Humanitarian intent vs political calculation
THE ELECTION season is often a time of great hope — and great risk — for Philippine democracy. It is a season when citizens...
Political patronage and voter behavior
POLITICAL patronage has long been a thorn in the side of Philippine democracy, undermining the principles of free and fair elections. One of the...
Going beyond Earth Day
ILOILO Province marked Earth Day on April 22 by planting 600 mangroves in Barangay Alacaygan, Banate town. It underscored the importance of local action...
Disconnect
WESTERN Visayas registered an economic growth of 4.3 percent in 2024, pushing its Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) to P641.76 billion. At first glance,...
Does economic growth in WV really benefit the people?
IN 2024, Western Visayas posted a 4.3% growth in its Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP), reaching P641.76 billion. At first glance, this is...
Stagnant agriculture a threat to Western Visayas’ long-term growth
WESTERN Visayas may have posted a 4.3 percent economic growth in 2024, as reported by this paper today, but the numbers tell a sobering...
When ‘tradition’ overrides safety
THE JEEPNEY crash in Barangay Maninila, Miag-ao, Iloilo on April 19 that left over 50 people injured — many of them children and elderly...
The need to track outcomes of exited 4Ps households
THE DEPARTMENT of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 6 recently reported that 43,937 households in Western Visayas have “exited” the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino...
Life after 4Ps: Are ‘graduated’ households truly self-reliant?
THE DEPARTMENT of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 6 recently announced that 30,858 households in Western Visayas have officially “graduated” from the Pantawid...
The fight against digital vote buying
AS THE May 12 midterm elections loom, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has escalated its efforts to combat a growing and insidious form of...