Embracing language diversity in the Philippines

(Note: The post should have been published during the Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa last August 2016 as part of a two or three-part series. Apologies for the delay.) The Philippines at present uses Filipino and English as official languages. However since then, it has become the topic of various debates, on whether Filipino is just

Proposals for a federal government

(image courtesy of CNN Philippines) With the Duterte administration yet to fulfill its promises of shifting to a federal system, and the never-ending debates on whether we should initiate such a shift, please let us lay out own proposals for reform. A ceremonial presidency with some reserve powers The president will remain the nominal head

My Take: How to effectively counter a potential ouster plot

With social media abuzz with the so-called #LeniLeaks, i.e. the supposed exchange of messages between journalists working for 2 respectable media institutions, leaders of overseas Filipino groups, and the office of the second highest position in the land. If these are verified, as some top Duterte apologists (Thinking Pinoy, Sass Rogando Sasot, and others) allege,

New friends, new partners

(The Russian Navy anti-submarine ship Admiral Tributz, as photographed, docked in Manila for a four-day goodwill visit. Photo courtesy of CNN Philippines.) One of the first major stories of the year is the  four-day goodwill visit of the Russian Navy in Manila in an effort to expand contact and relations. This has culminated a long-standing

Banat Top 5 for 2016

With this blog barely a year old and due my relatively busy schedule (coupled with a penchant for procrastination), we have not been able to post that much content, but we would like to end the year with the top 5 issues that we feel  made a lot of impact. 5. Geopolitical earthquakes one after

Why not a new trade bloc with Latin America?

(Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte shaking hands with Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kucyznski during the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Lima, Peru last November 18-20, 2016. Photo credits: Philstar) As part of the Philippines’ ongoing push to pursue a foreign policy independent from the West, we would like to suggest why don’t we consider establishing stronger

The Singaporean model and its applicability in the Filipino setting

(Apologies for the quite low-quality capture of the iconic Merlion.) In most political forums (most especially those advocating for a shift to a parliamentary form of government), you’ll see how the Philippines is being compared to Singapore, from internet speeds, implementation of laws, how disciplined the people are, how modern the infrastructure is (road, rail,

Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa (Part 1): Language vs. Dialect

Over time, this has become a point of contention, and despite efforts to rectify this long-standing misnomer it is still being perpetuated by media and schools, that is calling all the major languages in the country (other than Tagalog) as “dialects”. We shall dedicate this post in rebuking this narrative. When we say it is

#CHexit: Ano na ngayon ang gagawin natin?

Kahapon, July 12, ay nailabas na ng Permanent Court of Arbitration ang ruling nito na kung saan ay pinanigan nito ang Pilipinas, na siyang malinaw na indikasyon na walang legal na basehan ang 9-dash line ng China. Pero matapos mailabas ang ruling na ito ay iginiit ng China na hindi nila susundin ang desisyong ito

Taiwan-PH relations in 2016: A possible thawing?

There could be a potential thawing of relations between the Philippines and Taiwan this 2016, given the fact that both countries held presidential elections, won by Rodrigo Duterte and Tsai Ing-wen, respectively, and the overall situation in the region which was marked by increased Chinese activity in the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea, thus straining