In disunity there is weakness—and paralysis

“How can you render the duties of justice to men when you're afraid they'll be so unaware of justice they may destroy you? Especially since their attitude toward their own race is a destructive one.”

―John Howard Griffin,

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

IF foreigners will invade the Philippines tomorrow, the Filipinos will be wiped out.

Even if it isn’t China, the invader or group of invaders will make a mincemeat of the “inferior” and fractious Filipinos. We will be massacred in our own homeland.

There will be resistance, of course, but it won’t be enough to repulse the enemies.

We don’t underestimate the courage and resilience of our compatriots, but courage or valor and resiliency alone can’t win a war.

Why are we saying this?  

We need a sophisticated army and logistical support from our Big Brothers like the United States and the European allies, if possible. And the greatest weapon of all: a united Filipinos.

Unfortunately, we don’t have the “united Filipinos.” We don’t have harmony and solidarity. Therefore, we don’t have that great weapon.

When a nation is not internally united, it faces severe political, economic, and social instability.

This internal division can lead to polarized governance, stalled public services, economic decline, and in extreme cases, civil unrest, regional secession movements, or violent civil war.

 

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Even without actual invasion, we already quarrel; we are at loggerheads and cannot unite behind a common stand and principle against China.

While majority of the Filipinos rue China’s bullying of our fishermen in the South China Sea, there are traitors—prominent politicians included—who don’t only tolerate the harassment, but also side with the enemy.

Instead of rallying behind their fellow Davids, the traitors cuddle Goliath.

Our vulnerability to foreign interference will be crystal clear. Rival nations will be tempted to exploit our internal disunity through propaganda, cyberattacks, or financial backing for opposing factions.

If there is breakdown of trust and confidence, citizens lose faith in democratic institutions, the legal system, and public officials, leading to widespread civic apathy or protest.

Even without the actual invasion, we are already being bedeviled by paralysis, because in disunity there is weakness.

If we are weaklings, it’s only a matter of time before we collapse and get destroyed.

 

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American voters have consistently ranked the cost of living as the top issue this election cycle, according to latest news related to the November 3 U.S. midterm election.

Half of registered voters surveyed in a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll cited the cost of living as the most important factor in how they will vote.

In the same poll, voters highlighted healthcare, gasoline, food and housing as the top household bills lawmakers should focus on.

Republicans' top legislative achievement was a tax cut extension that slashed roughly $1 trillion in spending for Medicaid, the government health insurance program for low-income Americans, and other health programs.

Democrats last year forced a government shutdown over a failed effort to extend expiring health subsidies that benefited 24 million Americans.

Reuters reported that gas prices have spiked since the US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran in February. The national average price of gas is $4.28 — $1.20 higher than it was a year ago, according to AAA. The average cost of diesel is $6.32 — a $2.70 increase from a year earlier.

(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 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)