Latest in governanceCotabato City Mayor Mohammad Ali “Bruce” Matabalao called on the incoming members of the Bangsamoro Parliament to look beyond their own parties’ priority legislation and pass laws that promote broad development, progress, and advancement for the entire Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim…
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s (BARMM) parliamentary system of government is a governance prototype that the rest of the Philippines should study and learn from, because it is the only system in the country where department heads are both duly elected legislators and members…
Corruption in the Philippines has penetrated every layer of society, from the lowest traffic enforcer to the highest offices, and the only way to reverse it is a president with no corruption record, strong enough not to be influenced by vested interests, and willing to enforce accountability…
The fundamental source of the Philippines’ governance failures, from Metro Manila’s flooding crisis to the national budget’s political distortions, is the 1987 Constitution’s multi-party presidential system, a combination that Caloocan City 2nd District Representative Edgar “Egay” Erice said…
The ongoing political war between the Marcos and Duterte camps has consumed all governance energy that should have gone to economic reform, policy-making, and investment promotion—and the economy is now paying the price, Caloocan City 2nd District Rep. Edgar “Egay” Erice warned Tuesday. Erice made…
Metro Manila has never had a master plan—not 30 years ago, not 50 years ago, and not today—and that absence of vision is at the root of every crisis the capital region now faces, from chronic flooding to gridlock to a garbage problem with no solution in sight, Caloocan City 2nd District…
The ongoing leadership crisis in the Philippine Senate is not only hurting legislative productivity and institutional credibility but is also costing the country its window to prepare for a severe El Niño expected later this year, the dean of the University of the Philippines (UP) National College…
Former Senator Richard Gordon said the Philippines has fallen behind its Asian neighbors because Filipinos continue to vote for candidates who are popular rather than capable, a pattern he says has held the country back for decades. Gordon made the observation in an interview on DZRH News program…
Some government agencies have been deducting contributions to the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) from their employees’ salaries but failing to remit the money to the state pension fund, a problem that in some cases stretches back three decades, GSIS President and CEO Jose Arnulfo…
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Sunday, November 23, pressed for the immediate passage of Senate Bill 1547 creating a Justice Reform Commission, saying mounting public anger over the government’s failure to jail high-level offenders shows the urgency of overhauling the country’s broken…
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has questioned why former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan received handwritten “Post-It” memos from civilians or non-DPWH personnel endorsing projects during his term as secretary. In a radio interview…
When did we become a country so quick to suspend classes at the faintest hint of inconvenience? Local officials today seem to wield the power to cancel school like a social media stunt, a button pressed for applause, hearts, and fleeting praise from students who will forget about it by the next…
Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso on Tuesday, October 14, urged Filipino professionals to take a more active role in guiding public leaders, saying that while elected officials may have “the guts to do it,” professionals possess the expertise to do it properly. Speaking before the…
It only takes one subway ride abroad for the jokes to start: “Ano na, Pilipinas?” Every time I travel abroad with fellow Filipinos, this familiar chorus comes up: “Philippines can never.” Soon enough, the group’s running commentary is set: “Ibang iba talaga dito, no? Why can’t we have this in our…
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