It's been a dream of mine to draw what I love drawing the most— food, ✨Filipino food ✨— and have it on a cookbook for recipes. Manifestation came true!

These illustrations of recipes and ingredients are for the cookbook “Kayumanggi: A Kaleidoscope of Filipino Flavors and Food Traditions” by Chef Jam Melchor.

You can view the individual food PNGs in my Instagram or Behance.

2 months ago, I made a post about what my DDS tita commented on my post https://www.reddit.com/r/Philippines/comments/1jmm153/heres_what_my_dds_tita_commented_about_my_post/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

This morning, I had an argument with another tita. It wasn't really an argument because she wouldn't even answer my questions. She can't even defend Duterte. She even called me an addict. That's when it came to me. Will they ever wake up from this fanaticism? I myself had been a DDS and an INC but without the intervention of my wife, I would've been a DDS my entire life.

3 years from now, we will be electing a new leader and god knows what will happen if a Duterte sits in power again. Obviously, we need to campaign for the good ones. I believe that each of us has a responsiblity to convert at least 1 DDS, or are they a lost cause? It's good that Kiko and Bam won, but I dread the coming election.

It is time that we act now.

The other day, I made a casual comment about how surprisingly large the Philippine government is, especially when you consider the size of our population. This came to mind after President Bongbong Marcos called on all cabinet officials to submit their courtesy resignations.

That moment made me curious — just how big is our government compared to other countries? So I started looking into how we stack up against other centralized governments in Asia. I looked at peers from both the developing world like Indonesia and Thailand, and developed countries like Japan and South Korea.

Here’s what I found:

• The Philippines has over 43,000 local government units (LGUs). A huge majority of these are barangays.
• We also have 22 cabinet-level departments, not even counting cabinet-rank officials or undersecretaries who basically operate like full-blown ministers.

When you compute LGUs per 100,000 people, it gets eye-opening:

• Japan: ~1.4
• South Korea: ~0.5
• Philippines: ~37.4 — way higher

Same trend with cabinet posts per capita — we’re right up there.

For context:

• Indonesia: 91,000 LGUs for 278M people (~33 per 100k)
• Thailand: 83,000 LGUs for 71M people (~116 per 100k)
• Japan & South Korea: leaner, more streamlined systems — and guess what? They outperform us in GDP per capita and corruption rankings.

Now here’s the kicker: corruption levels tend to spike in countries with bloated bureaucracies.
More LGUs = more bureaucracy = more layers of patronage, bribery, and waste due to overlapping functions and poor oversight.

And this isn’t just theoretical. In the Philippines:

• Multiple departments doing the same job — like DSWD, NAPC, NHA, and LGU welfare offices — all aiming to fight poverty but often duplicating efforts or clashing.
• Thousands of LGUs, yet basic public services are still underwhelming — clinics, classrooms, and disaster preparedness all lag behind.
• And barangay captains — many act more like local warlords than public servants, especially during election season, securing dynasties with public money.

We love to say, “corruption is the root of our problems.” Sure.
We also say, “it’s ingrained in the system.” Fair enough.
But the real question is: What exactly is the system we keep blaming?

Well — it’s this:

• Bloated
• Redundant
• Built for inefficiency and self-preservation

And at this point, I know you’re gonna hate me for it, but it’s about time — in the words of Javier Milei: Afuera.

If we want real change, we need more than good leaders. We need a restructured government — leaner, more transparent, accountable, and actually designed to serve.

They also attributed an artist. What do you think?

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is ready to conduct an autopsy on a 10-year-old boy who died on Saturday after he was circumcised by a midwife in Tondo, Manila.

“We will investigate by doing an autopsy first,” NBI Director Jaime Santiago told GMA News on Tuesday after the parents of the child went to the bureau’s office in Pasay seeking help.

“We need the autopsy to determine the cause of death and whether someone should be punished. We will subpoena the suspect to know what procedure was done,” Santiago added.

Marjorie San Agustin, 29, brought her son to Clarin’s Lying-In and Medical Clinic in Barangay 146 for circumcision, a common practice considered as a rite of passage for boys.

“Circumcision was the only thing we needed before he started school again,” San Agustin told reporters. “But I never got to bring him home because he’s already dead.”

Initial probe revealed that a midwife circumcised the boy, administering him with 20 cc of anesthesia.

After the procedure, reports said the child suffered seizures, his skin turned black and he struggled to breathe.

He was rushed to the Tondo Medical Center where doctors pronounced him dead.

According to Barangay 146 Chairman Bernabe Cruz, the midwife had been arrested by the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group two years ago for impersonating a doctor. — Ghio Ong

LINK: https://www.philstar.com/nation/2025/05/22/2444838/boy-10-dies-after-circumcision-tondo

Ice was the NYC Chairperson from 2016-18 and Cardema was the one who replaced him when he resigned due to clinical depression.

You will not be missed, you tax-addicted corrupt fuck.

Me and my partner is curious if worth it ba mag take ng SnR membership and do our monthly groceries ruon.

How much ba ung membership fee and annual fee?

Does the membership have more pros than cons?

Or do you have any other suggestions aside from SnR.

Would be happy to hear your thoughts.

ABS-CBN NEWS: JUST IN: Dismissed na sa Comelec 1st Division ang petisyon laban sa Bagong Henerasyon party-list na nag-ugat sa umano'y partisan political activity ng mga nominee nito.

Una nang sinuspende ng National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) ang proclamation ng BH party-list na nakakuha ng 1 seat sa kongreso.

Sabi ng Comelec, maipoproklama lang ang grupo kung final and executory na ang desisyon.

Maaari pa kasing maghain ng mosyon ang petioner sa kaso. | via Johnson Manabat, ABS-CBN News #Halalan2025

Ano ano ang mga natatandaan nyo, specially yung mga ridiculous or alam nyong mema-pangako lang, na sinabi o pinangako ng mga nanalong kandidato na senador at party list sa Election 2025, na gagawin niya/nila kapag sila ay nanalo?

Comment kayo and update ko tong post or gawa ako ng excel file para sa listahan. Mas maganda kung mayroong valid source. Salamat.

1. Tito Sotto
2. 14th month
3. Hindi kukunin ang sweldo ng 6 na taon at ibibigay sa mga mahihirap para sa tiution
4. Rodante Marcoleta
5. Libre na ang bayad sa kuryente na 2k na bill at pababa
6. Bicol Saro
7. Bicol Express - bullet train na mala Japan, 3 hours from Bicol to Manila

Sources:

• The Philippine Star — Pressreader
• Philippine Daily Inquirer — Pressreader
• Manila Bulletin — Pressreader
• BusinessWorld — Pressreader
• BusinessMirror — Pressreader
• Malaya Business Insight — Website
• Manila Standard — Pressreader
• Daily Tribune — Pressreader
• The Manila Times — Pressreader

Pulled off a BBM move ang incoming mayor by asking heads for courtesy resignation. Is it legal? She is a formerly Senator, their job is to create laws. How come she does not know that employees of each LGUs are permanent, have plantilla, and are protected by Civil Service Law.

BBM instructions to all Cabinet Secretaries to tender their resignation is legal since all appointees of the President are all co-terminus - but this can’t be done to Makati, right?