Is the Philippine government hell-bent on milking poor OFWs of money?

Posted on By Ilda 110 Comments on Is the Philippine government hell-bent on milking poor OFWs of money?

Another lawmaker has thought of a brilliant way to make money out of our hardworking and mostly cash-strapped Filipino overseas foreign workers (OFWs). Congresswoman Ma. Theresa Bonoan-David authored a bill that would increase the contribution of every departing OFW to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) from $25.00 to $50.00 (Php2,400). Unsurprisingly, her bill is…

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Economy, Government, Politics

Youth Party-list Representative Raymond Palatino Doesn’t Have a Prayer

Posted on By Hector Gamboa 58 Comments on Youth Party-list Representative Raymond Palatino Doesn’t Have a Prayer

So Youth Party-list Representative Raymond Palatino introduced a bill banning religious ceremonies and symbols in government buildings and institutions. Palatino states that his bill: “…just wants to implement the constitutional provision on freedom of religion where the state should remain neutral and cannot favor any religion. There should be no state-sanctioned religious ceremonies”. Supporters of…

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Politics, Religion

Filipinos tops in NBA armchair sportscasting over Twitter

Posted on By benign0 20 Comments on Filipinos tops in NBA armchair sportscasting over Twitter

Suddenly it all makes sense to me. Sorry I’m kinda slow when it comes to sports trivia. So Erik Spoelstra, coach of the NBA team Miami Heat is a Filipino-American. Kaya pala. According to a Philippine Star report, Filipinos have been so enthralled by the NBA finals in which Heat is up against Oklahoma City…

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Culture, Lifestyle, Media, Tech Talk

Jose Antonio Vargas – modern day migrants’ hero and Filipino exemplar?

Posted on By benign0 8 Comments on Jose Antonio Vargas – modern day migrants’ hero and Filipino exemplar?

Filipino ‘illegal’ immigrant Jose Antonio Vargas seems to have started something big. Vargas, who lives in the United States, is a journalist of Filipino ancestry who was born in the Philippines but was sent to live with his grandparents (both naturalised Americans) when he was 12. At 16, he experienced a rude awakening to the…

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Culture, Development, Lifestyle, Media, Society

How modern governance, technology and commerce masks the continued impunity of the powerful

Posted on By benign0 35 Comments on How modern governance, technology and commerce masks the continued impunity of the powerful

Eat my shorts. Quintessentially Bart Simpson and a brilliant encapsulation of all that makes absolute power so delicious and such a worthwhile goal to pursue. Telling somebody to “eat my shorts” is sweet, because it is such a succinct way of telling someone You can whine all you want, but I can pretty much do…

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Society

Facebook.com acquires facial recognition startup Face.com

Posted on By benign0 1 Comment on Facebook.com acquires facial recognition startup Face.com

Facebook has recently acquired Israeli startup Face.com for an undisclosed sum. AFP reports that Face.com in a blog post had hinted on a focus on developing products to improve user experience among Facebook members who are “increasingly using smartphones or tablets to interact with the service” but that Facebook “has yet to show how it…

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Society, Tech Talk

Mediocrity in Filipino films evident yet again in 2012 Manila fest

Posted on By benign0 24 Comments on Mediocrity in Filipino films evident yet again in 2012 Manila fest

Default custodians of the already renownedly atrophied imagination of the Filipino; that’s Big Media. In the coming major film event of the year organised by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2012, these corporate behemoths have once again edged out the small players proving yet again that factories and…

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Culture, Glitz and Glamour, Society

Noynoy’s CCT war chest: Ready for dole out in 2013 election year?

Posted on By benign0 15 Comments on Noynoy’s CCT war chest: Ready for dole out in 2013 election year?

Big budget for cash dole outs on an election year. That, it seems, is a lethal combination in the coming financial year ending 2013 when mid-term will be held. The “centrepiece” of President Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino III’s poverty alleviation program, the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program is set to be allocated P45 billion if…

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Government, Money Talks, Politics