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I was very happy last week when I received a basket-full of kamote (sweet potato) from one of our associates. Kamote is one of my favorite things to eat. It was part of my childhood and I continue to enjoy it today. I know that in the provinces it has remained a staple in many Filipino families especially those struggling to make ends meet. That is why it has earned the monicker “the poor man’s diet.” It’s cheap, delicious and more importantly, it is good for your health.

We’ve been hearing about the government’s aspiration to make the Philippines an upper middle-income country within the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. To the ordinary Filipino and some pessimists, the goal is ambitious and another pipe dream of the administration.

We just celebrated the 125th anniversary of Philippine Independence. Actually, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) has decided to organize a multi-year commemoration to celebrate our independence and our nationhood from 2023 to 2026. The idea is to highlight not just one event but a multitude of “events and realities that gave birth to the Filipino nation from the proclamation of Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898 in Kawit, Cavite, up to the end of the First Philippine Republic on March 23, 1901 in Palanan, Isabela.”