President Marcos is doing good works
Analysis and Opinion
By Joe America
I was an enthusiastic supporter of the Aquino Administration through all kinds of trials and tribulations, even when the entire nation went into a screaming rage because he chose not to greet 44 coffins in Manila. You see, presidents are human and they have data we don’t have. And they make mistakes.
And media don’t cover all the good works.
The Marcos Administration is no different. Most of the “mistakes” people cite occurred before he got elected, and many argue that is the whole of him. No, no. It is not. Not any more than Mamasapano was the whole of the Aquino Admin. It’s fallacious reasoning. It’s wrong.
I went to Bard for objectivity.
____________________
Prompt: What would you say are the five most important acts of the Marcos Administration in the Philippines so far in his term?
Bard: Here are five of the most important acts of the Marcos Administration so far in his term:
- Creating the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW): The Marcos Administration created the DMW to consolidate and streamline the functions of various government agencies dealing with overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). The DMW is mandated to provide assistance and protection to OFWs, including pre-employment, deployment, and post-employment services.
- Implementing the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL): The RTL replaced the quantitative restrictions (QRs) on rice imports with tariffs. This was done to lower the price of rice for consumers and to make the Philippines more competitive in the global rice market. The RTL has been credited with reducing rice prices, but it has also been criticized for hurting local rice farmers.
- Launching the Build, Build, Build infrastructure program: The Build, Build, Build program is a massive infrastructure development program that aims to improve the country’s transportation, communication, and water systems. The program has been praised for its potential to boost economic growth, but it has also been criticized for its high cost and potential for corruption.
- Passing the Universal Healthcare Law: The Universal Healthcare Law provides free primary care and subsidized hospitalization for all Filipinos. The law is still in its early stages of implementation, but it has the potential to improve access to healthcare for millions of Filipinos.
- Ratifying the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP): The RCEP is a free trade agreement between 15 Asia-Pacific countries. The agreement is expected to boost trade and investment in the region, and to benefit the Philippines’ economy.
These are just a few of the most important acts of the Marcos Administration so far in his term. It is still too early to say how these acts will ultimately impact the Philippines, but they have the potential to bring about significant changes in the country.
____________________
Well, Bard makes the point, doesn’t she? It is a real Government, striving to do good works. And probably doing some bad ones along the way. And some speculate about corrupt ones.
And we can note that Bard is also not perfect. The Universal Health Care Act was passed under President Duterte but is being actively implemented under Marcos via a guiding Council.
I would add EDCA expansion, appointment of Secretary Teodoro, and his handling of China’s incursions as a major initiative. And technology emphasis in agencies, and in industry. And starting to manufacture military goods. Supporting OFWs in troubled nations is also important, Israel for example.
What’s the point of this? The point is to cut President Marcos some slack, as I argued during President Aquino’s troubled moments.
I’d suggest we lead with reason, not history. Presidenting is a big job. President Marcos is not lying stoned in the Palace as many had suspected he would be. He’s out daily traveling, encouraging, explaining, deciding, and producing. In a very generalized way, he is like most other presidents. He is not a bum like Duterte.
Going forward, I know I’ll strive to be objective, compartmentalizing his works on their merits or demerits, not letting bad works erase good works. President Aquino was more than Yolanda, more than Mamasapano, and more than Dengvaxia. President Marcos is more than a wealth fund, food prices, and a bad hire or two. And more than what his father and mother left behind.
_______________
Photograph by Bing. Prompt: “Visualize the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership”.
The Society of Honor by Joe America 
I agree! Marcos is more and better than I expected! By allowing the courts to give bail to Leila De Lima he is allowing the courts the freedom to serve the Filipino. This will improve the Filipinos faith in the justice system! By expanding EDCA he is showing real leadership in facing the Chinese creeping expansionism! And while I don’t like that he is considering rebuilding the nuclear plant I do like that he is looking at greener renewable energy sources!
Spot on, Joe. He is very active and seems to be getting his agencies to focus on important initiatives. A nuclear plant is an aspect of his building relationships with the US. It will be interesting to track. Good point about freeing the courts to do justice. Maybe it will inspire Supreme Court justices to rigorously apply law rather than taint it with politics (like that Anti-Terror Law they softly agreed to that was so abused under Duterte).
