Opinion and Commentary
Ledesma: The 4-Way Test
August 13, 2020, 3:25 pm
I REMEMBER a story shared by my high school teacher about a father, a son, and a pony. One day, the father eagerly put his son on the pony as he was bringing him to the town plaza. On their way, they noticed their neighbors were looking at them saying “look at that boy, he’s younger and… Read More
Ledesma: A symptom of desperation
August 12, 2020, 1:11 pm
PEOPLE are getting sick by the thousands but what is sickening is the maniacal glee of some quarters seeing the rise of numbers of people infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Like so many countries we are between the heavens and the deep blue sea but only in the Philippines do we see… Read More
Ledesma: Misreading Duterte
August 3, 2020, 6:45 pm
THE telecom duopoly must be feeling the heat of the President’s hyperbole. He wants to speak with God in Bethlehem but all the answers he gets is ‘’ the number you are calling. cannot be reached”.The so-called “ber” months are just around the corner and soon it will be… Read More
Castillo: Mayor Eric B. Africa ready to defend Lipa
August 2, 2020, 10:58 am
ARRIVING at the Lipa City hall, we can’t help but appreciate the inside office of Mayor Eric B. Africa. PR Excellence, House Rep. Emelie Katigbak, showed us the way and introduces us to the staff of the office. After the pleasantries, we were accommodated by the amiable secretary of the office… Read More
Laurel: US trust rating suffers steep crash: SWS
August 2, 2020, 10:52 am
THE first striking result from the SWS 3rd quarter 2019 survey report is the huge drop of US Trust Rating amongst Filipino in that period. The survey results were reported out to the media in July of this year, almost half a year after it was done by the Social Weather Station (SWS). As one… Read More
Ledesma: You can hate PRRD but his temper delivers
July 29, 2020, 2:11 pm
AFTER the sound of fury and the usual incendiary rhetorics and political analysis that came on the heels of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation Address here we back to facing the stark realities. What do we expect from human slot machines and dye-in-the-wool anti- Duterte cabal who can… Read More
Castillo: The lady solon, ‘siling labuyo’ in fighting form
July 27, 2020, 10:41 am
THE cool breeze of the early dawn excites us as we travel down south heading to Lipa City of Batangas. As we drive towards SLEX and STAR Tollway and exiting the quiet part of the Balete town, we started to notice its charm and give us a nostalgic feeling. A warm welcome greeted us as we meet the… Read More
Ledesma: Red Carpet to the High Court
July 24, 2020, 12:11 pm
A NUMBER of barangays in the countryside that used to be the hotbed of the New Peoples Army have declared open defiance to the armed elements of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its legal fronts. Recently, several barangays in Negros Occidental and Davao Region had declared the… Read More
Castillo: Volunteerism challenge: Fulfillment and sense of pride
July 21, 2020, 12:35 pm
VOLUNTEERS are the heart of non-profit community organizations. These organizations depend solely on the willingness of its members to fulfill their commitment to help their community. Extending help mostly in challenging times like this pandemic. Every Individual has this innate desire to help… Read More
Ledesma: Cybercrime
July 20, 2020, 6:01 am
BEFORE Bong Go’s lawyer asked the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct a probe into what appears like a syndicate of character assassins out to besmirch the image of the Davao Senator, several other politicians filed separate complaints with the NBI against persons who use the social… Read More
Ledesma: Bong Go’s E-governance
July 19, 2020, 6:47 pm
THE call of Sen. Bong Go to government departments and agencies to avail of new information and communication technologies is not only part of the solution to mitigate the spread of the new coronavirus but will curb corruption in the government bureaucracy. The other ultimate advantage is… Read More
Nieva: PH’s health info system needs fixing
July 15, 2020, 2:36 pm
THE Covid-19 pandemic highlights the crucial role of the health information system (HIS). It has shown us the weakness of the entire HIS of the country and how the Department of Health (DOH) has been grappling with it. This problem is not new as advocates have been pointing this out over the past… Read More
Ledesma: The 3 additional Commandments
July 15, 2020, 12:18 am
THE wellspring wherefrom the social amelioration fund comes from is not forever limitless. Make no mistake of that. The traditional sources of funds are individual and corporate taxes, customs tariffs, fees, income from government-run corporations among them Pagcor, to name a few. In his pre-SONA… Read More
Ledesma: And the saga ended
July 11, 2020, 11:37 am
“THAT'S All Folks” It’s now over. The saga of the powerful and influential broadcast network in the Philippines, ABS CBN, has ended. For half a century the network was the country’s king-make. Its owners make up for what seems like a shadow government only more powerful as it dictates the… Read More
From the Mail: Best is TEST the law
July 8, 2020, 11:02 pm
By Ely Dejaresco SUPREME Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, in reacting to the newly signed Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 by President Rodrigo R. Duterte on July 3, said the Supreme Court is now ready to accept questions about the new law’s constitutionality. In fact, the Tribunal is now… Read More
Ledesma: Terrorism
July 7, 2020, 4:15 pm
THE Anti-Terrorism Law (ATL) is not unique to the Philippines. In fact, its passage by Congress and the signing into law by President Rodrigo R Duterte is quite late. But better late than never. The country has been a comfortable haven for foreign and homegrown terror organizations. In not a few… Read More
Ledesma: Revving the engine of economy
July 5, 2020, 10:34 pm
FOUR-month-period is long enough for one to realize that in this fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 9Covid-19) it takes only a good dose of discipline, obedience to very basic health protocols to adapt to the new normal and survive. We are learning it the hard way. Those who fault the… Read More
Ledesma: Cannot DOH take hint?
July 3, 2020, 1:40 am
WE have seen them sleeping on pavements underneath canopies of skyways and roof eaves near Ninoy Aquino International Airport. They have been there for days, weeks in fact, and we have even a name for them: “Locally Stranded Individuals” or LSIs. They were there not because of their choice for… Read More
From the Mail: An open letter to Nang Helen; musings on ‘Rano massacre’
June 29, 2020, 2:39 pm
By Jake Bawan Tagaenod I WILL whisper in silence My thoughts on the Rano case It doesn't mean I am cowed Nor it means I don’t want to remember But the tears had long dried up And the emotion had ceased to explode For how many deaths must we witness How many lives must be wasted My silence will… Read More
Ledesma: Beware of Bitcoin scam
June 26, 2020, 10:04 pm
AMIDST the global Covid-19 pandemic unscrupulous individuals and organizations are feeding on the gullibility of people. This after hundreds of thousands were victimized by Ponzi scammers. The racket was hatched in Bislig, Surigao but when it was heading into trouble, the brain behind the scam… Read More