UNDER THE MICROSCOPE We’ve been bombarded by lots of political noise, ugly manipulations and a “moro-moro” show in the formerly august halls of the Senate of the Philippine Republic. All these are happening as the world around us explodes with wars, oil shortages and just plain ugliness from...
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla on Friday, May 15, placed Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca under preventive suspension without pay for six months effective immediately, as the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) begins its investigation into the shooting incident inside the Senate of the...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE Why is it that the poor who are helpless and downtrodden are often the victims of exploitation? We have seen how the Value Added Tax (VAT) impacts the poor the most, for it is a huge burden for them to have to pay extra for goods purchased. Since it is a flat consumption...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE The Philippines has one of the highest hepatitis B (HBV) burdens in the world, with 16.7 percent of Filipinos positive for the virus with over 7.27 million affected. It means we are a hyperendemic country for HBV. Another 40 percent have serological markers (anti-HBs and...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE Around two weeks ago, the Department of Health issued a health warning re unhealthy air quality due to the April 10 fire at the Navotas landfill. The haze (fine smoke and dust particles) can produce symptoms such as difficulty in breathing, coughing, chest pain, eye irritation...
Five Persons Under Police Custody (PUPC) died while several others were injured after a Philippine National Police (PNP) mobile vehicle transporting them to the Quezon City Jail crashed into a concrete wall in Barangay Payatas, Quezon City on Friday morning, April 24, 2026. In a statement, the...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE The Philippine Society of Pathologists Inc. just concluded its 75th Annual Convention at the Makati Shangrila Hotel. Being a member of its board of governors, I was busy with the planning and of course, attended the convention. If you don’t know what a pathologist is, let me...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE With the US-Iran war still ongoing, the world watches with bated breath as to the eventual outcome. However, the world economy has suffered setbacks that will definitely see a real risk of stagflation. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the bombing of oil refineries has...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE With the bill granting the president emergency powers regarding the energy crisis already passed, the president should not just reduce the excise tax on fuels. Rather, he should totally remove it, even temporarily, to give the people some breathing space amid the tightening...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE In many countries, most people don’t drive cars. They take mass transport that is efficient, clean and runs on time. Before the Second World War, Manila had the tramvia, an electrified bus running along defined routes, attached to an overhead cable from which it draws power....
The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has expanded its Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP), increasing free medicines to 75 and adding screening tests for four of the country’s most common cancers. Under the regular YAKAP package, members are entitled to free consultations, 13...
Only five companies from the Philippines made it to Forbes Asia’s 2025 Best Under A Billion list, which recognizes 200 top-performing small and mid-sized listed companies in the Asia-Pacific region. Filipino companies in the list are led by Converge Information & Communications Technology...
