Is the Philippine government not falling into a Byzantine international snare? Is the government not thinking that the United States and China are intentionally fomenting disputes in the Asian region? These queries are being raised because the results are obvious.
Philippine cities are bursting at their seams. So are other cities in Asia and “in other faraway places with strange-sounding names.” Will most spiral into “cities of despair”? How many will emerge as “greener” capitals with a future?
They struggled to succeed. Their stories are proof that hard work, perseverance and strong will pay off. It helps to have a civic and charitable heart, too.
THE JURY may still be out on the link between climate change and natural disasters. But one thing is clear: Weather-related disasters are increasing in both frequency and intensity. Witness the string of severe recent floods across Asia—from Pakistan, to Thailand, to the Philippines—and Hurricane “Sandy” in the United States, which have vividly shown us [...]
The 9th summit of the Asia-Europe Meeting (Asem), which opens today (Monday) in Vientiane, Laos, brings together 51 leaders from Europe and Asia. Sixteen years after the launch in 1996 of this successful forum of dialogue and cooperation, Europe, Asia and the world have changed significantly. Asian nations have become strong economic players, lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, and gaining self-confidence on the world stage. In Europe, countries from the East and West have joined forces in an enlarged European Union, turning it into the most ambitious and developed political expression of our continent in its history. Globalization, interdependence, redistribution of power, pressure over natural resources are among the key trends shaping the 21st century.
The Magsaysay Awards are the most prestigious prize in Asia, and for good reason. The scroll of awardees since 1957 has been, by and large, a true honor roll of outstanding individuals and institutions working in Asia that have promoted “human development” with “courage and creativity” (the touchstones of these awards).
Filipinos visiting countries in East Asia for the first time are invariably struck by the chasm in prosperity and living standards separating their home from the host countries. Those visiting more than once often feel more depressed to note the hare strides these Asian neighbors have made against their own country’s turtle steps. Others get angry at why their political leaders who frequently travel don’t seem to be sufficiently goaded by these stark differences to work resolutely for the development of the country they’re sworn to serve.
A favorite theme in international debate nowadays is whether Asia’s rise signifies the West’s decline.
These days, all eyes are on Asia. While the economies of Europe and North America are tumbling down one by one under the pressure of a continuing financial crisis, those of emerging Asia are flourishing.
I would like to draw attention to the use of the name “Sea of Japan” on the map shown on the front page of the Inquirer’s April 11, 2012 issue to designate the sea area between the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese Archipelago.
Isolated and impoverished by decades of international sanctions, Burma (Myanmar) has emerged in recent months as both a beacon of hope and a potential new Asian flashpoint. With Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi freed from two decades of house arrest to campaign vigorously for a seat in parliament in the special election to be held today, Burma’s commitment to rejoining the international community appears to be genuine. But this opening has other consequences, most importantly setting the stage for a new “great game” of strategic competition.
Formerly known as the bastion of tradition and a place where the mist of time remained unmoving, Asia is now in the midst of great change, its many diverse territories in the grip of powerful forces, though not always for the good. In a world of unchecked population growth and a rapidly shrinking environment, Asia has seen its multitudes gone unfed, had entire nations robbed of their voices, and witnessed its poor grown even more impoverished.
