Business & Economics Perspective Blogger

It's #ThrowbackThursdays, and I thought about making another post. I remember the time in the 1990s when the PCs and the Internet were luxuries . Yes, several of them tend to drive the costs up, given the price of PCs and the Internet. They also had this inconvenience factor: using the Internet means I couldn't make a call, unlike today, with the use of the Digital Subscriber Line (DSL). Today, I can type this entry and make a phone call at the same time. The PCs were also inconvenient because, as far as I can remember, there was a tendency for hang-ups  and brownouts in the 1990s Philippines, which were annoying inconveniences .  Technological development will always have its earlier stages . The product life cycle is often Introduction, Growth, Maturity, and Decline. That would explain why Windows had to continuously evolve. The technology would've been so new, meaning that even the production process may have been harder. A PC would've been more expensive because of ...

Everest Electrical I remember that for the past few weeks, electricity in Cebu City has been unstable. Rotational brownouts were happening. I decided to tackle the IBON Foundation yet again after some time. A recent post from IBON said this, in which it criticized President Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. for opting for "easy power relief". Here's an excerpt that I'd like to share from that same post, as I'm critiquing IBON: “The small relief that the removal of VAT on system loss charges brings to consumers should not be exaggerated as if this were the solution to expensive electricity,” said IBON Executive Director Sonny Africa. “ The real problem lies in the privatization and profit-driven operation of the power sector itself under the Electricity and Power Industry Reform Act or EPIRA Law which oligarchs are profiting from .” Looking into the fallacies by IBON Even more, I feel another post from IBON that I'd like to bring up is how it blame...

Let's face it that technology is a wonderful thing but it can be misused. Right now, after I have ran into this curiousity calle dthe instant portable ice maker . The scam video that caught my attention was the "miracle ice maker". The video was blatantly artificial intelligence .  We have people who are chopping blocks of ice, they're stopped, and then this "miracle box" comes to the rescue. The solution was to pour water into it, press the button, and then, presto, instant ice ! The ads may have ignored that huge blocks of ice aren't the standard for home ice usage. Huge blocks of ice aren't even meant to be consumed as they aren't made from drinking water. Instead, huge blocks of ice are used for commercial purposes like keeping seafood fresh without spoiling for a certain period of time, giving it enough low temperature that it arrives to where it needs to arrive, fresh and not frozen.  However, we need to look at simple science where you don...

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...

It's time for another Throwback Thursday post. It's often how irritation can sometimes give me inspiration . I want to think about the problem with boomers. I was thinking about how, as a millennial, I can navigate life with some boomers who are open-minded (even if they still use boomer talk, such as "When I was your age," which can be irritating but can be bearable once they admit they achieved it via open-mindedness) vs. those who are plain stubborn. In fact, I often read some stories on Facebook where some boomers,  or better called the stubborn boomers , often try to operate in a world that no longer exists. This is the difference when the stubborn boomers start opening their mouths because blah blah blah, they were honor students, successful businessmen, etc., and try to make their children (and grandchildren) "extensions of themselves", rather than succeeding as individuals. It made me think about how boomers tend to marry in their 20s . Some can brag...