JUST when everyone thought that the worst has passed, another super typhoon is doomed to devastate parts of the Philippines once more. A year after the dreadful Yolanda (international name: Haiyan), a typhoon carrying maximum sustained winds of 195 km/hour and gusts of up to 230 km/hour is bound to hit 66.6 million Filipinos from…
THE Philippine government is more driven to institutionalize good governance and continue walking the “tuwid na daan” (straight path). To achieve this, Presdent Benigno Aquino III vowed to strengthen and rationalize the government’s reform measures in weeding out corruption. “We are working to rid the Philippines of the corruption that has tainted its reputation and…
DESPITE efforts from the current administration to maintain the Philippine economic growth, this year’s 3rd quarter Gross Domestic product (GDP) have decelerated from the previous quarter’s 6.4 percent gain and 7 percent growth posted the same period last year, Moody’s Analytics reported. The financial service company predicts that there would be a 5.9 percent growth….
ATHLETES do more than just represent the flag where they came from. Their presence in every sporting event gives their countrymen hope, self-respect, and to many people—pride in who they are. Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao did just that, when he gave his kababayans another reason to celebrate after prevailing against an undefeated opponent last Saturday, Nov….
THE Philippines is among the top 10 countries with the highest level of terrorist activity in 2013, according to the study released recently by the Institute for Economics (IEP). “Terrorism has increased significantly in the Philippines between 2012 and 2013, with almost twice as many incidents. The number of deaths has also more than doubled in this…
THERE are unresolved cases of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines that have become emblematic of persistent dangers that threaten everyone. The government’s underwhelming efforts to successfully alleviate crimes against members of the media and other social critics have created an environment of insidious impunity. Despite the commitment by authorities and other organizations to find effective…
GLOBALIZATION is slowly taking its toll on countries such as China and the United States, considered two of the largest consumers of fossil fuels that pollute the atmosphere and cause global warming. The consumption of fossil fuels, as evident in the two economic-giants, leads to human health problems caused by air pollution from the burning…
CIVILIZATION is most apparent when people recognize that the world is ruled by principle and not by force. Today’s challenges give an opening to effective means of resolving crises and creating an avenue of working towards a common goal. International relations are regulated by universally accepted and legal norms concerning people’s welfare, security, trade, finance,…
A YEAR ago, the Philippines welcomed an unwanted visitor. Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) with winds up to 235 kilometers per hour and a tsunami-like storm surge ravaged most parts of the country, causing 6,300 lives. Homes, schools, hospitals, churches were destroyed. It seemed that all that was left was hope. The government, in…
ON Tuesday, Nov. 4, San Francisco voters approved Proposition J, a measure that will raise the city’s minimum wage to $15 by July 2018. More than 100,000 are expected to benefit from the measure. “Tonight, San Francisco voters sent a message loudly and clearly to the nation that we can take on the growing gap…
IN most modern societies, politics depend on media for publicity, to encourage supporters and votes. On the other hand, journalists rely on politics to provide them with news to keep their industry alive. Both parties commit to such relationship because of a shared goal—to influence public opinion. But it is a complicated rapport. As observed…
IN recent years, the Philippines has been enjoying a steady economic momentum. Last year, the Philippines finished with a 7.2 percent growth, just behind China’s 7.7 percent. Despite some hiccups caused by natural disasters, the Philippine economy remained as one of the fastest-growing in Asia and was even branded the next Asian tiger economy. According…
THE profound flaw within the Philippine justice system resurfaces as people criticize the government’s response to the alleged murder of transgender Jennifer Laude by an American serviceman in Olongapo City. Military exercises under the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) brought US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton, Jennifer Laude’s alleged killer, to the Philippines. Some described the murder…
WHEN IT comes to travel and leisure, politicking should be set aside. Tourism is an ideal, if not obvious, source of growth for a country teeming with natural resources, renowned cultural heritage sites and human capital to attract and reward visitors. Fortunately for the Philippines, its tourism market remains unbridled despite tensions brewing inside (controversies…
“IF Vice President Jejomar Binay has nothing to hide, he shouldn’t be worried by the National Bureau of Investigation’s probe into allegations that he and his family have amassed ill-gotten wealth.” – Philippine Justice Secretary Leila De Lima. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and its investigating arm, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), recently announced…
IN any business, feedback is an essential tool in determining success. A good businessman would know that for his business to really succeed, he must know what his customer base thinks about his products and services. Since time immemorial, Pres. Benigno Aquino III has made “tuwid na daan” (straight path) as his leadership’s mantra. In…
EVEN the United States, home of one of the best health cares system in the world, is not immune to the deadly Ebola virus, despite prior efforts to block the disease from entering the country. Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian national who came to America to attend his son’s graduation, experienced symptoms of Ebola five…
LAND of the free, home of the brave and a nation of immigrants. In one of his Independence Day speeches, Pres. Barack Obama said that immigration makes America stronger. “Immigration makes us more prosperous. And immigration positions America to lead in the 21st century. No other nation in the world welcomes so many new arrivals….
