Category: Development

Taxpayers’ money will continue to be wasted even if Pork is spent honestly

August 27, 2013August 27, 2013 benign0 17 Comments

There’s lot’s of argument surrounding the fate of the Priority Development Assistance or “Pork Barrel” Funds already flying about. Should legislators be allowed continued access to all those billions of pesos in taxpayers’ funds? The answer to that had already been settled under the really simple principle — that executives execute, and legislators legislate. Quite…

Crime, Development, Government, Politics

Executives execute, legislators legislate: Scrap the pork barrel

August 25, 2013September 8, 2013 benign0 39 Comments

Again, following an eleventh-hour announcement from President Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino III that he is espousing abolition of the Congressional pork barrel, people continue to debate the wisdom of this move. The same lame arguments come up — “Who gets control of where the monies will be spent? How does this affect the various projects…

Crime, Development, Featured, Government, Politics

The pigsty that is the Philippines

August 19, 2013August 19, 2013 FallenAngel 38 Comments

The rains that came just this weekend intensified to the extent that come Monday, August 19, the resulting floods brought traffic in the Metro to a standstill. Several parts of Metro Manila had no choice but to call off class for all levels. Government offices were forced to declare “no work” due to the hazards…

Development, Environment, Government, Politics

The Philippines Should Change Its Name to “Bahana Republic”

August 19, 2013 P. Farol 21 Comments

About a year after the Aquino Administration hailed the “Habagat” floods as not being as bad as the Ondoy floods during the Arroyo Administration, the severe flooding that happened all over Metro Manila last night and today shows that the Do Nothing government has done what was expected of it. Nothing. Sure, Habagat was not…

Development

A Vision for Re-Developing Manila and Manila Bay

August 14, 2013August 14, 2013 P. Farol 11 Comments

(Before my commentary, please watch the video announcement from the Manila Goldcoast Development Corporation which is developing the Manila Solar City in partnership with the City Government of Manila. It is a development project I am openly supporting as a Manilenyo chiefly and mainly because I believe it is the right direction to pursue in…

Development

Why the Philippines is forever imprisoned by pork barrel politics

August 12, 2013 benign0 15 Comments

Well now, isn’t it just so not typical of Philippine Congress to shrink away from what could be a media bonanza for the vote-hungry lot. If anything, the Pork Barrel Scam is a gold mine of media mileage for any politician who has the cojones to take the reins on this one. After all, there…

Development, Government, Politics

Ban on provincial buses on Metro Manila roads made commuting a living hell

August 8, 2013 Ilda 47 Comments

They say nothing dies harder than a bad idea. That saying is nowhere truer than in the Philippines where bad ideas replace one bad idea after another. What’s worse is that the bad ideas often come from government agencies that affect millions of Filipinos and make their lives a living hell. No wonder international best…

Development, Government, Politics

Do the Philippines and the ASEAN community have what it takes to deal with China?

August 7, 2013 benign0 39 Comments

For all the feel-good news snippets we are receiving about the arrival of the Philippines’ newest warship, the 3,200-tonne BRP Ramon Alcaraz which joins the 3,400-tonne frigate BRP Gregorio del Pilar also acquired from the United States last year in patrolling disputed waters off Palawan, one cannot help ask a simple question: Can anyone really…

Culture, Development, Government, Society