THE appointment of Markus Lacanilao as the new chief of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in October 2025 has been met with cautious optimism from many quarters. The LTO, an institution essential to the daily movement of millions of Filipinos, has long faced challenges relating to operational bottlenecks, legacy systems and public trust. Lacanilao’s entry into the agency brings with it not just new leadership but an opportunity to recalibrate priorities and strengthen long

THE invitation to the private nonlife insurance industry to join what has been a historically government-dominated terrain of agricultural risk is not just timely — it is essential. In the Philippines, the agricultural insurance sector has long been shouldered by the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC). But the government’s recent move to open the field to private insurers signals a paradigm shift — one that offers industry, farmers and the nation alike a meaningful chance

By Michael F. Rellosa As I write, Typhoon Ragasa, the strongest typhoon anywhere in the world in 2025 thus far, made its power felt, with...

By Michael F. Rellosa Imagine being a farmer in the Philippines, your livelihood tied directly to the land, your family’s future...

By Michael F. Rellosa Weeks of rain drove me indoors and gave me time to read and watch. I came across an article on the scientific...

by Michael F. Rellosa THE Philippine archipelago stands at the unfortunate forefront of global vulnerability to natural disasters....

By Michael F. Rellosa Why does the Philippines import food when we can grow it? The Philippines is a beautiful country with rich soil,...

By Michael F. Rellosa I know the subject of this paper might seem a bit outside the typical insurance practitioner's comfort zone. But as...