We beg to differ.
Manila is the capital of the Philippines and, as such, “imperial” by its very nature. Through no fault of its own, it was seen as the seat of “evil” emperors by generations of Filipinos living in its hinterlands. By no means, however did Manila — the city and the country’s melting pot and, therefore, its…
Read More “Manila is the Philippines and the Philippines is Manila” »
The recent success of the opening ceremonies of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games and, for that matter, the overall multi-million dollar investment in hosting the Games proves a point. Filipinos, and people in general — rich or poor — love to see and experience nice things. This is the reason the half-witted argument of choice…
When subjected to extreme situations where it means either life or death, the primal response of the human brain brought about by thousand years of evolution is either a fight or flight response. It is where things are reduced to essentials and the superficial and the miscellaneous take a backseat. To come out alive of…
Being an avid reader, I couldn’t help but jump for joy when an independent, inexpensive bookshop opens up nearby. That was my feeling upon finding Bookay-Ukay at Maginhawa street in Teacher’s Village, Quezon City some years ago. It has inexpensive books, mostly older, outdated pieces, but still nice to read. I especially go for the…
Why say something if you don’t intend to mean it? That, in essence, is the dishonest underpinnings of Charot Culture. The word charot in normalspeak is “joke only”. Filipinos who say something tongue-in-cheek, sarcastically, or to convey a sense of irony often have to resort to appending their statement with either one or even both…
Read More “The word “charot” reflects Philippine society’s cowardly COP-OUT culture” »
The late Carlos Celdran’s claim to fame is being a promoter of heritage and culture. He caters to those who believe that preserving heritage and culture is what Filipino need to improve the country. I disagree. Let me borrow Ronald Reagan’s style for this: heritage is not the solution to our problem; heritage is the…
Read More “Holding on to Heritage Causes rather than Solves our Country’s Problems” »
Nobody owes Carlos Celdran anything. He made a name for himself going up against the mighty Roman Catholic Church. But this is something many Filipinos have already been doing in manners that do not get them in trouble with the law. In this context one’s gotta take with a bit of bemusement what “thought leader”…
Our webmaster Benign0 and other bloggers have all mentioned how the jeepney is a symbol of the Philippines’ backwardness. Recently, efforts to improve it, or replace it with a better vehicle, met resistance from the likes of “transport groups” like PISTON and Manibela. What’s funny is how even celebrities and middle-class commenters insert themselves and…
Read More “Resistance to Jeepney Modernization symbolizes Filipino Primitivism” »