Author: user user

Are there intelligent beings in space?

Consider this conversation between two aliens:

Alien 1: ‘The dominant life forms on Planet Earth have developed satellite-based nuclear weapons.’

Alien 2: ‘Impressive. So these earthlings must be emerging as an intelligent species?’

Alien 1: ‘Not really. They have them aimed at themselves.’

Now, back to us humans. The question is: Are you intelligent?

I’m sure you are. And here’s the thing about intelligent people: they instinctively know the habits and practices that reflect intelligence. They also know the things they have to avoid.

We all have blind spots, we all make mistakes, and we all need improvement. The unintelligent person is not the one who struggles or fails. It’s the one who knows there’s a problem but denies it, defends it, and refuses to change.

Are you intelligent? I am sure you are. Intelligent people would instinctively know both the things they do well and the things they should avoid.

We often praise emotionally intelligent people for what they do: they listen, they empathize, they adapt. But sometimes it’s not the habits you practice, but the habits you avoid that make the difference.

As the saying goes, ‘Smart people know what to say. Wise people know whether to say it at all.’

Here are seven habits emotionally intelligent people refuse to entertain – and why avoiding them can help you succeed in work and in life:

1. Reacting impulsively instead of responding accordingly

Have you ever written an email during an emotional state and then wished for an actual ‘unsend’ feature in everyday life? People with emotional intelligence recognize this common pitfall. The ‘pause’ button replaces the ‘send’ button in their workflow. People who practice emotional intelligence choose to delay their responses until their emotional turmoil subsides. The impulsive nature of their reactions leads to enduring regrets that could have been avoided.

Don’t let temporary emotions make permanent decisions.

2. Blowing setbacks out of proportion

A failed project. A missed target. A wrong call. Every person faces these types of situations at some point in their life. The difference? People with emotional intelligence can prevent minor issues from escalating into major disasters.

People who understand failure as feedback instead of calling themselves failures. Thomas Edison explained his process by saying, ‘I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.’

The way you view setbacks determines whether they become stepping stones for success.

3. Gossiping

Every office has its unofficial ‘radio station,’ and the name of the station is ‘DZMARITESS.’ Emotionally intelligent people don’t tune in. They know gossip poisons culture, kills trust and turns colleagues into factions. Instead of listening to the grapevine, they go to the source.

Gossip makes you look small; integrity makes you stand tall.

4. Criticizing and putting others down

Feedback functions as a vital element for personal growth. People who possess emotional intelligence use feedback to help others grow and improve, rather than using it for destructive purposes. The purpose of their feedback delivery remains to assist others rather than to make them feel embarrassed or humiliated. They provide handy answers instead of delivering negative feedback. Criticism communicates defeat to others, but coaching offers them solutions to enhance their future performance. One destroys trust, the other builds it.

Be a coach, not a critic. Nobody ever grew from being belittled.

5. Suppressing their emotions

EQ doesn’t mean ignoring your feelings; it means acknowledging, owning and sharing them in the proper context. The worst mistake is bottling things up until you explode like a shaken soda bottle. Emotionally intelligent people don’t deny emotions; they process them. They discuss how they feel in safe spaces and use their emotions as a basis for making better choices.

Silence may look strong, but healthy expression is stronger.

6. Avoiding tough conversations

No one likes tough conversations, whether it’s confronting a colleague, addressing underperformance, or admitting mistakes. But emotionally intelligent people know avoiding them only makes the problem bigger. They prepare, calm themselves and face the issue directly but respectfully. They speak truth with empathy, not hostility.

Hard conversations may hurt for a moment, but avoidance hurts for much longer.

7. Holding grudges

Grudges feel good at first. Like scratching an itch, it gives temporary relief but leaves lasting damage. Emotionally intelligent people know resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to get sick. They don’t forget, but they let go for their own peace.

Forgiveness is not about excusing the other person; it’s about freeing yourself from the burden of resentment.

