OF TREES AND FORESTS The traffic was horrible and I was stuck inside my car for what seemed like forever. I was looking outside and my mind was wandering when a familiar song suddenly played on the radio. “We skipped the light fandango” it began. It was A Whiter Shade of Pale which was released...
OF TREES AND FORESTS One of the things that the Covid-19 pandemic and its attendant lockdowns deprived us of was our mobility. It severely limited our ability to get out of the house, go to work, meet our friends, run our errands and just basically get some fresh air. The pandemic also halted our...
OF TREES AND FOREST The country received some sobering economic news last week. During the first quarter of the current year, the Philippines was able to sustain its economic recovery and expansion with a GDP growth of 6.4 percent, a growth rate that actually exceeded forecasts. But the second...
OF TREES AND FOREST President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has formally lifted the state of public health emergency declared due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) by issuing Proclamation 297. Informally, of course, the public has been acting like the pandemic is over since 2022. People have...
OF TREES AND FORESTS It is a tradition and a Constitutional mandate. The highest law of the land requires the highest official of the land to address Congress at the start of its session. The thinking behind the requirement should be clear — the President, as chief executive, needs to report on...
OF TREES AND FORESTS Just this weekend, the government of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. inaugurated the “Bagong Pilipinas” campaign by releasing Memorandum Circular No. 24 ordering the executive branch to adopt it as part of “the national government's branding and...
OF TREES AND FOREST What is going on with the weather? A few weeks after PAGASA declared the start of the rainy season in the country, soaring and searing temperatures have been experienced not just locally but also the entire world. In the past few days, the heat has been particularly brutal even...
OF TREES AND FORESTS I like the fact that President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. candidly admitted that his administration still has a lot of work to do. He also echoed the rating an economist gave his first year of administration as “incomplete.” It is really unfair to give a full review of his...
OF TREES AND FOREST Nope, it does not mean “bring your own bottle.” It means “be your own boss.” Well, in a sense both meanings refer to you taking charge and making your own choices. This was also the major findings in a lesser known survey conducted by OCTA Research. In their Tugon ng...
OF TREES AND FOREST I was very happy last week when I received a basket-full of kamote (sweet potato) from one of our associates. Kamote is one of my favorite things to eat. It was part of my childhood and I continue to enjoy it today. I know that in the provinces it has remained a staple in many...
OF TREES AND FOREST We just celebrated the 125th anniversary of Philippine Independence. Actually, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) has decided to organize a multi-year commemoration to celebrate our independence and our nationhood from 2023 to 2026. The idea is to...
OF TREES AND FOREST I applaud the Senate for passing the Maharlika Investment Fund bill on third and final reading during the last day of May which was also its last session day before it took a break. The House of Representatives have decided to adopt the Senate version of the bill so as of press...
