politics + tech + advocacy
37 years ago, Ferdinand Marcos placed the country under martial law. It heralded the a reign of terror to cover up wholesale plunder by the Marcoses, his cronies and foreign interests that supported the dictatorship. To mark this occasion, here is an Inquirer story on Liliosa Hilao, one of those who stood up against Marcos […]
MoreThe family of National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera issued this statement this morning: At around 6am, a group of men was seen taking photos of and asking information regarding National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera’s house in a subdivision in Quezon City. One of them was approached and apprehended by subdivision security officers. His companions fled […]
MorePresident Arroyo’s defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro is on a largely quiet mission in the United States, with the 2010 presidential contender scheduled to speak on “the US-Philippine alliance” in a forum organized by conservative think-tank Heritage Foundation. The Philippine embassy has given clues on what he seeks to accomplish while in the US:
MoreWho are your personal heroes? This September, I will be writing about three of my heroes in World-Makers.com, a website dedicated to a good cause
MoreThe deadline for new voter registration is fast approaching. But many have yet to get listed to ensure that they can vote in next year’s elections. Enter Kabataan Partylist and the National Union of Students of the Philippines with their “Isang milyong kabataan, isang milyong panata” new voter registration drive to be launched on August […]
MoreCorazon Cojuangco Aquino, who became President of the Philippines after the downfall of the Marcos dictatorship, died at 3:18 am today (Aug. 1) at a Makati City hospital. She was 76.
MoreArtists and writers are revolted by President Arroyo’s proclamation of seven new national artists for this year. The Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP) did not mince words and blamed Arroyo’s “moribund, decadent politics” for spoiling the National Artist selection this year. The group singled out Cecile Guidote Alvarez who is presidential adviser for culture […]
MoreAs Gloria Macapagal Arroyo approaches Washington DC for a meeting with Barack Obama, we Filipinos should remind the US president of the words he spoke on his inaugural last January 20: “To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of […]
MoreGloria Macapagal Arroyo is said to be preparing to use her state of the nation address tomorrow to raise anew the call for charter change. It is thus a good thing that bloggers and Facebook users took on this issue with Cyberprotests and a Blog Action Day. If Arroyo would indeed announce a renewed effort […]
MoreAs the nation prepares for what ought to be Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s last and final State of the Nation Address, the new group Pagbabago! People’s Movement for Change invites everyone to “SONA ng Katotohanan: A Public Forum” on July 24, 2009, 2:00-5:00 pm at the BSLR-East, UP Manila College of Medicine, Pedro Gil, Manila.
MoreThe advent of the internet, especially blogs, microblogs and social networking, has pumped fresh blood to the mass movement of people seeking social change. The internet has obviously become a new platform for individuals and groups to voice out their views and to launch all sorts of initiatives. This is good anyway you look at […]
MoreEveryone’s invited to: Please repost in your blog and attend this important event.
MoreYes, folks, our sophisticated use of cellphones makes Filipinos a star here in the Los Angeles conference I’m attending. Speaking at the Beyond Broadcast 2009 plenary session yesterday (Thursday in Manila), I shared how we make use of mobile phones for pro-consumer and pro-people ends. Read more about it at the TXTPower website. I’ve met […]
MoreFor the past few months, the House committee on oversight quietly studied how revenue agencies could jack up the proceeds from gazillions of pesos in a new tax to be siphoned off from Filipino cellphone users. In its narrow view, the House panel avers that government is not able to check whether the taxes remitted […]
MoreVarious groups today challenged the Commission on Elections to release the source code of the for the Precinct Count Optical Scan-Optical Mark Reader (PCOS-OMR) technology to be used for the 2010 elections. In a joint statement, the groups said that the source code should be opened to IT professionals and other parties interested in scrutinizing […]
MoreToday is World Press Freedom Day. It should be a happy day for the Philippines, considering that we always boast of having the freest press in Asia, but
MoreToday is Labor Day. Perhaps one of great ways to mark this day is to remember some of the greatest leaders of Labor in the Philippines, those who inspired and were themselves inspired by laborers and workers. They who lived and died as paupers, but gained the respect and admiration of the common Pinoy.
MoreIs it illegal for a labor activist to visit the Philippines? The Philippine government yesterday deported a visiting Japanese activist who was supposed to join an annual international labor conference, with immigration authorities allegedly claiming that it was done on request of the Japanese embassy. Kilusang Mayo Uno, which sponsors the annual event, reported the […]
MoreLeaders of people’s organizations, including the mother of a UP students whose continued disappearance is blamed on retired Brig. Gen. Jovito Palparan, today filed a quo warranto case against the new Bantay partylist representative before the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal. In the cyberspace, scores are joining the anti-Palparan cause on Facebook. Check reports from […]
MoreRaymond Palatino is set to make history in a matter of days when we expect him to take his oath as the first elected youth representative in Congress where he will carry the colors of Kabataan Party. Mong, as he is more popularly and fondly known, invites everyone to an afternoon of coffee and conversation […]
MoreSome say there’s overreaction but what’s the take of domestic helpers in Hong Kong themselves regarding the Chip Tsao incident? Here’s a sampler — a press release of the largest Filipino organization in Hong Kong regarding the apology from the controversial columnist: While we recognize the public apology of Mr. Chip Tsao, he must stop […]
More(UPDATED: 8:53 am, April 1, 2009)Dutch prosecutors today stopped their investigation of Prof. Jose Maria Sison, the founding chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines who lives in exile in the Netherlands.
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