NIGHT OWL Anna Mae Lamentillo Seventy-one years ago, on Sept. 7, 1950, the Philippine Congress passed Republic Act 573 that authorized the sending of the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea (PEFTOK) to help South Korea repel the North Korean aggression. The PEFTOK was composed of five battalion...
NIGHT OWL Anna Mae Lamentillo In political circles, the Executive Secretary is often referred to as the “Little President,” but the task is no little as could be attested by the ES Salvador Medialdea himself, who was already thinking of retirement when he was given the...
NIGHT OWL Anna Mae Lamentillo Senator Cynthia A. Villar won her first term in the Senate in 2013. She ran for a second term in 2019 and garnered 25 million votes, making her number one in that election. She says these are among her most unforgettable experiences in public service. But as a child...
NIGHT OWL Anna Mae Lamentillo One of my earliest recollections of Department of Transportation Secretary Art Tugade was during the inspection of the LRT-2 East Extension Project – a railway project which would add four kilometers to the existing 13.8-kilometer LRT-2 train line, connecting Recto...
NIGHT OWL When Secretary Mark Villar was first appointed in 2016 — a lot were critical. But after working with him for several years, I had no doubt, he will deliver. He has shown leadership in the most critical times — even when his own life is in danger. I remembered we were in Marawi to...
Anna Mae Y. Lamentillo In the second quarter of 2021, Philippines’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 11.8 percent, the highest since the fourth quarter of 1988. The biggest contributor to the increase was the construction sector, which is pegged at 25.7 percent. It was followed by...
Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo Back in 2016 — no one knew what "Build, Build, Build" meant or what it stood for. Critics had very little expectation of the team. They wagered against our success — not knowing that when they did — they gambled against the future of their country. They were certain...
NIGHT OWL Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo If you are in any way part of “Build, Build, Build” — be strong and steadfast. The truth will not change only because alternate realities are repeated, or that facts are often ignored. The attacks will be more vicious and it will be at a rate that we have...
NIGHT OWL Anna Mae Lamentillo I am writing this column as we prepare for the inauguration of the Pantaleon-Estrella Bridge this July 29 — a project bombarded by criticism and fake news since it started construction in January, 2019. I remember announcing the closure, dismantling and transfer of...
It’s the accomplishment of 6.5 million Filipino workers TRAVERSING CAGAYAN RIVER Pigalo Bridge in Angadanan, Isabela (Wilzon Valdez for DPWH) Build, Build, Build has been the target of fake news, trolls, and critics. They have tried to redefine it far from its scope — and in their “proud,...
29,264 kilometers of roads, 5,950 bridges, 214 airport and 451 seaport projects NIGHT OWL Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo I began writing this piece on “Build, Build, Build” while on my way back to Manila from Tarlac after inaugurating the first 18-kilometer segment of Central Luzon Link Freeway with...
NIGHT OWL Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo Davao City — Philippines’ largest city in terms of land area — was recognized as the second most livable city in the country among the 33 highly urbanized cities in the Philippines. This was the findings of Dr. John Vianne Murcia, specialist of the University...
