PRESIDENT Aquino, assisted by Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Emmanuel Joel Villanueva, distributes ballers to the participants of the 7th Puregold ‘Tindahan Ni Aling Puring Sari-Sari Store’ Convention during the tour and inspection of the booths at the World Trade Center at the corner of Gil Puyat Avenue Extension and Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, Pasay City, yesterday. (Photo by: Robert Viñas / Malacañang Photo Bureau)
AMERICAN contemporary ballet company Trey McIntyre Project performs at Central Philippine University in Iloilo City. Its 10-day Philippine tour is a joint program of the U.S. Embassy in Manila and the Cultural Center of the Philippines. (Photo by Tara Yap)
CAGAYAN’s Junar Arce (center) finds himself sandwiched by Gio Ciriacruz and Kelly Nabong of Blackwater during PBA D-League action last night at The Arena in San Juan.
MIAMI Heat guard Dwyane Wade, foreground, regains control of the ball as he is guarded by Indiana Pacers guard Paul George, rear, during Game 2 of their NBA basketball Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series in Miami.
VENDORS arrange bananas in a makeshift stall on Road 10 in Tondo, Manila, as they sell ‘lakatan’ at P30 per kilo yesterday morning. The Philippines’ fruit exports to China, particularly bananas, seem to have trouble getting cleared by Chinese Customs amid a tense standoff between the two countries over the disputed islands on the West Philippine Sea. Fruit shipments, especially bananas, were rotting in Chinese ports because pests were allegedly discovered in some produce, prompting stricter quarantine inspections. (Photo by Linus Escandor II)
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Decision points
Manila, Philippines – WHILE peace negotiations with the Left have stalled, bright lights have lit up the horizon on the government’s peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Last week, the government panel chaired by Dean Marvic Leonen signed a document with the MILF panel on decision points based on principles that shall now guide the two panels and all stakeholders. Incoming...
Sabah (A Three-Part Series)
Manila, Philippines – SABAH I am here in the land that we claim as our own by virtue of history. Backward, it’s not. Hectares of palm oil plantations dot the landscape hiding from main roads the coarse brown migrant hands that grow the trees, harvest its fruits. In Kota Kinabalu, one finds hotels with sprawling 36-hole golf courses, shopping malls gushing with name brands, and seafood...
A dep’t for migrant workers
Manila, Philippines – WITH at least 10 percent of our population living and working overseas, is it time to create a Department for Migrant Workers? Senator Manny Villar, a staunch OFW advocate, believes it is and is pushing for legislation to do just that. According to him, the huge size of the OFW population merits the creation of a singular agency that would address their needs in a more...
The bungalow in Villanueva Village
Manila, Philippines – COMMON it was, a house in a quiet neighborhood facing the village’s lone covered basketball court. The wall in front was made of hollow blocks with steel bars pointed to the sky, while its roof was sloped and unremarkable. One wouldn’t even notice this house had it not been for the clothes hanged out to dry in its frontyard. There were just too many of them. An...
My four days in Singapore
Manila, Philippines – FROM the quick processing time at its clean and modern airport to impromptu meetings and shelter visits, my four days visit in Singapore flew by faster than a cold virus. It was supposed to be a belated birthday trip, more for fun than work, but the reverse was true. Not to complain, of course, because the whole trip was just amazing. Philippine Ambassador to Singapore...
Why I like the MMDA
I DON’T really stray much from my usual topics about migration, labor, and life in general. However, there is a column in my veins that is begging to be written, and has been for quite some time now. Dear Readers, indulge me on this quiet Sunday as I commend to the hilt an agency whose officials I barely even know. Here goes: I like the Metro Manila Development Authority because it has the capacity...
Embassy closures
My father once pointed out that while in the country, we have the entire government machinery – from the President down to town officials – at our fingertips. Outside of it, that huge, fumbling, monolithic bureaucracy is deflated to fit the offices of the Philippine Embassy or Consulate-General. Any decision, therefore, to close down an embassy or consulate abroad can never be just a housekeeping,...
The Ever-Changing Job Market
Manila, Philippines – PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE Bill Clinton had this focal message tacked on the wall of his campaign war room: “It’s the economy, stupid!” As we anticipate the coming months, we recall that same message, but now with even more trepidation as the world economy teeters with debt woes and soaring unemployment rates. The World Bank has already warned about hard times ahead for...
My Father Is My Hero
Manila, Philippines – AFTER A FORUM held at San Beda College last week, Assistant Vice Dean Jennifer Ramos turned to me and asked, “What would your dad’s position be regarding the impeachment trial had he been alive today?” I had to pause and remember how quiet and stoic Ka Blas was during the Senate impeachment trial of then President Joseph Estrada. After a brief pause, I responded:...
