‘I’m leaving on a jet plane at the taxpayers’ expense’

“If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done.”

—Thomas Jefferson

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

TO prevent scandal and suspicion, government officials traveling abroad on official business should avoid posting visual media of tourist attractions on social media.

Many people have dirty minds. And they are cruel in their criticism.

Critics may perceive that these officials spent the majority of their time visiting upscale and elegant foreign attractions, regardless of whether they accomplished their primary objectives.

I know of one government official who had never traveled abroad in his life and quickly became a “junketer” once appointed to office.

A “junketer” is a person who regularly or habitually goes on a junket—a pleasure trip or excursion taken under the guise of official business, work, or study, typically funded by someone else such as a government body, corporation, or organization.

Why wouldn't he, seeing that he didn’t spend a penny of his own money on any of his foreign travels? In fact, some junketers even profited from reimbursements for “expenses” they allegedly “incurred” during those trips.

 

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In his heyday, this appointed government official’s social media accounts regularly featured his foreign trips, which were of course mostly junkets.

Every now and then, he was abroad “attending international technical conferences, participating in specialized training, or sharing expertise with foreign civil services,” among other reasons and purposes.

Other justifications given by junketers: they were “negotiating trade agreements, attracting foreign investment, opening export markets, and representing commercial interests through agencies like the Department of Commerce.”

Also, they were “conducting bilateral or multilateral negotiations, representing the country at international summits, and meeting with foreign counterparts to build alliances or resolve conflicts.”

Overseas travel is supposed to be strictly regulated by guidelines from the Office of the President and agency rules.

Because there is no fixed numerical limit on the total number of foreign trips available to Philippine government officials, many appointed and elected government officials continue to go on junkets.

 

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A junket is a trip taken for pleasure or entertainment—often at the expense of an employer, a government, or a sponsor—though the word also historically refers to a simple milk dessert.

It is considered an excursion or travel taken by a politician, official, or employee that is paid for using public funds or outside money. This usage often carries a negative or disapproving tone implying the trip is unnecessary or a disguised vacation.

Even the Sandiganbayan, which is supposed to be the role model in frugality, was recently called out for failing to justify with proper documentation its expenses related to overseas trips of its justices and personnel, as well as organizing events in four-star and five-star venues across the country.

The Commission on Audit (COA) has reported in its annual audit report for the anti-graft court in 2025 on its website the “granting and liquidation of CAs (cash advances) for official foreign travels of Sandiganbayan officials and employees for CY (calendar year) 2025, totaling P11,869,847.98, were not fully supported with complete documentary requirements.”

 

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The amount was reportedly disbursed for seven foreign trips – mostly conferences and training—to the US state of Missouri; Victoria, Australia; Budapest, Hungary; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Doha in Qatar and Singapore from September to December 2025, according to the COA report.

It reportedly noted that the costliest trips were the ones in Hungary at over P2.5 million, Dubai at over P1.88 million and Singapore at over P1.82 million.

The COA reported: “Review of the above-listed CAs revealed that the documentary requirements for granting the said CAs such as: (a) letters of invitation; (b) plane fare quotations and (c) flight itineraries were not submitted.”

Over P7.1 million lacked narrative reports from the total amount of over P11.8 million.

(The author is based in New York City and used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)

 

My $26 is ‘enough’ to feed one family in the Philippines

“The cake can always get bigger because the cake is imaginary. We can always make more money because money is just an accounting system.”

—Tom Suberg

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

I HAD $26 in cash in my wallet when I left Flushing, Queens, for Manhattan on the afternoon of October 19.

At Union Square in Manhattan, I made a $5 payment on my Capital One credit card.

With $21 left, I went into McDonald's and spent $7.93 on a chicken burger and a juice. I left home with a $13.07 cash.

When I checked the exchange rate, one US dollar was already equivalent to Philippine Peso 63. Thus, if I had $26, it was worth P1,638 in the Philippines.

