Tag: michael tan

Filipinos need to get better-acquainted with China

October 19, 2016 benign0 51 Comments

What have been the pre-eminent topics of late rippling across the social media timelines of the Philippines’ pre-eminent “thought leaders”? Consult various “trending” stats (filtering out all the showbiz noise that dominates Filipino social media chatter) and you will see the following words and phrases: “extrajudicial killing” “Agot Isidro” “Internet trolls” “yellowtards” “dutertards” “edsa traffic”…

Culture, Development, Education

Gripped by a mounting crime wave: Filipinos increasingly fearful for their safety!

September 10, 2014September 10, 2014 benign0 43 Comments

There seems to be a tsunami of crime crashing into Philippine shores nowadays. More and more Filipinos are gripped by fear over their personal safety and the safety of their loved ones. Indeed, we need look no further than the news and disturbing imagery of young victims of “rape-slay” crimes in the Philippines. In his…

Crime, Government, Society

Brods investigating brods: Upsilon Sigma Phi in hot water over near-fatal hazing incident

July 8, 2014 benign0 15 Comments

Finally after many years of fraternity violence (whether it be in hazing or “rumbles”) claiming many young lives and limbs in the Philippines’ universities and colleges, we may potentially be seeing a big fish hauled to court. The venerable Upsilon Sigma Phi (Upsilon) of the University of the Philippines (UP) is currently in hot water…

Civics, Crime, Culture, Education, Society

Kabadingan and kalaswaan in Philippine cinema

January 5, 2012December 23, 2016 benign0 76 Comments

Roughly translated in English and taken out outside of the context of homosexuality that it is commonly associated with, the Tagalog colloquial word kabadingan in a cultural sense is a contemporary concept that describes a spectacle of loud contrived crassness or obnoxiousness in both behaviour, design, and aesthetic sensibilities that is indulged in for its…

Culture, Lifestyle, Media, Society