At the 26th session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), ongoing until Nov. 12, 2021 in Glasgow, Ireland, the Philippines plays a key role — that of a cautionary tale. In the Global Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2021 prepared using 2019 data on extreme weather and...
EDITORIAL Responding to an apparent widespread clamor, the government declared the de-escalation of the National Capital Region (NCR) from alert level 3 to alert level 2 from November 5 to 21. This de-escalation follows an emergent consensus among key stakeholders on the need for fast-tracking the...
“For the good of the economy” – this seemed to be the primary motive and collective interest that pushed the 17 mayors of the National Capital Region to finally agree on lifting any curfew restrictions, which started yesterday, Nov. 4, 2021. This came after a year and a half of varying curfew...
Editorial One of the most “divisive” items in this pandemic is undoubtedly the face shield. Some people say it is a useful barrier against an unseen virus, while some would just put it on their head like a sun visor or hair clip. Even health experts couldn’t agree among themselves if this...
The 26 th Conference of the Parties COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change opened in Glasgow, Scotland last Oct. 31 for a two-week meeting that would hopefully address global concerns on the continuing threats posed by unabated global warming. UN Secretary General...
Throughout history, societies and civilizations all over the world have set aside a day or two to remember their dearly departed. This practice stems from mankind's innate love and respect for every human being, especially in death. Feelings of sympathy are most pronounced in humans as a reaction...
The latest data were sufficiently encouraging. Metro Manila is now classified as low risk, having recorded only 953 cases per day on a seven-day average from Oct. 20 to 26. The COVID reproduction rate stands at 0.52 percent, while the incidence rate is at 6.73 percent per 100,000. These positive...
The health pandemic is not yet over but the world is now bracing for another kind of global pandemic – climate change. Like the virus which plagued the planet for more than a year and drastically changed the way we live, climate change also has the capacity to destroy lives and livelihood by...
Editorial The numbers keep on rising and we’re not talking about new COVID-19 cases. The rising numbers are those of fully-vaccinated citizens residing in Metro Manila, allowing cities such as San Juan, Las Piñas, Marikina, Taguig, and Mandaluyong to declare herd immunity. Other cities are not...
It is not yet campaign season but it surely feels like one. Pages are now devoted to election related news. Social media is filled with information that are true, partly true, or utterly false disguising as truth. Surveys, whether credible or not, are now done to feel the pulse of the nation. And...
An ASEAN Sustainability Summit (E-Summit) was convened on 21-22 October to tackle important issues on environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles as these provide the guideposts for enterprise action in response to the challenges posed by the continuing global pandemic. SM Investments...
When William Shatner finally got to fly to space aboard one of Blue Origin’s New Shepard rockets on Oct. 14, 2021, he didn’t just become the oldest human being to have ever done so (at 90 years old), he also helped bring the future of space tourism closer to reality. Just this year, a number of...
