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Democracy and order
When I moved to Germany in 1982 – leaving Marcos-ruled Philippines – I found it more disciplined here. Wait, wasn’t the Marcos era disciplined? In its propaganda it was. In reality it was just as...
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Philippine natural resources
Two important trade agreements shaped the US-Philippine relationship after World War 2: The Bell Trade Act (link) and the Laurel-Langley Agreement (link). Let us have a look at them: The Bell Trade Act...
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Sounding the Trumpets
Joshua 6:20 – when the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city....
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General McArthur returns
MacArthur’s ‘Liberation’ of the Philippines by Bill In Oz Most of us are ‘gifted’ with 20/20 hindsight !! We can look back on the past and see what others did wrong or poorly, because we now ‘know’ far...
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The Twelve Commandments
May the spirit of Gary Lising come upon me, that I may not take this too seriously. May Bathala save me from all those who take this too seriously. When the Spanish missionaries introduced the Ten...
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Seven Filipino Generations
Around seven generations have passed since the idea of the Philippine nation got started. During the times the Spanish East Indies were ruled from Mexico which was until the early 19th century, there...
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The Commonwealth Army – Part I – Beginnings
by Sonny with excerpts from the book “The Commonwealth Army” by Professor Ricardo Trota Jose “… an army which like the eagle, exuded confidence and security while suffering, behind its proud mien, a...
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Re: Grace Poe
The Supreme Court has decided that Grace Poe may run for President. Good. Why? There are three major requirements for running. I interpret their intention as follows: Age requirement. A person should...
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A Nation forms
Once again it is veteran commenter Mariano Renato Pacifico who has, through his sharp observations that sometimes are full of dramatic exaggeration, brought things to the point (link) even if we set...
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The Philippines Inc.?
The business of America is business, someone once said. Germany used to be called Deutschland AG or Germany Incorporated. Business is not a bad thing. We all want to make a living. When I was young and...
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Kaharian ng Kababalaghan
o misteryo yata ang Pilipinas. Tignan ang nangyaring magic tungkol sa Bangko Sentral ng Bangladesh. May napakagaling na artikulo ang isang taga-Singapore tungkol dito (link – basahin sana!) – Pero...
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Pilipinas na matino
Nagustuhan ko iyong naisulat ni Joe America sa isang komentaryo rito tungkol sa mga masisipag at matitinong mga Pilipino sa kanyang lugar sa Pilipinas (link): The Philippines is a rough version of the...
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Being in Filipino
GRP has claimed Tagalog or Filipino has no words of substance (link). Based on Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” allegedly not being translatable. It is translatable as “umiral o hindi”. This is without my...
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Giving Sacrifices meaning
The Christian meaning of Good Friday is that God sacrificed his only son to save mankind from original sin. It was meant as a one-time sacrifice. In the Philippines there is the folk tradition of...
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Bahala ang Pilipinas
sa magiging resulta ng botohan. Akong nasa abroad nag-oobserba lamang at nagbibigay ng mungkahi. Tignan natin ang huling survey. Unahin ko ang Senado dahil sila ang mga mambabatas. Ayon sa Wikipedia...
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Entitlement and Helplessness
For all progress, the Philippines often remains a country of entitled “señoritos” and helpless “alila”. Something which many describe as feudal, although I would use the word entitled, as European...
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Of Philippine Divides
In colonial times there was only one divide, and it was clear who was on what side of it. Those on the advantaged side had nearly everything and those on the disadvantaged side nearly nothing in terms...
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1896 and 2016
are strangely similar. Economically, politically, socially. Mark Twain said history does not repeat itself – but it rhymes. Economic progress The late 19th century was a time of economic progress....
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National growing pains
are what the Philippines is experiencing today. A country of many islands, tribes, mixtures (link), subgroups (link) and divides (link). The present crisis regarding Kidapawan highlights it. Mindanao...
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Who needs heroes?
The Philippines is full of heroes that are revered. Germany where I live still reveres great men like Goethe and Schiller, among others, but the word hero is not used. There was a great villain once....
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