” the MRT-3 said, but added that the train was later pulled out “for further troubleshooting by the MRT-3 maintenance provider.”

The four passengers received first aid for minor injuries from a private emergency medical firm.

Assistant Transport Secretary Jorjette Aquino, officer-in-charge of the MRT-3, apologized “to all affected passengers for the inconvenience brought about by the incident.”

The MRT-3 did not report any suspension of operations during yesterday’s incident.

NWRB TO CUT WATER FOR FARM IRRIGATION

The National Water Resources Board is suspending water allocation for irrigation starting May 11 in preparation for the next crop season.

NWRB Executive Director Sevillo David Jr. said the suspension of the water allocation is timed with the ongoing harvest season.

"Nag-aani na ang mga magsasaka sa Bulacan at Pampanga. Kapag nag-aani na po, hindi na ganun kalaki ang pangangailangan nila sa tubig para sa kanilang irigasyon," he said in a TeleRadyo interview.

He said the NWRB is cutting down the water allocation for irrigation to 10 cubic meters per second before cutting it off completely after May 10.

"Pagkatapos ng May 10, suspendido na muna ang alokasyon o pag release ng tubig sa Angat Dam. Hihintayin natin yung susunod nilang pagtatanim

sa kalagitnaan ng June," he said.

Cutting down water allocation is also part of NWRB's efforts to conserve water ahead of the impact of the El Nino phenomenon.

State weather bureau PAGASA issued Tuesday an El Niño alert, saying the weather phenomenon characterized by below-normal rainfall may emerge in the coming season (June-July-August).

RAINS IN MORE PARTS OF PH LIKELY AS LPA MOVES CLOSER

MANILA -- More parts of the Philippines will likely be rainy on Thursday due to a low pressure area (LPA) off Palawan, according to state weather bureau PAGASA.

In its latest public weather forecast, PAGASA said the LPA was last seen 130 km southeast of Cuyo, Palawan. It is embedded along the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) affecting Southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Visayas, the Zamboanga Peninsula, Palawan, Romblon, Masbate, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur will have cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms due to the LPA and ITCZ.

Flash floods or landslides due to moderate with at times heavy rains are possible in these areas, PAGASA said.

Meanwhile, Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.

Weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said the LPA, if and when it develops into a tropical depression, will be named "Betty."

The LPA is expected to move westward before exiting PAR, Aurelio added.\

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

'I ACKNOWLEDGE THEM': ELLEN ADARNA SAYS SHE ALREADY MET EX JOHN LLOYD CRUZ'S GIRLFRIEND ISABEL SANTOS

MANILA — Actress Ellen Adarna revealed that she already met her ex-partner John Lloyd Cruz's girlfriend Isabel Santos.

In a report by PEP, Ellen said she's seeing Isabel whenever John Lloyd fetches their son Elias at their home.

"Yes, just 'hi, hello.' Di ba, sinusundo ni John Lloyd si Elias? 'Pag sinusundo ni John Lloyd, then I'll bring him to the car and then she was there," Ellen said.

"We say hi, hello. I acknowledge them," she added.

Ellen said that she wishes John Lloyd and Isabel the best in their relationship for the sake of Elias.

"Be happy for them? Yes, of course, kasi makikita 'yan ni Elias, e," she said.

"Sana naman happy and harmonious din ang relationship nila kasi magiging standard 'yan na this is the loving family, loving couple or mother and father should be like," she added.

SPORTS

MESSI'S PSG FUTURE IN DOUBT AFTER SUSPENSION OVER SAUDI TRIP

PARIS – Lionel Messi's future at PSG was plunged into doubt on Wednesday (Thursday, Manila time) after he was suspended by Paris Saint-Germain after travelling to Saudi Arabia without the club's permission.

A source with knowledge of the disciplinary procedure told AFP that Argentina's 35-year-old World-Cup winning captain, who is out of contract at the end of the season, would be sidelined for "several days", while various media in France reported that he would be suspended for two weeks.

"He cannot train, cannot play, and will not be paid while disciplinary measures are in place," the source added.

Another source, also speaking on condition they were not identified, indicated that the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner would "probably" be sidelined for a fortnight, noting that "nobody is more important than the club".

Messi played the whole game in PSG's 3-1 home defeat by Lorient in Ligue 1 on Sunday.

He then travelled to Saudi Arabia to fulfil commercial commitments in his role as a tourism ambassador for the Gulf state.

The Saudi Tourism Authority said in a press release on Wednesday that Messi had "returned to Saudi for a second time, this time with his family" and had been treated to a demonstration of palm weaving and had fed Arabian gazelles.

As a result of the trip, Messi missed a training session scheduled for Monday following the weekend defeat.

The PSG squad were given a day off on Tuesday and Messi did not take part in training on Wednesday either.

PSG are due to return to league action away at struggling Troyes on Sunday, a game that Messi may now miss.

If he were to be sidelined for two weeks he would also sit out a home match against Ajaccio on May 13.

The disciplinary measures make the prospect of Messi staying in the French capital after his two-year deal expires at the end of this season even more remote.

Having at one point looked set to extend his stay for another year, a source close to the club told AFP last month that he was now "much more likely" to depart.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Give me a stock clerk with a goal, and I will give you a man who will make history. Give me a man without a goal, and I will give you a stock clerk. - J.C. Penny