Stories about Philippines from February, 2006
Computer Crash: Food Overload
Was your umbilical cord attached to a computer when you were born? It may sound like a strange statement, but the truth is that some of us think that. Especially if you happen to be in the middle of the Ecuadorian Andes and there is no telephone or Internet for...
Philippines: Historical Slavery
caffeine sparks rereads a historical account of pre-colonial servitude in the Philippines and reaches her own conclusions that something was going on that was more complex than “slavery” as commonly understood: “If master-slave live in one house and eat the same food, can one conclude that the master-slave relation is...
Philippines: Revolutions
Jessica Zafra reminds readers why the Philippines 1986 “People Power” Revolt, the 20th anniversary of which is ongoing, was so important, despite the subsequent disappointments and political troubles: “We were the opening salvo in the Big Freedom Blasts that began in the late 1980s and continue into this century. The...
Philippines: Landslide and rescue efforts
Philippines: Landslide and rescue efforts
Japan, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand: Globalization Mini-Stories
Cafe Salemba has two mini-stories of globalization, both in-flight: one involving an encounter on an American on a plane who works for a Japanese company and another about Japan Airlines practice of hiring Thai stewardesses.
Philippines: Talking About Poverty
caffeine sparks responds to a post written by Idiot Savant some weeks back on the roots and reasons behind the game show stampede in Manila that cost over 70 poor Filipinos their lives. “Idiot Savant and I should thank our lucky stars our lot in life means we are able...
Hong Kong, Philippines: Right of Abode
Simon World comments on the possible far-reaching consequences of a recent decision to give two Hong Kong-born children of a Filipino domestic worker “right of abode” in the Chinese territory.
Philippines: Burger Brand
Howie Severino talks about Jollibee, a local fast-food chain in the Philippines that competes strongly with McDonalds. “Jollibee has since come a long way, and so has our globalized world. But now I'm wise enough to know that it might one day make Filipinos as obese as Americans. Jollibee is...
Philippines, Thailand: Healthy Food?
Jessica Zafra writes from Manila about marketing coffee as healthy: “I've been drinking coffee since I was 8, and let me tell you: I don't drink it because it's good for me. Part of the attraction of drinking coffee is knowing that too much of it is bad for you.”...
Philippines: Two Disasters
Torn and frayed in Manila reflects on two disasters that have recently hit the Philippines: a stampede at a game show that killed over 70 people and a mudslide that smothered possibly thousands.
Philippines, Thailand: Comparing Crises
My Liberal Times compares the crises in the Philippines and Thailand that have been dogging both countries’ leaders (accusations of election-tampering in the case of the former and allegations of self-enrichment in the latter). His conclusion: In both countries, the opposition has been politicizing the alleged misdeeds of the leaders...
Philippines: Dealing with Difficult Customers
Philippine blog Bangketa Republique has some pointers on how to deal with demanding customers.
Philippines: Remembering Revolt
As the 20th anniversary of the Philippines “people power revolution” that ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos nears, a law professor and blogger remembers where he was during those historic days. “20 years ago, I was willing to die for my country. I have no reason to depart from that belief 20...
Philippines: Blogmobbed
Filipino bloggers go after an accused “splogger,” i.e. someone who sets up a network of blogs that contain plagiarized content in order to draw traffic for Adsense dollars. Apparently, one of his tactics was to critique high-traffic bloggers so that supporters and friends would link to his site while defending...
Philippines: The Perils of Peddling Dreams
Sheila Coronel of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism vents her frustration with how the powerful local television media has abdicated its responsibility for informing citizens and making democracy function in favor of peddling products.
Philippines, India: Why Does the Philippines Hate India?
A cross-cultural discussion at Sepia Mutiny, sparked by results from a BBC World poll that showed that the Philippines, among 33 countries, had the most negative impression of India. Manish thought it was because India and the Philippines are global competitors in the services sector, the Unlawyer in Manila is...
Philippines: How to Write About the Philippines
Inspired by the Granta essay “How to Write about Africa,” Torn and frayed in Manila posts on how to write about the Philippines. “For your cover, only a jeepney or a smiling Filipina with a flower behind her ear will do.”
Philippines: After the Stampede
Filipino bloggers continue to be focused on the tragic deaths last weekend of over 70 people during a stampede in a crowd waiting to get into a popular TV game show. Divergent Poles has the weepy statements of the game show host, a TV network exec and the country's vice-president...
Philippines: The Tragic Crowd
After a stampede in a crowd waiting to get into a popular show turns deadly and kills over 70 people, Howie Severino asks: “One of its deadliest traits is we don't know how to manage crowds. We have overcrowded boats, overcrowded settlements, overcrowded riverbanks, overcrowded streets, with every person in...
A Zestful Welcome to the Wonders of the World
The best food of a country is the traditional food which has been tried and tested over the centuries. It suits the climate, and uses the best products of that country. We all have long food related memories: the aromas from the kitchens of our childhood remain when many other...
Philippines: Fast Food Freak-Out
A few Americans try Filipino fast-food chain Jollibee and freak out: “We became such Ugly Americans because this food was so beyond anything we could have guessed it would be. We couldn't stop. We were embarrassing ourselves and still couldn't stop. Every bite was another shock.” Their reactions offend some,...
