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NAPOLCOM LEADS THE WAY IN BANNING ONE-WAY PLASTICS I know that I am not dreaming, because it is as real as anything: one government agency has finally taken the bold step of banning the use of one-way plastics in all locations within its jurisdiction. That agency is none other than the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM). This move deserves applause, because for once, an office of government did not wait for a new law or presidential directive. Instead, NAPOLCOM acted within its own authority and decided that the culture of plastic waste must stop—at least within its own walls. The order, signed by Commissioner Rafael Vicente Calinisan, specifically bans plastic straws, stirrers, utensils, disposable cups, food containers, single-use water bottles, and plastic bags in meetings, trainings, and conferences. In their place, employees are encouraged to use refillable containers, eco-bags, and reusable utensils. A simple rule, yet powerful in its implications. But here is my reasona...

YES, CITIZENS CAN PARTICIPATE IN DEVELOPMENT COUNCILS Many Filipinos complain about corruption and bad governance. That is a valid complaint. But I cannot help asking: if we truly care about fixing governance, why do so few citizens take the initiative to get involved? Is it because they are afraid, indifferent—or simply unaware that there are perfectly legal ways to participate? One such way is through the many levels of development councils in our country. These councils exist at the barangay, municipal, city, provincial, and even regional levels. And yes, they are not just government talk shops—they are mandated by law to plan, coordinate, and monitor the development programs that affect our communities. The structure is quite clear. At the barangay level, the Punong Barangay chairs the Barangay Development Council (BDC). At the municipal and city levels, the mayor chairs the council. At the provincial level, the governor takes the lead. At the regional level, an elected offic...

USING SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY FOR FLOOD CONTROL AND LAND USE PLANNING Using satellite technology for flood control and land use planning is certainly a good practice in science-driven governance. But let us be clear—it is not the only tool we need for these urgent problems. Sometimes, I wonder whether our government is too enamored with “new” technology when in fact there are already existing data sets available, even without satellites. I am very sure that PHIVOLCS, NAMRIA, MMDA, DENR, and the now-quiet UP Project NOAH already have valuable maps, surveys, and models in their files. Add to that, LGUs are supposed to maintain their own land use plans using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). These systems are not futuristic—they are here and should be working. So, why aren’t we making better use of them? Having said that, let me also recognize the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) for working with the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA). Their idea is to us...

CAN YOU IMAGINE SUSTAINABLE FABRICS MADE FROM WASTE PET PLASTIC BOTTLES? Yes, the technology is already here. It is now possible to make fabrics from recycled PET bottles. Imagine that: the very same bottles that clog our rivers, fill our landfills, and poison our seas can be turned into durable fabrics for clothes, bags, upholstery, and even construction materials. This is not science fiction. Other countries have already invested years of research and millions of dollars to make this technology work. We do not even have to reinvent the wheel. All we need to do is adopt it. But here’s the question: shall we once again waste time ignoring it, while more plastic bottles pile up uncollected, discarded, and forgotten? Or shall we finally take this opportunity to show the world that we too can be leaders in sustainability? Who should take the lead? Now comes the real dilemma. Which agency should lead in adopting this technology? DOST , because it is about science. DTI , bec...

THERE ARE HUGE OPPORTUNITIES IN SILK PRODUCTION Silk is one of the world’s most ancient crafts, yet here in the Philippines, we have not really mastered it across the centuries. We take pride in our piña and abaca fabrics—and rightly so—but why not also supplement these native weaves with silk? The numbers alone tell us how much we’re missing. Our country produces only about one metric ton of silk fabric each year, when our local demand is at least ten metric tons. That means we are producing barely 10 percent of what the market needs. The rest is filled by imports—sometimes smuggled—from China, Italy, and South Korea. Isn’t that a no-brainer opportunity for Filipino farmers and weavers? Silk making is not rocket-science. Other countries with less natural wealth than ours have developed thriving sericulture industries. Surely our own people can learn to rear silkworms, harvest cocoons, and weave silk threads. The real issue is not capacity but will—both from government and from c...

STOPPING PLUNDER AND LOOKING FOR ACCOUNTABILITY (100% credit to Dr. Ted Mendoza) By now, many of us have seen the shocking figures compiled by Dr. Ted Mendoza on alleged corruption and misuse of public funds during the current administration. Imagine—₱1.48 trillion possibly lost or misappropriated in just three years. The list includes questionable insertions in the General Appropriations Act, anomalies in flood control projects, and the controversial Maharlika Investment Fund. Add to those billions from PhilHealth, GSIS, SSS, and even small business recovery funds. If all these are true, we are not just talking about lapses but acts that could fall under the Anti-Plunder Law itself. It is a good thing that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is bringing this out into the open. In his speeches, he has linked corruption to disasters like flooding, pointing to anomalous projects that fail the people in their time of need. This is a welcome development. For once, the highest official in t...

