True, an increasing population makes it more difficult to eradicate mass poverty. The Philippines still has the highest poverty incidence of close to 20 percent in the whole of East Asia. The answer, however, is not to prevent births but to implement positive measures of transforming the...
The news about agriculture during the first quarter of 2021 reminds us that the road to improving agricultural productivity in the Philippines will be long and difficult. Agricultural production dropped by 3.3 percent, especially due to the large decline in production of livestock and poultry,...
The environmentalist affirms that a small population is good news because it would decrease the carbon footprint on our planet. Mr. Grantham, who is co-founder of GMO Asset Management, deflates such optimism. He said that to fight climate change, we still have a long way to decarbonize...
The pandemic has highlighted the greatest economic treasure the Philippines has, its human resources. We continue to have a young, growing and English speaking population that is referred to as our demographic dividend. In contrast, all developed countries as well as some of the emerging...
Another important reason why the Philippines (together with the other ASEAN countries) should try hard to have friendly relations with China, despite its provocative behaviour, is its vast domestic market for our exports. As mentioned above, in PPP terms, China’s domestic market is already...
Dr. Bernardo M. Villegas China has become increasingly dependent on the rest of the world for the huge quantities of raw materials that are required for continuous, albeit slower, growth. It is already the world’s largest buyer of copper, the second biggest buyer of iron ore, and the third...
Philippine political relationships with China are fraught with difficult challenges. A most recent provocation was the presence of 220 Chinese vessels that were spotted moored at Whitsun Reef last March 7, 2021. The reef is within the Philippines exclusive economic zone over which our country...
Article III on the Bill of Rights also contains more principles containing values to be protected. Section 3 protects private data by declaring communication and correspondence to be inviolable except upon lawful order of the court or when public safety or order require otherwise as prescribed by...
Almost all sectors of society are veering towards contactless transactions: Banks, malls, restaurants, sports, utilities, public services, telemedicine, and public entertainment. Even after the pandemic is put under reasonable control, it is expected that many features of the contactless...
Those in the hospitality sector who can take a long-term view (five to ten years) have reason to be optimistic, despite the carnage that some five-star hotels have suffered. Once the pandemic is put under reasonable control three years from now, the Philippines will be one of the first...
One of the blessings of the pandemic is the greater amount of time that family members can spend in moments of prayer. The family Rosary has been more frequently prayed with more members participating. Some who used to go to Mass only Sundays have developed the habit of attending some online...
CHANGING WORLD (Conclusion) Dr. Bernardo M. Villegas It is easier said than done to first try to improve the ease of doing business as compared with our neighbors. There are some deeply ingrained cultural and political factors that militate against immediate success in these endeavours. That...
