Badtrip ako sa Reddit PH mod at sa DTI

 

Share Ko Lang. Long post ahead

 

Over a year ago, um-attend ako ng Reddit moderator workshop sa isang gallery sa Makati. Na-meet ko yung dalawang mods dun ng Reddit na associated sa Reddit Philippines. Yung isa, according sa LinkedIn employed by Reddit mismo but working remotely (sa Pinas most likely).

So workshop, workshop… games, activities, snack and giving of certificate of attendance. Ang highlight is yung paggawa ng bagong sub na unique – so our group came up with sub Paano Ba To. Apat kami sa small group namin – so tinuruan kami mag-setup ng new sub, rules, mod tools etc. So parang kumuha lang ng idea si Reddit sa min for a new sub that will attract new visitors. Ka-wave namin yung mga mods ng sub San May Bidet

I learned na Reddit is actively doing these workshops for 1 reason – to increase viewership, user engagement on Reddit, by creating new subs and assigning new mods to not-so-regulated subs. Syempre nga naman, more activities on Reddit means more revenue for them… sa ads placement na lang paldo na sila. They can even afford to employ a Filipino locally to handle Reddit PH. So may pera talaga sa PH community ng Reddit. Sa event na ‘to napanalunan ko yung 1-year subscription ko sa Reddit roughly P3,000 a year.

A few weeks later, na-permaban yung account kong nabigyan ng premium subscription – 4 years old account with 70k+ na walang history ng warning man lang. Banned, across Reddit platform, permanently. “Breaking the rules”, “Spamming” ang sinabing reasons ng Mod. So since kilala ko na nga yung PH Mod ng Reddit PH, nag-message ako sa kanya regarding my account. Sinabi n’ya na yung violation ko raw was “affiliate linking” which is NOT clearly defined by Reddit rules. It was a gray area daw. So ia-appeal daw n’ya sa Reddit pero wala ding nangyari. The permaban is still there.

So nag-file ako sa Consumer Welfare ng DTI at sa DICT, CICC, asking for unbanning my account dahil nga, hindi clear yung violation and sanction ko. Nothing they can do about it since internal process. But they did agree na it’s a violation of the Consumer Law since I’m not enjoying my subscription due to the ban. The TOS of Reddit says no refund whatsoever, but Consumer Welfare said, PH Consumer Law is above ALL TOS of ALL COMPANIES operating in the PH, Reddit included.

So natuloy sa mediation meeting via Teams yung kaso, no show si Reddit, hanggang sa DTI Adjudication Division, who dismissed the case due to lack of jurisdiction. May merit ang case, kahit na 1) hindi daw ako subscriber dahil hindi ako mismo ang bumili ng subscription (yung mod ng Reddit ang bumili for me) at 2) walang opisina ang Reddit na pagdadalhan ng sulat from DTI.

This was affirmed by the DTI Secretary nung naglabas ng decision on my appeal against DTI-FTEB. They cited Department Administrative Order No. 20-02, Series of 2020 (DAO 20-02), saying it is required to be done by physical means, either through personal service or registered mail/accredited courier.

Aminado si DTI Secretary na yes, may communication from Reddit to CICC who messaged them on my behalf, but electronic communications is not enough. Physically, dapat matanggap ni Reddit yung sulat.

Same lang din sa issue ng Facebook regarding fake news. Nag-send ng Snail Mail ang PH Government sa Meta, posted online yung copy, at binigyan sila ng 48 hours to acknowledge yung complaint letter and up to 7 days to reply. Hindi nag-acknowledge si Meta na natanggap nila yung complaint ng gobyerno at hindi sila nag-reply sa complaint within 7 days.

Gobyerno na yun ha. Balak ko sana i-akyat sa Court of Appeals ang kaso, pero P5,000 ang filing fee which is malaking pera sa panahon ngayon. Tapos ako pa gagawa ng Notice of Appeal and being non-lawyer, mahihirapan ako. Mas mahal pa kung magha-hire ako ng lawyer to draft it. Not economically feasible. Manalo man ako, need pa rin ng amendment sa batas para i-require ang mga social media platforms na magkaroon ng physical office or legal representative sa Pinas.

So dun na lang ako mag-focus at least libre lang mangulit ng mga senador to amend the Internet Transactions Act of 2023 to include such section. Hopefully mangyari ito sa future dahil ang dami kong nagbabasa, sa GC namin, sa FB na mga naba-ban ni Meta for no reasons at all.

