Opinion and Commentary
Zaldarriaga: Infrastructure to power PH growth
October 11, 2022, 9:54 am
In his speech at the President’s Night conducted by the Manila Overseas Press Club at the Sofitel Plaza last week, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emphasized the need to sustain and expand the country’s infrastructure program as a means to support growth for the now-recovering Philippine… Read More
Laurel: China ends false accusations with victory in UNHRC Xinjiang vote
October 10, 2022, 10:06 am
The 47-member UN Human Rights Council, which is elected yearly by majority of members of the UN General Assembly, voted against holding a debate on alleged abuses in China’s Xinjiang region. This is a major setback for the Western powers’ campaign to besmirch and destabilize China’s… Read More
Samonte: How QC's growth benefits Novaliches & vice versa
October 6, 2022, 8:34 am
In anticipation of the celebration of the 83rd Foundation Day of Quezon City on Oct. 12, I have done a little recollection and research about the country's erstwhile capital from 1948 to 1976. I was very much amazed and impressed with what I found and learned. For instance, when it was created as… Read More
Lauengco: No to quick fixes
October 5, 2022, 12:15 pm
Incremental gradations -- a methodical and steady approach This week, I had a fruitful conversation over lunch with my mentor. As always, I came home with several insights into what is happening around us. One of the things we discussed lengthily was our society’s seeming preoccupation with the… Read More
Zaldarriaga: Solar as backup to power recovery from disasters, emergencies
October 4, 2022, 10:43 am
The landfall of Super Typhoon Karding became one of this year’s biggest challenges to the country and the economy, having damaged billions worth of crops and claiming the lives of several people. As of this posting, the damages and losses by Typhoon Karding is pegged at PHP3.12 billion, with… Read More
Laurel: For PBBM's consideration: Xi's Security and Dev't Initiatives
October 3, 2022, 3:36 pm
The Doomsday Clock is today, Oct. 3, 2022 still set at 100 seconds to midnight. It should be readjusted to 50 seconds to midnight after the alleged sabotage of Nord Stream 1 and 2 discovered last Sept. 28, 2022. I blame the US because it answers the question "cui bono" or who benefits. Now,… Read More
Pattugalan: Global Media Congress: Shaping the Future of the Media Industry
September 30, 2022, 7:00 pm
Aptly themed “Shaping the Future of the Media Industry," this year’s Global Media Congress will be held in Abu Dhabi from Nov. 15 to 17, 2022. The international event, organized by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) and the Emirates News Agency (WAM), one of the partner… Read More
Samonte: How 1972 martial law hastened PH's land reform program
September 29, 2022, 2:26 pm
Filipino men and women born a decade before the advent of the September 1972 martial law may be interested to know that such imposition of partial military rule became very beneficial to the country's landless farmers commonly called tenants. Here's why: The implementation of Republic Act 3844 or… Read More
Lauengco: Biotech solutions for agriculture
September 28, 2022, 1:26 pm
Abandon normal instruments… There are times when one must try new methods to produce different and faster results… This week, the Philippines was hit by another typhoon. According to the Department of Agriculture, Typhoon Karding destroyed an estimated PHP1.29 billion worth of crops and other… Read More
Zaldarriaga: OFW remittances, exports to benefit from stronger dollar
September 27, 2022, 6:43 am
Last week, the Philippine peso fell to its lowest level of PHP58, losing as much as 14.7 percent vis-à-vis the greenback since the start of the year. Several economists have pointed to the higher interest rates in the US as having strengthened the dollar after the Federal Reserve raised its… Read More
Laurel: A short review of Philippines-China educational cooperation
September 26, 2022, 10:14 am
“To gain knowledge quietly, to learn without losing interest, to instruct others relentlessly,” – Lao Tzu Last July, as Chinese State and Foreign State Minister Wang Yi attended President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s inauguration, he also made a side visit to Vice President and… Read More
Lauengco: Cheese, PBA and salt
September 21, 2022, 3:19 pm
One of my favorite books is a 1998 motivational business fable written by Spencer Johnson entitled, “Who Moved My Cheese?”. It is a simple treatise on how people react to changes in situations and life. In the book, there are four characters who live in a maze. These characters were two mice… Read More
Zaldarriaga: Expect better PH internet connectivity
September 20, 2022, 2:17 pm
The need for a better internet connectivity in the Philippines that is comparable to the rest of the world has become more crucial as businesses are now pivoting towards a digital economy. This was boosted further by the Covid-19 pandemic when the series of lockdowns forced companies to… Read More
Laurel: Good luck to PBBM's UN debut
September 19, 2022, 6:21 am
By the time this article comes out, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will be on his first day in New York for his United Nations debut. As of now, details of his various side meetings are still up in the air, but it seems clear at this point that his schedule does set apart any… Read More
Lauengco: Food loss: Sci-tech, cold chain, cheap acquisition cost bias
September 14, 2022, 10:18 am
Go out. Shut the door. Listen from the outside. This is one of the tenets of “Oblique Strategies” as written by Peter Schmidt, another practitioner of the oblique approach. There are times when you have to get out of your comfort zone and look at problems in a different way and maybe even… Read More
Zaldarriaga: Solid support for PH FIBA World Cup 2023 hosting
September 13, 2022, 10:04 am
PH public and private sectors have put up a reinforced unified front to ensure the success of the Philippines’ hosting of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. The event, which will be co-hosted with Japan and Indonesia, is set to be one of the biggest basketball events in the country and is GILAS… Read More
Laurel: Laudable: PBBM asserts ASEAN centrality
September 12, 2022, 9:40 am
By making his first state visits to the leading countries of ASEAN, Indonesia first and foremost followed by Singapore, President Bongbong Marcos Jr. acknowledged and saluted the centrality of the ASEAN. It is an important signal explaining the president’s foreign policy which will be… Read More
Lauengco: Kaps and Kags
September 8, 2022, 12:53 pm
In today’s everchanging world, things have become more complex. In trying to understand the problems and issues of today, It may help to view the scattered but interconnected pieces of the puzzle and observe with an oblique point of view. Recently, a substitute bill seeking to postpone the… Read More
Zaldarriaga: Marcos administration to ensure economic recovery
September 6, 2022, 9:21 am
2022 is a banner year of economic recovery, with the Philippines managing to sustain positive growth amid increasing commodity prices. Latest fiscal reports say that private consumption expenditures have already surpassed pre-pandemic levels and continue to grow as the economy further opens and… Read More
Laurel: Mahathir's clarion call: Pivot to China
September 5, 2022, 10:15 am
The Malaysian newspaper Malaysiakini headline this last August 31, 2022: “Citing US ‘provocation’ Dr M calls on Asean to pivot towards China.” It is a powerful call that should reverberate not only across Asean but also throughout the world. It is a courageous statement from the usually… Read More