We beg to differ.
“I think we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious.” Thomas Jefferson “Government is the only parasite stupid enough to kill its host.” Universal Truth “NO!!!” to Manila City Hall’s Oppression and Enslavement! “NO!!!” to the Increase in Property Taxes and Business Permit Fees!…
The Philippine government is appealing to the US government for a granting of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to hundreds of thousands of undocumented Filipino nationals illegally residing in the United States. The appeal builds upon the Philippines’ claim to being unable to fully recover from the devastation wrought by super-typhoon Haiyan (a.k.a. Yolanda) across its…
There has been no shortage of good intentions and resources to match these as far as efforts to get people residing in the disaster areas left by super-typhoon Haiyan (a.k.a. Yolanda) back up on their feet. The question that has become more pressing in recent days has been whether a recovery can be sustained and…
Read More “Prospects for full rehab of Leyte province dim despite Justin Bieber visit to Tacloban” »
Accounts of how the Philippines’ renowned brand of feudal politics came into play in the virtual paralysis of relief efforts in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan (a.k.a. Yolanda) are emerging. Tacloban City mayor Alfred Romualdez testifying before Congress reported how red tape and stonewalling from Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Mar Roxas…
The sad economics of human life is plain as day. Close to 6,000 Filipinos died just recently after super-typhoon Yolanda (a.k.a. Haiyan) struck the Philippines’ coconut growing heartland in November of this year. The Philippines made international news, the world’s great powers moved their men and steel into the disaster zone to help, top Filipino…
Read More “Life is cheap in the Philippines: recent events prove it” »
Among the talking points currently on the plates of the pundits here in the Philippines is the article published on Forbes by Jesse Colombo. He describes himself as “an economic analyst and anti-economic bubble activist who was recognized by the London Times for predicting the Global Financial Crisis. I am currently warning about growing bubbles…
Back in 2009, a massive bushfire raged through much of the state of Victoria in Australia, killing 173 people following record high temperatures in the state. It was the highest peace time civilian death toll from a single disaster in Australian history. At the time, the state Integrated Emergency Coordination Centre (IECC) applied a “stay…
In the aftermath of the devastation wrought by Typhoon Yolanda (a.k.a. Haiyan) the hard question stares us squarely in the face: What’s next for a nation that, even in normal times, struggles to deliver the most basic services to the majority of its people?. According to recent reports, up to four million Filipinos are left…
Read More “The Philippines’ long road to recovery after Yolanda: Are Filipinos up to the task?” »