The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
By Jonathan P. Gesmundo Transport Secretary Jaime J. Bautista and Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian met August 11 at the Chinese Embassy in Makati City – their recent first official meeting – and agreed to restart negotiations for major transport projects. The two officials discussed resumption of talks for the major China-funded railway projects such as the PNR South Long-Haul Project …
Points of View & Perspectives
August, 2022
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7 August
It’s time to take a stand
First, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan, igniting howls of protest from Beijing because for the Chinese that visit contradicts the “One-China Policy” long upheld by many countries after the United Nations recognized Beijing and not Taipei as the legitimate government for China. Tensions between the US and China went high as China conducted live-fire drills along the Taiwan …
July, 2022
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31 July
FVR: A distinguished gentleman
Fidel V. Ramos will be remembered long and by many. FVR will be known in history books as one of the key players of the world’s first bloodless revolution in modern time. His legacy extends to countless Filipinos because he changed the course of Philippine history. As president, his record of most number of foreign travels has yet to be …
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23 July
Public servants
The ‘Marites’ story of Executive Secretary’s resignation may not be funny to Atty. Vic Rodriguez (who took it with a grain of vinegar) but as they say when there’s smoke, something’s something cooking. Barely a month into the new administration, various positions in the bureaucracy have not been filled up completely. As President Bongbong said again and again during the …
June, 2022
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13 June
Lower fuel prices or foreign interference
The carrot had been offered by Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Marat Pavlov to incoming president BBM who coyly took the bait, hinting at the country’s forthcoming foreign policy relative to the months-long Russia-Ukraine conflict. The enticing carrot, which could well be a Trojan horse, appears to alleviate the plight of Filipinos over spiraling fuel prices but is far from …
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3 June
V/bloggers vs. journalists
Relation between the two is not ambiguous. But proponents of aligning v/bloggers with journalists certainly want that relation to be tenebrous. Professional journalists are expected to be disciplined. They follow professional standards, adherence to truth, credibility and integrity. Bloggers create their own reality. They are highly opinionated and distort facts. They can practically get away with anything they write or …
May, 2022
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30 May
Who believed the no new taxes promise?
Attention 31-M+ BBM voters: Outgoing President Digong Duterte has telegraphed to his successor to increase taxes or create new ones – that will go against the President-elect’s emphatic campaign promise – to be able to pay the country’s record-high national debt that so far runs to more than P12 trillion (that’s a T). The ginormous debt is attributed to government’s …
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13 May
Dark days ahead
It will be sadly dark for the next six years. A BBM voter said “Suportahan na lang natin kung sino man mananalo.” Wise words from a humble barber. Midway through the administration of Digong Duterte, not a few of the more than 16 million Filipinos who voted for him said they were disillusioned. They thought Digong would make a difference. …
April, 2022
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17 April
United stand to remain divided
There were several fallacies or misinformed statements at Easter noon’s joint presscon by three of the ten presidential candidates – who affirmed they are not backing out of the race. 1. Philippine politics has not been always between the camps of the Marcos and Aquino families –pulahan vs. dilawan. That’s a fabrication of the trolls. 2. Offering voters more choices …
March, 2022
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23 March
‘Best man for the job is a woman’
The BBM-Sara Uniteam insists they have the numbers – crowds at rallies and surveys – compared to Leni & Kiko. If BBM’s crowds are bigger, why are popular Pinoy bands denying claims they accepted to perform at BBM’s rallies? They said “Hindi kami bayaran”. If BBM’s crowds are bigger, why is there no drone shot? If ever there was one, …