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Mark Angelo Mañez MANILA - About 9,000 student-athletes, coaches, and officials gather despite inclement weather as the 2023 Palarong Pambansa officially opened its festivities at the Marikina Sports Center, Monday afternoon. Photo Courtesy of Marikina PIO/Facebook With the theme 'Batang Malakas, Bansang Matatag', this year's iteration of the annual national meet expects action-packed competition  across 34 sports.  The weeklong affair will run until August 5, three years after Marikina suspended its hosting of the Palaro in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. and Vice President and Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sara Duterte graced the grand opening ceremonies in front of the delegates.  Also present were Mayor Marcy Teodoro of host city Marikina alongside spouse Rep. Maan Teodoro, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora, and other DepEd and local officials. NCR, Zambo athletes strike gold ...

Ernesto Nodado III Not even a slither of daylight smiled on the Filipinas on Sunday at Eden Park in Auckland as their historic FIFA World Cup campaign came to a bitter conclusion. The Pinay booters yielded to the assertive Norway in a crushing 6-0 defeat. Photo Courtesy of One Sports The Philippine women’s football squad went on a daze all-game long, falling prey to their foes’ commanding offense with three goals each half, while struggling to pace their own possession with 33.0%. The world no. 46 Filipinas had to win this do-or-die match against the world no. 12 Norway, which were also the 1995 World Cup champions, to book a ticket in the round of 16. However, they were clearly outclassed by a more experienced rival.  The Filipinas kicked off on a jittery start with poor possessions and wretched defense, which the Norwegians pounced on with Sophia Roman Haug scoring their first goal in the sixth minute, 1-0. Haug’s header in the 17th minute further widened the gap at 2-0. Early tu...

Zanti Alfonzo Gayares In the recent SONA , Marcos addressed another set of delusional perspectives of the education sector as it goes antithetical to the realities faced by the country in the sector. This leaves education rotten and wrecked with various problems, especially those that are considered prolonged. In the speech, we see no reforms and fruition of promises. Rather, it is the pretentious illusions, overstatements, and unrealistic paradise of Marcos for the sector.  Cartoon by John Dave Poot Marcos situated his speech about the education sector highlighting the learning recovery as the forefront of the education agenda. Mainly, he staged the MATATAG agenda for the basic education, mentioned the enhancement of the curriculum and the substantial focus for stakeholder’s welfare. It can be noted that in the previous SONA , Marcos promised the review of the K-12 curriculum. Although he mentioned that the government is working on recalibration, reforms and concrete actions were...

Eden Eve Lacea President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. pushed for the approval of 16 priority legislations during his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 24, 2023 inside the Session Hall of the House of Representatives at the Batasang Pambansa Complex, Quezon City. Photo Courtesy of DA / PND / Jonathan Cellona/ABS-CBN News / Marcial Villania Bolen In a speech that lasted around an hour and 11 minutes, the president urged the Congress for their support on proposed amendments, new laws, and tax reforms. Some of these legislations were highlighted in his speech, specifically amendments to the Fisheries Code, Cooperative Code, and the Anti-Smuggling Act; tax reforms on the Military and Uniformed Personnel Pension; and the New Government Procurement Law and Auditing Code. Reforms on  agriculture, fisheries sector  Marcos, who is also the current Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, urged the amendment of the Fisheries Code in order to enforce scientific analysis and d...

Ritzie Daniel Lao In his second State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Bongbong Marcos addressed the pressing issues that plagued our country today. While the speech highlighted the government's initiatives and future goals in important areas, a deeper look uncovers various pitfalls and shortcomings that cast doubt on the nation's progress in agriculture and food security. Cartoon by Ace Vincent Loreco The government's prerogatives lacked clear strategies for addressing the deep-rooted problems that farmers and the food industry faced. One wonders if the government is genuinely committed to bringing about meaningful change given the lack of specific strategies to address urgent issues that affect these sectors, such as climate change resilience, support for smallholder farmers, and adoption of research and technology. This lack of commitment contributes to the backwardness gripping the nation. The President highlighted inflation as the nation's central issue, par...

