The search and eventual election of a Senate President in the forthcoming 19th Congress is on. But what are the qualities that the next Senate chief should possess? Senate reporters threw this poser to out-going Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III, 73, who ran but ‘’lost’’ in the May 9,...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar By the time this column comes out, it would have been two days after our people have made their choice and cast their ballots. I am not sure if the winner has been clearly established by now but it seems the perfect opportunity to change from...
Even though the results of the May 2022 senatorial elections have yet to be final, senators are now keen on looking for the next possible Senate President in the upcoming 19th Congress. Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said there is a possibility Senator Cynthia Villar would be the next Senate...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar I am what you would call a coffee lover. My mornings are not complete without a morning jolt. My meetings become tedious without a cup of joe. My days are ruined if I do not get my usual fix of caffeine infusion. So yes, “lover” might be...
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....
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar Buried in the plethora of election-related news items this past week was the telephone summit between President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to the statement released by the Presidential Communications Office,...
President Duterte's approval and trust ratings are higher in April 2022 than at any point in 2021 according to results of the latest independent and non-commissioned Publicus Pahayag 2022 survey. President Rodrigo Duterte (Malacañang photo) The survey results, released on Monday, April 11,...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar What is at stake in the May 2022 elections? Why is it so important to vote according to our conscience and, more importantly, with the interest of the nation in mind? Who among the candidates will provide our country with the leadership...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar The term of President Rodrigo Duterte will end at noon on June 30, 2022. By then he would have completed his six-year term which he won handily during the May 2016 national elections. The 16th President of the Republic will soon graduate to...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar I am glad that most of the candidates for president have expressed their willingness to continue, in one form or another, “Build, Build, Build,” which is the flagship program of President Rodrigo Duterte. There was some worry that because...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar There is one aspect of the Filipino that I am not a fan of: the penchant of some of us for self-flagellation. We sometimes put ourselves down and express shame instead of pride in our people, in our country. Phrases like “only in the...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar We make choices everyday. Some of them are mundane choices — what brand of toothpaste or shampoo to use, what to have for breakfast, where to eat. Some choices are very consequential. For instance, the choice of what to major in college is...
