NIGHT OWL Human activity has caused dangerous decline in nature. According to the United Nations, one million plant and animal species are now threatened with extinction, many within decades. The Philippines, one of the world’s 18 megadiverse countries, is home to two-thirds of the Earth’s...
NIGHT OWL I have always believed in the power of collective action. That if we are able to invite others to join a worthy cause, we can achieve results that are far better, wider in reach, and more sustainable. When I was working with the United Nations, helping carry out the United Nations...
NIGHT OWL Here in the Philippines, classes are usually suspended in the event of typhoons or heavy rains and flooding. But in recent weeks, classes had to shift to asynchronous mode as the scorching heat — which has reached 40 degrees Celsius and above — has become unbearable, especially to...
NIGHT OWL Last April 19, I was offered a platform at the Impact-WorldBank24X event at George Washington University to share not only my personal journey but also a critical message on the power of inclusive resilience and sustainable development. Hailing from the Philippines, a country with a rich...
NIGHT OWL A few years back, the only war we hadwas against a virus. We were all bent on fighting off the disease that brought the world to a pause and changed the way we live. We all wanted to preserve as many lives then. Today, while the scars of the pandemic have yet to fade, new...
NIGHT OWL American author Neal Stephenson is credited for coining the term “ metaverse ” that he used in his 1992 book, Snow Crash, to describe a virtual world where people interact with one another through avatars. Thirty years since, the metaverse is now part of our reality. The...
NIGHT OWL Access to information is essential for society to survive and thrive. According to the United Nations (UN), access to information creates empowered citizens, who are able to make informed choices, to monitor their government, and to know about decisions affecting their lives. In fact,...
NIGHT OWL In the bustling heart of Dubai, as world leaders convened to deliberate the fate of our planet, a groundbreaking consensus emerged from the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 28) last December. The UAE Consensus, hailed as the herald of the fossil fuel era's conclusion, sparked...
NIGHT OWL Have you ever wondered why in some road intersections, there are roundabouts even if the area could actually do one without? For one reason, roundabouts or rotundas can keep our roads safer. According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), roundabouts are more effective than enforcement in...
NIGHT OWL In the 1930s, the Philippines used to have 1,140 kilometers of railroad track, but the acceleration of urbanization, population growth, and modernization resulted in a shift to a car-centric culture, which eventually caused the decline of rail lines. In recent years, however, the...
NIGHT OWL Lent, most particularly the Holy Week, is a very important season for Catholics. It is a time of prolonged penance as the Catholic faithful reflect on the passion of the Lord, his suffering, death, and resurrection. In the Philippines, the Holy Week is not only a demonstration of...
NIGHT OWL “It is time to act, and in Lent, to act also means to pause. To pause in prayer, in order to receive the word of God, to pause like the Samaritan in the presence of a wounded brother or sister.” — Pope Francis Amid a very fast-moving society and a rapidly changing world, oftentimes...
