Yes to constitutional reform

Why an awful system will always defeat a good individual: Understanding the power of structures over personal effort. 

Well, in that utopian world, all one needs is hard work and talent with ethics to make the cut; one should rise or fall according to the worth of one's contributions and commitment. In real life, though, structures we work within—be that at work, in society, or in any organized setup—have the power to decide who shall come out top. Bad system, with flaws in its structure and biased, will always overpower the best and most determined of humans. And here's why:

Google Photo

1. Systems Define the Rules, Resources, and Boundaries

At its core, a system is a network of interconnected pieces that define how things work in a given environment. Policies, hierarchies, workflows, resources, and cultural norms all serve as those pieces. Each determines who receives how much of what opportunities are available; each decides who makes which decisions and at what times; and each outlines who benefits most from those decisions.

No person—howevertalented or well-intentioned—must play by these rules. A bad system warps these factors in a direction that inhibits real progress, favors the few, or is simply ineffective. Consider an organization that promotes you based on whom you know rather than how well you do the job. Even when a diligent and talented employee exists in such an environment, his potential upward movement is blocked by the system, which prefers connections over competence.

2. The Inertia of a Bad System

Systems have inertia, which refers to a resistance to change born of entrenched processes, vested interests, and cultural norms. Thus, even for the best of people who are proactive, the challenges they face when trying to change or work against the system are insurmountable.

This concept manifests in quite a few daily life examples. In industries in which bureaucratic red tape hinders innovation, even the brilliance of the finest experts can get stuck in an endless wheel of authorization processes and outdated procedures. Time rolls by, and the best either give up or have endured until they conclude that no matter their efforts, it is impossible to overcome the weight of inertia of the system itself.

3. Changing Rules and Moving Goalposts

You decide to run a race, determined to win it. You train hard, perfect your technique, and visualize winning by crossing the finish line. But halfway in your actual run, new rules are introduced: you are forced to take the longer route while everyone else is allowed on the shortcut, then finish line is changed so that it's farther off, and requirements to win are made to favor a few. Win becomes impossible, no matter how capable you are, in this scenario.

This analogy can apply anywhere systems are rigged or biased. Be it in politics, corporate setups, or social strata, people who try to operate within a system where the rules are constantly changed or skewed end up badly. Their works may seem exemplary, but the structure is designed so only a few make it to the top.

4. Why Talented and Ethical People Fail

Ethics and strong principles are great qualities of a person. However, in a bad system, they work against the one human being like obstacles rather than assets. It is because in a flawed system, some wrong practices or corrupt dynamics tend to dominate. Good people who may have chosen to maintain ethics and fairness may refuse to play the dirty game that others-a group of people with fewer scruples-will enter. The end result is having the good people sit on the bench or be penalized for being too good.

Some examples of this struggle are whistleblowers in many organizations and societal systems. They decide to act for what they believe is the right thing to do to combat corruption or misconduct. But without proper protections and a system that generally supports transparency, such whistleblowers often suffer retaliation, the loss of their job, or the isolation of being a whistleblower. The very framework they trusted to uphold justice turns against them, showing even the bravest acts can be undermined by a system designed to preserve the status quo.

5. Systemic Bias and Inequality

An unequal, biased system will always be partial to certain groups rather than others, even if the individual may deserve it. Institutionalized discrimination, be it on grounds of gender, race, income levels, or any other characteristic, structures opportunities and resources in an uneven manner.

For instance, take the corporate world wherein unconscious bias directs who should be hired, who promoted, and whose ideas matter. An individual from a background of low representation may bring innovative ideas and offer exemplary performance, but a system infested with bias will undervalue those contributions, make room for those people who fit that "preferred" profile.

Even in an education system, structural inequalities play a huge part. Well-educated children with great academic achievement and good career prospects emerge from well-endowed schools in comparison to capable peers who went through poorly funded schools. However talented and ambitious the child may be, a system, which favors one group over the other, only allows a chosen few to be able to succeed.

