Normal ba talaga ang lahat ng ito, o nasanay na lang tayo? Kung ang mga dating hindi katanggap-tanggap ay ipinapalakpak na ngayon, panahon na para tanungin kung sino ang tunay na nagbago—ang mga lider ba o ang mga tagasuporta?
How to be an EX-CULTO? 😂
Kaya mananatili akong Katoliko. Kahit umalis ako or bumalik, open ang pinto para sa akin.
Ang hirap pala tumiwalag sa Iglesia ni Manalo. Pero feeling ko yung mga umalis, SOBRANG SAYA NILA.
"But Naga City is pulling off something that feels almost alien in the Philippines right now. They are actually giving people the receipts. With the launch of their new People’s Budget Portal, Naga is staging a quiet revolution against traditional patronage politics."
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To be honest, when most Filipinos hear the word "budget," our minds instantly go to the worst place. We think of the massive flood control scandals, billions of pesos lost to ghost infrastructure projects, and the never-ending drama over confidential funds and hidden congressional budget insertions.
We’re so used to public money vanishing into a black box that we just assume corruption is the default setting.
But Naga City is pulling off something that feels almost alien in the Philippines right now. They are actually giving people the receipts. With the launch of their new People’s Budget Portal, Naga is staging a quiet revolution against traditional patronage politics.
Instead of hiding the city’s billions behind 500-page accounting spreadsheets designed to make your eyes glaze over, this platform lays everything bare. It translates dense government spending into eight simple, real-world goals you can actually track from your phone.
Things like building decent homes, keeping the streets walkable, and fixing actual flood-prone areas before the money even gets approved.
The real kicker, though, is that it stops politicians from playing gatekeeper with public funds. In a country where people often have to beg local officials for medical assistance or community funds, Naga’s People’s Budget Ordinance legally mandates that citizens and local groups get a direct seat at the table to decide where the money goes.
It effectively moves power out of closed-door city hall meetings and hands it straight to ordinary residents.
To top it all off, the entire digital blueprint is open-source and completely free for any other municipality in the country to copy-paste. At a time when public trust in government spending is at an all-time low, Naga is proving that transparency isn't some impossible, expensive dream. It just takes a local government with the political courage to stop hiding the numbers.
- Gerry Cacanindin
📸 Leni Robredo
Thank you Sen Erwin for speaking the truth to confirm what I had thought all along was the real reason - bakit inamag at tuluyan nang napanis ang BRC partial report. Quo vadis, Philippine Senate?
Hi guys, Nutribun Republic here. Mahaba ito btw and will delete this. Anyway…
Sa tagal ko nang nagsusulat and doing political work behind the scenes through different fights and threats, let me say this casually:
WinRi works.
But it must be used with caution pa rin, syempre.
DEAN MEL STA. MARIA: SENATE LEADERSHIP CHANGE HAS THREE KEY ELEMENTS OF LEGITIMACY
Dean Mel Sta. Maria argued that the recent Senate leadership change carries three important elements of legitimacy within the country's political system.
Speaking on #TheSpokes, Sta. Maria cited jurisprudence, executive recognition, and control of the Senate floor as factors supporting the new majority. He said existing court decisions provide legal basis for the leadership shift, while recognition by the executive branch and possession of the plenary floor further reinforce its legitimacy.
Watch the full episode on #TheSpokes.