Half-Baked Plans

“When the group settled in among the throngs in the city of Manila–the most densely populated city on earth-Sienna could only gape in horror. She had never seen poverty on this scale. Six-hour traffic jams, suffocating pollution, and a horrifying sex trade, whose workers consisted primarily of young children…’I’ve run through the gates of hell’, she […]

A Response to Thomas van Beersum

The presence of left-wing demonstrators are a common occurrence in the Metropolitan during a State of the Nation Address. Last month’s 4th address by the incumbent Benigno Aquino III was not any different. The militant Bayan party group along with it’s affiliated organizations such as the Kilusang Mambubukid ng Pilipinas and women’s group GABRIELA took […]

Why China?

Just this week, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) regretfully announced the execution of a Filipina drug mule in China, two years after she was caught smuggling drugs to the country. The unnamed convict became the fifth Filipino to be executed for narcotics-related crimes in the mainland. The incident brought back memories of the three […]

The Calm Before the Storm

This June, the Philippines was ranked first in the world in terms of storm-related fatalities for the second consecutive year. The year 2012 left the nation with the highest number of storm casualties anywhere in the world, the same was true in 2011 as well. The previous year, Filipinos endured Typhoon ‘Sendong’ which left 1,257 […]

Where to Now?

Once again, it’s the 12th of June. This day may pass as just another Wednesday for most people all over the world, merely another episode of waking up, going to work or school then tucking oneself to bed preparing for the next day again. Yet, this day marks a very special event in history. Yes, […]

Justice for Yaya

Family life in the Philippines is an unconventional one. The size of the family, which includes extended relatives as well as the importance of family values represents a uniqueness that is different to Western culture. As defined in the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the family is the most fundamental cell of the nation and is where […]

Seeing Red

Election period in the country usually draws out the heinous and sinister sides of Filipinos. Politicians desperate to win go an extra mile in asserting their competitiveness. The most appalling atrocities this country has seen usually happened in the lead-up to national polls: the Maguindanao massacre being the most prominent example with the Plaza Miranda […]

The Worthy Candidate

The country is in election season once again, this year twelve seats in the Congress’ upper house will be up-for-grabs in addition to the top positions in local government units. As every election period, the people are in high spirits – hopeful that the answer for their woes will be given by the victors. The […]

Short Attention Span

The late American artist Andy Warhol once said, “In the future, everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes”. This iconic phrase would later coin the concept of ‘fifteen minutes of fame’ as used by TV shows, talent competitions and other modes of media. Warhol is saying that there will come a time when individuals will […]

That’s What Friends are For

How far should one go in the name of friendship? The Greek philosopher Aristotle once said, “Misfortunes show who are really your friends.” When bad things happen sometimes people you thought were friends aren’t there for you anymore. But is it fair to say that friends should still stand by you in the event that you […]