Tag: revolution

How Filipino women can strongly contribute to building a more intelligent Philippines

January 17, 2014 Kate Natividad 100 Comments

The Net is awash lately with lots of lament about the sad state of intellectualism in Philippine society. Most recent is the stuff about the way Pinoys lionize new X Factor celeb and erstwhile caregiver Rose Fostanes. Like, is there nothing more to the Philippines than reality TV stars and beauty pageant winners? Then there…

Culture, Development, Education, Lifestyle, Media, Society

Intellectual Revolution: The Necessity of the Thinkers and the Revolutionary Minds

July 25, 2013 Jose Mario de Vega 7 Comments

This humble paper is an affirmative response to the lucid and scholarly essay of Ms. Natalie Shobana Ambrose’s “Empowering our thinkers”, The Sun Daily, July 12th. Though I overwhelmingly concur to her general proposition, I beg the indulgence of the reader that I may be allowed to adumbrate and elaborate on the various theses that…

Civics, Education, Society

Alienation and Estrangement: In Defense of Humanism

May 13, 2013 Jose Mario de Vega 3 Comments

Â In 1844, a young German philosopher wrote a book entitled â€œThe Philosophic and Economic Manuscriptsâ€. The said writer is no other than Karl Marx. In that work, Marx begun to examine, analyze and scrutinize the concept of alienation (entausserung). The other term that he used is estrangement (entfremdung). Marxâ€™s central thesis is that: The…

Civics, Development, Society

US Amb Chris Stevens dead after former Arab Spring revolutionary fighters storm Libya US consulate

September 13, 2012 benign0 54 Comments

See, the thing with being in bed with rogue states is that you get bitten eventually. Governments tend to reflect the character of the people they subject. You can argue that Libya was ruled by an iron fist by Muammar Gaddafi for much of its recent history. But there is nothing really “victim-like” in how…

Culture, Media, Religion

Outpouring of grief for Jesse Robredo’s passing challenges the Yellow brand for the first time in 30 years

August 27, 2012August 27, 2012 benign0 30 Comments

As we now know, Filipinos gave a rousing farewell to a fallen bureaucrat, the late Secretary Jesse Robredo. Robredo was remarkable because he represented the ideal Filipino government official — one who does his work properly. In the Philippine setting, that makes Robredo a “hero”, because he supposedly walked the straight path long before his…

Government, Politics

Noynoy’s incompetence is the real reason why the ‘revolution’ remains ‘unfinished’

February 26, 2012August 1, 2013 benign0 77 Comments

Yet again, Philippine President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III brings up the whole concept of Laban (“fight”) that characterised much of 1980’s politics. But it is a fight where there is none. Whereas there was a “fight” beginning in the mid-to-late-1970’s culminating in the 1986 “People Power” EDSA “revolution” for a return to the democratic ideals…

Government, Politics, Society

Is the 1986 EDSA revolution still relevant today?

February 24, 2012August 2, 2013 Ilda 136 Comments

It’s hard to imagine why there are Filipinos who still feel the need to celebrate the anniversary of the first EDSA or People Power revolution held in 1986. As I keep saying every year, not much has changed since former President Ferdinand Marcos left the building. I was not there and I am glad I…

Development, Economy, Media, Society

Ninoy Aquino’s assassination: Another year in the Philippines’ journey of progressive disillusionment

August 21, 2011 benign0 34 Comments

The death of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr is being commemorated today the 21st of August. The fact that this event, which happened 28 years ago today, is so revered illustrates a fundamental problematic aspect of the Filipino Condition. The issues that the Philippines faces in its journey through time — presumably towards that much aspired-for…

Crime, Development, Media