6. Resisting the Constrictions of a Poor System

However, what is clear is that a bad system can overpower individual effort; it never suggests that the situation cannot be changed. The way forward to reform lies in awareness and collective action:

Collective Advocacy: In most cases, change requires a group of people who come together and fight against and shape the system. Whether it's a demand for good working practices by workers, demands for policy changes by citizens, or an increase in education equity by students, collective voices have power than any individual voice.

Leadership and Responsibility: Change in the system occurs when leaders demonstrate a sincere intention to change. Leading with integrity, to be more effective and better, is what the leaders have to do. Systems can be changed even by the most Herculean ones by a leader who looks for transparency, justice, and flexibility.

Building Alternative Structures. Sometimes, the only way to fight a bad system is to build a better one. For example, this can involve building startups that challenge the outdated corporate practices; community cooperatives working for equal access to resources; or organizations with emphasis on diversity and inclusion.

7. Conclusion: The Power of Change and Persistence

Indeed, bad system overthrows a good man in the short run. Systems set the rules, distributing resources. For this reason, systems set the environment that people work within. However, history teaches that resolute effort, collective action, and the boldness to challenge obtuse structures can result in meaningful change.

It is through understanding what bad systems do not allow that expectations are managed and efforts directed in the right way. It teaches individual effort but changing the rules of the game very often calls for a concerted and long-term strategy. Then, for the most talented and ethical persons, aligning with other people who share their values and working together then represents the way forward past the inertia of a flawed system.

Happy karga fellow actors!

What I Learned from the Chubbuck Technique: Lessons I'll Carry Forever

I started this acting workshop on May 3rd of this year, and as I finish up my last session of the Chubbuck Technique acting workshop on August 2nd, 2025, I find myself thinking about how life-changing the last 12 sessions have been. This is not merely an acting class—it's an exploration of the reality of the human condition, utilizing our own suffering, needs, and aspirations to craft real performances.

The 12 Tools of Acting book penned by Ivana Chubbuck is the very bible of this acting technique, which is The Power of the Actor. 

Screengrab from Direk Rahyan Carlos

These are my greatest learnings from this experience from film and TV director Rahyan Carlos, the only authorized mentor for this technique, as follows:

1. Your Pain is Power

The Chubbuck Technique instructed me to leave running from my past hurts behind. Instead, I learned to harness them into my character's goals. Through utilizing actual experiences as emotional impetus, each line and every decision feels real and authentic.

2. Fight to Win Every Scene

Acting isn't just "feeling" the feeling—it's actually going for what you're after. Every scene is a fight, and every character is fighting with everything they've got. This attitude shifted how I work in every role.

3. Substitution Creates Truth

One of the strongest techniques I learned was substitution or the "karga"—swapping the people or situations in the script for those from my life. This makes every performance highly personal and unique.

4. Inner Life Is More Important than Words

It's not what you say—it's what happens beneath the surface. The Chubbuck Technique instructed me on how to create a rich inner life for my characters, so even when they don't speak, you feel what I feel.

5. Vulnerability is Strength

Perhaps the biggest lesson I’m taking with me is that vulnerability is not weakness—it’s where true connection begins. When I allow myself to be fully seen, both as an actor and as a human being, that’s when my work resonates most.

Moving Forward

This workshop didn't only improve me as an actor; it improved me as a person. It taught me empathy, discipline, and the bravery to speak truth in my work. I look forward to applying everything I've learned to upcoming roles, auditions, and creative endeavors. Also to move to the next step of learning, the advanced class of the Chubbuck Technique. Whatever comes my way, I will be learning this technique.

Thank you to everyone who's supported me on this journey. This is just the beginning, and I look forward to showing you what's coming next.

Lights on. Let's tell more stories together.

