On the eve of the Holy Week observance, President Duterte placed Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and Cavite under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the strictest quarantine status, from March 29 to April 4. This was prompted by a surge in COVID-19 infection: the number of new cases daily...
After months of eager anticipation, the faithful in the Archdiocese of Manila learned from the Vatican the appointment last March 25 of Cardinal Jose Fuerte Advincula, Jr. as their new Archbishop. It coincided with the celebration of the Annunciation, when it was announced to Mary that she would...
For the second year in a row, the faithful will witness this year’s Holy Week solemnity on TV, laptop, tablet or smart-phone screens. They will perform vicariously the ritual waving of palaspas (palm leaves) this Palm Sunday. Images of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem atop a donkey are vividly...
In a digitally wired world, turning off lights and gadgets for one hour appears a bit much of a sacrifice – but think again, because that “time window” could be the most important hour for us to reflect on what we can really do to save the planet we’re currently living in. “Earth Hour”...
Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta retires tomorrow, March 27, after serving the Judiciary for more than 34 years as a prosecutor, a trial court judge, an associate justice and later presiding justice of the Sandiganbayan, and associate justice of the Supreme Court and then as chief justice. He...
Two years ago this month, Metro Manila residents experienced a water supply crisis. President Duterte berated the two concessionaires, Manila Water and Maynilad, and issued threats on dire consequences if the problem would not be resolved. Today’s edition of the PAGASA website reports: “La...
The exodus of overseas Filipino workers leaving their employment abroad or being displaced because of the pandemic is one major source of headache for the government, which is still battling the surging cases of COVID-19 in the country. A total of 569,462 OFWs had been repatriated last year and...
Just as many citizens were looking forward to being footloose for out-of-town Holy Week excursions, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases announced the enforcement of a General Community Quarantine (GCQ) covering Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and...
As consumers complain of dizzying hikes in oil prices, or at times, unsatisfied at the amount of rollbacks in recent weeks, the oil companies are consequentially suspect of profit-taking. The deregulation of the downstream oil industry is already traversing roughly 23 years -- yet the fires of...
As public anxiety grows over the renewed spike in COVID-19 cases, increasing the inflow of vaccine supply and accelerating the pace of vaccination have become even more imperative. “We have to keep pace with our neighbors, which except for Indonesia, have (a) lower infection rate than us...
“Although the Philippines still has rooms for improvement in addressing issues concerning women, it is by-far a great place to become a woman.” This assessment, made by the Asia Society, is an auspicious commentary on the extent and scope of women empowerment in the country. Across a...
Scammers prey on those looking for an additional source of income to augment their earnings or to grow their nest egg and secure their future. They offer investment deals that guarantee huge profits for doing almost nothing. Some may be skeptical or cautious and initially invest just a small amount...