Edmund Pelingon A YouTube video was posted on July 22, accompanied by a thumbnail that shows the faces of Sen. Zubiri, Sen. Imee, and Pres. Marcos with the text “Tanggal sa Posisyon'' and “Ito ang matinding utos ni Sen Imee at PBBM.”  Is it true? Claim: Sen. Imee Marcos and Pres. Marcos ordered Sen. Zubiri to step down as Senate President. Rating: False Conclusion: President Marcos and Senator Imee Marcos cannot fire the Senate President on a whim, or anyone under the government's legislative branch. While Imee Marcos is a senator, she alone has no authority to order Zubiri to step down; all senators must make this decision.  YouTube Channel Pinas News Insider posted a video titled “JUST NOW: Hala! Senado di-makapaniwala sa biglaang utos ni Sen Imee Pres BBM nasampulan si Zubiri” with more than 95,000 views and over 1,000 likes. The video implies that there will be a shift in leadership, with a new senator replacing Zubiri.   The claims made are FALSE .  The audio ...

Basti Vertudez Nagkaroon ng pagkadismaya mula sa iba't ibang sektor ng bansa matapos ang State of the Nation Address (SONA) 2023 noong Hulyo 24, dahil umano sa pagkalimot ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. na banggitin ang ilang mahahalagang isyu ng Pilipinas. Photo Courtesy of Philstar/Inquirer Sa kanyang talumpati na tumagal ng isang oras at labing-isang minuto, sinabi ni Marcos na kumpiyansa siya na "the state of the nation is sound, and is improving." Gayunpaman, hindi nakaligtas ang pangulo sa mga kritisismo matapos umano niyang manahimik tungkol sa mga sumusunod na isyu ng bansa: Sitwasyon ng Ekonomiya ng Pilipinas Isa sa mga pinuna ng oposisyon sa kanilang "counter-SONA," partikular na si Albay 1st District Representative Edcel Lagman, ay ang kakulangan ng polisiya ng pangulo sa kabila ng pagmamalaki nito na bumaba ang inflation rate ng bansa. “What magic wand did you wield to ease the inflation? Or the inflation waned as a result of normal economic dynami...

Kezo Andre Javier After more than a full year in office, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has reported to the people once again as he delivered his second State of the Nation Address on Monday. As with the previous SONAs, Marcos Jr.’s second was filled with a boatload of information – anchored on statistics and figures – covering all bases with emphasis on the economy. While he used these numbers to highlight both the administration’s achievements and challenges, it is notable that most of these painted his leadership on the positive side. However, not all of them were placed in the proper context and some were even outright false. Cartoon by Alex Macatuno As he tackled the state of the economy, Marcos Jr. highlighted the easing of inflation as government efforts continue to stabilize prices. In his exact words, the president said “sa mga nakalipas na buwan, nakita natin ang pagbaba ng presyo ng bilihin sa iba’t ibang mga sektor”. However, the decreasing inflation rate does not necessa...

Khezyll Galvan With standard face masks being hypothesized as the main contributor, microplastics have been detected in the country’s largest lake, Laguna de Bay, as concluded in a study conducted by students and faculty from Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT). Photo Courtesy of Jonathan Cellona/ABS-CBN News A total of 12 types of microplastics were found, with 30% of them testing positive for traces of polypropylene plastic products, mostly in the form of blue particles found in face masks and plastic packaging. Some plastics were identified to be from plastic bags, storage containers, and parts of personal care products. “It’s possible na maraming mga blue na himulmol. We are hypothesizing na posibleng ang iba ay galing sa ating mga sinusuot na mask,” MSU-IIT professor and study co-lead Dr. Hernando Bacosa said. The study noted that Laguna’s surface water and Rizal waters are contaminated with microplastic particles, with 10 microplastics per cubic met...

Jillian Marielle Tiraña President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. emphasized the importance of renewable energy during his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) held at Batasang Pambansa Complex on July 24. Photo Courtesy of Veejay Villafranca/Bloomberg / Alexis Corpus/Inquirer According to him, his administration is “aggressively” encouraging the use of green energy, aiming to increase its share in the power mix from 29% to 35% by 2030 and 50% by 2040. “When it comes to energy, renewable energy is the way forward,” the president claims. Marcos explained that the country has over a thousand active renewable energy projects: 299 solar-sourced, 187 wind-based, 436 hydroelectric, 58 biomass, 36 geothermal, and 9 ocean-powered. He also stated that these projects have been more welcoming to international investments. Last year, the Department of Energy enabled 100% foreign capital for renewable energy projects, a significant increase from the previous limitation of 40%. Additionally...

