Category: Development

Philippines least ‘networked ready’ in ASEAN according to World Economic Forum

May 9, 2014 benign0 6 Comments

The Philippines ranks last in “networked readiness” among its former peers in the ASEAN’s major economies with Singapore taking the second spot in the top ten most “networked” economies in the world… This is according to the 2014 Global Information Technology Report issued by the World Economic Forum (WEF). Networked readiness is measured by the…

Development, Economy, Lifestyle, Media, Tech Talk

The future of media: will it create a stronger society? Think again

May 6, 2014 benign0 3 Comments

Is the trend in social media really moving towards building stronger networks? Or is it really just weakening them? If we look back at the last several years from the dawn of the “social networking” revolution in the early- to mid-2000s, we will find an interesting trend: social networking models have gone from being defined…

Development, Lifestyle, Society, Tech Talk

Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA): Why America is NOT the enemy!

April 30, 2014February 17, 2023 benign0 122 Comments

So America’s awesome military is now well on its way to staging a triumphant return to the shores of its bosses’ hapless former colony. The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) “highlights” the recent meeting between Philippine President Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino III and US President Barack Obama. However, reports abound that many Filipinos supposedly aren’t…

Crime, Development, Government, Society

Philippine Labor Day rhetoric: the same old bullshit

April 26, 2014April 26, 2014 benign0 24 Comments

So it’s “Labor Day” again this 1st of May in the Philippines. What do the usual suspects who champion the workers’ “fight” have to offer this time in terms of rhetoric? Considering that they’ve milked the easy ones dry — anti-Americanism, anti-imperialism, anti-incumbent-government, higher wages, more jobs, etc. — what else is there? There is…

Development, Economy, Politics

Why Colonial Mentality is a Bogeyman

April 24, 2014September 20, 2015 ChinoF 29 Comments

I once blogged about colonial mentality, stating that seeing it as a problem is a myth. After more thought and encountering further opinions on the subject, I still think it is a myth – a dangerous one. A bogeyman, an imaginary monster in the closet. I’ve seen so many discussions where others fiercely blame it…

Civics, Culture, Development, Education, Media, Society

Constitutional Reform: What it Looks Like from the Outside

April 24, 2014 BenK 15 Comments

The idea of ‘charter change’ is nothing new to outsiders, but being able to observe and discuss the movement as a serious idea rather than cynically dismissing it as the same old limited-focus canard that gets floated every year is a refreshing change of pace. So what’s different about ‘charter change’ now, as opposed to…

Charter Change, Development, Politics

Can sport unite Filipinos?

April 20, 2014April 21, 2014 Ilda 21 Comments

Why are Filipinos not even good at sport? It seems like our athletes had been waved a red flag one day and then simply gave up on trying to achieve world-class status on all types of sport — I know, I know, aside from boxing, of course. A sport is commonly defined as an organized,…

Culture, Development, Education, Lifestyle, Media, Society

How to become a successful Filipino

April 17, 2014 Ilda 36 Comments

A lot of Filipinos have an identity crisis. You can spot these sorts a mile away. They are the ones who shout out “I am proud to be Filipino!” as if they hold a monopoly over harbouring such a sentiment. It is usually in the way it is expressed and in the context and timing…

Culture, Development, Education, Society