DRIVING THOUGHTS A friend sent me this letter which reflects what I think is the widespread feeling employees paying income taxes must be feeling now: “I’ve been an employee for all my life and I have been a good taxpayer, my income taxes withheld from the source, and always computed properly....
DRIVING THOUGHTS Every so often, headlines jolt us into the harsh reality that corruption in government remains wide-spread. Reports of ghost projects, anomalous contracts, and staggering kickbacks — most recently in flood-control infrastructure — remind us that billions of pesos intended to...
DRIVING THOUGHTS I was floating in happy thoughts in the past month, spending time with my son Carlos who now lives in New Zealand. When he and RJ, his wife, left years ago, he was my adventure buddy with the time and interest for long conversations with me. When he came home, I was flooded with...
DRIVING THOUGHTS When does a gift—whether to a stranger or a friend—carry nothing but pure gratitude? And when does it begin to whisper an unspoken expectation of another favor to come? In our culture, gift-giving is woven deeply into everyday life. It’s an instinctive way to show generosity...
DRIVING THOUGHTS The value of preparedness can never be overstated in our country which is disaster-prone. The recent weeks have made this alarmingly clear. Back-to-back tropical depressions drenched Luzon and Visayas with torrential monsoon rains, triggering floods and landslides. Just as we were...
ILOILO CITY – The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has banned a German from driving for one year anywhere in the country after committing two separate violations in Iloilo province. The German, who is temporarily residing in the town of Santa Barbara, Iloilo, was initially stopped by an LTO-6...
DRIVING THOUGHTS Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has always been close to my heart because I’ve seen how many of its programs have contributed to solutions to many of the country’s problems. To cite a few: feeding programs for malnourished children; medical missions which have extended...
DRIVING THOUGHTS It’s hard to describe the specific kind of frustration that fills you when you’re stuck for hours on Quezon Avenue during a monsoon downpour on a Monday morning on your way to a meeting in Manila. Last Monday, July 21, was one of those days. The rains came strong and steady...
DRIVING THOUGHTS Minimalism has become one of the most popular lifestyle trends globally, offering the promise of simplicity, clarity, and peace of mind. It sells the dream of cutting down clutter so life becomes more focused, intentional, and serene. But here’s the question — can this...
DRIVING THOUGHTS Not so very long ago when I was still motoring editor, I’d choose to be the first driver in a test drive event. I’d grip the wheel, tune into the engine’s rhythm, and write about every curve and climb of a test route. But these days, test drives have taken a quieter, more...
DRIVING THOUGHTS It was a weekend of “Happy-birthday-to-you” singing – from the hangar of his private plane in Paranaque before he flew to Vigan; to his house in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur where countless guests came with birthday cakes and gifts; to the streets of Vigan, where he politely...
DRIVING THOUGHTS We siblings called him “Tatay,” at a time when everyone was calling their fathers “Daddy” or “Papa.” My Nanay said they want to be nationalistic. Like other fathers, my Tatay worked hard to give us a good life. Yes, he was the “second opinion” who could change our...
