Manila, Philippines — Last month the Philippines was scandalized when sex videos of prominent personalities were uploaded on YouTube. This prompted a call for tougher laws to protect individuals’ privacy. A lobby was also launched to give the government more power to combat child pornography.

Las Vegas, NV, United States — Red shirts. Yellow shirts. Blue Shirts. Pink Shirts. White Shirts. Orange Shirts. Purple Shirts. Black Shirts. Be careful what you wear in Thailand today because your politics are determined by the color of your shirt. Tourists should wear floral shirts to avoid being identified with any political force.

Las Vegas, NV, United States — The worsening unemployment rate in the world is perceived as the primary indicator of the global economic recession. Unemployment has taught many people to identify the valuable things or persons in their lives. But high unemployment is also blamed for a phenomenal rise in suicides.

Las Vegas, NV, United States — The global economic recession is spreading gloom and despair everywhere, but the human spirit cannot be easily defeated. Many are trying hard to cope with the crisis. Bloggers are offering survival tips to their readers. Businesses are adopting new strategies. Some are even profiting from the crisis.

Daly City, CA, United States — Many countries are grappling with bankrupt companies and shrinking economies in the face of the global downturn, and many are also implementing their own stimulus plans. Bloggers around the world are discussing the bubble economies, bailout of banks and stimulus plans of their countries.

Daly City, CA, United States — The Wall Street crash and the collapsed housing industry in the United States have been highlighted, but we should also take note of other effects of the global recession that people around the world are witnessing and experiencing every day.

Daly City, CA, United States — Floods, virus scares, moderate quakes, a refugee scandal and job losses – these disasters all hit Southeast Asia in the last two months. A superstitious person might say these were ominous signs. Things may get worse once the full impact of the global economic crisis is felt in the region.

Daly City, CA, United States — Rising cases of dengue fever, chikungunya, bird flu and ebola viruses were reported in several Asian countries in the past two months. Relax, there are no pandemic threats. Not yet, anyway.

Daly City, CA, United States — There is a disturbing trend of legal repression in many Asian countries. Human rights abuses are on the rise, the legal profession is under attack, and the independence of judicial courts is compromised. This trend may worsen as more countries grapple with the global economic recession.

Daly City, CA, United States — Are Filipinos Asians or Pacific Islanders? Is the Philippines part of Southeast Asia, Oceania or the Pacific Islands? Composed of more than 7,000 islands, the Philippine state was a political creation of Western colonizers, starting with Spain. Thus many Filipinos are unsure about their identity.

Daly City, CA, United States — The first great natural disaster of the year in the Asia-Pacific region was the series of flooding disasters which struck Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines during the early weeks of January. A minor flooding calamity also hit Brunei. But these tragedies went largely unnoticed.

Daly City, CA, United States — The year 2008 will be remembered for Barack Obama’s electoral victory and the financial crisis. The year was also memorable because many people became aware of global problems when things such as oil, rice and milk surprisingly and suddenly attracted immense political value.

Daly City, CA, United States — The big story of the year in Southeast Asia was the global economic downturn. Memorable events included: Thousands of Filipinos queuing for a kilo of subsidized rice; scores of poor Indonesians in East Java dying in a stampede while waiting for alms; and Singapore investors protesting over lost incomes.

Daly City, CA, United States — Because of the courageous example shown by Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi, shoes will quickly become an icon of protests in the world. This is bad news for politicians, especially the unpopular ones, who will now think twice before appearing in public.

Daly City, CA, United States — It was the judiciary that ordered Thailand’s unpopular ruling party to be disbanded on Tuesday, but it was the daily protests by the People’s Alliance for Democracy that made the national leadership almost powerless to govern. PAD was able to oust the government, but its victory is questioned by many.

Daly City, CA, United States — Anti-government protesters led by the People's Alliance for Democracy finally attained their goal of ousting the Thai government on Tuesday, after conducting provocative street actions for months. Their tactics earned the admiration of activists elsewhere, but not their cause.

Daly City, CA, United States — There are numerous border disputes in Southeast Asia. The most well-known case today involves the historic Preah Vihear temple and the four square kilometers of territory around it, which are claimed by both Thailand and Cambodia. Last month, Thai and Cambodian soldiers violently clashed near the temple.

Daly City, CA, United States — When Senator Barack Obama launched his bid for the U.S. presidency last year, it generated a positive global response. In the Philippines it inspired young politicians to compare themselves to the popular Obama. Filipinos are celebrating Obama’s victory because they believe it was their victory too.

