The Philippines as Asia’s Humanitarian Lifeline: Preparing for a Taiwan Evacuation Crisis

By Karl Garcia If conflict erupts in the Taiwan Strait—a scenario that experts now discuss with alarming regularity—the Philippines will be thrust into the center of one of the largest humanitarian operations in modern Asian history. This is not speculation. It is geography, demography, and inevitability. No other country sits closer to Taiwan. No other … Continue reading

An Open Letter to the Congress of the Philippines

Honorable Members of Congress, I write as a private citizen who believes that democratic reform begins not with slogans, but with institutional discipline, accountability, and humility before the Constitution. First, I respectfully urge Congress to strengthen its oversight role over laws that remain unenforced because they lack Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRRs). A law without … Continue reading

Mining Our Past, Saving Our Future: Why the Philippines Needs Landfill Mining and Smart WtE

By Karl Garcia Beyond slogans, beyond moral fights, toward industrial-scale environmental solutions For decades, environmental debates in the Philippines have revolved around a single, tired binary: Zero Waste vs. Incineration. NGOs condemn burning. LGUs defend Waste-to-Energy (WtE). Corporations stay silent. And while the debate rages, rivers clog, mountains are mined, landfills overflow, and cities sprawl … Continue reading

Filipino Political Literacy, Middle-Class Agency, and Decades of Self-Assessment

By Karl Garcia Over the past twenty years, two influential critiques of Philippine society have shaped public conversation:(1) Richard Heydarian’s 2025 observation that the Filipino middle class is “functionally literate but not politically literate,” and(2) the earlier discourse from Get Real Philippines (GRP), which framed national underperformance as rooted in cultural habits and civic attitudes. … Continue reading

From Shadows to Shields: The Philippines Must Finish What It Started

By Karl Garcia Photo credit Linkedin The Philippines is at war—though not in ways most people see. Cognitive, cyber, asymmetric, and incremental maritime pressures are all quietly reshaping the nation. No missiles fired, no headlines made—but sovereignty tested, minute by minute. Winning these wars demands more than warships. It demands sharper minds, stronger institutions, and … Continue reading