Learning what not to do is just as powerful as knowing what to do. When you avoid the traps that trip others up, you sharpen your edge in work, leadership and life. True brilliance isn’t about being perfect – it’s about being wise enough to sidestep the wrong turns.

After all, success is not only built on the decisions you make, but also on the mistakes you refuse to repeat.

Catch Kongversations with Francis on YouTube and all major podcast platforms – Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more. Plus, listen to Inspiring Excellence wherever you stream.

The Philippines is the only country in Southeast Asia facing a sustained deterioration in its current account, setting it apart from regional peers whose external balances remain broadly stable, according to Bank of America (BofA).

In a report, BofA said it assessed the state of external balances across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), focusing on trade and its subsequent impact on growth.

‘We find that despite the growing headwinds from external trade, current account balances across the region have remained in a manageable state, with only Philippines showing a steady trend of wider deficits, while other economies in the region remain rangebound,’ it said.

According to the report, the Philippines has consistently posted current account deficits over the past year, while Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore have strengthened their external positions.

‘On a long-term basis, current account trends in the region appear to show mild but consistent shifts, with Malaysia and Philippines showing a persistent trend of steady deterioration,’ BofA noted.

The Philippines’ current account deficit eased to $5 billion (four percent of gross domestic product) in the second quarter, down by 15.8 percent from $5.9 billion (5.2 percent of GDP) a year ago, as stronger exports helped trim the trade gap.

Meanwhile, Indonesia has recorded improvements due to stronger processing of mineral and resource exports, while Vietnam has swung from a persistent deficit to a sizable surplus.

Thailand remains volatile, shifting between deficits and surpluses depending on tourism inflows. Singapore continues to post large and stable surpluses.

BofA identified weak trade in goods as the key drag on the Philippine current account. While most of ASEAN saw frontloaded export gains in the first half, the Philippines underperformed, keeping its trade deficit wide.

The country’s reliance on remittances and information technology-business process management (IT-BPM) services has partially cushioned the gap, but these inflows are not growing fast enough to close it.

‘Remittances growth, especially in the Philippines, has consistently run behind nominal GDP growth,’ the bank observed, adding that their importance to the external account has gradually diminished.

Tourism receipts, which are helping neighbors like Vietnam and Malaysia recover their services surpluses, have also been slower to rebound in the Philippines.

The Philippines is also grappling with fiscal and monetary pressures. BofA highlighted that the fiscal deficit in August ballooned to P84 billion, up by 56 percent year-on-year, bringing the shortfall to P869 billion from January to August, or 25 percent higher than the same period last year.

On the monetary front, the peso weakened by nearly two percent in September as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) signaled it was nearing the end of its policy easing cycle.

The BSP has already lowered interest rates by 150 basis points since August 2024, bringing the key rate down to five percent.

BofA said it expects the central bank to reiterate that ‘the terminal rate is within sight’ at its Oct. 9 policy meeting.

The widening current account gap underscores a structural weakness that could weigh on investor sentiment and external stability.

‘Medium-term challenges remain,’ BofA cautioned, stressing that the Philippines’ heavy dependence on remittances and IT services, coupled with persistent goods trade deficits, makes it more vulnerable than its ASEAN peers.

Despite the challenging external picture, BofA said ongoing government support and a focus on improving fiscal spending quality could prevent a sharper slowdown in economic activity.

The wholesale prices of goods increased at a slower pace in August from the previous month due mainly to the movement in prices of chemicals, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Data released by the PSA yesterday showed the growth in the General Wholesale Price Index (GWPI) at the national level eased to 2.4 percent in August from the previous month’s 3.1 percent.

The latest GWPI growth, however, was faster than the 1.9 percent uptick in August last year.

The PSA attributed the latest GWPI growth primarily to the slower increase in prices of chemicals, including animal and vegetable oils and fats at 8.1 percent in August from 12.8 percent in July.

In addition, crude materials, inedible except fuels registered a lower increment of 40.2 percent from 90.7 percent.

