Tag: sona

Two years of Aquino presidency fails to curb human rights abuses in the Philippines

July 22, 2012August 23, 2016 benign0 3 Comments

Philippine President Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino III has so far failed to make good on his promise to supplant the Philippines’ culture of impunity by applying swift and consistent justice under his overarching “daang matuwid” (“straight-and-narrow”) campaign slogan. According to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report, “The Aquino government has not successfully prosecuted a single…

Crime, Culture, Government, Society

A little reminder: don’t rely on PNoy’s SONA

July 20, 2012 a 8 Comments

So itâ€™s that time of the year again. That time when the good president steps into the pedestal to address every single Filipino all over the world, regarding the current state of our country in terms of politics, economics and society. That time when all eyes and cameras are focused on the most powerful man…

Government, Politics, Society

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

CNN report on Philippine economy barely comes across as news

July 16, 2012 benign0 51 Comments

The Philippines has long had an economy propped up by consumption binges that are funded by overseas employment that sucks the substance out of the society from the inside, and outsourced work that turns the country’s brightest grads into red-eyed parrots. It all sounds awfully familiar. And why shouldn’t it? The above paragraph may as…

Development, Economy, Money Talks

Understanding the BS in being a ‘breakout nation’

July 9, 2012 benign0 6 Comments

In its most recent rah-rah story about how the government of President Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino III has so far been the heroic beacon of progress as was “promised” during the campaign, “social news network” site Rappler.com has quoted Ruchir Sharma, head of Emerging Market Equities and Global Macro at Morgan Stanley Investment Management who,…

Development, Economy, Government, Media, Money Talks

President Benigno Simeon Aquino’s 3rd State of the Nation Address (SONA 2012)

July 3, 2012 Ilda 52 Comments

President Benigno Simeon â€œBSâ€ Aquino III will be giving his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) soon. Like his first and second SONA, his speech will most likely be full of motherhood statements similar to all the previous speeches he had delivered since he announced his plans to run for the Presidency in 2009….

Development, Economy, Government, Politics

Why is a $1bn deposit to the IMF such a big deal?

June 23, 2012 benign0 21 Comments

Over the last several days, I’ve been getting snippets of news and information lately about a USD 1 billion loan extended by the Philippines to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The first I heard of it was in a “news” article that came across as a trumpeting of how the Philippines is now a “net…

Economy, Government, Money Talks

A proposed draft of Noynoy Aquino’s 3rd Official State of the Nation Address (SONA) to be delivered to Congress July 22, 2012

June 8, 2012 benign0 46 Comments

My dear countrymen, members of Congress, honourable House Speaker, Senate President, and Chief Justice, ladies and gentlemen of the diplomatic corps: Today I stand before you triumphant. A major hurdle to the implementation of my campaign promise to rid the Philippine government of corruption has been eliminated. I am pleased to report that we have…

Government, Media, Politics