GRPundit

Hindi ko kilala ang mga artistang ito at hindi rin ako sangayon sa mga lavish weddings na sa palagay ko ay baka mauwi din lang sa paghihiwalay or divorce pero yan ay karapatan nila dahil sila ay nakatira sa isang democartic country. Kung susundin ang Philippine Civil Code na sinasabi ng writer na ito, dapat marami ng mga artistang nakulong nung araw pa, ie: Susan Roces and FPJ (sumalangit nawa) dahil ninong pa nila mismo and nasirang pangulong Ferdinand Marcos. Wag bansagan na Royal Wedding ito dahil hindi naman royal couple sina Dingdong at Marian, unless na royal blood nga sila. Salamat po, hindi ako nakikipagaway o namimintas, opinyon lamang. ------------------- This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion! http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2014/12/did-the-dingdong-dantes-marian-rivera-wedding-violate-the-philippine-civil-code-against-thoughtless-extravagance/comment-page-29/#comment-1033450

The wedding is a PR blitz for GMA7 since it was GMA who tagged it as a "royal wedding". The choice of location for the church and reception, both of which are very accesible to the 'masa' crowd, also gave away the affair as a blitz. Just look at the full coverage the TV network gave it. But, I am dumfounded by all the angry comments directed at [the author]. We really have a big sector of the population that are dumb suckers of media affairs, and it is a sad statement of the state of PHL. If indeed it was to be an imitation of the royal weddings in Europe, then it was supposed to project enough extravagance balanced with how much profit the affair could generate. So, far from being a dream wedding, it was a money making event. If it was a dream wedding, it would have been more private than what it was (say, like George Clooney's) No, even if you belong to the top 1% of the population, it is always a result of poor judgement if you flaunt your wealth. Just ch...

A lot of [Netizens'] comments [on the Dingdong-Marian "royal" wedding] is an obvious indication that we have millions of citizens who do not consider our country's situation as a form of emergency. The irony is that these people who apparently think that, just because they (and their friends or whatever) are not in a personal state of emergency, it means that this country is not; and that the people who are in it cannot even begin to spell the word 'emergency' because they are too hungry and homeless to give a damn. Things like these are indicators of the galactic disparity between the filthy (sic) poor and the filthy rich, and the apathetic middle class who think it's okay. The apparent lack of our netizen's intellectual capacity though, is a more pressing issue since we, the more fortunate ones to even have the knowledge to use internet, should be representing the lower class. Yes, our lack of sensitivity to issues like poverty is an even greater...

Honesty is the most important character trait of a person. It has something to do with integrity, or the totality of a man (and woman). Dishonesty, in whatever form, chips away whatever character there is in a man, and in severe form, could mean the practical disintegration of a man — he would lose respect of himself and thus, would have an anti-social view of society. Integrity has something to do with values, responsibility, priorities, mentality, and attitude. If we look at some of the most common quirks in a Filipino, we see why honesty is immediately compromised. (a) Filipino time, being late in appointments — most often this is analyzed as lack of responsibility in Pinoys, but see how this is being dishonest with others and with oneself. (b) Failed promises (e.g. our exporters are notorious for not meeting delivery deadlines and are instead known for being creative with excuses, our banks have the highest rate of bad loans, etc) — these are direct attacks on honesty, and see ...

Lagi kaming nagkaclash ng mama ko dahil lang sinasabi ko ang totoo or by simply voicing out an opinion that is different from hers. When I voice out my opinion or inform them that certain things don't happen like this or that, my mom always regard that as a sign of disrespect. She tells me "matalino ka nga, nawawalan ka naman ng respeto sa kin. Sinasagot mo na ako." And in my mind, I'm like "what??! When did telling the truth disrespectful?" tapos pag nagsasalita ako mahinahon pa. Yung tipong nag eeducate. And then I told her "mama, when I clarify something, it's not my way of disrespecting you. Makinig ka rin sa opinyon ko para magets mo ang point ko." And no matter how hard I try to make her understand my point, she will still get hurt over my "talking back moments. Parang may mahalaga ang act kesa sa meaning ng opinyon ko. Sometimes, I wish my parents are more open minded than they are today. I wish they treat their children a...

