We need citizen engagement and private sector participation in the fight against COVID-19. This is a tried and tested formula in crisis situations.

The Philippines recently celebrated the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christianity in the country this year. Almost at the same time, the country experienced a sharp increase in infections and deaths due to relaxed policies and complacency.  

No pandemic can prevent Presidential and Vice-Presidential aspirants from expressing their interest to run for public office. However, the contributions and actions of these aspirants during this pandemic will weigh heavily on the public's perception whether they are worthy to be elected as the next leaders of our country.

We must all be honest enough to admit that the failures in our COVID-19 response and mitigation is a shared fault between government and the public. This does not mean, however, that both parties are not doing their part in the efforts to curb the spread of the virus. 

Putting the fate of policy development and implementation in the hands of untrained and incompetent people is a crime against nation-building.

The Influential and Influencers exist because much of the public supports their talents, causes and abilities. Hence, influencers and people who are influential collectively have a responsibility to guide and motivate compliance to established rules and regulations, particularly those that protect and safeguard the health and well-being of the public. 

Food security is paramount to the success of our pandemic response.

The integrity and credibility of the government's health ministers bear a significant impact on the confidence of the public towards being inoculated.

There are many angles in Dacera Case which need to be examined before coming up with a logical and rational conclusion. Due to the influence of the current leadership, perhaps we have been too quick to jump on the gun.

Navigating through the holidays in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a serious challenge for the market, governments and ordinary citizens. This is particularly true for retailers and business owners who have been severely impacted by forced closures in the middle of lockdowns for a good part this year. 

One hundred fifty-seven years forward, the country is fighting a different enemy than those Bonifacio faced. The enemy today seems to be more lethal than it was more than 100 years ago given its invisibility to the naked eyes.

The relationship of the current President and Vice President has exposed not only their character flaws, but also the institutional deficiencies of our Presidential and Vice-Presidential system.