Category: Features

ACCORDING to Undersecretary Demetrio Ignacio of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Philippines is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, but that its marine and wildlife riches are facing depletion due to intrusive man-made activities. Years and years of unmitigated and destructive human activities have taken its toll on the…

IT is a twisted irony that as the world celebrated Earth Day last April 22, a landslide set off by heavy rains occurred in a small-scale gold-mining community in Pantukan, Compostela Valley, destroying at least 20 houses at the foot of the mountain, burying at least 21 people alive, killing 8 miners, with 11 still…

PRESIDENT Aquino has come under fire as soon as reports were released of his intention to give defeated vice-presidential candidate Mar Roxas III a post in the Cabinet once the election ban expires by the end of June. At the time, PNoy hinted that the post will even be more “demanding” than the work of…

Despite the growing number of unfortunate events happening in different parts of the world, remittances made by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have soared higher by 5.9 percent or $4.6 billion this first quarter as compared to the same period last year according to Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). BSP Governor Amando M. Tetangco, reported in…

“We are proud to stand by your side.” These were some of the words uttered by Ambassador Harry Thomas during a reception on board the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, which docked in Manila Bay recently, saying that the US-PH relationship “is a commitment born of shared histories and close ties,” and that the United…

Sending a clear message to the state auditors of the Commission on Audit (COA), President Aquino delivered a speech at their 112th anniversary, emboldening them “to safeguard the public coffers without fear that they would be stopped.” “Being the eyes of the bureaucracy, you know that no one is blindfolding you in tracking down anomalies….

So much attention is being given to the pressing issues facing the country today such as poverty, the burgeoning population rate, educational inadequacies, and corruption and other irregularities in the government that the efforts to raise awareness on the importance of promoting and protecting our national heritage are often being overlooked. National heritage is described…

Hope sparked anew for the Philippine media that an absolute freedom of the press can still be attained with the recent release of the Freedom of the Press 2011: A Global Survey of Media Independence report stating that the liberty of press in the country had “improved marginally” in 2010 and have somewhat recovered by…

While the world is still reeling over two important and exciting events which happened recently—the matrimonial union of Britain’s Prince William and now Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton and the beatification of Pope John Paul II—yet another significant incident ensued to cap the public’s elation over the weekend. Osama bin Laden is dead—and the entire…

THE White House’s release of a certified copy of Pres. Barack Hussein Obama’s more detailed, long-form birth certificate on April 27 finally puts the protracted birther controversy, which started during his campaign trail for the presidency, to rest. The details of the original birth certificate verified that Pres. Obama was born in Hawaii, to an…

DESPITE the August 23, 2010 hostage drama incident which left 8 Hong Kong nationals dead, the Philippines is still optimistic that it will be able to double the number of tourist arrivals in the country – from 3 million to 6 million by 2016. This was what the country conveyed to China through the efforts…

True to its commitment to help the Philippines towards economic progress, Japanese Ambassador to Manila, Makoto Katsura, recently said in his speech during the commemoration of Araw ng Kagitingan at Mt. Samat, Bataan, that the Japanese government will still continue to provide developmental assistance to the country, particularly in Mindanao, amid the disorder brought about…

SO far the recent performance of the local economy appear resilient according to the recent report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). IMF retained The Philippine economic growth forecast at 5 percent for 2011 and 2012, after taking into account the potential impact of both favorable and unfavorable factors. In its latest forecast, IMF also…

WITH the Willie Revillame-Jan-Jan issue and a lot of bad news hogging the headlines lately, it would be good for everyone’s morale to take a nice, quick break – away from all the negativity to focus on the good, but lesser-noticed success stories. Recently, two inspiring, intelligent and achieving young people – both from the…

WHILE the entire world watches and continues to hope and pray, that the seemingly unending chain reaction of problems in Japan’s tsunami-ravaged nuclear power complex will finally be put to a grinding halt – it is also time for us to stop, think and do a reality check on the imminent danger and effects that…

