NIGHT OWL The Philippines concluded its 2024 Paris Olympics campaign on a high note after achieving its best performance to date. On our centennial participation in the Olympic Games, we finished with two gold medals courtesy of gymnast Carlos Yulo, two bronze medals from boxers Aira Villegas...
NIGHT OWL The Philippines’ first Olympic gold medal was attained by a weightlifter — a female weightlifter. And just recently, we were blessed with a back-to-back Olympic gold medals from a gymnast — a male gymnast. Was it mere coincidence or is it the world bluntly telling us that greatness...
NIGHT OWL The Olympic Gold—once an elusive dream for the Philippines, became a reality in 2021 and was recently repeated twice, as if telling all of us that: Yes, we are capable of world excellence. Thanks to Carlos Edriel Yulo, who boosted not only the pride of Filipinos but also the morale of...
NIGHT OWL When little children are asked what they wish to become in the future, their young minds are unaware of any limitations. They dream big—the possibilities are as endless as the vast sky and their hopes are as high as the stars. But as they grow older, the realities that surround...
NIGHT OWL As an archipelagic nation with rich natural resources, the Philippines has a large amount of water resources, particularly from rivers, lakes, and groundwater. Ironically, water security remains a challenge for the country. In the past months, weather patterns and climate...
NIGHT OWL We cannot choose the circumstances into which we are born. In fact, we only realize that there are differences in life when we start interacting with other people and see the disparity in our way of living, how we access basic needs, the way we are the treated, the availability and...
NIGHT OWL As centers of commerce, growth and innovation, cities play a crucial role in driving not only national but also global economic progress. They contribute more than 80 percent of global GDP. Since cities provide more and better economic opportunities as well as better access to key...
NIGHT OWL Indigenous peoples make up only five percent of the global population, and though among the marginalized sectors of society, their traditional knowledge and practices are becoming sources of hope for the world’s complex problems. After centuries of neglect of their needs, abuse...
NIGHT OWL One of the common complaints of working Filipinos, especially those in the cities, is the amount of time they spend going to work and back to their homes. Whether they have their own cars or taking public transportation, it is hard to predict the amount of time it will take for them...
NIGHT OWL An average of 3.6 million vehicles are cramped in the streets of Metro Manila every day. Most of these are motorcycles and private cars. No wonder, it takes about 25 minutes and 30 seconds to drive for just 10 kilometers in the metropolis. Figures from Amsterdam-based traffic data...
NIGHT OWL In our quest to make our cities and communities sustainable and inclusive, one important aspect that we must focus on is transportation — providing citizens access to mobility options that are safe, environment-friendly, and affordable. In essence, almost everyone can walk and many can...
NIGHT OWL “Where are you from?” It’s a question I’m always asked when I am abroad. And simply saying that, “I’m from the Philippines,” does not seem enough. This beautiful archipelago of 7,641 islands with over 100 indigenous communities and about the same number of...
