Top 5 Institutional Failures in the Philippines

Posted by Karl Garcia on July 22, 2026 · 7 Comments 

Here we go, sports fans, from the fifth place finisher to the winner, the gold-medal top-notcher at being the worst institutional failure in the Philippines. By failure, we mean that it should be the best that it can be, world class, but it is not. By failing so dramatically, the institution punishes EVERYONE. You, me, … Continue reading →

Category Crime/Corruption, Economy, Education, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government

Making Science serve the Country

Posted by Irineo B. R. Salazar on June 7, 2026 · 11 Comments 

Recent Tweets about proposed legislation to “institutionalize a permanent, science-based, multidisciplinary national institution for climate resilience and disaster risk reduction [to be] named the UP National Climate Resilience Institute” make me very happy as that is a very important matter for the Philippines. A scientist like Dr. Mahar Lagmay who spearheads such work is making … Continue reading →

Category Ecology/Global Warming, Governance, Philippine Government · Tagged with , ,

Is a Philippine Detroit possible? Checking out Industriepolitik

Posted by Irineo B. R. Salazar on April 22, 2026 · 128 Comments 

My previous article mentioned Michael Jackson’s father and his frustration with the factory. The Philippines barely has factories: unlike Motown aka Detroit, it never built the industrial base that turns working people into a middle class. That is why the majority of Filipinos live in precarity, and why the poorest remain truly destitute. So I … Continue reading →

Category Economy, Governance, industry, Philippine Government, Technology/Internet · Tagged with , , , , , ,

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

Posted by Karl Garcia on December 16, 2025 · 26 Comments 

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 →

Category China, Citizenship/Patriotism, Foreign Affairs and Defense, Philippine Government, USA/Americans

An Open Letter to the Congress of the Philippines

Posted by Karl Garcia on December 15, 2025 · 1 Comment 

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 →

Category Citizenship/Patriotism, Economy, Governance, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government