Category Archives: current events

Obstruction

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Yesterday morning, my neighbors’ cars were towed by the MMDA traffic patrol for obstruction of sidewalks. My neighbors’ landlady was so angry about the whole commotion, telling the traffic patrol group that they were not illegally parked because that was a designated parking area for her tenants. The problem, however, is that the parking slots were too short so the SUVs parked there ate up the sidewalk. So the video here showed some of my neighbors’ SUVs being towed away.

Whooops! They were towed again today.

Good thing I was parked inside the compound after my car repairs were done.

Meanwhile, the new national security advisor of Marcos Jr wants the US, Europe, and Japan to impose a trade embargo on us with her pronouncements. The witch.

As a lawyer-friend said: “You can’t possibly be neutral if you’re pivoting to one belligerent. The principal right of the neutral nation is that of inviolability; its principal duties are those of abstention and impartiality (the Hague III, Art 2, law on neutrality).”

The problem with these narcissists is that they think we are among the big guys that whatever we do has weight. Nope, we’re just mosquitos and trade embargoes will kill us.

I’ve loaded the food and drinks at the back of the car, the fins and snorkel sets, and the diving buoy. I’m busy packing now but my bossy cat, Kimchi, doesn’t want me to go.

Look at that angry face, Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I thought I could bring the bikes with us since we would be heading straight to my hometown after this. Nope. Our stuff wouldn’t fit.

Which brings me to the point that a sedan wouldn’t really do us any good since we usually go for outdoor stuff. We do a lot of driving and Philippine provincial roads do not play nice with cars with low clearance.

I saw this displayed at SM Marikina earlier this week and I thought it was roomy enough for us.

The two backseat rows fold flat for cargo, which is great because I haul bikes, a piano, and some furniture. More frequently than average people. Since I’m moving back to my hometown, I guess my sister-in-law and my nephew would be tagging along with us more often because my brother is lazy and doesn’t like driving.

But then again, this is the wrong time to be thinking about this. Probably when we have finally settled in our own home and we have emerged from the recession, I will revisit this Toyota Avanza.

I must finish packing.

Food crisis

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We’re back to 1970s-kind of crisis, when petroleum had to be rationed and many children became malnourished.

I just received this press release from UNCTAD that released all my gastric juices and sent me to the bathroom. This was embargoed overnight and I was only able to tweet this later today.

UNCTAD brief: We are on the brink of the most severe global cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

UNCTAD: the current food crisis may rapidly turn into a food catastrophe of global proportions in 2023.

This is something that people tend to overlook: accessibility of food.

With supply chain issues and protectionism on the rise many worldwide will go hungry.

The World Bank earlier said that we are entering the 1970s-style stagflation. Will we see petroleum rationing and Nutribun again? https://lnkd.in/dciC32kS OMG, it is really a throwback to Marcos Sr era. WTF have we done to ourselves?

My siblings and I are chatting (via FB Messenger) about this statement by World Bank that we are entering a state of global stagflation. (And yeah, we are weird like that. We discuss marcoeconomy like we’re a bunch of experts—but then my sister is an economist and a consultant at FAO and my brother is also a nationally recognized economist whom my peers call for comments/soundbites on the economy). Anyway, there were questions whether it is smart of BSP to raise policy rates in small increments instead of going for the jugular with I-mean-business rate hikes. My brother said calibrated hikes are better for a fragile economy like ours.

You know, this is the reason why many journalists are alcoholic, in therapy, or have gastrointestinal problems. Aside from the daily stress of chasing stories and meeting deadlines, we are always the bearer of bad news like this and we can’t help but internalize the news we write. The problem of the world/the country is our problem. We can’t just tune out the bad news because that’s our job. 🙄

My mom and I will be talking about this while we bask under the sun this weekend (in true bourgeois fashion). We have to pool our funds and see how we can help the most vulnerable who need our help.

And in true bourgeois fashion, my new iPad case and keyboard that I ordered from Lazada have arrived today. It transformed my tablet that I mainly use for flicking through Pinterest and watching videos on Youtube and Netflix into a lighter laptop alternative.

Yep, it has RGB backlight. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I have too many screens now. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

So I will be leaving my Lenovo laptop (which seldom sees action) at home when we go gallivanting in Batangas and just bring this with me. It is lighter and more compact and has longer battery life. I don’t expect to write stories or edit while I’m on my break but I have to be prepared ALWAYS.

I have already downloaded MS Outlook and installed our office email and all the security authentication app that my office requires. Our IT guys are now confused why I have so many equipment registered with them (as I just upgraded my mobile phone unit this week). If I need to edit, I will edit in Outlook itself.

Anyway, I will totally avoid working or even responding to emails during my holiday. It’s good for my mental health.

I will just probably use the keyboard to write on my blog. It’s sometimes hard to blog on my phone if I feel like writing long entries.

Ahhh my cats would have to wait for days again until I come back.

