The Society of Honor by Joe America

Comments

1. Joey Nguyen says:

   April 5, 2026 at 4:54 pm

   Well I have hope for effort, but generally, hope is not a plan.

   Cultural moments have always existed and before the modern time and in most cases those moments have almost always been fleeting. Even for cultural moments that “sticks,” humans have a tendency to remember the cultural moments while the reasons that enabled those cultural moments fade into the background despite the latter being crucial in facilitating the former.

   The post-War worldwide expansion of American culture in fact rode on the back of American-made products (and now services) that the US wanted to sell abroad. Likewise the expansion of Japanese culture rode on the back of the Japanese Miracle, also in order to sell goods. Ditto for the Korean Wave, i.e. “Hallyu;” the South Korean products ready-to-sell happened before Hallyu. The individual cultural moments may be fleeting, but having finished goods to trade and exchange is what makes exceptional cases of culture permanent, like how much of Filipino English seems stuck in mid-century Americana.

   Take for example the Eurovision Song Contest established in 1956: To many Eurovision is simply an inter-European song contest founded by the free countries of Europe that were not behind the Iron Curtain where singers represented their own nations in a contest of which country had the better singers, songwriters and musical assembles. But once one understands that physical exports precede cultural exports, taking a step back causes the realization that Eurovision was in fact a way to foster increased economic cooperation, trade and the exchange of ideas between the free countries of Europe which increased economic integration in the European Economic Community (CEC) that later became the European Union (EU).

   So while I have hope that the present efforts to go global (and “become famous” to use a colloquial Filipinism) by going ahead of having stuff to export and trade, I do wonder, until when will the Philippines realize that doing things backwards makes everything more difficult. Sometimes I think contrarianism for being contrary’s sake then doubling down due to sunk costs will be realized to be just that, wasteful effort that doesn’t stick.

   Reply
   • Irineo B. R. Salazar says:

     April 6, 2026 at 3:48 am

     well, there never was a GRAND PLAN for the Filipino music industry. The present progress just happened, in the two specific cases of 1Z and ABS-CBN driven more by necessity (1Z had nowhere else to go, ABS-CBN developed its plan to go into the idol business as a contingency plan – not a grand plan – before they lost their franchise, as the responsible person “Direk Lauren” admitted in an interview). So basically all this was.. like the jeepney at a bigger level.

     There is the Creative Industries Act which I had Chat GPT look into, it did identify some industries as giving more jobs than music (music just as an attractor for POSSIBLY more substantial things) like creator economy, gaming and animation, film/streaming/digital media production, live events/tourism, advertising/influencer economy, freelance digital economy, IP, publishing and licensing, fan economy and e-commerce BUT..

     ..if I look at the live events / tourism stuff, I can’t avoid comparing it to how Taipei most probably handled the Blackpink and TWICE concerts recently, probably very much like Munich handled Adele and Taylor Swift. Munich has proper public transport, hotel facilities, private transport (huge taxi fleet and great car rental services including Sixt), security (cops and private security agencies) – just like Taipei might have even way better, and Metro Manila.. well..

     ..and if I look back at what made Munich capable of handling all that stuff, it probably was the Oktoberfest, a logistical feat, 6-7 million people in two weeks. Maybe it wasn’t started to sell BMW to the world, but it did build on food logistics that was mastered from the late 19th and early 20th century onwards – we have conversed about the slaughterhouse and wholesale market complex here, it is not far from the Oktoberfest grounds.

     So before it became an industrial place, Munich became an agribusiness hub, and the stats they used to publish about how many grilled chicken, how many oxen, how many I think hectoliters of beer at the Oktoberfest.. one could say whether intended or not, the Oktoberfest was a very direct way of making sure the food produced in Bavaria and distributed from Munich was consumed here.. the soft power marketing angle might have come starting from the 1972 Olympics onwards.

     OK so the Creative Industries act COULD work but would be another variant of selling human resources, even if part of the value-adding would happen there. And the example of events shows that the entire country – even Metro Manila – might not have the infrastructure and capabilities to really support everything.

     Your automotive plan is strategic, far from anything I have ever seen at least in the Philippine context. Article forthcoming on April 26.

     ——————P.S. thanks again for questioning everything (as always) and making me ask more questions as a result, see below——————

     Appendix 1: the Oktoberfest in connection with agribusiness, decade by decade, thanks to ChatGPT:

     The story of Oktoberfest and the “Bauch von München” — the Münchner Schlachthof and Großmarkthalle München — is deeply intertwined, reflecting how urban consumption, logistics, and celebration evolved together.

     **1810s–1870s:**
     The early Oktoberfest began in 1810 as a royal wedding celebration, modest in scale and largely agrarian in character. At this time, Munich’s food supply chains were still decentralized, with livestock driven directly into the city and markets scattered. There was no unified “Bauch von München” yet, but growing urban demand — especially during festival periods — exposed the inefficiencies of traditional supply systems and laid the groundwork for centralized infrastructure.

     **1880s–1890s:**
     Industrialization transformed Munich, and the expansion of Oktoberfest into a mass event with large beer tents sharply increased demand for standardized meat and produce. This directly coincided with the construction of the Münchner Schlachthof (opened 1878), which centralized slaughtering, improved hygiene, and enabled bulk processing. The festival became a predictable peak-demand driver, reinforcing the need for industrial-scale agribusiness logistics.

     **1900s–1910s:**
     By the early 20th century, Oktoberfest had become a defining urban event attracting large crowds, while the Münchner Schlachthof evolved into a cornerstone of Munich’s meat economy. Rail connections feeding into the slaughterhouse allowed livestock from across Bavaria to supply both daily consumption and festival surges, illustrating a tight coupling between event-driven demand and regional agricultural production.

     **1920s–1930s:**
     Despite interruptions from war and economic crises, both the Oktoberfest and municipal food infrastructure adapted to modern urban needs. The planning and eventual opening (1912) of the Großmarkthalle München created a centralized hub for fruits, vegetables, and later imports. Together with the slaughterhouse, it completed the “Bauch von München,” enabling coordinated provisioning for large gatherings when the festival operated.

     **1940s–1950s:**
     Postwar reconstruction was decisive. The revival of Oktoberfest in 1950 symbolized Munich’s recovery, while the Münchner Schlachthof and Großmarkthalle München were rebuilt and modernized. The reestablished festival created predictable seasonal demand peaks, helping stabilize supply chains and encouraging investment in cold storage, transport, and wholesale distribution.

     **1960s–1970s:**
     During the economic boom, Oktoberfest expanded dramatically in scale and international appeal. This era saw increasing industrialization of agribusiness: refrigerated logistics, standardized cuts of meat, and global sourcing through the Großmarkthalle München. The “Bauch von München” became not just a local supplier but a node in international food networks, ensuring consistent supply for millions of festival visitors.

