Smuggling, Customs Fraud and the Bill Being Paid by All of Us

December 7, 2025

Everyone is talking about flood control scams right now. Thanks to Congressman Zaldy Co’s three-part video exposé , corruption headlines are all about ghost projects and overpriced construction. Co’s claims, whether proven in court or not, point to systemic, organized corruption coming from the very top. It’s not just a few bad apples. But hold up—overpriced infra is just one type of corruption. In an earlier post that I have on the economic effects of corruption there are other sources of corruption. This post looks at something that is as insidious as overpriced infrastructure, but rarely gets the same spotlight: Smuggling and Customs Fraud. How Bad is Smuggling and Customs Fraud? It is a massive problem: The Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized a record

Reminiscing on a COVID Christmas

December 1, 2025

I came across this old video from Singaporean producer/actor/singer Alvin Oon from 2020, and it took me back to the time of COVID – when the world stood still, but we still found ways to keep on moving. It’s him singing “We’re Not Going to Anywhere This Christmas” (sung to the tune of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”). Here’s the video: He talks about not being able to travel during this Christmas, as we all had to stay at home. But, it’s okay, because he says – “most importantly, is to have you here with me – who could ask for more?” It’s a lighthearted, cheery song, to the tune of one of the most popular Christmas songs, about not going anywhere

Don’t let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what

November 28, 2025

“Success comes to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams the most, the fiercest, the longest – those who don’t give up even if the others let go” Henry Ford,Founder of Ford Motors To have a dream is one of the most

Walingwaling: from Bud to Full Bloom

November 26, 2025

Vanda sanderiana – that is what the folks at the Philippine Orchid Society and a lot of hobbyists call this orchid. But to people from Davao, Cotabato and Zamboanga, where this orchid is, we call it waling-waling.

In My Notes: Economic Effects of Corruption in the Philippines

November 24, 2025

The ongoing corruption probes and actual findings of widespread corruption have a direct, measurable impact on the Philippine economy, primarily by validating and exacerbating pre-existing structural issues. Since the corruption issues hugged both the mainstream and social media headlines, I started making notes on how bad this will be for our economy. Here is what I have in my notes as of the date/time of this posting: November 24, 2025 at 6pm. I hope to expound on this topic and the categories cited in a future blog. Examples of the Economic Effects of Corruption in the Philippines: Economic Category Mechanism of Corruption Concrete Example or Scenario Direct Economic Effect Fiscal Leakage (Revenue) Smuggling and Customs Fraud Billions of pesos in lost revenue annually due to

The Strategic Misdirection: Why the Pinks and the Yellow Appear to Support BBM

November 21, 2025

The current political landscape in the Philippines presents a paradoxical alignment: elements of the Pink (Leni Robredo supporters) and Yellow (Aquino/Liberal Party) factions appear, at times, to be tacitly supporting the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (BBM). However, interpreting this as genuine, ideological support is fundamentally misguided. This alignment is entirely strategic, temporary, and driven by a classic “enemy of my enemy” calculation. The Myth of “Uni-Pink” Support: A Tactical Alignment The core truth remains that the Pink and Yellow factions are among the fiercest critics of the Marcos administration. Their opposition is centered on issues of corruption, historical revisionism, and the drug-related controversies that continue to plague the current government. The notion of a “Uni-Pink”—a merged Marcos- Pink/Yellow alliance—is largely a manufactured

The Political Earthquake That Split a Family and Rocked the Philippines

November 19, 2025

The past few days witnessed a political earthquake that split the family and rocked the Philippines, one for the books. The INC rally didn’t just shake the Marcos Presidency – it exposed the rot in Philippine politics for all the world to see. It is very surreal. This supposed “transparency rally” detonated a political bombshell in the form of Senator Imee Marcos’s very emotional tirade against his brother. Indeed, it was a political earthquake that splits the family further. It is dominating online conversations and mainstream media headlines in the past few days – a family meltdown on an extremely public scale, and possibly a political order cracking under its own weight. This event splintered the family and sent shockwaves throughout the Philippines. There were no

Reflections on 50 Years: My Journey Since St. Michael’s School of Padada

October 29, 2025

Last October 18 and 19, St Michael School of Padada’s high school batch of 1975 had a get together to celebrate the 50th year since our graduation from the school. My batchmates requested me to give an inspirational talk focusing on my journey since we graduated from high school. Here is a copy of my speech: My dear batchmates of St. Michael’s School of Padada, MAAYONG GABII SA INYONG TANAN! When Eden reached out and invited me to speak at today’s reunion, I felt truly honored to be chosen to share my journey since graduating from SMSP. It has now been 50 years—half a century—since we walked away from those cherished school grounds. Yet, it hardly seems possible that so much time has passed.

Filipino New Year’s Traditions

October 22, 2025

Much like Christmas, Filipinos everywhere also have a special way of celebrating New Year’s. We have our traditions that are uniquely Filipino, and no one else in the world does. You may feel like it’s borderline superstition, but we Filipinos just believe in certain things we must do as we welcome the new year. Here are a few common Filipino New Year’s Traditions you may or may not know. Media Noche Let’s start with something that Filipinos love – eating, and specifically, eating together. The Media Noche, Spanish for “Midnight”, is the second feast that Filipinos have every year in the holiday season. Much like Christmas’s Noche Buena, the Media Noche has its own quirks. It’s also a feast that starts at midnight, although

Are All These Recent Earthquakes Normal?

October 21, 2025

Looking at the news and social media over the past few weeks, it would seem like the ground beneath the Philippines hasn’t stopped trembling. Earthquake after earthquake fills headlines recently, and you can’t blame people for thinking that it’s becoming worse. We all know that the Philippines lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire – meaning earthquakes are to be expected. But are all of these earthquakes in such a short time really normal? I have to admit it made me a little bit anxious, so I did a little digging online. The Quakes that Seem to Have Started it All Reports from legitimate sources like the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) have been crucial in providing a little bit of clarity. First

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