With $13.07, my money in the US is equivalent to P823.41 in the Philippines. What can a P823.41buy for one household in the Philippines? 

I just learned that a 25-kilogram sack (half-sack) typically costs between P1,150 and P1,600.

A half sack of rice (typically 25 kilograms, since a standard full sack in the Philippines weighs 50 kg) will last anywhere from two weeks to about two months, depending heavily on the size of one household and how often rice is eaten.

 

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A breakdown by household size (using a 25 kg half sack) will show the following:

-solo/single person: Lasts about 1.5 to 2.5 months (consuming roughly 300–400g of dry rice a day across meals).

-couple /2-person household: Lasts about 3 to 4 weeks.

-family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children): Lasts about 1.5 to 2 weeks.

-larger family (6+ members or heavy rice eaters): Lasts about 7 to 10 days.

Whew!

If I had not paid my debit card and had not dropped by the McDonald’s that Monday afternoon, I could have fed one family for a month if I had sent the $26 to the Philippines.

The economy isn’t showing signs of growth, as well. While the Philippine peso is being pummeled from pillar to post in the currency exchange rate, the Philippines' headline inflation rate was 7.2 percent as of September 2026, accelerating from 6.1 percent in August 2026, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The key inflation details as of September 2026 were as follows:

-year-to-Date Average: The average inflation rate from January to September 2026 stands at 5.4 percent.

 

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-core inflation: Rises to 4.7 percent (excluding selected volatile food and energy items) from 4.1 percent in August.

-bottom 30 percent income households: Inflation for lower-income groups climbed higher to 9.0 percent, driven heavily by essential food and utility expenses.

Main drivers of inflation are:

-transport: Increased by 14.6 percent, driven by oil and energy cost pressures.

-housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels: Rose by 8.4 percent.

-food and non-alcoholic beverages: accelerated to 6.7 percent (with food inflation specifically hitting 6.8 percent, heavily impacted by vegetables, tubers, and cooking staples).

-restaurants and accommodation services: Increased by 7.0 percent.

This could only mean one thing: the Philippine economy is facing a significant slowdown and growing financial strain in 2026, driven by high inflation, a weakening currency, and contracting public spending.

To improve the Philippine economy, international financial institutions and economists emphasize moving beyond a purely consumption- and remittance-driven model toward high-productivity, structural transformation.

 

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According to Dough Schoen and Carly Cooperman of Fox News, Democrats could well be on the cusp of a major wave midterm election on November 3 with an 8-point lead on the generic congressional ballot among their highest of the cycle.

“We say this based on historical trends and the current political mood. At this point in 2018, the last blue wave, Democrats led the generic ballot by roughly 7 points before gaining 41 House seats,” they wrote.

Moreover, the president’s party losing seats in midterms is essentially law in American politics.

It has reportedly happened in all but three elections since the Roosevelt administration.

From 1934 through 2018, the president’s party lost an average of 28 House seats and four Senate seats, and over the past five midterms, the average net loss for the president’s party has been 31 House seats, explained Schoen and Cooperman.

To be clear, Republicans could make up ground for a number of critical reasons: Democrats remain divided ideologically, lack a message and an identity other than being anti-President Trump, and Republicans have a considerable cash advantage.

(The author is based in New York City and used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)

 

‘I’m a lawyer’ turmoil ousts press secretary

“A harmful truth is better than a useful lie.”

—Thomas Mann

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

CLAIRE Castro is a lawyer, but she definitely isn’t one of the best presidential spokespersons in the Philippines.

In fact, some of the best Filipino press secretaries or spokespersons weren’t lawyers like the late Rodolfo Reyes, Jesus Sison, and Francisco “Kit” Tatad, who did not have a college degree.

One also doesn’t need to be a law practitioner for a job that requires primarily to communicate to the press vital information that the president wants to convey to the nation when he is not around.

