Opinion-Editorial NEWS

OF TREES AND FOREST

GOVERNANCE MATTERS

FINDING ANSWERS 

BATANG MAYNILA

PEACE-MAKER

BETTER DAYS

OF TREES AND FOREST

GOVERNANCE MATTERS

Last July 1, I joined the entire officialdom of Manila in observing our first anniversary in City Hall, made unique by the fact that the city, just like the rest of the world, is fighting an unseen enemy – the novel coronavirus.

At this point, let me take the opportunity to thank my very hard-working Vice Mayor, Honey Lacuna, along with the members of the Manila City Council which she heads as their presiding officer, for their unconditional and unwavering support to all the programs I have lined up.

Tourism in the Philippines is a significant industry. In 2000, tourism only had a 5.6% share in the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP); now it stands at 12.7%. The tourism industry generated P465 billion in 2019 and currently employs 5.71 million people, or 14 out of every 100 employed in our country.

The COVID-19 has been preventing this 83-year-old columnist from personally paying our last respects to friends and former colleagues who had passed on during the past three months, namely, former Senators Sonny Alvarez; Tessie Aquino-Oreta, our colleague in the House of Representatives from 1987 to 1998; Ramon Revilla Sr., who was part of our senatorial ticket when we ran for president in 1998; former Congressmen Amadeo Perez Jr., our provincemate in Pangasinan, and Antonio Cuenco of Cebu, who succumbed to the Coronavirus several days ago.

From COVID-19 to climate disruption, from racial injustice to rising inequalities, we are a world in turmoil.

Police last week arrested some 20 individuals participating in a rally in Manila. The protesters were all wearing masks and observing physical distancing, but were nonetheless detained by the police.

OF TREES AND FOREST

For those who follow surveys, the results of the December Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing high optimism for the new year is not surprising.

OF TREES AND FOREST