Category: Culture

RH Bill ‘debate’: When Tito Sotto says ‘jump’ Filipinos ask ‘How high?’

August 13, 2012 benign0 20 Comments

Whatever the content of Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III’s anti-Reproductive Health Bill (RH Bill) speech broadcast via radio today was, the bottom line is quite simple: Tito Sotto is a celebrity. His impassioned speech delivered in Tagalog, the lingua franca of Philippine showbiz, will likely have resonated across the Filipino masses. Sure, he made debatable…

Culture, Development, Education, Lifestyle, Politics, Religion

Pinoys give SOS another meaning

August 9, 2012 FallenAngel 87 Comments

Haring habagat – this is the name that some people on Facebook are throwing around to call the latest series of torrential rains that has besieged Metro Manila. Habagat refers to the southwest monsoon experienced by the Philippines every year. The total volume of rainfall from this incidence has seemingly exceeded that of Ondoy in…

Culture, Government, Politics, Society

Metro Manila had long ago set itself up for its own destruction by flooding

August 8, 2012 benign0 54 Comments

According to Mark McDonald in a New York Times blog post, the recent floods that hit Metro Manila this week “seem to have caused little public anger over further municipal dysfunction in the densely populated capital of more than 10 million” and that, instead, “Filipinos demonstrated a remarkable civic spirit as they shared news of…

Culture, Development, Government, Society

Stepping up to Manila storm flooding: Shotgun bayanihan!

August 7, 2012 benign0 4 Comments

The following is a re-post of an article I wrote for the now-defunct FilipinoVoices.com back in 2009 when Typhoon Ondoy wrought destruction across Metro Manila. The original Facebook archive can be found here. * * * In recent days we’ve been hearing and reading the word “Bayanihan” to the point of its being reduced to…

Culture, Government, Society

Catholic Church May Be Flawed But Pinoy Flaws Are All Their Own

August 7, 2012April 8, 2014 Gogs 25 Comments

“Blame it on Cain, Oh-oh, oh, please don’t blame it on me It’s nobody’s fault But it just seems to be his turn” Elvis Costello Just like when I talked to you folks about the Impeachment Trial of the Chief Justice, I hope you know by now that when I am not that…

Culture, Government, Lifestyle, Politics, Religion, Society

Philippine Reproductive Health Bill: politically-corrected beyond recognition

July 31, 2012July 31, 2012 benign0 71 Comments

The Reproductive Health Bill (RH Bill) is one hell of a beast. The Philippines’ Roman Catholic Church literally sees it as such — a beast straight out of hell that will undermine everything that it stands for. It has, today, come down to the vote: Will Philippine Congress approve or reject the bill? It is…

Culture, Development, Religion, Society

How Not To Be A Party Guest

July 31, 2012May 13, 2020 Gogs 10 Comments

I don’t understand why someone who has a history of having no history of competence or even simple activity on his own job would lecture media on how to do their job. The media is there to report news and not just the news the way the president sees it. One day the media…

Culture, Government, Media, Politics

Is Noynoy’s house of cards about to collapse?

July 29, 2012August 12, 2013 FallenAngel 34 Comments

If you’ve ever tried building a house of cards, perhaps even challenging yourself to use the entire deck of fifty-two (52), then you’ve probably realized how frustrating and exasperating it is. Even the slightest movement will cause the entire structure to collapse. You’ve got to have a very steady hand to make sure that the…

Crime, Culture, Economy, Government, Politics, Society