Opinion

The Farmers’ Almanac did not so much die as it was politely forced into early retirement. After 208 years of forecasting frost and fortune, this venerable annual faced the same forces now battering legacy media everywhere: rising costs, collapsing print economics, and a digital world that rewards clicks over contemplation.

Metals are having a moment. And it is loud, shiny, and unapologetically macro. 

The trading world has turned impatience into a business model. Scroll any social feed and you’ll see promises of instant wins, luxury lifestyles, and financial freedom on demand. Charts blink, testimonials shout, urgency sells—but thought rarely does. In this culture, patience is often seen as a liability rather than a virtue.

There is a familiar sound in Philippine policymaking: an engine idling in neutral. It is neither progress nor collapse, just the quiet waste of momentum. This is where the government’s automotive incentive programs now stand. RACE and CARS were meant to strengthen local vehicle assembly, yet both remain stalled by delays, budget constraints, and unpaid commitments.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s anti-corruption blitz in flood-control and public-works agencies was meant to clean house. Instead, it is triggering political, economic, and social tremors that now overshadow its stated purpose. The irony is hard to ignore: a campaign launched to restore trust is increasingly viewed as deepening uncertainty.