By Herbert Vego WHILE listening to Kalibo-based Radyo Todo yesterday, I chanced upon Rhodel Lababit – community environment officer of Malay, Aklan – being interviewed by broadcaster Jonathan “Idol” Cabrera on his directive giving informal settlers of Boracay Island 15 days to demolish and vacate their homes. With the exception of the more fortunate,
December 2, 2020
By Herbert Vego THIS writer has gone around the malls of Iloilo City in the past five days, coming to the conclusion that business is leaping back to life, what with more people patronizing stores and restaurants while still observing the basic World Health Organization (WHO) protocols — eye shielding, face masking and social
November 30, 2020
By Herbert Vego AS a young journalist in 1980, I had the privilege of covering the charity work of the late singer-actress-philanthropist Cielito del Mundo. I remember that particular day when an American Jew (forgot his name) sponsored a gift-giving event in the depressed areas of Quezon City. “Giving to the less fortunate,” Cielito
November 27, 2020
By Herbert Vego THE internet media still throbs with “conspiracy” angles on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic that has scared the world to the point of running away from normal life. Among others, two stand out: First, that the virus was man-made in Wuhan, China to destroy both lives and economies of the United
November 25, 2020
By Herbert Vego IF you live in Iloilo City, sad to say you could be paying electricity consumption other than your own due to rampant power pilferage. This is because you pay 6.5 percent of stolen electricity or “system’s loss”. Masakit, di ba? But the good news is that you would not only save
November 23, 2020
By Herbert Vego IF we electricity consumers in Iloilo City do not police ourselves against power pilferage, we would never stop complaining against “overbilling”. It’s because we pay for part of the “system’s loss” — the energy that the pilferers consume without paying a single centavo. If it’s any consolation, the Energy Regulatory Commission
November 20, 2020
By Herbert Vego WAY back when I was working as a mail sorter (my first job) at the post office at the old Manila International Airport, a framed quotation on the wall would often catch my attention. Since then, I have read “Loyalty” scores of times: “If you work for a man, in heaven’s
November 18, 2020
By Herbert Vego HAVING written frequently about the energy situation here in Iloilo City, I occasionally bump into friends complaining about spiraling electricity bills from MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power). Well, since the bill comes from the aforesaid distribution utility, that is understandable. For that reason, we invited Jonathan Cabrera, MORE Power’s
November 16, 2020
By Herbert Vego IF you have had sad experiences online, I am not surprised; I have been a victim of an online scam myself. It began when a “good news” ad on Facebook detailed the “secret” of a lady doctor, identified as Dr. Maria Santos, who has kept herself active through her octogenarian years.
November 13, 2020
By Herbert Vego IF the Department of Health (DOH) were as efficient in announcing daily cases of lung cancer as it is in shocking us with the “incurable” coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, all Filipino smokers might have already quit smoking. What the government does on the pretext of breaking the smoking habit is
November 11, 2020
By Herbert Vego IT’S over but the shouting for the United States’ President-elect, Joe Biden, who gained 290 electoral votes against President Donald Trump’s 214. Our US-based columnist, Alex Vidal, had personally interviewed Filipino immigrants with “contrasting sentiments” vis-a-vis the two candidates during the campaign period. They were rooting for different candidates but with
November 9, 2020
By Herbert Vego GIVEN the opportunity, Mayor Jerry P. Treñas would have re-opened Iloilo City to “business as usual” because it is the only way he could fulfill his promise to “level up”. We share his apprehension that business establishments that have padlocked as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus might
November 6, 2020