Mulanay and Bondoc: From a Remote Peninsula to a Region of Possibility
By Karl M. Garcia Mulanay is not an abstract place to me. It is the hometown of my paternal great-grandparents, my grandparents, and my father. I remember Mulanay as a place regarded as impoverished and underserved in the 1990s. At that time, the distance of Southern Quezon from the country’s major economic centers was felt … Continue reading
Problem Solving the Philippines: How the Rules of the National Budget Have Been Tested
Part 4 of The Budget Series: how the courts have tested the Constitution’s budget rules, and what the Supreme Court decided in October 2026 on unprogrammed appropriations.
The Great Epics and Sagas of Humanity: A Journey Through the Stories, Heroes, and Civilizations That Shaped the World
By Karl M. Garcia Before humanity built libraries, universities, museums, and national archives, it had storytellers. Around fires, in royal courts, within temples, across marketplaces, and aboard ships crossing distant oceans, generations of people gathered to hear stories about extraordinary heroes, legendary kings, divine beings, devastating wars, great migrations, lost kingdoms, and the origins of … Continue reading
The Family Tree That Keeps Fascinating Me
By Karl M. Garcia I have always been awed and fascinated by my maternal family tree. Not because I think a family becomes important simply because it contains famous names. Rather, I find it fascinating to discover how many different lives, professions, personalities and stories can grow from the same ancestral roots. My mother’s name … Continue reading
Problem Solving the Philippines: How the National Budget Is Managed
Part 3 of The Budget Series: what happens after the budget is signed, from allotments and cash allocations to the Unified Reporting System that tracks them.