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

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

The Storm Breaks on the Flood Control Issue

September 25, 2025

They tried their best to hide their corruption – then God sent the rains. They tried their best to hide their corruption – but then their kids flaunt their wealth. Hearing after hearing, and the storm breaks – not the rains this time, but people – flooding the streets, and like the rains, unpredictable – some peaceful, some forceful, and some outright violent. The floods culminated in widespread protests on the day being commemorated as the start of one of the darkest times in the history of the Philippines. It felt like all sectors of the Philippine society were represented that day, and the wide spectrum of protest was on full display – from peaceful and prayerful, to angry and cursing, to violent and destructive.

Video (and the Internet) Hasn’t Killed the Radio Star – the State of Radio in the Time of Social Media

July 16, 2025

Disclaimer: this article is lifted from a talk I gave 10 years ago. Entitled “Radio: Living and Breathing in the New Digital World”, it was a reflection on the state of Radio at a time when the internet and social media was already becoming the norm. Some statements and ideas here may no longer be applicable now, as internet connectivity continues to challenge Radio as a medium. Nonetheless, I hope this provides an insight into a time when trends were shifting, and Radio was trying to maintain its relevance in an ever-shifting world. *** In this day and age of social media and streaming services, we may think radio is dead. Why would the airwaves still matter when almost everyone has 5G on their phones?

We must choose the Philippines in the midst of the Israel-Iran Crisis

June 23, 2025

During this period of escalation in the Israel-Iran War, I shared Rob Rances’ post on my X page, as he raises very valid points. It’s really food for thought, as our leaders are supposed to be focused on mitigating its effect on our country. Instead, the teleserye of Philippine politics continues. Here’s a quick summary of his article: The Philippines is dependent on imported oil – 90% of which is from the Middle East. Despite this, we don’t have fuel reserves, and our laws give the local oil companies complete power to set prices. If the oil imports stop, we have a week before the whole country is paralyzed. What are our leaders and politicians doing? Using Rances’ words – “holding masses to sanctify the

How Expensive Is It to Build A Classroom?

June 22, 2025

Does it really cost ₱4-7M to build a classroom? Yes, according to Congressman Zia Adiong. There are documents doing the rounds on social media of a proposal of Congressman Adiong of some ₱285M to fund the construction of 8 buildings, at around 62 classrooms. One even shows a building worth ₱30M, which has only 4 classrooms: Looks expensive to me. Are they building “luxury classrooms” with high-end materials and smart TVs instead of projectors? If the Department of Education (DEPED) grants this request, will they not become a party to the overpricing?

The Israel – Iran Conflict, and How Bad it Can Really Get

June 18, 2025

With Israel’s “pre-emptive” attacks against Iran last Friday, tensions are escalating even further in the region. Iran has retaliated, and the entire world’s calls for de-escalation are falling on deaf ears. This article from the BBC speculates on possible worst-case scenarios of this ongoing conflict. Here’s a quick summary: America gets dragged into the conflict, and President Trump is forced to act. Other Gulf nations are dragged in, escalating tensions in the region even further. Israel fails to destroy Iran’s nuclear capability, forcing it to hasten their race for nuclear capability. The world economy falls even further, as gas prices soar. Iran’s regime falls, leaving a power vacuum in the region. And out of all of these worst-case scenarios, what does this mean for the

The real opposition is a Marcos

April 16, 2025

It’s interesting times we are living in, especially when it comes to Philippine politics. There’s a post doing the rounds on the internet that’s interesting food for thought. The real opposition is a Marcos – as early as mid-2023, I already heard this remark from some Senators and political observers. And our monitoring has shown that Senator Imee has been a strong critic of the policies of the BBM administration and the Romualdez Congress. Very valid points from the original poster – what do you think of this brewing Marcos-led opposition?

Musings from eight years ago for a Better Philippines

April 9, 2025

Saw this in my notes from eight years ago: Three things will guarantee the country’s image as an investment haven: tough bureaucratic and economic reforms, tax system overhaul, and an infrastructure build-up. I believe it was true then, and it is still true now. If you think about it, the groundwork for the last two was already laid with the TRAIN Law, CREATE Law etc., and the Build Build Build project. We need to keep moving forward – and my hope is that our current and future leaders work together in order to change the country for the better. Enough of the politicking.

Journal