My ridiculous Kimchi. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Only one more working day tomorrow!!! ❤️ then I will be packing my diving buoy, sunscreen, long flippers, and my new Speedo swimsuit that just arrived yesterday.

A dose of Vitamin Sea is just what my doctor ordered.

I need to shake off the sadness and insecurity that enveloped me this week. As my colleague-friend asked, why do you still think about him? I said, I don’t know. She said, “it’s not good for you.” Don’t I know it?

But I’m getting better. Better things will be coming.

Bye-bye freewheeling money

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Lifted from a LinkedIn post.

I really don’t understand this metric. This is used by companies wanting unrealistic valuation and investors bit the bullet because…they need to close a deal and show their LPs that they’re doing “something”.

Now that startups and even the unicorns and listed tech companies are laying off people by the thousands (I just edited a story about this in Asia a few weeks ago) as funding dries up and investors begin to see reason. Gone are the days when Uber and WeWork burn money like it’s growing on trees. Things are so bad right now that those who have jumped from their stable jobs to hustle on their startups are seeing doors close on them. Cost of money is rising, with inflation hitting multiple-year record highs, hence, we see central banks looking through their tool kits to stem possible runaway inflation. Investors are now turning off the tap and begin to be more selective in their deals. Companies that I’ve talked to are preferring cash over anything else these days.

Just today, Philippines Statistics Authority reported that last month’s inflation rate was the highest in four years at 5.4%, from 4.9% in April. Gone were the days when I was reporting inflation rate at 1%, T-bills at near-zero levels, and very loose policy rates (which was boring us to tears) that banks and insurance companies were looking at alternative investment vehicles in search of higher yields.

As it stands, inflation is emerging as a big headache for the incoming administration of President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who is yet to reveal his full economic plans for the country.

The BSP is racing to control prices and has already made its first decisive action to fight inflation last month by hiking rates for the first time in three years. Diokno, who will cut short his term as BSP governor to join the Marcos cabinet as finance secretary, hinted at another rate hike in June.

Philippine Star

I feel bad for my brother, who is trying to close a housing loan with PS Bank and he has been racing against time. If he can’t close the loan (because the Register of Deeds is slow in releasing the title), he has to work again on the loan with higher rates for the townhouse he is trying to buy.

This situation will squeeze small and medium enterprises with existing loans; if they don’t have fixed-rate loans, then this will hurt them so much.

Recession is very much in the offing.

I just bought vegetables and a few oranges last night and I spent PhP 1,200 that is good for four people for a week. And that’s not even the same amount of vegetables I used to buy six months or a year ago.

It hurts a middle class citizen like me but I’m luckier that I can still spend for “frivolous needs” like wheel alignment and clothes shopping because my children got bigger again and no longer fit in their clothes I bought a few months ago.

Clothes and and sandals shopping at SM tonight
Having my car’s wheels aligned and steering wheel straightened out this afternoon
Photos by CallMeCreation.com

This, however, is a different story for those who belong to the lower economic strata who can barely budget their PHP 570-a-day minimum wage, which includes costly transport costs. It’s no wonder why people still gravitate towards the long queues at MRT and EDSA Carousel buses because right now these are still free. Filipinos could no longer afford basic transportation costs.

I have to be selective with the face-to-face meetings because petroleum is so precious right now. I had filled up my tank (which was already half-full) tonight for around PHP 1,700, which a year ago would be enough to fill up my car from near-empty.

Despite the high cost of driving your own car, people like me bite the bullet because there are no Grab cars (heard they decommissioned a lot of Grab cars because they’re older than 5 years already), the queues in MRT and buses are out of this world, and the traffic is much worse than pre-pandemic levels.

We are in a fucking transportation crisis.

Metro Manila is no longer livable.

I had been living here full-time for more than 20 years and I can see how things have deteriorated over time. I can’t wait to move back to my hometown (even if that means I lose my autonomy because I will be nearer my siblings who can poke their heads into my business) because I’m so tired of the drive. The driving time of my brother and mine were the same last Saturday. His 70 km vs my 14 km both for 1.5 hrs. This is really absurd.

Manic Monday

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Starting the Monday with a full to-do list. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

When I dedicate one entire screen for my music, I mean business.

I didn’t even stop for breaks today. I had my weekly call with the team, then non-stop editing and I still had to write my own story that I must publish by hook or by crook tomorrow. Or else I would be taken over by events.

Then my requests for interviews have been trickling back to me and I have to schedule my interviews away from my week-long break. My brain was so exhausted today that I fell asleep at around 6:30 pm trying to book a Zennya massage. And that of course didn’t go well.

Sushi, sleeping ON my clothes while I slept beside her.

I woke up with Sushi beside me on my bed. She just loves my stuff and my smell. They feel comforted that I’m just around. Although they aren’t the lovey-dovey cats that I see on social media, I know my cats love me especially when they meow like crazy to be let in my room or when I arrive home from somewhere. It’s like they’re scolding me, “Where have you been?!”

