Small victory
THE much-awaited $5.5 million funding from US Millennium Challenge Corp. (MCC) was fi nally bestowed to the Philippines, MCC’s “model partner.” The memorandum of understanding between the Philippines and the…
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Walking on water
THE aftermath of twin typhoons, Ondoy and Pepeng left the Philippines devastated, with hundreds of people dead and others, still missing. Millions of pesos have been spent for damages and…
In pursuit of truth
CORRUPTION seems to be a fi xture in the headlines these days, and the numbers are increasing. Last February, the World Bank released a study that rated the Philippines as…
To ‘Protect and Serve’
TWO weeks ago, the Ombudsman cleared the Arroyos from any involvement with the $329-million NBN-ZTE contract, dismissing the evidence as “weak” and giving merit to Mike Arroyo’s counter-affidavit which states…
On debt row
IT is not surprising to hear that the Philippines is in serious debt. During the post-Marcos era, it became very evident how the nation’s fi nances were mismanaged by the…
Horror Roll
THE Arroyos seem to be on a roll these days — in the hall of shame, that is. First were the lavish dinners in Le Cirque in New York and…
A hard-earned right
ACCORDING to an announcement made by the Department of Foreign Affairs, only 159,100 newabsentee voters have registered for the past six months for the Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) registration which…
Lessons from Tita Cory
“I don’t have any formula for ousting a dictator or building democracy. All I can suggest is to forget about yourself and just think of your people. It’s always the…
Old ties, new opportunities
THE much-anticipated historic meeting between President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and US President Barack Obama fi nally took place on July 30. Arroyo is the fi rst Southeast Asian leader to visit…
Healthcare for all: Boon or bane?
ALONG with food, shelter and education, healthcare is imperative for anyone. However, the cost of healthcare in the United States has risen dramatically. For the past two decades or so,…
Speak no evil
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is all set to deliver her State of the Nation Address on July 27. Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr. alleges that the Chief Executive will use this…
A moment to exhale
WHILE pundits are busy pummeling President Obama with criticisms and shaking their heads in dismay over his actions on Guantanamo, General Motors, the health care system and Iran’s civil unrest,…
Vindicated, at last
AFTER more than 60 years of struggle, the few surviving Filipino WWII veterans are fi nally in the process of claiming their well-deserved benefits. When the Philippines was a US…
Nurturing our own
AMIDST the political turmoil and outrage caused by the now infamous constituent assembly, amid the chaos being caused by the onset of the presidential campaigns, representatives from various sectors in…
Going digital
WITH the onset of new and more portable technology like laptops and cellphones with wireless internet, almost everyone is capable of getting information off the net, engaging themselves in intelligent…
Power to the People
There’s no better time to show how Filipinos value their hard-earned freedom. Two days before the 111th celebration of Philippine Independence, the nation convenes for another freedom fight — a…
Flowing like Wine
ONE of the best musicians of all time, Ludwig van Beethoven, once declared, “Music is the wine which inspires one to new generative processes, and I am Bacchus who presses…
Yes, it’s a Pacman world
MOST would think that after a week, all the hype about Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao knocking out Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton in Las Vegas would die down. Well, at least a…
Still rooting for Manny
THE whole Philippines, plus Filipinos all over the world are showing their support for pound-4-pound king Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao as he face Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton in Las Vegas this…
Is it really over?
AFTER being incarcerated for than three years, United States Marine Daniel Smith, who was convicted in 2006 of raping Suzette Nicolas, aka Nicole, a Filipina, is fi nally free. In…
We all pray for change
THEY say that the only thing that remains constant is change, and yet most of the time, it is the thing that we could hardly do – and that is,…
Hope for homeowners
CALIFORNIA is experiencing 1,300 foreclosures every single day,” said Paul Leonard, director of the California offi ce of the Center for Responsible Lending, last year. Leonard explained that this is…
Running out of time
IT’S a bittersweet victory for our Filipino veterans to finally be acknowledged by the United States government for their bravery during World War II. The $198-million lump sum payment—contained in…
End of pain or start again?
After months of political gridlock, California state lawmakers agreed on a series of budget measures lastThursday, February 19. The following day, February 20, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger fi nally signed. The…
Road to recovery
FINALLY, it’s signed. Less than a month into his presidency, President Barack Obama achieved a huge victory when he signed into law the $787 billion stimulus package in the hope…
An end to the Filipino Veterans’ long journey
AFTER more than six decades of struggle and fighting for benefits, the Filipino veterans of World War II may now have reached the end of their long journey. This was…
Moving forward for 2010
WITH the approval of the House of Representatives, a supplemental appropriation of over P11 billion is now available for the planned automation election system for the 2010 general elections. According…
The first few days
HE promised us change during his campaign, and in the first few days in office, President Barack Obama has been busy putting that in effect. But he does have a…
Another player for 2010?
Filipinos might think that it’s too early to start narrowing down the list of potential candidates for the presidential election next year, but on the other hand, we should start…