     **1980s–1990s:**
     As consumer expectations rose, Oktoberfest emphasized quality, safety, and branding (e.g., regional meats, traditional dishes). In parallel, the Münchner Schlachthof and Großmarkthalle München adopted stricter EU hygiene standards and traceability systems. The connection between festival gastronomy and regulated agribusiness became more formalized, with provenance and logistics transparency gaining importance.

     **2000s–2010s:**
     Globalization and sustainability trends reshaped both sides. Oktoberfest incorporated regional sourcing narratives and waste reduction initiatives, while the Großmarkthalle München expanded its role as an international produce hub. The slaughterhouse area diversified, with parts transitioning toward food culture and gastronomy, reflecting a broader shift from pure processing to value-added food experiences tied to events like Oktoberfest.

     **2020s–present:**
     Recent disruptions (pandemic cancellations and supply chain shocks) highlighted the resilience and interdependence of Oktoberfest and Munich’s agribusiness backbone. The Großmarkthalle München remains critical for sourcing, while the Münchner Schlachthof continues to anchor meat supply, even as debates about sustainability, regionality, and urban land use intensify. Today, the relationship is defined less by sheer scale and more by efficiency, traceability, and cultural authenticity — with Oktoberfest still acting as the city’s largest annual stress test for its “Bauch.”

     Appendix 2: the Oktoberfest and its connection to postwar soft power and industrialization, also thanks to ChatGPT

     From the postwar years onward, Oktoberfest became far more than a local celebration—it evolved into a key instrument of Bavarian soft power, projecting identity, stability, and economic vitality alongside the rise of modern industries.

     **1950s:**
     After its revival in 1950, Oktoberfest symbolized recovery and normalcy in a devastated Germany. For international visitors—especially American occupation forces—it offered a carefully curated image of Bavarian Gemütlichkeit, tradition, and hospitality. This coincided with the early Wirtschaftswunder, where emerging industrial players like BMW began reestablishing Munich as a center of engineering excellence. The festival helped humanize and soften Germany’s image abroad, complementing economic reconstruction with cultural diplomacy.

     **1960s:**
     As West Germany integrated into global markets, Oktoberfest grew into an international tourist magnet. It reinforced Bavaria’s distinct identity within Germany—traditional yet modern—at a time when companies like Siemens were expanding globally from Munich. The coexistence of lederhosen and high-tech industry became a powerful narrative: Bavaria as both rooted and forward-looking, with Oktoberfest acting as a visible, accessible cultural ambassador.

     **1970s (Olympic milestone):**
     The 1972 Munich Olympics marked a turning point in Germany’s global image, and Oktoberfest played a complementary role. While the Olympics showcased a modern, democratic, and open Germany, Oktoberfest reinforced a welcoming cultural identity for the influx of international visitors. Despite the tragedy of the Munich attack, the broader decade cemented Munich’s dual brand: global city and cultural capital. The festival’s scale and organization mirrored the professionalism seen in industries like automotive and electronics, strengthening Bavaria’s soft power through both competence and charm.

     **1980s:**
     During a period of globalization and Cold War tension, Oktoberfest became a neutral cultural meeting ground attracting visitors from both sides of the Iron Curtain. Bavaria leveraged this visibility as companies like Allianz expanded internationally. The festival’s imagery—beer tents, music, and conviviality—circulated globally through media, reinforcing a peaceful and prosperous Bavarian identity that contrasted with geopolitical divisions.

     **1990s:**
     After German reunification, Oktoberfest helped anchor a sense of continuity and stability while Germany redefined itself. Bavaria’s strong economy, driven by advanced manufacturing and services, was symbolically accessible through the festival. International business travelers and investors experienced Bavarian culture firsthand, linking economic reliability with cultural richness—an important soft power asset in a newly unified Germany competing globally.

     **2000s:**
     With globalization accelerating, Oktoberfest became a global brand in its own right, replicated in cities worldwide. This export of Bavarian culture reinforced Germany’s image as both economically dominant and culturally approachable. At the same time, Munich’s rise in sectors like insurance, automotive innovation, and early tech ecosystems strengthened the credibility behind the image. The festival served as an entry point for global audiences to engage with Bavarian—and by extension German—products, tourism, and investment.

     **2010s:**
     In the era of digitalization and startups, Oktoberfest continued to function as a high-visibility networking and branding platform. Munich’s emergence as a tech hub, alongside established giants like BMW and growing digital firms, was complemented by the festival’s global reach. International media coverage and social media amplified its soft power, presenting Bavaria as innovative yet culturally authentic—a rare and attractive combination.

     **2020s–present:**
     Recent challenges, including pandemic cancellations, highlighted how central Oktoberfest is to Bavaria’s global image. Its return reaffirmed resilience and continuity, while also aligning with modern values like sustainability and regional sourcing. Today, Bavaria’s soft power blends advanced industries—automotive transformation, green tech, and AI—with enduring cultural symbols. Oktoberfest remains the most visible expression of that balance: a living showcase where economic strength, cultural heritage, and global connectivity converge.

     Appendix 3: how the Oktoberfest built capabilities that made the Adele and Taylor Swift concerts possible (also by ChatGPT)

     The experience Munich built through Oktoberfest directly translated into the capabilities needed to host modern mega-concerts like those of Adele and Taylor Swift—not by coincidence, but because Oktoberfest effectively served as a decades-long “operational training ground” for large-scale live events.

     **1. Mass crowd management at extreme scale**
     Oktoberfest routinely handles 6–7 million visitors over a short period, with peak days rivaling the attendance of multiple stadium concerts simultaneously. This forced Munich authorities to develop sophisticated crowd-flow systems, zoning strategies, and safety protocols (entry controls, evacuation planning, density monitoring). These same principles are directly applied to large concert venues like Olympiapark Munich, allowing the city to safely manage tens of thousands of fans arriving and leaving in tight time windows.

     **2. Integrated transport logistics**
     The festival pushed the city to optimize multimodal transport—especially the Munich U-Bahn and Munich S-Bahn—for surge capacity. Late-night schedules, increased frequency, and coordinated routing were originally refined for Oktoberfest crowds. These capabilities are now standard practice for major concerts, ensuring smooth movement before and after shows without overwhelming the system.

     **3. Temporary infrastructure and modular event design**
     Each year, Oktoberfest essentially builds a temporary city: large beer tents, kitchens, sanitation systems, and energy supply networks. This cultivated deep expertise in modular construction, rapid setup/teardown, and compliance with safety regulations. Modern concert productions—especially large-scale, custom-built venues like Adele’s Munich residency—benefit from the same local ecosystem of contractors, planners, and regulators accustomed to complex temporary builds.

