By Satur C. Ocampo At Ground Level | The Philippine Star Today it has been a full year since I began writing this weekly column on Aug. 21, 2010. In this piece — the 52nd in as many weeks – let me look back and share with you, dear readers, certain reactions to what I…
Category: Opinion
Satur C. Ocampo | Blaans fight for their rights
By Satur C. Ocampo At Ground Level | The Philippine Star Let me share with you this heart-tugging story, still unfolding, of six Blaan tribal communities in Malapatan, Sarangani province: Dlumay, Datalnay, Dungan Bahay, Alna, Q-gam, and Siman. These communities are part of the hinterland barangay of Upper Suyuan. Yet they are not included in…
Satur C. Ocampo | Green and delicious
By Satur C. Ocampo At Ground Level | The Philippine Star Neuroscientist Custer Deocaris’ decision to return to his home country, under the DOST “balik-scientist” program, is good news. His having launched a campaign to convince fellow Fili-pinos to eat brown rice and more vegetables — specifically indigenous greens — is, for me, doubly welcome…
Satur C. Ocampo | Looking for answers
By Satur C. Ocampo At Ground Level | The Philippine Star “Where’s the vision?” “Where’s the road map?” These have been the common reactions to P-Noy’s second state of the nation address last Monday. The tones have ranged from disappointment on the part of those supportive of his government, to skepticism and cynicism on the…
Luis V. Teodoro | Understanding
By LUIS V. TEODORO Vantage Point | BusinessWorld NOT all of them bought Pajeros, a sport utility vehicle ( SUV) manufactured by Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors; some bought even more expensive SUVs and pick-up trucks, and others cheaper Asian utility vehicles (AUVs) with funds from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). Erroneously tagged by the media…
Satur C. Ocampo | Time to act for human rights
By Satur C. Ocampo At Ground Level | The Philippine Star “In 2006 and 2007, when the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and several other major donors publicly raised their concerns over the politically motivated killings under then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the number of killings dropped drastically. Under President Aquino, though, it is…
Satur C. Ocampo | ‘The land they till is their life’
By Satur C. Ocampo At Ground Level | The Philippine Star What will happen next in the Hacienda Luisita land dispute? This is the question tossed to me by various friends, following the strong reactions to the confusing Supreme Court ruling last July 5. Voting 6-4, the tribunal upheld the revocation of the stock distribution…
Dangerous times for progressives
Karl G. Ombion The Essentials Sunstar In this column I divert from my usual subjects on renewal energy, science and technology, and national development, because I am quite disturbed by the continuing state political persecution of the leaders, organizers, mass activists and development workers of the progressive movement, groups and institutions. I was surprised to…
Luis V. Teodoro | Shallow bench
By LUIS V. TEODORO Vantage Point | BusinessWorld BENIGNO AQUINO III has an approval rating of between 68 and 70 percent, most probably because he hasn’t done anything scandalous or controversial. That says something about how low Filipinos’ expectations of their leaders are. But you can’t blame them for it, their high expectations having been…
Satur C. Ocampo | Hacienda Luisita dispute unsolved
By Satur C. Ocampo At Ground Level | The Philippine Star We began this column in August last year with two pieces that dwelt on the historical background of the protracted land dispute in Hacienda Luisita Inc. and the oral arguments before the Supreme Court over the stock distribution option (SDO) as a way of…
Satur C. Ocampo | Greeks’ woes are Pinoys’, too
By Satur C. Ocampo At Ground Level | The Philippine Star Last Wednesday militant Filipino trade unionists rallied in front of the Greek embassy in solidarity with a two-day general strike in financially-prostrate Greece. The strike aimed at blocking the Parliament from approving a package of austerity measures that the Papandreou government had pushed to…