VICE President Sara Duterte paid a courtesy visit to the executive minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo, Bro. Eduardo Manalo, last October 2 at the INC Central Temple in Quezon City. The visit was reported by INC-run television station NET 25 in its primetime news program on Monday, October 9. PHOTO FROM PNAAccording to the report, Duterte was "warmly received" by Manalo in his office and congratulated her for her work as vice president and secretary of Education. Meanwhile, Manalo also received Deputy Speaker and Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo last October 6 also at the INC Central Temple.

THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) sought the issuance of a precautionary hold departure order (PHDO) against the leader and members of an alleged religious cult in Surigao del Norte on charges filed against them before the Department of Justice (DoJ). They were accused of "violation of Section 4 in relation to Section 6 of Republic Act No. But Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla ordered them transferred to the DoJ for preliminary investigation for security reasons. Clavano said the NBI "adopted the investigation initially conducted by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR). Once a criminal case is filed against the accused, a subsequent hold departure order (HDO) will be issued.

A construction worker was killed after falling off a 4-meter height while working on scaffolding in Yau Ma Tei. The incident happened at around 2 pm at a construction site at To Wah Road, with the worker said to be on cabling work. He sustained head injuries and was rushed to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where he was later certified dead. Police and the Labour Department is currently investigating the incident.

(UPDATE) WITH the historic Asian Games gold medal run in the just-concluded men's basketball tournament, the next question now is will the San Miguel Corp. (SMC) bloc continue supporting the Gilas Pilipinas team in future international competitions? Gilas team manager Alfrancis Chua, who serves as SMC sports director, shared that the first thing all basketball stakeholders will have to do at this point is go back to the drawing board and check their respective schedules. Tim Cone celebrates with members of GIlas Pilipinas AFP PHOTOFor one, the PBA, according to Chua, already made its own sacrifices by taking a five-month break from competition to give way to Gilas' participation in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. The other windows will be held in November 2024, and February 2025 in a home-and-away format. Chua stressed that asking the PBA again to lend its players won't work since the pro league's own tournament will be ongoing at that point.

Xi Jinping and Chuck Schumer agree on the need to improve relations. AFP Xi Jinping attends a bilateral meeting with the US delegation in Beijing. AP Previous NextPresident Xi Jinping said China-US ties would impact the "destiny of mankind," as he met with a group of American senators in Beijing yesterday. Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer is the latest high-level American official to visit China amid tensions between the two countries, leading a six-person delegation. "We have 1,000 reasons to improve China-US relations, but not one reason to ruin them," he added, describing China-US ties as "the most important bilateral relationship in the world."

THE government of Uttar Pradesh, a state in northern India, recently organized the first edition of the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show (Upits) at the India Expo Centre in Greater Noida from September 20 to 25. The Philippine delegation poses at the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show at the India Expo Centre in Greater Noida. Upits was the brainchild of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Yogi Adityanath, who said the local government had always been campaigning for economic prosperity. Adityanath added that Uttar Pradesh ranked second in terms of ease of doing business. "I hope the [Uttar Pradesh] International Trade Show, which is co-organized by the government of Uttar Pradesh and the world-famous India Exposition Mart Ltd., will provide a great business platform to all levels of enterprises in Uttar Pradesh and help them prosper business-wise while also contributing to the state's goal of achieving a US$1-trillion economy in upcoming years," Adityanath said.

(UPDATE) FILIPINO pole vault ace Ernest John "EJ" Obiena believes he has better odds of making the podium of the Paris Olympics next year than what he had at the Tokyo Games in 2021. "I think it's pretty good (podium chances), but there's still a long way to go. 2 in the men's pole vault world rankings as of October 2023. This year saw Obiena reset the Asian record to 6.0 meters (m) in Bergen Jump Challenge in Norway for the gold medal last June. "I don't think there is more expectation of me in Paris than I had in the Asian Games.

7 Pinoys feared held by HamasResidents check the damage following Israeli air strikes in Gaza City early on October 8, 2023. “But as of date, 25 who have signified their intention, informed Post they want to leave Gaza,” the embassy said. According to Ignacio, OWWA personnel fetched Pacheco’s spouse from Cagayan Valley so she could directly get an update on the situation in Israel. DMW, he said, launched a Google survey among Filipinos in Gaza and 281 responded by saying they were safe. Garcia said they have no choice but suspend the registration citing the escalation of violence in Israel and Gaza.

