The Philippines and the world

My mixed perspective when it comes to the Philippines and the world does show me that the relationship between the two can be strange. This is also visible in Philippine politics. Marcos Sr. was very eager to show a positive image of the Philippines to the world. Some Filipinos loved Duterte for thumbing his nose … Continue reading

A Thousand Words and the NLUA

I rummage through a lot of photographs looking for banner panoramas to put up there at the top of the page. Every once in a while a picture will cause me to sit up sharply and stare awhile, to digest what is there. This one is a top candidate for photo of the year. A … Continue reading

Zen and the Art of Filipino Character Maintenance

It has been observed that Filipinos seem to live in the now, a wholly admirably quality of you have read “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle or are into Zen Buddhism. But it does make for a rather chaotic and reactive style. Face it, planning ahead is not  commonly or skillfully done here. In … Continue reading

Blogging Bangsamoro

Let us be clear here. Let us be objective. Let us be fair. President Aquino gets credits, big credits, for the Bangsamoro agreement. This is potentially as significant as the jailing of President Arroyo in carving out a new landscape for a progressive Philippines. If you read the accounts of the negotiations that have been … Continue reading

The Philippines: A Gem in Tattered Clothes

Well, I suppose “Gem in Tattered Clothes” is a mixed metaphor. Maybe it should be a “gem caked in mud”, or “a hunka-hunka body in tattered clothes”.  The point either way is that we should not let the problems and poverty of the Philippines mask the promise and progress that is here, too. For sure, … Continue reading