“The words are not good for the secret meaning, everything always becomes a bit different, as soon as it is put into words, gets distorted a bit, a bit silly—yes, and this is also very good, and I like it a lot, I also very much agree with this, that this what is one man’s treasure and wisdom always sounds like foolishness to another person.” ― Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha
The Mindanao problem is ultimately a POWER problem – the power of one group over another. It is a problem of colonization. The fact that there was a law called the Legislative Act 4197 or Quirino-Recto Colonization of Mindanao Act, which was enacted on 12 February 1935 is very telling. The Commonwealth considered the Act… Continue reading Federalism for All: Chance for lasting Peace
JSAP Statement on the 40th Anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution Forty years ago, the Filipino people gathered at EDSA to reclaim democracy, proving that collective courage can dismantle tyranny. The People Power Revolution was not only a political turning point—it was also a moment that reshaped the role of media and journalism in… Continue reading JSAP on the 40th Anniv of the EDSA People Power Revolution
Finally saw the somewhat controversial film Quezon (2025), the 3rd movie in the Bayani (Hero) series of E.A. Rocha and Fernando Ortigas, Executive Producers and Jerrold Tarog, Director of the films. The controversy arose when one of Quezon's grandsons Ricky Avanceña questioned the director during a Q&A forum on the film. He asked if the… Continue reading The debunking of the Quezon hero image
Debunking Heroes like Lapu-Lapu while Upholding Colonizers like Magellan in Philippine Films A grandson of the country’s first Commonwealth president expressed concern and anger at the portrayal of his grandfather in the movie about his granddad. Quezon (2025) is the fourth movie in the Bayani (Hero) quadrilogy that included Bonifacio, ang Unang Pangulo (2014), Heneral… Continue reading Lapu Lapu Out, Magellan In; Revolutionaries Out, Colonizers In
It's Sept 21 again. Time to remember Sept 21, 1972 when Marcos supposedly signed Proclamation 1081 to start his 14-year Martial Law reign. Technically, Martial Law was lifted in 1980, but only in name. The country was still under a de facto Martial Law. It was a Romualdez-Marcos Conjugal Dictatorship. The Filipinos finally rose against… Continue reading Martial Law Madness
Just saw Magellan (2025). I have never been a fan of Lav Diaz. Once, I had to sit in a theater to watch a 7-hour Diaz film. It was required watching for one of my film studies graduate courses. It was one of the worst films I had seen. Magellan (2025) was a re-imagining of… Continue reading Magellan (2025): Filipino Self-Bashing
JAMAL ASHLEY ABBAS Media Studies Specialist, Educator, Petroleum Engineer, Writer, —————Where Media, Energy, & Culture Intersect Welcome to my digital hub. I’m an interdisciplinary professional with a deep passion for Media Studies, Education, Energy, and Social Transformation. I combine decades of experience in engineering, government service, academia, and journalism to explore solutions for today’s most pressing issues. Let’s bridge Knowledge… Continue reading My Portfolio
Postprandial Musings, 2.0 