Category: Development

Loser mentality: Filipinos’ 500-year dependence on foreign investment

June 13, 2013July 8, 2015 benign0 10 Comments

To understand the fundamental flaw in the idea of the Philippines’ relying on a strategy of counting on “foreign investment” to rescue its people from their own self-created wretchedness, it is important to understand the equally fundamental definition of poverty. Quite simply: Poverty is a habitual entering into commitments one is inherently unable to honour….

Charter Change, Development, Economy

The Philippines in 2013 remains dependent even on ‘Independence’ Day!

June 12, 2013 benign0 32 Comments

So once again we are celebrating “Independence” Day — or rather the date we would like to think the Philippines won its independence. I do wonder though why we continue to propagate the notion that we emerged from the year 1898 the winners. Last I heard, winners get to rule. Last I heard, we did…

Development, Society

Pining for Manila’s Old Glory is a Sign of a Lack of Vision

June 7, 2013 P. Farol 12 Comments

My Fascination for Old Manila and my Quiapo Roots I have been engaged in a rather long running hobby of hunting for old pictures of Manila on the internet. So much so that it led me to create Lumang Tao Moments a few years back — it is a site where I curate all the…

Development, Environment

Save Tahong!

June 6, 2013 P. Farol 11 Comments

First it was “Save 182 Pine Trees”, then it was “Save Manila Bay, and now it has come to this… “Save Tahong!” This post is not for the green minded. So, if you have any decency left in you, pack away those dirty thoughts because we’re going to talk about a supposed “industry” which centers…

Scientific American weighs in on Spratly Islands row, cites Ph experience with ecosystem management

June 5, 2013June 5, 2013 benign0 6 Comments

The Philippines continues to be in a juggling act with regard to its diplomatic and military rows with its neighbouring countries in the region — it has an insurgency spilling over into Malaysian Sabah in the south, diplomatic rows over fishing rights and military jurisdiction over its northern seas, and an age-old commitment to uphold…

Development, Environment, Government, Science

Does Get Real Philippines vilify Filipinos and their culture?

May 30, 2013July 30, 2018 benign0 20 Comments

This has remained the single most consistent question directed at the owners and contributors to GetRealPhilippines.com and its network of affiliated sites (which we shall, for the sake of efficiency, henceforth in this article simply refer to as “GRP”). This has always been a topic embraced by GRP and we will, for the umpteenth time…

Civics, Culture, Development, Society

Loser mentality: Filipinos’ lazy development strategy of attracting foreign investment

May 28, 2013May 28, 2013 benign0 33 Comments

The title of today’s Inquirer.net editorial Excess money says it all. There is enough money swirling around in the domestic economy to fund significant capital expansion. Big Philippine banks manage a big chunk of these funds. Trouble is, as the Inquirer editor observes, “banks choose to park these funds at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas…

Development, Economy, Lifestyle

Why Dan Brown and his description of Manila in ‘Inferno’ is relevant to Filipinos

May 24, 2013October 18, 2018 benign0 126 Comments

Since the conclusion of this year’s Fiesta Election, a palpable void has been left. What now? What is the Next Big Issue to pump our fists in the air for? One realises in hindsight how little substance there was in much of the noise and colour that erupted during the campaign leading up to the…

Culture, Development, Environment, Lifestyle, Society

Gabsboy
on EDSA 40 years after: Overthrow and “Leftist” Ideals Don’t Work
It would have been absolute cinema had the military coups
Ven
on The Philippines reels from yet another global “crisis”
Who the hell is prepared for a crisis when any
megget
on The Philippines reels from yet another global “crisis”
the filipino way is scraping by on the least amount
Gyn
on The Philippines reels from yet another global “crisis”
This whole thing is not working, and you know it
Redd
on The Philippines reels from yet another global “crisis”
"For now there is little promise seeing that Filipinos’ foremost
megget
on The Philippines reels from yet another global “crisis”
when the entire world turns to dust, who will be
megget
on The Philippines reels from yet another global “crisis”
and you moved here...?
DRSQL
on The Philippines reels from yet another global “crisis”
The call center market will absolutely be dead within the