The National Capital Region (NCR) was placed on enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) on August 6-20, 2021, and consequently on its fourth lockdown in a period of one and a half years. Other key cities on ECQ in August were Cebu, Iloilo, and Cagayan de Oro, while many provinces such as Laguna,…
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Who asked for a white sand beach in Manila Bay? Definitely not the 15,000 or so families languishing in poverty, hunger, and joblessness in Baseco, the biggest coastal informal settlement in Manila. Of course, the truckloads of crushed dolomite boulders that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) allowed…
Comments closedIt was with a sense of horror that I read the headline a while ago: US buys nearly all global stock of coronavirus drug remdesivir. “President Trump has struck an amazing deal to ensure Americans have access to the first authorized therapeutic for COVID-19,” the US health and human services…
Comments closedThe enormity of the crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic invites reflection on the critical role of government in steering the behaviors and interests of people in a direction that would be conducive to meeting the challenges of the situation. The Philippine government has been roundly criticized for its…
Comments closedThe spread of COVID-19 has brought into sharp relief the good, the bad, and the ugly in human nature. To start with the good: We all know the heroic story of whistleblower doctor Li Wenliang in Wuhan, who died in the course of his fight against the virus. We rely…
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‘Fratelli Tutti’ and the Filipino family
The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating, taking precious lives, crippling the economy, depriving millions of jobs and livelihood, and exacerbating the scandal of hunger and poverty in our country and various parts of the world. As we continue to deal with this crisis, the message of Pope Francis’ encyclical “Fratelli…