Disaster preparedness should not merely be about readiness during a disaster; it means that a city or a municipality should remain prepared even when there is no disaster. As a nation most vulnerable to climate change, natural disasters are inevitable, particularly with the annual onslaught...
As the nation commemorates the 40th death anniversary of former Senator Benigno ‘Ninoy’ S. Aquino, Jr., it is well to reflect on the significance of his life and times. Not much is known by the present generation about the fact that by the time he was 25 years old, he was already a three-time...
The National School Maintenance Week, popularly known as Brigada Eskwela, concluded yesterday, Aug. 19, 2023, with yet another volume of stories exemplifying the bayanihan culture — a Filipino trait of being helpful in the community. This also reflects the global concept of volunteerism,...
The noticeable movement of poor provincial folks to the metropolis at around Christmas time to appeal for charity and help from their better-off “kababayans” has been a practice since as far back as we can remember. It started as a tolerable — even welcome — Yuletide scene as city...
The extension of the estate tax amnesty for two more years is a welcome development. Republic Act (R.A.) No. 11569, which lapsed into law on Aug. 5, 2023, amended Section 6 of RA No. 11213, the Tax Amnesty Act, to extend the period of availment of the amnesty until June 14, 2025. The new law also...
Seven years after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines in its dispute with China on the West Philippine Sea, Filipinos were asked recently by OCTA Research on the top three measures they believe the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr....
It’s a surprising realization that our country has always referred to a presidential decree issued way back in 1977 when it comes to building standards and regulations. This is also quite worrisome since what served as the standard four decades ago might not hold its ground in today’s...
Catch up and accelerate are the twin watchwords of the country’s economic managers in the remaining four and a half months of 2023. This developed after the National Statistician announced that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 4.3 percent in the second quarter. To achieve the annual growth...
“I think that I shall never see, a poem as lovely as a tree,” goes the famous poem, Trees, by Joyce Kilmer. In today’s landscape, with climate change hanging thick in the air, a tree is more than just lovely, it is precious. The value of a tree is well-known and its functions are many: its...
Among the many food products, Filipinos are most concerned with rice, the staple food that completes every meal. This grain is so important that it has become a political commodity: every administration’s performance is gauged in part on how it manages the supply and prices of the various...
Something is wrong with Manila Bay. For a long while, environmentalists and the public, in general, have been harping on a number of reclamation projects in Manila Bay, for its adverse impact on marine ecosystem, and the destruction of mangroves and wetlands that threaten the livelihood of...
Filipinos are justifiably proud of world class talents like Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz and multi-awarded actress-singer Lea Salonga. Jollibee has become a well-known fast-food chain from Southeast Asia to Europe. Filipina nurses shone at the height of the recent pandemic, gaining...