Since democracy was restored in the Philippines via EDSA Revolution in 1986 until today, some of the press secretaries who have served Malacanang Palace were Teodoro L. Locsin and Alice C. Villadolid (1986), Teodoro C. Benigno Jr. (1987–1989).

They were followed by subsequent appointees under various administrations through the 1990s and 2000s that included Adolfo S. Azcuna, Tomas B. Gomez III, Horacio V. Paredes, Rodolfo T. Reyes, Jesus C. Sison, Hector R.R. Villanueva, Ricardo V. Puno, Jr., Noel C. Cabrera, Rigoberto D. Tiglao.

 

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Also, there were Silvestre C. Afable, Ignacio R. Bunye, Hernani A. Braganza, Milton A. Alingod, Jesus G. Dureza, Cerge M. Remonde, Conrado V. Limcaoco, Jr., Crispulo Icban, Jr., and Cornelio M. Baliao, Jr., Herminio B. Coloma, Jr.

Dave Gomez (ad interim/appointed July 2025), Cesar Chavez (Acting: Sep 2024–Feb 2025), Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil (Dec 2022–Sep 2024; OIC Oct–Dec 2022), Rose Beatrix "Trixie" Cruz-Angeles (June 30, 2022–October 4, 2022), Jose Ruperto Martin M. Andanar (July 1, 2016–June 30, 2022), and Claire Castro.

Not all of them are lawyers or were hired because qualifications required they should be lawyers.

Thus, recently ousted White House press secretary Katie Zacharia didn’t have to lie she was a lawyer when she assumed the position vacated by the more articulate and non-lawyer Karoline Leavitt, 29.

 Zacharia, 42, was forced out of her role October 16 only after five days on the job, a rare reversal by the White House that capped a week of upheaval.

Zacharia had gained President Donald Trump’s attention as a conservative commentator. She had gotten off to a shaky start as the 37th White House press secretary with her first and only press briefing on October 13.

 

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After largely reading off a script and ended questioning after just five and a half minutes followed by an onslaught of headlines about whether she had misrepresented herself as a lawyer, she caught the attention of critics.

Mr. Trump had called her “an attorney” despite failing her bar exam.

Subsequent interviews Zacharia gave in the media, in which the mother of four tried to defend herself by pointing out how unprepared she had been to go before the Washington press corps, also went poorly.

Finally, after days of unrelenting press coverage, the Trump administration decided on Friday afternoon to do something it almost never does: It folded.

According to New York Timnes, Mr. Trump was walking across the South Lawn to depart for a midterm rally in Georgia when he stopped to talk to reporters, telling them how he’d just encouraged his press secretary to “reconsider” her new job.

“Honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider,” he told the reporters, recounting his conversation with her. “Katie, do you need this? I don’t think you need this.”

Three people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal discussions, said Zacharia was ousted from her role as press secretary.

The president told reporters that Zacharia might continue to work for him “in some form, but maybe a more pleasant form.”

The NYT added that later Friday, Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, said that Ms. Zacharia would be “transitioning into a new role that will be announced at a later date.”

(The author is based in New York City and used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)

 

Accept she is human, so we won’t be disappointed

“Either way, never be sorry about things you have no control over. You’ll just give yourself ulcers. Never half-ass anything. Drink plenty of wine.”

―Sylvain Neuvel, Only Human

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

AS long as we don’t accept human beings aren’t perfect, we will continue to wallow in disappointments, which come from the gap between our expectations and reality.

When what we hoped, planned, expected, or assumed would happen do not match what actually occurs, we become bitter, disenchanted, dejected, and rancorous.

Athletes, for instance, are only human beings with physical limits, prone to setbacks, and capable of being subdued just like anyone else.

No one is infallible.

Every athlete, coach, team, or referee is human and capable of making mistakes, losing, or failing. No matter how tall, big, fast, talented, dominant, or experienced someone is, perfection does not exist in competition.