Thanks Joe for the analysis. I see the picture as still forming, even as the analysis by MLQ3 below is definitely part of that picture:
My first observations, even if I am now a FORMER political analyst and public historian turned showbiz reporter, is that he a) has decided to work within the system established post-EDSA (by intent or by inertia); b) has gone back to the old pro-Western orientation of the Philippines; c) is like PNoy a heir to what the generations before him established as the Philippine Republic, for better or for worse. The rest is still in the works. The next half year will be interesting.
Nice analysis yourself. Your showbiz article has been picked up by some fans, so is getting some reads and favorable reviews over on twitter.
I agree the Admin is still early. My focus is to set aside the historical framing and swap it for a running tabulation of today’s activities. I note the President skipped one event due to exhaustion, which does not surprise me. His days are packed with events.
president marcos has caught covid again and needs to rest. though he is still at work, zooming.
Ah, I didn’t know that. Thanks.
thank the lord, pbbm has recovered from covid, and is going to tokyo to attend a summit. busy man. is.
Praise be! Hallelujah!
Thanks.. I like this comment on Twitter best when it refers to our comment section as “bardagulan with class, great exchange of ideas even with disagreements”. As for history, there wouldn’t be history if there were no chronists of what happened during the normal course of things. I wouldn’t get what was happening without the different types of aggregation the likes of mlq3 and yourself are offering.
https://twitter.com/sisiw_sa_ihawan/status/1732910710706069920?t=M1MUCrxZVzMwtTPKpMtVFA&s=19
That is a great description of the discussion. So is your “aggregation” point. I agree MLQ3 pulls things together marvelously. Great insights. As for history itself, I think it can be damaging if it confines thinking. Like the Left’s view of the US as an imperialist state. And critics refusing to see good works of the Marcos Government because he and his family have been such historical scoundrels.
History can indeed be dangerous if used to propagate grudges. Even as the past can be a warning, one should be open for atonement and change. There is no reason for the Philippines today to bear any grudge or distrust towards the USA. The early 1900s were generations ago.
As for the Marcoses, that is more complicated as there may still be trust issues among many. There is some degree of atonement going on, for instance, when it comes to releasing Leila de Lima and giving the Left a chance to return to the fold – while isolating the red taggers.
This may of course be a false spring, but it could be promising. Even as it could be sabotaged by many factions who might be waiting to pounce on Marcos Jr. if he shows any weakness. Whether Marcos Jr. is sincere or not is impossible to know, only consistency will finally count.
History does teach us that some processes leading to unity and national consensus – while retaining the kind of civilized bardagulan needed for a vital democracy – take lots of time.
I have not the faintest idea at what stage the Philippines is now. In turbulent waters for sure.
I’m guessing that President Marcos will run a steady government to resurrect the family name. I presume Speaker Romualdez will be his designated successor. I don’t know much about him. It seems he is using his influence to favor his business interests, but is running a much more purposeful House than did the Duterte bunch. I think Sara Duterte will find it hard to gain traction, but she will probably have backing and money from China.
I do find it a good thing that there seems to be a consensus that certain rules have to be adhered to and not jerked around with as that can be the road to hell, as the years 2016-2022 showed. Maybe there are already lessons learned.
Or maybe they just have seen that being predictable is better for business, doesn’t matter if their motivations are good or bad if the result is good.
ex pres duterte was in debt trap, whereas pres marcos is apparently in pledge trap as some business articles are saying, pledges he has yet to reel in and turn into cold hard cash.
pbbm carries the sins of the father and people burned long ago by his father have long memories, though he will forge on ahead, regardless.
https://heneralunacy.wordpress.com/2023/12/16/2023-the-year-that-was-or-was-not/ this blog post sees the present administration with some worry.. well I guess that the 4 or 5 dimensional big picture is still hazy so let’s just see.
keep on sharing Irineo, love to read these posts as it shows the Philippines beyond the doom and gloom of politics.
The way the media tried to portray the Agri Secretary as a bad choice because he didn’t graduate reeked of elite gate keeping.
ahem, the latest agri secretary is presumably a fish out of the water, and seemingly behaving like a corporate head honcho. will appoint an undersecretary to oversee and implement both agri and fisheries goals and objectives. I am presuming the undersecretary will also appoints his own secondary undersecretaries to truly implements and oversee both agri and fisheries goals and objectives, the labyrinthine task apparently to be completed in the next 4yrs.
if agri and fisheries end up having conflicting demands, is maybe because the new agri chief has bitten off more than he can chew.
even the most educated most experienced bites of more than they can chew. we can just try, do our best then if we are unsuccessful recalibrate and try again.
