The IGF and the ‘inconvenient’ ungovForum
tonyo A year after Edward Snowden exposed massive U.S. spying practices and just five months after Turkey blocked Twitter and YouTube which were used to spread voice and video recordings tagging…
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Bridging the digital divide and the role of “market forces”
ISTANBUL – One of the topics in the ninth Internet Governance Forum here in Turkey is the “digital divide” or just how to connect the world’s citizens who remain unconnected…
Filipinos join #IGF2014 – but where’s the Aquino gov’t?
ISTANBUL – The ninth meeting of the Internet Governance Forum opened September 2nd and runs until the 5th here in this beautiful capital city of Turkey. Organizers said the Istanbul…
#Linangan2014 keynote: The call of the times and the campus press
Here are my prepared remarks and deck for the keynote speech at #Linangan2014, a Luzon-wide campus journalism seminar-workshop held on August 30, 2014 at the Philippine Normal University, Manila: Created…
Rise up on Disasters; Tech to the Rescue
The second Geeks on a Beach (GOAB) conference held at Mövenpick Hotel, Lapu Lapu City, Cebu provided time for the topic of isaster relief and rescue. Here is the deck…
Documents: People’s Initiative to Abolish Pork
History will once again be made in the great city of Cebu: Stalwarts of the anti-pork barrel movement will gather there on Aug. 23 at the Mariners’ Court for a…
Madness
Megalomania is defined as “a psychopathological condition characterized by delusional fantasies of power, relevance, omnipotence, and by inflated self-esteem”. Sounds familiar, right? Megalomania comes to mind as we read and…
Stop letting go: Electricity, oil and telecoms
For a long time now, the government has let go of its important role in the electricity, oil, and telecommunications sectors. The dominant view is that these sectors work and…
Implement the Free Mobile Disaster Alerts Act ASAP
The Philippines’ de facto messaging standard is still text messaging. Most Filipinos have at least one phone and could be reached by relatives, friends, schoolmates and officemates via text message.…
Tuition in UP, SCUs: The P11.34-billion question
The January-March 2014 issue of Budget Facts and Figures, a newsletter released by the Senate’s Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office, reveals that the government expects state colleges and universities…
Challenges to internet freedom in the Philippines
Here are my *prepared* remarks for the Unconference 2 session at the Stockholm Internet Forum, held on May 27. President BS Aquino boasted at the World Economic Forum in East…
Full text: Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA)
In an apparent offering to visiting President Barack Obama, the Philippines and the U.S. signed the new Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement on April 28, 2014 at Malacanan Palace, within an…
St. John Paul II and Filipinos: Quotes from the Papal visits
St. John Paul II visited the Philippines twice during his papacy and his speeches revealed his “love affair” with Filipinos and his special concern for the youth, professionals and the…
Give the peace talks a chance
If you care about peace, and would like to see the peace talks between the government and the communist rebels to resume, this post is for you — as well…
#iBlog10: Bloggers as activists
On April 4, I joined my friend Kiko Acero at a panel discussion on “blogging and activism” at the 10th Philippine Blogging Summit at the University of the Philippines’ Malcolm…
#20PHNet: Thoughts on PH internet’s 20th anniversary
Today, March 29, 2014, the Philippines celebrates the 20th anniversary of our first internet connection. One way to mark it is to list down important dates from March 29, 1994…
To the Senate: Roll out the red carpet for internet freedom
Here is a copy of the remarks I made at the hearing today, March 3, called by the Senate science and technology committee, regarding bills seeking to amend the Cybercrime…
“Unfinished revolution?” #EDSA28
I keep on seeing “unfinished revolution” in media reports about the 28th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Uprising. I find it annoying and offensive for promoting, unwittingly or wittingly,…
Full Text: Supreme Court decision on the Cybercrime Law
Coming days after it was first announced, the Supreme Court today (February 21, 2014) finally released its decision on the 15 separate petitions seeking to void the Cybercrime Prevention Act…
Partial victory, ‘unfinished business’ justify a partial appeal to SC’s Cybercrime ruling – BAND
We the Bloggers and Netizens for Democracy (BAND), composed of petitioners in G.R. 203469, are going back to the Supreme Court soon to file a “motion for partial reconsideration” regarding…
Join the battle for the internet
I’m joining the battle for the internet today, Sept. 10, to protect net neutrality. You should too. We Filipinos know how slow internet looks and feels like. It will only…