The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Vice President Sara Duterte remains one of the most intriguing figures in local politics. Despite facing an impeachment trial and sustained criticism from political opponents, she continues to top presidential surveys. The contrast between public controversy and public support has left many observers wondering what truly drives voter sentiment. Throughout the impeachment proceedings, Duterte has appeared largely unperturbed. She continues …
Points of View & Perspectives
August, 2026
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9 August
SCO countries ditching the dollar
EBITDABy DIEGO C. CAGAHASTIAN The member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization [SCO) have long agreed to scale up the use of their national currencies in trade between their countries. This is perceived by many around the world that the US dollar will continue its inevitable slide to the backseat, if not the dustbin, of global trade. The Daily Star reported …
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2 August
Scrutinizing that ambitious rocket launch
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) covered an ambitious list of priorities, from lowering electricity costs and pursuing nuclear energy to operationalizing major transport projects. Yet one announcement deserves particularly close public scrutiny: the plan to launch a rocket into space. The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) has confirmed that a demonstration rocket launch is being prepared in Cagayan. According to the …
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2 August
WORDS AND OLD AGE
Words, meaning, and languages mark Man as the highest form of God’s creations. In the beginning was The Word, and The Word was with God, and the Word was God – is attributed and contained in the Bible. These are some of my musings, being near the ripe age of 80 in a few months, due to more and more alone-times that bring quiet reflection away from the noise of …
July, 2026
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26 July
Cybercrime Knows No Borders
REALPOLITIKBy Benjie Alejandro In today’s digital era, one of the most pressing threats shaking not only the Philippines but the entire world is the relentless rise of cybercrime and transnational crimes. Gone are the days when criminals were confined to specific territories or hiding places. With the aid of modern technology and the internet, syndicates now operate seamlessly across borders, …
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26 July
The Emerging “F4” of the Marcos Administration
LOVE FOR ALLBy: Virginia Rodriguez In every administration, a handful of public officials inevitably emerge as the faces of government performance. They become the people the public associates with action rather than rhetoric, implementation rather than intention. In the Marcos administration, some supporters have begun referring to four Cabinet members as the government’s unofficial “F4″—Department of Social Welfare and Development …
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26 July
Progress vs. skepticism
The unveiling of the Pax Silica project has placed the Philippines at the crossroads of economic ambition and public skepticism. Marketed as a cornerstone of a US-led initiative to strengthen global supply chains for semiconductors, artificial intelligence infrastructure and critical minerals, the proposed 1,620-hectare economic security zone in New Clark City promises jobs, investments and a larger role for the …
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26 July
US force-labor tariff unfair
EBITDABy DIEGO C. CAGAHASTIAN While US State Department chief Marco Rubio is in Manila for the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and while US President Donald Trump himself assured that the iron-clad security promises are still iron-clad, here comes the news that Philippine exports to the United States are now subject to a higher 12.5-percent tariff. For the uninitiated and for …
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19 July
TALE OF TWO SETS OF EMPLOYEES
Though one side of the Impeachment Court has the word Honorable prefixed before their names, being members of the august specimens of Senatus Populus Que Pilipinensis, and across them is the Witness Chair occupied by ordinary members of our Pambansang Mananaliksik (NBI), it is easy to conclude that shorn of their titles, garments and auras, both sets are employees of the Filipino people who pay them their salaries – the Honorables whoget a basic salary …
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19 July
When justice meets politics
The succession of criminal cases leading to imprisonment involving prominent senators has become impossible to ignore. First came Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who went into hiding after an arrest warrant was issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). This was followed by the high-profile arrest of Senator Jinggoy Estrada over allegations related to anomalous flood control projects. More recently, Senator Rodante …