Dito nga sa Reddit, ang daming nagsasabing ipa-ban na lang ang Meta dahil nga sa issue ng fake news, ban waves, among others, hangga’t hindi nagi-improve. Pag may nakita akong petition na ganito or group na naga-advocate nito, definitely sasali ako, at ia-advocate ko na Syempre all social media companies should be held accountable.

Nakakalungkot lang na sa Pinas, ‘pag ang reklamo mo ay hindi against sa corruption sa gobyerno, parang sobrang trivial para sa kanila. Eh considering na ang dami nang Pinoys ang sumisigaw versus corruption. Tsaka sabi nga ng isang tao sa gobyerno, multi-tasking sila, so go lang kung gaano man kaliit complaints natin.

Sa India, sa EU, sa Australia, yung mga social media platforms ang nag-adjust para sa kanila, dahil their people and their government demanded change. Dito sa atin, parang sinasabi na lang na “libre naman ang Reddit, Facebook ano pang nire-reklamo mo?” Hangga’t ganito ang mentality ng karamihan, eh we truly deserve the government we have right now.

Reddit and Facebook are sampling ng ugali ng mga Filipino – and it’s toxic talaga. I use to think na Redditors are somehow, more intelligent when it comes to discussion but sadly, same lang din sa FB. Dismissing any posts by ad hominem, insults, name-calling and dismissing your post as mema lang, pasikat, pabibo. I’ve been insulted to the roof, the same way “intellectuals” insulted DDS, and DDS “smart-shaming” others. It’s a vicious cycle here and the healthy discussion that Reddit was supposed to champion, I don’t know what sub has it.

So yeah, we really deserve the shit that we’re in right now. Thanks for reading.

Some Siargao folks should be shouting: No to bastos and entitled tourists! (not free watermelons)

 

Crazy how some Siargao folks are shouting "Free Watermelons" instead of shouting "No to bastos and entitled tourists". How dare they.

Hatred towards the Israelis / Jews / Zionists are everywhere and have intensified, since Israel's retaliatory attacks on Iran. I feel sad to those who have fallen to the propaganda of the Hamas / Houthis / Hezbollah supporters.

Even in the United Colors of Siargao.

Commemorating the Fall of Bataan in 2026

 

Here's my message for year's commemoration of the Fall of Bataan a.k.a. Day of Valor or Araw ng Kagitingan.

This year's commemoration is relevant because of the two wars that is raging up until this day -- Putin's invasion of Ukraine and Israel's war against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

I really believe that wars begin with a madman who, for some reasons, gained the support of his country's population even though his plan is pure evil. Remember the expansionist plan of the Emperor of Japan? His countrymen, believing he's the descendant of a Japanese god or something, supported his war.

Same goes with Hitler. I can't believe that his idea of annihilating the Jewish population was supported by the majority of Germans at that time. 

Fast forward today. People are still supporting madmen -- like Putin, in his dream of conquering Ukraine, and the Ayatollah's of Iran, in their chants of "Death to Israel". I guess we really don't learn from history, who repeats itself.

Rappler Vindicated On Duterte's Lies About Their Ownership

Finally, Rappler won its battle regarding its ownership. In turn, they got vindicated from Duterte's lies about them. Read: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2205960/its-final-rappler-wins-shutdown-fight

I remember the time when Duterte spread lies about Rappler's ownership, simply because Rappler is exposing his lies: https://verafiles.org/articles/vera-files-fact-check-three-things-duterte-got-wrong-about-r?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Here's another one: https://www.sunstar.com.ph/more-articles/duterte-insinuates-american-ownership-of-rappler?utm_source=chatgpt.com

It took time due to the country's slow justice system, but in the end, the truth triumph -- and one of Duterte's several lies were exposed.

It's just sad that he still has a lot of blind, name-calling followers on Facebook. It's already 2026 and people are still defending Duterte's lies.

So Many Are Deceived By The Palestinian Cause

"So many people are being misled by that so-called “Palestinian cause.” They claim that Jews are Europeans who supposedly occupied the land of the modern-day Holy Land, and that Arabs merely allowed them to settle there.

The level of disinformation today is intense. People don’t know how to research anymore—they just rely on whatever they watch.

Even when we were young, Sunday school already taught that Jews lived there. Didn’t they ever watch “The Ten Commandments” that airs every Holy Week?

Long before Muhammad, there were already Jews in Israel. The word “Israel” is even mentioned in the Quran. But the term “Palestine” was just invented by the Romans. It was also Arabs who later became conquerors of the land."

My Thoughts on the Israel-Iran War

Just sharing my thoughts on the current Israel-Iran War and this year's Lenten Season.

