Category: Development

The Philippines’ traffic problems will never be solved. Here’s why…

September 4, 2015 benign0 37 Comments

The thing with the traffic mess in Metro Manila is that it is easy to pontificate about the ideal long-term solutions — “consistent enforcement of traffic rules”, “construction of more roads”, “modernisation of public transport infrastructure”, etc. Indeed, all of those are the obvious solutions; solutions that should have been implemented a long time ago…

Culture, Development, Society

Does the First World owe the rest of the world, its migrants and its refugees anything?

August 27, 2015 benign0 38 Comments

Europe and much of the rich world today is faced with a moral dilemma surrounding a tidal wave of desperate migrants massing at their borders fleeing war and poverty in their respective homelands. It’s a no-brainer. Migrants are seeking a “better life” in the First World and a slice of that legendary welfare state pie…

Civics, Culture, Development, Politics, Society

A real peace deal: Senator Bongbong Marcos’s Bangsamoro Autonomous Region

August 19, 2015August 19, 2015 Add 75 Comments

Alex Magno, one of the Leftist leaders from UP who fought Martial Law, wrote in his column in the Philippine Star as follows: The last nail on the BBL was driven last week at the Senate. In his best performance at the Senate thus far, Sen. Bongbong Marcos delivered a remarkable sponsorship speech for his…

Development, Government, Politics, The South

Let them eat cake: How much wretchedness can the Metro Manila commuter take until one says ‘enough’?

August 18, 2015August 18, 2015 rsurtida 18 Comments

One good thing about being assigned in the graveyard shift in Metro Manila: The relative ease of commuting to work compared to the hapless regular shift employee facing the daily grind of both traffic in the major roads and the overworked and under-equipped MRT-3 train system traversing the EDSA thoroughfare that starts from the North…

Development, Government, Politics

Why potentially beneficial foreign ideas and influence have not worked in the Philippines

August 17, 2015January 17, 2016 FallenAngel 49 Comments

While writing “The hollowness and hypocrisy with which Filipinos regard foreign entities” (henceforth known as Hollowness) almost two months ago, it seems I had completely overlooked one striking manner in which they show such: When the Philippines is compared with another country in any category (response to typhoons is such an example), Filipinos are quick…

Culture, Development, Government, Politics, Society

Emergency powers needed to fix Manila’s traffic catastrophe!

August 17, 2015August 17, 2015 benign0 9 Comments

Peace and order is seen to be a priority feature of modern societies that is important enough to warrant drastic measures enshrined in a national Constitution to guarantee that these be maintained. When there is a breakdown of peace and order, the law allows the government to declare a state of emergency and undertake drastic…

Development, Government, Politics, Society

Jejomar Binay: Unworthy to be President

August 14, 2015 Virtual Vigilante 15 Comments

Jejomar Binay has criticized P-Noy for being dictatorial like Ferdinand Marcos in the context of the impeachment of the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Renato Corona, whose appointment at the eleventh hour of then outgoing administration was highly questionable, by the former President, GMA, whose mandate was just as spurious (“Hello Garci”). The…

Crime, Development, Politics

3 things holding the Philippines back from becoming another Singapore

August 14, 2015November 23, 2021 Ilda 299 Comments

As Singapore celebrated its 50th year of independence, one cannot help but reflect on what could have been for our own country, the Philippines. After all, Singapore and the Philippines started as equals back in the 1960s. Records even suggests that the Philippines was the most developed country in the region during that time due…

Development, Featured, Government, Politics, Society