DEMOCRACY is defined as a government by the people, in which the supreme power is vested in the people and is exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. During his inaugural speech last June, President Benigno Aquino III said, “Kayo ang boss ko, kaya’t hindi maaring hindi ako…
FOR thousands of undocumented young people who are still hoping to legalize their status in the US, the dream died on Tuesday, September 21, following the rejection of a defense spending bill in the Senate by the Republicans. Introduced in 2001 and revived in 2003, “The DREAM (Development, Relief, Education for Alien Minors) Act allows…
“All work and no play makes John a dull boy,” said Education Secretary Armin Luistro defending his decision to implement a no homework weekend for public elementary students. Last September 16 the Department of Education issued Memorandum No. 392 that orders teachers to avoid giving assignments to students over the weekend so they could spend…
HERE’S another one for the books, kababayans. President Obama recently announced the appointment of two prominent Filipino-Americans as members of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). The commission was formed as an initiative of the White House for AAPIs. The White House initiative is a federal inter-agency group working to for…
A LITTLE scrimping and saving could go a long way. Barely three months in office and already, P-Noy is feeling the money crunch. He has resorted to austerity measures — first, by promising to bring a very lean delegation with him in his foreign travels and recently, by cancelling his scheduled October trip to the…
IN congress, it was proposed that P1.64-trillion be alloted for the national budget for 2011. Prior to the budget hearings, Malacañang, directly stating that the government under a tight national budget, said that the different government sectors can be sure of the government’s full cooperation in its continued pursuit of transparency and accountability to the…
The presence of an effective judicial independence, especially in a constitutional democracy such as the Philippines’ is imperative in making sure that the fundamental rights of every citizen of this country are observed. In the Philippines, the Legislative (Senate and House of Representatives) makes the laws and the Executive (President) enforces them. In some cases…
LAST week, Floyd Mayweather Jr. broke his months-long silence with a 10-minute profanity-laced racist tirade against Manny Pacquiao in Ustream. The expletive-filled diatribe came at a time while Pacquiao is on the last leg of his three-city promotional tour for his November 13 bout with Antonio Margarito. Mayweather alleged that Pacquiao uses performance-enhancing drugs, referred…
DESPITE of what we normally see or hear in the news about other countries’ economic woes, the Asia-Pacific region continues to stand out in the global landscape. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported that not only has the region’s output returned to pre-crisis levels, but its contribution to a global recovery has outstripped that of…
As of July 2010, the Philippines is the 12th most populated nation in the world with an estimate of 99,900,177 next to Mexico, according to the CIA World Factbook. Despite attempts to control the population by promoting family planning and the use of contraceptives, the Department of Health (DOH) and the United States Agency for…
IN A latest survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations, it was reported that the number of Filipinos “who expect their lives to get better in the next 12 months” reached a record high during the final days of the Arroyo administration. Conducted from June 25-28 this year, the survey revealed that 4 out of…
ALL eyes are on the Philippines right now after the devastating tragedy that happened last August 23 where former police officer Rolando Mendoza held 25 people captive in his efforts to redeem himself in the police force. The unfortunate event caused the lives of eight people. Just recently, The Hong Kong government issued a travel…
AFTER the tragedies of Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, is the Capital Region (NCR) better prepared this year for the rainy season? Perhaps a review of the measures adopted this year by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) would be timely. On May 9, the MMDA started the massive dredging of waterways and drainages in Metro…
THE ongoing labor disputes of the county’s flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has open the possibility of considering an open skies policy to reveres civil aviation policies. According to the government, this move will allow foreign carriers to service the routes of PAL, which can possibly boost tourism in the Philippines. Open skies calls for…
The effect of climate change is slowly presenting itself today. Undoubtedly, this phenomenon poses a great threat to humanity, something that every person is dreading to foresee. Like any other developing country, the Philippines is among the most exposed to the impact of climate change because of its limited resources to combat the menace. With…
