That’s according to the 2015 rankings by the “Global Peace Index” of 162 countries done annually since 2007 by a panel of international experts in the Institute for Economics and…
I HAVE just read, with extreme fascination, a discussion paper published by Norberto B. Gonzales, secretary of national defense and national security adviser under former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. It has…
ONE of the things we Filipinos living abroad always look forward to and are excited about is the ability to travel back to the Philippines and feel “at home” in…
IS it really more fun in the Philippines? In 2014, the government has recorded 34 million domestic and international arrival and departures at the country’s premier gateway. Despite a “worst…
“No faith is potent unless it is also faith in the future, unless it has a millennial component. So, too, an effective doctrine: as well as being a source of power, it must also…
RODRIGO Duterte fans won’t stop believing, and they have reasons to press forward. Turns out the speculations about the “substitution” theory may indeed happen — popular Davao City mayor “may”…
“GREG, how true!” This was the comment of a friend from Seattle upon reading my piece, “Insights from a small town politician,” particularly the part about the need for “mobilization” (a…
PERHAPS a lot of us Filipinos living abroad would have a collective memory of how “Todos Los Santos” was observed in the Philippines where many of us grew up. This…
A GREAT fight is brewing among four opposing names who dare to covet the highest political rank in the Philippines. While the top presidential aspirants are strong contenders – each…
LINCOLN Chafee, Hillary Clinton, Martin O’Malley, Bernie Sanders and Jim Webb. These five Democrats – these five leaders – took the stage in Nevada last week for the inaugural Democratic Party Presidential…
SOLID fans who adore not only the Pambansang Kamao in Manny Pacquiao but everything else about him will surely not like this question. But this is exactly what the Commission…
Dr. Jose Rizal, a national hero of the Philippines, placed a high value on civic involvement wherever he was, whether it be the Philippines or travelling around the world. He…
ON my recent visit to the Philippines, I found myself sharing a case of beer with the vice-mayor of a small provincial town, along with some of his ward leaders….
IT is very heartwarming to see and hear how very engaged kababayans in America have increasingly been when it comes to what is going on in the Philippines. Despite the…
AFTER the five-day filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs), from October 12-16, the Commission on Election (Comelec) reportedly received 130 applications from Filipino presidential aspirants. As granted by the law,…
SORRY, supporters of Rodrigo Duterte, but the man you think would be the best president the Philippines could ever have at this time will perhaps just be the best President…
Presidential candidate Manuel A. Roxas II spent P257 million on television ads from Aug. 15 to Sept. 15 to push up his ratings in the presidential preference polls undertaken by…
WE probably won’t live long enough to see it, but there could yet be a feature film on Philippine politics, in the tradition that has apparently been established by the…
CALIFORNIA has joined Oregon, Washington, Montana and Vermont when Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill into law that legalizes assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. Beginning January 1, doctors can…
WHAT would you do if you are very sick, suffering from excruciating pain because of an illness that has no cure? What would you do if your days are numbered…
I HAD a chance to watch the movie Heneral Luna with my wife and family members and I was truly impressed with the crowd that it pulled. The lines at SM BF…
THERE may only be three candidates who have officially declared that they are seeking the highest office in the Philippines, but as of press time, it may be (at least)…
TURNING out to be an even more exciting race than the presidency in next year’s elections is the competition for the second most powerful seat in the country between some…
AFTER Senator Grace Poe formally announced her intent to run for president, The Filipino Channel’s daily newscast “Balitang America” asked its viewers: If the Philippine Presidential Elections were to happen…
AS the election season in the Philippines heats up, we see possible tandems forming among those seeking the highest posts of government. Anticipation and excitement are growing, and Fil-Ams are…
JUST when many think America was fast becoming secularized, growing more detached from religion and/or its spirituality amid so many challenges that beset the nation, Pope Francis’s visit to the…
IN the face of the anarchy in the streets of Metro Manila, the paralysis that follows every heavy downpour, and the inability – nay, the unwillingness – of local officials…
