Category: Society

Mediocrity in Filipino films evident yet again in 2012 Manila fest

June 18, 2012June 18, 2012 benign0 24 Comments

Default custodians of the already renownedly atrophied imagination of the Filipino; that’s Big Media. In the coming major film event of the year organised by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2012, these corporate behemoths have once again edged out the small players proving yet again that factories and…

Culture, Glitz and Glamour, Society

Filipinos cannot progress because of an anti-elite mentality

June 15, 2012March 4, 2015 Ilda 271 Comments

Thanks to Senator Lito Lapid, Filipinos can continue wallowing in mediocrity and be proud of it. The Senator was lauded by many for his verdict speech, which a lot of melodramatic Filipinos found “touching”. In that speech he proudly justified his guilty verdict in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona which he claims…

Culture, Education, Government, Media, Society

The folly of economic dependence on foreign employment

June 14, 2012 benign0 18 Comments

Which does more damage to a child during his/her formative years, the lack of cash or the non-presence of one or even both parents because he/she or they are working overseas? Every example of the humblest of Filipinos being able to extricate themselves from poverty by sheer hard work and discipline within our islands highlights…

Crime, Lifestyle, Money Talks, Society

‘Awareness’ of poverty is just a fashion statement

June 14, 2012 benign0 30 Comments

It is interesting the way messages that aim to make one “aware” about the “plight” of the poor proliferate. In many countries, such awareness does not come at much of an effort as it is an in-your-face reality of daily life. But with affluence comes the insidious effects of our Christianic upbringing on a diet…

Civics, Culture, Society

Who is the true Filipino ‘nationalist’?

June 13, 2012 benign0 51 Comments

So-called “cause-oriented groups” (COGs) at present seem to have a monopoly over the label “nationalist” or “patriot”. They claim to be the only true nationalists simply by virtue of their willingness to invoke chaos on our streets and to express themselves in a form of Tagalog that makes generous use of six-syllable words that most…

Civics, Development, Society

Lessons from Sports Sunday with Manny and Lebron

June 12, 2012August 23, 2013 FallenAngel 30 Comments

June 10 was at the very least a double header for sports that Pinoys like keeping track of. First-up was Game 7 of the National Basketball Association (NBA) Eastern Conference finals between the Miami Heat (MIA) and the Boston Celtics. After that was Manny Pacquiao’s fight with Timothy Bradley. There was also a UEFA match…

Culture, Glitz and Glamour, Society

Ignorance: a fundamental force in Pinoy society

June 12, 2012August 14, 2013 FallenAngel 92 Comments

Fellow GRP writer Arche wrote a few days ago about Miriam Defensor Santiago (MDS), and he likened her to a modern day Pilosopo Tasyo. She is obsessed with the law, and probably knows it better than most other lawmakers currently in the Philippines. One can be forgiven for saying that her obsession with the law…

Culture, Education, Media, Society

Mahathir Mohamad on why the Philippines may suffer from a case of mediocre political leadership

June 11, 2012September 10, 2016 benign0 123 Comments

Mediocre political leadership. These are the words Malaysian former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad used to describe a key possible pitfall of “unbridled democracy”. This he said in a speech he delivered on the occasion of his being conferred an Honorary Professor Title by the University of Santo Tomas. Mahathir also added that free-wheeling democracy can…

Culture, Development, Featured, Government, Politics, Society