The other side of panic is indifference or naive reassurance in the face of what appears to be a serious threat or grave danger. This may often be the result of a lack of appreciation of the risk involved, or of a wish not to cause public alarm, or of something more selfish — like … Read more

Until early this week, the World Health Organization hesitated to call the new coronavirus infection that first broke out in Wuhan City, China, as more than a health emergency limited to one country or region. But, last Thursday, Jan. 30, in the face of its appearance in at least 18 other countries, and its rapid … Read more

The real threat posed by emergent infectious diseases like the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), which first appeared last December in China’s Wuhan City and is now causing global concern, is not that it is deadlier than other known viruses or bacteria. It is rather that while the principal carriers of these diseases—human beings—now travel faster and … Read more

Taal Volcano, which has been showing signs of an imminent eruption after spewing a huge column of stones, ash, and sulphuric steam last Sunday, and Mount Pinatubo, which in 1991 produced the most powerful volcanic eruption of the 20th century, are a study in contrast. Taal is one of the two (the other being majestic … Read more

No one who has seen real war can possibly want it. Its long-term consequences are difficult to calculate. Yet this truism does not prevent some individuals, groups, or nations from edging toward it. They have short-term interests to pursue or protect, and they hope that the enemy would blink in the face of mere display … Read more

This is no way to welcome the start of a new year or of a new decade. But, how can we not worry that the assassination the other day of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s most admired military commander, on orders of the president of the United States, could trigger the escalation to a more … Read more

Presented with findings on the life situation and health condition of older persons in Philippine society, most readers of this column found themselves prompted to compare their own experience of aging with that of the general population. Many were happy to note that they were not doing so badly. They have less severe pains, less … Read more

When I turned 60, it took more than a year before I claimed my senior citizen’s card. I felt I didn’t need it. I was not taking any maintenance medicines nor did I need regular diagnostic tests, for which a 20-percent discount spells a huge difference in price. It was the substantial S.C. discount at … Read more

In the final months leading to the 2016 presidential election, when a Duterte victory had become not just a possibility but a near certainty, political and economic risk analysts began to ask what the key policy directions of a Duterte-led government might be like. Up to that point, all that was known about Davao’s legendary … Read more

This is my fourth column on recent events that unexpectedly thrust Vice President Leni Robredo into the limelight. Even if some may think the issue it deals with has become stale, I believe we shouldn’t let go of it easily as though it signifies nothing of importance. That’s exactly how the Duterte administration wants us … Read more