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...
FINDING ANSWERS Former Senator Atty. Joey Lina A grateful nation was overwhelmed with grief over the news that the legendary Lydia de Vega-Mercado passed away last Wednesday. With the outpouring of accolades and tributes that followed, it was obvious how the Philippines’ most celebrated sprint...
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian wants to institute a nationwide learning recovery program for students who may have been left behind in terms of education during the Covid-19 pandemic. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian Gatchalian, who chaired the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts, and Culture in the...
BETTER DAYS Senator Sonny Angara Recently, we received some good news that among several bills that recently lapsed into law was the increase in the social pension for indigent senior citizens from the present ₱500 to ₱1,000 per month or from ₱6,000 to ₱12,000 annually. We filed this bill...
'TOL VIEWS Senator Francis N. Tolentino As an archipelago, a strong Philippine Navy is of utmost importance to secure and preserve the safety, sovereignty, and independence of the country. The Navy is our first defense against incursions in the Philippine shores. Under Article X, Section 21 of the...
FINDING ANSWERS Former Senator Atty. Joey Lina Last Friday’s revelation by the Bureau of Treasury that the national government’s debt as of June 30 stood at ₱12.79 trillion might seem distressing for many people. Others might even describe as staggering the total amount of public debt which...
BETTER DAYS Senator Sonny Angara Among the highlights of President Marcos, Jr.’s first State of the Nation Address (SONA) was when he said that the government must bring healthcare to the people and not wait for them to come to the country’s hospitals and health care centers. The...
How Maid in Malacañang has captured an era interrupted By Eliza Romualdez-Valtos Adding on to current knowledge is not revisionism. As an archaeologist/researcher, I see it as broadening our knowledge every time we are introduced to new data. Given the advancement of technology...
Newly-installed Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia has nothing but high respect for Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III who is hoping for reforms in the current election system. Comelec Chairman George Garcia (Ali Vicoy/MB) "Such a wise advice from...
'TOL VIEWS Senator Francis N. Tolentino Arbitration is one of the alternative dispute resolutions (ADR) available to parties of a dispute. Here in the Philippines, our arbitration legal framework – namely, the Civil Code of the Philippines (Republic Act No. 386), the Arbitration Law (Republic Act...
FINDING ANSWERS Former Senator Atty. Joey Lina With a large population that continues to expand and further increases social and economic requirements, the country’s premier metropolis ought to be governed by a government agency with police power to solve chronic problems of traffic, flooding,...
“He was the first to bring forth the idea for me to run for the Senate, when I was 37 years old. I owe him much. The Filipino people mourn his passing.” Former President Fidel V. Ramos (Photo courtesy of the US Embassy in the Philippines) This is what Senator Loren Legarda, President Pro...
