We beg to differ.
Why ask why? Well, as much as what, when, where, or how is as valid enough a starting word for an inquiry, I like to ask WHY questions because it makes us THINK. And I really encourage more Filipinos to get into the habit of doing so because it’s great cerebral-gymnastics exercise – being one…
The recent outrage over Manny Pacquiao’s statements about the LGBT community is just a media-covered exercise of something that every Pinoy—educated or otherwise—live with and even practice on a daily basis. Pacquiao simply represents the groupthink of Filipinos. And, unfortunately, Filipinos are among the biggest anti-LGBT group of people in existence. Just take a walk…
Read More “The futility in outrage over Manny Pacquiao’s homophobia” »
There are no consequences — not for the Philippines’ most popular celebrity, boxing champion Manny Pacquiao who is also a House representative in Congress. Despite holding the dubious distinction of being the top no-show in House sessions held in 2014, he remains a Filipino favourite. It may be just as well that Pacquiao has been…
Read More “Why Filipino politicians routinely get away with incompetence and criminality” »
The 26th of February this year marks the 30th anniversary of the 1986 EDSA “people power” revolution. Three decades ago from this day, the “evil” regime of President Ferdinand Marcos was supposedly toppled by a popular uprising that was sparked by an army mutiny led by then General Fidel V Ramos accompanied by then Defense…
Read More “Feb 26 2016: 30th anniversary of the stupidification of the Philippines” »
It was the dawn of April 27, 1521 when Ferdinand Magellan and his handful of men, confident of their superior European weaponry, got off their ship and waded ashore for a face-off with defiant Lapu Lapu and his 1500-strong army of natives defending Cebu’s Mactan Island. Little did Magellan know that this iron-willed Visayan datu would…
Read More “Imperial Manila: Uniting the Nation at a Price” »
Daang Matuwid. What the hell does it mean? Its literal translation in English is “straight path”. Without any context, it does not make a lot of sense. Straight path to where, exactly? However, its ambiguity helped launch the Presidency of a non-performing lawmaker Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III back in 2010. A lot of people…
Read More “Daang Matuwid brought the Philippines straight down the highway to hell” »
When the term ‘self sufficiency’ is mentioned, what often comes to mind is food. On that alone, self-sufficiency in terms of food is already a big issue in the Philippines. The Philippines is the world’s biggest importer of rice and is a major market in the region for the agricultural exports of many countries. The…
Read More “Can the Philippines compete in the 21st Century global economy?” »
Generations of Filipino politicians have paid lip service to the idea that Filipinos deserve an egalitarian society and that the it is unjust that vast wealth be in the hands of so few. It has become a template campaign promise during election season for politicians to issue promises to “eliminate poverty” and dismantle the monopoly…
Read More “Mar Roxas’s campaign promises NOTHING to the Filipino people” »