Rethinking about PBBM

Unexpected Twists: Reexamining Bongbong Marcos in an Evolving Political Scenario

Three years prior, talking positively about President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. would have seemed unthinkable. His last name is synonymous with one of the darkest moments in Philippine history—martial law, dictatorship, and plunder for many. But politics, as life, is not often black and white. And recently, Bongbong Marcos has been doing something nobody anticipated—steering away from the inheritance that propelled him to power and forging a new path that, though flawed, indicates a different trajectory.

The Son, Not the Father

Regardless of how much one dislikes his pedigree, it is instructive to observe a deep truth: people are not their parents. A verse from Ezekiel 18:20 is a timeless reminder: "The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father." History will judge the father. But the son? The son must be held accountable for his own deeds.

That change of heart has become particularly significant now that the new administration is starting to exhibit signs of reform, pragmatism, and—even more astoundingly—principled leadership.

From Symbolism to Substance

Unlike the strongman populism of the last few years, Marcos Jr. has made decisions that subtly but meaningfully depart from his father's shadow of authoritarianism and his predecessor's blood-stained playbook.

Let's consider what's been transpiring:

✅ Professional, non-partisan hires for high-level positions like PNP Chief Gen. Nicholas Torre, a reform symbol in a historically militarized organization.

✅ Putting an end to the phony drug war: No more extrajudicial "tokhang" murders. The President has set aside Duterte's deadly record in favor of due process and human rights.

✅ Stopping wasteful expenditures, including rejecting billions in questionable "confidential funds" that are linked to the Vice President.

✅ Defending Philippine sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea by reclaiming the 2016 UN arbitral win, a foreign policy position long neglected or bargained away.

✅ Shunning Beijing's influence, including reversing the enigmatic "Gentleman's Agreement" supposedly created under Duterte's regime.

✅ Reinvigorating friendships with the West, and not as an act of submission, but as a diplomatic realignment.

✅ Ordering the pursuit of justice against criminal religious cult leader Apollo Quiboloy, who for years walked with impunity.

✅ Demonstrating political will by standing up against the Duterte faction, keeping them in check for abuses previously thought unassailable.

These are not symbolic acts. These are indicative of a measured, de-Marcosian method to leadership—a move no one was really anticipating.

When the Opposition Joins the Table

The political aftershocks of Senators Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan joining the Senate majority raised more eyebrows than cheers. To many from the liberal-progressive clan, it was betrayal. But is it?

If their membership in the Education and Agriculture committees translates to real, tangible improvements, then perhaps it's not a loss—but a calculated comeback. Even Senator Risa Hontiveros, who campaigned for their return, hasn't sounded the alarm.

Reformers sometimes have to work through the system to transform it. And maybe Marcos Jr., unexpectedly, is keeping the possibility of such an alliance open.

It's Not Love—It's Clarity

Let's be clear: this isn't a glowing review of Bongbong Marcos as a visionary. It's not about erasing the past. It's about facing current realities. He's not perfect—but he's not Duterte. And he's definitely not his father.

There’s power in saying: “I’ve changed my mind because I’ve seen evidence.” And that’s what this is. A personal evolution born from observing a different kind of leadership than what was expected.

And if that opinion alienates others? So be it.

No Apologies for Seeing Change

This blog does not exist to parrot echo chambers or gratify tribal allegiances. It exists in order to question, judge, and think critically—even if that means diverging from ideological purists or the perpetually outraged.

If you've read this far and feel driven to unfollow, unsubscribe, or cancel—go for it. This place isn't for outrage-as-performance. It's for painful truths, considered nuance, and yes, hope that even in politics, people can surprise us.

Because if we can't accommodate growth—not only in leaders, but in ourselves—then we've learned nothing at all.

Let's continue to watch. Let's continue to question. Let's continue to hold them accountable. But let's not be so blinded by the past that we cannot observe history-in-the-making.

