Category Archives: Science and Environment

Disaster, Fact Check, Science and Environment, Social Media

Alexa, New Queen Of Fake News?

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At exactly 4:01 a.m. on April 22, 2025, millions of groggy Filipinos were wide awake, clutching emergency kits and spam, thanks to Alexa—Amazon’s beloved voice assistant turned doomsday prophet.

Earlier, Alexa had boldly predicted a powerful 8.2 magnitude earthquake would rock the Philippines, complete with a countdown, an ominous playlist (“Shake It Off” included), and reminders to “duck, cover, and shop Prime.”

The result? A few mild tremors in Mindanao and one guy in the Ilocos who spilled his taho.

“I trusted her,” sobbed one Manila resident. “She’s never steered me wrong on rice cookers.”

Experts say Alexa may have confused seismic data with her owner’s vibrating massage chair. Amazon released a statement saying, “Alexa’s still learning. And possibly watching too much YouTube.”

In the meantime, she’s suggested survival kits, helmets, and a subscription to “Earthquake Weekly.” Because even when she’s wrong, Alexa’s always ready to sell you something.

Politics, Science and Environment, Social Media, weather

Senator Cynthia Villar Doesn’t Feel The Heat

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Ah, Senator Cynthia Villar, the woman so immune to the heat that she might as well be part-reptile.

When asked about the class suspensions due to the soaring heat index, she nonchalantly remarked that she doesn’t feel the heat. Of course, she doesn’t—wrapped in the loving embrace of air-conditioned luxury, from her mansion to her chauffeured car to her plush Senate office.

But perhaps it’s not just the physical heat she’s failing to notice. Could it be that she also doesn’t feel the simmering frustration of students, teachers, and workers roasting under tin roofs and enduring long commutes in the sweltering sun? Maybe she’s too insulated—both by cold air and political privilege—to sense the real struggles of ordinary Filipinos.

If she’s this out of touch now, imagine if we keep voting her family into power. The heat of public outrage might be the only thing left to wake them up.

Government, International, Science and Environment

West Philippine Sea In (Parenthesis)?

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President Donald Trump, through an Executive Order, has renamed the Gulf of Mexico “Gulf of America”. Certainly, he can change the name for official U.S. purposes, but he can’t dictate what the rest of the world calls it.

Google Maps began using “Gulf of America” for users in the U.S., saying it had a “longstanding practice” of following the U.S. government’s lead on such matters. But “Gulf of America”appears only as a parenthetical to “Gulf of Mexico.” Users in Mexico will see Gulf of Mexico, and maps will display both names for those logging in from other countries.

In 2012, President Noynoy Aquino renamed parts of the South China Sea “West Philippine Sea.” While many Filipinos now use West Philippine Sea, it is, like Gulf of America, technically for internal purposes. For Google Maps users, “West Philippine Sea” appears as a red “pin” superimposed against the vast South China Sea.

Ultimately, it is the International Hydrographic Association which has the final say in renaming bodies of water while underwater feature names are within the purview of the U.N. Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.

For now, all Trump gets is the name Gulf of America in parenthesis, after Gulf of Mexico.

As for the West Philippine Sea, the name can appear on Google maps, not in parenthesis but as a red pin.