From Phillipines Congreeman Mong Palatino… “God may send hurricanes, but their consequences are not God-given” – Winston James According to a government think-tank, 34.6 percent of households experienced job and asset losses during typhoons in 2011. Almost 70 percent suffered a reduction in income while 45 percent complained of rising expenses immediately after the onslaught [...]

From Philippine Congressman Mong Palatino… Please visit the special page I created about Philippine Airport Terminals. I also edited my profile page The Philippines is often recognized by global institutions for its strong commitment to human rights. Indeed, compared with other countries in the region, where government critics are given insanely long prison sentences and [...]

From Philippine Congressman Mong Palatino… There are no young politicians in the Philippines. Politicians are getting younger but their politics remain old. The new faces, the fashionable and adorable ones, come from the same old boring brand. According to the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center, seventy-seven percent (77 percent) of legislators aged 26-40 belong [...]

From Philippines Congressman Mong Palatino… Excerpts of keynote speech delivered during the second general assembly of the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns in New Jersey, United States. When I (first) arrived here (in 2008), people were talking only about two things: Obama and the recession. Obama promised change and the voters believed him. His victory [...]

From Philippines Congressman Mong Palatino… Unknown to many, it was Joseph Estrada who provided the simplest if not original definition of global warming when he was still president in 1998. Responding to the allegation that he has been appointing close associates in juicy government posts, he said: “Weather Weather lang yan.” And like politics, global [...]

From Philippines Congressman Mong Palatino… Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father and architect of modern Singapore, resigned from the Cabinet a week after the ruling People’s Action Party suffered its worst performance in the polls since 1965. Lee was Prime Minister for 31 years from 1959 to 1990, and continued to lead Singapore as Senior [...]

From Filipino Congressman Mong Palatino… Burma’s bid to chair the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2014 was politely dismissed when the bloc concluded its latest summit in Indonesia without a clear commitment on the matter. Instead of receiving support for its bid, Burma was advised by fellow ASEAN members to build better infrastructure first [...]

From Philippines Congressman Mong Palatino… 1. One of our fighting tasks today is to resist and defeat US imperialism. Philosopher Alain Badiou reminds us that the “basic freedom of states and individuals consists in doing everything and thinking everything in order to escape from the commandments, interventions and interference of that imperial power.” This oppressive [...]

From Philippines Congressman Mong Palatino… 1. Despite more jobs are being created today in the service sector, agriculture remains a very important section of our economy. But why do young people today do not want to become farmers? The answer is because most of our farmers are poor. 2. It is this poverty in the [...]

From Philippines Congressman Mong Palatino… A specter is haunting Edsa today: the specter of street crimes. Car thieves and bus bombers are causing panic in the metropolis. Traffic and pollution are getting worse everyday. Giant billboards are displayed on every building along the highway. The old folks are asking: where are the trees in Edsa? [...]