Joel Licup

Filipino Geographer. Old soul. A centrist and romantic. Blue Isko

[Teddy B. Baguilat @TeddyBaguilatJr]

I watched the Kara David documentary, re Aetas in Subic. I can't stop thinking this:

Anong tingin ba talaga ng mga govt sa katutubo? Dekorasyon pag may okasyon, pero yung mga lupa nila pwedeng kunin, bakuran or tambakan?

See my full statement: https://t.co/jxC1qWvUOU

[Karen Davila @iamkarendavila]

Absolute disrespect for the Filipino people. What entitlement.

Mag-boycott tayo.
Huwag mag trabaho.
Hayaan natin ang mga nakabinbing panukala.

Mga senador, binabayaran kayo ng taumbayan. Pambabastos ito sa Pilipino.

[Leila de Lima @manayleila]

Excuse me, Sen. Robin. Huwag nyo nga akong gamitin sa baluktot nyong naratibo. Acquitted na ako sa hinarap kong mga gawa-gawang kaso. Napakalayo ng sitwasyon ko sa pinasakay mong fugitive from justice na si Sen. Bato.

Saka neutralizing drug lords talaga? Sabihin nya yan sa pamilya ng libo-libong biktima ng EJK. Ipaliwanag nya yan sa ICC.

[Chel Diokno @ChelDiokno]

Wow! Sana all may choices. 😒🙄

Yung ordinaryong Pilipino, walang option. Kinulong agad dahil napagkamalang nanlilimos.

Pero kapag makapangyarihang opisyal na may kasong plunder at graft, may pa-consultation muna?

Dapat patas ang proseso. Walang special treatment, walang VIP lane, walang batas na para lang sa mahihirap.

[red 🪽 @jpgmaloi]

can people stop bragging being apolitical? that’s not gonna make you look cool. apolitical sa panahon ngayon? sa sobrang gago ng gobyerno? paki-ayos po ng mga desisyon niyo sa buhay pls

[The Philippine Star @PhilippineStar]

The House of Representatives names the following lawmakers to serve as prosecutors in the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte:

Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro
Bukidnon Rep. Keith Flores
San Juan Rep. Bel Zamora
House Senior Deputy Majority Lorenz Defensor
Manila Rep. Joel Chua
ML partylist Rep. Leila de Lima
Akbayan Rep. Chel Diokno
Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon
1-Rider partylist Rep. Rodge Gutierrez
Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao
CDO Rep. Lordan Suan | via @daphnegalvez_

[ABC News @ABC]

Surveillance footage captured law enforcement running down hallways as they chased Philippine Senator Ronald dela Rosa inside the Senate building.

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant accusing Dela Rosa of crimes against humanity.

[ellie | be back in the uaap @_otbravelou]

wala ba kayong gc magkakapatid, jake? tangina ng mga kapatid mo.

[Int'l Criminal Court @IntlCrimCourt]

Situation in the #Philippines: #ICC judges unseal arrest warrant against Ronald Marapon Dela Rosa for alleged crime against humanity. Learn more ➡️https://t.co/an4cblhUMR

[Kiko Pangilinan @kikopangilinan]

Happy birthday po, former V. President Leni! 🙏

[Leila de Lima @manayleila]

Sa hinaba-haba ng prusisyon, sa dinami-dami ng pasakalye, sa pagsasara rin ang tuloy.

Nilatag pa bilang Independent Commission “for Infrastructure”, pero hanggang flood control lang pala ang titingnan — iilan pa nga lang ang naimbestigahan. Wala ring silbi ang ginawang livestreaming.

Having a lot on its plate, President Marcos Jr. just let ICI shut down instead of acting to certify as urgent our proposed ICAIC law, which would create a more independent, more fully equipped and empowered body to take over ICI.

Pinasara na itong ICI, tapos di na rin pinausad yung ICAIC bill. Ginawang priority raw, pero wala namang nangyayari.

Hinding-hindi natin ito dapat tantanan. Kasama ito sa sinisigaw ng taumbayan. Pagalawin nyo ang baso.

Otherwise, it is becoming clearer by the day that the public is just being taken for a ride, na paasa lang ang administrasyon sa pangako ng seryosong imbestigasyon at paanu-anunsyo pang may mga big fish na makukulong sa biggest corruption scam in our history. Hay naku, to say that we're disappointed is an understatement.

Mahiya naman ang administrasyong ito.

[Leila de Lima @manayleila]

Ang tunay na GIRL POWER 🌸✨

[Tony Leachon MD @DrTonyLeachon]

Why Would I Invest in the Philippines?

The honest answer from both capitalists and left‑leaning economists is increasingly the same: many won’t—because the fundamentals are deteriorating.

