Category: Development

Blame on Marcos and, now, Duterte for the Philippines’ underdevelopment is a LIE

July 21, 2021July 21, 2021 Ramon Ortoll 9 Comments

I keep wondering why everything that is wrong with this country is blamed on former President Ferdinand Marcos and current President Rodrigo Duterte and not the political bloc that was in power for thirty years since 1986. Marcos was in power for twenty-one. Duterte six. That’s a total of twenty-seven. You don’t need to have…

Development, Economy

Platforms, a focus on issues, and continuity with reform initiatives are critical input into the 2022 election conversation

July 19, 2021 Ramon Ortoll 4 Comments

Manila Standard columnist Lito Banayo thinks that an amendment of the Constitution solves the problem of political turncoats. In his piece “The short shelf life of Philippine political parties”, Banayo expresses his hope that “the next president will see it fit to initiate revision of the 1987 Constitution and end this insanity of a multi-party…

Development, Politics

Philippines no longer a US lapdog, now a respectable ASEAN member and a REAL Asian nation

July 12, 2021 Ramon Ortoll No Comments

The national artist for literature F. Sionil Jose cites Richard Javad Heydarian in “Our foreign policy”, his PhilSTAR piece . That’s probably due to both of them being Ilocano. On Javad’s part, he’s only part Ilocano so he’s no GI, but I digress. Jose, delves into the wisdom and pitfalls of abandoning the cozy embrace…

Development, Economy

Dumaguete City Government To Sign Joint Venture for 174 Hectare Reclamation Amidst Raging Protests

July 12, 2021July 15, 2021 P. Farol 1 Comment

So-called Dumaguete Smart City Reclamation Threatens to Spread Devastation in Mindanao Sea Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Antonio B. Remollo is grossly understating the devastation that his pet 174 hectare reclamation project will bring to the people of provinces surrounding the Bohol Sea — also called the Mindanao sea. This even as today Mayor Remollo and…

Development, Government, Politics

Duterte reverses Aquino admin failures, makes good on infrastructure development promises

July 2, 2021July 2, 2021 Ramon Ortoll 5 Comments

The Rappler article “Aquino to end term with 7 completed PPP projects” dated December 19, 2013 authored by Cherrie Regalado all but parrots lofty statements made by the then Yellow government on their infrastructure development record — three years before then President Noynoy Aquino’s term ended. Regalado “reported” on “a press briefing on Thursday, December…

Business, Development

Senate Bill No. 23 (BRAVE Bill) aims to make pork barrel corruption a thing of the past

June 28, 2021 Ramon Ortoll 6 Comments

Probably unknown to many, Senator Panfilo Lacson filed Senate Bill No. 23 last July 2, 2019. The Budget Reform Advocacy for Village Empowerment (BRAVE) seeks to empower local government units throughout the country down to the barangay level by allocating development funds which cannot be impounded by the national government. In a speech delivered on…

Development, Government

The Philippines’ “Bucket List” – a vision for a better country

June 26, 2021June 26, 2021 PulbuRonn 5 Comments

Before we get into the meat of this post, I think an explanation on the term “bucket list” is owed towards those out of the loop. A bucket list is a list of activities a person intends to do before they die or, idiomatically speaking, before they “kick the bucket.” This is not to say…

Charter Change, Development, Politics

Manny Pacquiao’s promise to house every homeless Filipino is dishonest and irresponsible

June 23, 2021 Ramon Ortoll 4 Comments

When you have a Senator who wants to be President on the basis of his popularity, it’s safe to say he will be mouthing populist policies in aid of election. Senator Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao was quoted last week saying that if he is elected President, he will give each and every homeless Filipino a home….

Development, Politics, Society