“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
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 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
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
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
“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
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.
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?
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
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?