“The man of system... is apt to be very wise in his own conceit; and is often so enamoured with the supposed beauty of his own ideal plan of government, that he cannot suffer the smallest deviation from any part of it.”

-- Adam Smith,
Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759), Part VI,
Section II, Chap. II.

DISAPPOINTING ECONOMIC news is becoming a reliable indicator in China. Another round of monthly reports point to an economy that isn’t falling apart, but...

MEDICAL MISINFORMATION has never contributed to as many deaths as in the last 18 months. Recently released statistics show thousands of “excess” deaths concentrated...

The greatest Christmas gift that all consumers could get is affordable electricity prices. As the Christmas shopping season reaches its peak, consumers would much rather spend their hard-earned bonuses on their loved ones rather than on increased electricity bills.

former Energy Undersecretary and now “consumer advocate” recently attacked the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) as being “unjust and unfair… charging households more than businesses,”...

IT’S THE DIFFERENT interpretations of time and the meaning of punctuality and tardiness, along with the social stigma, if any, attached to either one, that account for asymmetrical expectations with different cultures. While time for developed economies is numerical and inflexible, Filipino time is determined by ritual, and thus ruled by an accepted ambiguity. Time is not considered a precious resource that needs to be conserved and wisely managed, since there’s too much of it available to most.

No, he doesn’t want to die; he just wants others put to death.

Prior to the elections of 2020, America was universally considered the land of free and clean elections, citadel of the institutions of democracy, and sanctuary of the democratic process and its values. There was a time — from the emergence of Ramon Magsaysay in the political scene to the installation of the brilliant and eloquent Ferdinand Marcos as president — when Philippine politics and the electoral process mirrored those of America. But Mr. Marcos corrupted them to stay in power.

Continuing the Market-Oriented Reforms for Efficiency (MORE) series in this column, we tackle the importance of more electricity production in the development of Asia-Pacific economies.

Writing a column for far too long, this one since January 1984 or over 34 years, from the predecessor publication of this one (Business...

One thing that astonishes many Americans (by which here meant citizen of the United States) is how close Filipinos feel towards the “land of the free.” Ride a taxi, listen to the radio, grab a bite at the nearest fastfood joint, read a newspaper, the similarities, the feel, of the US is palpable. Actually, all too real.

The former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has declared that countries should unite against China’s growing economic and geopolitical coercion or risk being singled out and punished by Beijing. “If you are going to have a disagreement with Beijing, as many governments around the world are now doing, it’s far better to arrive at that position conjointly with other countries rather than unilaterally, because it makes it easier for China to exert bilateral leverage against you.”