A note on trust

Trust is an interesting concept.  It is what people use as a basis for making quick choices and taking risks in a complex field of selections. In short, trust is a way of simplifying decision-making.  It is particularly important in societies like ours where formal institutions are not working properly.  We find ourselves relying on … Read more

A legacy of instability

President Macapagal-Arroyo can make all kinds of claims about the accomplishments of her presidency, but what she will be long remembered for is the legacy of political instability she leaves behind. So important is stability to the functioning of a democracy that one of the crucial achievements of any administration is the peaceful and orderly … Read more

Fair elections and the ethics of modernity

The law has been there since 2001, but its provisions have been unevenly enforced.  This is true of many of our laws – many provisions remain dormant until the situations for which they were specifically crafted actually surface as problems, or the conditions for their enforcement become available.  Such is Republic Act No. 9006, more … Read more

The UP academic congress

In fifteen measured sessions, the University of the Philippines last week held what it billed as an “academic congress to challenge our next leaders.” The sessions dealt with a wide range of topics – Mindanao, public health, labor export, urban policy, science and technology, public debt, foreign relations, workers’ rights, disaster risk reduction, and elections … Read more