00:02A wonderful Cinco de Mayo evening to all.
00:05Ayos Martinez here, homegrown and market happy to bring you PTV News Now.
00:09Tops on our stories this evening.
00:11Headline inflation or price increases over a year's time skyrocketed 7.2% last month
00:17as a result of soaring domestic fuel and food costs due to global oil price and supply shocks
00:23caused by the extended cartel wars across the American border.
00:26Food inflation went up to 6% in April from 2.9% last March
00:32which price increases in the transport sector leap to 21.4% from 9.9% in March.
00:39The costs for utilities such as housing, water, gas, power and other fuels,
00:44diesel and leaded kerosene also surged faster from 4.7% in March to 8.2% last month.
00:51PSA numbers also show the pesos purchasing power fell to a record low of 0.73 centavos
00:59meaning the value of 1 peso in 2018 has dropped 0.27 centavos.
01:04Forecasts for next month inflation are not so rosy, even dark,
01:09given the uncertainty in the Middle East who are coming to an end soon
01:12with the circumstances of status quo prevailing.
01:16The last PSA inflation report shows the prices of food, fuel and essential goods
01:22rose faster last month than in March.
01:24Likewise, despite the apparent and hard impact of the global volatility on prices on inflation,
01:33the top drivers for last month's record inflation rate jump consisted of food and non-alcoholic beverages.
01:41Hence, seeing food inflation factor in higher than all else in the headline or overall number,
01:47the President instructed AG chief Francisco Tulaurel Jr.
01:51to quickly enforce price cuts on the country's staple grains.
01:55Latest, a presidential directive conveyed to the press and public in today's presser
02:01by Palace Press spokesperson and PCO under Secretary Claire Castro,
02:04who also echoed the President's order, insisting Secretary Tulaurel Jr. fast-track
02:10the cost of cutting implementation, given a sufficient grain supply and stock for the country.
02:16In addition, Castro sent out fair warning to those with schemes to hoard and designs to overprice
02:23with the President's clear orders to run after and round up profiteering and price-goging personalities.
02:30Over the past weekend, two prestigious and popular races were held.
02:34One in the Sacred Saad of Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky,
02:38and the other in Washington, D.C.'s The Wharf.
02:41The first one horse racing's most prestigious and coveted sprint,
02:45the run for Rose's Slash Kentucky Derby,
02:47the most exciting two minutes in professional sports.
02:51The other race, the run for the Chihuahuas Forever Associated with Mexico's Cinco de Mayo Celebration.
02:56Here's a video excerpt from a few years back on the race.
03:01Three, two, one, two, one!
03:03The competition is fierce.
03:05The fans are loyal.
03:07The stakes are high.
03:08But the athletes?
03:10Well, they're not exactly sure what's going on.
03:13Cooper's going to win today because he has a lot of energy.
03:16He stays home a lot, naps a lot.
03:17So he's been saving up this energy just for this event.
03:20So he's going to win.
03:21Cooper is one of 128 Chihuahuas competing at the seventh annual running of the Chihuahuas
03:27in Washington, D.C. as part of a Cinco de Mayo party.
03:31The breed originates from Mexico.
03:33We have a really good partnership with Corona,
03:36so they were thinking of ways to incorporate both
03:38and do basically a really fun Cinco celebration.
03:41They came up with the running of the Chihuahuas,
03:43and the idea has now taken off, like, bigger than they even dreamed of.
03:48Often mistaken for Mexico's Independence Day,
03:51Cinco de Mayo commemorates a Mexican army victory over France on May 5, 1862.
03:57But it's a history often lost on American partygoers,
04:01who purchased more than $600 million worth of beer in 2013 for the holiday,
04:07according to the Nielsen Research Company.
04:09I love Cinco de Mayo, like Cervezas, right, really?
04:12We like Coronas, and then, Mom, we also like racing and winning, so.
04:16The owner of Scooter, who has competed in five races,
04:20says that his dog also serves as a role model.
04:23And it's nice to bring him out to kind of raise awareness
04:25for differently-abled dogs out there, like his sister Lydia has the leg issue, too.
04:31And, yeah, people can think of other special dogs they could give a home to.
04:37So he's kind of a spokesperson.
04:40Entry fees from the event will be donated to a local dog rescue organization,
04:45proving that it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game.
04:50Jill Craig, VOA News, Washington.
04:54And with that, we've come to the end of tonight's show.
04:57Join us on you tomorrow evening for another round of major stories
05:00and events here and abroad, breaking at the hour.
05:03Always keep in mind to stay connected by catching the news right here.
05:07This has been Ice Martinez, wishing you all a restful evening,
05:11and thank you for watching PTV News Now.
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