or “Beans Of Thought”
By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA BULAN, Sorsogon, Philippines (JGL) – In 1943, the Japanese Imperial Army started building an airport in a small sitio of Bulan, Sorsogon so their soldiers can easily escape if General MacArthur were to return with his… Read More ›
by jun asuncion Cleaning government institutions of corrupt officials through legal measure such as impeachment is like cremating old habits in our political culture that hinder the progress of the Philippines. Impeachment is only possible in a democracy since it is an… Read More ›
by jun asuncion It was like a chess championship match with the brave sacrificing act of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima leading to the checkmate of GMA. The thrill reached its peak as GMA attempted to flee from her impending checkmate – using her ailment… Read More ›
by jun asuncion The MILF’s walloping of the AFP last October that killed 19 marines and wounded many has sent a shockwave to global Filipinos. It was such a lamentable loss should not really happen in modern warfare. This carnage showed us again the loopholes in our armed forces… Read More ›
by jun asuncion On its face value, the resignation is a good example for others to follow who have served the Arroyo machinery of deceit for the last nine years. As there are still many of them in the… Read More ›
by jun asuncion Brain drain is a fact. That we still have brilliant brains in the Philippines is also a fact. Among such brains I have considered are Senator Escudero and Senator Legarda. But it seems that intelligence is something and motivation… Read More ›
JGL Eye By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA CHICAGO (jGLi) – When I was covering the mayor’s offices of Rizal province in the Philippines in the seventies, I was pleasantly surprised to see a mayor of Antipolo in near tears when I… Read More ›
by Oliver Geronilla Taking a stroll down memory lane always makes me smile. I smile for all the things I did in the past—both good and bad. March and April are special months. They are the months when graduations are… Read More ›
A personal note, written primarily for my relatives and for those interested in child psychology. Way back in the 1980’s, during my college years in Manila, my favorite psychology subjects were psychological testing (psychometrics), projective techniques, psychopathology, mental hygiene, theories of personality, experimental… Read More ›
by jun asuncion Or let me say, if I may ask you. By chance, I read yesterday that the 18-year-old, fresh high-school graduate Alexandra Mills of Lousville, USA, won the Miss World beauty pageant. This reminded me of our… Read More ›
by jun asuncion This post is not intended as an academic work but just my personal thoughts on this Independence Day and as my reply to a comment on my earlier post Strengths And Weaknesses Of The Filipino… Read More ›
by jun asuncion Part I: Notes of a silent traveller. It seems that I was not alone who went home to capture the election “fever” in the Philippines. I was in Bulan for actually just two full days (May 4-5)… Read More ›
by jun asuncion Post-Easter Reflections Accused, convicted and resurrected- three events in the life of Jesus at the end of his earthly existence. But before disappearing, He made a new covenant with men, a covenant of peace and love, of moral uprightness… Read More ›
by jun asuncion Part I I. Bulan Observers and Social Change Social change comes in different ways, from different directions, tools- and even distances. The “mighty pen” is one of the most economical tools for social change but its… Read More ›
By Oliver Geronilla Most of the columns that I write for dailies and the articles that I turn in here at BO dwell on empirical matters that reflect our current state of affairs including, of course, my… Read More ›
by jun asuncion Transparency and accountability are two things that are so earthly. You don’t blame the universe if it’s hard for people on Earth in responsible governmental positions to cultivate these two qualities while in office and having access… Read More ›
by jun asuncion Today’s condensed thoughts while reading the write-ups of Mr. Guim, Mr. Geronilla and Mayor Helen De Castro. On Chess and Politics. Up to a certain point, chess and politics do fit together because they both are concerned… Read More ›
by jun asuncion To Bulan Observers We always enjoy constructive discussion or criticism for it leads us to improvement or stimulate our thinking- as opposed to discussion or criticism that is closed, no substance, undifferentiated, egoistic and even… Read More ›
by Oliver Geronilla The power to communicate effectively and wisely sets us apart from our primitive roots, but it’s the ability to understand and respond pragmatically and strategically that clearly makes us truly civilized. Last year, BO readers… Read More ›
by jun asuncion The year 2010 is finally here- and lucky are those who survived because 2009 was a year of calamities and human tragedies for the Filipinos. Still, the tired Filipinos have the right to wish for a better… Read More ›
by jun asuncion I have always considered the teachings of Jesus Christ not only as a philosophy of morals but also of transcendentalism, Jesus being the first transcendentalist, way back earlier than the German philosopher Immanuel Kant who had maintained… Read More ›
by jun asuncion It’s impressive this Culture Of Honesty among ordinary Bulaneños and interesting how it supports the findings of the Reader’s Digest Global Honesty Test conducted last 2007 wherein Manila placed 5th among other world cities tested (see report… Read More ›
by jun asuncion The two super typhoons that went through and above the Philippines have reminded us again of our human vulnerability, but this time with such an intensity that hundreds of thousands of our countrymen were displaced from… Read More ›
jun asuncion “There is a family that live adjacent to the property. When my nephew planted the vegetables and were almost a foot tall, these people had their little children (ages 8-12) went over the fence and trampled on… Read More ›
(Or, Rediscovering Apolinario Mabini) by jun asuncion “… Political dynasty is also subject to natural death as history has shown us: it dies due to lack of next generation that will continue it or the shift in interest or lack of energy… Read More ›
Bulan Observer 