The latest survey by the Social Weather Station showed that about 52 percent or 11.4 million Filipino families rate themselves as poor, the worst in eight years in terms of self-rated poverty. It matched the self-rated poverty percentage during the Arroyo administration in 2006. “We note the results of the survey. And we continue with our efforts to… Read More »

(Author’s note: At this time of the year, this writer pauses from political and other issues and focuses on the Christmas season. The article below was first written in 2003 and has appeared in this corner during the Christmas weekend every year since.) For Filipinos who have been outside of the Philippines for years, Christmas is both a… Read More »

With the Aquino administration, when something goes wrong there is always somebody or something to blame. After all, President Aquino is still blaming former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for everything that ails the country more than four years after he took over the reins of the country.  For example, when the government failed to fulfill its promise and… Read More »

More than a year since super typhoon Yolanda brought death, destruction and deprivation to Leyte and other provinces in Eastern Visayas, nobody still knows for sure how many died, the destruction remains very visible, and the victims continue to be deprived of food, shelter and jobs. And all because more than a year since the world’s strongest recorded… Read More »

The death last Saturday – the day millions of people in some countries remember their dead — of Brittany Maynard, who chose to end her life at the young age of 29 rather than suffer while waiting for the inevitable, reignited the dormant debate over the right to die with dignity. “Goodbye to all my dear friends and… Read More »

With the damning allegations hurled against Vice President Jejomar Binay in the past few weeks, one would think, as one columnist said, the former human rights lawyer and Makati mayor “can kiss his presidential bid goodbye.” I wish it were that simple because the country badly needs a president who is beyond reproach, but recent history tells us… Read More »

The problem of trafficking of Filipinos in the United States came to the fore again last week when 25 teachers who were victimized by unscrupulous recruiters went to the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. to again air their grievance and seek the help of Ambassador Jose Cuisia Jr. for a resolution of their case. The ambassador assured them… Read More »

Good news appeared to have emerged from the Bali Democratic Forum in Indonesia where President Aquino was reported to have abandoned any possibility of staying beyond his six-year term that ends in 2016. “Aquino abandons term extension bid,” said the banner story of Manila Bulletin last week. I read into the news but nowhere did I find a… Read More »

Following the filing of a second complaint for plunder against Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisima, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. called on the beleaguered PNP chief to resign out of delicadeza. Belmonte was too naïve to think there is still delicadeza among the country’s officials. The word has long disappeared from the vocabulary of Philippine officialdom.… Read More »

While I cannot condone the rough treatment accorded Budget Secretary Butch Abad by some students of the University of the Philippines last week, when he was pelted with stones and coins after a speech at the School of Economics, I must also say that I quite agree with their demand that he be made accountable for the illegal… Read More »