In view of geopolitical realities that are in flux, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro emphasized the need for leveraging multilateral security cooperation upon his confirmation by the Commission on Appointments last week. He said: “The intensity of the need to focus on protecting our sovereignty and sovereign rights is paramount in …
Read More »Editorial
Frustrate WPS gambit
China’s latest swarm aimed to dissuade the Philippines from oil and gas production at Recto Bank. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. foresees that China will increasingly use the Taiwan nexus to put more pressure on the Philippines and enforce its claimed historical delineation in the West Philippine Sea. Beijing will …
Read More »‘Tara, Basa’ is a good tutoring program to spread and support
An innovative educational assistance program launched by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) last month will benefit more than just college students who need financial assistance for school expenses. Named “Tara, Basa!” (Let’s Read!), it is a tutoring program that will help improve the reading skills of Grade …
Read More »North Korea compounds problematic ‘headwinds’
FOR nearly two years, concerns over North Korea receded from the global spotlight as the Russia-Ukraine war drew more attention. As many know, that ongoing conflict has been blamed for the external factors threatening the global economy, from raising the specter of recession in Europe to disrupting grain supplies worldwide. …
Read More »Senate bill on mental health and well-being: Managing a health problem that can’t be ignored
Quietly and without fanfare, the Senate passed on third and final reading last Sept. 11 Senate Bill No. 2200, or the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act. The measure was initially filed by Sen. Cristopher Go and principally sponsored by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian. Both senators said the …
Read More »Look before leaping
Shorter distances offer American forces the ability to return to action faster and remain on station longer but they also make the bases vulnerable to attack. Another expansion of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement must be comprehensively reviewed as it would constitute a point of no return with the country …
Read More »Campaign vs vote-buying should not sacrifice confidence in banking system
Vote-buying has been a perennial problem every election — be it national, local, barangay, or Sangguniang Kabataan poll exercise. And it has become a cycle of election fraud despite stiff penalties imposed under the Omnibus Election Code. In previous elections, there had been reports on the arrest of individuals for …
Read More »Soil degradation threatens food security
THE newly minted strategic partnership between the Philippines and Australia opens the door to a more comprehensive road map of cooperation between the two countries. Among the wide array of fields covered by the partnership is soil and land management. Specifically, it is about how the Philippines can draw from …
Read More »BRICS expansion: Boon or bane?
Balancing these tensions while fostering cooperation will be crucial for the success of an expanded BRICS alliance. The BRICS alliance, comprised of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has emerged as a significant player in the global geopolitical landscape since its inception in 2006. Over the years, BRICS has …
Read More »Ensure smooth and immediate enforcement of the new agrarian emancipation law
The title of this piece encapsulates the exact directive issued by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Sept. 12, 2023 to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) when he attended the presentation of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 11953, known as the “New Agrarian Emancipation Act.” …
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