Here is a letter from way way back that we featured in the early days. If you look past the challenged English you will see it brilliantly captures the whole problem with over-reverence for the "wisdom" of elders… * * * "we filipinos are so hypocrete. we live on lies and half truth.  "when I was a kid (am now 40 [years old]) our elders never give us straight answer. one day while playing to my female friend, we were both taking a bath (nude and I was 5 [years old]) I shout "ay pepe" [and] my aunt scolded me for saying bad words.  "another was, when I ask my aunt again how did I come out in this world. and without hesitation she said 'galing ka sa puwet'. "there's alot more lies and half truth i learn from my elders, when we went to US at my age of 10 [years old], I was so surprised how ordinary folks explain everything as if am talking to them as the same age as mine. up to now am still wandering why we filipinos doesnt tr...

Sa atin kasi, yung mas matanda lang ang tama. Kahit tama ang bata tatawagin siyang bastos pag nilaban niya ang katwiran niya. Ang problema sa mga matatanda natin, tumanda sa walang kwentang turo kaya nasasaktan ang ego pag nasasagot ng tama. Instead na ipaliwanag sa anak kung bakit di pwede ang gusto o mali ang paniniwala, ang sasabihin lang ng magulang ay "dahil mas matanda ako sayo." Tumanda ang mga ninuno natin sa bobong kaugalian kaya gusto nilang ipasa sa atin ang kabobohan. Makikita din ito sa trabaho. Nagseselos ang mga matatandang employee sa mga baguhang napopromote after 6 months. Hindi nila naisip na baka may magandang contribution yung napromote at hindi dahil loyal siya sa company. Ang nangyayari namemersonal ang matatanda at hindi sinusunod ang batang boss. ------------------- This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion! http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2014/12/law-abiding-filipinos-are-getting-sick-of-law-breaking-filipinos/comment-page-1/#c...

The money that the administration funneled into DAP (and its predecessor, the PDAF) was supposedly aggregated from 'savings' in the national budget. What happened in 2011 when this horrifying plunder scheme was set in motion was that funding for several public works projects (initiated by the Arroyo administration) were cancelled for no apparent reason. The funds that were NOT used as a result of these arbitrary cancellations were declared 'savings' and pooled into a massive, unaccountable fund under the control of Penoy Aquino. This is NOT a 'glitch' as you call it; it was a MALEVOLENT act to re-allocate taxpayer money and increase the President's personal pork barrel. Furthermore, one of the direct results of these cancellations was a huge DROP in public spending. This in turn caused a massive drop in the GDP growth rate (down to 3% from around 6% the previous year) and a moribund economy. Penoy Aquino's idea to create 'savings' instead cau...

The irony of atheism becoming a religion on its own, not believing that a God exists is as man-made as believing that God exists..whether there's one or multiple ones out there. If there's one thing I do want, perhaps it is the abolishing of all religions, let's see if this world would be a better place. Seriously, so many atrocities, so many sufferings have been brought into in the name of "whoever they worship on" like wow, why would this be the beacon of so-called good? I think people have forgotten that even Christianity that prevails in this country has been forced upon us when in the beginning none of our ancestors ever knew about the man that was crucified for our so-called "sins". Our ancestors worshipped nature, well that's what my history books told me. If that is inaccurate feel free to correct me. Anyway, it's even more ironic that atheists have a so-called "church", here I thought that being a non-believer is a personal...

I think I could buy into that hashtag (#illridewithyou). My beef with Islam is not with the messenger, but with the message, or that which manufactures terrorists. I have Muslim friends, and if religion does not come into the picture, I never think of them as Muslims. But having said that, I must admit that there is this subconscious that tells me to keep an arm's lenght distance from them; for some reason, I could not bring myself to count them among my close friends. Maybe, it is their Taqiyya rule, which prompts them to lie through their teeth to an infidel if they ever find themselves in a disadvantageous position, and that is why I always have to be on guard when I'm with them. (Isn't it strange that whenever Muslims in Mindanao negotiate for peace with PHL govt, like the BBL now being discussed in Congress, there is always a separate faction ready to go war? Is this a preconceived set-up that comes natural to them because of Taqiyya?) Maybe political correctness i...

