Author Archives: admin

Huwag Maniwala sa Aldub: Ang Paglaban at Pag-ibig ay Laging Nasa Tamang Panahon

(Talumpating binigkas sa rehiyunal na kongreso ng College Editors Guild Cagayan Valley sa Isabela State University Cauayan noong Setyembre 10, 2015). Published by Bulatlat Una sa lahat, salamat at andito kayo kahit may Aldub ngayon. Huwag gawing obvious ang pagsilip sa Aldub hashtag. Pangalawa, salamat sa College Editors Guild para sa karangalan na maging keynote […]

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Is East Timor Now a Rich Country?

Written for The Diplomat Timor-Leste’s Ministry of Finance issued a press statement claiming that the small Southeast Asian nation is already among the richest countries in the world. It cited a report of the Global Finance magazine which ranked Timor-Leste’s GDP per capita on a purchasing power parity basis as the 87th highest in the […]

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A is for Anakbayan and other activist terms in the Philippines

Written for Bulatlat A – Anakbayan is a youth group established in 1998 which became prominent in Edsa Dos and during the campaign for the abolition of ROTC. Anakpawis is a partylist group which is at the forefront of the campaign to pass the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill. Ang Bayan is the official paper of […]

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Jurassic World as a Metaphor of Wall Street and the Global Financial Crisis

Written for Manila Today They were bigger, louder, and scarier – not the dinosaurs, but the product placements. Disturbingly, I didn’t feel cheated. Perhaps I have been desensitized already into accepting the incestuous partnership of mass art and the corporate sector. Besides, it’s a Hollywood franchise film which was produced to entertain and generate an […]

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What I think about rallies when I am marching in a rally

Written for Bulatlat The heat, of course. Is it going to be tolerable? Ah but the scorching summer temperature is like inferno on Earth. There’s also the humid air, succeeded by a brief but heavy rain, and then it’s sticky hot again. Rains are unpredictable but the heat is constant. Clouds deceive because behind them […]

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ASEAN’s Joint Communique: It’s Not Just About China or the South China Sea

Written for The Diplomat The 48th foreign ministerial meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Malaysia concluded by releasing a communique last week. As expected, most media reports focused on the position of ASEAN with regard the South China Sea dispute involving China. This is newsworthy because the issue has regional implications and […]

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Philippines Must Protect Internally Displaced Persons, Warns UN Expert

Written for The Diplomat A few days after Philippine President Benigno Aquino III enumerated the achievements of his government during his final state of the nation address, a UN expert issued a report which highlighted the deplorable conditions of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in various parts of the country. United Nations Special Rapporteur on the […]

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Time to Rethink the Reasons Our Parents and Everybody Else Told Us about Why We Go to School

Written for Manila Today We are familiar with the economics and mechanics of education because these are often fiercely debated but the idea of schooling can still be improved if we initiate more conversations about the philosophy or philosophies that sustain it. Simply put, we should endeavor to give better answers to the question ‘Why […]

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Malay Pride Rally Stokes Race Politics in Malaysia

Written for The Diplomat More than 250 licensed non-government organizations in Malaysia are planning to mobilize 30,000 people on September 16 to protect and promote Maruah Melayu (Malay dignity). The event also aims to show support for the beleaguered leadership of Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is being implicated in a corruption scandal. The event […]

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Crowds and Champions: What An Inauthentic Fan Saw During the Golden State Warriors Victory Rally

Written for Manila Today How I wish I could hold the placard which reads ‘Authentic Fan’, take a selfie with it, and share on my social media networks. But I simply couldn’t do it because I am not an ‘authentic fan’ of the 2015 National Basketball Association champion Golden State Warriors. I do not even […]

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