Category: Opinion & Editorial Columnists

ACCORDING to a survey conducted by Gallup, Filipinos get the most love in the world. “The world leader in love is the Philippines, where fully 93 percent of the population…

THE announcement of Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation on Monday shocked the Catholic community around the world, including our kababayans. This has never happened in 600 years, and many wondered why the…

IN THE wake of Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to step down, many were startled and lamented the resignation of the pontiff as the supreme leader of the Roman Catholic Church….

WHO will be the next Pope? This has been the question many people have been asking after the surprise resignation of Pope Benedict XVI last Monday. Kababayans from all over the…

ACCORDING to the latest ABC News/Washington Postpoll (the survey was conducted by landline and cellphone from January 30-February 3, 2013, among a random national sample of 1,038 adults), there was a…

LAST Wednesday, I wrote about President Barack Obama’s call for Americans “to keep the pressure on the members of Congress to do the right thing and “support common-sense reforms like…

DESPITE the ongoing recovery operations on the dismantling of the US Navy minesweeper, USS Guardian (which remains aground at the Tubbataha Reef), Pinoysremain vehement weeks after the incident. The US government…

THE verdict is out. On January 28, performance artist and cultural activist Charles P. “Carlos” Celdran was convicted for “offending religious feelings” by Judge Juan Bermejo of the Manila Metropolitan…

CARLOS Celdran was found guilty beyond reasonable doubt for the crime of “offending religious feelings,” under Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code. This stemmed from a complaint filed against…

Before anyone starts hurling an anti-Tito Sotto dagger at me, let me point out that I didn’t coin the phrase, and neither did my daughter from whom I heard it…

AFTER a long wait under four administrations (Aquino, Ramos, Estrada and Arroyo), victims of the Marcos tyranny have more reasons to celebrate the 27th anniversary of EDSA People Power Revolution…

COULD and should a person be imprisoned for “offending religious feelings?” In the Philippines, it is possible. That is exactly what the judge ruled in a case filed by Monsignor…

As of press time, the USS Guardian ship is still stranded at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Tubbataha Reef. Amid all the outrage caused by the unfortunate accident, the Armed Forces…

IN the Republic of Santa Banana, there’s a new president, replacing the unlamented Gloria En Excesses Deo. President Penoy Balut is said to be the most honest president Santa Banana…

(Editor’s Note: This editorial was produced in association with New America Media  -http://www.newamericamedia.org – a national association of ethnic media, and was published by ethnic media across the country to…

BARACK Obama just renewed his oath of office, to serve as our president for four more years. His second inauguration coincided with two important moments in history, made possible by…

AFTER a 10-day convoluted tirade between Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, the two senators finally called a “ceasefire” on what has become a bitter (and possibly,…

THE Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has been named by an interactive travel website as “the worst airport in Asia.” But many Filipinos back home are still forgiving, even defensive…

IN travel and leisure, it seems that politics are set aside. Contrary to its implications, the escalating conflict in the ongoing territorial dispute over the Spratlys does not interfere with…

AFTER the announcement of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Nepolitano on a new ruling (which will give immediate family members of US citizens unlawfully staying in the United States…

LAST month, President Aquino was quoted in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) anniversary as saying that the “rusty” days of Philippine warships were over. Because of the “overflowing…

THE debate continues following the massacre of 20 first graders and six adults in Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut — the tipping point after many other deadly shootings…

ON Saturday, I wrote about the new ruling announced by the Obama Administration last January 2, which reduces the time US citizens are separated from their undocumented, overstaying, or what…

THE Philippines, which celebrates one of the world’s most raucous and dangerous New Year, welcomed 2013 with a bang – literally. Beginning January 1, a series of gun-related incidents has…

THE start of new year has brought forth a new reason for kababayans to look forward to 2013 with a renewed sense of optimism in their seemingly elusive dream of being able…

FR. JAMES Reuter, SJ may not have been Filipino by blood, but he was definitely Pinoy in heart and mind. The revered and beloved 96-year-old American priest (who was also known for…

THIS week, we glorify the heroism and gallantry displayed by American and Filipino World War II veterans. This celebration encourages those of us who are now enjoying freedom, to pay…

And just like that, the highly-anticipated 2012 US presidential elections is finally over. In what turned out to be one of the closest and costliest presidential races in history, President…

2012 was generally a good year for Filipinos. Triumphs were made, losses were faced, and lessons were learned. Filipinos are starting the year right, looking forward to 2013 with hope….