NEDA: an island of earnest work in a storm of nasty politics

Posted by JoeAm on April 13, 2018 · 153 Comments 

By Joe America It is easy to get caught up in the bickering negativity and competitiveness that is the current political scene in the Philippines. And it is for sure easy to find a lot of turmoil and incompetence in the various government agencies (LTO, Customs, NFA rice, Boracay, passports, PNP as killers rather than … Continue reading →

Category China, Economy, Philippine Government

JoeAm’s short and sweet State of the State Statement

Posted by JoeAm on April 6, 2018 · 141 Comments 

By Joe America I am for the Philippine Constitution and its affinity for democracy, human rights, civility, laws, ethics, responsibility, and integrity. That’s the point of view from which this State of the State Statement is made. If you have a different value-foundation, you are likely to disagree with my assessment, and are free to … Continue reading →

Category China, Crime/Corruption, Economy, Foreign Affairs and Defense, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government

Putting some order to Boracay

Posted by JoeAm on March 26, 2018 · 93 Comments 

By Joe America Boracay has become a political potato, hot to the touch. I’ve not aligned with any view because I think it is not as simple as people are making it. I’d like to organize my own thinking. Out loud. Here. You can then offer additional insights and information in the discussion that follows. … Continue reading →

Category China, Economy, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government

Aquino’s doberman and Arroyo’s rottweiler

Posted by chemrock on March 12, 2018 · 81 Comments 

By Chemrock A rabid Arroyo apologist recently wrote a scathing attack on Chief Justice Sereno and called her Aquino’s doberman. It was a dog walk outing for a frumpy grumpy misanthrope of all things Aquino who figured a corrupt-Arroyo regime, of which he played a role, should still be running the country. (Aquino’s ‘Doberman’ in … Continue reading →

Category Blogging/Journalism, Crime/Corruption, Economy, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government, Philippine Politics, Uncategorized

You cannot separate the economic from the political (the return of the cowardly technocrats)

Posted by JoeAm on March 5, 2018 · 78 Comments 

By Andrew Lim During the presidential campaign of 2016, then candidate Duterte uttered a pledge to revive the country’s steel industry if elected. This blog, along with others were vocal and unanmious: it did not make economic sense at all, with global steel prices dropping. Not helping Duterte was the fact that one of his … Continue reading →

Category China, Economy, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government