Opinion and Commentary

Lauengco: The Fukushima water release: Lessons on disaster PR

August 30, 2023, 9:46 am

“Good PR also requires humility and honesty.” - Adam Hillman A couple of days ago, the government of Japan started releasing into the sea more than 1 million metric tons of treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The radioactive water is a byproduct of… Read More

Zaldarriaga: Full support behind PH basketball

August 29, 2023, 12:55 pm

Four days ago, the Philippines etched its name anew in the history of global sports as the nation staged a flawless and spectacular opening of the prestigious FIBA World Cup 2023. With meticulous planning paired with the concerted efforts of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), the local… Read More

Lu: Rising oil prices: Unyielding upward spiral (7th this week)

August 25, 2023, 4:01 pm

As the sun rose on Tuesday this week, so did the price of oil, casting a shadow of concern over the lives of Filipinos and businesses. Gasoline witnessed a daunting surge of PHP1.10 per liter, diesel by PHP0.20, and kerosene by PHP0.70. This marked the seventh consecutive week of oil price hikes,… Read More

Samonte: Debate on the date and place of 1896 'Cry' for PH freedom

August 24, 2023, 3:17 pm

As the Filipino people observe on Aug. 28 the nationwide holiday dubbed National Heroes' Day, it is also a time to reminisce on the beginning of the campaign for Philippine independence from Spanish occupation in 1896, or a century and 27 years ago. That very significant event in the country's… Read More

Delos Reyes: River crawl

August 23, 2023, 5:51 pm

A river separates Ciudad Real from a squatter settlement in Caloocan City. Ciudad Real with nearly a thousand households lazes at a fringe part of San Jose del Monte in Bulacan, a shot off the La Mesa Dam forest reservation. Years back, the corpse of a security guard was dumped asprawl at the… Read More

Zaldarriaga: PH at fever pitch for upcoming FIBA World Cup 2023

August 22, 2023, 5:12 pm

As the countdown to the most anticipated and monumental event in the history of Philippine sports is now a mere handful of days, sports enthusiasts across the globe are definitely high with fervor over the upcoming FIBA World Cup 2023. Once more, the global basketball arena will be brimming with… Read More

Samonte: Late President FM planned Manila-Bataan coastal road in 1973

August 17, 2023, 4:43 pm

Did you know that as early as the first half of the 1970s, then President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. (FM) ordered the construction of a coastal highway along the Manila Bay from the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Complex at the Manila-Pasay City boundary all the way to the provinces of… Read More

Lauengco: Online pranks that cross the line

August 16, 2023, 1:57 pm

“Everything is funny, as long as it’s happening to somebody else.” – Will Rogers Last Aug. 1, 2023, three vloggers were arrested by the police for a staged kidnapping prank done a few months ago. The arrest stemmed from an incident that happened last April 6, 2023 where the three vloggers… Read More

Zaldarriaga: Generating job opportunities to counter unemployment

August 15, 2023, 5:13 pm

Every year, the education sector produces a new set of aspiring young professionals who, after earning their degrees, certifications, and licenses, are now ready to be part of the country’s workforce. This annual occurrence presents a challenge to the government to ensure that there are jobs… Read More

Lu: Preserving our cultural heritage: The revival of Baybayin

August 11, 2023, 3:06 pm

In the tapestry of cultural observances, August unfurls as a month of distinct significance in the Philippines. It marks the celebration of National Language Month, known as "Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa," a unique tribute to the nation's linguistic heritage that sets the Philippines apart as the only… Read More

Samonte: Reminiscing on July-August 1972, 2023 typhoons and floods

August 10, 2023, 5:40 pm

The aerial inspection and personal visit made by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (PBBM) to the flood-hit Central Luzon provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga on Aug. 7 made me recall an almost similar incident 51 years ago involving his late father, former President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., more… Read More

Lauengco: Snip Away – Consider Vasectomy

August 9, 2023, 2:46 pm

“With vasectomy you get snipped but you are still equipped “- Unknown August is “Family Planning Month”. As part of the annual celebration and activities of the said month, the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) recently called for more medical doctors in Northern Mindanao to… Read More

Zaldarriaga: Boosting PH tourism through sports

August 8, 2023, 4:31 pm

Set to become beyond memorable, the month of August has certainly elicited a wave of excitement amongst basketball fans because exactly 17 days from today, the much-anticipated FIBA World Cup 2023 will once again take place in the country. This is truly a monumental milestone that will not just… Read More

Lu: Strengthening filial piety, shared values for harmonious society

August 4, 2023, 8:23 pm

The launch of the Chinese People’s Federation for World Peace-Philippines (CPFWP-Philippines) in Quezon City on July 27, 2023, was an auspicious occasion, bringing together government officials, representatives from various sectors and esteemed guest speakers. The CPFWP envisions an… Read More

Samonte: PBBM pursues his late father's energy program for PH progress

August 3, 2023, 6:29 pm

There is a bright indication that the much-awaited electrification of the entire country may be realized before the end of the six-year term of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. or BBM in June 2028. This can be gleaned from his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 24 where… Read More

Lauengco: The starfish organization in business, politics (Part 1)

August 2, 2023, 2:15 pm

“The harder you fight a decentralized opponent, the stronger it gets.” - Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstorm The starfish is a unique organism. If you cut of an arm it regenerates a new arm and the small arm becomes a new starfish. This ability comes from its decentralized neural structure. In… Read More

Zaldarriaga: Support of Filipinos key to success of FIBA World Cup 2023

August 1, 2023, 3:38 pm

The Philippines has long been known as a “basketball country” and now that the highly anticipated FIBA World Cup 2023 is just weeks away from being staged once again in the Philippines, the opportune moment has come to let the world see how this beloved sport has the power to unite our nation… Read More

Samonte: The importance of infrastructure in PH's economic development

July 27, 2023, 3:43 pm

Anticipating the importance that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. was expected to give to infrastructure development in the country in his second State of the Nation Address (SONA), I retrieved from my filing cabinet two weeks ago an old book containing some of the speeches of the late President… Read More

Lauengco: Know the landscape before you start something

July 26, 2023, 12:37 pm

“Always be aware of your surroundings.” - ancient quote The filing of candidacy for the coming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections is from Aug. 27 to Sept. 2. A few days ago, a childhood friend of mine told me that he decided to run for barangay chairman in the said elections and asked… Read More

Zaldarriaga: Approved NLEX toll rates hike lower than inflation rate

July 25, 2023, 1:41 pm

Patience is a virtue – an overused expression but also a valuable statement, which holds undeniable truth. NLEX Corporation's remarkable display of patience while awaiting the decision of the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) regarding their request for price adjustment is a sign of its high regard… Read More