The Manila Collegian

Batay sa naitalang Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ng Pilipinas sa unang bahagi ng taong 2026, umabot sa 0.2% ang paghina ng sektor ng agrikultura—kasama na ang panggugubat at pangingisda—dahil sa epekto umano ng isyu ng korapsyon sa flood control projects na siyang umantala sa pambansang badyet, ng sigalot sa Kanlurang Asya, gayundin ng pababago-bagong lagay ng panahon.

Hindi na bago ang naturang kahinaan sa nasabing sektor gayong, noong taong 2025, naitala ang 7.9% share nito sa GDP ng bansa—pinakamababang numerong naitala sa kasaysayan ng tinaguriang agrikultural na bansa. Direktang epekto nito ang lubhang pagtaas ng mga presyo ng mga yamang pang-agrikultura kagaya na lamang ng pataba, na siyang pinanganganiban ding maapektuhan ang produksyon ng palay sa bansa.

Kung kaya, lalo’t higit sa katauhan ng Lolo, ang kapwa niyang mga magsasaka ang sumasalo sa kapalpakan ng kasalukuyang administrasyon sa pangangasiwa’t pangangalaga sa agrikultura ng bansa, na ngayon ay mas pinalala pa ng krisis sa langis.

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There are only a few weeks left until I go home to our humble abode near the coastal sands of the quaint province of Camiguin Island in Mindanao. As I peruse the websites of Cebu Pacific, Air Asia, and Philippine Airlines, the airline ticket that was once priced at about P2,000 when booked months before has turned into P6,000 pesos—a price increase that makes me hesitate to go home.

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Para sa karaniwang Pilipinong naghihikahos, ang mabuhay sa Pilipinas ay katumbas ng paunti-unting pagkalugmok na siyang tutungo sa tiyak na pagkamatay. Sapagkat ipit, ang masa ang unang-unang mababaon sa hukay sa pambihirang pagkakataong ang trahedya ay sumapit.

Kasunod ng ilang buwang panggigiit ng mga umaaligid na pumuposturang tagapagpaunlad, kawalan ang naging kapalaran ng humigit-kumulang 3000 pamilya sa Parola Compound, Binondo, Maynila matapos ang pagsaboy ng apoy na tumupok sa kanilang kabuhayan at pangarap—tagpong nagpapatunay sa lagim ng impyernong gawa ng tao.

Mga larawan nina Cassandra Dela Torre at Zachary Cirineo

Mga salita ni Marlo J. Gordoncillo

NEWS UPDATE: Tree-cutting activities headed by the San Miguel Corp. (SMC) for the construction of the Southern Access Link Expressway (SALEX) has ceased in operation, following the protest held by residents and environmental groups along Quirino Avenue on Monday, May 26.

The said infrastructure will reportedly construct a 40.62-kilometer expressway, designed to connect the Skyway to Roxas Boulevard.

The public opposition highlighted possible ecological violence from the removal of the 600 trees by the corporation, such as increase in urban heat levels and weaker flooding interventions, which they claim may worsen flooding in the said area.

Residents along the avenue also grieved economic loss since the operation's onset, noting how local business incomes plummeted as more areas became unshaded.

JUST IN: The University of the Philippines Board of Regents (BOR) declares UP Tacloban as the 9th constituent university (CU) of the UP system, following the 1409th meeting of BOR today, May 27, at the AIT Seminar Room in UP Diliman, Quezon City.

Previously, the BOR named then-UP Visayas Tacloban College as an autonomous unit during its 1380th meeting last April 27, 2023.

This follows a similar path to UP Cebu, which was also under UP Visayas before being granted constituent status in 2016.

With UP Tacloban's promotion, the UP system now officially comprises nine CUs, leaving no autonomous units remaining.

UP Tacloban currently houses 1,400 students while offering 10 undergraduate degree programs and two Master’s programs.