Opinion

The following is the fourth in a series of excerpts from Kelvin Rodolfo's ongoing book project "Tilting at the Monster of Morong: Forays Against the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant and Global Nuclear Energy. " My research path has taken some strange karmic turns. It led our tropa of Phivolcs geologists to study the small lahars of Mt. Mayon in the 1980s, almost as if we were being prepared for our life-saving work in the 1990s on the catastrophic lahars of Pinatubo. Afterwards, it involved my colleague Fernando Siringan, his students, and me in geological research to either side of Mt. Natib, first in Subic Bay to the west, then in the coastal plains of Pampanga and Bulacan east of Natib. This was years before the attempts to activate the BNPP in 2009, before we realized that our work had serious hazard implications for the plant. I will describe the Subic Bay research first, the work in Pampanga in a later Foray. In 1997, Joan Cabato studied the submarine geology ... » Learn More about [OPINION] Beneath the waters of Subic Bay an old pyroclastic-flow deposit, and many faults

The following is the third in a series of excerpts from Kelvin Rodolfo's ongoing book project "Tilting at the Monster of Morong: Forays Against the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant and Global Nuclear Energy. " The most lethal of volcanic hazards that threaten the BNPP are pyroclastic flows. Unlike the volcanic landslides that Cojuangco was referring to which don’t go very far, pyroclastic flows can travel more than a hundred kilometers. Some pyroclastic flows form out of a single large volcanic belch. Others happen when hot gases mixed with fragmental debris and blobs of lava gush violently high into the atmosphere. Pinatubo in 1991 flung up an eruption column that towered more than 19 kilometers above the ground. Of course, as the cartoon shows, gravity must slow down the rising hot mixture, stop it, then accelerate it back down. Smashing into the volcano flanks, glowing-hot clouds and denser masses of gas and solid debris rush downslope at great ... » Learn More about [OPINION] Sear, kill, obliterate: On pyroclastic flows and surges

The following is the second in a series of excerpts from Kelvin Rodolfo's ongoing book project "Tilting at the Monster of Morong: Forays Against the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant and Global Nuclear Energy. " Mark Cojuangco may be very intelligent, but he certainly was geologically illiterate when he wrote the Explanatory Note for his House Bill HB4631.  Knowing so little about volcanoes, he said Natib Volcano is “10 kilometers from the BNPP.” A volcano is not just its vent. The BNPP sits on the western coast of Natib, a dormant volcano so massive that many people who frequently travel on its roads don’t even realize it is a volcano. Natib is the entire mass of northern Bataan . Its diameter above the ocean is 26 kilometers – 16 miles. Its slopes extend offshore 60 meters below sea level more than a kilometer off Napot Point. Natib is 4,111 feet high – about one and a quarter kilometer tall. When Natib last erupted is uncertain -- no earlier than 18,000 years ago, and ... » Learn More about [OPINION] Mount Natib and her sisters

In light of the criminal charges put forward against Muar MP, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, it is very important for everyone in the country to allow the country's law and due process to take place accordingly. No one should be allowed to give their own verdict against anyone who is currently facing criminal charges until a final decision is given by the court. Crucial to remember that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. All over the world, one of the most sacred principles in any criminal justice system holds that a defendant is innocent until proven guilty by the court of the competent jurisdiction. In other words, the prosecution must prove their case against the defendant according to existing rules and procedures beyond a reasonable doubt. Until the case properly has been proven, it must be known that one is considered innocent unless proven guilty. This is in line with the latin maxim ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat which means the burden of proof is on the ... » Learn More about Respect innocent until proven guilty principle

Head coach Luke Walton of the Los Angeles Lakers gestures on the sideline in the first half against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Oct. 28, 2016, in Salt Lake City, Utah.   Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images/AFP Outspoken stage father LaVar Ball has often been critical of the Los Angeles Lakers—particularly with head coach Luke Walton—for supposedly mismanaging Lonzo Ball’s minutes on the court. Just weeks prior to his harsh comments to the player-turned-bench boss, the elder Ball also claimed that Walton did not know how to coach his prized point guard. Walton recently addressed Ball’s criticism and aired his side to Orange County Register’s Bill Oram. “We don’t take parents’ opinions into our coaching decisions and how we’re trying to grow as a group,” he said. “The relationship with Lonzo means a lot to me, so I stay in constant contact with him and how he’s doing. But as far as other people’s thoughts on what we should do, I don’t concern myself with those.” ... » Learn More about Coach Luke Walton to LaVar Ball: ‘We don’t take parents’ opinions’

