OF TREES AND FORESTS Many know me as a public servant and an entrepreneur. I spent 21 years of my life in government serving both as Senate President and Speaker of Representatives, accomplishments which I am extremely proud of. And I have been an entrepreneur all my life — starting with the time...
FINDING ANSWERS It was nothing short of extraordinary when, for the first time ever, the most coveted acting award was given to an Asian. It certainly was history in the making as the amazing and very inspiring Malaysian-born Michelle Yeoh won last week the Academy Award for Best Actress. “For...
PEACE MAKER Former Iranian Vice President Hassan Ghafouri Fard, a dear friend and a staunch stalwart in political party and parliamentary diplomacy passed away a few days ago in Tehran. He was 79. Vice President Ghafouri Fard was a founding member of ICAPP, the International Conference of Asian...
FINDING ANSWERS Nearly nothing else may be as repulsive as the slaughter of helpless children like what happened in Cavite last week. Watching TV news on the OFW mother describing the circumstances of the tragedy, one can feel the anguish she must have felt upon hearing on her cellphone her...
OF TREES AND FOREST Jeepneys are not just utilitarian modes of transportation for Filipinos. It is that, yes. They offer an affordable mode of transportation for students, workers and the general population that also supports the livelihood of thousands of drivers and independent operators. Back in...
PEACE-MAKER In commemoration of the National Women’s Month, we wish to reprint here our column dated March 13, 2022. “In recent years, many iconic women leaders have emerged. Outstanding women in global politics include Margaret Thatcher in Britain; Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris, the first...
A party-list representative on Sunday remembered former President Fidel V. Ramos for his frequent visits to the provinces during his presidency from 1992 to 1998. Former president Fidel V. Ramos (REUTERS / Romeo Ranoco / MANILA BULLETIN) Ramos passed away at the age of 94 on Sunday, as confirmed by...
“A real patriot.” This was how Vice President Sara Duterte remembered former president Fidel V. Ramos who passed away at age 94 as confirmed by Malacañang on Sunday, July 31. Former president Fidel V. Ramos (Reuters) “I convey my deepest condolences to the bereaved family of former President...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar Have you ever taken a vacation in a place that is rural, rustic and very provincial? You wake up to the crowing of the rooster, you have freshly opened coconut juice for breakfast, and you just lounge around all day in a place where time...
FINDING ANSWERS Former Senator Atty. Joey D. Lina It’s often been said that doing the same thing again and again but expecting different results is sheer insanity. Thus, some people ask, do the hundreds of diplomatic protests filed by the Philippines against China reflect some semblance of...
PEACE-MAKER Former Speaker of the House Jose C. De Venecia Jr. Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who served as his country’s president from 2001 to 2008, recently died in Dubai where he had been living in self-imposed exile since 2016. He was the first Pakistani head of state to visit...
OF TREES AND FORESTS Former Senate President Manny Villar I am deeply saddened by the devastation caused by the strong earthquake that hit Türkiye and Syria. As I write this column, the death toll has already passed 28,000 per the report of the BBC. The death toll regrettably includes two...