Eight months ago, on March 16, the Philippines began its program of lockdown restrictions, with Metro Manila and all of Luzon placed under an Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) which closed down all businesses and offices along with all public transportation. People, with the exception of hospital...
Of 896 barangays in Manila, 73 were cited by the city government of Manila last week for having zero COVID-19 infections in the last two months. They received P100,000 each in city government funds approved by the city council. Giving these funds to barangays was an idea of Mayor Francisco “Isko...
It has now been ten months since the COVID-19 began surging around the world after it was first reported in China. It was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11 when the disease spread to over 100 countries. After causing so many deaths in Europe, notably in Italy, United...
This has been a devastating period for the Philippines as it was battered by a series of storms and powerful typhoons that came one after the other in close succession. Storms “Pepito” and “Quinta” hit in October, followed by super-typhoon “Rolly,” the world’s strongest typhoon this...
United States President Donald Trump has refused to concede defeat in the 2020 presidential election to Joseph Biden, prolonging the uncertainty that continues to hang over the election results. President Trump is evidently falling back on the fact that the winner of the election will be officially...
Two principal factors – the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the tremendous interest in President Trump’s reelection bid – caused a major expansion of the American voting system this year. Millions of Americans opted to vote in advance and via mail-ballots to avoid the traditional mass gathering...
Philippine relations with the United States are not expected to undergo any major change with the election of a new US president. We remain a close ally of the US, although we have also developed new ties with China. President Duterte has been able to maintain close relations with...
The world this week saw the election of a new United States president – Joseph (Joe) Biden Jr. of Delaware, candidate of the Democratic Party, along with his vice-presidential teammate Sen. Kamala Harris of California. Three days after the election, the early counts in the 50 states as...
The Philippine delegation is targeting to attract over 1,300 buyers and generate a modest $31 million worth export deals at the upcoming China International Import Expo (CIIE), significantly lower than the $300 million the Philippines realized during last year’s China International...
It is still a long way before the world expects to have a vaccine for the COVID-19 pandemic. But when it finally comes, probably around January, 2021, the Philippine government already has plans for its acquisition, distribution, implementation, assessment, and monitoring. President Duterte has...
In the mounting worldwide effort to cut down on polluting emissions from the burning of traditional fuels like diesel, gasoline, natural gas, and coal, the world’s scientists and other researchers are now exploring other sources of power for industry, for transportation, for...
Two storms and a typhoon have hit the Philippines in the last three weeks – “Pepito,” “Quinta,” and then typhoon “Rolly” this weekend. A fourth tropical cyclone has now entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility in the east -- tropical storm “Siony”...
