TODAY is the last day of January 2026, and I spent the day listening to the people around bewailing the perception that “this month seemed to go on forever.” To me, Christmas was last week, and I cannot believe the first month of the year is already over. Maybe that’s a consequence of getting old, or maybe it’s the particular environment I operate in, but either way, the feeling that time is slipping away with so much left undone is uncomfortable.
Whenever the end of the month comes, I am obliged to do a bit of reflection about where things are at with me personally and the world at large (those are, by virtue of the work I do, more entwined than I find tolerable much of the time). I make up my budget for the next month, and compile my list of publications in The Manila Times for the month just ended, so that I can get paid for them. As time allows, I research some topics of interest that I think may be worthwhile to take on in the next couple of weeks, and try to figure out what my household (which includes myself, a first-year nursing student, and another who will be enrolling in college at the end of the current academic year) will require. The headache of modern life.
In the world writ large, these are the areas of concern that I intend to focus on in the coming weeks:
- The state of Philippine-Chinese relations, which are particularly delicate at the moment. I am not at liberty to discuss why this is something that should concern me, but to give you an idea, the work I need to do in this area involves a lot of conversations characterized by the caveat, “I did not say this, and I was never here.” From the point of view of a journalist, there is literally nothing that can make one feel more alive.
- The geopolitical antics of the Orange Shitgibbon currently in charge of the US. As I understand things, the regime is currently suffering a great deal of erosion on the domestic front, and that’s a good thing, but on the other hand, it makes the risk of violent action on the part of the regime in foreign theaters much higher. Trump is still carrying on about Greenland (the subject of an upcoming post), is currently receiving some pushback from the government of Venezuela, and is under fire for its ridiculous plan to form a “board of peace” for Gaza. There is also the risk of hostile American action against Iran, which in a normal world might be both welcomed and effective, but Temu Mussolini and the toadying yes-men in his train will likely find some way to fuck that up.
- In addition to all that nonsense, Panama’s high court in the last couple of days has thrown a wrench in the plans of Pervert Hoover to take greater control of the Panama Canal, something he has been running his fat drooling yap about since his campaign in 2024. As more of the so-called “Epstein Files” have lately been released, albeit grudgingly, by the US Department of Justice, the prospects of a foreign military adventure as a distraction from the disastrous path (from the Trump point of view) of US domestic developments, are becoming more and more certain.
- On the local front here in the Philippines, the massive ongoing scandal involving grossly corrupted flood-control infrastructure projects is continuing, as well as a great deal of pointless shenanigans – specifically involving at least two impeachment complaints against President Marcos, and at least one against Vice President Sara Duterte. I don’t expect much good to come of any of this, and I am fortunate to be able to stay away from most of it in what I publish. However, the whole sorry mess is never far below the surface, and while I consider myself fortunate to avoid having to deal with most of it publicly, there are certain contexts in which it is unavoidably. In those instances, I do what I must, and do it well, but at this point my most fervent wish is that I don’t have to.
- The local energy sector, which is my area of specialization as far as my newspaper work is concerned, is becoming a bit contentious. As a matter of fact, one of my first tasks of the coming week – according to me, because no one really tells me what to do – will be to shred the fuck out of a response by a “consumer and sustainability advocate” NGO that responded to one of my columns last week. I’m fine with that; I respect them for taking the time to craft a detailed, specific reaction. I will punch it full of holes, of course, but I do appreciate the effort toward engaging in a public discourse.
- Finally, another area, although it may not be the most important one to this economy, that I have taken an interest in, and will very soon be able to make a first-hand assessment about (we’re taking a couple days off in Bohol at the end of the coming week) is tourism. At this point, it’s a little bit hard to define succinctly, as it is one of those things that, in my mind, is a “hey, there might be some serious problems here” kind of topic.
Philippine GDP growth for the last quarter and full-year 2025 was well below expectations, and as this is a consumption- and services-oriented economy, and while some people understand long-term objectives to change that (see: https://www.manilatimes.net/2026/01/31/opinion/editorial/slow-growth-prompts-concern-but-not-many-solutions/2268805), tourism is potentially good low-hanging fruit to jump-start economic growth. I’m not sure that’s being handled right; hopefully, my excursion next week will shed some light on this.
Anyway.
I know I don’t have a lot of readers now, but those who have checked in are much appreciated. This blog will always be a work in progress, and I cherish those who take time out to read it, and even more so offer some commentary on it. Thank you.
