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...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar Sometimes we tend to complicate life. We work so hard looking for things we do not have and ignore those that we actually have. I understand why some people look for happiness by acquiring wealth and material possessions. As a young boy...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar When his parents gave him the name Fidel, they probably saw something in him that told them he was going to be great someday. Fidel is a name that was derived from the Latin “fidelis” which means “faithful”. And that embodied what...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar Two separate violent occurrences shook our world in the past week. The first was political while the second was natural. On July 24, 2022, a shooting incident marred what should have been a joyous occasion, the graduation ceremonies of the...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar In about a week’s time, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. will deliver his inaugural State of the Nation Address (SONA) before the Congress of the Philippines. It is one of the Constitutional duties of the Chief Executive...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar The votes that have been reflected in the COMELEC Transparency Servers and reported in real time by various media outfits and citizen watchdogs seem to show one thing—a landslide victory for the tandem of former Senator Ferdinand...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar One important lesson I have learned is that life always offers us a second chance. Even when we experience failures and setbacks, life always gives us a do-over so we can try again and succeed. This, I believe, is the real message of Easter....
