HAVE you ever wondered why there is nothing in the Bible to show that Jesus Christ ever celebrated his birthday, which we now know as Christmas? Let us unfold its history which, ironically, is not well-known. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, “The church in Rome began formally celebrating Christmas on December 25
December 13, 2021
IN February this year, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to stop the construction of a government project in Anini-y, Antique for “desecrating the spacious and magnificent façade of the church”. Therefore, the project — a P19.29-million roofed walkway at the
December 10, 2021
WHENEVER electricity conks out in Iloilo City, consumers raise hell and blame the distribution utility (DU) – which is MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power) – rather than the generation plant and the transmission grid. Why not, when it’s the DU that bills us and collects the corresponding amount? To shed
December 8, 2021
TWO places in my home province of Antique bring back pleasant childhood memories. One is the “split river” where my elementary-school classmate Joe Escartin and I used to swim on weekends. The other is the upland site of the original Antique National Agricultural School (ANAS) in the town of San Remigio. In
December 6, 2021
VICE-PRESIDENT Leni Robredo is arriving in Iloilo City today for a two-day sortie, kicking off with a grand motorcade from the airport to the main arteries of the city. If I heard Mayor Jerry P. Treñas right, her overnight stay is aimed at reaching out to local government and civic leaders. I
December 3, 2021
NO less than Mayor Jerry P. Treñas recently posted a Facebook message lauding MORE Power for efficiency in keeping Iloilo City energized. He drew specific attention to “inexpensive electric bills resulting from improvements of utilities which redound to social services’ boost and economic benefits for the people.” I thought of interviewing MORE’s
December 1, 2021
MY godson Carlito was ready to marry his fiancée in March 2020. In fact, the couple had asked me to be one of their wedding sponsors. Unfortunately, both lost their jobs in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. In their mid-20s, they have to indefinitely postpone the wedding until they could get
November 29, 2021
MY imaginary crystal ball shows the incumbent governors and mayors rooting for Vice-President Leni Robredo, 56, as their candidate for President in election 2022. It’s getting obvious that wherever the “pink lady” goes, there goes the multitude of excited supporters shrieking and shouting, “Leni! Leni! Leni! Leni!” “Volunteerism” is the word that
November 26, 2021
I HAVE been wondering why, almost two years into the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States and its local counterpart have approved no medicine for the disease. They say that two multinational drug giants – Pfizer and Merck – have developed their respective versions of
November 24, 2021
By Herbert Vego THIS writer has read inspirational tales about trail-blazing entrepreneurs. Among my favorites are those of the innovators of a soft drink brand and a hamburger franchise. Do you know how the bottled soft drink came into being? It started in August 1888 when an American druggist, Asa Chandler, saw a mini fountain
November 22, 2021
THERE was a time when fellow columnist Alex Vidal and I attended a forum on “Defending Our Faith” in Antipolo City, with Dr. Michael L. Tan – then the chancellor of the University of the Philippines-Diliman – as main speaker. “Do you know why the Church does not fire homosexual priests?” he started
November 19, 2021
By Herbert Vego ONCE there was a radio jingle, “Ang utang ay dapat bayaran, nang tayo’y pagkakatiwalaan.” Yes, we have to pay our monetary debts, lest we earn the ire of our creditors. It’s somewhat a different matter, however, when what we owe is a debt of gratitude – utang na loob in Tagalog, utang nga buot or utang nga
November 17, 2021