Striving to be a real political party in a system where parties, for the most part, are not taken seriously requires patience. Striving to be a reform-oriented party working in a government still heavily influenced by traditional politics, on the other hand, requires determination.
Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party today is a far cry from what it was four years ago before it entered into an alliance with President Aquino and the Liberal Party (LP).
The government in April reported a drop in the percentage of poor people in the country from 27.9 percent in 2012 to 24.9 percent in 2013. While the gain may seem modest, this was noteworthy, considering poverty incidence practically stalled from 1997 to 2012—a 15-year period that saw the presidency change hands three times and when per capita gross domestic product (GDP) growth averaged a reasonably good 2.4 percent per year.
The Philippines successfully concluded hosting the 23rd World Economic Forum on East Asia which highlighted the impressive economic gains under President Aquino’s administration.
If there’s a search for a national spice, garlic can vie for it. Its pungent smell flavors Filipino comfort dishes from adobo to paksiw to fried rice. Rummage through the luggage of a US-bound balikbayan and chances are there’s a pillow-size bawang-based finger food tucked in it.
