We beg to differ.
What are we to make of Pinoy music legend Freddie Aguilar’s dating a 16-year-old girl? Not surprisingly, most netizens reacted with an Ewwww. At 16 the girl is 44 years younger than Mang Freddie. What might it be like for a girl of 16 to be dating a 60-year-old man? I’m sure a lot of…
Read More “If my religion teacher had behaved like Freddie Aguilar” »
I’ll get to the point: never assume that every issue posted on mainstream social media is true. Over the weekend, Baguio’s Facebook community went on alert when a picture of two documents was posted online by a certain popular provocateur. The photograph shows a letter of request to the Baguio government to allow a certain…
Even without external forces exerting much effort to do so, Filipinos can be easily distracted from whatever they are engaged in. When they manage to eke out some sort of civic responsibility or outrage against the ineptitude of their government is certainly no exception. Are they angry at the government? Just give them some feel-good…
The recent news of Filipino photographer Mark Joseph Solis plagiarizing his entries in international competitions has the social media chattering classes up in arms and in a state of “outrage”. Particularly noticeable is that since Rappler broke this story with the headline “UP student plagiarizes prize-winning photos”, the focus has been on the premier state…
Read More “Plagiarism: what goes on in the mind of the Filipino?” »
Now that paralyzing floods are an almost weekly occurrence in Metro Manila, I now view what were once considered “improvements” on the city differently. Often, some balikbayan friends visiting Manila would gaze in wonder at the gleaming highrises that tower above the city skyline and gush about how modern it all looks now. The presence…
This is what ‘actress-politician’ Lani Mercado, wife of actor-turned-senator Bong Revilla had to say about the idea of scrapping altogether the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel: “Basta huwag lang manghihingi sa amin ang mga tao!” Source of quote: PEP.ph. And we wonder why the Philippines is renowned for its beggar culture. To…
Read More “Lani Mercado, the pork barrel, and Filipinos’ squatter mentality” »
To a jaded moviegoer who thinks he has seen it all, “Metro Manila” offers a compelling reason for viewers to revisit Philippine cinema. I was recently invited for the press screening of “Metro Manila” last Tuesday August 13, at “The Block” in SM North Edsa. “Metro Manila” was directed by the UK’s Academy Award nominee…
Read More “‘Metro Manila’ – (The Film): Anything but Cliché” »
Consider, first of all, the kind of responses that fellow GRP writer Gogs’ article “Why a Smart Gilas Win Means Nothing to Me” drew. They can be summarized with one simple phrase: Butthurt Pinoy pridesters are so predictable. “If you don’t ride on the bandwagon, why don’t you just keep your opinion to yourself?” “Why…
Read More “Why a Smart Gilas win means everything to Filipinos” »