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A CALL TO BUILD A NATIONAL SCIENCE MUSEUM

A CALL TO BUILD A NATIONAL SCIENCE MUSEUM I first learned to appreciate the importance of science museums when I served as a director of the Philippine Science Centrum. Since then, one question has remained in my mind: why does the Philippines still not have a truly large, government-funded National Science Museum comparable to those in major countries? Let us begin with the obvious: a national science museum is not just another building. It is a declaration that a nation values science, innovation, and the future. Today, we have excellent science institutions, many of them privately operated, such as The Mind Museum and the recently opened MindSpark facility in Parañaque, which covers about 9,000 square meters and features more than 100 interactive exhibits. These are commendable, but they are not enough. A country aspiring to technological leadership needs a flagship, government-funded institution that belongs to all Filipinos and represents the full history and future of Filipino sc...
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IT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE BARANGAY HEALTH CLINICS OPEN ALL THE TIME EVERYWHERE?

  IT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE BARANGAY HEALTH CLINICS OPEN ALL THE TIME EVERYWHERE? My answer is yes—but only under certain conditions, and only if we are willing to prioritize primary healthcare as a national investment rather than a local afterthought. Technically speaking, the Barangay Health Clinic (BHC) is the foundation of the Philippine healthcare ladder. Primary care should begin there, followed by referrals to secondary and tertiary facilities. Health planners worldwide agree that when strong primary care exists, hospital congestion decreases because many illnesses are treated early and cheaply. That alone is a compelling reason to strengthen the system. The common argument against 24/7 BHC operations is manpower shortage, especially the lack of doctors. That concern is real. The Philippines still has fewer than eight doctors per 10,000 people—below the global benchmark of about 10 per 10,000—and the shortage is worse in rural areas.  But the more interesting fact is this:...
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HOW CAN WE RESPECT INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S RIGHTS?

HOW CAN WE RESPECT INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S RIGHTS? Respecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) is not merely a matter of issuing government titles or passing laws. It is a matter of recognizing historical justice — and understanding that many ancestral lands were already owned long before the modern State existed. In the Philippines, our legal framework is actually among the most progressive in the world. The Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA) and the famous Cariño Doctrine affirm the concept of “Native Title,” meaning that lands occupied since time immemorial are presumed never to have been public lands at all. The Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT), therefore, does not grant ownership; it merely recognizes an ownership that already existed. As of recent estimates, more than 220 ancestral domain titles covering over 5.4 million hectares have already been issued nationwide, benefiting more than one million Indigenous people, equivalent to roughly 16 percent of the cou...
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CAN WE EVER BREAK AWAY FROM PLASTIC AT ALL?

CAN WE EVER BREAK AWAY FROM PLASTIC AT ALL? When people ask whether humanity can ever “break away” from plastic, my honest answer is simple: we probably cannot — but we certainly can stop using plastic for the wrong purposes. The real challenge is not elimination; it is intelligent substitution. Plastic is both a villain and a hero. It is a villain when it is used once and thrown away, such as grocery bags, food wrappers, and disposable packaging that lasts minutes but pollutes the environment for centuries. Yet it is a hero in medicine, aviation, electronics, and public health, where sterile, lightweight, and highly durable materials literally save lives. This is why I am proposing the creation of a joint government initiative — the Alternative Sustainable Packaging Options (ASPO) Task Force, composed of the DENR, DOST, DFA, and DTI. Instead of relying purely on regulations, the task force could function as a scientific advisory and economic diplomacy group that persuades industries t...
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WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF ALLOWING COUNTER FLOWS IN TRAFFIC CONTROL?

WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF ALLOWING COUNTER FLOWS IN TRAFFIC CONTROL? Allowing counter-flow lanes—also known as contraflow or reversible lanes—is one of the most controversial tools in traffic management. It is often compared to emergency surgery on a city’s road network: when properly executed, it can relieve congestion quickly; when poorly managed, it can create confusion and serious safety risks. The main advantage of counter-flow operations is efficiency. Traffic demand is rarely balanced. In many urban corridors, 70 percent of vehicles travel in one direction during peak hours while the opposite direction remains underutilized. By temporarily reversing selected lanes, authorities can increase capacity without building new roads. For developing cities where infrastructure expansion is expensive and slow, this approach can save billions in construction costs while improving travel time. Counter-flow operations are also valuable during emergencies. In large-scale evacuations cause...
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TOURISM AS A NATIONAL MOVEMENT

TOURISM AS A NATIONAL MOVEMENT For many years, we have treated tourism as just another industry — something handled by the Department of Tourism, hotels, airlines, and travel agencies. But perhaps the time has come to see tourism differently: not merely as a business sector, but as a national movement involving every Filipino. This idea came to mind when I noticed an unfortunate practice that still exists in some places — the so-called “tourist price,” where visitors are charged more simply because they are foreigners. Of course, not everyone does this, and the vast majority of Filipinos are honest, hardworking people. Still, even a few bad experiences can discourage visitors from returning, and in tourism, reputation travels faster than airplanes. Turning tourism into a national movement means changing our mindset. Every taxi driver, store owner, hotel employee, immigration officer, and even ordinary citizen becomes part of a nationwide “guest relations team.” Each tourist who leaves ...
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LET’S REQUIRE THE USE OF MOBILE PHONES BY ALL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

  LET’S REQUIRE THE USE OF MOBILE PHONES BY ALL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS If the government truly wants to bring services closer to the people, the simplest solution is staring us in the face: make every agency reachable through official mobile numbers and SMS channels. In plain language, citizens should be able to text their government the same way they text their relatives and friends. For decades, most government directories have listed only landline numbers—often outdated, sometimes without direct extensions. That system belongs to another era. Today, mobile phones are the primary communication tool of Filipinos. In fact, the Philippines already has mobile connections equivalent to more than the total population, reflecting the widespread reliance on mobile devices. Even more telling, at least 90% of households can access smartphones, although affordability gaps still exist in some areas.  These numbers show a simple truth: government communication systems ...
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