Columnists

PHILIPPINE waters, rivers, lakes and tributaries, or bays, surrounding shoals and sandbars, or farther off within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone, have all been threatened by powerful polluters. They vary from Filipino corporations to insidious agents of superpower hegemons determined on des…

What is the distinguishing feature of a society that produces entrepreneurs who can be billionaires in their 20s?

THE Earth holds an almost unimaginable source of energy beneath our feet — magma. Not theoretical, not distant, but real, constant, and vast. The concept of tapping this energy has already been patented and is actively being explored. For regions like ours, located in the Ring of Fire, the opportun…

For years, solar energy has been promoted as part of the climate change agenda. Saving money is never the issue. The goal is to “save the planet.” Those are two very different claims, and we should examine them carefully before making long-term decisions that affect every family and business on Sai…

We should be asking: How many contracts are being awarded to CNMI-based businesses? How many long-term jobs are being created for our residents?

In my research on ocean governance and diaspora political participation, I have observed similar patterns: resources exist, mechanisms are established, yet accountability dissipates across jurisdictional layers.

Now WE the People are faced with the Kobayashi Maru in the shortage of labor due to our BEST Locals leaving for the American Dream on the mainland & CWs leaving due to no work with a “domino-effect” in the shortage of No-New-Blood for Leadership literally forcing all-of-us to continue “recyclin…

Businesses are closing. Storefronts sit dark. Families have left. Both local and non-local workers have relocated. Population decline is no longer a projection — it is visible in daily life.

IN the world of housing development and small business lending, one principle is universally understood: projects must be built on real numbers and reliable terms. Developers, lenders, and investors rely on sound business plans, pro forma financial statements, and clearly defined loan terms to dete…

When federal laws, rules, and regulations are applied to the CNMI in the same way they are applied to much larger economies, the result can be devastating