Category: Culture

Philippine-China conflict: How did we come to be so dependent on Chinese imports?

Posted on By benign0 24 Comments on Philippine-China conflict: How did we come to be so dependent on Chinese imports?

Last weekend Governor Joey Salcedo of the Philippine province of Albay issued what on the surface looks to be a ludicrous proposal — that Filipinos “boycott” Chinese-made products. Salcedo made this call to Filipinos to “hurt [China] where it counts” in light of recent military and diplomatic tension between the Philippines and China over the…

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Culture, Development, Economy, Lifestyle

Philippines: Stuck in reverse since Independence Day

Posted on By Ilda 60 Comments on Philippines: Stuck in reverse since Independence Day

A lot of Filipinos want to copy everything about the United States of America. From the form of government down to the style of music, Filipinos look to Uncle Sam for direction. For as long as everyone can remember, Filipinos have always viewed the home of our former colonizers as the land of milk and…

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Culture, Development, Economy, Government, Media, Science, Society

Are Filipinos individualist, collectivist, or just a bunch of moochers?

Posted on By Ilda 40 Comments on Are Filipinos individualist, collectivist, or just a bunch of moochers?

Labels are now the “in” thing among so-called “intellectuals” of the Philippine blogosphere. Some Filipinos who are actively participating in debates are suddenly identifying themselves as either libertarian, conservative, progressive, socialist, communist, etcetera, etcetera. Apparently, there are people who think that you need to identify yourself with a particular ideology. Otherwise, they insist on putting…

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Culture, Development, Society

Foreign direct investment: Are Filipinos up to the task of seizing opportunities served up to them?

Posted on By benign0 18 Comments on Foreign direct investment: Are Filipinos up to the task of seizing opportunities served up to them?

Seeing foreign direct investment, cash handouts, and subsidies as the silver bullet that will cure chronic Filipino poverty? Think again. Lots of lessons are to be learned in what former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad said in a speech at the Harvard Club of Malaysia dinner on 29 July 2002 about how the presence of…

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Culture, Development, Economy, Education

Philippine ‘Independence’ Day on June 12: a desperate claim to a false achievement

Posted on By benign0 12 Comments on Philippine ‘Independence’ Day on June 12: a desperate claim to a false achievement

Guess what’s coming up: “Independence” Day. More precisely, it is the could-have-been day of independence unilaterally declared by General Emilio Aguinaldo back on the 12th of June 1898 that we are celebrating this coming 12th of June. Many who see that day as a day that defines “Filipino nationalism” are right. We are a nation…

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Culture, Society

RH Bill debate: PacMAN not KO’d by LagMAN but beaten on points

Posted on By benign0 11 Comments on RH Bill debate: PacMAN not KO’d by LagMAN but beaten on points

Unfortunately, the much-promoted “debate” between boxing champ Manny Pacquiao and House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman — billed “PacMAN vs LagMAN” — aired on ABS-CBN’s Harapan (literally “face-off”) was inaccessible from Australia. But it does not really take a genius to imagine how such a spectacle might have transpired. Blogger Joe America in a recent comment…

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Culture, Development, Education, Media, Religion

Philippine-style religion equals Philippine-style poverty

Posted on By benign0 13 Comments on Philippine-style religion equals Philippine-style poverty

Over at ProPinoy.net, blogger Doy Santos presents a comprehensive statistical picture of religious fervor in the Philippines. According to Santos’s figures the Philippines counts itself among the Top Ten countries with populations that have the highest rated “confidence in their church”. This Top Ten is predominantly Islamic. Tanzania is reckoned to be 50-50 Christian/Islamic and,…

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Culture, Development, Religion, Society

Will Filipino voters reward politicians who support the Reproductive Health Bill?

Posted on By benign0 5 Comments on Will Filipino voters reward politicians who support the Reproductive Health Bill?

We are seeing interesting times today as it seems like roles have been reversed for the first time in the last several decades. The Philippine Roman Catholic Church descended into a very public tantrum following hints from President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III that calls for a boycott on paying taxes made by some Church officials…

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Culture, Development, Politics, Religion