Opinion-Editorial NEWS

Through the years, the early part of January gathers the devotees of the Black Nazarene for a series of events and masses, which culminates in the Traslacion — the transfer of the image’s copy from Quirino Grandstand to its home in Quiapo Church — every Jan. 9.

Months ahead of what is technically considered to be the start of campaign season, social media is already inundated with strong feelings about potential candidates — those who have filed their certificates of candidacy — sans any official proclamation from Comelec about who is qualified or not. Colors associated with this and that candidate are worn proudly on display profiles across various social media platforms. Some have even overflowed into actual social settings, with ribbons in favor of one candidate over the other appearing in houses and cars and sari-sari stores.

Every year in August we celebrate International Youth Day (Aug. 12), as established by the UN General Assembly on Dec. 17, 1999 “to bring youth issues to the attention of the international community and celebrate the potential of youth in today’s global society.”

After two weeks of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), government policymakers decided to place Metro Manila, Laguna and Bataan under a modified ECQ (MECQ) until August 31, 2021.  The latest classification is “without prejudice to the strict implementation of granular lockdowns” if deemed necessary by local officials.

Early this month, the Department of Health reported that the National Center for Mental Health had been receiving more calls from adolescents. The report, however, included that such distress calls had been on the rise from all age brackets since the beginning of the pandemic.

Increased unemployment is one of the adverse consequences of protracted lockdowns. After reaching an all-time high of 17.7 percent in the second quarter of 2020, the country’s unemployment rate in June 2021 eased to 7.7 percent as reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) last August 3.

Through the course of his journey in Tokyo, Carlo Paalam showed us the image of what Filipinos needed to see. He is a portrayal of resilience amid adversity, the icon of hope and faith for the people in despair. No stage bigger than the Summer Games could fittingly narrate the story of a man who was a scavenger before but now a proud Olympic silver medalist.

An announcement from Fitch Ratings last July 12 has set off alarm signals as the nation continued to grapple with COVID-19:

There are no shortcuts when it comes to protecting the civil liberties and rights of peoples under a country’s constitution. Enforcing the people’s constitutional rights is no small matter and is of paramount importance, a particularly daunting task that rests squarely on the shoulders of the members of the country’s highest judicial body, the Supreme Court.

If not enough countries will band together and commit to vaccine equity, COVID-19 will continue to evolve and humanity may be consigned to a never-ending pandemic.

With less than two months before the scheduled opening of the summer Olympics in Tokyo on July 21, Asahi Shimbun, one of the media sponsors, has published an editorial entitled, “Prime Minister Suga, please call off the Olympics.”

The national government has set into motion the ramping up of the devolution of key functions to local government units (LGUs) starting in 2022.  The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) estimates an increase in the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of LGUs, from P695.49 billion in 2021 to P1.084 trillion, a whopping increase of P387.24 billion or 55.7 percent.  This would mean an increase in the LGUs’ share of gross domestic product (GDP) to 4.75 percent.

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the pace of digital transformation worldwide. In the Philippines, the protracted lockdown has brought about a shift to digital and online payments. Artificial intelligence (AI) has become the catalyst for the increased tempo of what is now widely known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Philippine Red Cross joined the celebration of World Red Cross Red Crescent Day last May 8 to honor the birth anniversary of Henry Dunant, the founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize.

There are countless awards—Entrepreneur of the Year, National Artists, Best Actress, Miss Universe, Asia CEO Awards, the Nobel Prize—but none as widely known that recognizes excellence in perhaps the most essential of duties, parenthood.

While restrictive quarantine is still being enforced, the challenges of staying focused and maintaining one’s sense of equanimity persist and intensify.

This must be the longest countdown held for the Olympics.

At a special summit convened in Jakarta over the weekend, ASEAN leaders issued an urgent call for an end to violence in Myanmar and for steps to be taken to restore democracy following a military coup last February 1.