Tag Archives: thinking

Will the Philippines prosper if we change its system of government?

Posted on May 11, 2013 by benign0

Can a change in system of government really change the development trajectory of an entire nation? Perhaps so, but the complexity of any causal link that might exist between a system of government and the future success — or failure … Continue reading →

Posted in Charter Change, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Lack of thinking and arrogant attitudes are the Philippines’ undoing

Posted on April 29, 2013 by ilda

In the Philippines, there are many people who claim to have a monopoly on great ideas. They claim to know what is good for you and everyone else. Some of them get very impatient about bringing their ideas into “action”. … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Government, Politics, Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 132 Comments

Change in system of governance equals prosperity? Hmmm…

Posted on November 9, 2010 by benign0

My esteemed colleague Orion makes use of two cornerstone arguments to support his position that a change in form of government will necessarily translate to an improved probability that the Philippines will prosper as a society over a given period: … Continue reading →

Posted in Charter Change, Culture, Development | Tagged , , | 68 Comments

Plagiarism and Filipinos: the words can mean the same thing

Posted on October 29, 2010 by ilda

The case of plagiarism supposedly committed by Philippine Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo that was eventually dismissed by the Supreme Court represents a microcosm of a bigger problem, which I think needs urgent attention from Filipinos. The bigger problem that … Continue reading →

Posted in Civics, Culture, Featured | Tagged , , , | 60 Comments

Battle of the Lawyers: epic fail of the 'So What?' test

Posted on October 21, 2010 by benign0

It is not surprising that even in a battle amongst professionals who built their trade upon deep-thought fields such as philosophy, the tools of choice remain primitive — intimidation, pulling of rank and seniority, and use of mass media. All … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Education | Tagged , , | 22 Comments

Filipino self-anaesthetisation after the Mendoza hostage massacre

Posted on September 7, 2010 by benign0

For a nation that I’ve asserted so many times is motivated by nothing more noble than a culturally-ingrained sense of hiya (a Filipino concept that is a bizarrely convoluted complex of shame and face), it seems like extracting even a … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Featured, Government | Tagged , , , | 53 Comments

Filipinos have no right to move on from the Mendoza hostage crisis

Posted on September 5, 2010 by benign0

In the aftermath of the August 23 Mendoza hostage massacre that resulted in the deaths of eight foreign tourists, Filipinos had plumbed new depths of collective shame as a people. The on-going investigations notwithstanding, the drama revealed to the world … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | Tagged , , , | 53 Comments

Noynoy Aquino: "Water Czar"? More like Chump of the Moment

Posted on July 21, 2010 by benign0

Water supply has always been a problem in the Philippines. Since time immemorial, many Metro Manila residents have even had to rely on electric booster pumps to suck out the essential juice from city’s decrepit mains and store as much … Continue reading →

Posted in Development, Politics | Tagged , , , | 76 Comments

Time to implement a decent Divorce Law and junk the moronism of "annulment"

Posted on July 15, 2010 by benign0

Kris Aquino is no longer just another screeching Filipino showbiz personality. She is now the sister of the President of the Philippines. The timing of her marital woes with basketball player James Yap couldn’t be worse for the spin machinery … Continue reading →

Posted in Lifestyle, Religion | Tagged , , , , | 46 Comments

How much can Presidents really do for us?

Posted on March 7, 2010 by benign0

One way to regard Philippine roads and the motorists who use them is to see these as the putrid contents in a laboratory petri dish. In it we can study more closely certain behaviours that can be observed in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Development, Media | Tagged , , | 12 Comments