January 2010
33 posts
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“Pangako ko po ay closure on all of the issues, kailangan pong magkaroon ng...”
– Benigno S. “Noynoy” Aquino III at the youth presidential forum held at De La Salle University-Manila last 29 January 2010
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Live blog of Youth 2010: Bumoto Para sa Pagbabago →
Proceedings of the Presidential Youth Forum held at De La Salle University-Manila on 29 January 2010, 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, as broadcast on ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC)
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Villar stymied creditors during the Asian crisis
From Credit Derivative Strategies: New Thinking On Managing Risk and Return by Rohan Douglas:
If companies reside in countries where bankruptcy laws are unreliable and they do not have a compelling reason to restructure, it can often be impossible to force a restructuring or gain control of the company’s property. One example was C&P Homes (C&P), a Philippine corporate property...
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“In a well-known letter Chekhov said that it was not the artist’s business to...”
– V.S. Pritchett, “A Doctor”
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“Huwag niyang iwasan ang issue. Huwag siyang magpapaliwanag sa media, kundi sa...”
– Satur Ocampo, on the C-5 road extension controversy involving political ally Manny Villar
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Villar’s Throwing Stones in a Glass House!
Historical facts prove that Villar’s much hyped rags-to-riches story or Gordon’s executive experience is no better than Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s doctorate in economics without the Philippine leadership attracting ODA and assuring foreign investors of a level playing field. Villar, Gordon or more so Teodoro will have big credibility problem like GMA because their track records are scrutinized...
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Love in Moonlight - Louise Glück
Sometimes a man or woman forces his despair on another person, which is called baring the heart, alternatively, baring the soul— meaning for this moment they acquired souls— outside, a summer evening, a whole world thrown away on the moon: groups of silver forms which might be buildings or trees, the narrow garden where the cat hides, rolling on its black in the dust, the rose, the...
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Noynoy Aquino’s Speech at Tita Cory’s Birthday...
SPEECH OF SENATOR BENIGNO “NOYNOY” S. AQUINO III AT THE MASS COMMEMORATING THE 77TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF PRESIDENT CORAZON C. AQUINO, JANUARY 24, 2010, EDSA SHRINE As we commemorate the birth anniversary of our mother, we again feel a sense of emptiness from no longer having her around. We have gotten so used to the comfort of her presence, especially when situations demand the best of us. She...
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Q & A: Benigno S. Aquino III and the Makati...
MBC Q & A Transcript
January 21, 2010
Q: In governing you will need the cooperation of Congress, what’s your strategy for getting their cooperation particularly in a situation where you do not control either or both of the houses?
BSAIII: Well sir I think you will agree with me that the tradition for the past congresses has been that the dominant party becomes the party to which the...
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Open forum on the economic vision and platform of...
Presidential candidate Noynoy Aquino answers questions from the Makati Business Club (MBC) following his speech on his economic vision and platform last 21 January 2010. (Four YouTube videos follow below. Click the permalink of this post to view them.)
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The egotist
The presidential bid of Joseph Estrada can be summarized in three words: it is about I, Me and Myself. He is the male counterpart of the faded silent movie-era star Nora Desmond in Billy Wilder’s classic film, “Sunset Boulevard.” It tells of a failed screen writer who gravitates to Desmond, who dreams of making a cinematic comeback. In the end she kills the screenwriter in a jealous fit, and...
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Parsing Villar, self-proclaimed trapo →
Villar himself is confusing, of course: if he does not understand or disagrees with the concept of “trapo”, how did the lines “Akala mo trapo/Yun pala katropa mo“, an assertion that he is not traditional, come to find their way into one of his campaign jingles? (An extended discussion of his discomfiting slipperiness may be found in Blog Watch.) Still, the idea that tradition is rooted in what the...
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“We must find a unity that transcends the divisions of today, based on a shared...”
– Excerpt from “A Philippines That Works” by Benigno S. Aquino III (Speech delivered before the Makati Business Club on 21 January 2010)
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A letter from Satan →
Dear Pat Robertson,
I know that you know that all press is good press, so I appreciate the shout-out. And you make God look like a big mean bully who kicks people when they are down, so I’m all over that action. But when you say that Haiti has made a pact with me, it is totally humiliating. I may be evil incarnate, but I’m no welcher. The way you put it, making a deal with me leaves...
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"President" Manny Villar: Let's talk business
To “President” Manny and “First Lady” Cynthia: It is most likely that you or Noynoy will be the next president of the Philippines. You have very strong chances of winning considering the fact that you are planning to spend a fortune to capture the top post of the land. We still vividly remember your famous line: “If you can’t even raise one billion pesos, why...
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“Why is the measure of love loss?
It hasn’t rained for three months. The...”
– Jeanette Winterson, Written on the Body
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[Random Salt] Truth and lice →
Whatever else can be said about the adoption of Makabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan (Makabayan) senatorial candidates Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza by the Nacionalista Party (NP), it is definitely nothing less than an event for the history books. After all, Ocampo and Maza are militant leftists, while the NP is a party headed by real estate mogul and presidential candidate Manny Villar, and also...
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“…ang cataoan nang mañga banal na tauo, ang silay maliuanag pang macapito...”
– Juan de Oliver, Declaración de la Doctrina Christiana en Idioma Tagalog
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On forgiveness →
Toward the end of the third chapter of Noli Me Tangere, Crisostomo Ibarra barely avoids a quarrel with a combative Padre Damaso, and manages to make a hasty exit from the dinner party of Capitan Tiago. As he begins to wander the streets of Manila in the next chapter, he is accosted by an old lieutenant, Señor Guevara, who warns the young man to learn from the example of his deceased father, Don...
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A Month-by-Month History of the Past Decade →
From Everything is History:
The decade of the 2000s has been a tumultuous turn of events that will be remembered far into the future. We have had many accomplishments, including the mapping of the human genome, the discovery of water on the moon, and movements towards peace on the planet. Unfortunately, negative events accompany us on our march of progress, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami,...
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Ithaka - C.P. Cavafy
As you set out for Ithaka hope the voyage is a long one, full of adventure, full of discovery. Laistrygonians and Cyclops, angry Poseidon—don’t be afraid of them: you’ll never find things like that on your way as long as you keep your thoughts raised high, as long as a rare excitement stirs your spirit and your body. Laistrygonians and Cyclops, wild Poseidon—you won’t encounter them unless you...
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“A PUPIL once asked Confucius: “If the Prince of Mei appointed you head of the...”
– Philippines Free Press editorial, “The Reason Why?” February 5, 1972 (via mlq3)