     **4. Vendor coordination and supply chain management**
     Serving millions of guests required highly synchronized food, beverage, and waste logistics. This honed Munich’s ability to coordinate hundreds of vendors under strict timelines and quality standards. For concerts, this translates into efficient handling of concessions, merchandise, and backstage logistics—ensuring consistent service even under peak demand.

     **5. Security and risk management expertise**
     Oktoberfest has long required multi-layered security involving police, private security, medical services, and emergency planning. Over decades, Munich developed a collaborative model for large-event security that is now reused and adapted for concerts. The ability to manage risks—from overcrowding to external threats—has become a core competency.

     **6. International visitor handling and hospitality**
     Because Oktoberfest attracts a global audience, Munich built strong capabilities in multilingual services, tourism coordination, and hospitality infrastructure. This experience directly supports concerts by global stars like Taylor Swift, where a significant portion of attendees travel internationally and expect seamless organization.

     **7. Public–private coordination model**
     Oktoberfest requires tight coordination between city government, event organizers, businesses, and emergency services. This governance model—refined over decades—has become a template for staging other mega-events. It enables Munich to align stakeholders quickly and execute complex concerts with high reliability.

     **8. Branding and global reputation effects**
     Finally, Oktoberfest established Munich’s reputation as a city that can successfully host large, festive, and safe events. This “proof of capability” makes it attractive for global tours and special residencies. Artists like Adele choosing Munich reflects not just venue availability, but confidence in the city’s proven event infrastructure.

     In short, Oktoberfest didn’t just shape Munich culturally—it built a full-stack event ecosystem (logistics, infrastructure, governance, and branding) that the city now reuses to compete globally for the biggest concerts and live entertainment productions.

     Reply
     • Joey Nguyen says:

       April 6, 2026 at 11:22 am

       The present progress just happened

       Now if that isn’t an encapsulation of progress happens in the Philippines… The extension to this is “who is able to exploit” the progress? I was explaining to a UP friend today who has interests in Philippines agriculture uplift how those who exploit things early usually reap the most benefits (obvious) sometimes without a plan, but the problem is more so that many others think they can also exploit the opening when in fact they are bandwagoning much too late. The most recent examples were bandwagoning onto rubber, then calamansi, and of course there’s the abaca example from the 19th century. In none of the cases was there thought in “how can one increase the value of the extracted/grown resource?” as the raw commodities are sold to processors who make the bulk of the profit.

       I’ve enjoyed Oktoberfest on a few occasions during visits and had an idea of its enabling effects, but hadn’t thought more deeply about it until your use of Oktoberfest as an example. I think that a defect in Philippine thinking is that there is sometimes an obsessive focus on the end-result (e.g. copying another to prove one’s own equality or greatness) that may have taken years, decades, centuries to build up. I wouldn’t even say the defective thinking is with the regular folks as that’s why leaders exist. A lot of stuff happens in human history to advance societies when leaders can exploit progress and institutionalize the progress. Oktoberfest is an example of something that happened somewhat organically then was institutionalized when Bavarian leaders realized its usefulness. Being able to exploit progress that happened fortuitously is one step. The true “upgrade” in thinking is to be able to figure out how to replicate what previously happened randomly once in a while. Consistent replication requires methodical understanding the fundamentals.

       Reply
       • Irineo B. R. Salazar says:

         April 6, 2026 at 9:31 pm

         the most recent examples were bandwagoning onto rubber, then calamansi, and of course there’s the abaca example from the 19th century. In none of the cases was there thought in “how can one increase the value of the extracted/grown resource?” as the raw commodities are sold to processors who make the bulk of the profit.

         I have been checking the “rise” of Filipino music globally – actually more in the Youtube algorithm due to Pinoybaiter reactors and the Filipinos who watch them more than anything else originally, with beginning physical presence in 2022 (mini-US tours in the Fil-Am world mainly by SB19, BGYO and BINI) and 2023/2024 (SB19 Pagtatag tour, then BINI in LA and Canada) then the World Tours of BINI and SB19 in 2025, with COJ’s tour starting 2025 and still ongoing..

         From the bad clones of KPop pre-pandemic (as in REALLY really bad) that are forgettable to those who achieved KPop standard (BINI and SB19) around the pandemic, there were a few small groups post-pandemic that quickly folded (sometimes due to being either underfunded or undertrained so not up to par) or stagnated under the 1M Spotify monthly listeners level which only BINI and SB19 have managed to exceed sustainably. Then there have been some recent groups which are either low-effort, low competence or low capital, with only HARA from Davao (directly under Sony Philippines) and FINIX (under an American label as foreign investment IS allowed in the music business, SB19 started with a small Korean firm after all) having a credible chance in my book, one locally, the other in global streaming.

         The added value is actually being able to not just get streaming abroad (which pays around 10x as much as Philippine streams as advertisers or premium members pay more) but also sell concerts and merch in foreign countries, which is why being on Hybe’s fan platform Weverse is worth it for BINI and SB19. I already mentioned that the 100K+ concert attendees each they had last year in the Philippines is probably not something that will happen every year.

         That Cup of Joe songs stream in Mexico (I checked stats on viberate with a test membership quite a while ago) is maybe explainable by the French company Believe having a 15% stake in Viva. They also own 25% of Global Records Romania, who used to be partly owned by Romanian dance pop star Inna, one of the major figures in the Romanian dance pop boom from 2008 – 2014.

         PPop may well end up in a trajectory similar to Romanian dance pop (I was in Bucharest when it exploded, not yet 45 years old) which had a good time in European clubs and a bit globally as well for a short time. The very popular boygroup Akcent fell apart while Inna was able to pivot a bit and earn from the IP I guess as co-owner of Global Records but even Kylie Minogue and Madonna aged out at some point.

         Believe seems to specialize in genres that are neither World Music nor Global Pop, trying to place them on Spotify playlists all over the world. Maybe that is why Viva hardly invests in its PPop groups.

         Being able to exploit progress that happened fortuitously is one step. The true “upgrade” in thinking is to be able to figure out how to replicate what previously happened randomly once in a while. Consistent replication requires methodical understanding the fundamentals.

         That is why I mentioned in my article that the next gen of PPop presently in training, especially those who have SB19 as kuyas and BINI as ates, meaning those from ABS-CBN and 1Z, will be the proof of the pudding with regards to sustainability. Especially as both SB19 and BINI were shaped by struggle, the first by being with a totally underfunded Korean firm initially, the second by pandemic and ABS franchise loss. Will they have created a repeatable system or not?