"The oldest hatred in the world is toward the Jews. Sad to say, but it’s already 2026, and they are still subjected to such hate. Plus, with propaganda and misinformation, anti-Israel sentiments are rampant. The world really should leave them in their tiny piece of land in peace. Let them be, with their beliefs and customs. The world should focus on jihadists and terrorists—the followers of a 7th-century religion that is incompatible with modern, mostly peaceful society."

"There’s a war in the Middle East, and it’s also the Lenten season. Most likely, here we go again with the narrative that this is the Jews’ fault.

If they believe they are the Chosen People, let them be. Let’s not be envious. They don’t push their beliefs on us.

If they don’t believe that Christ is the Son of God, let them be. We shouldn’t hate them or try to force them to change their beliefs.

Let’s direct our anger toward those who push for Sharia law, claiming it is above the laws of the countries they live in."

My First Time at Romblon

My good friend Richard invited me to his parents' place in Odiongan, Romblom. It’s also where a fellow photographer from Nayon Photographers’ Club resides – Doctor Kurt Tan. So I decided to tag along.

We left Guadalupe Nuevo, Makati City around 3pm last December 27, 2025. We arrived at Batangas Port around 6pm. The last time I was in this port was in 2019 when we went to Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

I was surprised that Batangas Port is now HUGE. A porter said that the expansion of the Batangas Port was completed about 5 years ago. Our ticket was purchased online at the 2GO website and around 8:30 pm we lined up to be boarded. Our bags were already scanned by the X-Ray machine but there’s also a K-9 dog that sniffed our bags.

The entire trip from Batangas Port to Odiongan Port in the island province of Romblon took about 8 hours. We left the port past 10PM. We had a good night sleep and at around 6:00 AM we’re already at the Odiongan Port / Port of Tablas (Island).


Day 1 (December 28, 2025 Sunday)

We rode a tricycle from the port to Richard’s place at barangay Batiano, Odiongan. His parents’ place is a decent bungalow with 3 bedrooms and is adjacent to the beach front. There was a seawall that was constructed about 5 years ago, which prevented storm surges. His parents were a lovely couple in their 80s but they’re still very sharp. I also met his siblings and nephews.

In the afternoon, we visited the vacation house of Doctor Tan near the Mayha Barangay Hall. He toured us around their house and in their garden and greenhouses. He’s into plants and he has a lot of pitcher plants and other unique plants. He even cultivates a variant of pechay and even raises some chickens. Later, he served us an Italian-style spaghetti which we all enjoyed. It’s my first time meeting Doctor Tan although I’ve known him for years by being a member of Nayon.

He dropped us at the Odiongan Town Proper where we took some pictures of the municipal hall, main church, Rizal’s statue, the Odiongan marker at the town square as well as the Jollibee outlet.


Day 2 (December 29, 2025 Monday)

Around 9 am, we left Odiongan via motorbikes (driven by his 2 nephews) and toured some towns down the island. First stop was the quiet town of Ferrol, Romblon. We took pictures of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Ferrol Municipal Hall, Rizal’s monument and the park which is still decorated for Christmas with the theme antarctica. There are no public market in Ferrol and I was told that they do their market stuff at Odiongan.

We went to the next town but we took a side trip to Binucot Beach, still in Ferrol. It’s a nice beach and is photogenic / Instagram-worthy but like most of the beaches I’ve seen around the island of Tablas, it’s a bit rocky. The place is almost deserted.

Our next town was Looc. We took a picture of the same things – Rizal’s monument, the Looc Municipal Hall, the Parish of St Joseph Spouse of Mary church including it’s interior and the Looc Public Market. The famous fish sanctuary is visible from the market but we skipped it because it will require a banca ride.

The thing that surprised me about this town is the presence of some old houses in great condition. I took pictures of these ancestral houses as well, including Casa Formilleza.

The last town on our list is Alcantara. Same routine – took pictures of the town plaza which has a huge Christmas tree, the municipal hall, Rizal’s statue and the St Thomas of Villanova Parish Church. They have a very small public market but there are no nearby restaurants. So we have to go back to Looc for lunch.

We had lunch at Tankey’s Resto Bar located along the street towards Looc. We had beef steak, chop suey (with noodles), pansit bihon and their Pansit Patok, which resembles Chicken Sotanghon without the sabaw. I ordered palabok but the waiter probably didn’t hear it. We also had 2 halo-halo and the entire bill was P1,541 which was expensive.

Around 3:00 PM we’re back at Batiano, Odiongan. The fuel for the 2 motorbikes we used cost about P300 for both and then we gave P500 to each of our drivers.

We also went to Tablas Forwarders to check Richard’s package which we shipped in Cubao the day we left Makati but it’s still not in their office.