Daly City, CA, United States — U.S. president-elect Barack Obama belongs to the U.S. ruling elite, despite his African-American heritage. He went to the finest schools, where future global leaders are educated. His values, lifestyle, and worldview are acceptable to the ruling class. Obama is not a leftist leader.

Daly City, CA, United States — During the Great Depression a number of ordinary Americans initiated campaigns to restore confidence in the economy. One firm declared a “War against Depression.” Today a new such war is needed, with the grassroots at the forefront. Politicians and big business do not have a monopoly on bright ideas.

Daly City, CA, United States — Today the world seems flat. Poverty is everywhere. Homelessness is spreading. It seems that for a rare and fleeting moment, globalization has produced a more equal world. The once affluent societies of the United States and Europe are now grappling with Third World problems.

Daly City, CA, United States — The financial crisis in the United States has weakened the economies of many nations. Asians share the global anxiety, remembering the 1997 Asian financial crisis. They also remember being told not to bail out companies and banks that were in deep trouble; that they should be allowed to go bankrupt and perish.

Daly City, CA, United States — Several infants have died and thousands were hospitalized in China after drinking milk products contaminated with melamine. On the other side of the world, several financial institutions have filed for bankruptcy. Is there a direct link between the China milk scandal and the Wall Street crash?

Daly City, CA, United States — Many Southeast Asians are intently monitoring the presidential elections in the United States, which maintains a solid influence in the region. Both U.S. presidential candidates – John McCain and Barack Obama – have Asian ties and are popular in the region.

Daly City, CA, United States — Because of its bigger economy today, Thailand is no longer compared to the Philippines. But two decades ago both were developing nations with almost the same population levels, poverty rates and economic potential. Both have experienced recent people power movements as well.

Daly City, CA, United States — There are almost no options available to resolve the political stalemate in Thailand. PAD, the rally organizer, will not leave the Government House. Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej will not resign. The military does not want to intervene. Thailand’s revered King is silent. PAD and the opposition rejected a referendum proposed by the ruling party.

Manila, Philippines — Southeast Asian countries garnered 12 medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Thailand won two gold medals, in boxing and weightlifting, while Indonesia bagged a gold medal for badminton. In the unofficial Wushu, or martial arts, event, Southeast Asian countries received 14 medals.

Manila, Philippines — Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has his own peculiar, aggressive, and sometimes funny manner of answering his critics. When he became the prime minister early this year, commentators predicted that he would not last his term and that he would be ousted after a few months.

Manila, Philippines — Close to 200 athletes from the Southeast Asian region are participating in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Thailand sent the biggest number of athletes, who will compete in 13 sporting events; Myanmar fielded a single athlete who will participate in the archery competition.

Manila, Philippines — There is a raging debate in Singapore today: Should the government legalize the organ trade? Should Singapore endorse transplant tourism? The debate began last month when two young Indonesians were jailed for trying to sell their kidneys to a wealthy businessman in Singapore.

Manila, Philippines — Malaysian politics is sizzling with sex intrigues, murder accusations, scandalous lies and intra-party squabbles. A government minister was videotaped having sex with a young woman; opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was accused of sodomy, again; and Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak was accused of murder.

Manila, Philippines — Regional kinship in Southeast Asia is weak or nonexistent. We perceive ourselves as Asians in general; but not residents of the Southeast Asian region. The rising prices of rice, food and petroleum products could have had less negative impact in Southeast Asia if there was genuine regional cooperation.

Manila, Philippines — Nuclear power is not necessarily evil and dangerous; it is one solution to the energy woes of many countries. But the Philippine experience in building a nuclear plant during the oil crisis of the 1970s was a fiasco that should not be emulated. The plant didn’t generate a single watt of electricity.

Manila, Philippines — Australian author Oliver Feltham says that, in his country’s political discourse, “the indigenous peoples are always said to be either excessive or lacking.” This also applies to Philippine politics, where the poor are seen as making excessive demands while lacking education, skills, manners and gratitude.

Manila, Philippines — According to an online dictionary, the word fence comes from Middle English "fens," short for "defens" which means defense. Perhaps the best example of a fence constructed for defense is the Great Wall of China which protected the northern borders of the Chinese empire.

Manila, Philippines — Worldwide initiatives to combat global warming have failed to reverse this trend. They do not address the real roots of climate change - neoliberal globalization and the "mad pursuit" of transnational companies for profits. The People’s Protocol on Climate Change takes a new approach.

