Is it possible to declare ‘zero extreme poverty’ zones?
DECLARING a “Zero Extreme Poverty Zone” may sound like a dream, but is it really impossible? I do not think so. Perhaps not at...
How to measure the local poverty rate
WHAT IS the best way to measure poverty at the local level? Should we rely on the traditional Poverty Threshold Basket (PTB), or should...
Standards for drinkable tap water
AS IT IS supposed to be, if tap water is tested as potable, then it should also be drinkable. But is that always the...
New plastic invention dissolves in seawater
PLASTIC pollution is choking our oceans, and yet humanity keeps producing more of it — about 400 million tons every year, according to the...
Using artificial intelligence to manage floating farms
IT IS ALREADY a revolutionary idea to build floating farms. But what is even more revolutionary is to use artificial intelligence (AI) to manage...
Promoting vertical farming in vacant buildings
VACANT buildings are an eyesore. They stand like ghosts of progress, reminders of unfinished business or failed development. In developed — or should I...
Can organic fertilizers win over chemical fertilizers?
I HAVE often heard it said that organic fertilizers can never be as good as chemical fertilizers. The argument is usually simple: organic is...
Protesting against genetically modified organisms
JUST WHEN I thought the battle against genetically modified organisms (GMOs) was a lost cause, something unexpected happened on an island in the Philippines...
Island barangays need sea ambulances
THERE ARE some no-brainer observations that I want to share: many island barangays in the Philippines do not even have their own health centers,...
Why many leaders of the only Christian nation in Asia are so corrupt
THE PHILIPPINES proudly calls itself the only Christian nation in Asia. The label is repeated so often that it has become almost a national...