Category: Development

MMDA is living on a prayer instead of thinking about solving EDSA’s traffic problems

July 7, 2012June 19, 2013 Ilda 48 Comments

It seems Filipino public servants are incapable of thinking outside the square when it comes to addressing the problems that plague the nation. Most of them rely on prayer to solve issues rather than apply science and technology — an approach that could actually yield permanent solutions. Take the case of the Chairman for Metro…

Civics, Culture, Development, Government, Religion, Society

President Benigno Simeon Aquino’s 3rd State of the Nation Address (SONA 2012)

July 3, 2012 Ilda 52 Comments

President Benigno Simeon â€œBSâ€ Aquino III will be giving his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) soon. Like his first and second SONA, his speech will most likely be full of motherhood statements similar to all the previous speeches he had delivered since he announced his plans to run for the Presidency in 2009….

Development, Economy, Government, Politics

An alternative personification of the Pinoy: the spoiled brat

July 1, 2012July 25, 2013 FallenAngel 14 Comments

The symbol for the Filipino everyman is called Juan de la Cruz. In that essence, it is similar to the way Americans use John Doe to refer to people whose identity is unknown. Juan de la Cruz is also particularly used in the sense that it a very common name here in the Philippines. He…

Culture, Development, Featured, Politics, Society

Jose Antonio Vargas – modern day migrants’ hero and Filipino exemplar?

June 20, 2012November 21, 2014 benign0 8 Comments

Filipino ‘illegal’ immigrant Jose Antonio Vargas seems to have started something big. Vargas, who lives in the United States, is a journalist of Filipino ancestry who was born in the Philippines but was sent to live with his grandparents (both naturalised Americans) when he was 12. At 16, he experienced a rude awakening to the…

Culture, Development, Lifestyle, Media, Society

Who is the true Filipino ‘nationalist’?

June 13, 2012 benign0 51 Comments

So-called “cause-oriented groups” (COGs) at present seem to have a monopoly over the label “nationalist” or “patriot”. They claim to be the only true nationalists simply by virtue of their willingness to invoke chaos on our streets and to express themselves in a form of Tagalog that makes generous use of six-syllable words that most…

Civics, Development, Society

Mahathir Mohamad on why the Philippines may suffer from a case of mediocre political leadership

June 11, 2012September 10, 2016 benign0 123 Comments

Mediocre political leadership. These are the words Malaysian former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad used to describe a key possible pitfall of “unbridled democracy”. This he said in a speech he delivered on the occasion of his being conferred an Honorary Professor Title by the University of Santo Tomas. Mahathir also added that free-wheeling democracy can…

Culture, Development, Featured, Government, Politics, Society

Moving on after the trial: repeal of the Foreign Currency Deposit Act followed by a full-scale audit and investigation

May 31, 2012August 12, 2013 benign0 35 Comments

The challenge of “moving on” needs to be substantiated. I keep hearing that challenge in the context of the recently-concluded trial and conviction of Philippine Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. That circus took up no less than six months of the already meagre attention span of Philippine society and, as most circuses do, it…

Crime, Culture, Development, Featured, Government, Politics

Jeepney Court: Why the Senate impeachment trial court is like the jeepney

May 25, 2012May 25, 2012 benign0 19 Comments

The jeepney originally came into the public service for several clear reasons: (1) to address a post-war shortage of public mass transportation, (2) there was abundant raw material — surplus United States Army jeeps — for the product, and (3) Filipinos were not up to the task of rebuilding a systemised public transport infrastructure. Fast…

Civics, Crime, Development, Government, Politics