LEX

The action of the majority to salvage a rule change, means almost a done deal na ang mga arrest warrants. Hindi na ito kagaya ng mga pronouncement last December at November. Mukhang ipapakulong na talaga sila. Be vigilant guys. Hanggang hindi nangyayari, walang nangyari. 5/5

americans tryna make a whole new slur for Filipinos as if they haven't done enough

jinggoy never beating the bottomesa allegations

Philippine foreign debt payments jump 31% dlvr.it/TSjfLG

Coconut milk and cassava flour are literally the blueprint for traditional dirty ice cream here. It's so exhausting watching westerners use old recipes from other countries, brand them as "vegan," and act like they’ve magically pioneered something new.

IN PHOTOS: Environmental advocates and sectoral groups gathered to protest against the cutting of decades-old trees along Quirino Ave.,Manila to make way for San Miguel Corporation’s Southern Access Link Expressway (SALEX) project today, May 26.

Pope Leo XIV: “It is, therefore, not enough to state simply that men and women have equal dignity and rights; it is necessary that this be reflected in concrete decisions, such as in laws, access to employment, education, social and political responsibilities, and the way society listens to and values women’s contributions. As long as this gap persists, we cannot say that society truly and fully recognizes that women have the same dignity as men.”

Senate ADJOURNS till Monday - Sudden rule amendment to allow electronic/absentee voting - Sen. Lacson: change should go first to Rules - Heated exchange between SP Cayetano and Sen. Erwin Tulfo - Minority walks out - Sen. Sotto moved to adjourn @DeusXMachina14 @QuingAndre

The silence of the mayor of Manila in the midst of the scandal that is the cutting of decades-old trees is nothing short of tragic, if not telling.

IN PHOTOS: Kadamay and #IStandWithThePoor organize a relief operation for the families affected by the fire at Parola Compound, Delpan, Binondo that displaced more than 7,000 residents. Contributed photos.

Minority Senators walk out of plenary session after majority insists on discussion of rule amendment on electronic voting

i love you, manila! kahit ano ka pa man! bata, matanda, mabaho, pangit, babae, lalaki, bakla o tomboy!

Department of Exterminating Natural Resources!

sa loob ng tren! really proud of this painting!!! (also zoom in n scan 🧐)

A graduate of UP, Ateneo, Harvard and LKY. You would think he’d have the least bit of common sense, no? Apparently not. Atty. Juan Miguel Cuna, you have the power to stop your department from further creating irreversible damage to the environment. Pero wala. Salot ka.

@vilneali gan'yan talaga kapag naghalal ng artista sa senado, method acting lang

can some senate members stop acting immaturely, inappropriately, and unethically during senate sessions? this is why filipinos think the senate is a whole circus, ginawang pang entertainment at drama when it should be focused on meaningful discussions addressing national concerns

all these ulam discourse when the real enemy is right there (DENR) #DENRPanagutin #AbolishDENR

bruh, photography really is not in my skill set W my 4 yrs old android

The row of bleeding tree stumps wrapped in plastic along Quirino Avenue is a gut-wrenching sight. To do this during a period of relentless urban heatwaves feels less like infrastructure development and more like a direct assault on the livability of Manila. Over 200 trees—including a 50-year-old narra—have already been felled to make way for the Southern Access Link Expressway (SALEX), a flagship Public-Private Partnership (PPP) under the Build Better More framework, executed by San Miguel Corporation (SMC) in coordination with the Department of Transportation (DOTr). In total, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) authorized the cutting and earth-balling of 617 trees. The government and SMC defend this by pointing to a legal mandate to plant 50,700 replacement seedlings. But to environmental scientists and urban ecologists, this math functions as an ecological illusion. Replacing a mature canopy that actively mitigates the urban heat island effect with a sapling in a plastic bag creates an ecological debt that takes decades to repay. Could we have saved them? In Japan, advanced mechanized earth-balling and large-scale tree transplanting are standard practices for urban redevelopment. Japan utilizes hydraulic tree spades, chemical root-pruning regimens, and crane-lifted steel cages to relocate centuries-old trees safely. However, importing this Japanese option to Quirino Avenue faces brutal economic and logistical realities:   THE PROHIBITIVE COST High-tech relocation of a single mature urban tree costs between $5,000 and $20,000+ USD (roughly ₱290,000 to ₱1.16 million). Moving 617 trees would cost between ₱180 million and ₱700 million. While high-tech relocation costs would represent only a fraction of a multi-billion-peso expressway budget, the current regulatory landscape makes purchasing replacement seedlings the standard, far cheaper financial default for project proponents. THE IMPOSSIBLE TIMELINE Scientific tree relocation requires six months to a year of root preparation and years of aftercare. The DENR gave SMC a tight 90-day window to clear the stretch, making survival biologically impossible under current project deadlines. THE UNDERGROUND CHAOS Manila’s underground is a chaotic maze of decades-old water mains and high-voltage cables. Digging a wide, intact root ball out of this grid presents an immense engineering bottleneck. The central tragedy is that this destruction could be entirely avoidable.  In modern Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks, the golden rule of infrastructure is the Mitigation Hierarchy: Avoid, Minimize, Restore, Offset. In a truly green smart city, engineers design expressways around existing natural infrastructure by shifting piers and curving alignments. By treating trees as static obstacles rather than vital assets, our builders prove their definition of "progress" remains tethered to an outdated mindset that prioritizes moving cars over human survival. The reality is that we remain a third-world city gridlocked by deeply entrenched bureaucracy, demanding first-world amenities without implementing first-world safeguards. To stop Quirino Avenue from becoming the blueprint for every future project, we must act:   Environmental groups must file for a Temporary Environmental Protection Order (TEPO) or Writ of Kalikasan to halt the remaining cutting, citing the constitutional right to a balanced and healthful ecology amid an accelerating climate crisis. The NEDA, DOTr, and DPWH must reform bidding terms for future projects. Proponents must prove their designs minimize mature tree destruction before receiving a green light. The DENR must stop accepting simple seedling replacement ratios as a cure-all. If a project requires cutting a tree, proponents should be held financially liable for the value of the ecosystem services lost—specifically carbon sequestration and localized cooling—over the next 30 years. Progress shouldn't look like a concrete slab over a graveyard of old trees. If we cannot build bridges without killing the very lungs of our city, we are not building the future—we are just paving over our survival. (✍️by: Walter C. Villa ; 📸: The Visual Chronicle / FB) #radarPH

SIGAW NG TAUMBAYAN, SAGIPIN ANG KALIKASAN!

hindi solusyon ang seedlings bilang kapalit. kailangan may managot, tiyakin ang proteksiyong pangkalikasan para sa mga punong puputulin at imbestigahan ang pag-apruba ng proyektong ito na dapat sana'y isinasaalang-alang ang kalikasan at ang taong bayan.

STOP THE TREE CUTTINGS NOW! ang mamamatay puno ay mamamatay tao.