         I also believe that for PPop to sustain itself as an identifiable genre, there will have to be at least one more major player (I mean company, not just group) that goes global AND PPop will have to differentiate itself even as it is presently piggybacking on Asian pop as you noted (playlists etc.) – and of course it will have to upgrade its presentation and marketing to at least 2015 KPop levels – performance-wise they are quite high already.

         But to use automotive terms, the jobs the PPop houses create as “Tier-0” equivalents might be a few, then you have a few jobs for “Tier-1” suppliers (recording studios, music video production outfits, live venues) but that’s it. And what happened to Romanian dance pop – big acts like Inna leaving old labels like Roton and founding new labels that gave artists more money but apparently didn’t reinvest, or acts like Akcent going their own separate ways – shows how volatile that business can be. Well, I am now deep-diving into the auto industry and its terms which I didn’t really know until now, as I have never worked with the likes of Magna, Continental or Bosch over here and even with those who also are suppliers or close to the industry, my focus was elsewhere. Needs time to sink in. BTW Jolibee has BINI as sponsor in the Philippines, but Hybe’s KATSEYE for global. That is also a reality check for those hoping for a soft power “Pinoy wave”.

         Reply
         • Joey Nguyen says:

           April 7, 2026 at 8:51 pm

           Hmm a Mexican university student from Acapulco rents my spare room. She’s mainly of Spanish descent but she has some Austronesian/Asian features. A while back she did a DNA test and found out she does have some Filipino ancestry from southwestern Luzon — an ancestor likely (being a Tagalog) coming from Batangas. Acapulco is in the state of Guerrero; a 2018 genetic study found that about a third of Guerrerense have at least 10% Filipino ancestry.

           I’m not so sure about Filipino music rising in popularity in Mexico as being an organic thing. Let me attempt to explain. A lot of GenZ music listening habits is shaped by what’s popular on social media — primarily TikTok and to a lesser extent Instagram Reels. Filipinos happen to be social media superusers and are super-reactors. Algorithms reward engagement, pioneered by Facebook (and Instagram), YouTube, then supercharged by TikTok. This can be seen by watching a handful of Philippine-related content would then flood For You Pages and feeds with Pinoy Content. GenZ do not take the time to actively listen to music, make playlists and mixtapes/mix CDs like GenX and Millennials did back then which requires active listening. Rather GenZ are more passive listeners and usually subscribe to algorithmic playlists, that include songs they heard on TikTok, such as:

           This popular algorithmic playlist includes Cup of Joe (and many Mexican/Latin American songs too):

           This popular algorithmic playlist includes BINI:

           TikTok also has a popular function which when one taps on the video’s scrolling song banner (at the bottom), one can automatically add the video’s song into one’s Spotify “Liked from TikTok” playlist.

           Well all and good as it probably doesn’t matter how a new audience as introduced to Filipino music to begin with. When it comes to Cup of Joe specifically, Mexican culture favors narrative songs (corridos), ballads about lost love (rancheras, and serenades (serenatas). Corridos tell stories about epic (usually by a folk leader) battles against an oppressive authority. Rancheras usually express topics like unrequited love, burning passion, patriotism, romanticized rural life. Serenatas are a bit more self-explanatory, where a young man is courting a young woman. The Filipino kundiman genre and its descendants are quite similar to corridos and rancheras, while harana are analogous to serenata.

           In the end even if this current iteration of Filipino music doesn’t last on the global stage, I think that’s quite okay. Filipino music and more importantly Filipino creativity wouldn’t disappear — it would simply continue to develop in the Philippines until the next time there’s a chance to “go abroad.”

           P.S. I had Jollibee for lunch and I can confirm that indeed, Jollibee has an active KATSEYE promotion and Korean BBQ Chicken menu. I tried the special items, and decided it was a bad choice. Filipino fried chicken’s flavor profile just doesn’t mix well with being dunked in a Korean fried chicken-“inspired” sauce, and there was too much sauce as well. I don’t think most Americans prefer sauced chicken where the sauce is excessive. I think I’ll stick with the major South Korean chain, BB.Q Chicken (the 2nd largest fried chicken chain in Korea), which is across the parking lot next time if I want Korean-style fried chicken.

           Reply
           • Irineo B. R. Salazar says:

             April 7, 2026 at 9:41 pm

             a 2018 genetic study found that about a third of Guerrerense have at least 10% Filipino ancestry.

             there is no direct proof that one governor of Guerrero was of Filipino descent but his surname does suggest it:

             https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alejandro_G%C3%B3mez_Maganda (not Pangit!)

             The galleon trade certainly brought people in both directions.

             The Filipino kundiman genre and its descendants are quite similar to corridos and rancheras, while harana are analogous to serenata.

             there is a similar sentimentality, so it isn’t surprising that Pilita Corrales also recorded her version of the most famous Latin American songs, “Historia de Un Amor” – she was of course still the old school mestiza who went to a Madrid finishing school.

             That the telenovela Marimar was extremely popular in the Philippines in 1996 is not really surprising as well.

             I am not an expert on Filipino plays and movies but probably one can draw a line from comedias and moro-moros (the latter totally OA) to zarzuelas, then the American era bodabil (Dolphy was a bodabil actor in the Japanese period, Pilita Corrales also was in musical plays staged in cinemas in the afternoon) to Filipino dramas/teleseryes.

             I found El Mariachi by Robert Rodriguez (the prequel to Desperado with Banderas) funny as the aesthetics of villains was similar to 1970s Filipino action movies and the slapstick was similar.

             The Philippines was more of a de facto Mexican colony than a Spanish colony for the two centuries until Mexico became independent.

             Filipino fried chicken’s flavor profile just doesn’t mix well with being dunked in a Korean fried chicken-“inspired” sauce, and there was too much sauce as well.

             I probably last ate Jolibee in the early 1980s (just Yumburger) so I can’t really say if their chicken is good or not.

             The next Jolibee for me would be in Milan. Being in Bavaria I am pretty much used to the grilled chicken here, even if I only eat it rarely now.

             Reply
             • Joey Nguyen says:

               April 8, 2026 at 5:55 am

               there is no direct proof that one governor of Guerrero was of Filipino descent but his surname does suggest it:
               https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alejandro_G%C3%B3mez_Maganda (not Pangit!)

               Alejandro Gómez Maganda was of Filipino descent. Maganda is a surname that isn’t common but also not rare in the state of Guerrero. As the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade stopped in 1815 6 years before the 1821 Mexican Independence, and as most of the latter galleons were basically empty due to private “registered ships” (navíos de registro) had taken over the trade route, Maganda’s ancestor probably came before 1815. The colonial surname decree of governor-general Narciso Clavería y Zaldúa was not until 1849 which created the Catálogo alfabético de apellidos and mandated surnames for Filipino Indios. So Gómez Maganda’s ancestor upon arrival in Acapulco was probably asked “what is your surname” and the ancestor may have replied “Maganda” — either on purpose due to the old meaning of ganda or because he couldn’t think of anything else to reply with.