It made me sad as it confirmed my suspicions on the food czar of PNoy and his inadequacy to be a VP candidate. When will we stop electing lawyers who only know words when we have people like RSA who build stuff.
https://www.da.gov.ph/agri-chief-eyes-marine-agro-industrial-estates-logistics-master-plan-to-modernize-fisheries-sector/
Dumping of tomatoes in Vizcaya confirmed
https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/02/03/news/national/dumping-of-tomatoes-in-vizcaya-confirmed/1876942
I’ve never understood myself how being a lawyer seems to instantly qualify you to hold any job here, as if reciting case studies were more important than understanding technology. I suppose it’s because media put so much shine on passing the bar. Even if many use their skills to become crooks.
apparently, those who cannot afford to study medicine, study law. next best thing kuno in terms of job prospect, the best articulated liars around.
seriously, if we got lawyers like delima, ex justice carpio, justice leonen et al, we need them to balance and offset the proliferation of rogue lawyers creating havoc and mayhem, some have been disbarred from practice.
Fair comments. Our problem is: politics has so divided us that people from both sides of the fence have lost the big picture, which is …move pilipinas..together …regardless of whatever. On the part of the administration, no grand gestures of inclusivity towards the capable opposition; on the part of the opposition, no acknowledgement of the administration’s achievements.
so long as they’re not trading bullets and killling each other, I’m happy with the divide. though delima has thanked president marcos for not interfering and letting justice run its course. delima is free now; out on bail, and could well be the spokesperson of the opposition.
it is alleged the job of the opposition is not to be pr machine of the president, singing his praises and enumerating his achievements, but to check and put the president in his place if need be. the moment the opposition becomes complimentary, their status may become questionable and they’d be presumed connivers. I think, the president understand this conundrum better than anyone coz he was opposition once and did things he should not have done, but did anyway.
seemingly, the president has his own well oiled communication group, ultra capable of putting him in the limelight, the hero of the masses. pity about his sister though, she seems to make it her day job to peg down the president at any chance she’s got, acting like a sourpuss.
Superb points, Ed. He certainly could make a huge stride by reaching out to the “capable opposition”, an excellent description, I might add. He hired President Aquino’s NEDA head to run NEDA. Imagine appointing Robredo to a cabinet position. Instant reconstruction of the Marcos reputation. Likely too early for that, but certainly as doable as letting Atty. De Lima out.
I agree
it could well be that ‘bard’ is a wee bit chinese implant and could be misinformed. as regard the five most important acts of the Marcos Administration in the Philippines so far in his term, number 3 is questionable, I think.
launching the build build build infra program was ex pres duterte’s feather on the cap china deal that president marcos scaled down. apparently the chinese projects like the 3 railways were none existent and the interest on chinese loans were astronomical. when marcos went to beijing, he got nowhere with pres xi and build build build projects were mothballed.
as well, filipinos have been told to be careful of what they post in tik tok, the chinese communication platform giant apparently gathers personal and private data which can be used vs us, and compromised our military.
https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/philippine/no-funds-10262023131943.html
yes, president marcos is proving to be his own man.
Right on the nomenclature. I suspect the difference will prove to be that Marcos will actually build some things.
Good point, whether serious or not, about China infiltrating our information flows because they are actively working on doing just that. Much more than Tick Tock, for sure.
Apples and oranges, Joe. President Bongbong Marcos and President Noynoy Aquino are not two peas in a pod. They are more like different species, even different solar systems. Other than this comment, affiant sayeth none.
Well, the point is that presidenting is a big job and we ought not be afraid to see good works, and acknowledge them, because we are afraid it will undermine our hate. Well, not ours necessarily, and not hate necessarily. But you get the point, I’m sure. We should see clearly for that is when thinking is brightest.
“affiant sayeth none”
x-
“American lawyers frequently end affidavits with some
variation of this sentence: ‘Further affiant sayeth not.’ This sentence
gives rise to three stylistic dilemmas: first, is it sayeth or saith; sec-
ond, is it not or naught; and third, is the sentence necessary at
all? . . . Among American lawyers who use the phrase, sayeth pre-
dominates; among American lawyers who rightly pride themselves
on their style, the phrase does not appear at all . . . . The predomi-
nant form [between not and naught] is Further affiant sayeth not.
