CHANGING WORLD Dr. Bernardo M. Villegas (Part 1) The unbridled search for profit by capitalists has been condemned by social reformers as a major cause of the prevalence of injustices in today’s modern societies. There is an increasing plea in many societies today, whether developed or...
Two prominent economists agree that current moves to liberalize the restrictive economic provisions of the Philippine Constitution should be supported and that the amendments being introduced should be approved sooner rather than later. Congress is currently conducting preliminary hearings on...
CHANGING WORLD Dr. Bernardo M. Villegas We are now in the Year of St. Joseph, as proclaimed by Pope Francis last December 8, 2020. This celebration of the 150th anniversary of the declaration of St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church will last till December 8, 2021. There is a beautiful...
CHANGING WORLD Dr. Bernardo M. Villegas (Part 2) As already mentioned, those who took up the challenge of marriage during the pandemic showed both human courage and supernatural vision. With widespread unemployment and industries collapsing, starting a family will definitely not be a walk in the...
CHANGING WORLD Dr. Bernardo M. Villegas (Part 1) I have only the greatest admiration for couples who, despite all the logistic and other technical difficulties, were determined to get married during the pandemic. Whenever I was one of the few invited to be present at a wedding physically, I...
CHANGING WORLD (Part 4) Dr. Bernardo M. Villegas As mentioned above, Filipino consumers make up the strongest engine of growth of Philippine GDP since consumption expenditures account for more than 70 percent of GDP. How will consumption patterns change as a result of the pandemic? We may develop...
CHANGING WORLD Dr. Bernardo M. Villegas (Part 3) Blending learning, which usually involves the pupils or students participating in the educational process while staying at home, will also have a permanent impact on the way parents get more deeply involved in the education of their children. As...
CHANGING WORLD Dr. Bernardo M. Villegas (Part 2) We shall remember the pandemic as the period in which Vietnam surpassed the Philippines in GDP per capita. The IMF reported in October, 2020, that the GDP per capita of Vietnam was at $3,945 while that of the Philippines decreased to $3,373. ...
CHANGING WORLD Dr. Bernardo M. Villegas (Part 1) As an economist, part of my professional job is to fathom the future. I have been involved in economic forecasting ever since I joined the think tank called the Center for Research and Communication in 1967. Since then, year in and year out — with...
CHANGING WORLD Dr. Bernardo M. Villegas It is never too early for millennials and centennials to plan for the building of their future families. Part of this forward planning is the decision on where to locate the family home. If one studies the expansion of the Metro Manila today, it is obvious...
CHANGING WORLD Dr. Bernardo M. Villegas (Part 3) After four years of study in the US and another year in Spain helping to start a business school that would become one of the leading business schools in the world, the IESE Business School in Barcelona, I returned to the...
CHANGING WORLD Dr. Bernardo M. Villegas (Part 2) My brother Eddie was born on May 6, 1940, 15 months after my own birth. Having been born close to one another, we grew up together and experienced our childhood in close companionship. Together with our eldest brother Joe (born in 1937), we...
