By Joshua Corcuera Recently, a Philippine senator uttered remarks implying that he is loyal to the country’s chief executive to the extent that he loves him. However, occupying a public office as an elected official means that such official should be loyal to his/her country and fellow Filipinos, not to some other politician. According to
September 4, 2021
By Joshua Corcuera As I write this, I am already in my third year of collegiate studies—only less than two years before graduating from university. However, there is this need to study harder and devote much of my time and effort to my studies. As an accountancy student, graduating from college is not the only
September 1, 2021
By Joshua Corcuera In case you do not know, the month of August is celebrated—at least in Philippine educational institutions—as the month of the national language or buwan ng wika. Before the pandemic, it is custom and innate for schools within the country to hold events in celebration of the said event. Students wear barong, baro’t saya,
August 26, 2021
By Joshua Corcuera Recently, news feeds are full of reports wherein the Commission on Audit (COA) raised red flags on discrepancies in government funds. Specifically, the Department of Health (DOH) was flagged for misusing roughly P67 billion according to COA. This, however, is just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, more government agencies aside
August 19, 2021
By Joshua Corcuera On August 11, one year ago, I contributed my first article to Daily Guardian, entitled “Dissent is a crucial contribution to society.” My opinion on the subject has not changed, rather, its message has become more relevant as the country continues to deal with a major public health crisis together with a
August 17, 2021
By Joshua Corcuera In the past few weeks, the delta variant of COVID-19 has caused worry to some, especially that it may hinder progress on vaccination breakthroughs. Last June 18, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that delta has “significantly increased transmissibility [of COVID-19].” Studies also suggest that delta is roughly 60% more transmissible than
August 10, 2021
By Joshua Corcuera Probably, you have heard the news or saw the pictures, thousands of people in various locations in Metro Manila rushed to vaccination sites. As a matter of fact, hundreds of them queued even before sunrise. There is just one problem, and no, it’s not vaccine hesitancy obviously, it’s vaccine supply. Reports from
August 6, 2021
By Joshua Corcuera Last Friday, the Philippines became the first country in the world to approve the commercial production of ‘golden rice’. Named after its bright yellow hue, experts hope that the genetically modified rice will combat childhood blindness especially in developing countries. The development of golden rice by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
August 3, 2021
By Joshua Corcuera Back in 2009, 80% of Manila, the Philippine capital, was submerged in flood due to a strong storm. Consequently, damages and losses amounted to around 2.7% of the country’s economy. Poor infrastructure, ineffective drainage and sanitation systems were blamed for the heavy flooding back then. In the past few days, parts of
July 28, 2021
By Joshua Corcuera The COVID-19 pandemic, one year and a half later, continues to affect Philippine society in various ways. From an economy struggling to recover from recession, to classes — at least here in where I study — being held online. It is apparent that the public health crisis is not merely a health crisis, but rather a
July 22, 2021
By Joshua Corcuera The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), through its executive director and director-general, released a statement entitled, “Reopening schools cannot wait.” Here is an excerpt of the statement: It’s been 18 months since the COVID-19 outbreak started and education for millions of children is still disrupted. As of today, primary and secondary
July 17, 2021
By Joshua Corcuera In a July 6 column, I wrote about the record-high temperatures tallied around the world. From Canada to India, from Siberia to Iraq, extreme heat led to hundreds dying and thousands suffering. Let me reiterate a particular portion of that column I contributed several days ago: Despite the excruciating heat that caused
July 15, 2021