But this is nonsense, because it is literally translatable as, ‘The affi-
ant says not further’ . . . . The form with naught, by contrast, makes
literal sense . . . . [But t]he best choice, stylistically speaking, is to use
these phrases not.”
-x
https://magilas.me/sayeth-saith
Click to access 04_sept.pdf
It seems …
“sayeth” is not in the word of God;
“saith” occurs 1,262 times (in 1,197 verses).
They are fruits. Dutertes are durians.
We normal folk are vegetables. The poor are kamote and kangkong. Pigs like Harry Roque are also somehow part of the strange picture that I see.
OT showbiz especially for Micha:
https://billboardphilippines.com/culture/lifestyle/olivia-rodrigo-shares-that-shes-excited-to-go-to-the-philippines-in-2024/
OT showbiz again. Joy Esquivias finished 4th on Voice of Germany. Emely from Panama, aka “Aretha,” finished 5th. Locals finished 1st to 3rd, including 2nd placer Desirey Sarpong, who does talk and act like someone who grew up over here. Familiarity does help with popularity.
https://youtu.be/5atYSVGf_9A?si=rK-qeP_Y4Xp_V-XI
Joy’s duet with British soul queen Emily Sande (every finalist in Voice of Germany got to duet with an established star) will I believe stand the test of time.
Her original single she sang on the show as well (YT video isn’t out yet) is dedicated to her son (she is a single mother) and is on all streaming platforms, as every finalist got help in creating and recording their own original song.
thanks for the news.
As a bonus for contributing to what Twitter calls bardagulan with class, here is a video of the Voice Germany coaches singing with the contestants. Your ex Ronan is there, of course.
I don’t know whether to believe Boy Abunda, who told me yesterday that you had a fling with Rea Garvey also, but here he is in the last number with the finalists.
Joy’s video is out as well on YT, and her single is on all streaming platforms.
thanks, I’m not really keen of bardagulan. it reminds me of pigs eating in a trough. sorry.
my fave singer, taylor swift, is time magazine person of the year 2023.
Well, you will see a lot of Filipino fans of Joy bashing Malou, the TVOG winner who is more of a storyteller, not exactly Taylor Swift but not a belter like Joy.
Meanwhile, Joy performed like all finalists a self-composed song. Because it was for her son, she tore up at the end.
I make no apologies, I am of the generation that liked Whitney and Mariah, I bought Regine Velasquez’ first major album Nineteen Ninety and drove my little sister crazy playing Natalie Cole.. though Joy is still on her way to divadom.
What’s going on in the German front Irineo? It does seem like everytime it’s subjected to some form of economic stress it turns inward for authoritarian salvation even if its support for the war in Ukraine is predicated on the German elite’s gamble to be the unapologetic sidekick of America.
Nothing really surprising as anyone who lives in Germany knows that a certain percentage of people might have some degree of authoritarian mindset, just like the USA has its Karens and the Philippines has its petty despots.
I believe that the lack of a patriarch like Bismarck, Adenauer or Kohl or a matriarch like Merkel also plays a role. Chancellor Scholz is seen as a weakling whose three-party coalition barely is holding together while the Federal Supreme Court threw out the 2024 Federal budget as unconstitutional. But no, we won’t have a government shutdown as Germany is equipped to run on autopilot – and its system – vintage 1949 – so far has proven quite stable.
Economy is stagnating, living standards declining, political paralysis in public sphere, and growing wealth inequality at par or even worst than in the US.
AfD is poised to win in the next election with voter angst and anxiety over the state of economy the main contributing factor for their going hard right.
Who’s going to stabilize the ship in a Merkel-less Germany?
No idea yet. The next election is in 2025, but I don’t see an AfD majority YET. The established political parties will have to deal with questions they were successfully able to evade, especially in Merkel’s time.
Merkel was able to convey the impression that things were fine even in 2017, when it was her personality that prevented more AfD votes after the 2015 refugee crisis. A lot can happen in two years, so let’s see.
