Philippine Democracy Online

By Menelito Mansueto The issue of Mindanao's secession has recently been on the airwaves since local politicians began talking about its possibility. The idea is not new, it has long germinated in the minds of some Muslim separatist rebels. Should the idea be taken with a grain of salt, like it was some joke coming from egotistical leaders? What are its implications?  How likely will it occur?  People in the center such as Metro Manila might consider the idea as ridiculous.  We know for a fact how Manileños had long been undermining the capabilities of the provinces as if the provinces are entirely dependent on the affairs of the center. To recall, the EDSA revolution of 1986 happened in Manila but it has affected the political situation in Mindanao. One might be reminded of Col. Alexander Noble who led a military coup in October of 1990 and declared independence of the so-called “Federal Republic of Mindanao.”  How will it affect Manileños if the separation happens?...

For the most part, there's a kind of thinking that says First World solutions won't work in developing countries. The issue is partly about resources but in reality, it's about attitude and the lack of foresight. Development theorists often point to the Western lifestyle as worthy to blame for climate change. You must know, however, that some foreign scholars are now beginning to look into traditional wisdom in terms of understanding the concept of sustainability. One of such work is the paper written by Dr. John Weckert of Charles Sturt University in Australia and Dr. Rogelio Bayod of Cor Jesu College in Digos City. They argue in their published work in the prestigious Nanoethics Journal that indigenous wisdom can enrich the present understanding of Technology and its advances, including the relevant approaches that can help people address lingering issues such as climate change. Ten years after Yolanda, most countries have not accomplished that much in terms of fulfilling...

By Christopher Ryan Maboloc, PhD  Modern schools are like factories. Schools produce doctors, engineers, nurses, etc. The curriculum is the operating manual. The central figure is no longer that young individual who is in search of knowledge. The emphasis has been policy, rules and regulations, outcomes or measurable outputs, reducing everything into some product or tool. Students no longer wonder. They are far more concerned about their grades, or in the case of schools, rankings. . Where did all of this start? In 1979, the former secretary of education in the country talked about developing students to become productive citizens. This means that what we are fashioning out of the classroom are the future labor force of industries. But what this means for elite schools is actually more appalling. We are creating future oppressors who, as drivers of the globalized economy, will be taking advantage of the powerless. The infatuation with outcomes simply means that we have reduced the ...

By Menelito Mansueto (Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology) Department of Philosophy Looking at my own journey both as a philosophy enthusiast and as a struggling educator back then beginning as a young graduate of philosophy in early 2000, I have some significant points of reflection to offer for the present generation of graduates or students in Philosophy – the so-called millennials. In my case, the primary reason why I took Philosophy as a baccalaureate course was because I was under seminary formation in which case a four-year degree in Philosophy is mandatory. During my first semester as a freshman, honestly, I had no idea at all what Philosophy was, and why I was taking it at all. As a student in a university run by our own congregation, we had the privilege to simply attend classes without having to worry about enrollment concerns. Thanks to the SVD missionaries who formerly have a college seminary formation in Cebu back in the day which granted us the pri...

By Menelito Mansueto, MA A few weeks ago, Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc wrote a short piece, “Doing Philosophy in the Philippines: My Take." That article provoked me to write my own with regard to this long controversy surrounding what has since become an issue - the meaning of Filipino Philosophy. After all, nobody has the exclusive authority to interpret what Filipino Philosophy is. Every definition is expected to be influenced by particular biases and cultural prejudice.  In my capacity as a writer, I would also like to share my thoughts regarding this issue. My involvement in Philosophy almost comprised my entire adult life. I began my journey as a seminarian in the SVD in 1998. In my early years in the formation, we woke up, dined, and engaged with religious brothers and priests who happen to be our formators. Bro. Romualdo Abulad was one of them. At that age though, I cannot figure it out his exact contribution to Filipino philosophy. But he was a mentor both intellectually a...

By Christopher Ryan Maboloc, PhD  Our educators are mistaken to think of technology as instrumental and neutral. Modern technology cannot be separated from the context of the society in which it operates. The use of technology in this regard embodies a certain kind of thinking that is rooted in techno-rationality. Technology, for Andrew Feenberg, "contains and delegates values and interests" that usually favor the powerful in society. In fact, Feenberg sees technology as a "disaster" for humankind.  Some people assume that technology always helps in various areas of life when in truth, it is just another manifestation of the privilege of the elite. It is clear that poor kids are left behind when it comes to learning using ICT (Information and Communications Tech). What is terribly missed is the understanding that modern gadgets, mobile phones, and internet connectivity also concern issues of access and ergo, economic justice. In this sense, the mindset that modern t...

By Christopher Ryan Maboloc, PhD A new born child should not be seen as a mouth to feed, but one who is a source of joy or basically, a blessing from God. This child, regardless of the emotions of his or her parents and the rationalizations of other peoplr, is a product of love. Our job as responsible citizens is to help create a happy society for this child, ensuring that this human being will be able to live the good life. Part of this task is economic, part of it rests in our ethical responsibilities. We do not live in an ideal world but we must face reality. Environmental degradation cannot be blamed on poor countries. The global rich treat poor countries as a source of raw materials, including cheap labor. Cobalt mining in the Congo kill people there and put thousands in abject misery, yet the Big Tech companies that use the mineral amass billions if not trillions of dollars in revenues annually, yet the advantage has been one-sided. The idea of sustainable progress or development...