ACCORDING to Capt. Rudy Lupton, USS Blue Ridge commanding officer, about 120 of the 650 sailors of the US command ship in the Pacific are Filipinos. The USS Blue Ridge is the command ship of the US 7th Fleet and has control over 45 ships and area of responsibility from Hawaii to India. It is…
IT could be evidence that humans first settled in the Philippines 67,000 years ago, thousands of years earlier than what archaeologists thought. A foot bone, found in an extensive cave network in the Callao Caves near Penablanca by archaeologists from the University of the Philippines, is said to be the oldest human remains ever found…
Last Saturday, July 31, national air carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) canceled five flights (one destined forHong Kong, the others to domestic destinations) due to the sudden resignation of at least two dozen Airbus A320 and A319 jet pilots who chose to seek better-paying jobs abroad. PAL spokesman Jonathan Gesmundo immediately apologized to the public for…
IN an effort to help reduce risk should another disaster hit the country, the European Union (EU) has approved yet again an additional grant of P125M for projects to be implemented in the local regions that will help the country prepare for disasters. Prior to the recent grant, it was reported that the EU had…
“In him was vindicated the greatness of real goodness and the goodness of real greatness.” – Phillip Brooks ON July 29, President Barack Obama signed House Resolution 4899 or the Supplemental Appropriations Act – a law which includes a provision for the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Program, allocating $67 million (about P3.1 billion) “for all…
THE Filipinos here in the United States have something to be proud of again. Last July 21, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger nominated Judge Tani Cantil-Sakauye to the California Supreme Court. If and when elected by voters in November, Judge Cantil-Sakauye will become the first Filipina-American chief justice in the State. Her confirmation would also give…
ON JULY 26, President-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III is scheduled to deliver his first State of the Nation Address before a joint Congress session. Before the watchful eyes of the Filipino and observing foreign countries, the president is expected to discuss his plans for the country—the promises he has made before and after he was…
FOR his upcoming State of the Nation Address on July 26, P-Noy promises a “no frills discussion” of the current problems his government has inherited from the previous administration and what measures they’re planning to take to solve them. “I stated before, syempre kailangan ng imbentaryo. Nasaan na tayo ngayon? Ano ba mga problemang hinaharap natin…
ON HIS first disaster management briefing last Wednesday, it was reported that P-Noy “berated” PAGASA (the country’s weather bureau) for “its failure to notify the public that Typhoon Basyang would directly hit Metro Manila.” “We rely on you to tell us where the problem is or where the potential problem areas are … this is…
IT IS typhoon season once again in the Philippines, and most are still reeling from the tragedies brought about by last year’s typhoons. Two months from now, it will be a year after “Ondoy” wreaked havoc in the country, with the death toll reaching 688 and the cost of inflicted damage amounting to an estimated…
PRESS freedom is being jeopardized as Filipino journalists are constantly subjected to threats and intimidations – mostly involving politics. As former Chief Justice Reynato Puno said, “Like water seeking its course, press freedom, no matter how suppressed, rises to give life to democracy,” the media holds a pivotal role in a country’s stance about freedom….
AND so it begins. Only a few days after the Aquino-Binay inauguration and already, a bevy of activities has ensued – the appointment of former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. as the head of the “truth commission,” graft charges filed vs Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo by militant groups, GMA and son filing for Charter Change, a…
LAST June 25, the Department of Tourism (DOT) announced that the tourist volume rose 5.4 percent to 3.65 million in the first five months of the year compared from the previous year, with foreign travelers driving the growth. The foreign visitors totaled 1.19 million in the five-month period, accounting for 32.5 percent of the total…
A DAY before his inauguration as the 15th President of the Republic of the Philippines, President-elect Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III named the nearly 30 the official members of his cabinet – “a mixture of old and new faces.” “These are the people who I believe have committed to the philosophy that the problems in…
“DO not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Harold R. McAlindon On June 30, Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will step down from the highest position in the land to give way to President-elect Benigno Aquino III’s ascent as the 15th president of the…
