Category: Culture

Should the Philippines increase military spending and prepare for war?

June 24, 2011February 26, 2022 benign0 32 Comments

In the last couple of months, tension between China and the Philippines around claims of sovereignty over the Spratly Islands have escalated, punctuated most recently by the deployment of the Philippine Navy warship BRP Rajah Humabon which sailed on a “patrol” mission to the Scarborough Shoal off Zambales. The Armed Forces of the Philippines as…

Civics, Culture, Featured, Society

What the context of the next State of the Nation Address (SONA) should be

June 22, 2011 benign0 2 Comments

As we approach the end of the fiscal year under the administration of a man who, during his campaign, trumpeted his envisioned role as President as one of being a “fiscalizer,” the time to take stock of what has been achieved or, at least, what groundwork had been lain over the last 12 months is…

Culture, Development, Government, Media

What it means to be truly proud to be Filipino

June 21, 2011June 30, 2013 benign0 9 Comments

Who really wins a game, the star player or the team? Our star players — doctors, IT professionals, artists — are leaving in droves for a better life with the winning teams because they are tired of propping up (being heroes for) what essentially is the losing team. Lea Salonga, for example, is an achiever….

Civics, Culture, Society

Filipinos need to work on their ego

June 17, 2011July 3, 2013 Ilda 188 Comments

The Filipino mind is Philippine society’s greatest enemy. If you read Philippine publications, watch local talk shows on TV or even just peruse other popular collective Filipino blogsites, you can pretty much tell what the national preoccupation is about. The national preoccupation is centered on the Filipino ego. To be specific, it’s all about who…

Culture, Society

The Philippine National Debate: the cheerleaders among us as a cheerleader President leads us

June 16, 2011June 16, 2011 benign0 7 Comments

There is a big difference between being a mere cheerleader and being a true leader. Cheerleaders are able to whip up emotional fervor and lure people into spectacular but short bursts of mindless emotionally-fueled stampedes. Real leaders, on the other hand are able to sustain commitment by providing a solid foundation of substance underlying the…

Culture, Government, Media, Politics, Society

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

June 14, 2011March 7, 2014 benign0 24 Comments

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…

Culture, Development, Economy, Lifestyle

Philippines: Stuck in reverse since Independence Day

June 11, 2011June 12, 2014 Ilda 60 Comments

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…

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

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

June 5, 2011June 5, 2011 Ilda 40 Comments

Labels are now the â€œinâ€ thing among so-called â€œintellectualsâ€ 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…

Culture, Development, Society