ISLAND BARANGAYS NEED SEA AMBULANCES Here are no-brainer observations that I want to share with you: many island barangays in the Philippines do not even have their own health centers, and in the event of medical emergencies, there are no ambulances that could take them to a hospital. But wait—let’s assume for a moment that there are ambulances. How will they cross the seas? Won’t they need a RO-RO vessel? Yes, but not all island barangays have access to a RO-RO vessel. This means that thousands of our fellow Filipinos living on islands are virtually stranded when life-and-death situations strike. The Philippines is made up of 7,641 islands. Of our 42,046 barangays, experts estimate that at least 5,000 to 7,000 are located on islands. Provinces like Palawan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Masbate, Romblon, and Camiguin are practically defined by their island barangays. Yet despite this reality, most of these barangays have no sea ambulance. Instead, people rely on fishing boats or motorized ba...

WHY MANY LEADERS OF THE ONLY CHRISTIAN NATION IN ASIA ARE SO CORRUPT (100% credits to Rex Bacarra, with my full agreement and my own reflections) The Philippines proudly calls itself the only Christian nation in Asia. The label is repeated so often that it has become almost a national identity. As Rex Bacarra brilliantly argues—and I agree with him 100%—this claim only deepens the painful irony of our situation: we are a Christian nation that also ranks among the most corrupt in the region. But here is where I would add my own personal spin: nations cannot become Christian. Only persons can. Christianity is not inherited, nor is it a cultural label that can be worn by an entire country. It is a personal faith, a personal commitment, a personal encounter with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. And that is where the problem lies. Too many Filipinos—including our leaders—claim the badge of Christianity without embracing the life of Christ. As Bacarra points out, our faith has become ...

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT AMBULANCES I first became familiar with the need for ambulances when I was appointed as a Director of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). Back then, I often wondered why the mayors of LGUs, whether big cities or small towns, would request ambulances from the PCSO. Why couldn’t they simply purchase their own units using their local budgets? A friend of mine—sarcastically, of course—told me that if I wanted to understand this, I had to understand the Filipino psyche. He said, “Most Filipinos will always want their share of whatever is free, even if they can afford it.” I found that statement uncomfortable, even troubling. Is it true? What do you think? If a mayor can afford an ambulance from the LGU’s internal revenue allotment, why wait in line at PCSO? Nowadays, I am no longer connected with PCSO, but I still wonder about residents of many LGUs who remain without access to ambulance services. Some of their mayors continue to fall in line at PCSO ...

PROS AND CONS OF PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEMS I am aware that this is going to be a long conversation but let us just start it now. We have heard so much advocacy for a federal system, but why is there no equivalent advocacy for a parliamentary system? Is it not that in many countries, federal systems and parliamentary systems often go together? To be clear, I am in favor of a federal system, where all the member states govern themselves for the most part, except for a few centralized functions like defense, finance, and foreign affairs. This way, regions can truly develop according to their own strengths. At the same time, I am also in favor of a parliamentary system, where members of parliament are elected from parliamentary districts within each member state, and from among them a Prime Minister is chosen. The Prime Minister, in turn, forms a Cabinet that will essentially become his government. Now, here lies the most contentious part. In a parliamentary system, the Prime Minister is...

MODERNIZING THE MMDA What really is the role or mandate of the MMDA? Many of us assume that it is a policy-making body, because we see its Chairman constantly issuing statements, directives, or pronouncements that affect the daily lives of Metro Manila residents. But the truth is, the MMDA is not supposed to be a policy-making agency at all. The actual policy-making body is the Metro Manila Council (MMC). This is where the confusion begins. The MMDA, under Republic Act 7924, was created as a development authority to implement programs for Metro Manila—traffic management, flood control, solid waste, urban renewal, disaster response, and so on. But technically, the MMDA is supposed to be just an executive or implementing agency, acting under the authority of the Metro Manila Council. In corporate terms, the MMC is the “Board of Directors” of the MMDA. The MMC is also supposed to function as the de facto Regional Development Council (RDC) for the metropolis. If that is so, then why ...

HAVE WE FORGOTTEN TO RESTORE THE LAHAR AFFECTED AREAS? Should we not require affected LGUs to have their own rehabilitation plans? Are these plans not supposed to be interrelated with agricultural development plans? And are these not supposed to be coordinated with river dredging and flood control plans? These are basic questions that somehow remain unanswered, more than 30 years after the cataclysmic eruption of Mount Pinatubo buried vast portions of Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales in lahar. I raise these questions because when we talk about lahar, most people think of it as a thing of the past—something that happened in 1991, now “finished.” But is it really finished? The reality is that lahar never completely goes away. It remains in the river systems, in the lowlands, and in the memories of communities who still live with the risk of sudden mudflows whenever typhoons bring heavy rains. Which agency of government has jurisdiction over the rehabilitation of lahar areas? Is it th...

HERE COMES SEA WATER RICE I have always known that it existed somewhere, and now I thank God that I have finally found it. Nope, I am not talking about the Holy Grail. I am simply talking about “sea water rice”—or to put it another way, a variety of rice that grows in salt water. For the longest time, not knowing what to call it or even what to look for, I have been referring to it as a “saline variety” of rice. It was a dream, a fantasy, or perhaps just wishful thinking. But now it is no longer just a dream—because China has been growing it in their own country, and what’s more, they are already helping other nations by teaching them how to grow it. This rice is not a product of genetic engineering but of decades of careful breeding. By combining wild salt-resistant rice with high-yield varieties, Chinese scientists developed a crop that not only survives in saline-alkali soils but also produces harvests comparable to conventional rice. In test fields near the Yellow Sea, yields...