UNDER THE MICROSCOPE What a week it had been. The Duterte saga has captivated the attention, not just of Filipinos, but of the world as well. The arrest of the former Philippine president for crimes against humanity was on international news networks, which didn’t do any good for the image...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE The world is experiencing a rapid increase in temperatures, with heat records broken almost daily, due to the now-undeniable effects of climate change. With increasing hot weather comes the accompanying shifts in the seasons, when rainfall is increased and irregular in...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE Measles is making a comeback in the United States of America. A total of 295 cases were diagnosed in 2024 and so far, there are 164 cases this year, and one death. Before the measles vaccine was introduced in 1993, an estimated three to four million were infected, 48,000...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE The last few days saw a flurry of news items on dengue hogging the headlines. First was the declaration of a dengue outbreak by the Quezon City Hall. Next was the disclosure of another eight cities/municipalities that are expected to declare outbreaks of their...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE As US President Trump promised, its “America First.” One of the first Executive Orders he signed was to pause/cut foreign aid for 90 days while it’s being reviewed. Supposedly, there are exemptions for “core lifesaving medicine, medical services, food, shelter and...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE We used to talk about the Philippines hitting a demographic sweet spot, with a majority of the population made up of young productive persons that will propel the country into a developed and prosperous nation. But recently, fertility rates have been dropping from 4.1 children...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE In a Jan. 10, 2025 resolution, made public recently by the Department of Justice, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla announced the withdrawal of 98 cases of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide against former Health Secretary and incumbent Iloilo...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE Let’s face it. The Philippines, a predominantly Catholic country, has a major problem with teen pregnancies and a steadily rising rate of HIV infection. One in 10 female teenagers below 15 years of age get pregnant or already have a child of their own. The...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE After some 20 years, I flew to Kuala Lumpur upon the invitation of a friend. There, I developed a case of country envy. This is akin to penis envy, a Freudian concept wherein females realize they don’t have a penis, which triggers a competition with the mother for the...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE Babies born from Jan. 1, 2025 to around 2039 are said to belong to Gen Beta, following Gen Alpha (2011-2024). If Gen Alpha are digital natives, Gen Beta will be living in a time when “digital and physical worlds are seamless,” according to McCrindle Research. ...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE The new year is now upon us. It is tempting, nay, compelling, to forget the awful and tawdry events that happened in 2024, with its many natural and man-made disasters, if only to try saving our sanity in these trying times. How can we forget the continuing suffering of our...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE The Central Bank recently announced the rollout of the new polymer banknotes series (₱500, ₱100 and ₱50), in addition to the previously released ₱1000 note, which was front-page news as well as meriting a massive two-page colored ad in national- circulation...
