OF TREES AND FOREST The nation lost an outstanding public servant last week. Susan “Toots” Ople, champion of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), Migrant Workers Secretary, protector of workers’ rights and friend to us all, passed away to join the Lord and her father, Ka Blas Ople, in heaven. It...
OF TREES AND FOREST Last week, we inaugurated Villar Avenue, a 10-kilometer, 10-lane road that we envision will help decongest traffic and reduce travel time from Las Piñas City to portions of Bacoor and Dasmariñas in Cavite province. In addition, we see this road as an important component in...
OF TREES AND FOREST What accounts for the ups and downs of popular support for democracy? One would think that if a country has a strong democratic culture then preference toward democracy would at least be stable and consistent. Just for comparison, the Social Weather Stations pointed out that in...
One day I was in between meetings and was sitting by myself drinking coffee and just watching people walk by the Coffee Project branch I was in. I was elated by the high volume of people entering the mall to eat, shop or just wander around. And I started thinking how blessed we are for surviving the...
OF TREES AND FORESTS I was extremely happy and proud when I found out that Coffee Project was cited as one of the best Instagrammable cafes in the world for 2023. The honor was given by Big 7 Travel, an online platform that provides “current, curated recommendations on “where to go and what to...
OF TREES AND FORESTS Many know me as a public servant and an entrepreneur. I spent 21 years of my life in government serving both as Senate President and Speaker of Representatives, accomplishments which I am extremely proud of. And I have been an entrepreneur all my life — starting with the time...
OF TREES AND FOREST Jeepneys are not just utilitarian modes of transportation for Filipinos. It is that, yes. They offer an affordable mode of transportation for students, workers and the general population that also supports the livelihood of thousands of drivers and independent operators. Back in...
OF TREES AND FORESTS Former Senate President Manny Villar Being president is a complex and difficult job. The President has a multitude of responsibilities. He is the Chief Executive in that he overseas the entire bureaucracy of the Philippine government. He is the foremost architect of our foreign...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar We are back. The Philippine economy beat expectations by recording a spectacular growth of 7.2 percent in the last quarter of 2022. This in turn contributed to a 7.6 percent growth for the whole year. This was nothing short of astounding in...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar Andres Bonifacio was born 159 years ago on the 30th of November 1863. That was a long time ago and the circumstances were radically different. But somehow Bonifacio’s thoughts and writings still remain true today. Let us celebrate Bonifacio...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar Build rather than burn bridges. This is one of the tenets I have adhered to in my life, professionally and personally. It is something that is difficult to do especially in our current times where social media has amplified divisions and...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar My daughter Camille, who represents the legislative district of Las Piñas City and who is also the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, recently filed a bill designating November as “Buy Pinoy, Build Pinoy Month.” But House...
