I spent last weekend in Cebu (attending a conference). I had a chance to catch up with an old friend there. We were discussing the restaurant scene and he told me places to eat have to periodically reinvent themselves. Cebuanos, he said (he is one) are quite thrifty, and so among other things, many tend to still go home for lunch. He says there really isn’t an office worker culture yet in that city, although a new kind of worker has emerged: the call center employee. That phenomenon, he says, has had an impact on the economy and of course, the habits of young people. It seems though, that Cebu’s saturated, if this article’s any guide.
Even as a former rebel becomes the last victim of an assassination, the Armed Forces brass continue the behavior they learned thanks to Executive Order 464. The eternal Roman question arises: who will guard the guardians?
The Palace is confident it can get its pork barrel projects restored.
San Miguel Corporation reacts to rumors Coca-Cola may scrap its bottling deal in the Philippines. Coca-Cola importation to come?
The Nation of Thailand provides an overview of what’s going wrong in East Timor.
Tony Abaya thinks the President has let slip her intention to rule past 2010.
A letter writer on why Marcos trounced Macapagal in 1965 and why Marcos was no Lee Kwan Yew.
JB Baylon has an idea that people tell me is actually popular in Mindanao (as Baylon says it is): abolish the House.
comelec AKO doesn’t like how senators treated the Comelec chairman (or how the chairman wilted).
Amusing survey from New Economist: people would be happier in the UK if politicians stopped talking about happiness.
The Unlawyer illustrates a point I’ve become convinced of, recently: all the discussions about form of government reflect a kind of escapism. You don’t need a change in system to fix the things that madden people about government -and governance.
Expectorants and Walk This Way weigh in with good examples of beautification.
Here’s something remarkable: Project Gutenberg of the Philippines. Which suggests, as this article in MediaShift does, that the migration of printed materials from books to digital formats may not be suitable for all books, but for some kinds of books. Personally, I believe reference works, and that includes textbooks, are more suitable for digital use than novels, or books for the general reader.
Sustainable Business praises Inq7.net’s coverage of environmental matters.
Red’s Herring dwells some more on the tar baby controversy.
Theory is the Reason launches an anniversary contest you may want to join.
And, since today is my 36th birthday, the obligatory Amazon Wish List. And if you want to make a donation or find a way to help the earthquake victims in Indonesia, contact your local Philippine National Red Cross chapter.
Technorati Tags: Marcos, media, military, Philippines, politics
Aba… HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
aaand maaaany moooore…
aw, thanks karlo!
Happy Birthday Manolo, and I hope you don’t spend it in line while renewing your driver’s license!
interesting take on the marcos/macapagal/lee
regimes.
One correction to the letter writer’s history.
Lee did not withdraw from Malaysia
he was forced out.
The reason is Malay politicians were
uncomfortable with Singapore’s large chinese
population . They were afraid of the
highly popular and charismatic Lee
The Malay party, UMNO, didn’t want Lee’s party
as a rival. They preferred chinese under their
coalition Barisan Nacional. Lee would have
never consented to remaining as a junior
partner in that coalition. Thus he and
Singapore were forced out by Tunku Abdul
Rahman and his UMNO.
The Malaysian census always undercounts
chinese and indians.The chinese population
in Malaysia is a lot more than census reflects.
And they have more economic clout than you
can imagine.
UMNO preferred to lose Lee Kwan Yew than
lose political power.
Today, Singapore is a meritocracy while
Malaysia is not
Lee presided over a tiny nation the size of Metro Manila(?)! The comparison is improper.
Happy Bday MLQ3.
Maybe somebody could put up the Marcos books and pamphlets like New Society and Today’s Revolution: Democracy on the Gutenberg site. The Marcos years are part of our history and his books should be studied. Seriously.
(Haberdey, MLQ3)
the opening of a call center here in laguna also brought in a call center culture alien from the manufacturing class we usually have.
just a segue to say my real comment here: happy birthday manolo!
Wow! Happy birthday sir Manolo! 😀
Coke importation? Why not, I don’t drink sodas that much anymore. All thanks to instant iced tea drinks and college.
happy birthday MLQ3! Hala, tumatanda ka na…..you need a career change in either 2007 or 2010…hehehehehehe God Bless!
Happy Birthday!
For someone of great intellect and wisdom, you are so young Manolo.
Happy Bday, Manolo! I didn’t know we were born the same year…
maligayang kaarawan, ginoong quezon! 🙂
Just wanted to drop a note to wish you a happy birthday, the happiest even! Wishing you get to celebrate with good food and great friends — and find a truck large enough to haul all those books on your wish list that you’ll be receiving. 🙂
Maligayang Kaarawan, Sir. 🙂
maligayang kaarawan, kabayan