Christian understanding of the poor has more to do with the "poor in spirit", at least that is my understanding. It is the state of the mind more than anything else. There is an ocean of difference between the two. So, a bus driver, who is conscientious about driving well, courteous to the pasengers, demands the right salary so his family does not starve, is poor and poor in spirit - his only talent is driving, but gives his best to it as his contribution to society. But, a cashier in SM, who cheats, thinks all day about living in Ayala Alabang or Dasma and driving a Merc one day, is poor, but not poor in spirit. Remember Jesus was not dirt poor. His father, Joseph, was a carpenter; so he must be an equivalent of an SME entrepreneur today, more of the middle class. Why would the Roman soldiers in Calvary not spoil His outer garment; it must be of good quality. Even the Zebedee brothers, James and John, seem to own a fishing company, and Peter seems to be the same, at leas...

Let us get together with beer by the pints To chat 'bout anything even taxes and fines Just do not be numb with needles and pins Don't you know it is more fun in the Philippines Philip is Greek, to tell you honestly It means a lover, also one who's friendly Sweet smelling pines were also of me But you cut the pines and took the beauty from me A puzzle, Pinoy, when will you mature? Was expecting more from you the love of nature This wall for the ocean called Pacific An archipelago, my islands are terrific Unity is what I dreamt a long time My body are islands scattered without rhyme Only to lead you, not about the body Rather the spirit that brings true unity If only you know, there's gold in my land Sadly, ti's only the greedy who had a hand To grab what is supposed to be for all What a wasted investment, it ain't gonna roll Can we tell those souls who are so greedy They divide me with their blindness to the needy Ye...

It is not only that we are nobody in the world stage, in fact, it is a scary proposition to be carrying a Philippine passport these days. If you are observant in airports, you will notice that immigration officers allow other nationalities to go through in less than a minute. With our passport, they take over two minutes, especially when queues are not that long; and if that airport happens to be either Hong Kong, Tokyo, Frankfurt, Rome, Chicago, or New Jersey, which all seem to be the strictest when they encounter our passport, there is a likelihood you will asked into a nice side room for a 15-minute interview before they let you thru.. It wasn't always like this, and my grandpa could attest to that. We just had a big family reunion for his 98th birthday last September, and the topic of the party was similar to what we have here. Grandpa is still quite lucid even if his body has obviously been fast deteriorating lately. Funny that when almost all the family members were seate...

Fear and distrust is rife here. This country was one of the last I visited when backpacking South East Asia, and I noticed the difference immediately with all the armed guards literally everywhere and my guest house being in a weird protected community that had its own guard (I didn't even know about gated villages before, now I see guards every time I step outside). When you stay for longer and hear people's stories you learn that backstabbing and seething jealousy are accepted facts of life in most workplaces and neighbourhoods. I don't think they know that isn't normal. And where other countries have regional stereotypes about their own countryfolk ("anyone who lives outside the dead centre of the metropolis is a slack-jawed yokel"; "anyone who lives in a rural area has intimate knowledge of livestock"), it seems many Filipinos actually believe them, and are regionalist to a laughable extent with their unshakeable beliefs about Manila people...

In terms nominal peso value, the budget for Education has been increasing, but that is only to comply with the law. That is not the complete picture. Depending on the year, the peso value increases have been ranging between 6% to 10% per annum. Considering that inflation has been running between 4 to 5%, the increases really just covers inflation. If we say then that the increases were at 1to 5%, then that may just be covering the increases in student population. I have a suspicion that in terms of peso allocated per student, the amount may even be decreasing. No wonder, they could not increase the salaries of teachers, which we haven't added to the above. What about depreciation, deterioration of facilities, etc (What about the increasing rate of tongpats too? You know that old politicians are appalled at what s been happening. They were happy in their time with 10%, at most 30% but very seldom. Since Gloria's time, weren't we hearing 50, 100, even 200% coming out of B...

