The country faced various forms of oppression under the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo regime when Active Vista was established in 2005 by members of Dakila Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism. There was a sense of paralysis, and the political and social realities of the time didn’t offer the optimism needed for such initiatives
September 19, 2024
The vivid narration by barangay officials and civic leaders about their community gardens known as EdiScapes, or “edible landscapes,” immediately evoked thoughts of social cohesion and neighborhood revitalization. These urban community gardens emerged as a mobilization effort during the pandemic, focusing on health and food security within their community. Growing dahon
June 27, 2024
It’s hard to overstate the impact of Gilopez Kabayao. Seven decades of concertizing in various parts of the world and a tireless musical crusade across towns and cities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao will make you quip—whatta life! However, we cannot help but think of the sordid question, which has been
June 15, 2024
By Ted Aldwin Ong The newly released book, Iloilo City Rises, chronicles the city’s development as the regional center of commerce and education and features its economic and political evolution. It is an important document of Iloilo City’s significant events, urban transformations, and socio-political and economic dynamics, making it a valuable resource material for future
May 25, 2024
For the past months, I have found myself more and more attached to the world of gastronomy, communing with the historical and cultural insights on Filipino food by foremost scholars like Doreen G. Fernandez, Edilberto N. Alegre, Felice Prudente Sta. Maria, Fernando N. Zialcita, and Ige Ramos, among others. Their writings
May 18, 2024
Antique will now become part of the Visayas Islands Visual Arts Exhibition and Conference (VIVA ExCon) diary as the 17th edition of the longest-running and artist-led art biennale will be held in three locations of the province from November 8 to 10. Artists from various islands of the Visayas region and from
November 6, 2023
Regulatory capture or regulators captured? Intending to lower transmission charges for power end-users, ERC ordered a cap to NGCP’s target revenue for 2020 at Php47.05 billion but the regulatory body has yet to act on the WACC of NGCP, delayed project completion, and other rates related issues. Failure to reset NGCP
May 5, 2023
III. KEY ISSUES ON THE PRIVATIZATION OF TRANSMISSION Privatization, instead of yielding maximum present value from privatization proceeds, resulted in gigantic losses to the National Government, in terms of Transco revenues and taxes. In stark contrast, we are seeing the Concessionaire earning vulgar profits and declaring dividends, just 10 years into
May 4, 2023
Winner by Default and Switch: NGCP The NGCP conglomerate is composed of Monte Oro Grid Resources Corporation, Calaca High Power Corporation, and the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) who submitted the highest offer of $3.95 billion and secured the 25-year concession contract to operate the transmission aspect of the electricity
May 3, 2023
(This was first published in https://tedaldwinong.wordpress.com/2023/03/20/the-patent-mal-privatization-of-the-transmission-sector/) On the eve of EPIRA’s 20th year, power end-users in the Luzon grid found themselves lighting candles amid an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The NGCP raised Yellow and Red Alert public warnings for May 31 and June 1, 2021, respectively, stating “severe power supply deficiency”. The
May 2, 2023
The 6th iteration of the Iloilo Mega Book Fair will take place from April 27 to 30. I’m planning to set foot at this popular fair for the first time. I only breezed through the previous events considering that I still have titles left untouched on my little bookshelf, comprised of non-fiction,
April 25, 2023
One weekend in October 2022, I joined Dr. John Barrios, Noel Galon de Leon, and Allyn May Canja for a late morning coffee at the Book Latté. The taste of the coffee has escaped my memory, but I can wholly remember the conversation: art happenings, art writings, experiences and linkages to
April 11, 2023