Category Archives: places

On Manila’s ‘hard lockdown’

By admin | June 4, 2021

Published by Bayan Metro Manila After imposing a ‘hard lockdown’ in Sampaloc, the Manila local government is set to adopt the same measure in Tondo. The ‘hard lockdown’ is worse than the national government’s ‘enhanced community quarantine’ since it imposes absolute restrictions on individuals while deploying a bigger number of police and military forces in […]

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The Fight to Preserve and Expand Metro Manila’s Green Spaces

By admin | October 31, 2020

Published by Manila Today We are told that in order to appreciate nature and protect the environment, we have to go somewhere and participate in an outreach activity. It is there in the rural where we could restore forests, watersheds, and waterways. But here in the urban, we are merely incentivized to reduce carbon footprints, […]

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Is It Time for the Philippines to Move Its Capital City, Too?

By admin | November 24, 2019

Indonesia’s decision to go ahead with its plan to transfer the seat of power from Jakarta to East Kalimantan has renewed earlier debates about whether it’s also time for the Philippine government to leave Manila and look for another capital. Like Jakarta, Manila is notorious for its swelling population and an expanding urban area grappling […]

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Solidarity as Resistance in the United States

By admin | March 28, 2019

Written for Bulatlat ‘Resistance is Our Right, Solidarity is Our Duty’ was the call to action printed on t-shirts, tote bags, and flyers distributed during our speaking tour across the United States about the human rights situation in the Philippines. It meaningfully captured the political orientation guiding Filipino activists in the US: The legitimacy of […]

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How Realtime Is Disrupting the Politics of Rural-Urban Dynamics in the Philippines

By admin | October 1, 2018

Published by Manila Today Time is an important currency. A farmer relies on weather patterns to plan the cultivation of his land, a worker’s monthly wage is calculated through the bundy clock, and a modern day speculator accumulates virtual cash by engaging in realtime trading. Based on the preceding, many would probably assume that the […]

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Political Struggle in the ‘Greater Capital Region’ of the Philippines

By admin | February 11, 2018

Published by Manila Today Is the ‘Greater Capital Region’ (GCR) the new National Capital Region (NCR) of the Philippines? This geopolitical category refers to Metro Manila, Southern Tagalog, and Central Luzon. Though it has yet to be officially acknowledged in the bureaucracy, some development planning institutions are already using the term GCR in their feasibility […]

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How Private Capital is Devouring Metro Manila’s Public Spaces

By admin | October 8, 2017

Published by Manila Today Distinguishing the public from private spaces in Metro Manila is quite confusing. Consider these examples: Balintawak Market is privately-owned yet we consider it a public market. In fact, Metro Manila’s biggest city has only one government-owned and managed market. Jeepneys and FX taxis (or now more popularly known as UV Express) […]

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A new EDSA is emerging but will the poor have any place in it?

By admin | August 18, 2017

Published by Manila Today Epifanio delos Santos Avenue or EDSA is no ordinary road. It’s the site of two (or is it three) People Power uprisings; and it remains the principal and most important highway in Metro Manila (apologies to C-5 and Commonwealth Avenue). The growth centers of the country’s premier urban hub are all […]

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10 Metro Manila Kalyeserye Scenes That APEC Delegates Will Miss

By admin | July 31, 2016

Published by Manila Today As host of the 2015 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, the Philippines has vowed to provide a spectacular and warm welcome to world leaders, investors, media, and all participants of the annual meeting. Interestingly, the world famous Filipino hospitality will be offered to our visitors sans the residents of Metro Manila. […]

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Politics, tourism and the struggle for social transformation in the Philippines

By admin | March 2, 2016

Written for Bulatlat Our country is on fire yet we continue to rank our islands based on what tourists want. Should we rejoice when travel magazines list some of our islands as among the must-see places in the world? Yes, of course. But it doesn’t mean we should adopt their standards to measure the relevance […]

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