We beg to differ.
To be fair to the Philippine Opposition led by the Liberal Party (a.k.a. the Yellowtards), a strategic vision for the Philippines hinged on building infrastructure is counterintuitive to the average Filipino mind. This is because Filipinos do not have a strong historic tradition of building stuff. Indeed, much of the really large historical civil works…
Thousands of jobs will be impacted by the recently-announced closure of popular island resort Boracay, shriek a bevy of “activists”. But, really, perhaps one should pause first to consider whether the man-made impact in the form of the closure order approved by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte may, in fact, be a lot more preferrable to…
Read More “Boracay closure by Duterte better than a closure order by Mother Nature” »
You can’t have your cake and eat it. If Filipinos want more and better-quality public services, they’re gonna have to cough up the dough and pay more taxes. The reality is that most of the infrastructure required to deliver the services they demand involves foreign technology and imported goods — which is why they cost…
Read More “Filipinos have no choice but to pay more taxes” »
The recent media attention on the APEC and ASEAN summits has been a welcome reprieve from all the relentless energy- and time-wasting Senate investigations and hearings that front-page-hungry grandstanding lawmakers and politicians have been battering us with all year round. At least we get a break to see our president with the biggest who’s who…
The trouble with the Philippines’ political discourse today is that it is hopelessly partisan. As a result, there is no energy channeled into mapping a way forward for the Philippines. Instead, much of the talk is around discrediting one other. Whilst there is a small niche within the social media chatter that appreciates and rewards…
The only relevant point that needs to be highlighted as far as the circus surrounding Transport Network Vehicle Services (TNVS) like Uber and Grab is this: The only Filipinos who could really afford these services on routine bases are people who, themselves, could afford to own and drive private cars. A trip in an Uber…
Read More “TNVS infestation: Uber and Grab services are no different to jeepneys and tricycles” »
Do jeepneys have a future in Philippine public transport? The answer most people would like to hear to the above question is quite disturbing. Jeepneys have a future because these provide employment to hundreds of thousands of Filipinos. They will be deprived of a livelihood if jeepneys are phased out. What is wrong with this…
Duterte will be coming to the podium to address a joint session of Philippine Congress riding on the crest of high approval ratings after one year of service. As such, he possesses the immense political capital that is required to push through an agenda that, as has been evident, is unpopular not with the ordinary…
Read More “Duterte’s State of the Nation Address July 24, 2017 — what needs to be said” »