Armed with the intention to ultimately halt the corruption that has stained the reputation of some of its innocent members, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta Jr. has recently expressed its willingness to help the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the allegation of corruption within the AFP. Mabanta…

The RA. No. 8042, otherwise known as the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995, as amended by Republic Act No. 10022, provides that the State shall, at all times, uphold the dignity of its citizens whether in country or overseas, “continuously monitor international conventions, adopt/be signatory to and ratify those that guarantee protection…

AFTER 14 months of absence, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has finally emerged from hiding, following the clearing of charges against him by the Court of Appeals. Two days after his return, Sen. Lacson lamented his grievances against the government and said that at some point while he was regarded as a fugitive, he had the…

WITH the recent announcement of PAGASA that it is officially summer in the Philippines, it almost became a go signal for students who are on summer vacation to head down to the beach or unwind in the cool mountains with their friends and family. For the Department of Education (DepEd), however, the coming school year…

DESPITE the Philippine government’s efforts and appropriated contingency funds for repatriation, Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) in Libya have given Aquino’s administration the cold shoulder on their last call and have vehemently decided to stay put in war-stricken Libya. According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), only a few of the estimated 3,500 Pinoys…

Despite the nuclear crisis in Japan, and the rising conflict between Libya and other countries, President Aquino still have reasons to smile through the hardships encountered by his administration.  He recently learned that majority of Filipinos still trust him as shown in the latest Pulse Asia Survey from Feb 24 to March 6. Pulse Asia’s…

JUST last month the world was left in shock when a 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch, New Zealand killing at least 65 people. The event was deemed as New Zealand’s darkest day. Then on March 11, terrible news was once again brought upon us when a massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit Japan at around 2:46pm. It…

SEARCH and rescue efforts in the aftermath of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami, which devastated Northeastern Japan on March 11, are still in full force. But as the week progresses, the chances of finding more survivors become less likely. And it feels as though nature’s wrath wasn’t enough. Japan is on the verge of…

150 VOTES from the 283 members of the House of Representatives was more than enough affirmation to proceed with Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez’s impeachment. The House justice committee only needed was 94 votes to be able to elevate the case for deliberations in a plenary session and for a possible trial in the Senate. This was…

WITH economic progress of the country on his mind, President Benigno Aquino III recently launched the first five infrastructure projects of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) last March 7 in Makati City, before setting off to Jakarta, Indonesia and Singapore for his state visits. Estimated at  $1 billion, the ten big ticket projects under the PPP…

WHILE most US markets are slowly but surely easing their way out from the global economic hardship, Filipinos remain optimistic on the chances of retrieving the passage of the US Bill H.R. 3039 dubbed as the “Save Our Industries (SAVE) Act.” The United States and the Philippines have shared a long and rich history together….

ACCORDING to presidential deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte, PNoy was not on the warpath when he made admonitions to the Marcoses during the celebration of the 25th anniversary of EDSA 1 last week. He was simply “trying to set the record straight regarding the events which toppled the Marcos dictatorship and installed his late mother Pres….

THIS year, the commemoration of EDSA 1 holds more meaning, not just for celebrating its 25th year, but also because of its special significance to the global community at large – particularly in Middle Eastern countries, where citizens are presently fighting against a tyrannical rule, to rightfully claim their democracies. In the Philippines, key personalities…

Last Saturday night, February 19, Filipinos who gathered to support the “Filipino Flash” Nonito Donaire, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, left the building with proud smiles on their faces as they recall how their kababayan, Donaire, sent the Mexican fighter, Fernando Montiel, crumpling on the canvas via a powerful knockout….

IN THE midst of the unfolding drama among the living (known as military corruption), the dead have their own sub-plot of brewing conflict. It’s enough to make former AFP Chief of Staff Angie Reyes stir in his grave. After all, it was his controversial hero’s burial, replete with full military honors, which revived another disputable…