Author Archives: admin

Football Nationalism in Southeast Asia

By admin | July 16, 2011

The landslide victory of the opposition Puea Thai Party in Thailand’s general election may have been last Sunday’s top political story in Southeast Asia. But it certainly wasn’t the most talked about topic in the rest of the region. For most TV viewers and internet surfers in Laos, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Burma, it […]

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On being a blogger-politician

By admin | July 13, 2011

The complete title of this post is On Being A Blogger-Politician Or Musings Of A Blogger Who Became A Politician. This is a continuation of my earlier piece about how I balance my work in Batasan and my online activities. When Rep. Edcel Lagman confessed in a televised plenary debate that he isn’t a Catholic […]

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From Malacanang to Batasan

By admin | July 1, 2011

June 30, 2010 was the day when Noy became President Noy or Pnoy and PGMA became Congresswoman GMA or CGMA. Today, everybody had something to say about Pnoy’s performance as president in the past 12 months but only few people had taken an interest in reviewing Gloria’s legislative work. So how did she perform in […]

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Thailand: Yingluck and Gender Politics

By admin | June 29, 2011

Yingluck Shinawatra could become Thailand’s first female prime minister if her Pheu Thai Party performs well in next month’s general election. And her chances certainly seem strong, despite her inexperience, because so many voters are disillusioned with male-dominated Thai politics. Sensing this growing frustration, Yingluck’s handlers have been emphasizing her natural ‘feminine qualities’ to attract […]

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House Bills and Resolutions Reloaded!

By admin | June 22, 2011

The current categorization of Congress bills and resolutions is dull and uninformative. If we want the public to know more about the legislative process, we should review our practice of merely classifying the bills into first reading, second reading, and third reading. Bills filed on first reading are worthy to mention only if they would […]

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Southeast Asia’s Last Strongman

By admin | June 14, 2011

Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father and architect of modern Singapore, resigned from the Cabinet a week after the ruling People’s Action Party suffered its worst performance in the polls since 1965. Lee was Prime Minister for 31 years from 1959 to 1990, and continued to lead Singapore as Senior Minister for 14 years and […]

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Mono Towns

By admin | June 12, 2011

Polomolok in South Cotabato is a mono town: Its main economic activity is the agricultural production inside the vast Dole plantation. Its present and future are dictated by the rise and decline of Dole’s fortunes. The residents there and nearby rural communities like Tupi have become dependent on Dole either by working in the fields […]

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Reorient the SK

By admin | June 8, 2011

I was interviewed by Manila Bulletin a few months ago about the Sangguniang Kabataan…. 1. I learned that you are siding with the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation in this issue and is against its abolition. Please explain your position/stand on this issue and why you are supporting them. The support is incidental. Our group recognizes the […]

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ASEAN and Human Rights Hypocrisy

By admin | May 29, 2011

Burma’s bid to chair the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2014 was politely dismissed when the bloc concluded its latest summit in Indonesia without a clear commitment on the matter. Instead of receiving support for its bid, Burma was advised by fellow ASEAN members to build better infrastructure first if it really wants to […]

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SK at pagbabago sa lipunan

By admin | May 27, 2011

Bahagi ito ng leadership module na inihanda ng Kabataan Partylist para sa mga bagong miyembro ng Sangguniang Kabataan. Malaki ang papel ng kabataan sa pagbabago sa lipunan. Sa katunayan, tampok ang naging ambag ng kabataan sa pagtatayo ng ating Republika. Si Rizal ay 25 taong gulang lamang nang isinulat niya ang Noli Me Tangere; si […]

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