FROM THE MARGINS And just like that, time flew by and January is ending. January was named for the Roman god Janus, who has two faces: one looks into the past and the other looks into the future. Just like January, which straddle the ending and beginning of each year. I felt a bit like Janus a few...
FROM THE MARGINS January is National Microinsurance Month. Microinsurance is crucial to financial inclusion and has immense social and economic benefits because it provides poor people with safety nets to help them cope with unexpected shocks. Its growth was facilitated by the Insurance Commission...
FROM THE MARGINS My visit to Bacolod last week brought back memories of my days with the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP). I worked with the corporate-led social development foundation from 1978 to 1987, initially tasked to manage a demonstration farm in Laguna to show that a farmer...
FROM THE MARGINS New Year’s Day is the most celebrated holiday. But it is also a day of introspection. On this day, people remember the achievements and challenges of the outgoing year, and look forward to new beginnings promised by the new year. As 2022 closes, I also found myself reflecting on...
FROM THE MARGINS Today, we return to work after all the Christmas shopping, gift-giving, parties and get-togethers. I am sure some are still feeling holiday hang-overs, while others are wishing that Christmas would last for just a little bit longer. But is Christmas over now that all the...
FROM THE MARGINS In my previous article, I lamented the declining contribution of agriculture to the country’s gross domestic product. As we are an agricultural country that is rich in natural resources, we should aim to grow our agricultural sector to a level that surpasses services and industry...
FROM THE MARGINS JAIME ARISTOTLE B. ALIP, PHD According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, our economy expanded 7.6 percent in the third quarter of 2022, compared to last year. The agriculture, forestry, and fishing sector also rose by 2.2 percent, a turnaround from a -1.7 percent decline in...
FROM THE MARGINS Once touted as something of a miracle cure for global poverty, microfinance used to be a high-profile and generously-funded development intervention. In recent years, however, support for the sector has dwindled, with development finance institutions moving on to new disruptive...
FROM THE MARGINS JAIME ARISTOTLE B. ALIP, PHD Putting agriculture at the forefront of our development agenda is a good move on the part of President Marcos. His assumption of the post of Agriculture Secretary is an affirmation of the promise made during his presidential campaign to lower the price...
Malacañang confirmed on Tuesday, October 19, the resignation of testing czar Vince Dizon from his post as president and chief executive officer of the Bases and Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) and presidential adviser on flagship programs and projects. Testing czar Vince Dizon (NTF AGAINST...
Of course it does. The question is how? Illustration from Freepik We’re living in a right-handed world. In fact, only 10 percent of the world’s population is left-handed. It’s true that we don’t normally mind left-handed folks. It’s not until we encounter that one left-handed desk at...
