Today is the National Independence Day in the Philippines. Each year on the 12th of June Filipinos remember and celebrate the Declaration of Independence from Spain in 1898. But first, let’s go back in time and learn more about Philippines’ history. The islands were discovered by Europeans during the circumnavigation of the globe conducted by …
Poverty increases during lockdown
Almost three months have passed since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic which in Italy, as in the Philippines, caused many deaths. Specifically, out of 12.942 confirmed cases, filipino victims are 837. The most affected group are people over 60 years old (around 68%). According to the Department of Health 89 % of all confirmed …
Labor day: paying homage to all humanitarian workers
The idea of celebrating Labor Day on May 1st was launched during the Second International congress that met in Paris in July 1889. Indeed, the intention was to commemorate the Haymarket Uprising that took place 3 years earlier in Chicago. During this uprising, a general strike was called across the United States to reduce the …
Architectural guidelines to fight COVID-19
MASS Design group is a team of architects, engineers and designers who advocate for architecture that promotes justice and human dignity. Based on their previous learnings on infection control, they issued some guidelines in this time of pandemic, when many communities around the world are responding to the quick escalation of COVID-19 by building temporary …
Coronavirus and human rights in the Philippines
The first case of COVID-19 in the Philippines was reported on 30 January 2020. It was by a Chinese woman. Since then, the virus spread rapidly and today there have been around 6000 confirmed cases, out of which around 400 deaths. There may be more sick people under home quarantine. The red area is in …
The Taal Volcano awakens: what is going on
Taal Volcano is located on the island of Luzon, about 100 km south of Manila, the capital of the Philippines, and is the second most active volcano in the country. After months of seismic inactivity, since last Sunday it has been erupting, emitting not only smoke and ashes but also lava flows. This led the …