OIL prices rallied while the dollar and yen advanced Monday after Hamas launched a shock attack on Israel at the weekend, sparking fresh concerns about tensions in the Middle East. However, SPI Asset Management's Stephen Innes warned: "Historical analysis suggests that oil prices tend to experience sustained gains after the Middle East crises. "But with Middle East analysts considering this to be a pivotal moment for Israel, the view looks incendiary in any current scenario." The yen, considered one of the safest currencies, strengthened against the greenback, though it still remains locked around 11-month lows. There were also losses in Sydney, Singapore, Manila and Wellington, though Sydney and Jakarta eked out gains.

Poll watchdogs back Comelec’s anti-epal driveCommission on Elections (Comelec), government agencies, and concerned sectors hold a briefing and security command conference for the upcoming Barangay and SK elections (BSKE) at Camp Crame in Quezon City on August 22, 2023. MANILA, Philippines — Just like the Commission on Elections (Comelec), poll watchdogs believe that erring barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) post aspirants can be removed from the list of candidates before election day. Both Caritos and Alvia commended the Comelec’s intensified efforts to run after barangay and SK elections (BSKE) candidates who engage in premature campaigning. The Comelec’s Task Force Anti-Epal has so far filed 82 petitions for disqualification against candidates who engage in premature campaigning. The Comelec has issued 5,169 show-cause orders to BSKE candidates for premature campaigning, of which 1,132 have submitted explanations to the poll body.

“We have written to the PSC of Singapore and Marshall Islands. However, Balilo said the crude oil tanker would not be forced to stay at the anchorage area in Singapore while the investigation is being conducted. There is no definite date when the Marshall Islands would complete its probe and provide the PCG a copy of its report. He is not discounting the possibility that the fishing boat might completely sink underwater, “that is why we need to thoroughly validate” its location and condition. The PCG has two multirole response vessels on standby and ready to be dispatched to assist in the towing of the fishing boat to shore.

Shodoshima, in Kagawa, is a small island in the Seto Inland Sea, with a population of about 30,000. A mild climate and beautiful scenery make it a popular tourist destination with over 100,000 overseas visitors a year, but convenient access meant most visitors came and left the same day. To encourage overnight stays, a group of students at Kagawa University proposed making guest houses out of unused homes in an old part of town that's a fascinating maze of narrow alleys. Their project is now receiving enthusiastic support from the islanders. VIDEO BY MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF JAPANGet the latest newsdelivered to your inbox Sign up for The Manila Times newsletters By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

DHSUD to automate land use and human settlement planningDHSUD said it signed the memorandum of agreement for the development of integrated systems for the automation of land use and human settlement planning with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) over the weekend. MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has agreed to automate land use and human settlement planning to help local government units (LGUs) make communities sustainable. DHSUD said it signed the memorandum of agreement for the development of integrated systems for the automation of land use and human settlement planning with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) over the weekend. Under the agreement, DHSUD Undersecretary Avelino Tolentino III said the system would help LGUs craft data-driven and risk-based measures to effectively carry out zoning, infrastructure development, transportation and other aspects of land use. The agreement was signed in the culmination of the DHSUD’s first-ever Philippine Urban Forum, where stakeholders discussed how to tackle measures to address simple to complex challenges facing the urban development sector.

China increasingly using PLA as instrument of coercion – USUS and Chinese flags are seen before a meeting between US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on July 8, 2023. MANILA, Philippines — China’s People’s Liberation Army is no longer in the background, with Beijing increasingly turning to the PLA as an instrument of coercion in trying to achieve its revisionist aims in the East and South China Seas, according to an official of the United States Department of Defense. US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner said the Pentagon would release the annual China Military Power Report that underscores the agency’s fundamental assessment. “This includes PLA activities in the air and at sea that increase the likelihood of an accident that could spiral into crisis or conflict,” he added. The US defense official pointed out that the PLA is modernizing, but China is using its military tool very much in the background and diplomatically and economically driven in terms of how it is trying to achieve its foreign policy aims.

Two cleaning workers were hit by a fallen tree branch in Happy Valley this morning. A tree on Ventris Road was unable to withstand the strong winds at around 9 am, with its broken branche fell and struck the two cleaners. As of 2.40 pm today, the Fire Services Department and the government's 1823 call centre received a total of three reports of fallen trees. The Home Affairs Department has opened 29 temporary shelters in various districts and 83 people have sought refuge at the shelters. According to the Hospital Authority, as of 2pm, one male sought medical treatment at public hospital during the typhoon period.