Twenty-two years after the Mendiola Massacre that resulted in the death of 13 farmers, Filipino farmers are still fighting for a genuine agrarian reform program.
A supposed shortage in the supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), one of the prime commodities in the Philippines, has sent some quarters pushing for an investigation into the issue. The question, however, is the context within which the probe is to be carried out, as one critic has argued.
(First of three parts) On the way to completing its second term, the Leonardia administration is already battered by dozens of accusations of graft and corruption and bad governance. Worse, Bacolodnons are still baffled by what the Leonardia administration is...
(Second of three parts) The lack of jobs, unstable income, and decent housing, as well as high crime rates – problems exacerbated by the city government’s lack of a pro-people development paradigm - are just among the manifestations that Bacolod is unlikely to grow...
(Conclusion) Although calls for greater people participation in governance and development are commonly heard and even “recognized” by the Leonardia administration, in reality, its programs and projects rarely involved, if any at all, the people’s meaningful...
Who is the Eldest and Who is the Youngest? It should be fairly easy to tell who among any number of siblings is older and who is younger….
(Photo by OWEN SEGOVIA BAYOG)
On December 5, 2008, over 200 recently fired workers at the Republic Window and Doors factory in Chicago occupied their plant, demanding they be paid their vacation and severance checks. The occupation ended victoriously six days later when the Bank of America and...
A new direction in labor requires linking unions with other social and economic justice movements. Defending immigrants from raids and helping them win legal status is just as important to the growth of unions as passing the Employee Free Choice Act. U.S. workers...
What is most insidious about the credit agency warnings is the "fallacy of composition" follies it provokes. If collectively countries and investors follow their advice and governments - especially in the largest countries - fail to engage in large enough fiscal...
In a speech in Santiago de Cuba last Jan. 1, Cuban President Raul Castro – the younger brother of revolutionary leader Fidel Castro – described the period 1959-2009 as “the most intense and fruitful half century” in Cuba’s history. The Cuban leader was referring to...
As government fails to resolve its fiscal crisis in 2008 and faces a severe deficit problem, the prospect of more burdensome taxes and shrunken social services looms in 2009. BY IBON FOUNDATION Posted by(Bulatlat.com) As government fails to resolve its fiscal...
Environmental advocates and scientists assailed the Arroyo government for allowing the entry of what they deemed as ‘giant polluter.’ BY(Bulatlat.com) Environmental advocates and scientists assailed the Arroyo government for allowing the entry of what they deemed...
The year 2008 saw a roller coaster ride in prices of crude oil and petroleum products. Studies point to speculation, not the law of supply and demand, as the culprit.
For almost four months now, workers at the Kowloon Restaurant along West Avenue have been on strike. They spent their Christmas and New Year at the picketline. Amid hardships and sacrifices, they are determined to fight for what is due them.
The Philippines is going to be severely affected by the worsening global economic situation which is expected to continue deteriorating until 2010 and even beyond. The country is more vulnerable than it should be because of accumulating neglect from past decades of poor development policies. Yet it is still possible to mitigate the effects on the country’s growth and development. More importantly, it is possible to emerge from this period of crisis with an economy that is on the way to genuinely strengthening and moving forward.
It will perhaps be a tall order to remember any year in which the Philippines was rocked by more controversies than in 2008. But there were also events that provided reasons to think and believe that there is still hope for the Philippines. Let us look back at the year that was by taking stock of the people who, in our estimation, are the top newsmakers of 2008.
Ushering of a New Day. Rizal Street. (Photo by Owen Segovia Bayog)
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