ikeseneres

CEBU CITY MAKES HEADWAY WITH SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT Republic Act No. 9003, otherwise known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, has been in force for more than twenty-five years. Yet despite the passage of time, many local government units (LGUs) have still failed to establish fully compliant Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) as required by law. This raises an important question: Are we very good at making laws but not very good at implementing them? The recent initiatives of Cebu City suggest that the answer does not have to be that way. Under the leadership of Mayor Nestor Archival, Cebu City has launched its Eco Station-SRP and Materials Recovery Festival, demonstrating that solid waste management need not be complicated, expensive, or dependent on imported technology. In fact, the city is proving that practical solutions are already available. To put it simply, an MRF does not require rocket science. It mainly needs segregation, shredding, composting, recycling,...

CHATTEL MORTGAGES CAN ENABLE COOPS TO ACQUIRE MORE AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT When farmers complain about the lack of post-harvest facilities, what are they really talking about? More often than not, they are talking about the lack of equipment. Whether it is harvesting machines, dryers, sorters, rice mills, bagging equipment, packaging systems, tractors, tillers, or even construction equipment for farm-to-market roads, the real challenge is access to capital. Farmers and cooperatives need machines, but they often do not have enough collateral to secure loans. This is where an old but underutilized financial tool can make a big difference: the chattel mortgage. Unlike a real estate mortgage that requires land or buildings as collateral, a chattel mortgage uses movable property such as tractors, harvesters, trucks, trailers, rice mills, food-processing machines, and other equipment as security for a loan. In simple terms, the equipment being purchased can serve as its own collateral. Why is...

CAN WE CLAIM UBE AS OUR OWN? Whenever Filipinos see ube-flavored products being sold abroad—from ice cream and cakes to lattes and doughnuts—we feel a sense of pride. After all, ube has become one of the most recognizable symbols of Filipino cuisine. But can we honestly claim ube as exclusively our own? The answer is both yes and no. Yes, because the word “ube” is Filipino. It is part of our language, culture, and culinary identity. No, because the plant itself, scientifically known as Dioscorea alata , is not found only in the Philippines. It originated in a broader area of Island Southeast Asia and has been cultivated for centuries in neighboring regions as well. However, this should not stop us from pursuing something even more valuable: international recognition for uniquely Filipino varieties and products derived from ube. Consider how Mexico protects tequila, how France protects champagne, and how India protects Darjeeling tea. These products are not protected merely because of w...

WHAT DOES THE PAX SILICA AGREEMENT MEAN FOR THE PHILIPPINES? The Philippines has reportedly become a signatory to the Pax Silica Initiative, a new international framework designed to secure supply chains for semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), critical minerals, computing infrastructure, and other technologies that will drive the global economy in the coming decades. At first glance, the agreement sounds very promising. After all, electronics and semiconductors already account for more than half of Philippine merchandise exports. If the country can move beyond simple assembly and testing toward higher-value activities such as chip design, advanced manufacturing, AI infrastructure, and mineral processing, then the benefits could be enormous. However, before we celebrate, we should ask some important questions. Are we really ready? The agreement reportedly includes plans for a 4,000-acre AI Industrial Hub within the Luzon Economic Corridor. This could attract billions of pesos ...

NORWAY’S ROGFAST PROJECT IS PUSHING ENGINEERING LIMITS UNDER THE SEA As the saying goes, it does not cost us any money to dream, so why not dream about good things for our country? After being surprised and scandalized by reports about questionable flood control spending, perhaps we should start asking a different question: what if those billions of pesos were invested in truly transformative public works projects that future generations could be proud of? One lesson we learned from those controversies is that the government is not necessarily lacking in money. What is often lacking is transparency, accountability, and the ability to monitor how public funds are spent. That is why I was fascinated by Norway’s Rogfast Project, a massive undersea highway tunnel that is now under construction. When completed, it will become the world's longest and deepest subsea road tunnel. Stretching about 27 kilometers beneath the sea and reaching a depth of approximately 392 meters below sea level...

WHY NOT REMOVE POLITICIANS WHO ARE CAUGHT DELIBERATELY LYING? The government of Wales has announced what could become a historic first in modern democracy: removing politicians from office if they are proven to have deliberately lied to the public. My immediate reaction was simple: Why not? For years, many of us have been advocating reforms to improve accountability in government. We have laws against theft, graft, corruption, bribery, and other abuses of power. But what about deliberate lying? Some people might argue that stealing public funds is a more serious offense than lying. I agree. In fact, corruption should remain a top priority. However, that does not mean we should ignore dishonesty. After all, many acts of corruption begin with lies. Politicians promise one thing and do another. They conceal information. They manipulate facts. They mislead voters. Yet in many cases, there are no consequences. Why should that be acceptable? The Welsh proposal is not aimed at honest mistakes...