Making It Fun in the Philippines

I remembered some time ago when I wrote a blog entry concerning following simple guidelines . One of the success stories of other countries is not only because they advocate free trade or economic liberalization -- it's also because people know how to follow simple guidelines. Unfortunately, some people think that "It's more fun in the Philippines" because of having a dysfunctional sense of freedom  or a culture of impunity. One of these many areas is driving on the road especially on workdays, Christmas season or when it's the October 31 jam today -- that time when many return home to the province to pay respect to their deceased relatives.  I think about how driving on the road in the Philippines without running into stupid drivers is a real challenge. Now some idiots whine about the increasing prices of gasoline but here's what -- they don't have the right to complain because many of them have no right to drive. I think about heavy traffic for this...

A scare tactic is labeled as, "a strategy intended to manipulate public opinion about a particular issue by arousing fear or alarm". Since it's Halloween for the heck of it -- I decided to write a "scary post" in relation to the walking dead Liberal Party. After the fall of the Marcos Regime -- it's easy to see where the oligarchy fell into. The oligarchy was yanked out of the hands of the Marcoses and it fell into the Aquinos. It was almost like a Xenomorph defeating a Predator from the Aliens vs. Predator franchise, right? With ABiaS-CBN back at the control to its rightful owners -- the grateful Lopezes indeed started playing partisan politics and doing sensationalist reports such as unverified rumors of aswangs and recently -- the ghosts of EJK victims. If they can't verify their reports of the supernatural or just anything then why report it as facts? That's unprofessional journalism! But as if having ABiaS-CBN (and in extension its News Netw...

Agot Isidro says that, "A kilo of rice is now lesser because of the prices of goods are higher." Then she says, "When I'm a senator, the first law I'll make is to increase the kilo of rice." This is just stupid. Let's do some basic mathematics, shall we? How much is one kilogram? It's worth 1,000 grams and it will always weigh that much because Mathematics will always be based and built on facts! I wonder how did she even pass College when you still need to review some of your basic Math subjects like Algebra and Business Math. This is the problem of the Liberal Party. Common sense is really thrown out of the window. It's unbelievable how Bum Aquino who's supposedly celebrated as a brilliant entrepreneur ended up suggesting the leftovers law. Mar Roxas is a Wharton Graduate and yet he kept making a fool out of himself ever since he joined the Liberal Party. Agot is supposedly a Cum Laude from the University of the Philippines yet she en...

Do your remember this one six months ago before the reopening of Boracay? I was thinking about how the idea of "systems don't matter and it's just the people" usually doesn't work. The Philippines' presidential government is usually filled with hurdles. Evidence of this hurdles are the arduous impeachment processes and several people could've been voted out by a vote of no confidence . EDSA-2 wouldn't even be necessary because Joseph Estrada would've been kicked out for the jueteng scandal via a vote of no confidence. Now it's time to think about how the Boracay fiasco could've been avoided under a parliamentary system. Just think about the situation where the  very orders of House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to rehabilitate Boracay  were not followed. The problem was that Proclamation 104 could be easily voided without thinking about how useful it is. However, what if were in the parliamentary system with Speaker of the House Arroyo...

I just heard of the recent report of the release of the latest i-Phone XS. Want to know the selling prices of the brand new i-Phone XS? Here they are and these prices will determine how much chili you need to sell to buy them: i-Phone XS 64GB -- PHP 69,990.00 i-Phone XS 256GB -- PHP 79,990.00 i-Phone XS 512GB -- PHP 93,490.00 i-Phone XS Max 64GB -- PHP 76,990.00 i-Phone XS Max 256GB -- PHP 86,990.00 i-Phone XS Max 512GB -= PHP 99,990.00 If chili already costs PHP 1,000.00 per kilo then I guess a lot of Filipinos selling it made a huge revenue from selling several kilos of chili. To get the cheapest iPhone XS then some of those lining up must have sold a total of 70 kilos of chili then and a hundred kilos of chili in one day! I'd like to imagine how those lining up must have been selling chili as part of their inventory because the line is so darn long! So why didn't I think of selling chili before? I could imagine how much profit chili could have given me in contr...

