Is a Philippine Detroit possible? Checking out Industriepolitik

Posted by Irineo B. R. Salazar on April 22, 2026 · 130 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 →

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The only way for the Philippines is forward

Posted by Irineo B. R. Salazar on July 17, 2025 · 138 Comments 

The Dalian trains are finally being put to use on the MRT-3 after ten years, having been kept from being used by pettiness. After two rants, I have something nicer to say about the Philippines. There are people there now who understand building on what is already there. Marcos Jr. following the 1987 Constitution, or … Continue reading →

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What lies ahead?

Posted by Irineo B. R. Salazar on January 6, 2025 · 71 Comments 

2025 will be a difficult year for many countries. As this blog’s focus is the Philippines, the question is what to expect there for this year. Will any oppositionist enter the Senate after the term of Senator Risa Hontiveros ends? The trend of 2019 and 2022 is a warning. Likewise, will two more Tulfo brothers … Continue reading →

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Creating Opportunities in the Philippines

Posted by Irineo B. R. Salazar on October 3, 2024 · 158 Comments 

Joe wrote an article almost a decade ago describing opportunity as an energy untapped in the Philippines. Ambition is indeed a bad word for many Filipinos, somehow equating opportunity with opportunism. Some see OFWs who go abroad as modern “bayani,” somehow similar to warriors of precolonial Philippines who raided and traded, bringing home the bacon. … Continue reading →

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The Philippines and the world

Posted by Irineo B. R. Salazar on September 5, 2024 · 196 Comments 

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 →

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