THE VIEW FROM RIZAL Are we gearing up for an all-out conflict over West Philippine Sea issues? This was the question we heard our friends and colleagues in the local government sector ask over the weekend. Their question comes on the heels of recent developments concerning the West Philippine Sea...
THE VIEW FROM RIZAL The joke today is that people will have to choose which place to go to on the 14th of February. There are two choices, it seems, as the traditional celebration of Valentine’s Day coincides with the Catholic Church’s observance of Ash Wednesday. Today marks the beginning of...
THE VIEW FROM RIZAL We are writing about “romantic love” one week ahead of Valentine’s Day. Wednesday of next week, the 14th of February – the traditional “Day of Hearts” – will mark this year’s celebration of “Ash Wednesday” in the calendar of the Catholic Church. We...
THE VIEW FROM RIZAL Recently, we have often been asked where we stand on the issue of Charter change. The spate of queries appears to have been sparked by the escalating debate on whether or not changes should be made to the 1987 Constitution, a debate that is said to be dividing the public...
THE VIEW FROM RIZAL On March 25 of last year, many were elated by the news from the Vatican that Pope Francis had issued the Papal Decree elevating the Antipolo Cathedral to the status of an “International Shrine.” This coming Friday, Jan. 26, several members of the Catholic Bishops Conference...
THE VIEWS FROM RIZAL Last week, we shared with our readers our elation over the results of the year-end survey done by the Social Weather Station (SWS). The survey, which was released just before the New Year, revealed that almost all Filipinos were set to welcome 2024 with a record-high level of...
THE VIEW FROM RIZAL Before the end of December 2023, the research organization Social Weather Station released the results of a survey that said that almost all Filipinos are hopeful that 2024 is going to be a better year. According to the survey results, some 96 percent of the respondents said...
THE VIEW FROM RIZAL Last Dec. 30, 2023, the nation marked the 127th anniversary of the execution of Dr. Jose Rizal at what was then called “Bagumbayan.” At this time of the year, those among us who remain interested in and fascinated by his life and character usually reflect on two things....
THE VIEW FROM RIZAL How do I begin the year right? What resolutions should I make? A friend from college asked me this question at a Christmas gathering. The question made me recall a piece of advice I shared with our readers several years ago in this column. I recall that my wife used to ask me a...
THE VIEW FROM RIZAL In keeping with our tradition in this column, we are sharing once again the letter I wrote to my eldest daughter, Cassandra, in 2011. Our readers will recall that she was just three years old when I wrote her this letter. I published that letter and shared it with our readers in...
THE VIEW FROM RIZAL When news of the bombing incident which took place at the gymnasium of the Mindanao State University last Dec. 3 became viral in news and social media, a friend remarked: “How sad it is that people should get hurt and die while exercising their faith.” My friend’s remark...
THE VIEW FROM RIZAL Yes, there are Filipinos who are officially “knights.” They have been given the privilege of sporting the title of “sir” before their names and they did not even have to kneel before the King of England to be entitled to it. In a country like ours where honorific titles...
