'TOL VIEWS More than two weeks after MT Princess Empress’ descent, it’s still a race against time to contain the spillage in Oriental Mindoro. Each day the sunken vessel continues to leak oil underneath equates to life snuffed out of the sea. Threats to marine life and biodiversity continue to...
THE VIEW FROM RIZAL Once again, the issue of the relevance of the iconic Philippines jeepney grabbed headlines and was trending in social media last week as organizations of jeepney drivers and operators called for a “Tigil Pasada.” This appeared to have been fueled by what one jeepney...
WORD ALIVE Many from our older generation might still remember the Hollywood rock-and-roll star Elvis Presley who went on to make dozens of gold records, sent millions of hysterical fans into ululations of delight, and grossed US$1 billion in earnings — before he died at the young age of 42, in...
‘TOL VIEWS Senator Francis Tolentino The importance of disaster preparedness is, sadly, always best understood after countless lives have already been taken and communities already irreparably damaged. While some will argue that disasters and calamities cannot be predicted, particularly...
‘TOL VIEWS Senator Francis Tolentino Many studies have actually proven that travel, leisure and recreation is a vital human activity that is not only beneficial to human health and wellness but is likewise essential to establishing a vibrant and sustainable economy. The restrictions on...
‘TOL VIEWS Senator Francis Tolentino Worldwide, the number of people aged 60 years or more is steadily increasing over the past several years. The World Health Organization (WHO) projects 2.1 billion people beyond age 60 by the year 2050. In the Philippines, statistics on the elderly point to the...
‘TOL VIEWS Senator Francis Tolentino The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, (PAGASA), in its Climate Outlook Report January-June 2023, which was presented during the 155th Climate Forum last December 2022, estimated rainfall in the country for January...
TOL VIEWS Senator Francis Tolentino Perhaps next to the Blessed Virgin Mother Mary, the Santo Niño is the most revered and venerated religious image in the Philippines. Hundreds of parishes in the country, or maybe even more, have been named after the Holy Child Jesus, and millions of believers...
OF TREES AND FORESTS Former Senate President Manny Villar In writing, there is a phenomenon called the writer’s block, a condition where a person is unable to start the writing process for a significant amount of time. Some describe it as a condition of paralysis, unable to write down even the...
BETTER DAYS Senator Sonny Angara In terms of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Philippines welcomed 2023 from a much better position than the year before. In January 2022, the presence of the then new Omicron variant—coupled with the increased risk of transmission due to the holidays—resulted in an...
'TOL VIEWS Senator Francis Tolentino Just earlier this week, the Philippines celebrated the annual Feast of the Black Nazarene — a yearly religious event in our country, where millions of devotees gather to participate in the traslación – a grand procession of the statue of the...
FINDING ANSWERS Former Senator Atty. Joey D. Lina The intent to build a million homes a year under the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program is certainly laudable amid the enormous housing shortage at present. As I’ve said previously, the success of the socialized housing program would...
