The Bureau of Customs (BOC) was granted a positive remark by the Commission on Audit (COA) for its financial statements for 2023. In a statement issued Wednesday, BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio welcomed the COA’s annual audit report which gives the agency an “unmodified opinion” on the...
NIGHT OWL As an archipelagic nation with rich natural resources, the Philippines has a large amount of water resources, particularly from rivers, lakes, and groundwater. Ironically, water security remains a challenge for the country. In the past months, weather patterns and climate...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE Hardly had I sent my column to press two weeks ago (Hemodialysis and PhilHealth July 9, 2024) when news broke out on the transfer of a whopping ₱90 billion of “surplus funds” from PhilHealth to the National Treasury. This was purportedly to finance the additional ₱450...
MEDIUM RARE How do you reduce the President’s SONA (state of the nation address) – from 90 minutes to a summary of bite-size facts, figures? Thanks to the bad weather that kept most of us home, I made it my homework to make that summary, if not for others, then for myself. Every SONA is...
FINDING ANSWERS Right from the beginning of his State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. connected with the Filipino people with a very realistic statement. “Whatever current data proudly bannering our country as among the best-performing in Asia means nothing to a...
TECH4GOOD I have watched several graduation ceremonies lately and read numerous social media posts from friends expressing joy with their kids' achievements. I know how it feels, having been there before, both as a graduate and as a parent. The parent’s joy, pride, excitement, and relief on the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Bible or the Scriptures is God’s “love letter” to humanity. It contains God’s communication to human beings in the ups and downs of salvation history. God’s revelation was first directed to the people of Israel who kept God’s word given to them by Moses and the...
Ensuring access to quality healthcare for all citizens is not just a moral obligation but a fundamental right of the state. The plight of indigent Filipinos — those who struggle to afford medical care — demands urgent attention. As we navigate the complexities of healthcare provision, we must...
The Philippines is blessed with abundant marine resources and vast coastlines. From the turquoise seas of Batanes in the north to the gentle waters of Tawi-Tawi in the south, a diverse array of marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangroves come in abundance. These habitats...
FROM BEEPERS TO BYTES Web3 is an evolving vision for the next iteration of the internet, heavily focused on decentralization, blockchain technology, and cryptocurrency. Web 1.0, often called the “Static Web,” represents the first generation of the World Wide Web, primarily focusing on...
UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan (File photo) The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) was furious at the recommendation made by United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur Irene Khan to abolish the already "outdated" anti-insurgency group. NTF-ELCAC Executive Director...
CLINICAL MATTER With the Covid-19 pandemic not exactly over, aside from the emergency phase, people still get nervous whenever there is an increase in new cases. Add to this the recent news of a Nipah virus outbreak in India and it is understandable why there is growing anxiety that a new pandemic...