Also posting slower increases in August were manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials (0.6 percent from the previous month’s 0.9 percent) and machinery and transport equipment (0.9 percent from 1.1 percent)

On the other hand, those with higher mark-ups in August were food (1.8 percent from the previous month’s 1.6 percent) as well as beverages and tobacco (4.1 percent from 3.6 percent).

Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials registered 0.2 percent growth in August from a 2.6-percent drop in July, while miscellaneous manufactured articles retained the July growth rate of 0.4 percent in August.

Meanwhile, data also showed that wholesale prices of building materials in Metro Manila declined at a slower pace in September from the previous month.

The Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index (CMWPI) in the National Capital Region registered a 0.2-percent decline in September from 0.5 percent in August.

The PSA said the slower decline in CMWPI was primarily driven by the 0.2-percent increase in the heavily weighted index of concrete products in September from a 0.6-percent decline in the previous month.

A faster increment was also observed in tileworks at 1.6 percent from 1.5 percent and asphalt at 5.5 percent from zero growth.

Other commodity groups with slower decreases in September are cement, electrical works as well as fuels and lubricants.

On the other hand, those with slower increases include hardware, lumber G.I. sheet, doors, jambs, and steel casement and painting works.

Malacañang has declared several special non-working holidays in parts of the country this October and November to allow residents to commemorate their founding anniversaries, festivals and historical milestones.

The holidays were issued under Proclamations No. 1045 to 1051, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin by authority of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., according to the Presidential News Desk.

Here’s the list of declared special non-working holidays:

October 9 – San Isidro, Surigao del Norte

Declared under Proclamation No. 1045, the date marks the 66th founding anniversary of San Isidro.

October 16 – Lapuyan, Zamboanga del Sur

Under Proclamation No. 1046, residents of Lapuyan will observe the 68th founding anniversary of the town.

October 20 – Batac City, Ilocos Norte

Proclamation No. 1047 declares the date as a holiday to mark the 159th birth anniversary of General Artemio Ricarte, a revolutionary leader born in Batac who played a key role in both the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-American War.

October 28 – Dingle, Iloilo

Proclamation No. 1048 recognizes the date to commemorate the Cry of Lincud, the first declaration of revolution against Spain in Iloilo and the whole Panay Island in 1898.

October 29 – Mati City, Davao Oriental

Under Proclamation No. 1049, the city will celebrate the Sambuokan Festival in commemoration of the municipality’s establishment before becoming a city.

October 30 – San Isidro, Davao del Norte

Proclamation No. 1050 sets the day as a holiday for the Sikwate Festival.

November 4 – Quezon province

Under Proclamation No. 1051, the province will commemorate the death anniversary of Apolinario dela Cruz, also known as Hermano Puli, a hero and religious leader who led a movement for equality during the Spanish colonial period.

Latest market surveys say that one can buy illicit cigarettes for P3 to P4 per stick. In contrast, the lowest priced legal brand goes for P7 per stick.

The choice is obvious. The three-to-four-peso difference seals the deal for many Filipinos. It also makes cigarettes cheaper for minors who are experimenting with and exploring tobacco at their tender age and the poor.

One of every five cigarettes sold in the country today comes from illegal sources, untaxed and unregulated. In just four years, illicit cigarette trade in the Philippines has more than tripled, from 7.4 percent of total volumes in 2021 to 20.9 percent in 2025. This reflects a staggering 182 percent increase in just four years, equivalent to an average annual growth of almost 30 percent.

As a result, smoking prevalence has risen for the first time in 15 years, from 18.5 percent of adults in 2021 to 23.2 percent in 2025, reversing years of progress under the Sin Tax Law.

More alarmingly is the doubling of youth smokers (10 to 19 years old) from 2.3 percent to 4.8 percent over the same period.

Of this number, Mindanao continues to be the hotbed of illicit cigarette products with over 50 percent incidence followed by Luzon (7.4 percent) and Visayas (4.8 percent) as of end-2024.