Manila, Philippines — When the Burmese junta refused international aid, the U.S. Air Force proposed food drops in the cyclone-ravaged regions of Myanmar. The U.S. military should have pushed through with its plan even without U.N. backing. It would have been symbolic if U.S. jets were dropping aid boxes instead of napalm bombs.

Manila, Philippines — More than 30,000 people were killed when a destructive cyclone hit Myanmar early this month. But the number of casualties is rising since aid is only slowly reaching the cyclone-ravaged regions. Clean water remains inaccessible. Cholera and other diseases are spreading fast in hundreds of communities. International groups estimate more than 1.5 million people are affected by the disaster.

Manila, Philippines — Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar last weekend, devastated several regions and claimed the lives of more than 20,000 people. The situation on the ground is heartbreaking. People are expressing anger over the ineptitude of the junta to minimize the damage.

Manila, Philippines — The global food price crisis has revived the population debate in the Philippines. Analysts insist the high population growth rate of the Philippines is not sustainable. Food production may be increasing over the years but the number of Filipinos is increasing at a faster rate.

Manila, Philippines — The Universal Periodic Review is an innovation established by the United Nations to assess the fulfillment of human rights obligations by all U.N. member states. Early this month, the Philippines participated in such a review, but its official report is full of inconsistencies and unfounded assertions.

Manila, Philippines — Rice is the staple food in Southeast Asia and in many parts of the world. The global rice crisis is an opportunity to review the food security programs of Southeast Asian nations. It is also time to minimize or even abandon the planting of biofuels or agrofuels.

Manila, Philippines — According to the Philippine government, there is no shortage of rice in the country, with rice production up and imports meeting local demand. But prices are high and still rising, and government measures to ensure adequate rice supplies are merely palliative.

Manila, Philippines — The price of rice is skyrocketing all over the world. This trend will continue until the end of the year, and it is causing panic in many Asian countries, including the Philippines. Rice is the staple food of Filipinos; remove it from the tables and there will be mass unrest.

Manila, Philippines — Six Asian countries claim the Spratly Islands -- China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. Disputes among these six have led to minor military skirmishes, the detention of fisherfolk and diplomatic rows in the past three decades. A new approach is needed to resolve this dispute.

Manila, Philippines — Smuggling used to be confined to the Philippines' numerous private ports, but now it is prevalent even in the country's free ports. Smuggled products are shipped as ordinary goods and unloaded in broad daylight, flooding the markets and wiping out the earnings of small Filipino traders.

Manila, Philippines — The Philippines is blessed with abundant natural resources. Food crops can easily grow in the country's fertile lands. But there are many Filipinos who are hungry today. Even farmers, who constitute a significant sector in Philippine society, are among the starving Filipinos.

Manila, Philippines — Last Friday about 80,000 people gathered in Manila's financial district to express disgust over the alleged involvement of the First Family in a scandal-ridden national broadband network deal. A people power movement is developing. This is bad news for the beleaguered Arroyo government.

Manila, Philippines — The Philippine government claims the number of people living below the poverty level has been decreasing. Yet some remain poorer than others. Some are more undernourished and hungry. Some have more body parts as desperate poor people are selling their kidneys to foreign buyers.

Manila, Philippines — Filipino politicians always boast that the Philippines' press is one of the freest in Asia. But local media practitioners insist the Philippines continues to be one of the most dangerous countries for journalists. Since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo became chief executive seven years ago, 33 journalists have been murdered in the line of duty.

Manila, Philippines — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is already the second longest-serving president of the Philippines since 1946. Only former dictator Ferdinand Marcos ruled for a longer period. With her current term half over, what has she accomplished thus far? And will she really step down in 2010?

Manila, Philippines — Texting first became popular in the Philippines during the late 1990s when Joseph Estrada was president. Cell phone users began sending text jokes about the incompetence of Estrada, which proved effective in undermining his credibility. The method has remained effective.

Manila, Philippines — The cost of medicines in the Philippines is among the highest in the world. There are more than 17,000 registered drugs in the local market, but a majority of the population cannot afford the prices charged by the multinational pharmaceutical companies that produce them.

Manila, Philippines — There are three seasons in the Philippines: the wet season, the dry season and election season. Election campaigning starts after politicians are sworn into office. While good leaders think of the next generation, Philippine politicians think of the next election.

