Friday, December 03, 2021
Duterte claims he was able to fulfill most of his campaign promises during his term
President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Thursday claimed he was able to fulfill most of his campaign promises to the public during his term. During his speech at the inauguration of Zamboanga City…
Opinion
Much ado about Bloomberg ranking
MALACAÑANG reacted on Wednesday to Bloomberg’s latest Covid Resilience Ranking, saying it showed “little consideration” for local data when Bloomberg again placed the Philippines at the bottom of the list. Acting Presidential Spokesman Karlo B. Nograles took exception to the fact that the ranking gave much emphasis to general criteria…
The Blue Christmas Tree
She was always against a blue Christmas tree. Maybe the word is not “against”; she was worried that the blue color dominating the usual red, silver and gold over the dark tree foliage of our tree will look gloomy. “Christmas should be bright,” she would say, a statement I dared not contradict. She was our Ate Naomi, sister for a long, long time after we dropped the legalistic “in-law.”…
The economics of reopening
ON November 5, 2021, the National Capital Region lowered its Covd-19 Alert Level from 3 to 2. Following the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Guidelines, that means many establishments, including restaurants and other leisure venues not under granular lockdown, will be allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity compared to the previous 30 percent. Connected to that, the Commission on Higher…
Gang of Four or The Fantastic Four?
The current presidential contest is full of surprises just like the gift packages that we unwrap on Christmas Eve. Earlier, despite topping all pre-election surveys, we were all jolted when Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio announced that she was seeking the vice-presidential seat after all. She had opted to run in tandem with former Sen. Bongbong Marcos who will be her…
The 20-Minute Association Rock Star
I have never thought in my wildest dreams I will be a rock star! Recently, I had my “20-minutes of fame” as I was interviewed by Associations Rockstars, a US-based peer group created during the onset of the pandemic and now has over 600 members. It is one of the brands of Vista Cova, a boutique firm of expert facilitators headed by Lowell Aplebaum, which supports strategic planning, member…
Spotlight on Chevy & Toyota
THE merry season is here. Taking the lead in spreading joy to our less fortunate brethren is Chevrolet Philippines of the Covenant Car Company, Inc. Dubbed “Chevy Cheers,” the collaboration between Chevrolet Philippines and the McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen (MKK), aims to serve 10,000 meals to marginalized communities in selected areas in the Philippines. “We at Chevrolet Philippines,…
Agri-Commodities
Banking & Finance
Companies
Export Unlimited
Entrepreneur
How a burger joint smashes ‘winners’ amid a pandemic
ARGILL Lance (LA) reaches atop the kitchen cupboard, foraging through piles of wooden chopping boards. He picks up one and handles it by the grip. He returns to the lounge where Cali, a golden retriever, is playing with a tennis ball. LA picks up the ball from Cali while tightening his hold…
Executive Views
A visionary, entrepreneur all rolled into one
He had dreamt of becoming a doctor, which was the reason why he enrolled in the Bachelor of Zoology program at the University of the Philippines. However, Raul C. Pagdanganan, President and CEO of Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC) realized that the smell of formalin was too strong for…
Nation
Neda readies 13 urban master plans for adoption to smart city principles
THE National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) is already preparing 13 sector-wide master plans in identified urban areas nationwide to help these urban corridors adopt smart city principles. In a recent forum, Neda OIC-Undersecretary Jonathan L. Uy said the plans are being created…
World
South Korea breaks daily virus record for second straight day
SEOUL, South Korea—South Korea broke its daily record for coronavirus infections for a second straight day on Thursday with more than 5,200 new cases, as pressure mounted on a health-care system grappling with rising hospitalizations and deaths. The rapid Delta-driven spread comes amid the…
Economy
Sports
Uy up by 3 strokes after wild 2nd round
DANIELLA UY moved into the threshold of a dream Ladies Philippine Golf Tour (LPGT) finish after battling back strong from a ghastly quadruple bogey on No. 8 with a string of birdies then held sway to seize a three-stroke lead over Chihiro Ikeda in a wild second round of the International…
Life
Mazda introduces Mild Hybrid Technology on select models
CHAMPIONING a sustainable future is Mazda Philippines’s commitment in 2022. The country’s distributor acknowledges that the key to fulfilling the brand’s long-term aim of reducing global emissions is rationalizing its portfolio and introducing new technologies as part of Mazda’s Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030 Vision. Next year, Mazda Philippines is bringing in…
Art
Digital Life
Journey
Motoring
Property
Tourism
Y2Z
Got pandemic anxiety? You might relate more to Covid memes than non-anxious people
