Until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the hunter. —African proverb —o0o— Several members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) are claimants to certain islands, shoals, reefs and rocks in the South China Sea. These are the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, Vietnam and Malaysia, and these countries necessarily have conflicting claims…
It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both. — Niccolo Machiavelli —o0o— Visa policies have clear effects on the growth of the tourism industry in the countries or territories concerned. South Korea, for instance, has capitalized on selling Jeju island to tourists. Japanese tourists can visit Jeju without the…
“I will always be on the side of those who have nothing and who are not even allowed to enjoy the nothing they have in peace.” —Federico García Lorca. —o0o— On Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House, a meeting that many pundits consider as the…
Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake. — Napoleon Bonaparte —o0o— Again, there’s trouble in the South China Sea. And this time, even the US Ambassador to Manila considered it relevant enough to issue a statement of condemnation against the Chinese Coast Guard which figured in another ramming or collision—the term depends…
“Deus Seve Nature” — Baruch Spinoza —o0o— President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is now in New Delhi, attending the BRICS Summit on Sept. 12-13. This visit to India is upon the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narandra Modi, and it is also part of his duties as chairman for 2026 of the Association of Southeast Asian…
“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” — George Orwell —o0o— There recent attempt by American military personnel assigned at the EDCA site in Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro City to “inspect” the private compound of steel manufacturer San Jia…
Push yourself because no one will do it for you. Be your own motivation. —Sen. Jinggoy Estrada Days after Vice Ganda dished out the highly offensive, racist joke, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) has ordered the producers of “It’s Showtime” to submit, within seven days, their joint position paper in response…
“Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind.”—John F. Kennedy —o0o— Days after US President Donald Trump ended his visit to China with scores of American tycoons and billionaires in tow, it was Russia President Vladimir Putin’s turn to touch down at the Beijing International Airport on May…
“A thousand friends are too few. One enemy is too many.” —Indonesian proverb —o0o— The Philippines shares with the rest of the world its biggest problem in recent history —where to buy or get the oil that the economy needs for its survival. This problem can be traced to the Marcos administration’s inability to provide…
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” — Lao Tzu —o0o— In this time of conflict, misunderstanding, and racial biases, there are two forces at play in the productive and lofty endeavor of scaling up people-to-people understanding and cultural cooperation between the Philippines and China. One group is actively promoting peace and cooperation, knowing…