On this day, August 18, 1966: The Battle of Long Tan
50 years ago this month, 108 Australian soldiers walked into an ambush in a rubber plantation in the Vietnamese province of Phuoc Toy. The Vietnam war has become infamous as …
Opinion
Opinion: The Hague South China Sea ruling… who cares?
In the wake of the recent favourable decision for the Philippines at The Hague there are many who seem to feel that this is going to make a huge difference …
Thailand vows to clamp down on sex tourism industry
Thailand is notorious for its sex tourism industry – a maelstrom of ladyboys, beautiful women and astonishing acts involving ping pong balls. However, Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, the country’s tourism minister, has pledged to bring an end …
Hey Joe, what’s your problem? Why are foreigners in the Philippines so bitter?
As I touched on in an earlier column, there is nothing that pisses me off more than a bitter expats with a sense of entitlement. When you move to the Philippines, …
Opinion: Should the main export of the Philippines still be ‘slaves’?
When Ferdinand Marcos implemented The Labor Code of the Philippines in 1974 he opened the door (some could argue the floodgates) to people from the South East Asian archipelago to …
Inherent Problems in Filipino Culture – and why executing drug dealers won’t solve them
Before I get underway with this article, I’d like to make it clear that I love the Philippines, I make my life here and will probably never leave it. This …
Bramovich: In The Missionary Position
“Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)… There are just some kind of men who – who’re …
Freedom: A life without hindrance while living in the Philippines
FREEDOM – defined by Webster’s Dictionary as “The Power or Right to Act, Speak, or Think as One Wants Without Hindrance or Restraint.” Several other definitions also ‘define’ the word …
Want to escape justice for your crimes? The Philippines is your place
The Philippines seems to be hell bent on gaining top position on awkward and downright pointless “world record” nominations, well this week they earned another number #1 position, this time …
Opinion: Pet peeves that might drive you up the wall in the Philippines
Numerous “Pet Peeves” That Might Drive You Up the Wall in the Philippines I should first say that any country has its “pet peeves” and proverbial “up the wall” moments – …
Opinion: BI’s “Good Guys In – Bad Guys Out” campaign like Nazi Germany
The Bureau of Immigration of the Philippines has come up with an ingenious plan… to use the methodology of Nazi Germany to weed out “undesirable elements”. It seems the BI is encouraging anyone to report …
Life is tough for disabled Filipinos, but there are laws to help them
Life can be tough for disabled people in the Philippines, but there are laws in place designed to protect them. Republic Act 7277, the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons defines …
Unexpected acts of kindness: The flip side in the Philippines
I’d like to write today about the flip side of giving money in the Philippines. Though giving money is only one aspect of giving charity to people in the Philippines, …