By Umair Akram / Sheffield Hallam University Public health measures to combat Covid, such as lockdowns, quarantines and social distancing, have made many people anxious. In many countries, studies found that rates of anxiety and depression rose following the onset of the pandemic. Coping…
Feelings of ‘uncertainty’ and ‘isolation’ cause pandemic-related anxiety among youth
The stress, fear and grief brought by the coronavirus pandemic continue to weigh heavily on young people, creating far-ranging consequences on both their physical and mental well-being. A discussion on mental health, titled “Stop Covid Deaths: Covid-19 and Mental Health of Youth,” hosted by…
The world’s top job finder wants to get rid of resumes
The company behind the world’s biggest employment portal says it has a solution to the labor shortage gripping the US: getting rid of the traditional resume. Despite the acute need for workers, “the hiring process is still resumes, sending resumes, checking resumes,” said Hisayuki “Deko”…
Online platform helps advertising freelancers find work
The challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic have significantly affected the creative industry. Large corporations have become conservative with advertising and promotional activities, physical events have been disallowed, and so on. This means less work for scores of professional…
7 ways to get proactive about climate change
By Thomas S. Bateman / University of Virginia Humans do not capitalize nearly enough on our most significant evolutionary advantage: a unique ability to take forward-looking actions that influence the future for the better. Exhibit A: Climate change is here, and things are changing quickly…
COP26: Poets, climate resistance light up Glasgow with call for urgent action
With high visibility in Glasgow, Scotland, light projections and street hubs today feature verse and pleas by poets and activists from Indonesia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Tanzania, and the Philippines. “We take great pride in helping foment a global poetry rebellion instigated by poets and…
Biodiversity
Education
Envoys & Expats
Faith
Green
Health & Fitness
Covid-19 Updates
Our Time
Perspective
A look at world leaders named in the Pandora Papers
Hundreds of world leaders, powerful politicians, billionaires, celebrities, religious leaders and drug dealers have been stashing away their investments in mansions, exclusive beachfront property, yachts and other assets for the past quarter century, according to a review of nearly 12…
Pandora Papers leak prompts calls for action in Asia
BANGKOK — Malaysia’s main opposition leader called Monday for information found in the Pandora Papers data leak to be discussed in Parliament, after learning the country’s former finance minister and several current officials might have been involved with offshore firms set up in…
‘Pandora Papers’ bring renewed calls for tax haven scrutiny
The outcry came after a report revealed the way that world leaders, billionaires and others have used shell companies and offshore accounts to keep trillions of dollars out of government treasuries over the past quarter-century, limiting the resources for helping the poor or combating…
As Merkel bids farewell, German women wish for more equality
Angela Merkel, Germany’s first female chancellor, has been praised by many for her pragmatic leadership in a turbulent world and celebrated by some as a feminist icon. But a look at her track record in fighting gender inequality in 16 years running Germany reveals missed opportunities in…
Science
The Broader Look
A village chief’s death gives glimpse of Covid response woes in countryside
HE knew it was bad. Gerardo Santiago knew from experience that phone calls arriving at four in the morning—the shrill bouncing across and outside the house waking up roosters—are harbingers of bad news. “Patay na si kapitan (The captain is dead),” the voice, cracking, from the other end sent…
Filipinos find financial freedom in pandemic with cryptocurrency game
(Conclusion) FOR 10 days in July, he prayed for his life; a week later, he played for a life after Covid-19. After getting billed half-a-million pesos for his and his mother’s hospitalization, Christian Angelo Dumalanta turned to Axie Infinity—a blockchain technology-based game—to convert…
Filipinos find financial freedom in pandemic with cryptocurrency game
(First of two parts) HE didn’t know if he’d laugh or cry when told that recovering from Covid-19 costs him and his mother half-a-million pesos. Christan Angelo Dumalanta chose neither—it still hurts when doing either—and turned to colorful creatures, love potions and ethereum. Dumalanta,…
Telco, fintech weigh in on future of esports
MONDAYS are never liked, especially in local eSports. It was a Monday when the “largest and most prestigious mobile games competition in Southeast Asia,” Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League, issued a statement confirming irregularities in Week 7 of the eighth season of the…
PHL esports sector vows to ‘Defend the Ancients’ vs game-changer Covid-19
COMPETITIVE electronic gaming or esports in the Philippines is on a winning streak: raising the flag in international competitions, winning its inaugural gold medals in the Southeast Asian games and booming corporate investments. That was two years ago; when millions played League of Legends…
