Beijing restaurant bans Filipinos along with dogs

A sign displayed in the Beijing Snacks restaurant in Beijing, China announces that "This shop does not receive the Japanese, the Philippines, the Vietnamese and dog(s)". The following photo showing this sign was first posted by New York-based painter Rose Tang on her Facebook account and given the caption "Racism with a national twist."

Urban poor kept out of the picture in Asian Development Bank (ADB) convention in Manila

It is reminiscent of the days when former First Lady Imelda Marcos, also then governor of the Philippines' National Capital Region which included Metro Manila and its suburbs in the 1970s built walls and to hide the blight of poverty in her realm from visiting foreign dignitaries. The true character and face of Metro Manila is once again swept under the rug as the government of President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III hosts this year's meeting of regional finance officials Asian Development Bank governors.

Filipino Americans favour re-election of US President Barack Obama because of his perceived racial preferences

The multi-million body strong Filipino American community is reportedly gearing up for a campaign to re-elect US President Barack Obama on the basis of a "strong" view on the racial composition of America's government offices...

Philippine Media blamed for war mongering over Mindanao conflict

Confirming much of our more sensible takes (specifically Ilda Pro's and Ben Kritz's) on the role punditry and arms-length news "reporting" play in determining the fate of thousands when it comes to armed conflict, Darwin Wally Wee of the news site China Buzz put much of the blame squarely upon the shoulders of Philippine Media for creating a warlike attitude among the kibitzing Filipino public.

CBCP plea for Filipino WYD pilgrims not to overstay their visa in Spain

Filipinos are always quite the liabilities they consistently are -- even to the Roman Catholic Church. The Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines is trying to account for all delegates of the World Youth Day (WYD) pilgrimage recently concluded in Spain. The Spanish government had reportedly relaxed visa issuance requirements for Filipino travelers to Spain in consideration of the event.

The Church is now fearing possible damage to the trust the Spanish government had given it in allowing Filipinos to enter its borders...

Paris Hilton in Manila, rumored meet with PNoy NOT TRUE - Ruffa

Celebrity heiress Paris Hilton is in Manila reportedly "purely on business" to check out her new boutique at the SM Megamall and "designing" a Century 21 Properties beach resort in a five-day tour of the capital city of the Philippines. Indeed, the capital of the Philippines it surely is as, already as of this writing, two iPad tablet computers she had with her had gone missing...

President Noynoy Aquino's SONA delivered in Tagalog causes unnecessary hassles

Despite the reality that the southern Luzon dialect Tagalog is not as widely-spoken across the Philippine archipelago as most Filipinos would like to believe, President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III is pressing on with its use in the delivery of today's State of the Nation Address (SONA) in a joint session of Congress which will include members of the diplomatic corps. Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma took effots to assure non-Tagalog speakers that facilities will be available for them.

Low-quality youth: Marauding gangs of 7-12 year-old children terrorize Metro Manila motorists!

One man's liability is another man's asset. An abundance of wayward street children in Metro Manila is turning into a lucrative human resource for crime syndicates it seems. Marauding gangs of children aged 7 to 12 years now terrorise motorists stuck in Manila's renowned traffic jams...

Philippine population growth rate declining but Thailand declining FASTER

Population growth in the Philippines may be declining, but Thailand still beats the Philippines as far as rate of decline is concerned.

Population growth rate
Percentage change of resident population compared to previous year.

Source

'We must learn to produce quality people' - FVR

Former President Fidel V Ramos described arguments fielded by Congressman and boxing champ Manny Pacquiao during his "debate" yesterday with House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman on the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill as "fallacious or very weak". Ramos also provided his elegantly succinct take on the essence of the bill...

Hope for Filipinos: Intelligence and cognitive ability CAN be improved!

Scientists have recently been exploring the possibility that intelligence may be a trait that can be improved through training. Intelligence has always been thought to be a trait one is born with. And some scientific studies even proved that it was genetic and that past efforts to improve inherent intelligence yielded temporary results at best (i.e. the subject's cognitive skills reverted back to their original levels after the effort).

Ayala Alabang Village Ordinance Number 1 Series of 2011 condemns use of artificial contraceptives

You'd think the affluence of the residents of tony Ayala Alabang Village (AAV) would count them among the most enlightened amongst us -- hard-working, prosperous, and secular. Conventional thinking has it that as a society prospers the less its people's minds are imprisoned by superstition and dogma. But in a recent ordinance (Ordinance No. 1 Series of 2011) issued by the Barangay (township) of Ayala Alabang, City of Muntinlupa in Metro Manila, the clout of the Catholic Church over the cream of the Philippine elite was demonstrated yet again.

"Religiosity gene" key to survival of God in modern civilisation

Ultimately nature wins. According to a study conducted by Robert Rowthorn, emeritus professor of economics at Cambridge University, the 'religiosity gene' will dominate society. According to a model developed in that study, high fertility rates among the religious and low fertility rates among the non-religious will see "genetic components that predispose a person toward religion [...] 'hitchhiking' on the back of the religious cultural practice of high fertility rates".

"Brown is beautiful" simply does not fly among white-skin-obssessed Filipinos

In the wake of yet another "Filipino" victory overseas -- the winning of "mocha-skinned" Danica Flores Magpantay' in the 2011 Ford Supermodel of the World contest -- highlighted yet again is how concepts of beauty and talent hardly recognised and often ignored in the Philippines are what turn out to be the biggest assets of our compatriots in other countries. Pride swells when success is achieved, but appreciation for the active ingredients are gained after the fact.

Looks like governments are the same all over the world - big crybabies

Singapore political blog site The Online Citizen (TOC) had its wings clipped by the Singapore government after being reclassified ("gazetted") as a "political website" and therefore subject to "rules that govern other (normal) political organisations—like parties". The Economist reports in its AsiaView blog site.

Philippine car theft rate statistically down compared to previous years

Unfortunately, nobodies don't make headline news. According to a report submitted to Malacanang by Chief Supt. Leonardo Espina, head of the Highway Patrol Group, car theft incidence in 2010 is down compared to previous years. Yet today, car theft is high on everyone's list of things to fear thanks to Media coverage of high-profile carjacking-murder cases.