Yup, hard to imagine what was once the terror of the world has now been reduced as a languid vassal of the US with Scholtz acting directly against the interest of his fellow citizens. Here’s hoping Germans will right their ship’s state of affairs by decoupling from the shadow of American big brother.
apparently, there are too many uncontrolled migrants in germany, deutsche mark has been replaced by euros, and germany is part of EU now, and may have to pull back on some ideologies just to get in line with the rest of EU. and as part of EU, germany is obligated to help other lesser EU members as regards their economy and trade, etc.
the rise of the extreme far right in EU is worrisome and the violence that goes with it. the far right has alleged germany has been diluted! whatever that means.
apparently again, it seems poland is the rising star of EU, its economy and life there is getting better.
I like him shunning the China “friendly” policies of FPDuterte
Yes. That situation is getting dicey though as China seeks to punish those Filipino upstarts who resist being told what to do in their own seas. Water cannons firing at a government ship is pretty serious business.
Indeed it is
afp chief general brawner could not believe china watercannoned the boat he was in! said maybe china did not know he was there present, like it matter! china has no respect for unclos ruling, and maybe, china specifically watercannoned the boat coz brawner was on it.
with all their spies around listening and watching, their intel 2nd to none, china could not possibly failed to know brawner’s whereabout. kaya siguro, this time china was utterly ruthless, brutal even, and given brawner a special treatment. a baptism of water!
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/890957/brawner-on-latest-china-harassment-galit-na-galit-ako/story/
We are of like mind. I just tweeted about the Embassy spy network. A good reason to shut it down.
If he feeds Duterte to ICC investigators he’ll move the country a notch higher in the moral gauge meter considering how tepid the response has been, so far, on his call for national unity. Uniting with scums and criminals is less appealing for most conscientious citizens.
Yes, true. It is interesting that Robredo fans detest Duterte more than Marcos and Marcos is gaining a kind of accidental unity with the old ‘opposition’ because Sara Duterte is so obnoxious.
apparently, old man duterte is prepared for arm-ageddon, has excess guns stored, some highpowered. in case ICC comes knocking on his door, duterte’s welcoming party is mayhap ready. kapow!
ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY7So_2VRK8
sara duterte has been giving rice and lipstick to teachers, and what do students get? no rice and lipstick for them but lower pisa score yet again. deped alleged students lower score is maybe due to their excessive use of gadgets, funny that. students in singapore are top pisa scorers and yet they too are alleged to use gadgets excessively.
apparently, sara’s bare classroom wall policy that’s supposed to make student concentrate only on school work did not work.
Well, NPA has to get their guns from someone. Protection racket. Or Ampatuan style private army.
Poland has benefitted a lot from remittances from Germany and from Poles who worked in Germany, building their own businesses back home.
Polish sisters I once knew well sent their sister to the university by cleaning houses in Munich, bought their father a new tractor for his farm etc etc – the oldest sister was a seamstress while the youngest sister studied computer science.
There are also call centers and data centers in Poland serving the German market.
I know a German IT consultant who moved to Poland, bought a house and lives much cheaper but still has most customers in Germany.
The standard of living is almost like Germany, but it was clear they would catch up one day.
In the long run even the West of Romania is moving up with its German firms there and the University of Cluj-Napoca providing top IT graduates. They have a similar role of BPO there like in the Philippines and 5 million out of 20 million Romanians live abroad and send money home.
As for Germany, I have lived here long enough to see many up and downs. I am observant but not yet worried. No plans yet of moving to Cebu City like some old Germans do.
apparently, if you are EU citizen, you can go and live anywhere in EU, as borders have been relaxed, same passport, same currency. except if you are EU royalty, you carry no passport, no currency, and customs wont bother you.
It’s complicated.. the same visa is for the Schengen area, which is partly inside and partly outside the EU and not all the EU. Microstates like Andorra, Monaco, and San Marino participate by default.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Map_of_the_Schengen_Area.svg
Switzerland is for instance visa free, but you are in trouble if you take more than half a kilo of meat or a package of butter or a liter of milk across the border, as they rigorously protect their own agriculture.
The Eurozone is only part of the EU, and there is Bosnia, which used to use the Deutsche Mark as de facto currency and now uses Euros.
my pen friends in malmo, sweden, take a ferry for a day trip to denmark and shop there in denmark buying up chocolate, butter, cheese and smallgoods like footlong sausages! sometimes, the ferry has its own shop that sells goods at cheaper prices. they just have to keep the receipts in case the pesky customs ask questions.
I dont think I can live in EU, it’s cebu for me, warts and all.
