Once upon a time, the great legendary showman P.T. Barnum remarked, “there’s a sucker born every minute.” His colorful life was made into a Broadway musical in the 1980s with award-winning stage actor Michael Crawford and a recent movie with the versatile Hugh Jackman.

IN THE FIRST PLACE, how is the country faring with respect to investments? Very poorly. Not just in foreign direct investments, but in domestic investments as well. Both in absolute numbers and in growth rates, the amount of investments (and the portion going into investment spending) is low.

A June 2024 survey by OCTA Research saw 76% of Filipinos seeing China as the “greatest threat” to the Philippines. And indeed, the Philippine...

More than two months ago, the Philippines was placed under a nationwide lockdown. Overnight, everything became digital. The traditional classroom set-up became virtual classes, while boardroom meetings, as well as informal gatherings, shifted to video conferencing meetings. Online apps for buying and selling are also utilized, and going cashless has become the preferred mode of payment.

The late controversial politician Ernie Maceda seems to have been right. Any publicity, favorable or unfavorable is good for politicians. The list of leading senatorial candidates in the latest polls affirms this sad reality. Several notorious candidates are ahead of the “good guys.” Ex-detainees on plunder charges Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla are in the likely to win top 12. So, it seems, will Bato dela Rosa of the drug suspect killing sprees. Meanwhile, serious legislators like Bam Aquino and even JV Ejercito are barely making it And Erin Tañada and Gary Alejano are dangling down there. Even Lito Lapid who, last I heard, had not passed a single legislation in all his forgettable senate days is up there among the topnotchers.

How powerful is the Philippines when measured against other nations? How much influence do we wield in global affairs?

IT IS a staple of basketball telecasts for the TV camera in dull moments, like a dead ball, between foul shots, or referees conferring on what violations to call, to pan the camera on the audience. The camera catches reaction shots of celebrities with unexpected seatmates or teammates waiting to be fielded in. It is good for the spectator to appear unmindful of stolen shots. (Please don’t wave.) The ideal demeanor should approximate someone who just emptied his bladder and is contented with his present state.

A new year is typically the time to turn a new leaf -- but maybe not before past accounts have been settled. While the administration has earned plaudits from some quarters for the economy’s performance under its watch (which, to be honest, could have been better), nagging questions continue regarding the social, civil, and human cost accompanying that success. Was it a vital component, even “a necessary evil” in the words of one economic manager? Or was it a purely incidental and gratuitous -- and lethal -- diversion? In other words, would the economy and society have prospered anyway without a mounting pile of bodies (more than 7,000 drug suspects to date)?

WITH China’s technology giants facing a plethora of struggles, Southeast Asia was supposed to be the hip new market that offered a well of fast-growth companies. That’s coming at a heavy cost.

There is more proof that Metro Manila traffic is among the worst in the world. Numbeo has quantified a “traffic index” for major cities around the world, shown in the table below. For brevity, I removed two columns -- Time expended index and CO2 emission index.

WILL a motorcycle driver swerving in and out of road lanes, then bumping against a car staying in its own place, ever admit fault?...

CHINA’S tech giants have upended the country’s payments system and promise to shake up its consumer-banking sector. The rest of the region won’t be so easy.