Year: 2014

Manila’s Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) stations: Disasters waiting to happen?

February 27, 2014 benign0 27 Comments

It seems MRT-3 stations are becoming potential death traps as dangerous crowd control practices are now being used to “manage” the increasing volumes of passengers using the line. As seen in the following photo, passengers are made to queue on stairs leading to the train platforms packed like sardines. The photo was posted by a…

Development, Government, Lifestyle

Just grin and bear it – Filipinos don’t like tough questions

February 26, 2014 FallenAngel 23 Comments

They don’t like asking them. They sure as hell do not like answering them. If you think about it, this is rather unsurprising for a society that does not encourage its members to question authority even the slightest. While examples of questionable things and issues in Filipino society are endless, the past few weeks have…

Civics, Culture, Government, Society

EDSA People Power it is Not

February 26, 2014February 27, 2014 John Bay 9 Comments

Year 28 since the EDSA People Power revolution and the special working holiday has passed even more uneventfully as the previous one. I am reviewing my post from the previous year entitled “Getting Over the Yellow Fever”. Sadly many of the points I have raised in 2013 remain unchanged. Some of these points include: Non-Inclusive…

Charter Change, Economy, Government

It’s time Filipinos start recognizing the true builders of their country

February 25, 2014March 13, 2014 benign0 26 Comments

With political airspace in the Philippines currently congested by allegations, accusations, and speculations of thievery flying back and forth between political cliques, factions, and camps, one couldn’t be blamed for losing any remaining semblance of faith in the old idealistic notion that a stint in government office grants one a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to “make a…

Development, Economy, Featured, Government, Politics

ABS-CBN’s “Flesh-Eating Disease” Hoax Takes a Sadly Predictable Turn

February 25, 2014February 25, 2014 BenK 57 Comments

So the story goes like this: Sometime in April of last year, a self-styled “prophet” — an Indian man whose name is either “Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj” or “Vincent” — of a hiterto unheard-of religious organization called Jesus Ministries delivered a fire-and-brimstone sermon to a gathering in the Cuneta Astrodome, in which he prophesied, among other…

Media, Religion, Society, Uncategorized

Online libel, freedom of information, and what Filipinos have done with their freedom

February 24, 2014February 25, 2014 FallenAngel 35 Comments

Outrage in the citizenry continues erupting over the recent ruling of the Supreme Court regarding the online libel clause in Republic Act 10175, A.K.A. the Cybercrime Law. Due to the online libel clause not being declared unconstitutional, social media is abuzz with discussion that the end of “freedom of speech” and “freedom of expression” draws…

Civics, Culture, Government, Media, Society

Absolute MUST READ: Can We Survive A Kris Aquino Vice Presidency?

February 24, 2014February 24, 2014 P. Farol 75 Comments

It used to be that when it comes to what will be on the television on any given Sunday afternoon, the voting that goes on around my house has me beaten by three (the wife and two housemaids) in favor of watching a showbiz oriented and one (my kid) in favor of Baby TV or…

Government, Media, Politics

The 1986 EDSA Revolution’s legacy: Three key aspects of the 1987 Constitution that hobbles Philippine progress

February 24, 2014 benign0 21 Comments

It’s that time of the year again when we celebrate that supposedly seminal event in Philippine history when, according to the local lore, the forces of evil (porportedly the regime of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos) were vanquished by the forces of good (supposedly the Aquino-Cojuangco feudal clan). Marcos removed. Game over. The 1986 “People…

Charter Change, Civics, Development, Government, Media, Politics, Society