There is a striking bridge between Copenhagen and Malmo since 1999, as striking as the Cebu-Mactan bridge. It is strange that duty-free ferries still exist as Sweden joined the EU back in 1995.
I once flew in a helicopter across the Oresund strait as part of the flight connection from Munich to Helsingborg via Copenhagen. And back.
The only two times I ever took a helicopter in my entire life.
you’re so lucky!
Cebu is my favorite big city here. Drivable if you avoid rush hour. Civil. Good malls and lechon. Lots of resorts nearby. Decent mayor. Weird governor. Close to cosmopolitan.
When’s that bridge to Bohol coming, Joe. I loved Bohol. My favourite island there, but my heart yearns for Mango Ave. everyday (and night).
I have no idea. Probably 15 years away so don’t worry too much about it. 😂🤣😂
uber rich manny pangilinan was asked recently by cebu gov garcia to think about building the cebu to bohol bridge. apparently the cost is 90billion pesos and rising with inflation and higher cost of labor. maybe a consortium will build it, hwag lang chinese. it might even be a toll bridge jointly owned by both filipinos and foreigners. wait and see.
In this season of cheer but with the war in Gaza still raging, it’s worth considering that only around 3% of Zionists are Jews and 97% are Christians who are hoping that Jewish people around the world will return to Israel so that, per biblical prophesy I suppose, the second coming of Christ will transpire, convert the Jews to Christianity and condemn all unbelievers to hell.
In that light, it can be said that those Christian Zionists are actually the anti-semites. No wonder that evangelical Christians everywhere are almost always pro-Israel but apparently hostile to the religion of Judaism.
https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/qanda-for-every-1-jewish-zionist-there-are-30-christian-zionists-and-netanyahu-exploits-this-15656249
“Christian Zionism is predicated on the idea that the Jews are God’s chosen people. They’ve been returned to the land in fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies that the Messiah is going to return soon. But there will be a war, a final war, an Armageddon, and it will be pitting Israel and its allies against the Arab world, against the communists, against those who have a different worldview to that of Israel.”
I’m with Satmar Jews on this, they’re anti-Zionists.
God punished them for a reason, the UN cannot send them back, they have to earn it. Go back to wandering.
But say laa vee, Israel has nukes and weapons and Gaza’s cut in half now so why not repatriated Palestinians to Neom.
https://www.neom.com/en-us/regions/theline
The Philippines and Filipinos should be promoting Satmar Jews’ stance. hell everyone should be.
Thanks for the link. The author may not be aware the existence of an accord between Israel and her neighbors in the ME. Saudi Arabia is about to consider the Abraham Accords when Hamas launched murderous adventure in Israel.
https://www.state.gov/the-abraham-accords/
Abraham accords is exactly why Oct. 7 happened, isk.
Saudi Arabia needs to populate their Judge Dredd type mega architectural plans, eg. Neom, Mukaab, Desert Rock, Masar, etc.
The Israelis are the only people that can make these projects happen.
But they’ll remain empty otherwise, so they need to populate and what better people to populate it with than the people who have just lost everything.
Read about the Jericho Wall and Oct. 7, https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/our-only-hope-the-bombshell-revelation-of-jericho-wall/
Who stands to gain? the Abraham Accords stands to gain. Oct. 7 and Jericho Wall leak just proves Israel and Saudi Arabia are simply fast tracking the Abraham Accords.
Israel gets Gaza’s oil, MBS gets to populate its structures, Hamas is gotten rid of, its a win win win. very seamless really. sure some deaths, but the Palestinian question is answered. decisively.
Thanks for the link Sir Lance. The displacement scenario is somewhat too extreme ! Palestinians are proud people , patriotism high. They have been fighting for their homeland. I wonder if the suggestion will be a viable solution.
isk,
I don’t doubt the Palestinians pride and patriotism.
But as it stands,
in 1948 there were 5 plus Arab armies that fought , fought for Palestine.
fast forward to 2023, not only are there zero Arab countries actively helping them out, but Jordan and Egypt specifically positioned their militaries specifically to keep Palestinians out.
essentially the fight for Palestine is over. and this is the genius of the Abraham accords, Arab countries especially the Gulf states (credit Oman for this) have decided to move on.
of course, I’m no ME expert and i could be wrong, as I have with Inday Sara, although I would still think Inday Sara will still be viable for 2028 run pro DU30s still abound regardless.
