Analysis and Opinion By Joe America The decent candidates took a bath during last two Philippine elections. By decent, I mean honest, intelligent, patriotic, competent, and compassionate. Yellows and pinks and lefties. There are four huge barriers to success for decent people. They are weak at fund-raising, mistakenly thinking that being good is good enough. Voters sell their votes but good people by definition can’t buy them. Dynasties are in cahoots, strong at the local level, and favor the corrupt. Good people must be perfect or they are bad while bad people are good because everyone kno ..read more

Analysis and Opinion By Joe America This blog has always been for the Philippines. The basic distinction between here and elsewhere is a choice between building or whining. We choose to build. To build ideas. To build understandings. To build solutions to problems. As the principal writer here, I’m starting to focus on the 2028 election because the choice of Philippine president establishes the nation’s primary direction for six years. It’s a big deal. That said, the strength of this blog is not my articles. It is the discussion section. The robust discussion is truly unique within the Filip ..read more

Atty. Leila with her supporters before leaving RTC Muntinlupa Interview by Wilfredo Gatbonton Villanueva Did they just let out Leila de Lima as we know her, or am I interviewing an altogether new person brimming with poetic justice, an undying love of country, whipped up with a muted desire to make things right not only for herself but to the society at large, all these with a generous serving of God almighty’s zeal and guidance, with Jose Rizal genius, and Andres Bonifacio and General Antonio Luna’s old-school bravery? A novelist would have been awestruck with such a concept, pounding on the ..read more

Analysis and Opinion By Joe America Senator Sonny Angara was appointed Secretary of Education last week. It’s a big job. It’s a huge opportunity. It’s an opportunity to recast education IN FAVOR of kids rather than against them. I don’t know if Secretary Angara is bold enough. Not many are I think. But I hope so because Filipino kids are cheated by the existing school system. The only way out is to change the system. It’s a much deeper problem than priorities like ROTC vs. knowledge, although that one seems to be stupidly front burner. It is not bare walls or the ten commandments either. The ..read more

By Wilfredo Gatbonton Villanueva Joe Biden in the recent debate with lying Donald Trump may have stuttered and appeared lost several times, but he didn’t falter. He was the same low-key person, who when toe-to-toe with DJT may appear forlorn and defeated. But he stands his ground against the tsunami of lies, not thinking of himself, for he may drop anytime with myocardial infarction, for all we know, for shock at such audacity from a convicted felon. This is the American spirit. In the time of confusion and self-aggrandizement, he stands up with flag aloft. Which brings to mind Santiago in Ern ..read more

Analysis and Opinion By Joe America I thought about entitling this article “Young Movers and Shakers in the Philippines” but I couldn’t really think of any, other than Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto III. The Philippines is led around by old people, in the main. Too many dynastic barons and snakes who couldn’t find food in a forest. Young Mark Villar is 45. Bong Go is 50. Robin the Hood is 54. President Marcos is 66. Even the good are old. Leni Robredo is 59. The Left is led by the same curmudgeons who were around when the dinosaurs were. Risa Hontiveros is 58. The youngest is Bam Aquino who is ..read more

Analysis and Opinion By Joe America The Philippines is run by populists. The Senate is full of them. The President is one, a haunt of history elected by hook or crook. The former President is also one, “just one of us, rough and ready”. Even the House reps are populists, locally. Dynastic barons who easily pull in votes from the fawning locals who don’t know any different. The problem with populists is that they are not business executives, or anything close. They are popular because they are good at currying favor from the powerful. Not running a great nation to benefit its citizens. Entitl ..read more

Analysis and Opinion By Joe America A nation is like an aircraft carrier with a banca engine. It moves and changes direction slowly. Or not at all if there are winds and waves like corruption, incompetence, and impunity. A lot of government officials in the Philippines seem to prefer little change because they are rich and powerful even if the nation goes nowhere. President Marcos has done little during his two years in office by my judgement. He’s traveled a lot, internationally and domestically in the Philippines, but it’s mostly been putting the shine on the deck. Removing a few barnacles ..read more

Mayor Benjie Magalong joins the tree planting activities for World Environment Day Analysis and Opinion an Interview by Wilfredo Villanueva Baguio isn’t just appealing because it’s eight degrees cooler than Manila; it’s also because of its mayor, Benjie Magalong, a magna cum laude graduate of the Philippine Military Academy’s Sandigan class of 1982. His dedication to good governance and integrity sets him apart as a public servant. Mayor Benjie Magalong is on site to monitor the fire incident and to send aid to the victims. Just last year, Mayor Magalong established the Mayors for Good Governa ..read more

Analysis and Opinion By JoeAm Humans form collectives around common passions, common dedications. Cults, gangs, LGUs, dynasties, political parties, tribes, echo chambers, nations, faiths. These are examples. Wolves form packs, whales pods, and buffalo herds. We humans have more diversity than animals in how we gang together because we are able to develop concepts that unite us. Like the idea of governments that write laws. Or LGUs that confiscate the nation’s wealth to pad the coffers of the entitled. Or God in various iterations. If we go through the list of collectives, we might discover s ..read more