While the phrase “sleep is for the weak” has been made popular to denote hard work and dedication, experts would be the first to dispel this notion and actually encourage sleep for better health. “Sleep is a basic human need, much like eating and drinking, and is crucial to our overall health and well-being. Quality […]

FILIPINO boxers Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam have officially qualified for the Tokyo Olympics on Friday by “virtue of their highest standing in their respective weight categories,” according to the Boxing Task Force rankings. Petecio qualified for the women’s featherweight division (57 kg) as did Paalam in the men’s flyweight class (52kg). Association of Boxing […]

Ringo calling! If he wants you to sing, who could say no? LOS ANGELES: Ringo Starr asked for help on the chorus of “Here’s to the Nights,” his most recent song written by Diane Warren, and he recruited quite a choir. Paul McCartney. Sheryl Crow. Dave Grohl. Lenny Kravitz. Joe Walsh. Ben Harper. Finneas. Chris […]

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has insisted that he would not be tried by an international court over alleged human rights violations linked to his administration’s drug war. In his speech during the government assembly on efforts to address the local armed communist conflict in Leyte on Thursday, Duterte said that he was not stupid to let […]

BANKING giant HSBC slashed its Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) growth estimate for this year after factoring in the economic impact of the rising coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections this month. “We recently reduced our real GDP growth forecast for 2021 to 6.3 percent from 6.5 percent implying the economy won’t be back to its […]

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has approved the use of all Covax-donated AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines as first dose for the country’s medical frontliners, his spokesman announced on Friday. In a virtual press briefing, Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea has issued a memorandum on the use of all 525,600 vials of AstraZeneca vaccines. […]

THE Philippine government has signed a tripartite agreement with the private sector, led by business tycoon Enrique Razon and American drugmaker Moderna, for the supply of 20 million doses of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine in the country. Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the National Task Force Against Covid-19 and the country’s vaccine […]

THE Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted the Russian-made Sputnik-V vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) an emergency use authorization (EUA) as it showed an overall efficacy rate of 91 percent. FDA Director General Eric Domingo said the vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology has satisfied the conditions for an […]

Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Friday, March 19, 2021. READ: Serious Covid surge sweeps Metro Manila Metro Manila is in the middle of a “serious surge” in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases, according to the group tracking the pandemic situation in the country. The number of cases in what […]

The main index took cues from the positive performance of the United States markets overnight, enabling it to the end in the 6,600 territory on Thursday. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) gained 0.98 percent or 64.02 points to close at 6,630.85, while the wider All Shares rose 1.02 percent or 40.31 points to […]

The Philippines may incur a lower balance of payments (BoP) surplus this year, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). Data shared by central bank Governor Benjamin Diokno showed on Thursday that the BSP now anticipates a $6.2-billion BoP surplus this year, equivalent to 1.6 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). The […]

Metro Manila is in the middle of a “serious surge” in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases, according to the group tracking the pandemic situation in the country. The number of cases in what is officially designated as the National Capital Region (NCR) jumped by 78 percent from the previous week, OCTA Research noted in its […]

THE Department of Justice (DoJ) was placed on lockdown from March 18 to March 23 due to the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in the area.   Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra issued the order after seven more DoJ employees tested positive for Covid 19, raising the number of infections in the department to 17. […]

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday asked Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go if he does not want to become president. In his speech during the Joint Meeting of the National Task Force and the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict in Eastern Visayas in Tacloban City in Leyte, Duterte again teasingly called Go […]

DEFENDING champion San Juan Knights staved off the Davao Occidental Tigers, 70-65, to tie the Chooks-to-Go Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) Lakan Cup National Finals at 1-1 on Thursday at the Subic Bay Convention Center. Mike Ayonayon led San Juan with 15 points, nine assists, two rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. John Wilson added […]

DEPARTMENT of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) again. “I regret to inform you I tested positive again. Got result just this morning,” Lopez told reporters in a Viber message on Thursday. Lopez said he is in isolation and is asymptomatic. “Will have another test later […]

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Thursday opened its first-ever granulator and brick-making facility to turn waste into by-products. MMDA Chairman Benhur Abalos attended the inauguration of the facility at Vitas Pumping Station in Tondo. “It is my ardent hope that through our initiatives under the Metro Manila Flood Management Project, we will be […]

