Opinion and Commentary
Samonte: The 1st barangay polls in PH after the 1972 martial law
March 9 2023, 9:14 am
A column in this Section last March 1 by Atty. Gilberto Lauengco about the importance of the coming Oct. 30, 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls prompted me to look back at the very first Barangay election held in the country a year after then President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. lifted… Read More
Lauengco: Attention economy, jeepney strikes, nat'l issues and goldfish
March 8 2023, 9:02 am
“I sometimes worry about my short attention span, but not for long” - Herb Caen This week, a lot of people in Metro Manila gave their take on the week long jeepney strike. Social media is abuzz with one liner comments, posts, memes, rants, jokes about the said strike. One of the main… Read More
Zaldarriaga: Airports mirror country's image
March 7 2023, 12:05 pm
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), for the longest time, had been ranked among the worst and most stressful airports in the world, with travelers complaining of long queues, numerous security checks, lack of seats, delayed flights, and delayed luggage release, among other things. Last… Read More
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