Andreah Dianne M. Cartagena President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. once again skipped the topic regarding media in his 2023 State of the Nation Address (SONA) despite related issues that happened during his administration’s first year. Photo Courtesy of Jire Carreon/PCP / Maria Tan/ABS-CBN News / Carlo Manalansan/Bulatlat One unsettling event that swept up the country was the killing of Percy Lapid in October 2022. Additionally, broadcasters Rey Blanco and Cresenciano Bunduquin were killed in September 2022 and May 2023, respectively, underscoring the dangers faced by media professionals in the nation. Moreover, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) reported 84 attacks and threats against various press and media personalities in a year. The US State Department’s human rights report also brought attention to the situation, revealing that there are unresolved cases of journalists who were physically attacked in previous years. Despite these pressing issues and with Nati...

  Cartoon by Maurice Gimena

Xhiela Mie Cruz President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. announced on Monday a “new face” for the anti-illegal drugs campaign, which will mainly focus on community-based treatment, rehabilitation, education, and reintegration. Photo Courtesy of Raffy Lerma/Philippine Daily Inquirer/AFP/Jezler Garcesa In his second State of the Nation Address (SONA), on July 24, Marcos said that the previous administration's war on drugs had been "a failure," and that it was time for a new approach. "The campaign against illegal drugs continues — but it has taken a new face," the President said. He added that "it is now geared towards community-based treatment, rehabilitation, education, and reintegration to curb drug dependence among our affected citizenry.” Marcos mentioned that the government would establish more Balay Silangan Reformation Centers, which would provide drug addicts with treatment and rehabilitation services. He also said that the government would be expan...

Lynxter Gybriel L. Leaño   Sa kaniyang ikalawang State of the Nation Address (SONA) noong Hulyo 24, binalaan ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ang mga “smugglers” at “hoarders” ng agrikultura bilang isa sa mga salik ng pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin. Photo Courtesy of RTVM/DA-AFID “Isa sa mga dahilan ng pagtaas ng presyo ay ang mga smuggler, mga hoarder, at mga nagmamanipula ng presyo ng produktong agrikultura. Hinahabol at ihahabla natin sila,” diin ng Presidente na kasalukuyan ding kalihim ng Department of Agriculture (DA). Pandaraya — kung maituturing ni Marcos — ang sistema ng mga taong sangkot sa naturang panloloko dahil naaapektuhan nila ang araw-araw na pangkabuhayan ng mga Pilipino. "Napapahamak hindi lamang ang mga magsasaka, kundi tayo na ring mga mamimili. Kaya hindi natin papayagan ang ganitong kalakaran,” dagdag pa niya. Kamakailan lamang ay pinaimbestiga na ng Pangulo sa Department of Justice (DOJ) at National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) ang smuggling, hoarding, ...

 John Emmanuell P. Ramirez Todo-suporta si Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. sa rebisyon ng K-10 curriculum na siyang magbibigay prayoridad sa basic literacy skills at “pagkamakabayan” ng mga bata, habang pinasadahan lamang ang updates dito sa kanyang 2023 State of the Nation Address (SONA) noong Hulyo 24. Photo Courtesy of DepEd/ Erik de Castro/Reuters Bagama’t inamin niya noong Enero sa Basic Education Report na pumalpak ang gobyerno sa edukasyon, umaasa pa rin ang Pangulo na makakabangon ang sektor sa tulong ng MATATAG agenda ng Department of Education (DepEd) na rekalibrasyon ng kurikulum at pagpapataas ng resiliciency ng mga mag-aaral at paaralan. “We are recalibrating the K-10 curriculum to ensure that it is always relevant, responsive, and at par with international standards,” pahayag ni Marcos patungkol sa bagong kurikulum na inaasahang maiimplementa sa darating na taong 2024-2025. Ang naturang rebisyon ng kurikulum ay kasalukuyang nirerebyu pa lamang ng DepEd....

  Cartoon by Brandon Jon Delos Santos

Rjay Zuriaga Castor President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. concluded his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, stating that he believes the nation is in a sound state and showing signs of improvement. Notably, he added the term "improving" to his speech after the first year of his six-year term in office.  Photo Courtesy of RTVMalacanang/Youtube/Bongbong Marcos/Facebook “I know that the state of the nation is sound, and is improving. Dumating na po ang Bagong Pilipinas,” he ended. Marcos started his speech by speaking about inflation — which according to him, is the “biggest problem” that confronted him as he led the country to a post-pandemic economic recovery. Citing his administration’s Medium-Term Fiscal Framework and various economic approaches, he proudly announced that the country’s economy achieved a remarkable 7.6 percent growth in 2022, marking the highest growth rate since 1976. He continued that the economy maintained its positive trajectory in the first qu...