Business & Economics Perspective Blogger

Filipino-Japanese Journal Yesterday was the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima . The bombings are often controversial, as they show the history of violence . This reminds me of an argument that I often heard: "If the Philippines didn't have its Marcos Years, we would've still been richer." However, I raise the harsh reality that the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings were far worse than what a kleptocracy can do in 20 years. The devastation was huge. In fact, reading this from the History website article by Sarah Pruitt made me think that this devastation could do more damage than a kleptocracy: On August 6, 1945, just days after the Potsdam Conference ended, the U.S. bomber Enola Gay dropped the uranium bomb known as “Little Boy” on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Despite its devastating effects, Japan didn’t offer unconditional surrender right away, as the United States had hoped. Then on August 8, Soviet forces invaded Japanese-occupied Manchuria, violating an e...

Let me be clear that not everyone against Pax Silica is automatically against FDI . Right now, my stance is yes to a revised Pax Silica where one may consider selecting areas that would definitely not harm the environment or indigenous people. Some people seek a more balanced view of Pax Silica. It's August 4, 2026, today. Sometimes, I require time to process ideas or responses. Right now, I want to tackle the Advocates of Science and Technology for the People (also known as AGHAM ) spokesperson, Dr. Giovanni Tapang, and his response to Pax Silica. From what I heard, AGHAM is actually affiliated with Bagong Alansyang Makayaban (BAYAN), which openly supports the MAKABAYAN Bloc.  As it's already August, it's easy to think of August not just as Buwan ng Wika, but it tends to make National Heritage Month feel nonexistent. This would be a good post to start the month of August 2026.  Focusing on Tapang's statement on Pax Silica first Now, I'd like to tackle what Tapang s...

No gossip, no hearsay, face-to-face debates, liars are slapped in the parliamentary system! Right now, it's best to look at both sides of the equation. We don't want to automatically say, "No to Pax Silica!" or "Yes to Pax Silica!" without understanding that, "Can we have Pax Silica with these adjustments?" I was thinking about how being for or against Pax Silica isn't purely black and white . I discourage thinking in black and white thinking, like how Makabayan Bloc deals with Pax Silica. I would like to write this post to show why the Philippines needs to go for the parliamentary system instead of the usual status quo.  And also a warning to those who keep insisting that " But Marcos Years were parliamentary! " need to try telling that to the real parliamentary countries like Singapore and Malaysia!  Unfortunately, under the presidential system , the very thing that Rep. Atty. Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno has said about Pax S...

Britanica The Pax Silica deal can set out many false dichotomies . We can think about dichotomies like pro-AI vs. anti-AI. Filipino Pride vs. Colonial Mentality, etc. However, it's possible that a person can be for FDI, for AI, and oppose Pax Silica on other grounds . For example, I found some people who actually comment on Facebook like: "Yes to FDI but let's be careful about what we allow." "We can allow 100% FDI, but I don't think the Philippines is fit for Pax Silica." "I'm for AI, but let's face it, we need to think about nature first."  It's a good thing that I'm reading some who oppose Pax Silica aren't raising alarmism like Kabataan Partylist is apparently doing . Right now, I can't really say if I'm for Pax Silica or against Pax Silica. It's because I'm for FDI,  but I'm not for FDI without  reasonable restrictions. What I want to do now is to do some analysis on the situation. Why I definitely w...

Right now, I reserve the right to be critical of Kabataan Partylist. Kabataan Partylist is part of the Makabayan Bloc. I often get insults on Facebook, like saying, "Where's your mass base like Kabataan Partylist?" or "Have you rallied enough like Kabataan Partylist?" That's the "You Too Fallacy". As always, it becomes Makabayan Bloc's mindset to stick to what I call "Vietnam War Economics". The late Lee Kuan Yew would call their mentality a third-world mindset . Here's a post by Kabataan Partylist on their Facebook page: KABATAAN: Marcos Continues to Submit to Washington; Down with the Pax Silica Framework! House Assistant Minority Leader and Kabataan Partylist Rep. Atty. Renee Co expressed fierce condemnation today over the impending November finalization of the predatory Pax Silica framework, calling it an “outright declaration of economic warfare and imperial exploitation against the Filipino people.” With the Philippine gove...

Yes, it's official, and it's sad. Recently, the Philippines has had  the highest electricity rate in Asia. Right now, I feel like that, even as a casual blogger, I still feel the need to react to current events. After all, this is a business and economics perspective blog . Now, going back to the topic, the Philippine Star (the blatant source of the picture above addresses the issue.  The blow was even felt in the Visayas, with Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative recording the highest on-grid residential rate at P16.57 per kilowatt hours (kWh), 32 percent up from a month ago’s P12.53 per kWh. Manila Electric Co., the country’s biggest power distribution utility that serves Metro Manila and nearby provinces, was also among the top distribution utilities with high rates. In June, its residential rate reached P14.48 per kWh. It's annoying, but social media comments can show downright economic ignorance  As always, I will not directly shame people, but their comments . In fa...

Some time ago, I remember writing about Jollibee's acquisition of Shabu All Day  and Compose Coffee . It might be easy to scream to the top of one's lungs, "Pinoy pride! The Philippines is taking over the world ! However, when news like the  recent plan of the Barito Group from Indonesia to purchase the Energy Development Corporation of the Lopezes  for $5 Billion (which might be in USD) arrived, I'm getting comments like: "This should be blocked by the Philippine Competition Commission!" "Foreign ownership of such a big percentage of our electrical generating capacity might have national security implications." "What does this mean for the Philippines' energy future? Maybe a higher price increase? The Philippines is selling everything! "The Philippines has its own but keeps selling everything." I wonder if the same people who are writing their comments danced, thinking that the Philippines was "conquering the world" th...

Updated on: July 18, 2026 Last July 7, 2026, I read an article from ABS-CBN called " A tale of two economies: Why the Philippines now lags Vietnam ". I found the art above on Facebook; perhaps it's AI art that shows the Philippines lagging behind Vietnam. The Philippines used ot be ahead, but what happened? Speaking of ABS-CBN, I'm still reminded of how the network has the tendency to be hostile to constitutional reform. Now, putting that aside, I'd like to share an excerpt from the article, for a start: The Philippine Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) admitted that the Philippines has been on a slow growth pace for the past decades. Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said many ASEAN neighbors have outgrown the country, including Vietnam. “If you’re asking why we are poor, the big part of the story is the country has not grown as fast as our neighbors,” Balisacan said. Comparing the Philippines to other ASEAN neighbors, Singapore’s GNI per capita ...