Category: Media

What Metro Manila billboards tell us about the Filipino character

July 19, 2011July 19, 2011 benign0 18 Comments

Driving up or down EDSA, the main road transport artery through the Philippine megalopolis of Metro Manila, is like navigating a badly-designed website. The huge billboards that line the iconic thoroughfare competing for the attention of motorists and their passengers are monuments to the aesthetic sensibilities of Filipinos. Manila, after all, is the cultural capital…

Culture, Environment, Media

Military hardware – not digital whining – makes it right

June 24, 2011June 24, 2011 benign0 14 Comments

One degeneration after another. The emo-style with which Filipinos think they could initiate reform — Edsa “revolutions”, “unity” walks, “interfaith” rallies, and then online “petitions” and now blog “action” days, Twitter barrages, and Facebook “meme” spreading — yields flaccid one-time results at best. Perhaps there were small wins (Heritage of Smallness, remember?) — a missing…

Crime, Government, Media, Politics, Technology

What the context of the next State of the Nation Address (SONA) should be

June 22, 2011 benign0 2 Comments

As we approach the end of the fiscal year under the administration of a man who, during his campaign, trumpeted his envisioned role as President as one of being a “fiscalizer,” the time to take stock of what has been achieved or, at least, what groundwork had been lain over the last 12 months is…

Culture, Development, Government, Media

President Aquino’s Second State of the Nation Address (SONA) 25 July 2011

June 19, 2011June 19, 2011 benign0 167 Comments

Philippine President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III is due to deliver his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) to a joint Senate and House session of Congress. What is he going to say? What is he going to claim? What achievements are he planning to present to the duly-elected “representatives” of the Filipino People? Twelve…

Government, Media, Politics

The Philippine National Debate: the cheerleaders among us as a cheerleader President leads us

June 16, 2011June 16, 2011 benign0 7 Comments

There is a big difference between being a mere cheerleader and being a true leader. Cheerleaders are able to whip up emotional fervor and lure people into spectacular but short bursts of mindless emotionally-fueled stampedes. Real leaders, on the other hand are able to sustain commitment by providing a solid foundation of substance underlying the…

Culture, Government, Media, Politics, Society

Can some manga and anime images be considered child porn?

June 13, 2011 benign0 3 Comments

Somehow, it was determined by government censors in Australia that three female characters in the Nintendo video game Dead or Alive: Dimensions are under eighteen. As such, a feature within the game that allows players to “look up characters’ dresses in certain poses” has been considered “potential child pornography.” As a result, the Classification Board…

Media, Religion, Tech Talk

Philippines: Stuck in reverse since Independence Day

June 11, 2011June 12, 2014 Ilda 60 Comments

A lot of Filipinos want to copy everything about the United States of America. From the form of government down to the style of music, Filipinos look to Uncle Sam for direction. For as long as everyone can remember, Filipinos have always viewed the home of our former colonizers as the land of milk and…

Culture, Development, Economy, Government, Media, Science, Society

CBCP blogger Carlos Antonio Palad calls Reproductive Health Bill supporters ‘enemies’

June 9, 2011 benign0 21 Comments

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines is reportedly now “tapping” Filipino bloggers in the “fight” versus the Reproductive Health Bill currently being “debated” in Philippine Congress. The CBCP’s official press release, indicated that its “media affairs” people had met with “several bloggers.” Though the title of the article described the purpose of the initiative…

Media, Politics, Religion