OF TREES AND FOREST Let me begin by sending my prayers to fellow Filipinos who were affected by typhoon Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon. According to the initial report by government agencies, 21 people from Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon died while more than 200,000 people,...
OF TREES AND FOREST A piece of very interesting news caught my eye recently, various news organizations reported that “more people have left Metro Manila in the past five years than those coming into the National Capital Region.” This was a statement from an official of the Philippine...
OF TREES AND FOREST As we confront our mortality, we naturally begin to ponder the legacy we will leave behind. What will I be remembered for? This is such an existential and serious question. And the answer I believe lies in the here and now: live your life. The second part of my reply to the...
OF TREES AND FOREST (First of two parts) I was asked a pretty interesting question a couple of weeks ago — do I ever think about my mortality? It is more than an interesting question actually, it is a deeply philosophical query. At some point we all reflect on our own mortality. This is one...
OF TREES AND FOREST One time when I was having my coffee at one of the branches of Dear Joe, I observed a couple just sitting there enjoying their coffee while flipping through their iPads presumably reading an e-book. That imagery made me realize how times have changed. It has also made me...
OF TREES AND FOREST Happy 126th Independence Day to all Filipinos! Whether you are here in the country or you are one of the millions of Filipinos working abroad, let us recommit ourselves to the vision of great Filipinos — Andres Bonifacio, Jose Rizal, Apolinario Mabini, et al — to build a...
OF TREES AND FOREST The recent political rigodón in the Senate brought back memories from my time as a legislator. As my readers probably know, beginning 1992 I was a member of the House of Representatives, later on becoming its speaker. I was also fortunate to have been given the mandate...
OF TREES AND FOREST When I was still in the legislature, one of the advantages of being a public servant (and this was especially true during the electoral campaigns) was the opportunity to visit the beautiful towns and cities of the Philippines. When I was a child I only saw the...
OF TREES AND FOREST The world is shaped by mothers. That is why we celebrate Mother’s Day and that is the same reason why we should not confine celebrating mothers to one day. Everyday should be Mother’s Day. I was once asked a question — what was it in your childhood that made you the...
OF TREES AND FOREST The media landscape has changed tremendously over the past couple of decades. I remember when I was young the source of entertainment and information was the radio. At night, some of us would gather around the radio listening to soap operas and the news. Then the television came...
OF TREES AND FORESTS Today is Labor Day. It is a day to celebrate the contributions of workers not only to the Philippine economy but the global economy as well given the millions of overseas Filipino workers scattered all around the globe. It is also a day to recommit ourselves to the vision of...
OF TREES AND FOREST Finance Secretary Ralph Recto recently proclaimed that due to “the continued improvements in the country’s jobs market and quality of jobs for Filipinos” the country is progressing towards “achieving the government’s target of reducing the poverty rate to single-digit...
