Speaking Out

By Ignacio R. Bunye Financial analysts are sounding the alarm: The Philippine peso may depreciate further, potentially breaching the P60 to P61 mark against the US dollar. Analysts identify the key drivers of depreciation, to wit: * Dollar strength — Elevated interest rates in the United States and persistent global uncertainty have led investors to …

By Ignacio R. Bunye The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has delivered a performance so dismal, it borders on the absurd. Out of 1,700 classrooms targeted for completion this year, only 22 have been finished. That’s not a typo — it’s a completion rate of just 1.29 percent. With less than three months …

By Ignacio R. Bunye The House has approved a P6.793-trillion budget for 2026. It’s being called the “best and cleanest” yet. We’re told to trust the system. But the numbers suggest otherwise. At the center of the issue is the flood control scandal. In previous years, hundreds of millions were allocated to projects that don’t …

By Ignacio R. Bunye The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) marked a new milestone last October 6 with the opening of BPI Wealth Singapore, a wholly owned subsidiary of the bank, right at the heart of Marina Bay. The launch represents BPI’s continued expansion in Asia and its commitment to providing Filipino and regional …

By Ignacio R. Bunye This isn’t just a prayer — it’s a wake-up call for the whole country. Cardinal Jose Advincula has called on the Catholic Church in Manila to pray the Oratio Imperata Against Corruption. Every 8:00 p.m., church bells ring across the city — not just as a routine sound, but as a …

By Ignacio R. Bunye The Philippines has once again been named the most disaster-prone country in the world. For the third consecutive year, we topped the World Risk Index — scoring 46.91 out of 100, the worst among 193 nations. This is not just a statistic. It is a sobering reflection of how vulnerable our …

By Ignacio R. Bunye Last Wednesday, Speaker Martin Romualdez resigned amid allegations of ghost projects and flood control scams. He gave up the gavel — but not power. He remains congressman of Leyte. Is resignation enough? This isn’t just a leadership shuffle. It’s about billions of pesos meant for climate resilience and infrastructure — possibly siphoned …

By Ignacio R. Bunye The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) sent a clear message on June 19: It is willing to get ahead of the curve. With its second 25-basis-point policy rate cut this year — bringing the benchmark down to 5.25 percent — the BSP continues to adopt a more dovish stance than many …

By Ignacio R. Bunye Imagine waking up to flooded streets, missed work and rising prices — then learning that billions of pesos meant to prevent those very problems were stolen. That’s not fiction. That’s the reality behind the P118.5 billion ghost flood control scandal now shaking our nation. These weren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. …

By Ignacio R. Bunye On the evening of August 16, as the University of Asia and the Pacific marked its 30th Commencement Exercises, Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala stood before 414 graduates — not to flatter, but to challenge. His message was not one of ease or applause. It was a call to friction, fire …