AFTER weeks of ignoring reports of recruitment by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the southern part of the country, the Philippines has heightened its security in the area. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have deployed more troops in Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-tawi to monitor the alleged recruitment of…
IF Filipinos are to cast their votes on who will be their next president, Vice President Jejomar Binay will be the runaway winner, garnering 31 percent of the votes. Interior and Local Government Sec. Mar Roxas will be lagging behind with only 13 percent. Based on the recent Pulse Asia survey results, Binay still tops…
PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III on Monday, Sept. 22 challenged his administration’s critics to file charges against his allies if they really believe that these officials have been corrupt. “The Ombudsman in particular is ready to investigate complaints, even those coming from anonymous individuals,” said Aquino in response to a question from a Harvard student about…
ON SUNDAY, Sept. 21, 1972 former Philippine Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos declared martial law. For today’s Filipinos, 42 years may seem like another lifetime—a bygone period with sketchy details of what martial law entailed for the people who had to endure it. But for those who lived through the wretched moments of this tumultuous era…
ON Sept. 21, 1972, — 42 years ago — President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law in the Philippines to suppress increasing civil strife and the threat of communist takeover following a series of bombings in Manila. “My countrymen, as of the twenty-first of this month, I signed Proclamation No. 1081 placing the entire Philippines under…
ON Saturday, Sept. 13, Pres. Benigno Aquino III embarked on a four-country swing in Europe and will have final stop in the US. Aside from cementing diplomatic relationships with the European countries, Aquino is expected to address issues related to security and protection of human rights. From Sept. 20-24, the President will be in the…
ON Friday, Sept. 12, President Benigno Aquino III rallied his allies to seek continuous support and trust in their unified goal of a “Tuwid na Daan (Straight Path)” policy. In an “agenda-setting with dialogue partners” at the Malacañang Palace with “fellow reformists,” Aquino slammed critics for politicking this early. The administration, in turn, persists on…
TODAY, there is a seemingly string of criminal incidents where policemen are involved as perpetrators instead of the ones solving them—a scenario you think you would only see in movies. It is an unpleasant picture to see officers you expect to uphold the law and apprehend criminals, as the same people the citizenry should be…
NOT a single cent from the proposed Philippine national budget for 2015 was allocated for plebiscites on Charter change (Cha-cha) and the Bangsamoro political entity, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) confirmed on Thursday, Sept. 4. Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. revealed that the commission had initially requested P36 billion from the Department of Budget and…
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The international group Doctors Without Borders warned Tuesday that the world is losing the battle against Ebola and lamented that treatment centers in West Africa have been “reduced to places where people go to die alone.” In separate remarks after a United Nations meeting on the crisis, the World Health Organization…
IT is business as usual for the second most powerful man in the country. While the controversy about the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall Building II heats up, Vice President Jejomar Binay remains unfazed. Amidst the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s on-site probe on the 11-story building on Monday, Sept. 1, Binay was busy fulfilling his…
ON August 19, former president Fidel Ramos revealed in ANC’s Beyond Politics that there have been intelligence reports concerning the training of about 100 Filipino Muslims in Iraq to become jihadists. “The report has been reaching some of us who re retired people who are knowledgeable about Mindanao is that at least 100 of our…