Greatness can never be permanent, even as growth isn’t linear. This includes the greatest champions like Manny Pacquiao, Rafael “Paeng” Nepomuceno, Efren “Bata” Reyes, Carlos “Caloy” Yulo, who had their own share of humiliations, losses, injuries, and human failure.

Placing them on an untouchable pedestal turns natural human setbacks into public punishment or resentment when expectations are not met.

 

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This was apparently what happened when many fans of Alexandra “Alex” Eala couldn’t believe (and accept) she suffered three consecutive three-set losses in her recent late-2026 Asian hard-court and multi-sport appearances after winning the first set in each match.

The debacle first rolled off on September 24, 2026, when Eala, ranked no. 18 in the world, was bundled out by world No. 117 Tatiana Prozorova 6–4, 5–7, 3–6 in Round 16 of the Singapore Tennis Open.

This was followed by a disastrous 6-3, 3-6, 2-6 loss to world No. 49  Wang Xiyu in the semifinals of the recent Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on October 1, 2026 where the young Filipino tennis star openly and sadly confessed “I really wanted the gold.”

To complete the humiliation, Eala succumbed to world no. 217 Shi Han 6-4, 3-6,3-6 in the Round of 64 in Wuhan Open on Oct 12, 2026.

The breathtaking defeats were hard to swallow for many Eala fans who had expected her to roll past one tennis player after another in a masterful and dominant binges after she became the toast of the tennis community and darling of the crowd wherever she played.

 

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Of course, these setbacks could happen because primarily she is only human. Even a machine conks out.

Even IBM's supercomputer Deep Blue lost to human chess champion Garry Kasparov in their first 1996 match, 4-2, in Philadelphia though IBM later beat him in a 1997 rematch.

A humanoid robot developed by Beijing Innovation Centre of Humanoid Robotics (and another model named Lightning by Honor) successfully beat Usain Bolt’s iconic 100m world record of 9.58 seconds.

During the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, a robot clocked an unprecedented 9.39 seconds, reaching peak speeds of 14.5 meters per second.

In long-distance running, the autonomous robot Lightning shattered human benchmarks by finishing the Beijing half-marathon in a blistering 50 minutes and 26 seconds, surpassing the official human world record of 56:51.

Humanoid robots built by tech companies like X-Humanoid cleared 2.88 meters in a standing jump format, shattering the human high jump world record of 2.45 meters set by Javier Sotomayor.

 

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Many fans though Eala was invincible and possessed supernatural ability and talent that no tennis player in the planet could measure up to her skills—except that they forgot she’s also human being.

Especially when she bursted into our imagination with scintillating performances in her best and most significant career wins that included major tournament titles and high-profile upsets against the following WTA Top 10 players:

—2026 Mubadala D.C. Open where she defeated world no. 3 Jessica Pegula 4–6, 6–4, 6–0 in the finals to capture her first career WTA Tour singles title (WTA 500), pushing her into the WTA Top 20 for the first time.

— 2025 Miami Open quarterfinals where she stunned world no. 2 Iga Swiatek 6–2, 7–5 during a breakout wild-card run.

— 2025 Miami Open third round where she shocked world no. 5 Madison Keys 6–4, 6–2.

— 2026 Wimbledon third round where she upset world no. 3 Iga Swiatek 7–6(9), 6–2 on grass.

— 2026 Indian Wells Open third round where mowed down World no. 4 Coco Gauff 6–2, 2–0 ret.

— 2026 Berlin Tennis Open where she clobbered world no. 2 Elena Rybakina 7–5, 6–4 in the second round and world no. 8 Elina Svitolina 6–3, 6–4 in the quarterfinals.

— 2026 Dubai Tennis Championships second round where she manhandled world no. 8 Jasmine Paolini 6–1, 7–6(5).

— 2022 US Open where she captured the US Open Girls' Singles title, becoming the first Filipino to win a junior Grand Slam singles crown.

(The author is based in New York City and used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)