Author Archives: Carlos C. Tapang
The Parable of the Good Father and National Five-Year Plans
A good father went against his instinct and let his second son go out on his own, out of the protective confines of his (the father’s) world, into the world outside. He would not have done so, knowing how cruel … Continue reading
What is Freedom?
I challenged a discussion group, whose members are graduates of my alma mater, to think about why our motherland Pinas is behind in a lot of areas. Somebody responded that may be we need to be more generous, and really care … Continue reading
What is Money?
The love of money is the root of all evil. 1 Timothy 6:10 (King James Version) He had heard people speak contemptuously of money: he wondered if they had ever tried to do without it. W. Somerset Maugham Of Human Bondage. … Continue reading
To All Filipino Intellectuals
You and I both want Pinas to progress. We may not agree on the exact destination, but I think we can both agree that the current state of the country is deplorable. I have visited Malaysia and Indonesia, and have … Continue reading
On Reading Jose Rizal
To write is to lay bare one’s soul, in so many words, for all to see. To read a book, then, is to look into the soul of its author. I have just finished reading Leon Maria Guerrero’s highly readable … Continue reading
Mahbubani’s “The New Asian Hemisphere”: a review
There are two aspects to this book. On the one hand, the book does a very good job of narrating exciting history that is unfolding here and now. It lucidly tells how both India and China have adopted free market … Continue reading
Long Term Potentiation
Long term memory in the brain is realized partly by weakening irrelevant connections and strengthening relevant connections among neural cells. Connections that become strong can still become weak if not exercised. Our long term memory is not like computer Read-Only … Continue reading
Osmosis
Local communists and other rabidly anti-American elements claim that American influence on Filipino culture is so pervasive but subtle that we ourselves are not aware how most of our personal decisions are symptomatic of a culture vanquished by imperialist America. … Continue reading
Metamorphoses
Warning: this is long and may be troubling. met·a·mor·pho·sis [met-uh-mawr-fuh-sis]1. Biology. a profound change in form from one stage to the next in the life history of an organism, as from the caterpillar to the pupa and from the pupa … Continue reading
Thoughts on Philippine Elections
After enjoying half of my life in the U.S., I came back to the Philippines with the idea of starting anew. After more than a year living here in Cebu, I say I love it here. I like the warmth … Continue reading
Perpetual Cycle of Life 