It's been a day after Boracay was opened and six months since its closure. I remembered how some of President Duterte's invalid critics were always criticizing the move to close and rehabilitate Boracay saying that potential revenue would be lost. Others were raising false alarms that Boracay would be sold to China which is also not true. Now it's time to witness the rehabilitation of Boracay. While I'm no solid Duterte supporter myself (he should consider not shooting his mouth off such as his dirty jokes and bad words) and you don't need to be a Duterte supporter to actually agree with the right he does. It's possible to dislike President Duterte while agreeing with whatever right he does such as the no public smoking policy or curfew laws for minors. This post is not to address people who dislike President Duterte but those who want to discredit him for the right he does. I may not like Noynoy Aquino but I can still agree that his important 29 economic ame...

Do you remember the time when Mar Roxas released that "hit comic book" called " Sa Gitna Ng Unos " or translated as "In the Middle of the Storm" for his campaign? The comics had the nerve to say, "Batay sa tunay na pangyayari." or translated as "Based on the real events." when it isn't. It's amazing how Raissa E. Robles herself could even dare accuse President Duterte of cherry-picking while the Yellows are EXACTLY doing the same thing! If you've got Marcos loyalists who want to deny the atrocities of the Marcos years then you've got Aquino loyalists who also want to deny the atrocities of the Aquinos and their associates. The very idea that Roxas is running for senator for 2019 gave me a brilliant idea. He could consider reprinting his "hit comic book series" for his campaign. I'd love to see the yellows want to re-endorse Roxas as that "hero" in Tacloban that he never was. They could go ahead...

I believe that part of the reasons why there's some deficit in the government income is because President Duterte is spending some of the money to clean up such huge messes. You can't have a major clean-up without spending tons of money to do it, right? Much revenue had to be compromised in order to clean up Boracay -- yet it's badly needed if you want more long-term revenue from said island than instantaneous revenue that was turning the island into a cesspool. Now it's time to launch yet another imagined scenario of what could have happened to Boracay under the rule of President Roxas and Vice President Trillanes . It was revealed in an expose by Rigoberto Tiglao concerning Boracay that Mar Roxas backed Boracay elites. If he won as president (and in extension Antonio Trillanes IV as vice president). Here's what it said that should really make you facedesk to the max: However, sources in the resort island claimed that Mar Roxas—whom President Benigno Aquino 3...

This image came from ironeXplores It's been several months since Boracay was closed for rehabilitation. It was a planned six month rehabilitation project which the island will have a soft opening by October 26, 2018. So what was going on after some time? The island is now starting to recover its natural pristine beauty. I'm amazed at how this long overdue project (which should have been done during Noynoy Aquino's administration but was presumably shut down out of spite for Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ) was finally done. The results are not instantaneous but it's amazing how much was done by doing the long overdue project. I may not be a fan of the current House Speaker but at least I'm in favor of some of her projects -- which should have been carried by Noynoy during the last term. Now this is one thing I'd like to stress -- tourism is part of good economics but not too much tourism. It's like having the goose who lays the golden eggs and why you shouldn...

This just in, there's a current move to #BoycottAga over the Internet after he criticized Senator Antonio Trillanes IV. Worse, Atty. Asus (because his real first name is too good for him) Falses a Yellow supporter now committed a double-standard by telling Muhlach this statement which I'll translate in English for non-Filipino speakers, "You are just a celebrity -- you know nothing about politics!" Hmmm why tell Muhlach that all the while you've got the Yellowtards praising idiot celebrities on their side for their political views against President Duterte or anyone who's not on their side for that matter? Well it's time to throw back the argument at them by asking to why they praise the Yellowtard celebrity views. Agot Isidro herself is just like Muhlach (and I once enjoyed their tandem together) with the fact that they are both celebrities. Does being a celebrity mean one is automatically disqualified to talk about politics? Do you have to be a pol...

It's no secret that the Philippine elections are just around the corner for 2019. The recent problem of the Smartmatic este Dumbmatic deal with COMELEC is riddled with impunity and fraud. It's crazy for the Yellows to demand #endimpunity while they love a culture of impunity at the same time. So why complain that the ouster of Lourdes Sereno by quo warranto of the Supreme Court was the beginning of impunity while evidence of cheating by the Yellows against Bongbong Marcos are now more visible than ever such as the 25% shaded ballots  when the normal instruction is to shade them at 100% or the machines won't read them. Some people want to end electronic elections in favor of manual ones. However, do you realize that some advanced countries do get elections done electronically. A good example is South Korea in its implementation of electronic voting. So how effective is South Korea in doing so? Here's what Asian Foundation has to say about South Korean voting practi...

