QUEZON CITY, Sept 2 - As the lead agency in social protection mandated to protect, serve and empower the disadvantaged and vulnerable sectors, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) supports the filing today at 10:30 am of the bill amending R.A. 8972 in the House of Representatives.

The haunting image of a stunned and bloodied Omran Daqneesh, the 5-year-old boy who was pulled from the rubble after another round of deadly bombings in the Syrian civil war, bespeaks what in essence our human rights are all about—that by not transcending our sorrows for a young child whose eyes are silently conversing with the gods in the unknown heavens, begging for mercy and compassion in the midst of an evil conflict, we have all become a party to his tragedy and misfortune. Prayers do not end wars. It does not make sense if we lose all hope, but the irreversible reality is that the failure of human institutions to protect innocent lives from the brutalities of war is the failure of the whole of humanity.

The Philippines may revive a nuclear power plant that was completed 32 years ago but never switched on due to safety fears, the government said Wednesday.

The spokesman for new President Rodrigo Duterte said the government is considering brining the $2.3 billion plant into operation to meet the country's growing power needs, despite entrenched opposition from activists and environmentalists.

 

“Rodrigo Duterte – the Donald Trump of the Philippines.” So we read and hear many times during the last months in newspapers, magazines, radio- and TV-programs all over the world.

It is obvious that there are similarities: