As the spiritual leader of more than 1.3 billion Catholics, Pope Francis’ health invites more than just passing concern, considering that he is now 84 years old and he continues to tackle the enormous responsibilities of his office. “Pope Francis is doing well and is alert,” according to...
First, the good news: Inflation slowed to 4.1 percent in June. This is lower than the inflation rate of 4.5 percent in March, April and May, but quicker compared with 2.5 percent in June 2020. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, whose primary goal is to ensure monetary stability, is cautiously...
It is, in the words of Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, that lawyers must “conduct themselves with honesty and integrity.” These two virtues were extolled by the Chief Justice during the oath-taking of the new officers and members of the Board of Governors of the Integrated Bar of the...
Due to the resurgence of “anomalously high sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission” from Taal Volcano, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has imposed Alert Level 3 to warn against the dangers posed by a “high level of volcanic unrest.” Just a notch lower than Alert Level...
Now, the hard part begins. After co-signing a joint manifesto of commitment with the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), the government must demonstrate its capacity to deliver the goods: further easing business regulations, completing vital infrastructure projects, and most...
Today’s celebration of Philippine-American Friendship Day evolved from the previous years’ observance of the fourth of July as Independence Day. This day in 1946 marked the end of US sovereignty: the American flag was lowered just as the Philippine flag was raised in a ceremony at the Luneta....
Much ado about vaccine passports, even if they aren’t quite new. In the pilgrimage town of Pandharpur in Bombay, India, shortly after a vaccine for plague was developed in 1897, authorities required proof of vaccination as a condition of entry for the pilgrims who would flock to Pandharpur every...
Two Philippine cities — Manila and Butuan — have been selected to the top 50 cities among over 600 cities worldwide by the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ 2021 Mayors Challenge. Manila and Butuan were among the eight cities in Asia-Pacific which made it to the global 50 and the only two cities...
Practically every country has to deal with the scourge of fake driver’s licenses. For some time, these fakes have been laughably bad copies and quite obvious to the trained apprehending officer. Our current driver’s license is packed with a number of security features to prevent forgery. These...
The Philippines’ economic potential remains despite the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic that continues to wreak havoc in the communities. The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) is confident that the gross domestic product (GDP) would return to its pre-pandemic level by next year....
It is indeed a welcome news that, finally, Manila has a new archbishop in the person of Cardinal Jose Fuerte Advincula. As the country with the biggest population of Catholics in Asia, Manila is the largest archdiocese, with more than 80 parishes serving three million devotees. Pope Francis...
We’ve been flip-flopping on the use of face shields all week. It’s on and off from one day to the next. What is the deal with face shields? After a meeting with lawmakers, including Senate President Vicente Sotto III, at Malacañang last week, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte had agreed that the...
