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Rethinking the ailing economy in 2012
Doomsday scenarios of all forms – from the prophetic to the scientifically formulated – have become a favorite topic as 2012 dawns. For most of the Filipinos though, the New Year still means hope rather than the end of the world.
Filipinos’ New Year optimism even reached a record high of 95 percent based on the latest survey by pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS). The result is two points higher than the 93 percent who welcomed 2011 with hope. It should be noted however the the survey was done before tropical storm Sendong wrought devastation in parts of Mindanao and Visayas.
The record-high optimism however does not sit well with the ailing state of the local economy and the continued global economic slump. Serious economic challenges stare us in the face even as we look somewhere else greener. For one, the country’s growth has been on a steady slowdown since the fourth quarter of 2009. Thanks to the Aquino administration’s active tit-for-tat with the judiciary and the Arroyo camp, tell-tale signs of an economy in distress were perfectly drowned in mainstream discussions.
Meeting Mao in Busan, Korea
Who would have thought that Communist leader Mao Zedong leaves a rare legacy in the land of K-Pop?
During my visit in Busan, South Korea in late November, I had the chance to eat at this casual dining restaurant which is a few blocks away from our hotel in Haeundae. It was the second day of the Busan Global Civil Society Forum (BCSF), the preparatory meet of CSO representatives for the High-Level aid forum, and some civil society friends thought of eating a hearty dinner somewhere near after a tiring day. They tugged me to this restaurant, interestingly named after Mao.
Entering the cozy resto, one would notice the two Mao portraits (one was of young Mao and the other of adult Mao) adorning the walls. Other paintings depict Chinese culture (unfortunately I cannot read Chinese characters inscribed on and below the paintings).
But the catchiest display of all is the rare ten-feet long panoramic photo of Chairman Mao with dozens of Red fighters taken in 1964. As I gaze over the photo, I felt like I discovered a rare gem in the midst of metropolitan jungle. This is not the kind of material usually displayed in mall museums and art exhibits.
[Trivia: Mao did not set foot on the Korean peninsula]
Close-up: Mao (second from the left, front row) sits beside Zhou Enlai (man in black robe), China's first premiere.
Indeed it was a treat taking shots of the paintings and old photos that I forgot to pay attention to the exquisite taste of the food. In fact, I don’t have photos of the marinated pork slices and soup which we ate. 
In any case, the presence of the panoramic photo in Busan still puzzles me. Could it be that the owner of the resto is a believer of the socialist cause? Or did he/she buy it somewhere? I know I should have been extra inquisitive on that night, my regrets.
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Happy birthday Mao!
Saving Aquino’s balls
First published on Blogwatch.ph
The past few days had been a rowdy ride for Philippine politics and for those who had been closely monitoring it. The tense chapter in the nation’s life unfolded without any hint. And we have the President and his cohorts to thank for bringing us into this badly scripted thriller by haphazardly pursuing a case against former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at the last minute.
The turn of events was just too quick that news stories had very short shelf lives that were outlasted only by thetesticle of Arroyo’s lawyer Ferdinand Topacio. The hullaballoo’s ending – Rep. Arroyo being served a warrant of arrest – was so abrupt that the move was hailed by government supporters as sign of the Aquino administration’s political will. On a closer look though, the haste was more of an act of desperation to save President Benigno Aquino III’s political capital.
What was saved by the warrant of arrest wasn’t really Topacio’s family jewels, as presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda jokingly said following the buzzer-beater performance of the Pasay City Regional Trial Court. It was the President’s balls that were saved.
Halloween greetings from NATO
This is how the defenders of this system of greed want to greet their foes this Halloween:
Indeed, it’s easy to tell who’s the terrorist.
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Gaddafi’s Body On Display In Meat Store Freezer
[VIDEO]: Bloodied Gaddafi pleads for mercy
[Global Research]: NATO, Al Qaeda Militia Killed Gaddafi
Impunity kills at Keppel
(Photo, which was taken by a Keppel worker, was obtained from the independent fact-finding team)
First published on Blogwatch.ph
Inside the 77-hectare Subic shipyard special economic zone (SEZ) in Zambales, impunity is the next deadliest thing to falling stern ramps and wobbly scaffoldings.
Early this month, six workers were crushed to death while seven were seriously injured as a 166.5-ton stern ramp collapsed in Singaporean-owned Keppel Subic Shipyard Inc.Based on the report of an independent fact-finding mission by the non-government organizations near the site and among victims’ families, the workers died a horrible death: arms and legs were cut off, abdomen was crushed, and faces were severely damaged. One worker even had his head severely injured, with his skull exposed. Workers interviewed during the mission said that there could be more casualties than what was officially reported.
Filipinos vent dismay over PGT Season 3 results on Twitter
The final showdown at ABS-CBN’s talent show Pinoy Got Talent (PGT) was the top trending topic (#PGTgrandfinals) on Twitter worldwide Sunday evening, well, not in a good way.
Fans who watched PGT Season 3′s finale tweeted their dismay over the results, with some netizens noting how the talent show has become merely a singing contest.
Maasinhon Trio took home the Season 3, joining other singers in the roster of PGT grand winners (Season 1: Jovit Baldovino, Season 2: Marcelito Pomoy).
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