There's the statement that says, "Mahirap ka na, mapag-aksaya ka pa." which means "You're already poor yet you are still wasteful." in English. This is one of the biggest problems among the lower class Filipinos. This should be a real issue when you've got Filipinos who are already considered poor or working class yet: Buying an airconditioner when you're not willing to or can't pay higher for electricity. Buying a car when you can't afford gasoline. Buying the latest brand new items when you don't have enough money to pay your necessary bills such as tuition and utilities. It's like having a BMW while you are Broke Without Money and having an i-Phone but you don't have ipon or savings. This reminds me of the time I actually wrote about why do so many OFWs remain poor . One of the problems I've written in said article years ago was their poor budgeting habits. The money comes and they spend it on friends, relativ...

I was thinking about "It's about time." when it comes to someone who's actually thinking -- or not! Senatorial candidate Bethsaida Lopez has launched her plan to actually ban online gaming among students . I'm actually pretty fine with it for this reason considering that too much time is wasted playing online! Students should be going to the Internet cafe to do research and NOT to play online games. She has raised some very valid concerns which I would actually support her move but I don't think she's going to get supported by today's bobotantes. I could really remember back on my College days and it's really frustrating. I remembered how often I wanted to call my groupmates to meet so the project can be done on time and what do they do? They were too busy playing online games aside from their obsession with stupid teleseryes . I remembered if they weren't too busy watching teleseryes then they were too busy playing Defense of the Ancient...

It's really something to think about how Bam Aquino turned into Bum Aquino no thanks to the presidential system. Now this picture shows how a once celebrated entrepreneur becomes a fishball vendor. Here's a good piece of advice to Bam or should I call him as Bum now -- he should stop with the antics because it's not working. Anybody can do a basic job of selling fishballs but not everyone can manage economics and politics. This is the sad fact. Bum could have showed everyone how intelligent he is (assuming he's still willing to take his brain back) or how he could lead the country than to sell fishballs. Fishball carts and politics are not the same thing. If you do some research -- you will find out he's once an awarded entrepreneur. Unfortunately, entering into the political arena made him throw away his brilliant mind out of the window. Instead, he ends up suggesting one stupid proposal after the other. So really, what happened to the once brilliant busine...

Although I'm not really a fan of the Aliens or Predator franchise myself but I always like to bring the crossover movies up when it comes to politics. The tagline is "Whoever wins... we lose." The same can be true for the presidential system. People tend to think that, "It's not in the system but it's in the people." while the truth says otherwise. For example, if the system permits stuff like nepotism and bribery then don't tell me that it's just the people but not the system. Besides, all changing officials will do in a defective system is to offer a band-aid solution rather than to treat the wounds properly. It's like having good ingredients yet you are using faulty kitchen utensils then the dish isn't going to turn out right. I mean, wouldn't slicing a well-done roast beef with a rusty knife ruin a fine dinner? So how does the presidential system encourage Aliens vs. Predator politics? You can think of the "greatest count...

Who says that it's just a matter of changing people but not changing the system has to observe this fact that systems do matter ! I have written something about how Bam Aquino going Bum Aquino  some time ago. Now it's time to focus on how one-time Wharton graduate (where he majored in economics) and became an investment banker in New York City ended up as a laughingstock today. Doesn't Mar Roxas' past sound promising? Unfortunately, Mar ended up going from what you'd call a promising guy who once sat as the Department of Trade and Industry secretary under Joseph Estrada to becoming a national laughingstock. How did the presidential system turn a once promising man into an idiot? Well, surviving in a presidential system requires one thing -- trade in your credibility for popularity. Under Estrada, he once agreed to remove the 60/40 and other unreasonable foreign investment restrictions. However, when he became Noynoy Aquino's choice for a vice president and as...

Well I don't care if ABiaS-CBN doesn't like President Duterte or that they are critical of him or anybody who they don't side with. However, there's the journalism principle that news is news and you have to be FAIR and UNBIASED when it comes to delivering the facts. They can go ahead and like Noynoy Aquino or the Yellows better -- however they must be impartial with their delivery of their news and not be biased. Unfortunately, ABS-CBN deserves to be called as ABiaS-CBN because of it being biased towards anybody who doesn't support their political views. After all, think that they only aired Jim Paredes' side of the story of the EDSA 2017 incident but NOT the side of the Duterte Youth members in said area. Now they even want to blame President Duterte for something beyond his control. Is it me or is ABiaS-CBN now telling us that President Duterte's arrival caused an earthquake to hit Bali when he arrived? It's no better than Jover Laurio's Pin...

