“I’m not watching anymore,” I say — while watching.
Every week I tell myself:
“That’s it. I’m done. No more Philippine news. I need peace, serenity, and maybe a working blood pressure.”
Then I open Twitter.
Then I see a headline like
“Cybersecurity Budget Slashed in Favor of New Dancing Fountain.”
And suddenly I’m yelling at my phone like I still live in Barangay TumataasAngBP.
It’s like teleserye meets sci-fi meets unintentional comedy
Watching the news from the Philippines is not for the faint of heart. It’s:
- Drama? ✅
- Suspense? ✅
- Budget disappearing acts? ✅
- Plot twists that make K-dramas look tame? ✅
Sometimes I feel like we’re not running a country — we’re running a long-form improv show where no one knows the script, but everyone’s got a mic and an alibi.
“Why do you even still care?”
Excellent question.
I live abroad. I have other things to do. Like being a:
- Sysadmin
- GIS tech
- Application analyst
- Database janitor
- Zoom host
- Network whisperer
- And emotional support human for Outlook users
Yet somehow… I still care.
Because it’s the Philippines. Because I still hope we figure it out.
Because I want to see a headline that doesn’t start with “Probe launched after…”
Because I want to come home one day and see digital infrastructure that wasn’t duct-taped together using old Excel files and vibes.
I try to quit. I swear.
I uninstall the news apps.
I mute the hashtags.
I tell myself: “No more doomscrolling. You have Azure certs to finish.”
Then I blink…
And I’m reading about someone trying to ban PowerPoint or declare TikTok a form of political discourse.
How do I not react?! It’s like a car crash made of spreadsheets and facepalms.
Truth is: I still love the chaos
Not the bad kind of chaos — the kind where everything breaks and no one gets fired.
I mean the chaotic energy of a country that still makes me laugh, cry, and want to apply for a job in Antarctica — all within one news cycle.
I still care. Even if I have to care sarcastically.
TL;DR
- I say I’m done watching the news.
- I still watch.
- I still care.
- I still yell.
- I’m still Filipino.