I’m still here at my table trying to write my to-do list tomorrow since I know I will be editing multiple stories again and I must respond to emails that have long been forgotten in my mailbox. My Gmail has 8,000 unread emails and who knows when I will be able to clear that. My Outlook has 1,329 unread emails that I need to clear soon, too. My Yahoo has like 10,000+ emails that I think I will never be able to clear. Those are mostly press releases and newsletter subscriptions from way back.

I need to sort through my receipts because some of those carry warranties. I don’t know how they fitted in my wallet but they did. 🤔

Meanwhile in our daily news…

Like what the hell? Erwin Tulfo does not have any…🙄 Never mind. I’m done. Just done. I’m skipping most of the news these days and I haven’t checked FB much because the level of toxicity is beyond what I can endure daily.

I need to bike tomorrow to let off steam. Even if it rains.

Shit hits the fan

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After reading the news…

Twin I: Wait, whut? We’re bankrupt?

Me: In the loosest term, yes.

We have a debt overhang, in trillions, while the incoming president of this fucked up country doesn’t want to pay his taxes in billions of pesos.

We don’t have any money anymore for the next six months.

We’re so fucked up that the outgoing finance chief says we’re in dire straits that we need more tax measures because we can no longer borrow.

Then this monster did this:

My journo chat group is on fire. Other news orgs are no longer welcome, only crony media and bloggers/vloggers paid by Marcos himself like unTh*king P*noy, who says FDI is capped at 40%. (The idiot doesn’t know the difference between foreign direct investments and foreign ownership which are completely different 🙄).

So now we are all banned from government briefings. So we all had put our heads together and we now have an action plan that I can’t even write about here in case some stranger ends up here.

I can’t even… And my boss was messaging me, asking me about Philippine trends now and I need to chase gov’t investment plans, infra projects, and new regulations. 🤬

One of the journos in the chat group said maybe GMA was included to give legitimacy to crony media like SMNI and Net25. I said no, GMA is claimed by Imee Marcos. She filed her claims before the SEC in 2007, I was there. She said the shares owned by the Duavits are shares held on behalf of the Marcoses while they were in exile. That’s why she filed for an invalidation of GMA’s IPO.

My bff L, who is not even a reporter, messaged me, “The news are exhausting, right?” And I said, “I can’t even turn off news because I’m a reporter 😭”

And this idiot doesn’t know what a Solicitor General is! OMG!

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=5302927769766274&id=100001473114871

Hell.

I asked for a break from my manager. So I’m no longer going to Singapore next week because our other Manila reporter will be flying to Bohol for a break. Then the following week, I will be the one taking a break. Screw conferences.

So I was telling bff L that maybe we need to get away for a while and stare into nothing. Here, I found the perfect place:

At mountainlake.ph (Caliraya)

For days like this, you need 90 proof drinks

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Patron Silver and the shot glasses I’ve downed this lunch time. 90 proof (45% alcohol). Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Things are so bad that press conferences come with alcoholic drinks because our hosts know how stressed we are right now. Twitter has made every reporter I know depressed today with a series of bad news after bad news, the primary one is having an incoming press secretary who is a lawyer suspended by the Supreme Court and her only claim to fame is being a fake news peddler VLOGGER/blogger. She red-tags people and is very hostile to media.

During Duterte’s admin, I have experienced being unwelcomed by the government as we legit reporters were not given seats in a national economic conference while the bloggers like uTh*king P*noy are given a special section where they can write and tweet inanities. These people who just add GDP cumulatively and declare that Duterte will end his admin with a 45% GDP growth 🙄 These people who cannot make heads or tails of FDI, stock market, mergers and acquisitions, and benchmark interest rates. I had to write my stories on the floor on those days despite my being in business clothes. That’s how bad it was.

My group chat has been on fire today. Marcos is putting hostile people in place to barricade us to prevent transparency and truth.

A lot of my friends and colleagues said they have turned off Twitter today due to the series of WTF stories coming out.

At UCC. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Despite downing a couple of shots of Patron, one of the strongest tequilas known to the market, I didn’t get tipsy. But just to be safe, I went down from the hotel where we had the lunch briefing to have coffee and work.

My laptop bag with cat scratches. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I wasn’t really productive today but I was able to secure an interview with an Indonesian company for one of my reporters. I’m a generous boss; I farm out the things that land on my plate and I do not hog them for myself. Besides, I should be doing more value-added things like big scoops and more global/regional stories so I shouldn’t be doing small stories that suck up my time.

Sketch. Art and photo by CallMeCreation.com
At UCC. Art and photo by CallMeCreation.com

But I’m so brain-dead now that I could not pull up my watercolors to finish this sketch. Perhaps tomorrow when I’m in the zone?

My friend from my old TV network told me he wants to quit now and join corporate. I told him, he better jump now when the offer still stands because the threat of the incoming justice secretary is serious. It’s martial law all over again, closing down independent media and promoting crony media like SNI (owned by a Duterte ally wanted by the US FBI for sex trafficking and other offenses) and Net25 (Iglesia ni Cristo station).

Oh WTF.