Stories from Quick Reads and Philippines
Kuryente: Philippine Electricity App
Kuryente (electricity), is a new website initiated by the Philippine government to help consumers calculate the power rates in their area. It also provides information on power plants, officials of power cooperatives, and tips on buying home appliances.
Stop Black Sand Mining in Biodiverse, Idyllic Philippine Island!
College students created a Facebook page to oppose black sand mining operations in Camiguin Norte, located in the northernmost part of the Philippines Imagine a serene, idyllic isle where humpback whales breed, where corals and rare marine biodiversity thrive. This is Camiguin Norte. The very existence of this island is...
An Undeniably Racist Song, ‘Asian Girlz’ Sparks Controversy
Packed with Asian stereotypes and fetishes, song ‘Asian Girlz’ by ‘Day Above Ground’ has invited controversy and angry comments. Blogger Angry Asian Man typed down the entire lyrics to comment [if they have not] ‘run out of stereotypical Oriental stuff to list off, the song would have gone on for another ten minutes”. The...
State of Islam in Southeast Asia
Murray Hunter of the University Malaysia Perlis discusses the situation of Muslim-majority societies in Southeast Asia as well as the issues associated with the rise of Islam in the region. Poverty, literacy, education, displacement, feudalism, unemployment, suppression, and control is dispossessing Muslims within ASEAN. Government and Ulama are trying to...
PHOTO: Fishing in the Polluted Waters of Manila Bay
A fisherman at work on the polluted waters of Manila Bay against the backdrop of the Manila skyline. According to government statistics, fisherfolk comprise the poorest sector in the Philippines
Situation of Cartoonists in the Philippines
Art professor Neil Doloricon laments the exodus of cartoonists in the Philippines: Cartoonists in the Philippines are rare breed, they are on the brink of extinction so to speak. Most of our par excellent cartoonists already migrated to other countries…They went abroad not only to earn more but because they...
Philippine Education Directory
Filipino student leader Cleve Arguelles has listed a comprehensive matrix of Philippine education-related social media accounts. The directory features the country's leading universities, student councils and publications, government agencies and education officials
The State of Torture in the World in 2013
On January 23, 2013, an excerpt from the annual report of l'ACAT-France, A World of Torture 2013, makes a fresh assessment of the state of torture in the world [fr]: “A report called A World of Torture in 2013, assesses torture practices that continue to be alarming, from Pakistan to...
Philippines: Human Rights Watch 2012 Report
The overall human rights situation in the Philippines improved in 2012 with fewer extrajudicial killings and the passage of historic laws promoting rights. But the government has failed to address impunity for the most serious abuses. On prosecuting rights abusers, it needs to walk the walk, not just talk the...
Saving Filipino Street Kids Through Twitter
Filipino netizens are urged by the Department of Social Welfare and Development to report sightings of street children by informing the agency through its twitter account, @savestreetkids. Updates will be posted within eight hours on whether the street children have been rescued.
Philippines: Summary of Data Privacy Act
Data subject has the right to know if their personal information is being processed. The person can demand information such as the source of info, how their personal information is being used, and copy of their information. Janette Toral provides the salient features of the Philippines’ Data Privacy Act of...
South China Sea or Austronesian Sea?
Le Minh Khai thinks that “Austronesian Sea” or “Nusantao Sea” are more appropriate names for the South China Sea referring to Austronesian peoples who navigated the territory in the past. There are maritime disputes in the area involving China and several Southeast Asian countries. The Philippine government has recently renamed...
Philippine Child Labor Data Portal
The Philippine government, in partnership with several child and labor groups, has launched a web portal on child labor “to share relevant data, foster communication, improve program monitoring and automate child labor case referrals” in the country.
Philippines: Plastic Ban Map
A google map page shows the cities and municipalities in the Philippines which have banned the use of plastic in commercial establishments.
Philippines: List of National Roads
The Philippine government has uploaded a spreadsheet identifying the quality of the country's national roads. It's also a mechanism for citizens to report and monitor badly paved roads
Philippines: Horse Fights
Heritage interpreter, tour guide, and blogger Ka Bino Guerrero writes and posts pictures about horse fights in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental in the Philippines.
Philippine Flood Hazard Map
The Philippine Flood Hazard Map identifies the flooded areas in different parts of the Philippines.
Philippines: E-Governance Programs
Clarice Africa discusses several e-governance initiatives of the Philippine government which are planned to promote transparency and more efficient delivery of services.
Philippines: Budget Transparency Portal
The Philippine government has recently launched the Budget ng Bayan website to promote transparency and good governance in the country. Budget documents and state expenditures are uploaded in the site.