[NB: Satire or truth? We invite readers of what follows to be the judges.] President Jojo Binay will be fantastic for PHL. Country has had leaders with myopic vision. He will show the world that what a 4′-9″ can see is better than what anyone else sees, since he is used to seeing the asses of the six-footers. He will have the foresight to know which priorities do matter because foresight sounds like it has something to do with four, and as already said, he had to reckon with this number since his coming of age. As a result, he will have well thought programs to support his vision. Because he will make his vision a part of him, he will be a firm leader, firmer than the permed hair of the asses he always sees. Unlike BS Aquino, he will not tolerate bungling managers who don't know their ass from their elbow; as already said, he knows an ass as he knows a hole. Unlike BS, his organization will not be a jungle of confusion. His will be lean and mean, as lean as the six-foot basketb...

The last leaders of PHL who understood the importance of ideas were Ferdinand Marcos and Ninoy Aquino (father of BS Aquino). After these two, PHL just went to hell in a handbasket. When Ninoy said: "The Filipino is worth dying for", he was not talking about Juan, Pedro, or Maria. It is not about you or me, nor even about a population that now numbers 100m whose home base is an archipelago squeezed between China Sea and Pacific Ocean. He was talking about a person who he dreamt was totally free, able to determine his own future, who just happen to live in that archipelago and who share a unique heritage with others that he/ she should not be ashamed of. This was in opposition to Marcos who was defining "who is a Filipino" through his attempt to revise history via his "Malakas and Maganda" narrative. Both recognized that there was something so fundamental about knowing and about being sure of one's identity. Everything flows from this principle. Wh...

Policies are all well and good but when it comes down to it there have to be people who want to implement the policies or at least make sure that there is rule of law to allow good policies to take shape. Sadly we might never get to a stage where these policies can be implemented since the interests of our ruling class run counter to implementing these policies. Let's start from the basic and fair assumption that the ruling class (including the Aquinos, Roxas, and Binays) want to protect their wealth and their power and let's move down to the problems that have been mentioned. Would our ruling elite really want a strong modern philippine military? No. Why? Imagine there being more than a handful Trillanes-type mutineers running around and wielding high tech weaponry. Not good for keeping your money or power at all. Would the ruling elite want to promote policies that eliminate economic inequality without sacrificing entrepreneurs and businesses? No, as to the poorest ...

I think we PNoys are all experts in people power and know the parameters that trigger one: (1) The presence of an issue that is understandable by society across the board, and the opposing opinions to the issue are practically clear cut; (2) an exasperated feeling among the populace, or an almost palpable environment where you know something is stirring up with each passing day; (3) the elite, though staying in the background, organizes a core group and via the media and other PR means further stokes the public sentiment; (4) a trigger that ignites an already combustible situation, as the coup attempt by Ramos and Enrile in EDSA1 and the boogie dance (hehehe) by Tessie Oreta in EDSA2; (5) the middle class and some of society's elite openly participate in the resulting mass action. I think there were two mass actions in the beginning of Gloria's term; these failed because of the absence of parameter(5). Trillanes' two attempts also failed because parameters(2), (3) and (...

In the current brinkmanship, Binay is winning; the surveys confirm this. Binay does not care about his credibility, he is catering to the economic classes C, D and E, the mass of people that decides who becomes the president. We cannot even attempt how CDE defines credibility for they define anything universal based on particulars they may be individually in. It has nothing to do with what is good for the nation, and that is why they have elected time and time again bungling fools as leaders. Binay still has to be careful, however. He is already insulting the intelligence of A, B and C, who may not have the number to decide elections, but who have the clout to bring down a government. During the two successful "people power", it was ABC that whipped up hysteria and that daily delivered the trucks of food and drinks that made CDE participate in mass actions where not all were even clear as to the whys of the actions. If Binay wins and at the rate he is going, he may find h...

100 million Filipinos and this is all we can come up with for 2016? The question of the VP's corruption, though still needed to be proven in a court of law is very simple to answer, as there is no-way the Binay Family can amass the amount of wealth they currently have with out dipping their dirty hands in the City's coffers. As I have said this still needs to be proven legally, but does not change the fact that VP Binay is corrupt. SO, what now? I would really like to see the NTC-National Transformation Council (whatever that means) or any other group do some real transforming and start a campaign to inform the BOBOtantes that there are other choices out there, Men and Women with real concern for the country. Mainstream Media could also help by limiting coverage for these Senate sponsored MORO-MORO's. It's a scary thought, knowing that my children will have to grow old in this current state of society we are in now. This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the d...

