Beyond Theft: The Quiet Corruption of White Elephant Public Spending

January 19, 2026

Not all corruption involves under-the-table cash envelopes or missing funds. Some of it hides in plain sight – in government projects that are fully-funded, proudly inaugurated, and loudly celebrated. Yet, these projects quietly fail to deliver real value to the public. Economists call these White Elephants. For the purpose of this discussion on public spending and governance, we will use the Merriam-Webster definition of a “property requiring much care and expense and yielding little profit.” According to this extensive blog entry, the term originated from actual white elephants in Southeast Asia. While normal elephants served as beasts of burden, white elephants were sacred to Buddhists—so rare and valuable that only kings could own them. The problem? Elephants are costly to maintain, and a sacred white

My Teacher, Fr. Glover

January 11, 2026

A Mentor and A Friend Let me tell you about an excellent mentor and friend —Fr. Francisco “Kiko” Glover, SJ. For years, right up until the COVID pandemic, I’d always make a point to go home to Davao every January, especially around the 11th. Why that date? It’s Fr. Glover’s birthday, and those of us who were Management Engineering (ME) students from Ateneo de Davao would gather for our annual get-together. Honestly, we picked the date because we all wanted to celebrate him—a mentor and a friend. For many of us, Fr. Glover was like our North Star. He had this way of bringing us together, no matter how busy we all got. Former ME students based in Davao would always coordinate with him, and

May 2026 be the Year our Hopes Catch Up with Reality

January 1, 2026

After the noise of Media Noche dies down and the plates are cleared, I find it helpful to pause and reflect on the year that was, and to define what I want 2026 to be. This reflection is vital to appreciate the why behind what we do. As we enter 2026, my wishes feel clearer, heavier, and more deliberate than before. On this blog, I spent much of the past year writing about things that frustrated me, worried me, and sometimes kept me up at night. I wrote because staying silent felt wrong. I wrote so future generations could live in a country that values accountability, true public service, and refuses to accept failure or corruption as normal. One can hope, and should hope,

Choosing Hope Together – A Short Christmas Message

December 23, 2025

As Christmas arrives, I find myself reflecting on 2025. It was a year that tested our patience, our trust in institutions, and sometimes, even our faith in each other as Filipinos. 2025 was a difficult year, marked by scandal after public scandal. The flood control issue, in particular, was painful to watch: billions allocated, yet communities remained submerged, lives disrupted, and livelihoods washed away—with thin explanations and even thinner accountability. This blatant and systemic corruption reminded us how deeply rooted our problems still are, and how costly they have become for ordinary families who simply want safety, dignity, and a fair chance. Yet even amid this turbulence, I found moments that reaffirmed why I write in this space. This blog is where I share what

Simbang Gabi

December 16, 2025

There is a distinct, crisp feeling in the air when December 16 rolls around—a sensation that goes beyond the shifting winds of the season. For many Filipinos, the true herald of Christmas isn’t the flashing lights or the crowded malls, but the distant tolling of church bells well before the sun begins to stir. This is the start of Simbang Gabi (or Misa de Gallo), a cherished nine-day tradition that weaves faith, community, and the comforting aroma of freshly baked bibingka into the tapestry of our holiday spirit. Whether you remember the excitement of spotting a crush in the dimly lit pews or the anticipation of the warm tsokolate waiting for you at home, this tradition is more than just a novena—it’s a memory etched

When Budget Lines Become Backdoors: The Real Cost of Pork Barrel — Now Wearing a New Face

December 14, 2025

When people talk about “pork barrel,” they often mean the old PDAF days — discretionary slush funds handed to lawmakers for projects that sometimes never materialized. But to say pork barrel is gone would be naive. It didn’t disappear; it changed its face — into budget insertions, unprogrammed funds, and discretionary realignments that skirt executive vetting. It’s important to look at the real cost of pork barrel, as these create the same opportunities for abuse. Insertions, FLR, and unprogrammed funds – not illegal, but could be immoral After the Supreme Court struck down PDAF in 2013, direct lump-sum allocations to lawmakers were outlawed. What replaced them is subtler: lawmakers now push insertions into the General Appropriations Act (GAA), or tap “for later release” (FLR) designations

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

The Christmas We Didn’t Go Anywhere

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: A Christmas Song That Only 2020 Could Have Produced Alvin sings about not being able to travel. Everyone had to stay home that year. But the song never turns bitter. Instead, it lands on a simple idea: what matters most is having the person you love right there beside you. It is a light, cheery piece about going nowhere. He

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.

Journal