Investors consistently cite three structural barriers:

1. Corruption – now perceived as systemic, not incidental.
2. Bureaucracy – slow, inconsistent, and often discretionary.
3. Lack of timelines and blueprints – no predictable path for approvals, infrastructure, or policy continuity.

This is no longer just anecdotal. It is now reflected in investor behavior.

In the words of ECOP President Sergio Ortiz‑Luis Jr.,

“The investors we used to convince are getting fewer and fewer. Before, at PCCI, we entertained two or three delegations every week. Now, almost none. Almost none.”

On the other end of the political spectrum, IBON Foundation’s Sonny Africa paints the same picture of decline:

“As we enter the New Year, the headline should be this: 2 million more poor families since the start of the Marcos administration, 3.3 million more hungry families, and at least 1 million more unemployed.”

When groups that rarely agree—business chambers and left‑leaning think tanks—arrive at the same conclusion, the message is unmistakable: the Philippine economy underperformed in 2025 and faces serious structural weaknesses heading into 2026.

Investors look for stability, predictability, and integrity.
What they see instead is:

• A governance environment shaken by corruption scandals
• A bureaucracy unable to deliver timely outcomes
• A development agenda without clear timelines or credible execution
• Rising poverty, hunger, and unemployment
• Declining investor missions and shrinking confidence

The result is a country paying the price for unresolved governance failures.

Full story in the comments.

#TheSituationReport

#RelentlessForChange

[Jesus Falcis 🇵🇭 @jesusfalcis]

An except from Mayor Leni Robredo’s speech in Good Governance Summit: 💖

“Coming into the office, we inherited a constrained budget of just ₱1.8 Billion Pesos with ₱1.1 Billion allocated to salaries alone.

And only about ₱520 Million Pesos remaining for our essential programs after debt and utilities.

When I took office, we were just recovering from Typhoon Kristine’s devastation. Kung ano yung nangyayari ngayon sa Cebu, that is exactly what happened to us in Naga October 22 last year.

We faced double digit poverty and unemployement rates. Our infrastructure and social services need urgent attention.

With such limited resources, every peso lost to corruption is a peso stolen from our people’s future.

✅ This is why integrity is not just a principle. It is an economic imperative.

What defines Naga City is our collective commitment to good governance, a legacy my late husband Jessie Robredo championed when he was still a Mayor of the City.

And he believed that:

Sa Naga, ang pagpipigil lang sa corruption ay magsisimula sa pamahalaang tapat, bukas, at may integridad.”

———

Panuorin nyo yung buong video, link in the comments section below. Napaka comprehensive and inspiring.

#Accountability
#GoodGovernance

[ABS-CBN News @ABSCBNNews]

READ: The Archdiocese of Manila has mandated the praying of the Oratio Imperata for integrity, truth, and justice in all its churches.

The memo also orders a simultaneous ringing of bells every 8 p.m. starting on October 4, as a 'prophetic cry of indignation and outrage against the evil of corruption.'

(Courtesy: Archdiocese of Manila - Office of Communications/Facebook)

[News5 @News5PH]

REP. DE LIMA SA OVP BUDGET

Inamin ni Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima na pinaplano niya sanang i-move na magkaroon ng zero budget ang Office of the Vice President (OVP) dahil sa hindi pagdalo ni Vice Pres. Sara Duterte sa OVP budget deliberations sa Kamara.

"But after some mulling, reflections, out of courtesy and consideration to the personnel and staff of the OVP, I'm just thinking of moving for the decrease, let's say, for the retention of the MOOE and personnel services budget, and get rid of the operational budget of the office," giit ni de Lima.

"Agan, I will move at a proper time during the period of amendment for that. I hope that my colleagues will join me in that motion or amendment."

📷: House of Representatives

[Kiko Pangilinan @kikopangilinan]

I urge the ICI to reconsider this decision. Transparency is fundamental to public accountability. With all due respect, the decision of the ICI to prevent the public from monitoring its proceedings online is ill-advised. Please open your proceedings to the public. Do not test the people’s desire to know the truth. Baka magising ang mga miembro ng ICI bukas at nag ra-rally na ang tao sa harap ng mga bahay ninyo.

[Jia.Yoncériah @Jia_Rajiev]

The PH is very conservative but one of the biggest and most relevant/mainstream celebrities rn is a nonbinary queer person and the fact that Vice Ganda is at the forefront of Philippine media and he has been so consistent with his criticism of the political climate>>>

[Lora Baje @loraabaje]

Vice Ganda with a legacy speech.

These might be the best lines she has delivered in her career — not her usual punchlines, but a political speech.

She has every ‘K’ to do this — a top taxpayer and arguably the most influential celebrity today.

#TrillionPesoMarch

[ces @usrnces]

i think i've seen this film before....
#BahaSaLuneta