Opinion and Commentary

Samonte: Kudos to new NHCP Chairman Emmanuel F. Calairo

March 2, 2023, 9:16 pm

Three days after assuming this month his new post as the chairman of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), Dr. Emmanuel Franco Calairo will be honored by his high school alma mater, the Novaliches-based Metro Manila College, as one of its Distinguished Alumni on March 4.… Read More

Lauengco: The importance of the 2023 barangay, SK elections

March 1, 2023, 2:14 pm

“The smallest part is worthy of the whole.”- Elsie De Wolfe On Feb. 28, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) promulgated its latest resolution regarding the calendar of activities for the Oct. 30 synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections specifying the time for filing of… Read More

Zaldarriaga: MVP Group supports PH digitalization efforts

February 28, 2023, 10:30 am

In this rapidly evolving world, digital transformation has become a crucial key to achieving economic progress, as well as expanded opportunities and service improvements among businesses. Many countries are taking advantage on the benefits of digital innovations for their own economic… Read More

Laurel: Anti-war songs and betrayals

February 27, 2023, 10:31 am

In his speech to the Russian nation, which is the equivalent of the State-of-the-Union Address in the US or State of the Nation Address in the Philippines, President Putin justified the war as the defense of the very existence of the Russian motherland while castigating the civilizational decay of… Read More

Samonte: Novaliches: The 11th Metro Manila city that never was

February 23, 2023, 1:18 pm

In the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Section 1 of Article X (Local Government) says: "The territorial and political subdivisions of the Republic of the Philippines are the provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays." Corollary to that provision, the bicameral Congress enacted the local… Read More

Zaldarriaga: MPIC’s venture into agribusiness boosts PH food security

February 23, 2023, 9:42 am

The Philippines has long been facing challenges on food security despite having vast agricultural land ready for cultivation. To ensure food sufficiency, the country has depended on imports, such that our import dependency ratio in 2021 was at 25.1 percent, according to data from the Philippine… Read More

Lauengco: Thriving under the RCEP

February 22, 2023, 6:18 pm

On Feb. 21, the Philippine Senate ratified the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) with 20 senators (more than the required two-thirds vote), voting in favor of the Senate resolution regarding the same. The RCEP is a free trade agreement among the members of the Association of… Read More

Laurel: The 'spy balloon' saga bursts

February 21, 2023, 8:20 am

The NPR (National Public Radio) is a quasi-autonomous, government-funded nonprofit media outlet created by the US federal government. On its Feb. 16 headline blared ‘Biden says the 3 aerial objects shot down were not Chinese spy balloons’... President Joe Biden will soon speak with Chinese… Read More

Samonte: PNA hosted 1st ASEAN Editors' Conference in 1983

February 16, 2023, 3:39 pm

Many of the young Filipino journalists today may be interested to know that Manila once became a meeting place of publishers, top editors and writers of newspapers, television-radio stations, news agencies and magazines from across the Asian region in the 1980s. That was when the 10-year-old… Read More

Lauengco: Cold storage PPP and war against hoarders

February 15, 2023, 12:06 pm

“As long as greed is stronger than compassion, there will always be suffering.” - Rusty Eric There is an ongoing debate about imports and the effects of the same on farmers. There are several sectors who argue that imports hurt farmers and that there should be greater trade restrictions on… Read More

Cordevilla: PBBM visit deepens friendship, cooperation with Japan

February 14, 2023, 4:35 pm

When the leaders of the Pearl of the Orient and the Land of the Rising Sun meet, what’s the likely outcome? The Philippines and Japan have been through good times and bad times in equal measure throughout history. The convergence of common interests and shared experiences through thick and thin… Read More

Zaldarriaga: MMDA programs provide better service, safer roads

February 14, 2023, 3:09 pm

A new and better traffic management system is set to come our way this April after the Metro Manila council officially adopted a new traffic management system that would harmonize national and local road rules and make it easier for road violators to settle fines and penalties. According to the… Read More

Laurel: A war vs. US wars

February 14, 2023, 8:49 am

A huge anti-war protest rally is expected to be held in Washington this Friday (Feb. 17, 2023) on the anniversary of the Ukraine War and President’s Day Weekend, it’s dubbed “Rage Against the War Machine!” Speakers at the event are now famous anti-US wars dissenters Jimmie Dore, Medea… Read More

Lauengco: Support gap for adults with autism

February 8, 2023, 3:56 pm

“Disability only becomes a tragedy when society fails to provide the things needed to lead one’s daily life.” - Judith Heumann Recently, four lawmakers filed House Bill 6743 or the Monthly Subsidy for Parents of Children with Disability Act. The bill seeks to push for a monthly PHP2,000… Read More

Zaldarriaga: Intensify efforts on tourism

February 7, 2023, 10:59 am

The tourism industry is a known key contributor to the Philippine economy. In fact, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas recognizes this sector as one of the biggest contributors to local employment. In 2019, the tourism industry was accounted for 5.7 million jobs, representing 13.6 percent of the… Read More

Laurel: Anti-war Luftballons

February 6, 2023, 10:07 am

Reuters Fact Check on Feb. 4, 2023 headlined on its news side the very important and clarificatory news, “Fact Check – HBAL617 balloon tracker online is from US company Aerostar, not China” which shoots down the sensationalized false story of US mainstream media that it was a Chinese “spy… Read More

Samonte: Unsung battle at Novaliches bridge in 1945 liberation of Manila

February 2, 2023, 12:30 pm

Starting the first week of this month, several cities or local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila will be celebrating the 78th anniversary of their liberation from Japanese rule in 1945. As the former town of Novaliches was erased from the country’s map in 1903 or 120 years ago, very little… Read More

Cordevilla: Maharlika fund will ensure a better future for all Filipinos

February 1, 2023, 12:08 pm

Is the Maharlika Investment Fund an idea whose time has come? This administration thinks so, and therefore wants to pull out all the stops to make it a reality. As things now stand, the MIF is still a work-in-progress. That’s because the Senate has yet to examine the key provisions of the bill… Read More

Lauengco: Tax the rich more?

February 1, 2023, 11:34 am

“Instead of taking the pants off the taxpayer, it might be better to take the vest off the vested interests” -- Mark Twain Last Monday, Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda filed a bill which can be argued as another “tax the rich more measure”. House Bill 6993 “seeks to increase the tax… Read More

Zaldarriaga: MMDA’s Artes on the right track in pushing road safety

January 31, 2023, 11:09 am

Traffic congestion has long been an issue in the Philippines. Year in and year out, our country would always be placed in the lower ranks when it comes to transportation and commuter satisfaction. A recent study by UK-based insurance technology site GoShorty showed that Metro Manila ranks as the… Read More