Category: Civics

Rubbish-littered Manila NAIA Terminal 3 airport lounge tells the real story

Posted on By benign0 221 Comments on Rubbish-littered Manila NAIA Terminal 3 airport lounge tells the real story
Rubbish-littered Manila NAIA Terminal 3 airport lounge tells the real story

A photo of a waiting lounge littered with rubbish in Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has caught the attention of many people and is making the rounds on social media. The photo was originally posted by former Philippine Bureau of Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon on Twitter with the caption: NAIA 3…trash left behind by…

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Civics, Culture, Development, Environment, Lifestyle, Society

‘Disaster preparedness’ has become an oxymoron in the #Philippines

Posted on By benign0 14 Comments on ‘Disaster preparedness’ has become an oxymoron in the #Philippines
‘Disaster preparedness’ has become an oxymoron in the #Philippines

It has been becoming increasingly apparent that “natural” disasters are now a routine occurrence all over the Philippines. The idea that Filipinos ought to be more “prepared” for such calamities — whilst something one would think ought to have been an obvious national priority — is only now resonating across the broader public. To the…

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Civics, Development, Government, Politics, Society

Question to activists: After resorting to violence against Sec Butch Abad, what next?

Posted on By benign0 22 Comments on Question to activists: After resorting to violence against Sec Butch Abad, what next?
Question to activists: After resorting to violence against Sec Butch Abad, what next?

I can understand the rage felt by those UP students who mobbed Department of Budget Management (DBM) Secretary Florencio ‘Butch’ Abad in mid-September. The behaviour of these activists represent an explosion of pent-up anger over what many believe to be an astounding case of wholesale national thievery that will likely go unpunished. Abad is widely-regarded…

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Civics, Crime, Government, Politics, Society

Wretched Philippine-style poverty is actually quite normal

Posted on By benign0 28 Comments on Wretched Philippine-style poverty is actually quite normal
Wretched Philippine-style poverty is actually quite normal

It doesn’t take much to remind Filipinos of their poverty. The problem, however, is that these reminders almost always have to come from external entities. And within this month alone we enjoyed the privilege of two stark reminders, Typhoon Mario and that Aegis Global viral video that the Philippine government is now desperately trying to…

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Civics, Crime, Culture, Development, Government, Lifestyle, Society

Deja vu all over again as Typhoon Mario’s devastation of Metro Manila mirrors Ondoy’s in 2009

Posted on By benign0 26 Comments on Deja vu all over again as Typhoon Mario’s devastation of Metro Manila mirrors Ondoy’s in 2009
Deja vu all over again as Typhoon Mario’s devastation of Metro Manila mirrors Ondoy’s in 2009

Today may as well have been a day in September 2009 when Typhoon Ondoy struck and devastated Manila. Back then I wrote about the Philippine government’s utter failure to step up and provide relief to hundreds of thousands of its victims (a failure to be repeated many more times since), and how Metro Manilans pretty…

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Civics, Development, Environment, Government

Robin Padilla sickened by the Philippines, may leave for good!

Posted on By benign0 25 Comments on Robin Padilla sickened by the Philippines, may leave for good!
Robin Padilla sickened by the Philippines, may leave for good!

A-List Filipino actor Robin Padilla has reportedly expressed a desire to leave the Philippines for good. “Ayoko na sa Pilipinas, tol! Ayoko na dito. Sawang-sawa na ako sa Pilipinas. Saksakan na ng maraming sinungaling dito sa Pilipinas,” (“I’ve given up on the Philippines! I’m sick and tired of it. The country is crawling with liars”)…

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Civics, Culture, Glitz and Glamour, Society

Liar’s poker #FamousSinungalingLines

Posted on By Kate Natividad No Comments on Liar’s poker #FamousSinungalingLines
Liar’s poker #FamousSinungalingLines

Been seeing this hashtag (which literally means “famous lying lines”) on Twitter and even on Facebook lately. How timely! These are days marked by much lying. In politics, specially. But we won’t go into that. Lying in politics, after all, is such a banality. It’s a wonder people still go out and vote. Filipino voters…

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Civics, Culture, Glitz and Glamour, Lifestyle, Media, Society

Senator Pia Cayetano: Some proper perspective is due the whole Torre de Manila brouhaha

Posted on By benign0 10 Comments on Senator Pia Cayetano: Some proper perspective is due the whole Torre de Manila brouhaha
Senator Pia Cayetano: Some proper perspective is due the whole Torre de Manila brouhaha

While I find a bit justified the whole stink being raised around the way the Torre de Manila highrise condominiums being constructed in Manila by developer DMCI Homes is supposedly “ruining” the view of the Rizal Monument, I think we are missing the bigger picture. Metro Manila is an ugly city. And that ugliness did…

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Civics, Crime, Development, Government, Lifestyle, Media, Politics, Society