MANDALAY, Myanmar: A Myanmar construction magnate with links to military rulers claimed he personally gave more than half a million dollars in cash to deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a broadcast on state television aimed at discrediting the ousted civilian government. The statement by Maung Waik could pave the way for more serious […]

THE government will continue to roll out the vaccines against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) despite the reported death of a health worker following an inoculation. Dr. Rommel Crisenio Lobo, vice chairman of the Department of Health (DoH) – National Adverse Events Following Immunization (NAEFIC), said the 47-year-old female patient, who was inoculated with Sinovac […]

A business organization on Wednesday urged the government to permit the private sector to purchase coronavirus vaccines directly from accredited sources to speed up vaccination efforts. In a statement, Benedicto Yujuico, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), said the government should accelerate its vaccine procurement and rollout “to ensure the safety […]

The national government’s fiscal deficit narrowed to P14.1 billion in the first month of 2021 as state spending rose and revenue collections fell, according to the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr). Treasury data showed on Wednesday that the shortfall was smaller than the P302.59-billion deficit in December and a turnaround of the P23-billion surplus in […]

Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Thursday, March 18, 2021. READ: DA probes pork ‘scam’ THE Department of Agriculture (DA) will investigate allegations of some lawmakers that a syndicate would rake in as much as P6 billion in kickbacks from the allocation of meat import certificates under the in-quota Minimum […]

The number of daily Covid-19 cases in the Philippines may jump to 10,000 to 11,000 by the end of March, the OCTA Research Group warned in an interview on the ABS-CBN News Channel. This prognostication came amid new strains of the coronavirus and many Filipinos’ laxity in following health protocols. On March 15, the Department […]

Bonny Serrano Avenue — which is more familiar to some by its old name, Santolan Road — stretches for a couple pf kilometers along the north edge of Camps Aguinaldo and Crame — the headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, respectively — and marks part of the boundary […]

The Board of Investments (BoI) announced on Wednesday that it had approved the application of TRINX Bicycle Sport Technology Corp. (TBSTC) to establish a P356.5-million bicycle plant in Bulacan. In a statement, the Trade department-attached agency said the proposed facility in the province’s Santa Maria town would manufacture road and mountain bikes, foldable electric bikes […]

THE Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is now waiting for the approval of the local government unit (LGU) of Antipolo City to host the upcoming PBA Philippine Cup, which will blast off on April 18, 2021. Asia’s first pro league has pushed back the opening to one week as it changes venue in Antipolo City with […]

SEOUL, South Korea: Fresh off a stop in Tokyo, President Joe Biden’s top diplomat and defense chief traveled to South Korea on Wednesday, a day after North Korea made sure it had their attention by warning the United States to “refrain from causing a stink” amid deadlocked nuclear negotiations. How to get North Korea to […]

MORE than 1,000 curfew violators were apprehended in the city of Manila during the second day of a “unified lockdown” in the city, the local government said on Wednesday. Data from the local government showed that a total of 1,023 curfew violators were reported as of 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday. Of the number, 112 are […]

PHILIPPINE National Police chief Debold Sinas is under fire for allegedly scolding a Lumad student after she invoked her Miranda rights , saying that this “was the start of her path to becoming a member of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) [and] that they will start fighting each other in the mountains in 10-15 […]

THE Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) has directed airlines operating at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to limit the number of passengers arriving in Manila to a maximum of 1,500 per day. The CAB advisory stated that the scaling down of Manila international flights will start on March 18 (at 8 a.m. Philippine time) until […]

‘The Talk’ staying off air after racism talk NEW YORK: “The Talk” will stay on hiatus for another week after a discussion about racism. Co-host Sharon Osbourne reacted angrily during a discussion about her friend Piers Morgan, who said he didn’t believe Meghan Markle considered suicide. Co-host Sheryl Underwood said to Osbourne, “What would you […]

A Filipino health worker who received the first dose of a vaccine for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) died due to complications from the virus and not from the inoculation, the government said on Wednesday. In a statement, the Department of Health (DoH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that the unidentified victim died […]