Opinion and Commentary
Zaldarriaga: New Candaba viaduct to help spur economic development in Luzon
June 27, 2023, 7:58 am
While traveling is expected to be much faster and safer thanks to the construction of the third Candaba viaduct, and once completed, it is also likely to help further the overall socioeconomic development of Central and Northern Luzon. The third viaduct will be constructed by NLEX Corporation, a… Read More
Lu: Magna Carta for MSME in retrospect
June 23, 2023, 9:00 pm
The Magna Carta for MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) is a document that proves that our government recognizes their importance in the Philippine economy. Suffice to say, the MSMEs are the lifeblood of the Philippine economy since 99.52 percent of businesses are MSMES and only 0.49… Read More
Samonte: QC Bus Service Program is worth emulating
June 22, 2023, 2:20 pm
The Quezon City government's move to make permanent its QC Bus Service Program (QCBSP) offering "libreng sakay" (free rides) to commuters in selected areas in the largest and most populous city in Metro Manila is worth emulating by other local government units (LGUs) in the country. The 38-member… Read More
Lauengco: Vertical integration, agriculture, governance and Sesame Street
June 21, 2023, 12:29 pm
“Let us call this cooperation. No let us call it sharing.” – Geefle and Gonk, Sesame Street (1973) Recently, the Department of Agriculture announced that it will promote vertical integration to address several issues in the agricultural sector including smuggling and hoarding. Normally, a… Read More
Zaldarriaga: NLEX goes full throttle on road infra, service improvements
June 20, 2023, 8:21 am
There is a renewed interest among Filipinos to travel, and tourism is vibrant again now that the pandemic is over. In Central and Northern Luzon, beach resorts in Zambales and Pangasinan, surfing resorts in La Union, parks in Baguio, and historical sites in Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte are popular… Read More
Lu: Addressing effects of Covid-19 among Filipino learners
June 16, 2023, 6:05 pm
The continuing casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic is children’s education. The Philippines was one of five countries that failed to immediately start in-person schooling when the pandemic began. The United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that 27 million students were… Read More
Samonte: First PH Freedom Day parade after 1896 Revolution against Spain
June 15, 2023, 6:54 pm
Did you know that although Gen. Emilio F. Aguinaldo proclaimed Philippine Independence from Spain on June 12, 1898, the Filipino people were only able to hold a formal public celebration of their freedom from colonial rule with a civic parade in the present Metropolitan Manila area more than a… Read More
Lauengco: The LEGO MOC process, winning NBA championships and politics
June 14, 2023, 9:34 am
“Perhaps, play would be more respected if we called it “self-motivated practice of life skills” but that would remove the lightheartedness from it…” – Dr. Peter Gray Most everyone knows what LEGO means. LEGO is a line of plastic construction toys which consists basically of variously… Read More
Zaldarriaga: Meralco empowers LGUs in making communities more resilient
June 13, 2023, 10:29 am
Mt. Mayon continues to exhibit signs of unrest several days after it spewed lava on the evening of June 8. This phenomenon serves as a reminder for everyone on the importance of having an emergency preparedness and disaster response plan on standby. This is especially crucial for countries like… Read More
Samonte: PHA sets conference on Filipino people's struggles for nationhood
June 9, 2023, 10:38 pm
When the Philippine Historical Association (PHA) conducted its 2023 Annual Conference at the historic Metropolitan Theater in Manila on Aug. 31-Sept. 2, I have an ardent wish that the delegates will exert their best efforts to settle and put to rest the decades-old debates over certain aspects of… Read More
Lu: RCEP and Philippine agriculture
June 9, 2023, 4:56 pm
On June 2, 2023, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement entered into force. Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno was very ecstatic when he stated on Feb. 23 "the ratification of the RCEP is key to a more open, transparent, and predictable trade and investment environment.… Read More
Lauengco: Bare minimum Mondays, quiet quitting, pushback of the youth
June 7, 2023, 10:08 am
“If you do the bare minimum, expect bare minimum results. You want to be great, work to be great” – JJ Watt A few days ago, I noticed a number of articles, both here and abroad, about a new trend among millennials and Generation Z called, “Bare Minimum Mondays”. According to some, the… Read More
Zaldarriaga: e-GOV PH Super App gets support from telecom giant
June 6, 2023, 10:11 am
Maximizing new technologies and solutions to simplify government transactions and reduce red tape in local and national government agencies, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has developed and rolled out the e-GOV PH Super App that would enable Filipinos to… Read More
Castillo: War on garbage: Continuous zero waste IEC program
June 5, 2023, 6:00 pm
As our society continuously progresses through modernization, our world is facing a multitude of environmental challenges that include climate change, soil and forest degradation and pollution, among other issues. It is incumbent upon us to take steps toward protecting and preserving our… Read More
Lu: A doable approach to solving self-sufficiency in food security
June 2, 2023, 10:24 am
We all know that the Philippines is an agricultural country. It is unfortunate, however, that all sorts of agricultural products are imported, undermining local production. What is untenable is that hunger and malnutrition continue to hound Filipinos when we have the most fertile land and abundant… Read More
Samonte: Why rainy season is also time for water conservation?
June 1, 2023, 12:17 pm
As the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) is expected to announce soon the country's official transition from the dry season into the rainy season, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has advised the public to conserve water amid… Read More
Lauengco: MSMEs, RCEP, BTS ME
May 31, 2023, 4:54 pm
“Supporting another person’s success won’t ever dampen yours” – We Buy Small This week, about a thousand owners of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) gathered in Cabanatuan City to launch the city’s chapter of the MSME NGO group, “Basta Tayo Sama Sama sa Micro/Medium/Small… Read More
Zaldarriaga: Government, private sector team up in war vs. illegal drugs
May 30, 2023, 11:34 am
Although implementing a slight change in its approach, the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. remains steadfast in its fight against illegal drugs. Under the Department of the Interior and Local Government's (DILG) “Buhay Ingatan, Droga'y Ayawan” (BIDA) program, the government… Read More
Lu: Nano enterprises in the limelight
May 26, 2023, 2:57 pm
It was an unprecedented move for President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. On the 42nd Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), he pushed for recognition and support for nano-businesses that have been "unrecognized but are impacting on the everyday lives of the people." To quote the… Read More
Lauengco: Denver Nuggets, media influencers, neurodivergence and innovation
May 24, 2023, 9:53 am
“You want to be ahead of that curve. You don’t want to be the team reacting to it or fighting that. It’s fun. You just got to make sure you’re constantly challenging yourself.” - Michael Malone, Denver Nuggets Coach In this basketball crazy country, where Filipinos follow the NBA as much… Read More
