Category: Development

Three fundamental roadblocks to improving Philippine public transport

April 26, 2011December 11, 2022 benign0 21 Comments

Solving the mass transport problem of large Philippine cities is one of those hard problems. Much of its hardness is accounted for by that inescapable fundamental nature of the poverty that defines the Filipino’s very existence — the Filipino’s habit of entering into commitments that they are inherently incapable of honouring. Such commitments are almost…

Culture, Development, Economy, Lifestyle

Do Filipinos know how to use their freedom of speech?

April 21, 2011October 20, 2011 Ilda 110 Comments

What is up with some modern day proponents of freedom of speech? Do they really know what they are talking about? Sometimes they give me the impression that all they are good at is quoting some dead bigwig who advocated freedom of expression in the past. Unfortunately, these same bigwigs could never have imagined that…

Culture, Development, Media, Politics, Society

A tragic life is one spent noisily demanding respect instead of quietly earning it

April 13, 2011 benign0 9 Comments

Defeated, humiliated, freshly nuked, and under American military occupation, Japan rose from the ashes to become, within three decades, one of the biggest, most prosperous, and most powerful nations on the planet. South Korea, also utterly devastated by a war with the Communist Bloc beavered away; and one day the world woke up to find…

Culture, Development, Media, Society

A quiet dignity

April 9, 2011May 10, 2011 Ms. Mike Portes 4 Comments

Why did I hesitate? The cynicism in me took over but I was drawn to him and for every word that was exchanged in that early morning jeepney ride, my fondness in him grew stronger. It was a fresh Saturday morning in a soothingly windy Metro Manila suburb that made me want to take a…

Real advise for Filipinos desperately praying for jobs

April 5, 2011April 6, 2011 benign0 11 Comments

Joblessness is indeed a big problem in the Philippines. It is Third World labour supply on steroids — an exceedingly pathetic situation that sees the economic value of Filipino labour utterly flattened under the sheer weight of the vast numbers of warm bodies out on the streets in jeepney- and bus-loads looking for jobs. The…

Development, Economy, Education, Lifestyle, Religion

Tagalog vs English? Take the 30-word challenge!

April 1, 2011March 8, 2014 benign0 48 Comments

I’ve always made the assertion that proficiency in the English language is the Filipino’s ticket to success. Being a good English speaker is the key to upward social mobility in Philippine society where a persistent and deeply-ingrained colonial-mentality continues to imprison the Filipino mind. More importantly, the vast majority of information and knowledge critical to…

Culture, Development, Education

Dear President Noynoy, being average is NOT being resilient

March 27, 2011March 27, 2011 Ilda 53 Comments

According to Philippine President Noynoy Aquino (PNoy), Filipinos’ resilience will see us through any crisis. Here’s what he had to say as reported in a Philstar.com news item: “Resilient? Yes, I believe so. I always try to look at every problem as an opportunity,” he told Palace reporters. “We have industries that could recover after…

Culture, Development, Government

Focus on the future eludes Filipinos despite an abundance of lessons

March 23, 2011 benign0 2 Comments

In the past several weeks, many things have happened that rocked the globe and will likely have ramifications over the next six to 12 months that we can only begin to understand today. Consider that even so-called experts struggle to piece together a picture of what the world might look like in the mid-term under…

Culture, Development, Media, Society

Robert Haighton
on What is Alex Eala doing wrong? For starters she’s pulling Pinoy Pride along with her in an already difficult journey to the top
N/a
Lambada Pansino
on Japan and the Philippines A Contrast in Pansin
Bingo. Pilipinos are mostly morons and buffoons who take after
Lambada Pansino
on Japan and the Philippines A Contrast in Pansin
Pilipinos need to wake the f up. We are used
Humphrey
on Alex Eala has ONE job
She is another rich kid, us empire worshipping clown, with
benign0
on Alex Eala has ONE job
Indeed. The choice is entirely hers to make. It's a
A
on Alex Eala has ONE job
Alex only needs to prove to herself. She doesn't have
Forgetit
on The Silent Crisis: How Stigma and State Violence Exacerbated Neurodiversity in the Philippines
Yeah, Filipinos are a bunch of judgmental people. They think
Jed
on Pet Sematary Pinoy Democracy: Why the System that Returned After 1986 Came Back Wrong
Effective governance starts locally. It starts with individuals, families then