Looking at the SONA through its different audiences

Posted by JoeAm on July 25, 2017 · 73 Comments 

By Joe America President Duterte’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) meant different things to different audiences. Let’s reflect on them. These are my guesses, and you can add your own interpretations in the discussion that follows the article. The Congressional majority and even some minority members who do not want to be seen as … Continue reading →

Category Blogging/Journalism, China, Economy, Foreign Affairs and Defense, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government, USA/Americans

The Philippines: suffering from diseases way worse than dengue

Posted by JoeAm on July 19, 2017 · 221 Comments 

By Joe America I’m not a doctor or a health professional. I hate pills and feeling sick. I try to stay away from others who are sick. That is getting increasingly hard to do, of late, because there are several diseases spreading rapidly across the Philippine landscape. They have also reached America. Let’s look at … Continue reading →

Category Citizenship/Patriotism, Crime/Corruption, Culture and Arts, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government

Can you be a Catholic and support Donald Trump?

Posted by JoeAm on July 14, 2017 · 155 Comments 

By Andrew Lim This essay follows on the heels of Joe’s previous piece “The  Philippines is not really a Catholic nation”. But instead of dwelling on the local situation where there is much consensus on the “split-level”, cognitive-dissonant, hypocritical, shallow, superstitious appreciation and application of Catholicism in the country, we talk of the United States, … Continue reading →

Category Citizenship/Patriotism, Crime/Corruption, Laws and Ethics, Religion

Knowledge and church doctrine, a kindly debate

Posted by JoeAm on July 12, 2017 · 123 Comments 

By Joe America I made a remark in a recent discussion thread taking the Philippine Catholic Church to task for failing to speak out against extra judicial killings (EJKs). It was one of those ‘off the top of my head’ remarks that lacked context, and therefore was considered cavalier (showing arrogant or offhand disregard; dismissive) by … Continue reading →

Category Culture and Arts, Laws and Ethics, Religion

Things are pointing to love as the Filipino philosophy, the only way out

Posted by Wilfredo G. Villanueva on July 10, 2017 · 65 Comments 

  by Wilfredo G. Villanueva Such a saccharine term, love. But back against the wall, the Philippines seems at a standstill, or on the verge of civil war, generally nowhere to go, and we have to be our loving selves. See, if ever President Rodrigo Duterte finally gets called to hell as he fervently wishes, … Continue reading →

Category Citizenship/Patriotism, Culture and Arts, Education, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government