Business & Economics Perspective Blogger

Harvard Health Publishing It's almost time for the New Year, right? However, there's the problem that so many Filipinos just refuse to do any financial New Year's resolutions . It's a continued series of broken New Year's resolutions year after year , such as not doing anything about one's financial and economic literacy . Then again, can Filipinos learn financial literacy when the school environment is  too theoretical ? As I observe the same cycle in the Philippines, from January to December, it has always been a financial mess for many Filipinos. The problem starts with mishandling money, such as how paychecks are often handled by people .  There's always some joy in spending, whether we want to admit it or not We can't deny that if we bought what we want (especially with one's own money), there's some feeling of satisfaction . For example, a person who stops begging from their parents and starts buying what they want, with  their money , can ...

Lessandra When it's Christmas, it's so easy to think of the song of the late Andy Williams, "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year". The music itself reeks of toxic positivity,  whether one likes it or not. It's a shame, really, because December 20 was also the anniversary of Asia's Titanic, the sinking of the Doña Paz ! We live in a society that somehow never learns from its mistakes, like a person who's stuck in gambling debt, is still hoping to get rich gambling . Despite all that, Christmas toxic positivity still abounds in the Philippines. We still have a lot of ongoing bad habits, such as starting Christmas in September and then doing last-minute Christmas shopping during the week of Christmas. That's why every time I drive on the road on Christmas, I tend to shout, "Isn't it any wonder why the Philippines never improves?" The term Noche Buena has evolved over time . For some, it's simply the Christmas dinner. However, so...

I expect people to backlash on me. However, I feel I need to publish this harsh opinion. Maybe, DTI Secretary Crisina Aldeguer-Roque failed to do some necessary steps . For one, the term Noche Buena means "Good Night". One could ask, "What's for Noche Buena?" I have seen some people post the simpleng handaan as "Noche Buena" on Facebook. Somebody could say, "We bought hanging rice, grilled pork belly, and made a vegetable salad for greens." Perhaps the person only spent PHP 500.00 for the noche buena, given that the vegetables were based on availability from the time one went to the grocery.  As I read through the November 29, 2025, update  (written by John Eric Mendoza, Krixia Subingsubing, Logan Kal-El M. Zapanta), I noticed some violent reactions are from anti-reform people like the IBON Foundation and Kilusang Mayo Uno : Sonny Africa, executive director of economic watchdog Ibon Foundation , believes that even the agency knows it’s not re...

It's the first day of December. Right now, I don't even feel like celebrating Christmas. Cebu is still in a state of calamity overall. I don't even look forward to Christmas parties. I'm glad some churches have canceled Christmas parties, to divert the fundraising (such as paying PHP 500.00 per head or family) to convert them into relief goods purchases instead. However, some people can have a callous mentality that's akin to the Masque of the Red Death . Boomers may have tried seeing the film Masque of the Red Death starring the late Vincent Price. The story of the Masque of the Red Death had Prospero trying to deny the terrible plague called the Red Death, choosing to hold a lavish feast instead of helping his citizens! Lessandra The typical  Noche Buena can be high in cholesterol and the like. As I thought of DTI Secretary Christina Roque's rather tactless (but probably badly needed) statement that PHP 500.00 is enough for a Noche Buena of a family of four. T...

It's that stupid  when I read the remarks of DTI secretary Cristina Roque made a really tactless remark . Sure, the remark had people angry because, in reality, the whole noche buena at PHP 500.00 for a family of four will not match, given these ingredients: ham, P170 to P945; fruit cocktail, P61.76 to P94.41; all-purpose cream, P36.00 to P72; “nata de coco,” P52.50 to P62.50; “kaong,” P76.50 to P84; “queso de bola,” P210 to P470; cheese, P16.50 to P310; and mayonnaise, P20.40 to P245.85. /dda As I read through the list above, I'm reminded of how much I don't like December because it's the season of abounding toxic positivity . The song "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" is in full blast, even after Andy Williams died of old age in 2012 . I tend to drive the road and when traffic hits, I always think about the problem of last-minute Christmas shopping , and scream it, "Isn't it any wonder why the Philippines doesn't improve?" It...

BBC News It's September and some people are already starting what I call a premature Christmas countdown. The thought of having an extended Christmas season used to thrill me as a child. For those who celebrate Christmas, we just need to admit that we're more often than not, looking forward to what we can receive, to the Christmas party (and my goodness, many of them are full of calorie-dense meals), and then we can all look forward to angry creditors running after debtors in January (read here )! In my case, September gives me the chills for reasons. One can think of September 11, 2001, which happened when I was in high school  under the K+10 curriculum. The other would be remembering that on September 21, 1972, when martial law was declared, some of my folks, out of the blue . I wasn't born yet, but the narrative against Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. focused on human rights violations. It's crazy how people can afford to badmouth the Marcoses. One must ask, "Where did ...

Back in 2022, I wrote about why it's deadly to believe someone is rich based on their lifestyle . During my childhood to teenage years, I used to think someone was wealthier because of reasons like: Their parents spoil them with generous allowances.  They're driving a luxury car everywhere they go. They have expensive parties every year.  They have a lot of luxury brands. The children have so many toys.  The list can go on and on , and I believe I might type too many words from there. I grew up with people bragging about  how rich they are, even if the claims are preposterous. It's common among children to brag about what they don't have . Unfortunately, some never outgrow that dangerous habit and grow up with a fake rich lifestyle. This is the lifestyle where one wants others to think they're rich, even if they're not rich. The rule of fake rich reverses the advice above. Instead, the fake rich lifestyle says, "Buy a USD 500.00 bag never mind you have noth...

Bombo Radyo Cebu  It doesn't take a doctorate in economics at (insert prestigious university) to understand that Makabayan Bloc is a bad joke . For example,  Kabataan Partylist  has a real lack of knowledge of economics. That's why I wrote that Kabataan Partylist will need to learn economics from the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union . Just thinking about what Makabayan bloc wants irritates me to no end. Come on, Atty. Renee M. Co is a lawyer,  and Raoul Daniel A. Manuel is a mathematics major. Raoul is a mathematics major but how could he promote the idea of increasing salaries while reducing prices at the same time?  This is a proposal made by Kabataan Partylist some time ago. I could just imagine what the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, aka the Vietnam Youth Union, would have to say about that. If Makabayan bloc members understood basic accounting and economics, they wouldn't be saying such stupid stuff (read here ). It's because a wage increase is only be...

Financially Fat I was partly inspired by Odette to write this blog. It was during Odette that I realized (at a whole new level) that complacency is deadly . The picture above on the  Financially Fat Facebook page may seem funny. However, this is also written on the Facebook page: We’ve romanticized resilience for far too long. . In the Philippines, or even in international media, “Filipino resilience” is often praised after every typhoon, flood, or crisis. Smiling through hardship. Laughing amidst loss. It sounds inspiring—until you realize it’s also become an excuse . . An excuse for poor disaster response. An excuse for subpar infrastructure. An excuse to stop holding leaders accountable. . We shouldn’t glorify the ability to endure what no one should be enduring in the first place . . Resilience should not replace responsibility. Hope should not replace action. And smiles should not replace solutions. . It’s time we stop clapping for survival—and start demanding systems that pre...