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Access to safe drinking water critical in the coming days to prevent diarrhea outbreak

August 7, 2012 benign0 1 Comment

With word out that “unprecedented” heavy rains may continue well into Thursday the 9th of August, persistent floods are expected to spawn a new risk to health. Diarrhea outbreaks now pose a threat to thousands of Filipinos impacted by flood waters. Health Secretary Enrique Ona has issued warnings about the dangers of contaminated drinking water…

Development, Environment

Stepping up to Manila storm flooding: Shotgun bayanihan!

August 7, 2012 benign0 4 Comments

The following is a re-post of an article I wrote for the now-defunct FilipinoVoices.com back in 2009 when Typhoon Ondoy wrought destruction across Metro Manila. The original Facebook archive can be found here. * * * In recent days we’ve been hearing and reading the word “Bayanihan” to the point of its being reduced to…

Culture, Government, Society

Reproductive Healthcare and Religious Despotism

August 7, 2012January 1, 2014 Virtual Vigilante 7 Comments

The last time I checked, the Philippines was not subject to Sharia Law. Yet, it sure feels that way with the Catholic Church pushing its weight all over the place to ensure the Reproductive Healthcare Bill gets voted to oblivion by Congress. In fact, for nearly two decades or about 25 million less people in…

Politics, Religion, Society

Catholic Church May Be Flawed But Pinoy Flaws Are All Their Own

August 7, 2012April 8, 2014 Gogs 25 Comments

“Blame it on Cain, Oh-oh, oh, please don’t blame it on me It’s nobody’s fault But it just seems to be his turn” Elvis Costello Just like when I talked to you folks about the Impeachment Trial of the Chief Justice, I hope you know by now that when I am not that…

Culture, Government, Lifestyle, Politics, Religion, Society

Typhoons reveal Filipinos are living in a dump

August 3, 2012November 17, 2013 Ilda 104 Comments

Do Filipinos love their country? If one were to try and answer that question simply by looking around his surroundings, one can be forgiven for thinking that no, most Filipinos do not love their country. For all the arrogance and chest thumping we see amidst shouting with pride of statements like, “Filipinos are the best!”…

Environment, Government

Is the use of state resources to defend Leila De Lima from disbarment justified?

August 3, 2012August 3, 2012 benign0 21 Comments

The last couple of weeks has seen Philippine President Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino III leaning heavily on a number of key institutions and communities that provide important counterbalance to the power wielded by MalacaÃ±ang. First it was the media, specifically veteran television news presenter and former Vice President Noli de Castro who President BS Aquino…

Civics, Government, Politics

Is Pinterest the first of a new breed of Facebook-killers?

August 2, 2012August 2, 2012 benign0 5 Comments

I remember back when Facebook was still a nice site. By nice, then, I don’t mean it is unpleasant now. It was “nice” then because it didn’t mean to be anything else but a place for people to get togther. It was social in the purest sense of being social. People re-connected with old friends…

Society, Tech Talk

How many more scapegoats do we need, PNoy?

August 2, 2012 a 22 Comments

As soon as I finish my dinner, I make it a habit to allow my thoughts to float around to kill some time and stimulate my noggin. This time, my musings led me to a specific passage fromÂ oneÂ of my old, old articles. Projection has been a Filipinoâ€™s primary weapon when it comes to facing problems,…

Government, Politics, Society