NIGHT OWL As technology continues to progress at an accelerated pace, the digital divide further widens. In fact, the digital divide is becoming the new face of gender inequality. Access to digital technology and ensuring digital literacy, especially among women, indigenous peoples, and other...
NIGHT OWL More than a decade ago, just a few months before my graduation in 2012, I visited the indigenous people of Tagbanua in Sitio Calauit in Palawan. I was there for a few days and one thing I wondered about is how they were able to survive without electricity, no cellphone signal, and barely...
NIGHT OWL Recently, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos unveiled another of her heritage building restoration projects that serves as a tribute to the country’s past leaders, as it welcomes state and government leaders from different parts of the world. Through its façade alone—which features a...
NIGHT OWL Human activity has caused dangerous decline in nature. According to the United Nations, one million plant and animal species are now threatened with extinction, many within decades. The Philippines, one of the world’s 18 megadiverse countries, is home to two-thirds of the Earth’s...
NIGHT OWL I have always believed in the power of collective action. That if we are able to invite others to join a worthy cause, we can achieve results that are far better, wider in reach, and more sustainable. When I was working with the United Nations, helping carry out the United Nations...
NIGHT OWL Here in the Philippines, classes are usually suspended in the event of typhoons or heavy rains and flooding. But in recent weeks, classes had to shift to asynchronous mode as the scorching heat — which has reached 40 degrees Celsius and above — has become unbearable, especially to...
NIGHT OWL Last April 19, I was offered a platform at the Impact-WorldBank24X event at George Washington University to share not only my personal journey but also a critical message on the power of inclusive resilience and sustainable development. Hailing from the Philippines, a country with a rich...
NIGHT OWL A few years back, the only war we hadwas against a virus. We were all bent on fighting off the disease that brought the world to a pause and changed the way we live. We all wanted to preserve as many lives then. Today, while the scars of the pandemic have yet to fade, new...
NIGHT OWL American author Neal Stephenson is credited for coining the term “ metaverse ” that he used in his 1992 book, Snow Crash, to describe a virtual world where people interact with one another through avatars. Thirty years since, the metaverse is now part of our reality. The...
NIGHT OWL Access to information is essential for society to survive and thrive. According to the United Nations (UN), access to information creates empowered citizens, who are able to make informed choices, to monitor their government, and to know about decisions affecting their lives. In fact,...
NIGHT OWL Have you ever wondered why in some road intersections, there are roundabouts even if the area could actually do one without? For one reason, roundabouts or rotundas can keep our roads safer. According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), roundabouts are more effective than enforcement in...
NIGHT OWL In the 1930s, the Philippines used to have 1,140 kilometers of railroad track, but the acceleration of urbanization, population growth, and modernization resulted in a shift to a car-centric culture, which eventually caused the decline of rail lines. In recent years, however, the...