Camp John Hay (Baguio) is a perfect example of this. Back when the US bases were still existing it was touted as the best R&R facility for US military personnel in the Pacific. Unfortunately, much of Camp John Hay now, despite its purported "corporate care," is mired in stacks of intricate court cases. Hotels which are supposed to bring in cash to Baguio are still closed due to litigation. Around a dozen old bunk houses have been bulldozed for faux-log cabins nobody uses anyway. The corporations which supposedly take care of Camp John Hay's well-being refuse to pay taxes to the government because they think they have some sort of "special privilege." At the center of this all is a lawyer-politician under the Liberal Party banner who has plans to become Baguio's mayor. Furthermore, his SJW wife turns her back and keeps silent over John Hay's wanton environmental degradation, and rather be more vocal against the earthballing of trees at SM Baguio...

It is obvious that PNoy, in distancing himself from the circus involving Binay is not in favor of his ouster and may have something to gain from Binay becoming president, i.e. Binay may have some dirt on the President, enough to totally discredit daang matuwid in the eyes of his "bosses". The attack on Binay is obviously perpetrated by the incompetent DILG secretary who still wants to become President and from the Mutineer-turned-senaTONG who thinks he is just paying his pardoner a favor. This is a President who no longer has any control over his agents–a Lame DAP president. ----------------- This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion! http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2014/10/jail-jejomar-binay-now/comment-page-1/#comment-879762

Being half-Japanese, I agree that to a certain extent, we Filipinos have much to learn from the Japanese. The only observation I can make, though, is that this article failed to focus on what ails this country. The root cause of the Filipino Problem is not discipline, not the happy-go-lucky attitude, it's the lack of patriotism. Everything flows from there. If you love your country, you'll respect your neighbors, your community, your environment, everything else around you. Sadly, Filipinos don't have this patriotic attitude, unlike Korea, Japan, and to a certain extent, the US. We are not proud to be Filipino. We may say it, but we don't show it. It's as simple as that. ----------------- This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion! http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2011/03/filipinos-cannot-progress-if-they-cannot-follow-even-simple-guidelines/comment-page-15/#comment-879646

I'll tell you a very inspiring story. I was walking down my neighborhood one day and then this tricycle full of elementary school students passed by. One of the youths threw a candy wrapper on the street and you know what? The driver stopped, told the kid to pick it up and scolded him: "kaya nababaha ang Manila kasi nagtatapon lang tayo ng basura kung saan-saan." True story and my faith in the Filipino is restored. Sad to say this is the only thing that I have witnessed in this country that restores any semblance of hope in my people. --------------------- This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion! http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2014/10/rubbish-littered-manila-naia-terminal-3-airport-lounge-tells-the-real-story/comment-page-2/#comment-876882

A US serviceman is involved, so again the rant, the high-pitched noise, the kerfuffle among bloggers and pundits. We all want to have a say on the issue. What I don't know is if this is reflective of a national inferiority complex. What is the conversation really about? Do we want to feel that we are free of a colonial past and simply like rubbing-in our independence vis-a-vis our former colonizer? (Is this the irritating "pinoy pride" we see in comboxes of sites featuring Filipina singing sensations in international competitions? How does this pinoy pride thing add to a sustainable growth for the country?) Or, are we that obtuse as to think we are in parity with the US if we are able to lock up Pemberton in one of our typically squalid cells? Or, do we have a mentality we cannot shed, a servile mentality, that knows nothing except whine about a terrible master, and are thus clueless as to what to do with independence even with decades gone by? Maybe, all of the abo...

Apparently stunned by the youth of US Marine Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang agrees to a recommendation that another US soldier accompany Pemberton in detention "because the kid might consider suicide." Pemberton, 19, is accused of killing Filipino transgender Jeffrey Laude, 26, who, on the basis of witness testimony, may have misrepresented himself as a woman on the night of the alleged crime. Said the witness, Mark Clarence "Barbie" Gelviro, testified before the Philippine Senate Foreign Relations Committee saying that "Pemberton thought we were real women." Referencing Inquirer.net report: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/113266/pemberton-thought-we-were-real-women/