But I gotta feeling MBS (Saudi Arabia) will after the Gaza operation is complete will swoop in and save the day, taking a bunch of Palestinian refugees under its wings,
setting them up in the Northwest corner of the Kingdom,
precisely to be both unskilled and skilled labor for Neom. Israel already has the perfect template in the West Bank, highways divide as well as accommodate for Arab and Jewish subdivisions.
they’ll copy paste that onto Gaza. with most refugees at Neom.
Need to take the reality that after the Oct. 7 massacre, trust is severely damaged .
https://www.npr.org/2023/11/13/1211987812/israel-hamas-west-bank-gaza-war-conflict-idf
Maybe the speculated grand plan will work.
Thank you.
I hope Inday Sara can recover from all these PBBM success.
She needs to leverage Filipinos abroad get some movement going. lots of medical missions almost like Team Rubicon set ups coming from abroad BUT theres no gov’t entity that facilitates all that , to deconflict, to orchestrate, provide the big picture, etc.
So its kinda like Skidrow in LA, every mission operation from abroad is just band aid really possibly causing more harm than good,
I think she has burned her bridges to cinders and ash. She surprised me with her lack of finesse. Belligerent, obnoxious. Whooie. She just doubles down on being arrogant.
she still has her cheerleaders, the dabaw mob among them bato and bong go et al. then there is robin padilla, and seemingly majority of pbbm’s best and dearest appointees ay mga tauhan ni digong: their influences run deeper.
if not for speaker romualdez and few others, they would have pbbm eating off the palm of their hand, isolated.
I still shall be watching all the current developments of this regime with vigilance.
I do not forget that many of the fickle, opportunistic legislators — having signed up to be in Romualdez’s party and dumping the Dutertes — once denied ABS-CBN a franchise are now going after SMNI like hellhounds. That there is still the acute presence of inflation, young people again having to work much temporarily for the holidays but for little pay, and fishermen telling me it’s harder to catch fish for which to eventually sell.
ahem, badoy and chum are out of hunger strike. I thought pa naman na maybe, if they continue their hunger strike, I’ll have their christmas ham!
maybe, the same fickle minded uberly oscillating people decided to play santa and given smni hellhounds a free leash and permit to bark at any tree in existence.
maybe I should keep quiet, I’ve work on the christmas and new year holidays too, but the pay is doubled and there are perks. there is less traffic, it’s quieter as most people go home to the province.
people remaining in cities are kinder maybe because its christmas and there is less heated arguments. there are drunks around but they’re easy to handle, and often sleep off their drunkenness. I just have to make sure they dont fall into ditches and drown. anyhow, I’m used to wading smelly ditches just to rescue some drunks, and losing a pair of heels! grrrrrr!
” I’m used to wading smelly ditches just to rescue some drunks…”
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Yeah, I can imagine the cha-cha move going home drunk from cerveza and or ginebra. What makes me worry are those drunk with power dancing cha-cha and it seems they want it done before the 2024 SONA.
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/890975/speaker-romualdez-eyes-people-s-initiative-to-decide-cha-cha-vote/story/
Amending certain provisions in the constitution I think is the way to go ? Retouching lang ang dapat , baka ipasok ang patagalan sa upuan…
senator robin padilla seems to highjack speaker romualdez chacha initiatives. you’re right though, istambay, patagalan sa upuan yan.
senator robin padilla wants to extend the term of elected officials, himself included. I can only imagine local govt units from governors, mayors and konsehales in city halls, and barangay tanods in barrios and villages also want their term extended.
The Philippines had two drivers that got drunk during their incumbency , don’t need another opportunists to ruin the country. The last one we had, the nation suffered for 6 years.
pbbm wants chacha anew to make it attractive for foreign investors to invest in our country and make us super rich!
kung tutuusin, pbbm can do it the easy way via the executive order. charter change can take too long, all those studies to be done, debates and arguments, the pros and cons to be considered and taken on board, plus the daily expenses incurred . . . by the time they finished haggling, tire themselves in the procrastination process and lighter in the pocket, foreign investors have already committed to investing in other countries.
sometimes, in business, you have got to be decisive and act fast. maliban lang kung talagang inexperienced ang chairman of the board, does not really knows what he has at his disposal, barely knows which direction to go, waiting for signs and enlightenment from heaven, and procrastinating all the while.