               Btw ganda actually is not an Austronesian word but rather an Indian one (see Sanskrit gandhá; aroma, fragrance, good). In Thai kantá comes from the same root and also means the same. I didn’t look too deeply into the etymological origins but it seems that ganda obtaining the connotation of “beautiful” happened relatively recently (i.e. somewhere after the 1800s).

               The galleon trade certainly brought people in both directions.

               Amusingly other Wikipedia links I followed through there listed a number of other famous “Mexicans of Filipino descent,” added in by obviously Pinoy Wikipedians (contributors) who are notorious with pro-Pinoy zealotry even if not properly sourced. I couldn’t find any conclusive proof the alleged Mexicans were actually of Filipino descent, but given that they had Spanish compound surnames it might be that those people had Insular (Criollo), Criollo (Mexico) or even Peninsular descent and ended up in Mexico then fought in the Mexican Revolution. Or their ancestors may have adopted the surname of a family they married into. A few Filipino Manila-Acapulco sailors did become mid-sized plantation owners or merchants, but from literature I’ve read previously it seems that most stranded Filipinos married and were assimilated into the native Indio population. There are many Filipino introductions into Mexico though, for example tequila which is distilled similarly to tubâ, chamoy which came from kiamoy (which in turn came from Guangdong/Hokkien kiâm-muî), and the popular palm thatching of beach huts/resort cabanas using the technique of bahay kubo where the Mexican Spanish directly borrows the Tagalog word palapa. Then there are the agricultural crops that went the other way around during the Galleon Trade, such as coconuts, abacá, bananas, and Philippine-type mangoes (Ataulfo and Manilita are the most popular varieties).

               Other than that I think historical records don’t contain much information about cultural exchanges that went from Philippines -> Mexico and Latin America. Usually exchanges went Westward from Mexico of course, because that was how the Spanish Empire was configured.

               Reply
2. Irineo B. R. Salazar says:

   April 8, 2026 at 3:08 am

   Damn, Claude is really really good. Just got the free plan and checked it out by asking for a summary of the post and the discussion pros and cons – the result is extremely accurate:

   Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the post and its discussion:

   THE ARTICLE — Major Points

   The historical arc of Filipino music going global

   Pilita Corrales performed in Las Vegas at a time when very few Filipino artists had that kind of international platform. Lea Salonga opened doors through the London West End, Broadway, and Disney. Now, BINI and SB19 may be opening the gates for Filipino music itself as an export product.

   The K-pop model, but rooted in OPM

   Their way to global stages was shaped by K-pop inspirations but rooted in OPM. It took nearly 8 years for SB19 and almost 5 years for BINI since their official debuts — years of honing skills and building an audience — before reaching breakthrough moments in 2023 and 2024.

   From labor exporter to co-creator

   For much of its modern economic history, the Philippines has operated as a provider of labor and services. The music industry followed this pattern too: Filipino talent contributed to global entertainment but did not own the platforms or systems behind it. What is changing now is a gradual shift toward co-creation and more equal partnership. SB19 partnered with Sony; BINI with Wasserman/The Team for their world tour and Coachella slot; Viva Music (Cup of Joe’s label) is 15% owned by Believe, a Paris-based global digital music company.

   Stars and factories — the sustainability question

   Korea’s rise to world-class status in industries like automobiles had K-pop as a cultural “cherry on top.” Berry Gordy applied lessons from Detroit’s car industry to form Motown groups like the Temptations and The Supremes, long before K-pop. The Philippines has seen similar early promise without always sustaining it — companies like Radiowealth, which built radios in the 1960s, show the country had a head start in certain industries but historically struggled to build lasting global champions.

   The urgency and hunger behind P-pop

   BINI and SB19 were the first Filipino acts to fill the 55,000-seat Philippine Arena twice. Both now have over 100,000 members each on the fandom platform Weverse. With over 50,000 attendees each across the overseas legs of their world tours, export is clearly not optional for P-pop. ABS-CBN indicated that BINI contributed to its improving financial position.

   The scale gap with global music

   It should not be discouraging that Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You,” with nearly 5 billion Spotify streams, outnumbers the combined totals of Cup of Joe (2.2B), BINI (1.2B), and SB19 (1B). The global music industry is at another scale and maturity level.

   Next-gen proof of sustainability

   1Z (SB19’s company) and ABS-CBN (which manages BINI) both have next-gen P-pop trainees in the works. How they fare will prove whether the Filipino music industry has managed to create an efficient machinery like old Motown or present K-pop — or whether things will go the way of Radiowealth once more.

   THE DISCUSSION — Major Points

   Joey Nguyen’s core skepticism: culture follows product, not the other way around

   The post-War worldwide expansion of American culture rode on the back of American-made products. Japanese cultural expansion rode on the back of the Japanese Miracle. The Korean Wave (“Hallyu”) came after South Korean finished goods were ready to sell. Individual cultural moments may be fleeting, but having finished goods to trade is what makes exceptional cases of culture permanent. His worry: the Philippines is doing things in reverse — building cultural presence without a broader industrial foundation.

   Author Irineo’s counterpoint: it happened organically, not by grand plan

   There was never a grand plan for the Filipino music industry. The present progress just happened — in the two specific cases of 1Z and ABS-CBN, driven more by necessity. 1Z had nowhere else to go; ABS-CBN developed its idol business as a contingency plan before they lost their franchise.

   Joey on the “bandwagon problem” in Philippine history

   Those who exploit progress early reap the most benefits, but many others think they can also exploit the opening when in fact they are bandwagoning much too late — as with rubber, calamansi, and abaca. In none of those cases was there thought about how to increase the value of the extracted/grown resource.

   The institutionalization lesson from Munich/Oktoberfest

   Irineo used Munich’s Oktoberfest as an extended analogy — how it began organically but was institutionalized into a full-stack event ecosystem (logistics, transport, security, supply chains) that eventually made it possible to host Adele and Taylor Swift. Joey’s key insight: “The true ‘upgrade’ in thinking is to be able to figure out how to replicate what previously happened randomly once in a while. Consistent replication requires methodical understanding the fundamentals.” Oktoberfest is an example of something that happened somewhat organically, then was institutionalized when Bavarian leaders realized its usefulness.

