Filipina Soul

Just days after Barak Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States, and already Pinoy bloggers put in their two cents on issues pertaining to Filipinos.
Alexander Martin Remollino asks how an Obama presidency could affect Filipino migrants in the US, quoting Philippine Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero that this new administration may have a more relaxed (ie. favorable) policy towards immigrants, if only because his father is a non-American. That maybe so, and hopefully we’ll see some favorable immigration policies towards Filipinos. Remollino wants to take the issue further –
That, however, is just one part of the …read more

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Despite the financial crisis that has rocked the entire globe, “Filipino consumers remain upbeat” the latest Nielsen report revealed Thursday.
We are one in only seven countries, out of 51, that did not have a drop in consumer confidence this year. Filipinos continue to be optimistic about employment, finances and spending, the Nielsen consumer confidence index pointed out.
And yet, 67 percent of Filipinos believe that the country is in recession. And 43 percent say the Philippines will not weather this crisis.
What’s up with that? We think the Philippine economy is in trouble, and yet we continue to …read more

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There is no denying just how much our economy depends on OFW and their remittances. They’re the ones who keep our country treading above the financial murk that has plague the modern world.
Tony Lopez at the Manila Times makes an interesting observation that the overseas Filipino workers is now considered the new middle class. OFWs have real assets – land, vehicle for rent, house, savings – which would provide them with better cushion against the gloomy economy.
Now, if forecasts are true, then remittances from OFWs are expected to rise up to 10% in 2009 compared to this year’s …read more

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The latest list of the Philippine’s richest families and individuals has been released by Forbes Asia. Topping the list is Henry Sy and family, with an estimated worth of $3.1 billion. Last year’s richest, Jaime Zobel de Ayala & family, dropped to third this year, due to losses in the stock of their flagship Ayala Corp.
2008’s Richest Filipinos are:
1. Henry Sy & family; US$3.1 billion2. Lucio Tan & family; $1.5 billion3. Jaime Zobel de Ayala & family; $1.2 billion4. Andrew Tan; $700 million5. Tony Tan Caktiong & family; $690 million6. John Gokongwei Jr. & family; $680 million7. Eduardo Cojuangco Jr.; …read more

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image used with permission: Flickr
What was the first thing in your mind when you saw this image?
Poverty? Yes, obviously. It’s a family in the middle of what could only be a squatter site backdropped with high-rise buildings. Trash all around, and maybe it’s a dumpsite too. There’s a really tiny house/store and a bathroom made of corrugated metal to the side. Teenagers loitering around means they’re not in school, or maybe out of it, either by choice or out of luck.
Blog Action Day 2008 brings Poverty in focus, and the Philippines is a perfect case study. Filipino bloggers …read more

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Thirty-six years ago on September 21, 1972, then Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos signed the declaration of martial law. He then announced the deed on television on September 23, 1973.
The proclamation ensured Marcos’ grip on power, in defiance of the constitutional 2-term limit for Philippine presidents. The declaration also marked the darkest age in Philippine history. It was during this time that hundreds of Filipinos disappeared, presumably murdered (“salvaged” in local parlance). It was also then that the Marcoses stole the country’s wealth and indulged First Lady Imelda Marcos’ taste for fine jewelry, shoes and hobnobbing with the rich and …read more

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From entertainment to sports, health and the economy, there are plenty of news coming from the Philippines this weekend. Here are some news that will interest you –
DLSU vs. Ateneo for Basketball’s UAAP Finals (GMANews)
Pacquiao is ready for de la Hoya; open to trilogy match with Juan Miguel Marquez (GMANews)
10,000 Filipino kids die yearly from diarrhea (Manila Times)
Filipinos edge out rivals in shipbuilding (Inquirer)
New Negros Oriental health insurance to outdo PhilHealth (Inquirer)
Ryan Agoncillo reinvents himself in ‘Pieta’ (ABS-CBN)

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You’re looking at a costume of a tribesman from southern Philippines, the Tigwahanon Manobo of Bukidnon. Click on the photo for a close up and you’ll notice the intricate details of the jacket.
You have to understand, clothes such as this were woven by hand, and the designs/applique were certainly not made by machine.
Photographer Ceasar Amirhassan Nimor had the privilege to capture these various costumes of the Philippines, and he shares them with us. I believe Ceasar used the dance troupes as models for his shoot, so the men and women pictured below would not be the actual …read more

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I don’t know if I should be proud or ashamed of this news. But an antigraft center will be set up in the Philippines.
The Institute of Ethics, Governance and Law of the Griffith University of Australia is cooperating with the University of the Philippines to establish the Center for Asian Integrity (CAI). The Philippines was picked as the site because of the well-known problem of rampant corruption in the government. It’s shameful that we, of all the countries in Asia, was handpicked as one of the most corrupt. One of the dirtiest of a pile of dirty laundry, to borrow …read more

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Sometimes I wish I can turn a blind eye to what’s going on, but the Philippine economy is a harsh reality that Filipinos face everyday. And unfortunately, the Philippine situation will be felt decades from now.
A new study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) revealed a bleak picture of the Philippines in the year 2020:
If the government continues to pursue policies that favor the rich, many Filipinos will remain in poverty more than a decade from now.

And as dismal as this sounds, there is a big IF, and it’s a weighty message. The Philippine government must radically …read more

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