Manila, Philippines — Philippines Environment Secretary Lito Atienza has appealed to the public to reduce the garbage they produce during the holiday season. Christmas is a time of gift-giving and merrymaking but also of conspicuous consumption and trash production.

Manila, Philippines — Last week, simultaneous protest actions against oil price hikes were held throughout the Philippines. Protesters had three demands: repeal the Oil Deregulation Law, remove the value-added tax on petroleum products and regulate oil prices in the country.

Manila, Philippines — In its year-end report on the Philippines, human rights watchdog Karapatan noted the decline in the number of human rights violations this year, with 68 victims of extrajudicial killings and 26 enforced disappearances compared to 185 killings and 93 disappearances in 2006.

Manila, Philippines — "Every minute, a child under 15 dies of an AIDS-related illness. Every minute, another child becomes HIV-positive.

Manila, Philippines — The Philippines was a colony of Spain for more than 300 years. Religion was the main weapon used by the Spaniards to subjugate the local population.

Manila, Philippines — The Philippines has a very young population. Adolescence is thought to be the healthiest stage of the life cycle, but in this country statistics defy this common observation.

Manila, Philippines — To understand the impeachment complaints filed against Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, it is necessary to review the political upheavals which rocked the nation last month. October is usually an uneventful month in Philippine politics.

Manila, Philippines — The Philippines is a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Every administration has committed to building a child-friendly society where children are "nurtured and allowed to grow and develop in dignity."More than a decade ago, the gov

Manila, Philippines — The most important legislative measure passed by the Philippine Congress every year is the General Appropriations Act -- the national budget. Through the power of the purse, Congress can reward performing government agencies with higher funding and punish

Manila, Philippines — In March 2005 the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness was signed by 35 donor countries, 26 multilateral agencies and 57 partner country governments. Initiated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Paris Declaration is an "un

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is one of the 189 nation states which signed the Millennium Declaration in September 2000. Member states of the United Nations adopted the Millennium Development Goals to affirm their commitment to "reducing poverty and the worst forms of

Manila, Philippines — Last week, the world marked the fiftieth anniversary of the launching of the Soviet-made satellite Sputnik into space. The Sputnik was the first successful attempt of mankind to fly an object into space.

Manila, Philippines — The Philippines used to have a robust agricultural sector. About two-thirds of the population and three-fourths of the poor depend on agriculture.

Manila, Philippines — The Philippines is the 14th most populous country in the world and third in the Southeast Asian region. Young dependents comprise 34 percent of the population, 62 percent belong to the working-age group and 4 percent are categorized as elderly dependents.

Manila, Philippines — After a six-year trial, former Philippine president Joseph Estrada was found guilty of plunder by a special anti-graft court and sentenced to 40 years' imprisonment. It was a landmark decision since it was the first time a former head of state was convict

Manila, Philippines — Many foreigners are stunned to know that a communist rebellion is still raging in the Philippines. In other countries of the region, either the communist threat has been quelled or there are no more armed guerrillas fighting the government.

Manila, Philippines — The Senate is investigating a wiretapped conversation between two persons talking about rigging the 2004 presidential election results. Produced by a former intelligence agent, the audio recording allegedly contained a conversation between President Glori

Manila, Philippines — For a fresh college graduate who wants to earn more but prefers to stay in the Philippines, the most popular option is to work as a call center agent. Touted as the sunshine industry of the Philippines, the business process outsourcing, or BPO, industry h

Manila, Philippines — Every time the Philippine Congress is about to begin deliberations on the approval of the national budget, the military is suspiciously engaged in a fierce battle with rebels. Maybe it's just coincidence or maybe it is calculated to justify funding suppor

Manila, Philippines — A few weeks ago, the South Korean Embassy in the Philippines stopped issuing visas to protest the alleged extortion activities of some Philippine immigration agents. South Korean nationals had complained of being harassed by gun-wielding officials pretend

Manila, Philippines — The regional forum of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations was held last week in Manila. The forum was attended by foreign ministers of member countries and representatives of Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, N

Manila, Philippines — The three biggest shopping malls in the world are located in Metro Manila. Malling (not to be confused with shopping) has become the national pastime.

Manila, Philippines — Depletion of human resources was once referred to as "brain drain." In the Philippines, it is now described as "brain haemorrhage" or "brain waste" to underscore the huge exodus of highly skilled and experienced Filipino workers and professionals.There

Manila, Philippines — Various groups are apprehensive over the composition of the Philippines' new Anti-terrorism Council. Most of the members of this council are accused of being architects of repressive policies of the government.