   The Romanian dance pop warning

   Irineo raised Romanian dance pop as a cautionary comparison — it had a good time in European clubs and a bit globally for a short time, then faded. Big acts left old labels; groups like Akcent fell apart. P-pop may end up in a similar trajectory, as Believe (which has a stake in Viva Music) seems to specialize in genres that are neither World Music nor Global Pop, trying to place them on Spotify playlists worldwide.

   The Jollibee reality check

   Jollibee has BINI as sponsor in the Philippines but Hybe’s KATSEYE for global — itself a reality check for those hoping for a “Pinoy wave.” Joey confirmed this from his own observation.

   Why Cup of Joe may resonate in Mexico

   Joey explained that the Filipino kundiman genre and its descendants are quite similar to Mexican corridos and rancheras, while harana is analogous to the serenata — which could explain organic resonance between Filipino music and Mexican audiences, beyond just algorithmic social media effects. He also noted a genetic link — roughly a third of people from Guerrero state in Mexico have some Filipino ancestry from the Galleon Trade era.

   GenZ passive listening vs. active curation

   GenZ do not actively make playlists like GenX and Millennials did. They are more passive listeners who subscribe to algorithmic playlists. TikTok’s function that auto-adds songs to a Spotify “Liked from TikTok” playlist is a key mechanism driving Filipino music into foreign ears — which may explain streaming numbers in Mexico and elsewhere.

   PROS (Optimistic takeaways)

   BINI and SB19 represent a genuine qualitative leap from the “bad KPop clones” of pre-pandemic P-pop
   Filipino music is transitioning from labor export to co-creation with global partners
   Global streaming numbers, world tours, and Coachella signal real, not manufactured, momentum
   Infrastructure around P-pop (live venues, studios, music video outfits) is growing and creating jobs
   The next generation of trainees from ABS-CBN and 1Z could institutionalize the gains
   Cultural affinity (kundiman/harana parallels with Latin music) gives P-pop organic footholds abroad

   CONS (Skeptical takeaways)

   Progress happened by accident, not strategy — making it fragile and hard to replicate
   The Philippine music industry (like Philippine industries generally) has a history of not sustaining early advantages (Radiowealth parallel)
   Filipino music export is culture without a corresponding industrial foundation — the reverse of how K-pop, J-pop, and American pop were built
   The scale gap with global music remains enormous
   P-pop risks the Romanian dance pop trajectory: a brief global moment, then fade
   Even Jollibee, a Filipino brand, chose a K-pop-adjacent act (KATSEYE) for its global marketing
   Metro Manila lacks the infrastructure (transport, venues, logistics) to fully capitalize on live events tourism the way Munich or Taipei can
   Algorithmic streaming popularity may be shallow and temporary rather than reflecting deep cultural penetration

   The overall tone of the post is cautiously celebratory, while the comment thread is more analytically sober — a productive tension between pride in genuine achievement and honest questioning of whether the foundations exist to sustain it.

   Reply
   • Joey Nguyen says:

     April 8, 2026 at 5:57 am

     I guess the last time you used Claude was a while ago. The new iteration of Sonnet and Haiku are quite good. Opus is even better if you have Claude paid. I find Claude’s reasoning model to be far superior to ChatGPT.

     Reply
     • Irineo B. R. Salazar says:

       April 8, 2026 at 6:04 am

       I used it the very first time now. The first time I tried to install Claude I got lost and thought no free options existed.

       yes it is extremely good.

       Reply
       • Joey Nguyen says:

         April 8, 2026 at 6:19 am

         Next you’ll buy an old corporate mini PC (a 12th gen Intel i7 with 32GB RAM can be had for around $300 or less) or a Mac Mini M4 and run OpenClaw to automate your tasks with agentic AI haha.

         Reply
         • Irineo B. R. Salazar says:

           April 8, 2026 at 6:57 am

           Well what I did this evening also was to upload the text ChatGPT and Claude generated for your auto industry plan.

           Then I asked for a strategic graphic and got this, great for getting stuff as I am highly visual.

           

           Experimented with what Gemini can do in conjunction with Mermaid as well, though all this reminds me more of Aladdin’s “A Whole New World”.

           OK I managed to make ChatGPT give me a timeline (Claude I still have to wait) but I used up my quota when I asked for a graphic.

           Philippine Automotive Industry Roadmap (2026–2035)

           Phase 1: Activation (2026–2027) — “Set the Foundation”

           Goal: Remove structural barriers + trigger investment

           Key Actions:

           Pass PASELP legislation (all 5 bills)
           Issue Executive Orders (production offset, EV policy clarity)
           Launch G2G investment diplomacy (Japan, Korea, China)
           Establish Automotive Steering Committee
           Secure domestic financing (GFIs + pension funds)

           Early Investments:

           Toyota/GT Capital → initial EV assembly planning
           Ayala/IMI → electronics scaling
           San Miguel → pilot e-commercial vehicles

           Critical Outputs:

           Policy certainty established
           First OEM commitments secured
           Investment pipeline activated

           Phase 2: Build-Out (2027–2030) — “Create the Industry”

           Goal: Stand up manufacturing + supply chain

           Key Actions:

           Construct assembly plants + supplier parks
           Deploy charging infrastructure nationwide
           Launch EV public transport financing (GPTEFA)
           Implement industrial power rate reductions (IPCA)
           Operationalize testing & certification center (PATCCA)

           Industrial Development:

           Local supplier base begins forming (parts, electronics, materials)
           Entry of foreign OEMs via JVs + tech transfer
           Scaling of electronics + battery-related capabilities

           Targets by 2030:

           ~100,000 vehicles/year production
           ~85,000 direct jobs / ~480,000 total jobs
           Initial export capability
           Visible EV ecosystem (vehicles + charging + suppliers)

           Phase 3: Scale & Integration (2030–2035) — “Compete Regionally”

           Goal: Become a specialized ASEAN EV manufacturing hub

           Key Actions:

           Move up value chain (components, electronics, systems)
           Expand exports to ASEAN + emerging markets
           Deepen local content (40%+)
           Attract advanced investments (battery, high-value components)
           Strengthen regional supply chain integration

           Industrial Evolution:

           Transition from assembly → full manufacturing ecosystem
           Potential emergence of Filipino-led OEM capability (long-term)

           Targets by 2035:

           150,000+ vehicles/year
           ~710,000 total jobs
           2.7% GDP contribution
           $3.5–5B FX improvement annually
           Strong fiscal surplus generation

           Phase 4: End State (Post-2035) — “Sustainable Industrial Power”

           Goal: Lock in long-term competitiveness

           Characteristics:

           Fully integrated into ASEAN automotive value chains
           Competitive in EV electronics + niche manufacturing segments
           Reduced reliance on imports
           Automotive becomes a core industrial pillar (like BPOs before)

           The building blocks are coming together for April 26 even if I am still just kind of trying things out.

