Author Archives: admin

Rethinking ASEAN Integration

By admin | February 17, 2013

Written for The Diplomat The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has plans to fast track the integration of its member countries over the next few years. Aside from encouraging cooperation through traditional diplomatic and cultural activities, there are also ambitious proposals for ASEAN to issue a single visa and currency, and even form a […]

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Teddy’s Time

By admin | February 11, 2013

As legislator, Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño authored 110 measures, 7 of which were enacted into national laws. He became the fourth most prolific legislator of the 15th Congress without bombarding the records with filler bills and resolutions. His advocacies include, among others, human rights, environment protection, and promotion of Filipino industries. As activist legislator, […]

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Think Out of the Box? Not if it’s a Balikbayan Box

By admin | February 7, 2013

We are often reminded by management experts to think out of the box. I agree. But if it’s a Balikbayan Box, think through it. The Balikbayan Box is not an ordinary box. it’s a travel luggage plus more. It’s a mini sari-sari store, OTOP in a box, the concrete ‘objectified’ affirmation that returning to one’s […]

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Fallen Drone. Grounded Minesweeper

By admin | February 4, 2013

Written for The Diplomat A series of unfortunate mishaps in the past two weeks has afflicted United States military forces stationed in the Philippines. On January 6th, a BQM-74E target drone that appeared to be of American origin was found floating in the waters off Masbate, an island province in the central Philippines. Although the […]

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Sticks and Stones: Reining in Filipino Libel Laws

By admin | January 29, 2013

Written for The Diplomat The inclusion of online libel in the Philippine anti-cybercrime law has raised fears that it would lead to the restriction of free speech and expression in the local internet community. It’s one of the issues to be discussed next week by the Supreme Court, which is set to hear oral arguments […]

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Malaysia’s January Spring

By admin | January 21, 2013

Written last January 14 So far, it has been an awful beginning for the year 2013 in Southeast Asia: Myanmar’s military launched airstrikes against Kachin rebels which dimmed hopes of a peaceful settlement of the civil war; prominent Laos activist Sombath Somphone has remained missing and has probably become a victim of state-sanctioned enforced disappearance; […]

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CCTV and the Pleasure of Technological Control

By admin | January 14, 2013

Apparently, the CCTV doesn’t lie. What appears on the CCTV screen is accepted as visually accurate, even true. It seems to be the latest truth-telling device which TV networks have been using to expose the petty and heinous crimes committed by the poor. The TV image is manipulated in the news editing room, the internet […]

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Politics as Sound Bite

By admin | January 7, 2013

One liners, sound bites, SMS and twitter reactions are inferior substitutes to a well-written political manifesto. The essence of a political standpoint can’t be adequately represented by 140 characters or even by hysteric rhetoric. Yes, a charming slogan or a witty phrase, and a fiery quote can agitate a crowd, inspire the electorate, and trigger […]

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Indonesia’s Rising Star: Jokowi

By admin | January 5, 2013

Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo or Jokowi is a rising star in the Southeast Asian region. While Burmese President Thein Sein may be grabbing the most headlines of any Southeast Asian leader, Jokowi’s rapid ascent up Indonesia’s political ladder deserves more attention than it is given by the international media. Who is Jokowi and why is […]

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The Disappearing Real in the Virtual

By admin | January 2, 2013

A new library building was recently inaugurated in a public high school in the quaint town of Mauban, Quezon. During the ribbon cutting ceremonies, the mayor proposed to use the facility as a Community eCenter. He added that PLDT, which has a signal tower in front of the school, might be persuaded to provide an […]

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