In support of cooperatives
COOPERATIVES are a powerful force for economic empowerment, social progress, and poverty reduction in the Philippines.
As of the latest count, there are between...
Fighting corruption and knowing the enemy
AMONG marketing professionals, a well-known rule of thumb is that before promoting a product, one must first understand it inside and out.
Another unwritten...
Growing rainfed grains for food security
THERE ARE two realities I feel compelled to talk about — two facts you probably already know, but I need to say them out...
Integrating livelihood, cooperatives and entrepreneurship programs at local levels
ACROSS many local government units (LGUs), there are three distinct yet overlapping programs in place: livelihood programs, cooperatives development programs, and entrepreneurship programs. Each...
Providing inhalers for children with asthma
ASTHMA remains a common yet serious condition affecting thousands of Filipino children, especially in poorer communities. The good news is that PhilHealth now covers...
Monitoring the nat’l greening program
THE DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has long declared the National Greening Program (NGP) as a success.
According to official reports, the...
How should we measure unemployment rate?
UNEMPLOYMENT is one of the most closely watched indicators of a nation’s economic health.
In the Philippines, how exactly do we measure unemployment —...
Some ideas about poverty reduction
FOR YEARS, the government has relied on the Poverty Threshold Basket (PTB) method to measure poverty in the Philippines. This so-called “imaginary basket of...
Compressed natural fiber technology
FOR YEARS, I have been searching for innovative technologies that could transform the waste from our mangrove forests — twigs, leaves, branches — into...
Let us have more bus-trains or busways
IN THEORY, if all bus drivers and passengers were disciplined, there would be no need for guided busways such as the EDSA Carousel. However,...