           Reply
           • Joey Nguyen says:

             April 8, 2026 at 7:15 am

             Having a major manufacturing industry also enables movement into adjacent industries where the learned skills are applicable. Filipinos in the Philippines are really great at single-tasking and tactical thinking. Multi-tasking and strategic thinking, not so much. For example:

             An Automotive Industry Enables

             1. Building more petroleum refineries -> increased liquid/gas fuel supply, petrochemicals, plastics
             2. Mindanao rubber industry can now input into domestic processing instead of exporting raw latex cups -> tires, hoses, other rubber products
             3. Domestic glass industry to produce automotive glass -> movement into window glass, tempered glass, chemically-strengthened glass (for electronics screens)
             4. Machine tools and injection molds -> knowledge that can be transferred into other mass production types
             5. No more excuses not to upgrade road infrastructure -> better domestic logistics for internal trade, connection to export terminals, big upgrade to tourism and travel by saving people’s time
             6. More loan and finance providers -> expansion of consumer credit which drives increased domestic consumption as people don’t need to save fully for large purchases if there is a consistent payment plan
             7. Expansion of inter-island logistics network -> vastly increase RORO network to move parts and manufactured goods which also benefits inter-island trade so individual islands are not mini semi-closed off economies

             Just a few I could think off the top of my head… organized manufacturing might not earn a top ROI like more rent-seeking industries (banking, real estate speculation), but manufacturing enables far more things. But also since the ROI is lower it requires state support and policy guidance in order to create business confidence and business stability.

             Reply
3. Irineo B. R. Salazar says:

   April 11, 2026 at 1:15 pm

   BINI Billboard interview just after their first Coachella performance:

   https://x.com/billboard/status/2042817307911827919

   some newspaper articles about them being there and their performance:

   https://www.laweekly.com/manila-to-mojave-bini-conquers-coachella/

   https://www.hellomagazine.com/us/894986/coachella-2026-day-one-all-the-biggest-celebrity-moments/

   https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bini-coachella-2026-performance-first-filipino-group-1235543475/

   https://metro.style/fashion/2026/4/7/metro-exclusive-ica-villanueva-bini-coachella-performance-looks-2026-1400

   https://www.billboard.com/lists/bini-coachella-2026-new-album-signals-interview/

   Reply
   • Irineo B. R. Salazar says:

     April 12, 2026 at 10:43 pm

     short update: as expected high social media engagement for BINI’s Friday Coachella performance. Also the two videos (see below) of the performance posted by Coachella Youtube page have reached one million views each in just under a day – Pantropiko and Blush. By comparison within the “top five” videos of Coachella 2026 performances, one Katseye performance has 2 million views while a Sabrina Carpenter performance and another Katseye performance have less than 1M each.

     of course the crowd especially in front of the Mojave tent was mostly Filipinos and some hardcore US fans. What is interesting though is that the recent MV of Blush (see below) has 800K views after 3 days, great for PPop standards but low by global standards

     it is actually one of the most modern MVs BINI ever made but of course KPop MVs are still in a completely different league.

     Reply
4. Irineo B. R. Salazar says:

   April 17, 2026 at 1:45 pm

   https://entertainment.inquirer.net/664345/fwd-senate-reso-honors-nations-girl-group-bini-for-its-historic-coachella-debut

   “Resolution No. 370, authored by Senator Bam Aquino, recognized the eight-member group for bringing pride and honor to the Philippines after its Coachella performances on April 10 and 17..

   ..The senator also said the group’s achievement comes at a time when the country is facing various challenges, adding that their success offers inspiration and pride for Filipinos..

   ..’BINI’s achievement serves as an inspiration to young Filipinos, demonstrating that Filipino talent can thrive and gain recognition on the world stage through passion, discipline, and excellence,’ Aquino added.”

   Now how do I encourage Senator Aquino to shift part of that energy to Joey’s car industry proposal? This is my somewhat ironic draft:

   “I USED TO believe as a Filipino-German that if Germans build cars and Filipinos can sing but not build cars, we at least have our version of ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ [from basketball] because Germany only won Eurovision two times ever in history..

   ..but that might be just consuelo de bobo, as history has proven that Italians can run their trains on time even more than Germans now, something Germans didn’t believe they could do, and that Filipino idol groups can train with the same dedication as Koreans..

   ..so why not go straight for the hard stuff. I am not against building soft power, but the lesson of Imeldific soft power should be what happened in the 1970s when tourism and OPM were part of it but not enough hard power to back it up. We can be better than that!”

   Maybe each Senator (and of course Marcos Jr.) will need a different sales pitch. Not that I can reach them directly, ever.

   P.S. one probably has to be a bit cheesy to reach people in the land of the OA and corny. Or maybe not?

   (and yes the infamous Tweet by Bam Aquino shown below never was taken down)

   https://x.com/bamaquino/status/1822958892630016317

   Reply
   • Irineo B. R. Salazar says:

     April 18, 2026 at 4:08 pm

     FB post by Gerry Cacanindin:

     Why BINI might be the most impressive Coachella act this year. And spoiler, it’s not about stage size.

     So a Japanese research group called Tsurezure Lab just dropped a fascinating breakdown of Coachella 2026. And one name stood out in a big way. BINI. They tried to answer a simple question. Does performing on a bigger stage automatically mean more views online?

     To do this, they created a “headliner score” which is a number from 0 to 1 that measures how big your Coachella slot is, based on stage size, performance time, and lineup order. Then they compared that to Instagram Reels views.

     At first glance, you’d expect a clear pattern: bigger stage, bigger views. But the data tells a different story. The correlation is only 0.48, which is moderate at best. Even more telling, stage size only explains 24% of the views. In simple terms, three-fourths of what makes a performance go viral has nothing to do with how big your stage is.

     And this is where BINI becomes the story. They performed at the Mojave Tent on a Friday at 4:15 PM, a relatively modest slot with a headliner score of just 0.37. Based on the model, they were expected to generate relatively low engagement.

     Instead, they pulled in 6.56 million views per day. That’s 25 times higher than what the model predicted. Statistically, this kind of jump is so extreme that researchers say it can’t be explained by chance alone.

     So what explains it? According to the study, it comes down to fan power. Specifically, something they call “community density.” It goes beyond just the number of fans, but how active, connected, and responsive they are. In BINI’s case, you have Filipinos rallying behind the first Filipino group to ever perform at Coachella, combined with Southeast Asian fans rapidly amplifying the content across platforms.

     This is a fanbase that mobilizes, shares, and pushes content hard and fast.

