Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) standard-bearer Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos, Jr. is batting for a more vigorous government action to address the irrigation needs of the farmers even as he aired confidence that a full coverage of all irrigable areas in the country can be achieved. Senator...
Finding Answers Former Senator Atty. Joey Lina It isn’t surprising that in the Philippines, where six to seven out of every 10 impoverished Filipinos die without ever seeing a doctor, the only healthcare professional ever encountered by the rural poor is the midwife or “komadrona.” Tasked to...
PEACE-MAKER Former Speaker of the House Jose C. De Venecia Jr. We Filipinos should take pride that a fellow Filipino now shares the Nobel Prize stage with some of the world’s great men and women, like Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill, Ernest Hemingway,...
OF TREES AND FOREST (Part 1 of 2) Former Senate President Manny Villar When my son, Mark, accepted the offer of then newly-elected President Rodrigo Duterte to be part of his Cabinet, some people expressed doubts. Social media was abound with malicious and baseless accusations. When Mark resigned...
Finding Answers Former Senator Atty. Joey D. Lina That the Nobel Peace Prize, arguably the world’s most prestigious award, was finally given to a Filipino is certainly stunning. After 120 years of existence, the Norwegian Nobel Committee decided to bestow the highest honor to journalist Maria...
Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar on Wednesday, Oct. 6, filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for senator at Sofitel Tent in Pasay City. Ex-DPWH Sec. Mark Villar (Comelec Facebook Live Screenshot) He was accompanied by his wife, Emmeline Villar, during...
Celine Pialago, former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) spokesperson, on Wednesday, Oct. 6, filed Malasakit Movement Party-list’s Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance (CONA) at the Sofitel Tent in Pasay City. Malasakit Movement Party-list (Contributed Photo) Pialago was...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar Why do people run for public office? What motivates people to devote themselves to 60 or 90 days of grueling campaign, cruel and unfair attacks on one’s character, loss of financial resources, and, in some instances, put their lives on the...
PEACE-MAKER Former Speaker of the House Jose De Venecia Jr. Since the onslaught of the deadly COVID-19, our wife Gina and we have been staying in our Dagupan City home, which is a short walking distance from the Lingayen Gulf, where General Douglas MacArthur and, earlier, General Masaharu Homma...
Instead of joining next year’s presidential race, former Speaker and Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday, Oct. 1 offered contenders his help drawing a five-year plan to battle COVID-19 and resuscitate the economy. Former Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano “So I’d like to thank everyone...
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s unwillingness to run for president despite consistently leading poll surveys for the position has given supporters more reason to encourage her to lead the nation. 50B3404E-BB7A-4E14-B32F-F0F7E874583D “Mayor Sara’s reluctance to run means she has...
Of Trees and Forest Former Senate President Manny Villar In my column last week, I talked about several innovations we introduced in order to adapt to the changing retail experience brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. From self-checkout kiosks that minimize physical contact between staff and...