News Roundup 11 September 2022
Sep 11, 2022 • 4 min Read
SWS: Around 2.9 million Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger in Q2 | PHILSTAR.COM – An estimated 11.6% or 2.9 million Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the past three months, according to the latest non-commissioned report by the Social Weather Stations (SWS). The latest estimate, while 0.6 points lower than the 12.2% or 3.1 million families logged in the previous quarter, is still 1.6 points more than the 10% or around 2.5 million families estimated in September last year. The 2.9 million estimate is also 2.3 points more than the pre-pandemic annual average of 9.3% recorded in 2019. “The experience of hunger is highest in Metro Manila at 14.7% of families, followed by Mindanao at 14.0%, Balance Luzon (or Luzon outside Metro Manila) at 11.9% and the Visayas at 5.7%,” the SWS said in a statement dated September 10. SWS said its second quarter survey was done from June 26 to 29, 2022 through face-to-face interviews. Participants for the study totaled 1,500 adult Filipinos aged 18 years old and beyond from across the country, with 300 participants each in Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao and 600 respondents from other Luzon regions.
After Cebu City, Negros Occidental makes face masks optional outdoors | PHILSTAR.COM – The wearing of face masks outdoors is now optional in Negros Occidental province, according to an executive order issued last Friday by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson. “The wearing of face masks in outdoor and open spaces shall be optional for all persons within the territory of Negros Occidental,” the executive order read. However, facemasks will remain mandatory in indoor spaces and in medical facilities. The easing of the mask mandate in Negros Occidental is effective immediately, making it the third area in the country where wearing facemasks outdoors is optional following Cebu City and the province of Iloilo. The order comes just after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. supposedly gave the country’s pandemic task force a “verbal approval” after it suggested to make wearing facemasks outdoors voluntary.
Alex Eala offers historic US Open juniors title to Philippine tennis | INQUIRER.NET – Alex Eala may have reached greater heights after achieving a historic feat, but the 17-year-old remained selfless and humble, offering her US Open girls’ singles trophy to Philippine tennis and her fellow young countrymen, who aspire to play the sport. The Filipino tennis star immortalized herself as the country’s first-ever Grand Slam singles champion, capping her magical run in the US Open Juniors with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over World No.3 Lucie Havlickova of Czech Republic in the final on Sunday (Manila time) in front of her family and Filipino supporters at court 11 of USTA Billie Jean King Center in New York. During the trophy presentation, the 17-year-old opted to speak in Filipino, expressing a powerful message to the Filipino Tennis community. “Buong puso ko ‘ito ipinaglaban. Hindi lang para sa sarili ko, kung hindi para makatulong din ako sa kinabukasan ng Philippine tennis. So hindi lang ito panalo ko, panalo nating lahat,” said Eala, who was unable to hold back her tears. (I fought for this [title] wholeheartedly, not just for myself but to also help the future of Philippine tennis. This isn’t just my victory, it’s our victory.) When the Czech lost the championship match with a backhand unforced error in the second set, Eala was full of emotions as she dropped her racket to approach her opponent for a handshake, celebrated with the crowd in the stands, and ran to her family to hug her parents Michael and former national team swimmer Rizza, and brother Miko, who is also a tennis player, as well as her Rafael Nadal Academy coach Adrien Vaseux. The young tennis star attributed her success to her family and the Rafael Nadal Academy, which honed her skills to excel in international competitions. “Unang una gusto ko lang magpasalamat sa pamilya ko kasi kung hindi (dahil) sa kanila hindi ko talaga ‘to kakayanin. Maraming salamat din sa lahat ng nagdasal at nagsuporta sa akin, sa aking mga sponsors, and of course to my team in the Rafael (Nadal) Academy. Maraming maraming salamat po,” she said. (First of all, I want to thank my family if not for them, I won’t be able to do it. Thank you to everyone who prayed and supported me, my sponsors, and of course my team, Rafael Nadal Academy.) Eala also congratulated Havlickova, the reigning French Open girls’ singles and doubles champion, believing they will meet again in future tournaments. “Of course, congratulations to Lucie. We’ll meet many more times in the future so I look forward to it… This has been such an amazing tournament. I couldn’t be happier,” she said.
