By Sonny Angara Economic managers today use the concept of gross domestic product (GDP) as a primary measure of their country’s economic success. Even in the Philippines, discussions on the performance and the general outlook for our economy focus heavily on whether GDP growth rates remain among the fastest in the world. Among the concept’s …
OPINION
The temporal aspect of the Church’s mission
By Fr. Roy Cimagala Given the obvious fact that the Church has to carry out its spiritual and supernatural mission in an earthly and temporal setting, it behooves everyone of us in the Church, both clerics and lay who should work in the spirit of coordinated and synergized synodality, to see to it that we …
Facts vs. influencers: Is the ‘Dubai dream’ really over?
A slew of recent headlines have proclaimed that the Iran war marks the end of the so-called “Dubai dream,” where foreigners seek a tax-free, luxury lifestyle in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). “The unraveling of Dubai as a safe haven,” US magazine the New Yorker wrote. “Could this be the end of Dubai?” a New …
Asserting RP sovereignty
By Ade S. Fajardo Sometime ago, the committee on national defense of the Commission on Appointments discussed the ad interim appointments and nominations of generals and other senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Among those appointees was Colonel Jacquelyn Cloma. Her husband is a great-grandson of Cloma fishing magnate Tomas Cloma, who …
Save SK from trapo
By Herman M. Lagon The easiest applause line in politics is often the most dangerous one. Say “abolish the SK,” and many exhausted citizens will nod before the coffee cools. They have seen the lazy stereotypes: the endless basketball leagues, the beauty pageants with tarpaulins louder than the programs, the chairperson who learns the art …
US-Iran peace talks end without agreement
The US and Iran failed to reach an agreement to end their war despite lengthy talks that concluded yesterday in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, jeopardizing a fragile ceasefire. Each side blamed the other for the failure of the 21-hour-long negotiations to end fighting that has killed thousands and sent global oil prices soaring since it …
Chickening out, Floyd style
By Herman M. Lagon There is something quietly telling about a boxer who says, almost casually, that a highly anticipated rematch is “not actually a fight.” It sounds different when it comes from Floyd Mayweather Jr., a master of control and “running” protector of his 50-0 record. So when his planned September 19 rematch with …
Divine Mercy Sunday
By Fr. Roy Cimagala The Second Sunday of Easter or the Octave of Easter is designated as Divine Mercy Sunday. The Ordo describes it as “a perennial invitation to the Christian world to face, with confidence in divine benevolence, the difficulties and trials that humankind will experience in the years to come.” This devotion to …
Life with AI causing human brain ‘fry’
Heavy users of artificial intelligence (AI) report being overwhelmed by trying to keep up with and on top of the technology designed to make their lives easier. Too many lines of code to analyze, armies of AI assistants to wrangle, and lengthy prompts to draft are among the laments by hard-core AI adopters. Consultants at …
Justice beyond borders: Why the ICC hearings matter to every Filipino
By Ignacio R. Bunye The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) hearings on the Duterte administration’s war on drugs have once again thrust the Philippines into the global spotlight. At the heart of the proceedings lies a fundamental question: Can a leader’s words be divorced from the actions they inspire? Defense lawyers argue that President Duterte’s fiery …