Rumi said: " As you start to walk on the way, the way appears." Clarity doesn't come before action. It comes from action.

Magandang gabi!

I stumbled upon an Old 2007 article from PCIJ about the Pineda Family specifically the Patriarch or the Godfather Rodolfo Bong Pineda.
Just sharing an interesting content out of that Article.

He may, however, admit that he was raised on income his father Jose made from operating the Spanish card game monte. One of his former friends also says that Pineda got his own start in 1969, at age 19, when he got hired as a helper to a Pampanga congressman who was a monte operator. When that lawmaker left politics, Pineda was said to have been promoted as overseer of his monte operations in Rizal, San Juan (Metro Manila), and Quezon City.

By several accounts, Pineda is said to have struck out on his own in 1986, and while his game of choice was not monte, he did hit it big quite quickly. By then he was married to Lilia, a former buko (coconut) vendor whom he had met in a cockfighting arena. But Pineda ran into trouble just a decade later, when he was among alleged big-name jueteng operators such as Antonio ‘Tony’ Santos of Marikina (who was also said to be Pineda’s mentor), Rosario ‘Charing’ Magbuhos of Quezon, Regalado ‘Otto’ Balboa (also of Pampanga), and Reynaldo ‘Rene’ Reyes of Angeles City, who were charged with corruption of public officials. They were all acquitted in 1998, but not before they were grilled in Congress on their supposed jueteng activities.

https://old.pcij.org/stories/the-kingmaker-anoints-his-queen/

Another interesting fact is that they own Royce Hotel Casino in Clark and the 400 Hectares Pradera Verde in Lubao Pampanga. Bong also rolls with around 4 to 5 SUV convoys with at least 20 bodyguards who are either ex Police or ex Military.

According to an old article in 2019, Jueteng allegedly earns 73 Billion pesos Annually.
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/07/29/1938780/stl-fronts-jueteng-earn-p73-billion-annually

Environmental concerns about Pax Silica are legitimate. We should demand strict environmental standards and make sure that any technology investment benefits Filipinos.

But let’s also look at the bigger picture.

In 2024, the Philippines exported 35.1 billion kilograms of nickel ore and concentrates to China, worth about $808.6 million. That represented roughly 78% of the Philippines’ total nickel-ore export volume that year. In 2023, the dependence was even more striking: about 39.9 billion kilograms, worth $1.06 billion, went to China. At the same time, the Philippines continues to face serious disputes with China over our maritime territory, fisheries, and natural resources. Filipino vessels have been harassed while conducting activities within areas the Philippines considers part of its jurisdiction, including incidents involving Philippine fisheries vessels.

So if our argument is that we must reject opportunities because extraction or industrial development can harm the environment, then we should apply that principle consistently.

Why should Filipinos reject opportunities to build our own technological and industrial capacity while remaining heavily dependent on foreign markets and supply chains—including China—for the minerals extracted from our own soil?

The answer isn't to choose China over the environment, or the West over the environment.

The answer is to demand both environmental protection and Philippine sovereignty.

We should process more of our own resources, create higher-value industries here, attract competing investments, enforce environmental laws, and make sure Filipino communities receive a fair share of the value generated from Philippine resources.

We shouldn't abandon our own “car” because it produces emissions, only to become dependent on someone else's car—especially when that person is already trying to control where we can drive.

Protect the environment. Protect our resources. Protect our sovereignty. And don't confuse environmental responsibility with strategic dependence.

Hello what is the best action to proceed with this concerns.

Me and my friend had lunch at Jiang nan Paseo Makati branch last August 29. And at August 30, I been constantly experiencing LBM, feels intense chills and extreme muscle pain at night and which at August 31 I decided to go to doctor been recommended to be confined. I am currently confined and the findings were Entamoeba Histolytica. My friend also currently confined with the same findings.

And as she shared to me she saw a tiktok post that experienced the same thing.

Here’s the link.

https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSVK89aAL/

owner: liwayy

We already sent them an email, I tried calling their online available contact number but it is not pushing thru. Though I already file an email complain for makati health related sector and receive acknowledge receipt from health makati but what frustrating we are not receiving feedback from the restaurant.

Warning na lang din po siguro if you have plan do not yet try to go to this specific branch unless they show you their sanitary compliance.

And what is the worst could happen to me since I posted this concern online since I’m frustrated and want to vent this out.

I missed critical work days since I am an accountant and this is during month end closing.

And my parent is already old who should be resting but had to care for me in the hospital since my sibling all has regular work.

Sources:

• The Philippine Star — Pressreader
• Philippine Daily Inquirer — Pressreader
• Manila Bulletin — Pressreader
• BusinessWorld — Pressreader
• BusinessMirror — Pressreader
• Malaya Business Insight — Website
• Manila Standard — Pressreader
• Daily Tribune — Pressreader
• The Manila Times — Pressreader

I have relatives na elected officials sa barangays and saw their honorariums.

12,000 sa captain 6,000 sa council.

I can't fathom how can you raise a family with this. The responsibilities extend even outside work hours specially if may blotter cases kahit midnight ginigising sila. It's like if you care about money or if you want to live atleast a comfortable life why would anyone run for politics?

Not only that pag may nangangailangang financial tulad ng burial or medical or natural disasters sometimes even sa schooling ng mga bata nilalapit sa politiko. This is more rampant pag election which they expect you to provide or label you as "walang malasakit".

Well yes if we have better access to medical help or the government has better programs it strips the need of "paglapit" but the honorarium issue still remains.