Well it's the -ber months and is it me or is the Christmas season in the Philippines much longer? It seems to be the real problem that when September 1 strikes -- the very mind of many Filipinos thinks of Christmas more than the other occasions of September to November. December is supposedly the Christmas season yet people think of Christmas festivities when September arrives. Now, with the news of inflation coming and kicking in (and yes, there's also the bad habit of blaming incumbent presidents for it and not just in this administration) -- people are now getting worried and complain about the fact that stuff that are used for the annual Noche Buena Dinner are now getting more expensive. Unfortunately, here's the reality about inflation. It's not a problem exclusive in the Philippines. I even heard of how President Rodrigo R. Duterte is considering on suspending gasoline excise tax to help fight inflation to a certain extent. When gasoline prices from the world m...

It's just amazing at how Leni Loud Robredo herself proves once again that she and her fellow supporters can't follow simple guidelines . We've already tackled about election guidelines that only 100% shaded ballots count as valid votes yet the Yellow idiots want to have the obviously fake 25% shading honored as valid counts . She's also made a fool out of herself by disrespecting the Holocaust Memorial and by not following rules in Kuwait concerning appropriate attires. Now, she's doen the absurd by actually ENTERING from the exit of the Congress' Plenary Hall of all places? What in the world is she thinking when ever she shows that she refuses to follow simple guidelines. Do you know why there are Entrance and Exit paths in many establishments? It's for an orderly entrance and exit. Can you imagine how it'd be if people tried to enter and escape at the same time in the same path? It would be absolute chaos. The beauty behind the Entrance and Exit ar...

Just when I thought that Peke Aeta has finaly STFU -- he has returned with yet another rant. Rant all he wants but he doesn't seem to offer any real solutions except "all should go back to agriculture", "support cottage industries" and in one of his Get Real Philippines' articles called " The Bamboo Network " -- he actually goes against foreign investments. So what's with Peke Aeta anyway? I think if he's ever an Aeta -- he could be a part of the socialist or communist organization known as the Katribu Partylist. It claims to give power to the indigenous people. However, it's actually a leftist organization and the way that Peke Aeta writes seems to suggest that he's actually a member of said partylist or a socialist. But is it really a group of empowering the oppressed minorities or just another power hungry group? Here's an excerpt of his latest rant called " More of Same Plus More " which really makes me think o...

It's no joke that the prices of gasoline have indeed increased because of the world market. I remembered writing some time ago where Dilawans blame President Duterte for the increase of prices in gasoline  which is just stupid. The issue of gasoline price increase is a world market issue and sadly not too many are aware of it. Now it's time to consider another issue about gasoline prices in developed countries. Here's a bit of comparison of the prices of gasoline from different parts of the world per liter. The prices there are in US Dollars converted to Philippine peso. I just had a thought of Asian countries where I have some kind of obsession with learning from their economic successes such as Hong Kong (presidential under China), Singapore (parliamentary) and South Korea (which is semi-presidential and unitary) have more expensive gasoline per liter than the Philippines. If you do the Math then you will realize that gasoline in those DEVELOPED countries are highe...

Sometimes or most of the time -- it's best not to vote straight for any political party or to be a solid supporter of one party! Why? I support President Rodrigo R. Duterte's policies such as no public smoking, his plan for federalism, the removal of excessive restrictions towards foreign investment and shift to parliamentary system but I don't approve of him shooting his mouth off way too many times or worse -- the faulty appointment of the very under-qualified Mocha Uson as Assistant Communications Secretary! Besides, I support President Duterte's good policies more than the president himself! I mean, I don't mind people criticizing President Duterte's shortcomings because he needs them to do a better job!  Now, let's talk about the side of the Dilawans with Jover Laurio who was dubbed as " Filipino of the Year " by the very biased Philippine Daily Inquirer. While I won't dismiss the Inquirer or ABiaS-CBN to be always wrong but always t...

I usually don't care too much about old school films but when I do -- it's because they have a meaningful punch in them. I remembered how I was a confused, angry teenager and one of my science teachers talked about the film called "Soylent Green" starring Charleton Heston and Lee Taylor-Young. It may be old school but it really provokes the mind. Just when I thought I forgot about it but sometimes meeting said science teacher back from 20 years ago still provokes the mind. I remembered how she talked about the plot of the film involved an overpopulated and polluted dystopia that was a result of people's actions.  But can you imagine the events of the film called Soylent Green happening in the Philippines? There's been the long trend of being proud of one's mistakes and associating them with what makes one a "real Filipino"  -- practices such as irresponsible breeding when you can't even feed all your children and a poor regard of the...