NIGHT OWL I was still in college at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) when I first met Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda. Little did I know that a few years after that meeting, I will not only be able to cross paths with her again, but also be mentored by her. In 2012, I...
NIGHT OWL In a tropical country like the Philippines, it is a waste if we cannot fully utilize the benefits of the sun, including in supplying our energy needs. It’s a welcome development that more Filipinos are now seeing the light on the need for more renewables. In a Pulse Asia Survey...
NIGHT OWL When we talk about the climate crisis and its catastrophic impacts; when we realize the magnitude of the problem, and how hard it is for countries to keep even their self-imposed commitments to climate change mitigation, it is easy to feel helpless as individuals — as if none of our...
NIGHT OWL How can we create a barrier-free environment? One that is accessible to anyone, regardless of age, ability or other mobility factors. Oftentimes, a place is seen as accessible to persons with disabilities (PWD) when there is presence of ramps, handrails, and elevators. But there are...
NIGHT OWL It would seem ironic to find an ally of inclusive capitalism in the person of a self-made magnate, especially when the system that needs to be changed is the one that helped them succeed. But for Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild, accepting that something is flawed is a crucial step...
NIGHT OWL Every time we welcome the new year, we all have our hopes and expectations for a better year ahead. And while these may be mostly personal or within our families, friends and immediate community, there has been a conscious effort in recent years to include the Earth’s health in our...
NIGHT OWL Prior to nations agreeing to transition away from fossil fuels as expressed in the historic United Arab Emirates (UAE) Consensus, the 28th climate change conference or COP28 held in Dubai already provided a milestone decision on its first day — gathering commitments of at least $700...
NIGHT OWL Recently, I had the chance to watch “Maestro” at the British Film Institute and I believe it is one great gift from Bradley Cooper, who is both the director and lead actor of this biopic that focuses on the relationship between American conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein—who...
NIGHT OWL It is projected that almost 600 million people will continue to face hunger in 2030, according to the United Nations in its State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report 2023. The number is about 119 million more than in a scenario in which neither the pandemic nor...
NIGHT OWL This year’s climate agreement can be described as the biggest step forward in addressing climate change since the Paris agreement in 2015. For the first time in almost three decades of annual climate talks, nations at the COP28 agreed to transition away from fossil fuels. This could be...
NIGHT OWL For many years now, the term sustainability has become a buzzword, especially since the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in 2015. We often hear and read about it in the news, it has become a staple in development policies, and even the corporate world has been embracing...
NIGHT OWL As we enter the last month of the year in a few days, countries who have joined the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will once again gather for the annual climate conference, or the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC. This year’s COP 28 will be...
