NAGA CITY—Amid clamor from her supporters for her to run for the Senate after a failed presidential bid in 2022, former Vice President Leni Robredo has opted to seek the mayoral seat of Naga City in May next year, saying she would be “better and more passionate” in heading a local government and getting involved...
Albay aims for 100% renewable energy in 2050
GUINOBATAN, Albay—Crizel Joyz Amano, 22, is back in town after signing up at a review center in Manila in preparation for a chemical engineering exam. Here in Albay, she must still regularly log in at 6 p.m. for an online review, all while dealing with the constant power interruptions in the province. “We experience almost-daily...
UP University Council thumbs down declaration of cooperation between UP and AFP
It has been more than a month since the University of the Philippines (UP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) signed a “declaration of cooperation” (DOC) to conduct joint strategic research, and even before the first research topic was announced, the University Council (UC) of UP Diliman put its foot down on the...
With Sulu’s shock exit from BARMM, over 5,000 employees at risk of losing their jobs
More than 5,000 employees are at risk of losing their jobs following Sulu’s shocking exit from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) ahead of its first parliamentary elections in May 2025. As leaders debate the far-reaching political ramifications of the Supreme Court’s ruling excluding the province from the region, the BARMM government is...
Martial law 52nd: Little fires in the rain
The latest tropical depression had already exited the Philippine area of responsibility, but the rain persisted. In the morning, the weather bureau put out a thunderstorm advisory for Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon, and sure enough, it poured hard all afternoon before the skies gradually lightened on that evening of Sept. 21, the...
Securing the future of Creamline and Choco Mucho players and coaches
With volleyball growing in popularity as a pro sport in the Philippines, how can the players and their coaches be protected in terms of an insurance plan that fits their active lifestyle? Allianz PNB Life (AZPNBL) helps to secure the future of the Creamline Cool Smashers and Choco Mucho Flying Titans with its eAZy Health...
‘Mangrove Warriors’ take up the conservation challenge in a Batangas village
A thick belt of mangroves spans over one kilometer of shoreline at Barangay Quilitisan in Calatagan, Batangas. Across from the mainland lies the mangrove-covered islet Ang Pulo. The 7.5-hectare Ang Pulo was declared a municipal conservation park in 2009, giving way for the preservation of mangroves in the area. It was also opened to ecotourism...
Tackling mental health at the community level
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article includes mention of suicide and self-harm. September is Suicide Prevention Month. BAGUIO CITY—Last year, my friend died by suicide. It took us all by surprise and the grief that those of us who were left behind felt was unfathomable. According to the University of the Philippines Population Institute’s Young Adult Fertility...
Barbers on Roque: ‘What goes around comes around’
“What goes around comes around.” This was what Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert “Ace” Barbers said in describing the path that lawyer and former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, now again facing detention for defying a subpoena of the House of Representatives’ quad committee, appears to be treading. Barbers, who heads the quad committee looking into,...
The demise of coal, as it turns out, is a lot of gas
A few years ago, the world was on a path to ending coal, the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel and the single biggest contributor to carbon dioxide emissions. Active and sustained campaigning brought coal closer to the point of death and the world to a coal-free future. Certain developments made this evident. One, the shrinking of...