Month: September 2015
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‘Matapobre syndrome’
The “matapobre syndrome” has afflicted politics for a long time, and many continue to spread it. According to them, the “masa” are indolent, incapable of doing great things, uneducated, ignorant, and gullible. These “masa” are so helpless and hopeless, they need to be rescued from their pre-ordained fate by heroes. The infestation gets worse during…
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Mensahe sa mga Apo nina Heneral Luna at Mabini
Prepared remarks delivered at the Kabataan Partylist national convention, on 28 Sept. 2015 at the Amoranto Theater, Quezon City: Thank you, President Marjo Tucay, for inviting me to speak at our party convention. President Marjo, I’m sure Hillary Clinton is envious of you now. You beat her to being elected president. Thank you, Representative Terry…
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Free posters: Take a stand to #StopLumadKillings
Thanks to crowdsourced suggestions, here are 40 posters to show your stand in support of Lumads and to #StopLumadKillings. Curious about the Lumad issue? Check out the Lumad Reader: What you need to know. View the album below, pick any poster(s) you may like,use as profile photo, share them on your Facebook and Twitter accounts,…
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#StopLumadKillings: What you need to know
Our Lumad kababayans need help — and understanding. Here is a Lumad 2015 Reader, which aims to gather as much relevant and verifiable information on what’s happening in Lumads in Mindanao. WHAT ARE LUMADS? Meaning “born of the earth”, Lumad is the term coined by indigenous peoples and their advocates in the late 1970s, according…
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Customs: Imported books are unconditionally duty-free, tax free
Whether you bought them or getting them as gifts, imported books are exempted from Customs duties and taxes — period. Who said so? First, the global Florence Agreement signed by the Philippines in 1956. Second, the Department of Finance in an order issued in 2011. There’s a third: The Bureau of Customs. Yes, the BOC…
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INC rally aftermath: Back to normal?
Metro Manila is back to normal, according to Mar Roxas after the controversial Iglesia ni Cristo demonstrations of Aug. 27-30. Malacañang has congratulated itself over an “agreement” with the INC that supposedly ended the demonstrations. Also claiming “victory”, the INC members have since retreated. We could only guess what INC general evangelist Bienvenido Santiago and…