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...
NIGHT OWL No one knows the land we live on better than indigenous peoples, whose way of life is deeply connected to the earth. Even amidst the rapid development of technology, we can still learn a lot from them. It will certainly serve humanity better if we work together with our indigenous...
NIGHT OWL Imagine being able to access your basic needs and services—markets, groceries, schools, hospitals, banks, or even your workplace—without having to ride a car or spend an hour or so sitting on a bus or jeep. Right now, this scenario is far from reality in the densely populated...
NIGHT OWL Water is a fundamental necessity, yet a significant portion of the global population, numbering in the billions, remains without reliable access to clean and safe drinking water. In the United Nations’ World Water Development Report 2023, roughly two billion individuals globally lack...
NIGHT OWL When Republic Act No. 11223, or the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law, was enacted in 2019, it paved the way for the automatic enrollment of all Filipino citizens in the National Health Insurance Program under the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), granting eligibility to...
NIGHT OWL Financial inclusion is a key enabler for fulfilling the sustainable development goals (SDGs). It can improve lives by unlocking economic opportunities. According to the United Nations, when people have access to financial tools, they can have enough protection against hardships as well as...
NIGHT OWL Policy reports, academic research and data are all vital to the creation of development plans and policies. Oftentimes, these are presented through reports, journals and articles. But there have been innovative ways to communicate research to a wider audience and even make it interactive....
NIGHT OWL I’ve always believed in the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to support our vision for inclusive and sustainable development. This technology has already started to change the way we do things. With its proper development and use, it can even help address many of the...
NIGHT OWL When I attended the 2024 London Fashion Week, I developed a new understanding of the fashion industry, particularly on how it can deeply connect powerful messages to its audience. Paulina Porwollik, a model and professional dancer with a congenital limb difference, was among those...
NIGHT OWL My pursuit of further studies at the London School of Economics (LSE) has been a very rewarding experience for me. It’s enriching both on a personal and professional level. Taking up LSE’s Executive MSc in Cities has provided me a broader perspective on urbanization and the...
