We beg to differ.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic struck the Philippines, “bayanihan” has been a mainstay of Filipino culture, especially in the provinces. As someone who spent my youth in the province, I am not surprised whenever the friendly neighbors come over to our place to offer some of their food during the fiesta or Noche Buena or…
My Professor in Communication Arts Marian Pastor Roces is at it again. Mass media and society was the course I took under her back then. As one who is deeply involved in showcasing Muslim-Filipino culture to the world, Roces takes it upon herself to carry the cudgels for the bakwit of Marawi. She writes in…
It’s in the news and is all the buzz amongst the mutual high-fivin’ titas of Manila who are reveling in the idea that they have once again scored a Great Woke Cancellation. University of the Philippines Executive Vice President Teodoro J. Herbosa had recently tendered his resignation. News site Interaksyon “reports” that this was “after…
The Philippines begs just like a scorpion stings. That’s just what the Philippines does. It begs. It begs for “foreign investment”. It begs for foreign “aid”. Begs for loans. Begs for military support. Begs for military equipment. Begs for International Criminal Court intervention. Begs for foreign employment. Begs for rice. Begs for tourists. Begs for…
Read More “Why is the Philippines always BEGGING for stuff?” »
The monumental huffing and puffing over lechon (roast suckling pig) being served during a dinner to celebrate Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s birthday at his home in Davao City seem to have all just emanated from members of the Philippine Opposition. Despite all that shrill noise, this most recent outrage fad they aimed to create seems…
Certain “thought leaders” are issuing shrill commentary on the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns aimed to mitigate its effects. The fact is, most if not all countries are suffering from economic crises in varying degrees thanks to the brittle world order of intricately interdependent and interlinked economies created by “globalisation”….
Read More “Philippines, the sick man of Asia “again”? No. It ALWAYS HAS been sick!” »
Some racially-oriented collocations you may have stumbled across would include German engineering and Japanese precision. It gets amusing though when you see those words lined up with our very own Filipino Pride. Are you ready for a deep dive into the cultural DNA behind these either tech-generating or -consuming nations? Let’s go for a quick…
Read More “German Engineering, Japanese Precision and Filipino Pride” »
Watching how the COVID-19 vaccine comes available to the Filipino public in recent days reminds me of the state of public transport in the Philippines. The service is inconsistent and unpredictable — all madness and very little semblance of method. Like the variety of buses, jeepneys, and all sorts of mechanical contraptions that clunk along…