@mongster is a Manila-based activist, former Philippine legislator, and blogger/analyst of Asia-Pacific affairs.
We live in a micro nation. We are fond of micro objects, micro concepts, micro activities. National Artist Nick Joaquin once criticized our “heritage of smallness.” He was wrong. What we have is a heritage of micro-ness. In the past, the government encouraged the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Today, the government is […]
Written in 2007…. Not a few candidates have been tapping the internet to bolster their chances of winning in the elections. While many analysts look down on the effectiveness of online campaigning, politicians could no longer ignore the cyber community. TV ads may give the best nationwide exposure for candidates but the internet can provide […]
The generous state claims to offer a win-win solution to informal settlers: leave Metro Manila; return to the provinces. The national government will shoulder the transportation cost while local governments will provide a small financial incentive for Balik Probinsiya beneficiaries. Why should the poor return to the provinces? Because they are viewed as eyesores, their […]
Two deadly storms struck the Philippines in the last two weeks killing more than 500 people. The first storm triggered the worst flooding in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. The flooding disaster affected more than three million individuals. The second storm tragedy unleashed massive landslides in the northern part of the Philippines. It also forced […]
Before NLEX, what road did people use to travel to the north? Old McArthur Highway. Before SLEX, what road did people use to travel to the south? I don’t know. C-4 is EDSA (Highway 54); C-5 is a popular alternate route to EDSA; C-6 will connect NLEX and SLEX through a planned Lakeshore Highway near […]
Talumpating binigkas sa Olongapo City Convention Center… Ilang segundong katahimikan para sa mga nasalanta ng bagyong Ondoy at Pepeng…. Ako’y naimbitahang magsalita tungkol sa responsableng papel ng kabataan sa halalan. Napapanahon ang paksang ito dahil sa Pilipinas, may tatlong panahon: Wet Season, Dry Season, at Election Season. Walang duda, ramdam nating lahat ang papalapit na […]
Ketsana is a Lao term for agarwood, the resinous heartwood from large evergreens that are native to Southeast Asia. But from now on, many people will forever remember Ketsana as the name of the typhoon that caused massive destruction in the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos last week. Ketsana was not the first great typhoon […]
North-South refers to the political-economic division between rich and poor nations. This designation is still relevant when analyzing the worsening economic inequality in the globe. The North-South divide is also a North-South conflict. The North exploits the South; the North accumulates its wealth by dominating the South. In the Philippine context the North-South divide refers […]