These developments pose threats to our economy, to public health, to national security and to the livelihood of many Filipinos.

Illegal cigarette trade has caused the government to lose revenue. Collections dropped from P176 billion in 2021 to an estimated P113 billion in 2025. The Bureau of Internal Revenue estimates annual losses of at least P50 billion due to smuggling and illegal manufacturing.

The government slaps an excise tax on tobacco products. This is implemented progressively, and the tax for this year is P66.15 per pack. This is intended to curb smoking, on the one hand, and sustain government revenues on the other.

Legitimate manufacturers and importers of cigarettes suffer from lower volumes, translating into lower excise and value-added taxes for the government. This means less funding for Universal Health Care (PhilHealth) and the Department of Health (DOH)’s Health Facilities Enhancement Program. Lost revenue from tobacco excise taxes deprives millions of Filipinos of essential health services.

Equally worse is the fact that these cheap illicit cigarettes contain harmful chemicals such as cadmium, lead and contaminants like insect parts and human waste. Furthermore, the rise of counterfeit products like ‘tuklaw’ cigarettes, which contain synthetic cannabinoids, has led to severe health issues, including seizure-like symptoms.

And then, there is the effect of illicit cigarettes on the lives and livelihoods of tobacco farmers in the Philippines. There are currently 2.2 million Filipinos dependent on the tobacco industry, according to the National Tobacco Administration, whose families depend on their earnings from locally grown tobacco to sustain their families and help send their children to school.

Legal cigarette production has dropped from 62.6 billion sticks in 2021 to 39.1 billion in 2025, leading to lower tax contributions and reduced economic activity.

Illicit cigarettes also fuel organized crime and are linked to corruption, drug and arms smuggling, human trafficking and terrorism.

The rise of illicit trade undermines the objectives of Republic Act 11346 or the Sin Tax Law and undermines the DOH’s goal of achieving a 30 percent relative reduction in tobacco use in the Philippines.

To be sure, the trend has not just been observed in the Philippines. Other countries have also had their share of problems fueled by illicit cigarette trade.

For instance, sharp duty hikes have incentivized smuggling in Hong Kong, thus halving revenues from legitimate tobacco trade. Seizures of illicit cigarettes have tripled.

Malaysia, for its part, experienced a significant rise in illicit cigarette trade following an increase in excise taxes. While Malaysia did not double the excise tax, it raised the rate from RM280 per 1,000 sticks to RM400 per 1,000 sticks in 2015. The steep and substantial 43 percent increase in excise taxes in 2015 led to a 42 percent rise in the consumption of illicit cigarettes, with no significant decline in overall cigarette consumption (16.7 billion sticks in 2015 vs. 15.1 billion in 2024).

As a result, the illicit cigarette market now accounts for half of all cigarette sales in Malaysia, costing its government a staggering RM5 billion annually or P68 billion.

Australia has a more daunting situation, with illicit tobacco trade going beyond mere revenue loss. Rather, the trade has been directly linked to organized crime and terrorism. Syndicates are now using arson as a weapon. Worse, these have also been connected to foreign state-backed destabilization efforts.

What is happening in the Philippines and in other countries transcends fiscal or regulatory issues. Urgent and decisive action is needed.

What, then, can be done about the proliferation of illicit tobacco products in the Philippines?

We need greater collaboration between the public and private sectors. Any excise hike beyond five percent per annum carries the risk of fanning illicit trade. There should also be laws that would close legal loopholes and deter the activities of smugglers and illegal manufacturers. Increased inter-agency cooperation for tracking, tracing and enforcement should be institutionalized.

Alongside efforts to ensure that the people’s taxes are spent prudently as planned, instead of lining the pockets of corrupt officials, we must also pay attention to arresting the detrimental effects of illicit cigarette trade on our public coffers. Much can be done with the revenues being lost. We hope the government listens and cracks down on illegal manufacturers and traders who are sapping the life out of our industries and our people.