The appointment by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. of Enrique A. Manalo, a seasoned career diplomat, as secretary of Foreign Affairs has been received warmly both here and abroad, by dint of his exemplary performance of various high-level responsibilities over more than four decades of service. The...
Today, July 4, is Philippine-American Friendship Day. In the United States, it is a federal holiday known as the Fourth of July, which marks the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The ties that bind the Philippines and the US are historical, cultural, and familial. On the...
The inaugural address of the 17th president of the Republic of the Philippines, Ferdinand Romualdez R. Marcos Jr., emphasized the transformative power of hope, as he said, “Your hope is my hope.” It also resounded with the call for unity, which he credited as the message that propelled him to...
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. is the first to be elected with a majority vote under the present Constitution. He received a total of 31,629,783 votes, more than double that of his nearest rival. His mandate is clear and unmistakable. The Filipino people want him to lead the country from the...
The inauguration, or formal admission to office, of the highest officials of the country is mandated in the Constitution as follows: “The President and the Vice President shall be elected by direct vote of the people for a term of six years which shall begin at noon on the thirtieth day of June...
In a world where information is readily available with just a swipe of our fingers or tap on a screen, there is also the risk of information overload — different sources of news and updates from various groups or individuals abound, making it hard for us to really determine what is “official”...
When was the last time you read a book? Do you click a title that says ‘five-minute read’ – and finish reading the whole article? Reading is one of the most important skills because it leads to knowledge, self-improvement, and better comprehension of the world around us. Even though that is...
President-elect Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. recently made a comment, reminiscing the “glory days” of the Philippines when it comes to academics. With the still ongoing pandemic ravaging the country’s—the world’s, in fact—academic systems, such a call for improving the academic standing of...
Judging by the data generated by global travel analytics firm ForwardKeys last weekend, the Philippines is leading in the tourism revival in Southeast Asia when it comes to visitors from the US. “The destinations which are recovering most strongly are the Philippines and Singapore. Summer flight...
Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia was recently trending because of a “controversial” Executive Order that she signed, making the wearing of face masks optional in open and well-ventilated spaces. She clarified that this is “not totally scrapping the wearing of face mask” but giving people “a...
In the past few weeks, the administration of President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been busy not only forming the members of the incoming Cabinet, but also meeting with members of the diplomatic corps. Aside from entertaining calls from leaders of different countries, led by superpowers the...
Today is the 47th anniversary of Philippine-China relations and the 21st commemoration of the Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day. Both are celebrated on June 9. In 1975, it was also on this same day when the two nations established diplomatic relations; while in 2002, by virtue of Proclamation No. 148...
