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...
OF TREES AND FOREST The most successful entrepreneurs don’t accept defeat; they face challenges and fight until they turn their dreams and vision into reality. That is the difference between success and failures. The latter happens only when you give up. This is the reason why I keep telling...
OF TREES AND FOREST It was such an emphatic word to describe the relationship between the Philippines and the United States especially given the tensions in the region and the complicated past of the two nations’ bilateral relations. But this was how President Joseph Biden described his...
OF TREES AND FOREST The changes around us are simply dizzying. We have restaurants using robots to serve food. We can now pay with our smart phones instead of physical, tangible money. Some supermarkets, including ours, have automated check-out counters. I just read about the wonderful...
OF TREES AND FOREST *(Part 1)* The 2022 Fourth Quarter Social Weather Survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations revealed some very interesting information about Philippine democracy and how people view democracy. Let me go through the results first before offering my insights. The survey,...
OF TREES AND FORESTS One of the reasons why I love to travel is that it expands our perspectives. By seeing other places, experiencing other cultures, and, living — even for a brief moment — another way of life, we are able to compare our situation with that of other countries. Comparison...
OF TREES AND FORESTS Mount Pamitinan is a popular destination for hikers and adventurous travelers. It is located in Sitio Wawa, Rodriguez, Rizal and has a height of almost 1,400 feet above sea level. Hiking has never been my thing. I have always been a laidback, sit-in-a-cafe,...
OF TREES AND FORESTS Former Senate President Manny Villar I am deeply saddened by the devastation caused by the strong earthquake that hit Türkiye and Syria. As I write this column, the death toll has already passed 28,000 per the report of the BBC. The death toll regrettably includes two...
PARIS, France -- Territories in Brazil's fragmented Atlantic Forest where Indigenous peoples enjoy secure land rights have seen measurably less deforestation than similar areas in which land tenure is weak or non-existent, researchers reported Thursday. The findings, published in the journal PNAS...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar One of the critical challenges facing the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. is the problem of transportation. And one particular problem revolves around our airports. This was in full public and global view on New Year’s Day...
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...
