Opinion and Commentary
Zaldarriaga: Consideration in customer service communications
October 3, 2023, 1:01 pm
For the past months, tourism has seen a strong recovery—both locally and globally with leisure travel regaining its momentum after the pandemic slowdown. The Department of Tourism over the weekend reported that tourism arrivals in the Philippines have breached the 4-million mark, putting the… Read More
Samonte: Federalism and the 1973 Constitution
September 28, 2023, 1:50 pm
When President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. pitched for federalism during a recent gathering of his party mates in the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), he might have been thinking of a new fundamental law of the land somewhat similar to the 1973 Constitution. "The Philippines has taken the first… Read More
Lauengco: Remembering Mayor BF's unique management style
September 27, 2023, 11:31 am
“The right way is not always the popular and easy way” – Margaret Chase Smith When I first met then-Marikina City Mayor Bayani Fernando (BF) back in 1998, I was a newly minted City Administrator of the neighboring Antipolo City under, then first-term Mayor Angelito Gatlabayan. Since it was… Read More
Zaldarriaga: Realizing growth, economic development, sustainability through mining
September 25, 2023, 11:21 am
With the vast mineral resources of the Philippines, mining has immense potential to become a major economic driver for the Philippines. However, we have yet to fully develop this industry. Challenges such as policy issues, and environmental and safety concerns have hindered the growth of the local… Read More
Lu: Rising to the rice challenge: Ensuring PH food security
September 21, 2023, 5:33 pm
On September 1, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced a price ceiling for rice, ranging from P41 to P45. This announcement comes as a relief to consumers who have been grappling with soaring prices, not only for rice but also for essential commodities. The President's directive is a response to… Read More
Samonte: Memories of the Sept. 21, 1972 martial law
September 21, 2023, 4:19 pm
Exactly 51 years ago on this day, or on Sept. 21, 1972, then President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. signed Proclamation No. 1081 that placed the entire country under a state of martial law which, he said, "was a final recourse to combat two principal sources of grave danger to the Philippine society… Read More
Lauengco: Restoring Hinulugang Taktak
September 20, 2023, 12:49 pm
"Tayo na sa Antipolo at doo’y maligo tayo, sa batis na kung tawagin ay hi-hi- hinulugang taktak…” - German San Jose. Last Sept. 14, a simple ceremony was held at the Hinulugang Taktak Nature and Adventure Park. The activity commemorated the “strengthening of the partnership” of Manila… Read More
Zaldarriaga: Towards a sustainable energy future
September 19, 2023, 12:35 pm
As the Philippines moves towards achieving its target of becoming an upper middle-income country in the future, the need to ensure energy security has become more prominent to power economic growth and national development. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., in a speech during the US-ASEAN… Read More
Delos Reyes: Running on grassoline
September 19, 2023, 12:07 pm
IN doting fondness, one can look back at how the horse-drawn calesa was king of the road, braving chest-deep floodwaters of Espana Blvd. ages back, while even SUVs and similar smoke-belchers were stalled or towed. If my memory serves right, calesa fare was cheaper than a taxicab's. If only for… Read More
Lu: Addressing the alarming surge in road rage incidents
September 15, 2023, 10:58 am
In recent times, a spate of violent road rage incidents has dominated headlines, prompting both chambers of Congress to conduct investigations in aid of legislation. These distressing episodes, often captured by vigilant citizens and swiftly disseminated on social media platforms, have garnered… Read More
Samonte: Father's advice to his son feeling lonely in England school 53 yrs ago
September 14, 2023, 1:44 pm
"Loneliness should never be shunned by anyone who wants to be a leader because if you are a leader, loneliness is always the other side of the coin, not only of freedom but of leadership. You can never be free unless you learn to be lonely and alone. You will never be a leader unless you are… Read More
Lauengco: Will new AI replace lawyers in drafting contracts?
September 13, 2023, 1:40 pm
“You adapt, evolve, compete or die.” - Paul Tudor Jones One of the primary functions of lawyers in corporations is contract drafting and review. There is, however, a new artificial intelligence (AI) program called Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) system that can generate contracts faster.… Read More
Delos Reyes: Home, planting camote
September 11, 2023, 11:50 am
One silly reason to heed that halcyon counsel, "Go home and plant camote," was I wanted to bring back scarab beetle, dor beetle, May/June beetle, or salagubang. It was a lovable toy of boyhood years past – the pair of rear legs are tied with a string, then, poor critter is whirled to fly, fly,… Read More
Zaldarriaga: Basketball and positive change
September 11, 2023, 9:32 am
With the end of the FIBA World Cup 2023, we are once again reminded of the impact sports, particularly basketball, has not just on the lives of athletes and fans—but on communities around the world. Through the years, we have seen how basketball can improve lives and impact positive change in… Read More
Samonte: The significance of September in PH history
September 7, 2023, 4:41 pm
Among the so-called four "ber" months of the year, September can be considered as the most significant for being the birth month of four of the 17 Philippine presidents so far since 1898, including a father and his son 57 years apart. The late fourth Philippine president, Sergio S. Osmena Sr.… Read More
Lauengco: The bamboo tree and flood control
September 6, 2023, 4:41 pm
“Sometimes the best things are right in front of you…” - Gladys Knight We often fail to see the value and importance of the seemingly ordinary and simple objects around us. There are many things we consider mundane that possess more value than we realize. Take the humble bamboo tree, for… Read More
Zaldarriaga: Gilas Pilipinas and the indomitable Filipino spirit
September 4, 2023, 11:15 am
Gilas Pilipinas truly saved the best for last. Sending China crashing, 96-75, the Philippine national team defended our homeland to end its FIBA World Cup run on a high note after a series of tight games in the tournament. It was a historic win–one that couldn’t come at a better time with the… Read More
Cal: Remembering the historic 1996 PH-MNLF peace agreement
September 2, 2023, 1:54 pm
Sept. 2, 1996 at exactly 9:22 a.m. went down in the annals of Philippine history as the moment the government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) formally signed a peace agreement that ended a quarter of a century of fratricidal war in Mindanao. It was concluded after four years of tough… Read More
Lu: Celebrating young Filipino minds: Triumph in int’l competitions
September 1, 2023, 2:10 pm
The exultation that swept over me upon learning of the recent victory of Filipino children in the 2023 ALOHA International Mental Math Competition held last July 30th is indescribable. Fresh from their triumph at the Sunway Pyramid Convention Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Rheana Yasmin Campos… Read More
Delos Reyes: Soil silence
August 30, 2023, 4:10 pm
Every flood has a silver lining- for that strip of land wedged between a natural rainwater catchment basin (we've taken to calling it "nabao") and a river flowing from the Sierra Madre, skewering through a portion of Pambuan in Gapan, Nueva Ecija. For that land, every flood brings another layer of… Read More