Speaking of drunk drivers, this one is a good sobriety test.
that was gypsy rose lee’s number the police performed! classic. and for the drunk to have known it too, steady on his feet and did not fall over, I think, I’ve been taken for a ride!
This is the sad reality of keeping same politicians who promised heaven and earth to their constituents.
I cannot help but notice that jolo revilla, son of bong revilla and lani mercado, is cavite’s representative in 19th congress of the phillippines. jolo revilla is member of lakas-cmd party. speaker martin romualdez is president of lakas-cmd and also speaker of the house, as well as cousin of pbbm.
the governor of cavite is jonvic remulla, brother of boying remulla who is also current chief of dept of justice.
cavite is seemingly quite well connected and well served, politically.
There is, for sure, a broader socio-economic component to the problem of poverty. Wretched colonies like that is not confined in the mangrove shores of Bacoor. Farther up north along the bay, shanty dwellings can also be found in Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and even, most likely, in Meycauyan. Large cities like Cebu and Davao also have the same strata of population tucked in some God forsaken corner or district.
The complicity of local politicians can perhaps be zeroed in on their lax enforcement of zoning laws because accommodating such colonies earns them pogi points and votes from residents during elections. But systemic poverty itself has deeper causes; among which is the Manila centric or urban centered development and totally neglecting the sustainable livelihood of populations in the rural areas.
Also, and chiefly, the virus of neoliberalism has spread into the lowest rung of our political body.
I fell once or twice in ditches and even manholes and ended up with stinky shoes, socks and pants.
Yeah, accident do happen. 😮
Oh yes
Unfortunately
I’m surprised people: men, women and children fallen into open utility holes had not sued lgus for injuries sustained. the accidents are foreseeable and lgus are liable for failure to ensure safety of passersby. utility holes ought to be cordoned off with reflective tapes, or covered and platforms made for passersby to cross on foot. no point putting danger notices when it can barely be seen in the dark.
I thought the German who fell into a Manila manhole in the 1970s and actually sued the city was a first. It turns out there was a Filipino who fell into a Manila manhole at Padre Burgos St. in 1958, and the Supreme Court rendered its final judgment in 1968. Turns out he too was ridiculed by his work colleagues like the German was mocked in 1970s Manila – probably also as tanga, even as the open manhole was barely visible in the dark.
https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1968/jan1968/gr_l-23052_1968.html
Proof that Filipinos, even in those ostensibly more decent times, made fun of nearly anything. Interesting also how the City of Manila tried to find a way not to pay damages and appealed. Unfortunately Manila no longer had much sex appeal even back then, unlike Cebu City.
in the 70s, filipinos have sicker sense of humor, laughing at the misfortunes of others, so politically incorrect, and no hold barred talaga. similarly, people with disability are often targeted then, mocked and laughed at, and that says much for our compassion or lack of. I hope that has changed for the better now, people are more considerate and understanding post 2000s.
Their excuse is pilferage
OT SB19: this was their magnificent performance at the Asian Artists Awards held at the Philippine Arena recently.. with Japanese group &Team joining in.
They are, of course, back in the sense of having settled their trademark issues with their former management. No details were disclosed some weeks ago except that it was a fair settlement.
OT
Vietnam is revolutionizing shrimp production using advanced innovative technology. Very impressive. We have been a republic for close to 8 decades now and we haven’t produced a scientist entrepreneur like the one in this video.
I read of a drone builder a few years ago, but nothing ever since. Yet it is a hot market. I’m guessing there is no support network, no government assist, no venture capitalists. it’s like athletics. The talent is here, the sports infrastructure is not.
We prided in having fertile soil and rich marine and natural resources but we somehow never managed to excel in the production of agri products much less innovate farming methods and techniques to spur development in the countryside, minimize urban migration, and avoid formation of hell-hole colonies like the one in Bacoor shared by istambaysakanto previously.
We need more investors in fish farming business.
I heard somewhere that USA has re-started grant aid to our country. it was discontinued in 2016 to 2022 sa panahon ni president duterte for fear the grant will be used for purposes other than intended. now that there is regime change and president marcos si pro USA, american economic grant is open again for filipinos to fund their choice of viable projects.
filipinos have long believe that one of the best way for them to improve and be successful in life is through education. study hard, finish their studies, get certified and work overseas where pay is better. then send money home. that way, they are less dependent and less affected by our government’s whims and caprices.