Impossible dream?
CELEBRITIES, who venture into politics, are not an uncommon sight in the Philippines — and Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao is one of them. In the last three years, politics…
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All shook up
TROUBLE in the Philippine Bureau of Customs has been brewing for months. In April, Pres. Benigno Aquino III sent feelers at a groundbreaking ceremony in Capiz. According to a report…
Accountable
HOW wonderful it is to be a Filipino, in these times. These were the words left by President Benigno Aquino III on his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA)…
Pulled pork
IN A recent series of investigative reports by the Inquirer.net, no less than 28 lawmakers from both houses of Congress – the Senate and the House of Representatives – were…
Con-ass vs Con-con
WHILE President Benigno S. Aquino III still strongly opposes amending the Constitution, advocates of Charter change (Cha-cha) are making their move. Quezon City Rep. Feliciano Belmonte Jr. filed House Resolution…
The best defense
ON July 1, Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III vowed to modernize the Philippine Air Force (PAF) before he steps down in 2016. The president said that a P75-billion fund will…
4th of July
“Immigrants signed their names to our Declaration and helped win our independence.” – Pres. Barack Obama FOR many years, the “American dream” has been shared by people from all corners…
Half the battle
ON Thursday (June 27), the US Senate made a historic move — passing a comprehensive immigration bill through a 68-32 vote and giving hope to 11 million undocumented immigrants, who…
Litmus test
WHEN justice is delayed, is justice denied? This pithy aphorism seems to be fitting for relatives of some of the victims of the 2009 Maguindanao killings. On June 24, activist…
Windows of opportunities possible through arts and culture empowerment
LCF recognizes the power of arts and culture in revitalizing communities (Manila, Philippines, June 24, 2013) — Expanding investment in arts and culture can boost local jobs, generate income for…
Back-to-back
This week, two kababayans made their fellow Filipinos proud. On Wednesday, migrant workers’ rights advocate Susan V. Ople received the 2013 Hero Acting to End Modern-Day Slavery award from US…
Tipped scales
AFTER the tension, which flared after the shooting and death of a Taiwanese fisherman by a member of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on May 9, the Philippines and Taiwan…
Disproportionate?
Based on the latest National Statistics Office (NSO) Labor Force survey released on June 11, the number of jobless Filipinos increased “to a three-year high in April,” reported Philstar.com. “…Unemployment…
Independence Day 2013
THIS week is all color (blue, red, white and yellow) and splendor, as Filipinos all over the world once again gather to commemorate the 115th anniversary of the Proclamation of…
FVR to Fil-Ams: “Forget not our motherland Pilipinas”
“Forget not your motherland and always endeavor to inculcate the Filipino values of sacrifice, valor, patriotism, love of God, country, people and the environment especially to the new generation of…
Ripe for investments
At the 22nd World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia, President Benigno S. Aquino III told businessmen that the Philippines, as the “brightest spark” in Southeast Asia and as “Asia’s…
Internationally known beauty impresario Ferdie Syquia Villar celebrates another year with his forever friends
Life should not be measured not by the number of years, but rather by the love shared with your relatives and friends. These moments are priceless memories — the joy…
Vicious cycle
AS mandated by the Constitution, every individual is entitled to free and quality education. It is a right and not a privilege. From its P2 trillion budget for 2013, the…
The bad, the good and the best
THE past couple of days were most eventful for the Philippines — with the unfolding of a series of both fortunate and unfortunate events. On May 25, at least 14…
Tilapia and Lapu-lapu
Tilapia was in the news lately as a food item that contains “higher levels of potentially detrimental long-chain Omega-6 fatty acids than 80-percent-lean hamburger, doughnuts and even pork bacon.” The…
Internal affairs
DESPITE the Philippine government’s continuous efforts to promote unity and stability in the country, all it took was one insurgence, to bring it back to the drawing board from all…
‘Gates of hell’
UNTIL now, social media is being inundated by opposing feedbacks from Pinoys over best-selling author Dan Brown’s (Da Vinci Code and The Lost Symbol) description of Manila as “the gates…
Collateral damage
“THE government’s wrongdoing should not be shouldered by innocent people,” read a placard held by a young Taiwanese, during a rally on May 19, to support the plight of Filipinos…
Decision 2013
AS OF press time, nine senatorial candidates have been proclaimed by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) as winners of the 2013 midterm polls. The first six who were proclaimed earlier…
Satisfactory
IT is a feat for a country that is infamous for its “dirty politics.” Within two days, ballots were in and results are almost complete in the Philippines’ second automated…
For Pinoys, by Pinoys
On Monday, May 13, the election season will come full circle. As expected, it has become a proverbial non-stop fiesta, an ostentatious display of abundant motorcades, with flurries of campaign…
Fr. James B. Reuter, SJ immortalized in portrait
Fr. James B. Reuter, SJ, a Jesuit beloved by generations of Paulinians from St. Paul Manila, has been immortalized in an oil portrait by award winning Filipina painter, Pamela Isabel…
The Philippine Elite Dancers of New York of New York Conqured the 2013 Multinational Cultural Festival
The top dancers of the Philippine Elite Dancers of New York represented the Philippines at the 2013 Multinational Cultural Festival. The festival was sponsored by the Asian-American Cultural Circle of…