That night around 11:00 PM we’re at a gasoline station which also serves as a terminal for vans going to San Agustin Port.


Day 3 (December 30, 2025 Tuesday)

The van left Odiongan around 1:30 am. I fell asleep and woke up at San Agustin Port around 3:00 AM. The ticketing office is already open and the ship is scheduled to leave at 4:00 am. The fare to Romblon Port is P125 including the P15 terminal fee. Romblon Town is in Romblon Island and is the capital of Romblon Province (which also includes the islands of Tablas – where Odiongan is located – and SIbuyan.

The trip was almost 1 hour long and by 5:00 AM we were already at the town proper of Romblon Town. Romblon is the Marble Capital of the Philippines – but it’s not prominent in the town houses and buildings. Aside from the signages of government buildings (in marble), some of the things I saw in marble are the obelisk in front of the post office with an eagle and the lion at the town plaza.

I took pictures of the church, Romblon Municipal Hall, Rizal’s monument, an ancestral home, and the public market. By 5:30 am, we rode a tricycle and went to Bonbon Beach. The public entrance to the beach is P20 per person. We walked about 500 meters until we saw the island that appears on most pictures of Bonbon beach. It’s still high tide that morning so we’re unable to walk towards that island. But it’s a quite beach and is children friendly. It’s not a rocky beach like the ones I saw on Tablas Island.

By 8:30 am we left Bonbon Beach back to the town proper. The tide still hasn’t receded. We took some pictures of ancestral houses in Romblon Town and walked towards the Romblon Provincial Capitol, around 1 kilometer from the town center. The design of the Romblon Provincial Capitol complex is modern but with little marble on the facade.

We had lunch at Mom’s Restaurant near the public market. We had giniling, nilaga and mixed vegetables for P460 pesos. It’s expensive! Then we climb the stairs towards the historic Fuerza San Andres. I later learned that it was built by the Spanish in 1644 to protect the town from Muslim raids. The climb was exhausting but the view was majestic. It’s a must-have place to visit when in Romblon.

By 12:00 noon we were on the ship going back to San Agustin. The ticket we purchased from Montenegro Lines included a van ride to Odiongan for P350. The ride from San Agustin to Odiongan was zigzag that reminds me of the trip to Baguio. By around 3:00 PM we’re back at Odiongan.

I also visited this ancestral house along the highway near Batiano. I heard from the guy who gave me a ride that this used to belong to a judge. But now, his offspring are already in the US and only a caretaker keeps them.


Day 4 (December 31, 2025 Wednesday)

We visited 3 sites this morning – the Budiong Fish Sanctuary, Firmalo Boulevard (Tabing-Dagat / Beach Front) and the Libertad Mangrove Forest.

Budiong Fish Sanctuary is near the Odiongan Town Proper. It was low tide the morning that we visited the place but it’s more of a mangrove forest. There’s a bamboo-made elevated walkway / pathway across the forest that leads to some shelter with a great view of the sea.

Firmalo Boulevard along the bay (Tabing-Dagat) is just your usual beach front. Nothing much to offer but I guess it’s romantic here at dusk.

Libertad Mangrove Forest is located about 11 kilometers from Batiano. It’s very similar to Budiong Fish Sanctuary but it’s larger, with concrete pathways across the mangrove forest, which also leads to an elevated gazebo that offers an excellent view of the sea.


In the afternoon, Richard and I swam again at the beach near his parents’ house in Batiano. By 6:00 PM I was already at the Port of Tablas. The 2GO shipped left the port at 7:00 PM. I spent the new year at sea.

 

 

Binucot Beach in the town of Ferrol, Tablas Island, Romblon

 

 

 

Batiano, Odiongan

 

 

 

Mangroves at Batiano, Odiongan

 

 

 

 

An elevated pathway at Binucot Beach 

 

 

 

Bonbon Beach in the island of Romblon, Province of Romblon 

 

 

 

St Anthony of Padua Parish Church in the town of Ferrol, Tablas Island, Romblon 

 

 

 

Looc Municipal Hall, Tablas Island, Romblon 

 

 

 

Odiongan Signage at the town plaza

 

 

 

Odiongan Municipal Hall, Tablas Island 

 

 

 

An old house in Looc, Tablas Island 

 

 

 

An old house in Odiongan, Tablas Island, Romblon 

 

 

 

An old house in the Town of Romblon, Island of Romblon, Province of Romblon 

 

 

 

Jose Rizal's statue in Odiongan, Tablas Island 

 

 

 

Marker at Romblon Town 

 

 

 

San Agustin Port Terminal, Tablas Island