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There’s no way home for some residents of 4 Marawi villages

MARAWI CITY, Philippines—Bantog Panomblayan firmly stomps on broken red tiles abandoned on the ground. “Eto na ngayon ang bahay ko,” he says. “Na-mimiss ko nga ‘to. Nu’ng nakita ko, parang sumama loob ko.” (This is my house now. When I saw these tiles, I felt angry. I miss my home.) The house is gone. Only...

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Tarlac rice farmers, retailers suffering losses due to price cap

Rice farmers and retailers are incurring heavy losses from the price cap imposed starting on Sept. 5 on regular-milled and well-milled rice even as it brings temporary relief to consumers. Executive Order No. 39 (EO 39) set the price of regular-milled and well-milled rice at P41 and P45 a kilo, respectively, amid soaring prices of...

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Mayors unite for good governance and against corruption

It started with a phone call by Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong to like-minded local chief executives in July, shortly after he delivered a speech at the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame railing against corruption in high places.    For that scathing speech, Magalong reaped a heap of “messages of support,” including one from...

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PARAW Back on the high seas

ILOILO CITY—On the eve of the 50th Iloilo-Guimaras Paraw Regatta Festival on March 18, artists were hard at work on the colorful sails that would power the native double-outrigger boats in competition.  The Philippines’ biggest traditional boat sailing event—the oldest in Asia—returned after a three-year hiatus imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The 30-kilometer race on...

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From fish vendor to town mayor

I was in Dolores, Eastern Samar, a few weeks ago and had a chance to take a photo of the new mayor of the third-class municipality (annual income: P15-20 million) facing the Pacific Ocean, on a billboard near the port. The story of Rodrigo “Onoy” Rivera, 62, a fish vendor who became mayor, is one...

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Pride Month: Ice calls for street marches for gay rights

Not only is June a season for weddings and romantic unions; it is Pride Month as well. As part of the celebration, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) has launched a film festival showcasing LGBTQIA+-themed audiovisuals in cinema houses nationwide until June 26. I was among those invited by the FDCP Channel to...

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Concerns over P50-B dam project emerge after Laguna activist’s arrest

SAN PEDRO CITY—The arrest of environmental activist Vertudes “Daisy” Macapanpan has directed public attention to a larger issue involving a P50-billion dam project in the small, quiet town of Pakil in Laguna. (Concerns over P50-B dam project…) Macapanpan, 69, has been opposing the Ahunan pumped storage hydropower facility on fears that its construction on a...