     What’s even more interesting is that this isn’t isolated to BINI. Other Asian acts like KATSEYE and Flowerovlove also exceeded expectations, suggesting a broader trend. Asian and Southeast Asian fan communities seem to consistently drive higher “cost-effectiveness” when it comes to social media reach. In other words, they generate more impact per opportunity.

     The study also found something surprising at the top end of the lineup. Once artists reach headliner territory, views stop increasing significantly, even if their stage score gets higher. That means once you’re already at the top, the stage matters less and less. At that point, it’s the artist’s individual popularity and fan engagement that determine how far their content spreads.

     Zooming out, the takeaway is that BINI didn’t just perform well, they exposed a shift in how influence works today. It’s no longer just about who gets the biggest stage or the best time slot, but about who has the most active, engaged, and mobilized community behind them. And right now, Filipino fans and Southeast Asian fans more broadly are proving they can push content further than expected, even against global heavyweights.

     BINI’s Coachella moment sends a clear message. Forget the setlist. The real show at Coachella was the BINI fandom, proving that online hype is the new global currency.

     The Japanese study shows that what many have already suspected is true: the enthusiasm (and sheer numbers) of online Filipinos is a factor.

     What is interesting is that SEA support (which has been a reality since the SEAblings versus KPop online “war”) is still strong. What isn’t clear yet of course is if and how that will translate to organic international fandoms even as BINI has opened official Brazil and EU fan groups recently.

     Reply
     • Irineo B. R. Salazar says:

       April 19, 2026 at 4:01 am

       1Z Entertainment, SB19’s own company, launched the girl group Xonara today. Xiao Chua posted this about them:

       Alam niyo di pa ako makaget-over sa inyo.
       Kasi nafeel ko yung power ninyo. Hindi ko pa kayo nakikitang magperform niyan ha.
       Tapos parang ayaw pa nating matapos ang araw. Parang talagang interesado kayo sa kasaysayan natin. Kakaiba po kayo.
       Xonara, sana alam ninyo ang lakas na nasa kalooban ninyo.
       Basta, huwag na huwag hihiwalay sa puso ng bayan. Sila ang pinagsisilbihan ng ating mga talento.
       Sana hindi lang natin sila mapasaya, alam ko mabibigyan ninyo ng saysay ang buhay nila.
       Ako ay tagahanga ninyo ngayon pa lang and I look forward na pumila kami ng misis ko para makabili ng ticket sa concert ninyo.
       Pero sa ngayon, maging mababa ang loob lagi dahil malaki ang responsibilidad ng may malaking kapangyarihan.
       Ngayong gabi na inilabas na kayo sa larangan, may mga taong may masasabi ukol sa inyo. Tatagan ang loob at laging tandaan kung sino kayo at ano kayo.
       Hanggang pinagbubuti at pinaghuhusay ninyo tatangkilikin kayo ng bayan.
       Ngayon pa lang I am proud of your girls.
       Tagahanga niyo,
       Xiao
       #XiaoChuaFanBoi

       Reply
     • JoeAm says:

       April 19, 2026 at 7:37 am

       The same concept shook up tennis earlier this year in fan reaction to Alex Eala. I’d venture to guess that Filipino community density is the strongest in the world. Pacquiao introduced it. BINI is rising on it.

       Reply
       • Irineo B. R. Salazar says:

         April 19, 2026 at 5:55 pm

         If I have already described FIlipino social media as The National Village, Filipino fan groups are global barangays.

         They behave pretty much like having a fiesta when their idols are victorious.

         When they win abroad it is probably like barangays of old acted when datus brought home stuff from raids.

         When they are not winning, they quarrel among themselves like the two major PPop fandoms do, this time a lot of SB19 fans “joined the raid” and part of the BINI fans might well “join the SB19 July raid on Chicago” when they perform at Lollapalooza.

         It IS fun watching this from a distance, as someone who is more of a veteran of the Oktoberfest by now. My blood pressure keeps me away from the roast pig nowadays. I have to make do with the grilled chicken. What I have absorbed from my new home in Bavaria is that you can have as much fun as you want as long as you are ready to get back to work next day. Back to work on car factories now.. 😉

         Reply
         • JoeAm says:

           April 20, 2026 at 7:32 am

           Yes, definitely a peculiar coagulation of fandom. If it blocks others from joining and appreciating (turns them off), it would be rather sad. As exceptionalism is offensive (one of my few criticisms of Obama; his touting of American exceptionalism; offensive.)

           Reply
           • Irineo B. R. Salazar says:

             April 20, 2026 at 12:24 pm

             SB19 fans upset at Department of Tourism for congratulating BINI and Sophia from Katseye for their Coachella stint
             byu/prncedt inPhilippines

             what is also sad is that even in victory, the different global barangays fight. Some A’tin (SB19 fans) are now mad because the DOT praised BINI and Sophia of Katseye, see reddit post above. While it is true that the SB19 concert on Saturday on the SMDC grounds had something like 70K people attending, with some OFWs coming home and foreign fans flying in, discounting one of the most highly visible performance videos for this year’s Coachella (see below) as “hypothetical promotion” and claiming “real results” only for themselves has an undertone for me remiscent of GRP and DDS. One can see though, as the post is in the biggest PH subreddit r/Philippines, that they aren’t making too many friends that way. Good the BINI fandom seems to have grown up a bit and hasn’t taken the ragebait yet. Because the biggest turn-off for foreign potential fans is seeing a bunch of islanders throwing spears at each other. 😮

             

             Reply
             • Karl Garcia says:

               April 20, 2026 at 1:50 pm

               Quite related about inclusivity and exclusivity from WELCOME rotunda.

               https://insiderph.com/ust-law-dean-nilo-divina-says-they-hire-up-ateneo-grads-because-rival-schools-also-very-good

               Reply
             • JoeAm says:

               April 20, 2026 at 3:25 pm

               Ridiculous social media inspired crab thinking. Smaller minds are hard to imagine.

               Reply
5. Irineo B. R. Salazar says:

   April 20, 2026 at 3:11 pm

   Youtube algorithm gave me below video snippet of Direk Lauren explaining how BINI got into Coachella (in Taglish) – and what did impress me is ABS-CBN deciding to INVEST (NOT in PAYING to get into Coachella like detractors allege, but by going for a World Tour as proof of concept to convince Wasserman that they were fit for Coachella and thus getting their recommendation), not just go for the easy money (in this case, what they could have easily earned on the Philippine market at least based on what Mr. Dyogi says) like many Filipino businesses. That does deserve some degree of respect, even if it probably was also driven by circumstances – i.e. ABS acted like a rent-seeker when it had the franchise but like an enterpreneur when forced to survive. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

   Reply

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