Journal
Mananggi – it’s all about Corn, and One Neighbor’s Generosity
For most Filipinos, the staple food was rice; for us, rice is a luxury. Corn was our staple. In my childhood, pre-1972, we only ate rice during very special occasions, and when we did, it was either lugaw or champorado. Milled corn was our main source of carbohydrates; our only food, in fact, on most days. I remember our neighbor, Nong Peping, had a plot of corn right behind our neighborhood’s cluster of houses. It was his sister’s land, but he was the one who farmed corn on it. He got ⅔ of the harvest, while his sister got the other ⅓. Nong Peping told us that this sharing was fair, and is actually the standard practice in all landlord-tenant relations. When the corn
Holy Week Reflections: Finding Empathy Amidst Global Conflict and Rising Prices
The scent of frankincense and the quiet hum of the Pabasa usually define our Holy Week. This year, however, those traditional reflections feel heavier. We pause to consider the ongoing war in the Middle East and its unexpected impact on us. The country traditionally pauses collectively during this time. Traffic softens, businesses slow, and families journey quietly. Some return to their provinces, others visit churches for Visita Iglesia, and many simply choose stillness at home. Why the Middle East Conflict Hits Close to Home in the Philippines Today, the world’s troubles feel unusually close. The war in the Middle East is more than a distant headline; its shockwaves touch our daily lives. We feel this impact in several ways: News articles show fuel prices rising
The Philippine Oil Crisis: Exposed, Unprepared, and Still Without a Long-Term Strategy
The Philippines is reacting to the global oil shortage, not managing it. The crisis, triggered by the war in the Middle East, exposes how dangerously unprepared the country is. As former Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez bluntly stated, solving an oil crisis is harder than fighting COVID-19. His quote sums up the difficulty: “you can quarantine a virus, but you cannot quarantine the global oil market.” The government’s current response suggests this is being treated as a temporary disruption, not a structural crisis. Unprepared and Knee-Deep: The Reactive Response The country was caught completely off-guard. Reports show that the Philippines has only about 45 days of fuel reserves. Given that we import nearly all of our oil, mostly from the Middle East, this limited reserve
Beyond the Pump: Why Suspending Excise Tax on Fuel Is Not a Silver Bullet
We cannot think of wars, especially the currently ongoing conflict in Iran and the Middle East, as far removed from our daily lives. It’s true before, and it’s even more true now – this war that the US and Israel started against Iran is sending shockwaves all around the world. The thing is that this is not a war we chose, but we are already starting to feel its effects. It’s such a difficult time to be living right now. Daily war updates fills our social media and broadcast news feeds. The price of diesel and gasoline is slowly starting to go up. Jeepney drivers are earning only ₱56 after spending ₱1,200 pesos on diesel for the day. But President BBM suspended the fare hike,
How Connections Shape the Philippine Economy: Nepotism and Political Patronage
Introduction In this blog we will discuss the impact of nepotism and political patronage on the Philippine economy. This concludes our series on corruption’s impact on the economy. We trust this journey has been enlightening, prompting deeper reflection on the diverse manifestations of corruption and its influence on daily life in the Philippines. Nepotism: A Hidden Type of Corruption There is a kind of corruption that many people often overlook because it doesn’t always look obviously corrupt. In fact, many Filipinos just accept it as a normal part of life. However, just like other types of corruption, it quietly affects the country’s economic future. Favouring Relatives and Friends in Business Helping relatives, friends, or people you know well doesn’t seem wrong. This practice is common
Why “Kotong ” is Bad for the Economy
We’re almost at the end of this series on the economic effects of corruption. We’ve talked about different types of corruption, like customs fraud, misused public funds, distortion of public spending, inflated project costs, and regulatory friction. But one type of corruption that hits us every day—and severely affects the economy—is corruption within law enforcement, especially among traffic enforcers and police. It’s a persistent problem the government is trying hard to fix. Its popular name is Kotong. Here is a breakdown of how this specific type of corruption, known as Kotong , hurts our economy and what we can do about it. What is Kotong Culture and How Does it Work? Ask any Filipino driver, and they likely have a story about this kind