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Monday, August 24th, 2009

Even if seriously implemented, the Cheaper Medicines Law would still fail to bring down the prices of medicines because it did not break "the monopoly control of transnational corporations on all aspects" of the drug industry. This monopoly is the main reason why drug prices in the Philippines are among the highest in Asia.

Saturday, August 1st, 2009

Ang sonata ay isang musical form na matingkad ang harmonic at tematikong organisasyon: may simula, pag-unlad at sintesis. Doble ang katingkaran ng oranisasyon nito, kung isasama pa ang pagkumpas ng orkestra, o ang orkestrasyon (operasyonalisasyon) ng sonata.

Mighty Pharmaceutical
Sunday, July 26th, 2009

MANILA - Sen. Mar Roxas is raising hell about the alleged collusion between the Arroyo government and the pharmaceutical industry to delay if not derail the implementation of Republic Act 9502, or the "Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008," which was signed on June 6, 2008. Among the provisions the multinational pharmaceutical companies are reportedly blocking is the setting of the maximum retail price for 22 essential medicines. To sweeten the deal between the Arroyo government and pharmaceutical firms, Pfizer allegedly offered five million "sulit" discount cards to President Arroyo for distribution to indigent patients around the country. (Remember the distribution of PhilHealth cards in 2004?)
Sunday, July 26th, 2009

MANILA - It is the State of the Nation Address once again. The true state of the country is again the subject of debates. Surely, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would boast about the economic growth and its supposed success in shielding the economy from the impact of the world economic and financial crisis, the infrastructure projects the government was able to finish such as the Clark to Subic highway, and, probably, its peace overtures with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Leader shot before nationwide transport strike
Saturday, July 18th, 2009

MANILA  - As progressive transport groups in the Philippines prepared for a nationwide strike to protest the alleged price manipulation of oil prices by oil companies, a leader of one such group was shot early today in Albay province.

Joel Ascutia, president of Condor-Piston-Bikol, an organization of jeepney drivers and operators, was shot at 4:30 a.m. Monday, July 13, in Daraga, near Legazpi City in Albay. Colleagues said two gunmen onboard a motorcycle fired five shots at Ascutia, hitting him in the leg and abdomen. He was pronounced out of danger and is undergoing treatment at a hospital.

The shooting of Ascutia, which occurred less than 200 meters away from a police station, occurred as public-transport operators and drivers across the Philippines were preparing for today's protest against the profiteering of big oil companies and the government's failure to regulate them.

Monday, July 13th, 2009

Sunod-sunod silang tumutumba. Ito ang isang bersyon ng tiempo muerto, o ang patay na panahon. Nauna kong narinig ang gamit ng "tiempo muerto" sa kalakaran ng paggawa ng sakadas, ang pana-panahong manggagawa sa bukid. Bukod sa pakyawan ang bayad, sa panahon lamang sila ng tagtanim at tag-ani may kabuhayan. Mas mahaba ang panahon ng paghihikahos kaysa sa isang kahig, isang tuka.

Laborer
Saturday, June 27th, 2009

MANILA - The Philippines is still Asia's most dangerous place for workers.

In a survey by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the Philippines ranked No. 1 in Asia and No. 3 in the world in the number of trade unionists killed in the past year. The Philippines has been on top of the list of most dangerous countries for workers for several years now.

Unyonista
Saturday, May 9th, 2009

Ang nangyari sa Mayo Uno 2009 ay isa lamang yugto sa realisasyon ng manggagawa sa kanyang halaga, ang tagapag-akda ng kasaysayan. At kung ang indikasyon ay ang bilang ng nagkakaisang hanay ng manggagawa, magsasaka, estudyante, guro at intelektwal, ang estado ni Gloria Arroyo ay nangangamba na.

A diverse segment of economic drivers called micro, small and medium enterprises [MSMEs] needs to join the fight to save the environment.
Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

When the largest corporations began taking about the green agenda by introducing eco-friendlier products or by reducing their operations' environmental impact, many marked this as a victory in the environmental front.

There is, however, a diverse segment of economic drivers called micro, small and medium enterprises [MSMEs] who have an innate vision for improving the plight of their local economies but are also generators of environmental wastes affecting ecological issues such as climate change, hazards, water availability, among others.

Analysis
Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada has been ordered arrested on perjury charges stemming from his revelation that former Arroyo spokesperson Mike Defensor offered him money to keep his mouth shut about his abduction from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport; Jovito "The Butcher" Palparan who is being linked to the spate in extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances wherever he was assigned is on his way to Congress, and so is Ma.

ANALYSIS
Monday, April 27th, 2009

As administration allies push for amendments of economic provisions in the Constitution, research group IBON Foundation says that the resolution seeking to allow corporations to own land and land-based resources in the Philippines are based on an outmoded ideology which believes that liberalizing the economy to greater foreign investment will lead to development.

Monday, April 6th, 2009

The kidnapings by the Abu Sayyaf (ASG) seem unstoppable.

A 2005 US Department of State report cites a number of major kidnappings by the ASG thus:

In April 2000, an ASG faction kidnapped 21 persons, including ten Western tourists, from a resort in Malaysia. In May 2001, the ASG kidnapped three US citizens and 17 Filipinos from a tourist resort in Palawan, Philippines. Several of the hostages, including US citizen Guillermo Sobero, were murdered. A Philippine military hostage rescue operation in June 2002 freed US hostage Gracia Burnham, but her husband Martin Burnham and Filipina Deborah Yap were killed.

Monday, March 30th, 2009

The Optical Mark Reader (OMR) that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will use for the automated elections system (AES) in the May 2010 polls has not been fully proven as tamperand fraud-free, will encourage wholesale cheating, and will not ensure a transparent and open election system.

Moreover, it is doubtful whether Comelec will be ready for the full automation of the elections given the time constraints based on its own calendar.

Tribute to Francis Magalona
Sunday, March 22nd, 2009

Francis M. was down with being Brown with lyrics such as “Mga kababayan ko, dapat lang malaman n’yo, bilib ako sa kulay ko, ako ay Pilipino!”, “I am the Man from Manila. Kami ang tinig ng Kayumanggi”. He brought a sense of national pride into Pinoy hip-hop.