PEACE-MAKER The overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad has marked a pivotal moment in Syria’s tumultuous history, ending over five decades of authoritarian rule. This transition presents both profound challenges and opportunities for the Syrian people and the international community. The...
OF TREES AND FOREST The American industrialist Henry Ford once said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” We cannot stop learning once we step out of the university or once we reach a certain age. And it is not just about learning...
FINDING ANSWERS Despite public outcry and reform efforts, corruption remains a big problem in the Philippines. From petty bribery to large-scale plunder of public funds, pervasive corruption has defied solution for decades. Our country still ranks among the corruption-plagued in the world,...
PEACE-MAKER Our wife Gina and we recently visited Bangkok, a city that holds a special place in our career as five-time Speaker of the House of Representatives and in our modest foray into parliamentary and political party diplomacy in Asia and the global community. During our trip, we met...
FINDING ANSWERS The death of former Senator Santanina “Nina” Tillah Rasul last Thursday has sparked accolades attesting to her distinguished life as a champion of women empowerment, adult literacy, peace, and development. There’s no doubt she was a great and outstanding Filipino whose...
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel's PDP-Laban wing "strongly denounced" the call made by former President Rodrigo Duterte's faction to troop at the EDSA Shrine. This was stated in a statement released by Pimentel's faction on its official Facebook page on Monday, Dec. 2, in response...
PEACE-MAKER Political parties are often viewed as the lifeblood of democratic governance, shaping policies and directing the future of nations. Yet, their influence extends far beyond the borders of their own countries. In an increasingly interconnected world, political parties have a vital...
OF TREES AND FOREST Filipinos are world famous for the longest celebration of the Christmas season. We usher in the holidays beginning with the so-called “Ber” months. And so on Sept. 1 when the clock strikes 12:01, Filipinos, who are also world famous for their fun-loving character as...
FINDING ANSWERS The commemoration of Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Week every third week of November is supposedly of utmost importance as an intensive community information drive greatly helps in prevention and control of drug dependence. So extremely important indeed that two presidential...
PEACE-MAKER Triumphant uprisings demonstrate how ordinary citizens in the new countries are courageously claiming their civil liberties and demanding the right to decide their own destinies. “People power” liberations have in recent times taken place in the Arab world, and in both South...
OF TREES AND FOREST Donald Trump won the US presidential elections by defeating his Democratic opponent Vice President Kamala Harris. By all accounts, it was a stunning victory not only because it was an impressive comeback from his electoral defeat in 2020 but also because his triumph...
FINDING ANSWERS A watershed moment it certainly was when two pieces of legislation authored by Sen. Francis Tolentino were signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last Nov. 8. The two new laws—RA 12064 which declared the maritime zones under Philippine jurisdiction, and RA 12065 which...
