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1 week ago | 
manilatimes.net | Yen Makabenta
First wordI SEE from news reports on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Kuala Lumpur that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is urging our Asean brethren to raise their level of climate spending in order to keep the weather and natural disasters at bay in Southeast Asia. BBM should tread carefully on this track of presenting the nation as a poster boy for climate change and green policies.
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2 weeks ago | 
manilatimes.net | Yen Makabenta
First wordOUR general election last Monday, May 12, is called a midterm election because it falls at the halfway mark of the six-year presidential term. The electorate was presented a mishmash of electoral issues to decide on — every seat in the House of Representatives, half of the 24 Senate seats, and all the seats in local governments across the entire archipelago. Although President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was not on the ballot, he could not stay away and just watch the political exercise unfold.
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3 weeks ago | 
manilatimes.net | Yen Makabenta
First wordFIRST a note on the etymology and meaning of the word "juggernaut," which emanated from India and Sanskrit, and later came to be associated with the world of politics. Register to read this story and more for free. Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. Continue OR See our subscription options. Already have an account? Log in here
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4 weeks ago | 
manilatimes.net | Yen Makabenta
First wordWHEN I go to my election precinct on Monday and take up my ballot, I intend to skip filling up the section of the ballot reserved for senatorial choices and turn my attention wholly to the congressional district and local elections.
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1 month ago | 
manilatimes.net | Yen Makabenta
First wordAT the start of the election campaign in February, I predicted in this column that the midterms would be a watershed election for the Filipino nation. Register to read this story and more for free. Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. Continue OR See our subscription options. Already have an account? Log in here
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1 month ago | 
manilatimes.net | Yen Makabenta
First WordTHE observance of Earth Day on April 22, 2025, produced a tidal clash of beliefs between believers in the green energy transition and climate change, and those who are skeptical and unconvinced about the wisdom or rationality of going green. Register to read this story and more for free. Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. Continue OR See our subscription options. Already have an account? Log in here
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1 month ago | 
manilatimes.net | Yen Makabenta
First wordI WAS leafing through my copy of Teodoro Agoncillo's book, "Malolos: The Crisis of the Republic" (University of the Philippines Press, 1960), when I momentarily dropped the volume on the floor in a fit of drowsiness. On retrieving it, I was startled to find the book had opened to a page that prominently featured the name, Daniel Tirona. Register to read this story and more for free. Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience.
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1 month ago | 
manilatimes.net | Yen Makabenta
First wordMAYOR Joel Ruma of Rizal, Cagayan, who was shot dead this week while campaigning in his hometown, has become another poster boy of the dog-eat-dog politics to which our democracy periodically descends. Register to read this story and more for free. Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. Continue OR See our subscription options. Already have an account? Log in here
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1 month ago | 
manilatimes.net | Yen Makabenta
First wordI FRANKLY would not have thought of these bits of information from my readings and writing about government had I not seen the current attempt of certain groups to blacken the name and image of the president during the current campaign for seats in Congress and local governments. Register to read this story and more for free. Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. Continue OR See our subscription options. Already have an account? Log in here
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1 month ago | 
manilatimes.net | Yen Makabenta
First wordJUST as I open my columns with a "first word" note, I entertain here the furtive thought that today's essay can help bring closure to the protracted argument over the arrest and trial of former president Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague. Register to read this story and more for free. Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. Continue OR See our subscription options. Already have an account? Log in here
