CodeBytes

What Vietnam's cooperative model and the kibbutz can teach Filipinos about discipline, honesty and the common good. Written by Glenn Junsay Pansensoy  ·  Economy  ·  11 min read Vietnam’s economic transformation offers an important lesson for the Philippines: a poor, largely agrarian society cannot leap directly into a fully communist society. It must first develop productive forces, modern institutions, industrial capacity, technical skills, and a disciplined work culture. Vietnam’s Communist Party recognized this reality during its Đổi Mới (Renovation) reforms. In 1986, it shifted from a centralized, bureaucratic, and subsidized planned economy toward a socialist-oriented market economy that prioritized commodity production, private and collective enterprises, and foreign investment. This did not mean Vietnam abandoned its socialist goals. Instead, it accepted that communism cannot be created by decree alone. A society must pass through stages of economic develo...

Pax Silica is a U.S.-led initiative to secure semiconductor and AI supply chains, boosting Philippine industrial growth. Written by Glenn Junsay Pansensoy  ·  Economy  ·  13 min read Pax Silica is a U.S.-led international initiative launched in December 2025 to strengthen the supply chains behind semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and other advanced technologies. Its name refers to silica—the raw material used to make silicon for computer chips—and signals its ambition to create a more reliable foundation for the global digital economy. The initiative arrives at a moment when the world’s most important industries increasingly depend on a narrow set of countries, companies, minerals, and manufacturing facilities. Pax Silica seeks to ensure that participating countries are not left dependent on fragile supply chains or vulnerable to political and economic pressure. For the Philippines, Pax Silica represents more than a diplomatic agreement. The proposed Econo...

Unexplained wealth, SALNs and business interests in office: why the Senate trial matters and why the Constitution must outrank family loyalty. Written by Glenn Junsay Pansensoy  ·  Local Politics  ·  13 min read Vice President Sara Duterte should face impeachment not because she belongs to a powerful political family, but because the Philippines cannot afford leaders who treat public office as a private inheritance. The allegations now before the Senate—unexplained wealth, incomplete asset declarations, and continued business interests while in office—go to the heart of public trust. If proven, they would show that a national leader may have placed personal and family interests above the constitutional duty to serve the Filipino people. This article argues for impeachment as a constitutional remedy, not as a slogan, a vendetta, or an attack on any family name. Impeachment is the people’s tool for holding the highest officials accountable when ev...