The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has reported that the country’s inflation rate accelerated further to 6.1% this June 2022—the highest recorded inflation rate since October 2018. For starters, inflation pertains to the rate of increase in prices over a given period of time—in Filipino, pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin. While inflation is normal,
July 9, 2022
Last July 1, former Vice President Leni Robredo launched the Angat Buhay non-governmental organization (NGO)—a means for her to continue serving the masses despite being a private citizen. The former vice president ran for the presidency and garnered more than 15 million votes which is a huge number. In 1998 and 2004,
July 5, 2022
As time passes by, many historical events unfold, and we are witnesses to fundamental changes in society. Yet, despite all these apparent changes in society, some things just never change—particularly the social ills that we are currently dealing with. Poverty, inequality, corruption, the justice system being skewed in favor of the rich
July 2, 2022
In a centralized state, one where economic growth is centered in the capital and its surrounding areas, underdevelopment and slower growth is a real concern in faraway provinces and the countryside. Here in the Philippines, for example, the existence of the so-called Imperial Manila has favored the capital region at the expense of provinces
June 28, 2022
This midyear term, I am currently taking 3 units of Rizal. The subject revolves around the life and works of our national hero, Jose Rizal. It was his birth anniversary just recently, last June 19 to be precise. To those who forgot, our national hero was born in Calamba, Laguna on June
June 23, 2022
In the last column I contributed, I tackled the centralized structure of our country which favors Metro Manila in terms of economic development, while rural areas tend to deal with slower growth. Likewise, the capital of the country is often seen as the whole identity of the Philippines, which I argued is not
June 22, 2022
Daily Guardian columnist Alex Vidal had an article published in the same publication last Thursday, June 16, entitled “Little Manila? Why not Little Philippines?” In the article, he shared that “a street corner in Queens, New York City has been officially recognized as Little Manila Avenue.” However, many Filipinos in that area spoke
June 21, 2022
The Philippine Azkals, the national football team of the country, has recently finished its three matches against Yemen, Mongolia, and Palestine in an attempt to qualify for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. Our team is not in a good position. On June 8, the Azkals settled for a scoreless draw against Yemen.
June 16, 2022
My column last June 4 centered on the notion of freedom and why our country is not absolutely free—basically because of enormous problems, such as foreign debt, that prevent us from escaping poverty. Nevertheless, we enjoy several freedoms that we enjoy such as the freedom to work, to speak and express (although
June 10, 2022
June 12 is fast approaching—in fact, it is just a week from now before we celebrate and commemorate our Independence Day. Flags of our country are hoisted everywhere; here along the street where my house is located, streetlights were filled with Philippine flags. The blessings brought by independence to our nation and
June 4, 2022
World Environment Day will be observed and celebrated this coming June 5, while World Food Safety Day will be recognized this coming June 7—timely events for pressing global issues that resonate as well here in our own country. It cannot be denied that our environment has been deteriorating significantly for the past
June 2, 2022
Studying is still important—I have said this because, based on emerging sentiment in social media, studying and finishing academics seem to be belittled. Some people argue that having a college degree is not essential to succeed in life. Others say that being street-smart is more crucial than learning topics in school that have
May 30, 2022