Opinion and Commentary
Zaldarriaga: Solar power
September 10, 2024, 11:56 am
Last week, the Philippines’ transition to renewable energy marked a new milestone with the landmark USD600 million investment deal of leading United Kingdom-based sustainable infrastructure investor Actis for Terra Solar – the world’s largest solar and energy storage project. The deal marks… Read More
Samonte: Spotlighting Mindanao Ave. Extension project in North Metro Manila
September 5, 2024, 2:31 pm
After decades of on-and-off construction activities, the Mindanao Avenue Extension project linking parts of Quezon City, Valenzuela City and Caloocan City in Northern Metro Manila is now open to light or four-wheeled vehicles. This was announced jointly on Wednesday by Caloocan City Mayor Dale… Read More
Lu: CSO participation towards governance reforms
September 5, 2024, 11:42 am
On Aug. 23, a multisectoral group of concerned citizens united for a common cause: to fight against corruption, challenge political dynasties, and advocate for electoral reforms. This group, known as the Alyansa ng Nagkakaisang Mamamayan (ANIM), draws its members from various sectors, including… Read More
Lauengco: Bullying: surveillance, snitching, stand your ground
September 4, 2024, 12:50 pm
“Standing up to bullying shows care and courage in your heart”- Ty Howard A few weeks ago, Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara reminded all schools to craft their effective anti-bullying policies by the country’s Anti-Bullying Act of 2013. Secretary Angara called for a… Read More
Zaldarriaga: Competition for the benefit of consumers
September 3, 2024, 10:27 am
The Taguig Regional Trial Court (RTC) recently dismissed the injunction plea of the Malampaya consortium on Meralco’s Competitive Selection Process (CSP), paving the way for power supply bidding activities to resume for the long-term benefit of consumers. As expected, the recent turnout of… Read More
Lu: Coconut Week: Honoring the tree of life
August 30, 2024, 9:29 am
The nation celebrates Coconut Week this August, a long-standing tradition that recognizes the immense value of the coconut, often referred to as the "tree of life." The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) leads the celebration with the theme “Paghubog sa Pilipinong Magniniyog Daan sa Pag-Angat ng… Read More
Lauengco: The surging seas are coming for all of us
August 28, 2024, 3:35 pm
“Life on earth first emerged from the sea. As sea level rises, we find ourselves facing the prospect that once again we may quite literally become ocean”. - John Luther Adams During the Pacific Islands Forum held on Tuesday in Tonga, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres… Read More
Zaldarriaga: Rail networks and efficiency
August 27, 2024, 1:12 pm
During his third State of the Nation Address last month, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said the Philippines is in the midst of a “railway renaissance” with the different ongoing mass transit projects expected to improve the country’s interconnectivity. Among these ongoing projects are… Read More
Samonte: The unsung Battle of Pasong Tamo in Novaliches in August 1896
August 26, 2024, 4:01 pm
As the nation was celebrating the annual National Heroes Day on Monday, my mind was reminiscing about the first heroes produced by the unsung Battle of Pasong Tamo in the former town of Novaliches, now divided between Quezon City and Caloocan City in Metro Manila, a century and 28 years ago.… Read More
Lu: Impact of high energy costs on the economy
August 26, 2024, 1:57 pm
The country is recognized for its rich cultural heritage and its rapidly growing economy. However, we face a significant challenge that threatens our progress: the high cost of electricity. This issue affects businesses, goods production and consumers alike, creating a ripple effect throughout the… Read More
Lauengco: Senior Citizens Day – a time to look at issues, concerns
August 21, 2024, 1:07 pm
“A society that does not value its older people denies its roots and endangers its future.” – Nelson Mandela August 21 is World Senior Citizen’s Day. Today, we honor, celebrate and appreciate the senior citizens in our society for their services, contributions and accomplishments. We also… Read More
Zaldarriaga: Musings in New York
August 20, 2024, 8:00 pm
During my trip here in New York, I picked up new and valuable lessons to take home with me. While the American city still has the same old charm, it cannot be denied that New York has become drastically advanced in many aspects over other cities, including in the field of energy. As someone who… Read More
Lauengco: The copypasta conundrum
August 14, 2024, 2:32 pm
“There is a danger of the internet becoming loud and ugly… with a thousand voices screaming for attention …” – Matt Drudge Recently, a veteran actor filed a cybercrime case against a content creator who posted a fabricated story about him. In the said post, the content creator apparently… Read More
Zaldarriaga: Fighting rabies
August 13, 2024, 10:40 am
While largely preventable, rabies remains one of the deadliest and biggest threats to the health of Filipinos — many of whom ironically are pet owners. Each year, hundreds if not thousands of Filipinos are put at risk because of rabies. At the start of 2024 alone, the Department of Health (DOH)… Read More
Lu: Safeguard PH’s birth registration system
August 12, 2024, 10:24 am
I am quite shocked that a remote municipality in Davao del Sur was able to issue 1,501 birth certificates to foreigners from 2016 to 2023. This is only the beginning, as local officials and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) are expanding their investigation to encompass earlier years.… Read More
Lauengco: There’s gold in them thar kids! Olympic takeaways
August 7, 2024, 3:57 pm
“Start early to reach far”- Poetica de insanire There is a popular video going around of a young Carlos Yulo, fondly called ‘Caloy’ where he shared his goal to earn a medal for the country. It took several years of practice and heartbreaks before Caloy achieved his dream and earned two… Read More
Zaldarriaga: Energy security
August 6, 2024, 11:16 am
The Taguig Regional Trial Court recently extended the temporary restraining order (TRO) that halted the competitive selection process (CSP) or bidding for 1,000 MW of needed power supply of distribution utility Meralco—a move that will ultimately result in a negative domino impact on the… Read More
Lu: The need to prepare for La Niña
August 5, 2024, 10:00 am
When Typhoon Carina inundated Metro Manila and nearby provinces with floods, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. was utterly dismayed. Social media was abuzz with memes suggesting that nature was fact-checking the President after he stated during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) that over… Read More
Lu: Addressing challenges for public school teachers
August 2, 2024, 4:15 pm
Warm applause greeted President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s declaration in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) that the government "will accelerate the career growth of teachers." No public school teacher will retire with a mere Teacher I position, the President said. President Marcos Jr.… Read More
Zaldarriaga: Flood control
August 1, 2024, 10:52 am
Typhoon Carina (international name Gaemi) put much of Metro Manila underwater after heavy rains lashed across the country due to enhanced southwest monsoon. Reports say that within a 24-hour period, 458 mm of rain were dumped in the country’s capital city and surrounding areas, which effectively… Read More
