Two years of online graduations, with college freshmen and sophomores never even having seen their schools, because of the pandemic is coming to an end with most of the country now under an Alert Level 1 status, according to Malacañang. It is time that higher education institutions (HEIs), i.e....
Malacanang last week announced the appointment of Abdullah Derupong Mama-o as the new secretary of the newly created Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). A law practitioner, labor lawyer, and assemblyman, Mama-o was, most recently, the presidential adviser on overseas Filipino worker (OFW)...
Courtesy is a familiar word among us, Filipinos. ‘Magalang’ (respectful) is one of the strong values that keeps our culture distinct. No matter one’s age, we tend to say “po” many times when talking to a person of authority or seniority – to show respect. We avoid getting into an...
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has triggered multi-pronged developments with significant impact on emerging economies like the Philippines. The country’s economic managers have flagged four areas of concern. On inflation, oil and fuel prices have begun to spike as Russia is a major source of...
Today is International Women’s Day. Many countries around the world will celebrate the contributions of women in many fields of endeavor and the strides in breaking gender bias. The global celebration will focus on the theme “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow” as declared by...
If there is one government agency that is effectively making gains in pushing for genuine reforms in the government bureaucracy, it is the Anti Red Tape Authority (ARTA). The agency was created under Republic Act No. 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act...
Ash Wednesday, observed on March 2 this year, is the beginning of Lent. In a predominantly Christian country like the Philippines, the Lenten season does not need much explanation. Lent recalls the 40 days of Jesus’ fasting in the desert before he entered His public ministry. Roman Catholics...
Pandemic or endemic, the usual normal or the new normal, ECQ or Alert Level 1—whatever the situation is inside the country, the fight versus corruption must be relentless, unforgiving, and encompassing. Corruption, in whatever way, form, or manner, must be stopped at all costs, and government...
The recent de-escalation of alert levels in various parts of the country is a sign that things may go back to (new) normal. A lot of Filipinos celebrated this pandemic freedom by flocking to malls, restaurants, parks, and shops. Amid our relief, however, some areas around the world are still not...
Don’t let the title of this editorial fool you. Online classes, of course, are real — as real as the virtual world would allow. But after almost two years of classes conducted in front of a screen, with students digitally participating, it comes as a breath of fresh, COVID-free air that the...
Today, March 1, 2022, is the first day of Alert Level 1, a much awaited “event” in our journey in this long and arduous health pandemic. It is the first time it has happened in the National Capital Region (NCR) and a lot of people — health frontliners, business owners, investors, government...
The country’s economic managers — meeting last February 24 in the inter-agency Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — announced the government’s readiness to provide “targeted assistance” and relief to sectors directly affected by the...
