When President Duterte delivers his State of the Nation Address (SONA) today before Congress in joint session at the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City, he is likely to touch on so many issues and incidents that have recently affected the nation. Thus we may expect him to mention Congress’ action on...
In the last four months, the government has generally followed the decisions of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) and its decisions have leaned towards shutting down entire regions,...
In these times of uncertainty, when so many institutions, celebrations, and occasions for which we are known as a nation have been upended because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is good to know that President Duterte will carry on the tradition of personally appearing before...
The whole country – the whole world in fact – is reeling from the ill effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, both the death of thousands of people and the economic impact that has sent the country into a recession. And common ordinary folk are suffering from the effects of four straight months of...
Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Wendel Avisado Friday issued Budget Circular 2020-4, upgrading the pay of entry-level nurses from Salary Grade (SG)-11 to SC-15 – from P22,315-P24,391 to P32,053-P34,801 a month. The adjustment is retroactive to January 1, 2020. It covers...
The four months of lockdown that began on March 16 are expected to contract the Philippine economy by 8 percent this year, making it one of the slowest to recover in Asia, according to an assessment by London think tank Capital Economics. The Philippine economy is deemed to have entered a technical...
Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin Jr. met with China Foreign Minister Wang Yi via teleconferencing last Tuesday, July 14, at the end of which they declared that continuing maritime issues are not the sum total of Philippines-China relations and that...
Starting last April, 1.6 billion young people were shut out of schools due to measures taken by their governments to contain COVID-19, Save the Children said, citing UNESCO data. This is about 90 percent of the world’s entire student population. “For the first time in history,...
For months, the world has watched the emergence and spread of the new coronavirus causing ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It has now infected nearly 13 million people and killed over 560,000 around the world. And the end is not in sight. Early this week, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)...
The face mask has become the universal symbol of the fight against the coronavirus COVID-19 by people and governments around the world. The face mask, along with social distancing and constant washing of hands, is now known to be one’s best protection against the...
There is great concern in the United States today over the opening of the school year in September, with coronavirus cases still rising in many parts of the country. It is not merely a health issue; it is a key part of the nation’s economic recovery. Most parents in the US won’t be able to go...
The coronavirus continues in the country but the government has to relax quarantine measures, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said early this week. “I don’t think we have other alternatives but to open the economy,” he said. “If we don’t open the economy,...
