Commentary: COVID-19 and climate change, the dual crises of 2020
by Paco Pangalangan There is no doubt that people will remember 2020 as the year the world was introduced to COVID-19, the virus behind the global pandemic that has led to over 1.8 million deaths, caused economies to crash, and opened doors to corruption around the world. In the Philippines, COVID-19 cases have been steadily rising […]
Digital infrastructure as a hallmark of progress
The COVID-19 pandemic crisis has made an indelible mark in all aspects of Philippine life. Most notably, it has sharply increased our dependence on digital technologies to meet our everyday needs. Over the course of the lockdown period, and even with the gradual easing of quarantine and social distancing ordinances across the country, Filipinos continue […]
Remembering to recover better and with integrity
This week the United Nations (UN) observes two international days. The first is the International Anti-Corruption Day, observed on the 9th of December. Corruption, of course, affects all countries. It undermines democratic institutions and contributes to governmental instability by warping the rule of law, attacking election integrity, and creating bureaucratic loopholes that facilitate dishonest behavior by […]
Commentary: Rebooting economy through public-private partnerships
As the year creeps slowly towards its end, it is an excellent time to look back and take stock of the challenges we have faced and the lessons we can take away from them. This year, many of the biggest challenges faced by Filipinos were brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only a health crisis, […]
Commentary: COVID-19 is an opportunity for corruption, reform
by Paco Pangalangan (Philstar.com) Winston Churchill said an optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity; a pessimist sees a calamity in every opportunity. Ten months into this lockdown, with among the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the region, and little to show in terms of long-term strategies and plans to fight this virus, it’s hard […]