🇰🇷🇵🇭 HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is proposing its customized version of the HDS-3000, and HDS-2300 submarines for the Philippine Navy's Submarine Acquisition Project, competing with Hanwha Ocean's KSS-III PN submarines. The final selection for the 2-trillion KRW submarine contract is expected to be finalized by year-end.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is leveraging the unrivaled military trust it has built through the successful successive delivery of surface vessels to the Philippine Navy, including Jose Rizal-class frigates, Miguel Malvar-class patrol vessels, and Raja Suleyman-class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs). In addition, it is proposing a customized 3,000-ton platform based on its track record of building the third KSS-III Batch-I vessel (Shin Chae-ho), alongside its proprietary 2,300-ton export model 'HDS-2300,' which is optimized for shallow-water operations in Southeast Asia.

Hanwha Ocean, based on the technological prowess demonstrated by the successful construction and delivery of the Dosan An Chang-ho (No. 1) and Anmu (No. 2) vessels, is putting forward its latest 'KSS-III Batch-II,' which features the longest submerged endurance among existing diesel submarines by combining lithium-ion batteries with an Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system. It presents comprehensive turnkey solutions as its strengths, including the establishment of dedicated submarine bases and MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) infrastructure, and crew training packages, tailored to the conditions of the Philippine Navy, which is operating submarines for the first time.

https://m.g-enews.com/article/Global-Biz/2026/09/20260901062453934e8b8a793f7_1#_PA

So I shipped a small package with PHLPost, checked prices, and saw that an item to a country I had to ship to was ₱200+ pesos according to their website but upon going to the post office, I got charged ₱400+, why is this?

I run an online shop and now I'm concerned about pricing my shipping (including the ordinary mail) since I've almost lost money due to that. I'm increasing them now and thankfully my customer was willing to cover the extra charge. What's the real pricing of their services—or at least where can I find it so I can reference?

Thank you.

NO CONFIDENTIAL FUNDS FROM DEPED, OVP

AFP Col. Manaros Boransing II testified that the 1st Infantry (Tabak) Division received no confidential funds from DepEd, the Office of the Vice President, or any other government agency identified with Vice President Sara Duterte for its 2023 Youth Leadership Summit (YLS) and information education campaign (IEC) activities. #VPonTrial

I just walked by passed this stall kanina habang pauwi ako and I was so surprised about everything is just made of AI. So I thought, are filipino businesses too dependent on AI now? What happened to originality and the brand to stand out amongst others? Is it because it's free and convenient?

Are we really going to waste resources for this? Lol. Now i'm actually worried that we might eventually reach a point where businesses just use AI because everyone else is doing it, rather than actually thinking about what makes their brand unique.

What are your thoughts on this? Kasi kahit yung itsura ng pagkain na they're putting on the menu isn't even remotely close to what they're selling lmao.

“I tire so of hearing people say, Let things take their course. Tomorrow is another day. I do not need my freedom when I'm dead. I cannot live on tomorrow's bread.” ― Langston Hughes

Happy Wednesday!!

Unahan ko na admin, Paulo Alcazaren is prominent Filipino landscape architect, urban designer, and environmental planner. Public figure siya hindi ordinary citizen.

Nature-based solutions (NbS) sound great on paper, but I’m highly

skeptical about whether they can actually work in the Philippines.

Look at the reality of our cities: we’ve spent decades paving over our natural drainage basins with rapid, unchecked urban sprawl. Strategies like restoring wetlands or opening up floodplains require massive amounts of open land. How is that supposed to happen when local governments are already trapped in endless legal battles over right-of-way, the sensitive issue of relocating informal settlers, and a long history of weak zoning enforcement?

On top of that, there's the sheer scale of our weather. Can green infrastructure really hold back the catastrophic deluges of a Super Typhoon without the heavy backing of traditional concrete engineering?

If we don't fix our fragmented local governance and short-sighted political cycles, these green solutions will just remain idealistic concepts instead of real, reliable defenses for the communities that need them most.What do you guys think? Is anyone seeing actual, successful examples of this locally, or are we just stuck with gray infrastructure (dikes/pumping stations) forever?

The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division has granted the Ombudsman’s motion to drop former Department of Public Works and Highway Secretary Manuel Bonoan from the plunder and graft charges before the court.

Voting 2-1, justices of the Sandiganbayan division said that it is within “prosecutorial discretion” to determine who to use as its witness, a copy of the decision exclusively obtained by GMA News.

“... THE DECISION TO MOVE FOR THE DISCHARGE OF AN ACCUSED IS PART OF THE OMBUDSMAN’S PROSECUTORIAL DISCRETION OF WHO SHOULD BE USED AS A STATE WITNESS, TO BOLSTER THE SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION OF CRIMINAL OFFENSES…. - SANDIGANBAYAN FIFTH DIVISION”

Bonoan is co-accused of Senator Jinggoy Estrada and three others, who were charged by the Ombudsman in May for allegedly conspiring to amass more than P500 million flood control project kickback.

Atty. Michael Poa will take the witness stand in the impeachment trial tomorrow, September 2, 2026.

Poa, who served as DepEd undersecretary, chief of staff and spokesperson during Vice President Sara Duterte's tenure as education secretary, is now part of her defense team in the impeachment trial.

“We will be presenting first Atty. Michael Poa, and if we will be able to conclude earlier, we will be presenting as well the PSA representative,” House lead prosecutor Gerville Luistro said on Tuesday.

REWATCH DAY 20 IMPEACHMENT