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

On October 18 and 19, 2025, the high school Batch 1975 of St. Michael’s School of Padada came home. Fifty years had passed since we walked out of those gates in Davada del Sur. Some of us had grown old in Manila. Some had grown old abroad. Some did not make it back at all. My batchmates asked me to give the inspirational talk. They wanted to hear about the road I had taken since graduation — from a small rural town in Davao del Sur to the Metro, and to a front-row seat in a Philippine presidential campaign. Here is that speech, lightly edited for reading. My dear batchmates of St. Michael’s School of Padada — MAAYONG GABII SA INYONG TANAN! (Good evening to

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

Filipino Christmas Traditions

October 15, 2025

There is no Christmas like a Filipino Christmas. Every Filipino knows that the season officially starts during the “Ber Months”, making it the longest Christmas celebration in the world. It’s becoming a tradition that on September 1, you can expect the Jose Mari Chan memes to pop up on your feed, marking the start of the season. During this time, malls and other public spaces already start putting up Christmas decor, a full three months before December even starts. It’s funny, because nowhere in the world will you see Christmas decorations come up even before the Halloween decor – in some places, they even just put them up side by side. But beyond the decorations, the months-long celebration, and the memes, there is a rich

Promdi to the Big City

October 8, 2025

In 1975, after high school, I was awarded several college scholarships in Manila. However, I chose to study at Ateneo de Davao. My Alma Mater was one of three colleges run by the Society of Jesus (SJ) in three very strategic centers in Mindanao: Davao, Cagayan de Oro, and Zamboanga. It was the college of choice for most of the local elite – if they didn’t go to Manila for college, they went to Ateneo de Davao. I would miss my hometown of Padada, but Davao City was close enough. If I had transport money, I could always go home. Also, my elder sister was staying in Davao, so I planned to stay with her and her family to save on board and lodging costs.

A Homecoming Speech for the St. Michael’s College of Padada Golden Jubilee

October 1, 2025

In October 2025, the High School Class of 1975 of St. Michael’s College of Padada will gather to celebrate a deeply special milestone: our Golden Jubilee. As I eagerly anticipate reuniting with batchmates—some of whom I haven’t seen since we proudly walked across the graduation stage half a century ago—I find myself looking back on our shared history and the timeless values our beloved alma mater instilled in us. To set the mood for our upcoming 50th-year celebration, I want to share a speech I delivered during another momentous occasion—the Golden Jubilee of the founding of our school. Through the years, our school has evolved from St. Michael’s Academy to St. Michael’s College, and now, St. Michael’s School of Padada. Yet, the Michaelean spirit remains

Public Service Should not be a Path to Obscene Wealth

September 30, 2025

“No country can progress if its politics is more profitable than its industries. In a country where those in government are richer than entrepreneurs, they manufacture poverty.” – Peter Obi, Nigerian Politician I came across the above quote recently. It really hits home, I think, as we continue to dive headfirst into this whole flood control issue. Ever since this issue was exposed, the typhoons have kept coming. And the floods they bring seem to be getting worse and worse. This seems like it’s a huge symptom of a deeper, more corrosive problem in our country that is bubbling to the surface. What is being exposed is the theft of billions and billions of pesos meant for dikes, dams, and vital drainage systems – projects

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