Blanking my Facebook profile

Why Everyone Should Go Blank on Facebook

A world, where innocently creeping into our daily lives now abounds in social media platforms, actually extends the individual unto those digital societies like Facebook. From reporting life events such as getting married, giving birth, and so much more, to those sharing their opinions on every current affairs, the social media mirrors the thought and experiences of millions, if not billions. There is then a new movement campaigning for going "blank" on Facebook, a stop or reduction of content sharing. While paradoxical in a hyper-connected world, there are strong reasons why everyone should be contemplating this measure.

So I did blank my personal Facebook profile except for my Facebook page. And here are my reasons why:

1. Safety for Mental Health

Incessant demands to keep posting, commenting, and sharing can feed stress, anxiety, and even depression. To go blank on Facebook would give users the respite needed from constant comparisons and noise online. Digital clutter, so often cleared by people, often brings more mental clarity and peace into one's life.

2. Protection of Privacy

It is an unprecedented milestone for people to share the information in a social net such as Facebook. Data is increased proportionally; therefore, chances of abuse through a privacy breach increase. Minimizing chances of misuse with personal data through no sharing and limiting access greatly reduces probabilities of misuse such as identity theft.

Private messages can also be vulnerable, as they may be screenshotted and exposed on other platforms without consent—a situation experienced by Maris Racal in 2024. Keeping your Facebook profile minimal or blank reduces the likelihood of exposure and potential blackmail.

Privacy matters! The Data Privacy Act of 2012 and similar laws in other jurisdictions serve as vital defenses, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding our personal information.

3. Exposing Authentic Relationships

Social media was invented as a means of keeping in touch, but it is perhaps now most useful for shallow engagements. The nudging to simplify your online life fosters deeper, in-person interactions. Meaningful discussions and quality time spent with those closest to you only truly strengthen relationships, far beyond what any digital engagement might do.

4. Reclaiming Time and Productivity

An average user spends hours scrolling through Facebook daily, which is the habit that easily distracts from productivity. A blank screen will help people get back their time so that they can concentrate much more clearly on work, hobbies, or self-development. Rather than meaningless and mindless scrolling, people can invest in activities that really satisfy them.

5. Online Drama and Conflict Mitigation

Social media and Facebook, at times, tend to inflate tensions and misunderstandings. Whether it is a debate over political issues, a controversy that goes viral, or any form of conflict, these situations can easily get out of hand in the blink of an eye, bringing undue stress. Mute goes a long way in reducing exposure to these kinds of online dramas for a more harmonious day-to-day life.

6. Preserving Self-Worth and Confidence

It becomes fairly straightforward to build a self-concept based on likes, shares, or comments on a social network. This measures do distort reality in the perception of achievement or happiness. Limiting activities on Facebook may help untangle social media validation from intrinsic success in life.

7. Developing Actual Physical Presence

Going blank encourages a person to live in the moment. It means not framing every experience in terms of "How will this look on Facebook?" People learn to enjoy events and milestones without having to broadcast them. This shift fosters mindfulness and a more profound appreciation for life's real moments.

8. How to Go Blank and Still Stay Connected

Go blank does not mean get rid of Facebook entirely; it means redefine your relationship with the same. Here's how:

1. Limit Your Posts: Just publish what is actually important rather than keeping everything updated.
2. Turn Off Notifications: Thus, you will be not distracted all the time and controlling when you really want to log into the platform.
3. Facebook for Specific Purpose: Use Facebook for groups, events, or any vital communication without getting sucked into the feed.
4. Prioritize Direct Communication: Reach out to friends and family through calls or personal messages rather than public posts.

Final Thoughts

Going blank on Facebook is a conscious decision that reflects a desire to achieve balance in such an ever-connected world. This is an invitation to find inner mental peace, reclaim privacy, and foster real-world connections. In a digital landscape where sharing has become tantamount to living, it could be the healthiest choice of them all to step back. Come and breathe into the blank space, discover life on your terms—unfiltered and authentically yours.