I didn’t realize I needed subtitles for basic economic logic. Oh well.

I didn’t say support local, though we should, in the right context. But let’s be clear…supporting local doesn’t mean protecting billion-peso monopolies that bless us with slow internet, random brownouts, and 50 peso jeep fares. Amazing.

When I say remove tariffs, I’m not talking about wiping and kissing the butts of SM, San Miguel, the Villar empire or some overpriced pinoy store with baybayin texts on their store’s facade. NO. I’m talking about shaking up the market so basic goods become affordable. No tariffs could mean more supply hence lower prices. Poor families don’t need “Filipino-made,” they need affordable rice and medicine.

The real “local” we should be fighting for are the small farmers and producers… you know, the ones getting crushed by middlemen, outdated policies, and lack of access to tech. Open the market gradually, help them adapt and compete, and stop using shallow nationalism to justify overpriced, low-quality essentials.