Year: 2018

Duterte featured in @IanBremmer’s TIME Magazine article on the world’s top “strongmen”

May 4, 2018 benign0 9 Comments

Heads up! A piece published today by TIME Magazine put Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin amongst others. In “What the ‘Tough Guy’ Era Means for Global Politics“, Ian Bremmer writes what comes across as a lament over what could be the end of the moral ascendancy Western liberal democracy had enjoyed…

Media, Politics, Society

US rapper @KanyeWest’s comment referring to slavery as a choice applies to Filipinos who choose to be slaves too

May 3, 2018 Ilda 16 Comments

American rapper Kanye West’s latest controversial remarks have angered not just the usual Liberal-minded mob, but also his fellow African-Americans. After all, he wasn’t just showing his love for his “boy” American President Donald Trump, he was analysing black slavery – something some people think he is no authority on. During a recent interview on…

Culture, Society

Except for one little detail, journalism and literary fiction are THE SAME BANANA

May 2, 2018April 23, 2021 benign0 4 Comments

According to Maria Ressa in a tweet, “journalists shine the light”. She was very likely referring to the lofty position in the knowledge food chain she imagines her profession occupies — the be-all beacon of everything that is “true” in the Philippines, the “journalism” profession. Of course we all need to be reminded, having said…

Media

Filipino workers need to ditch OBSOLETE activists like Renato Reyes this #LaborDay on #MayoUno2018

May 1, 2018 benign0 6 Comments

Filipinos need to change their labour “leaders”. They spout nothing but obsolete Cold War-era slogans every labour day and this year is no different. This year’s call is, guess what, “unite” against [ blah blah blah ]. What is this year’s blah blah blah issue? Contractualisation — specifically the call to stamp out the use…

Development, Economy

Why Duterte should step down to give way to Leni

May 1, 2018 zaxx 9 Comments

This post will be a bit shorter than usual. It’s quite noticeable that many people (esp. in Facebook) just read the title and hastily jump to react and issue comments without even bothering to read the actual article itself. Yes, that’s the sad reality (lack of time or sheer laziness) – and it’s quite easy…

Charter Change, Government, Politics

Filipinos need to Cut Down Pakisuyo and Paubaya

May 1, 2018May 1, 2018 ChinoF 5 Comments

When our webmaster Benign0 wrote about the problem of “pakiusap” (requests, usual the asking of special favors that sometimes lead to impunity), I was reminded of another “paki” word – pakisuyo. It means to ask someone to do something for you. Another is paubaya – to entrust something to someone. Sometimes, I see the word…

Culture

OFWs are a LIABILITY because they are turning the Philippine economy into an OBESE economy

April 30, 2018 benign0 8 Comments

We see today the Philippines has an obese economy. Its bones (infrastructure and capital base) are buckling under the weight of sugar-fed fat it accumulated through OFWism and consumerism. Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are the equivalent of revenue candy fed to a malnourished economy. They provide a short-term energy fix that gets that next meal…

Culture, Development, Economy

Do Filipinos want to continue to be known as the world’s servants?

April 29, 2018 benign0 22 Comments

The latest brouhaha surrounding the diplomatic row with Kuwait that erupted following the going “viral” of a video of a “rescue operation” instigated by Filipino diplomatic personnel there has attracted much debate. The “discussion” surrounding this circus focuses on the minutiae of the debacle the Philippine government finds itself in in the immediate aftermath. What…

Culture, Development, Economy, Society