Category: Development

Will the Philippines become the next Hong Kong or Taiwan, Province of China?

April 14, 2019July 15, 2023 zaxx 30 Comments

Hundreds of Chinese vessels are swarming Philippine-claimed Pag-asa Island like an army of ants feasting on a helpless slowly dying Maya bird that’s lost hope. It’s just a matter of time till China will have gained de facto control over the entire Philippine-side of their nine-dash line in the South China Sea (SCS). And all…

Development, Politics

“Open the bypass!” Are we talking about water flow or vehicle traffic?

March 15, 2019March 15, 2019 benign0 9 Comments

It seems quite hilarious that the possibility that the water “crisis” gripping Metro Manila at the moment has an obvious solution. Reports of a certain Angel Salazar who claims to have been an employee of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) from 1982 to 2012 that a certain “bypass” only needs to be “opened”…

Crime, Development, Government

Why are Chinese workers WORTH MORE than Filipino workers in the job market?

March 3, 2019 benign0 12 Comments

For all the noise about the growing number of Chinese workers flooding the Philippines, very few “activists” have raised this most important question of all. Why do Chinese workers attract bigger wages than Filipino workers? Furthermore, it seems employers of Chinese workers in the Philippines are willing to take significant effort and incur the cost…

Development, Economy, Money Talks

Opposition bets for Election 2019 further DOOMED following successful Manila Bay Clean-up

January 29, 2019January 29, 2019 benign0 3 Comments

The successful clean-up of Manila Bay has certainly created a lot of buzz online and, very likely, a publicity bonanza over traditional media channels. There is the question, of course, of on-going maintenance — the spotty record of which is something Filipinos are renowned for. Nonetheless, an abundance of photos, memes, and testimonials are making…

Development, Environment

The late Henry Sy is NOT the bad guy in the story of Philippine poverty. FILIPINOS are.

January 20, 2019January 20, 2019 benign0 26 Comments

Last we recall, the Philippines is propped up by overseas foreign workers (OFWs) to the tune of 10% of its economy and Filipino households down to the lower middle classes (a household demographic range where many commie “activists” were raised) are sustained by armies of servants paid slave wages. So when we see chi-chi “activists”…

Culture, Development, Economy

Filipinos should seize the opportunity to define themselves on their own terms NOW

December 10, 2018 benign0 23 Comments

If there is something deeper that would characterise the last two to three years, it is an increased confusion around Filipinos’ sense of identity as a people. Filipinos no longer enjoy the benefit of being told who they are. This is thanks to the rise of the Net and, specifically, its killer app — social…

Development, Media, Society

Filipinos need to get better at killing in order to prosper

October 23, 2018October 23, 2018 benign0 36 Comments

The seeming aversion of Filipinos to large-scale infrastructure projects — the sorts needed to achieve the vast economies of scale needed to compete in the global market likely stems from the Filipinos’ heritage of smallness. This prescient snippet quoted from Nick Joaquin’s seminal piece describes the underlying character of Philippine culture that is at the…

Culture, Development, Economy

Going around in circles

August 31, 2018September 2, 2018 FallenAngel 47 Comments

People come and go. Governments rise and fall. Disasters (natural or otherwise) happen and leave their effects. In this regard, the Philippines is not much different from other societies in the world. What distinguishes us is how we react. Despite knowing some things happen cyclically, rather than improve their response, it seems Filipinos collectively would…

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Culture, Development, Politics, Society