We beg to differ.
But of course it comes across as being “negative” when we talk about just how horrific a disaster Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) brought upon the Philippines. It is being “negative” when one points out how decades of neglect, corruption, and idiocy had laid layers and layers of the groundwork that turned much of the Philippine archipelago…
Noted constitutionalist and former president of the Ateneo de Manila University Fr Joaquin Bernas lauded the Supreme Court decision to ban pork which, he wrote, “restores the normal constitutional order of handling public money”. He cited the specific clause in the Constitution that clearly defines the limits of the power of any one government official…
The first 72 hours in every disaster relief and rescue operation is the most crucial. It’s when a responsible and speedy reaction is much needed. It was during this most crucial time, the 1st 72 hours, that I was hoping our government leaders have acted more swiftly and responded more responsibly as well. No, I…
In the aftermath of the devastation wrought by Typhoon Yolanda (a.k.a. Haiyan) the hard question stares us squarely in the face: What’s next for a nation that, even in normal times, struggles to deliver the most basic services to the majority of its people?. According to recent reports, up to four million Filipinos are left…
Read More “The Philippines’ long road to recovery after Yolanda: Are Filipinos up to the task?” »
When it comes to advertising and product placements, Filipino politicians are the best. Advertising executives can actually learn a thing or two about how to optimise exposure of any product from them. The results speak for themselves. Politicians whose names and faces are printed on almost anything – billboards, noodle packets or candy bars get…
Did the Filipino people elect their leaders so that they could be given a “break” in times when their leadership is needed the most? It seems that’s exactly what they did. Many Filipinos are already quite aware of the embarrassingly cringe-worthy manner with which Philippine President Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino III and Department of Interior…
They say people’s true character reveals itself under pressure. Super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) has certainly put Philippine politicians under pressure. This is something they are not really used to. They are more used to grandstanding under their own terms during scheduled press conferences with members of the local media and during mock hearings, which appear…
Within several days, a coherent picture of the situation in the areas devastated by Typhoon Yolanda (international code name: Haiyan) which hit the Philippines on the 8th November 2013 has been produced by an international team of crisis management experts. The Situation Report published on the 13th November 2013 by the UN Office for the…