The following is an opinion editorial article It’s a difficult time right now for Thailand.  It seems almost every day we are seeing new records break in numbers of Covid-19 cases both nationally and locally along with new orders from provincial governors and leaders continually restricting the things we love to do. Pattaya, the home of TPN media, has been particularly hard hit by these restrictions, being a city so reliant on tourism, hospitality, entertainment, nightlife, and similar activities. With our proximity to Bangkok, the “heartbeat” of the current round of infections in Thailand, it is tough to measure exactly when the situation will improve. Pattaya is essentially on pause for the past several months and even more so currently. We have been told to stay home, don’t travel, dine-in at restaurants are shut, all entertainment has been shut since April, malls are shut, all tourist attractions are shut, the movies are shut, gyms and massages are shut, even ... » Learn More about Opinion: We need to pause/extend 90 day reporting right now like last year due to Covid-19 in Thailand

After more than 60 years, Cuba has entered the post-Castro era. Raul Castro recently announced that he is stepping down as the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba. He previously stepped down as the country’s president in 2018. Raul held both positions for 10 years, after succeeding his late older brother Fidel, who died in 2016. Compared to his younger brother, Fidel Castro ruled the island longer, for 50 years. It can be remembered that the Castros rose to power in 1959 when they succeeded in overthrowing the US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista after two years of guerrilla warfare. As Fidel promised a better life for the Cuban campesinos (peasants) and trabajadores (workers), the most decisive step that he made was the nationalization of American-owned industries and sugar plantations throughout the country, which had enslaved the Cuban people for decades. He also nationalized social services like education and health care. This, in turn, infuriated ... » Learn More about [OPINION] Soberana: What we can learn from Cuba’s healthcare system

I REFER to the letter “ Do we have enough dentists? ” (StarEdu, Sunday Star, July 17) by Professor Dr Rahimah Abdul Kadir, who is of the opinion that Malaysia still needs to produce more dentists. I beg to differ. In 2011, there were 4,253 dentists practising in Malaysia. In 2019, there were 10,801. This increase has caused a drop in the dentist-population ratio from 1:6,810 in 2011 to 1:5,000 currently. Such a tremendous increase in the number of dentists (154%) in just eight years raises the question: "Are we producing too many dentists?" While Dr Rahimah outlined her opinion from an academic's point of view, I wish to present mine from the ground level. Our leaders proudly hail the drop in dentist-population ratio as an achievement for the country. They believe that an increase in the number of dentists will lead to: > Less waiting time for patients to receive treatment; > Reduction in cost of dental treatment due to increase in competition; and > Correction ... » Learn More about Low dentist-population ratio not the way to measure success in dental field

As the threat of COVID-19 knocks at the doors of jail and prison facilities, discussions are done on whether to release low-risk bailable and non-violent detainees and prisoners. The Supreme Court will address this issue and we hope that a favorable ruling will be promulgated soon. Prior to this, the Supreme Court also provided guidelines for the online posting of bail for bailable offenses. The Office of the Court Administrator also reiterated rules on the release of detainees who had served their minimum sentences and other remedies. These are all helpful innovations. (READ: [OPINION] Temporary relief for Persons Deprived of Liberty amid the coronavirus ) One key segment of the detainee population that is seldom discussed is the plight of the so-called "non-bailable" offenders. At least 50% of the detainees in the BJMP and provincial jails and police detention centers fall under this category. The Constitution and the Rules of Court state that persons charged with capital ... » Learn More about [OPINION] The plight of ‘non-bailable’ detainees during the coronavirus crisis

The 2022 elections is still a year away, yet the supporters and the opposition to the rule of President Rodrigo Duterte are already mobilizing for the political battles to come. With the country hampered by divisive issues while struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the upcoming polls may be the most important in our history. In honor of the globally-popular television show Game of Thrones , which is celebrating its 10 th anniversary since its premiere, here are a few quotes from the show that we should remember as we enter a critical period of our collective narrative. 1. "Chaos is a ladder." Times of crises reveal the true character of people. Some will immediately respond to the cries for help, through actions such as provision of much-needed food, water, financial aid, and other means of support to the most affected sectors. To them, publicity or political gain does not matter as much as taking an initiative to help alleviate the impacts of ... » Learn More about [OPINION] Playing the ‘game of thrones’ in 2022