Tag: human development

An entire generation of young Filipinos are growing up to be liabilities

June 29, 2024 benign0 7 Comments

Certain “activists” take exception to a country’s people being referred to as “capital” to “invest in” in order to “get returns from”. This is in reference to the recently-published World Bank Philippines Human Capital Review report where some pretty damning facts about the collective ability of the Filipino people to compete in a rapidly-evolving world…

Development, Education

Filipinos should change the name of the Philippines to “Riceland” because Filipinos eat rice

July 16, 2019 benign0 5 Comments

Iceland is a microcosm of Scandinavia (if it isn’t Scandinavia encapsulated) — prosperous, resilient, self-sufficient, and socialist. It has a small population that is happy and, perhaps, bored because life there is stable and predictable. This is probably the reason why its government is looking for a larger purpose that befits its people’s wealth —…

Culture, Society

What to expect from the July 22, 2013 State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Noynoy Aquino

July 8, 2013 benign0 35 Comments

In the next couple of weeks on the 22nd July 2013, Philippine President Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino III will once again face a joint session of Congress to deliver his annual State of the Nation Address (SONA). What will BS Aquino be reporting to the people’s “representatives” this time? This one will be a tough…

Development, Politics

A pre-analysis of the likely BS in PNoy’s 2012 State of the Nation Address (SONA)

July 19, 2012 benign0 9 Comments

The next presidential State of the Nation Address (SONA) to be delivered to joint sessions of Philippine Congress next week is likely to have ‘BS’ written all over it. That’s because the 2012 SONA is, in fact, a speech that will be delivered by Philippine President Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino III. Like any speech that…

Development, Economy, Government, Politics

Facts and figures: President Noynoy Aquino’s promises by the numbers

July 24, 2011 benign0 6 Comments

Politicians are quick to grandstand about their achievements and their “contributions” to the development of our wretched land, the Philippines. Whenever statistics about the economy or survey results describing public sentiment is released, politicians will go on a media blitz to ensure that an association between these and themselves are implanted in the vacuous minds…

Development, Economy, Politics

Setting quantifiable targets for the future: Does Noynoy Aquino have the guts to do it?

January 4, 2011January 4, 2016 benign0 7 Comments

Any Government is quick to associate itself — or worse, credit itself — with statistics that describe some kind of success or achievement for the nation. Even as the Inquirer.net editor struggled to find Filipino “achievements” in 2010, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda was busy citing hard figures and associating these to his boss… After only…

Development, Economy, Government, Media