📌 Articles - TJ Palanca

%% Generated from [[Articles Index]] %% Articles are the results of projects, deep analyses on topical or other issues, or commentary on a specific issue. My favorite topics involve the [[Philippines]], [[Economics]], [[Politics]], and of course [[Library/Data]] and its applications. --- | Date | Article | | ------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 2020 Oct 11 | [[Writing/Articles/A data team's product is decisions.md\|A data team's product is decisions]] Making your data team's main product decisions, as opposed to reports, models, or engineered systems, is a great way of communicating the value of the team internally and externally. | | 2017 May 01 | [[Writing/Articles/On Minimalistic Maps.md\|On Minimalistic Maps]] We take a break and try to plot some cool minimalistic plots of population density in the Philippines. | | 2017 Mar 12 | [[Writing/Articles/On Facebook News in the Philippines.md\|On Facebook News in the Philippines]] Facebook has become one of most visible sources of news in the Philippines, and it has arguably played a huge role in shaping Filipino views. We take a look at how the Philippines news cycle evolved with by using topic modeling. | | 2016 Jun 15 | [[Writing/Articles/Fête wisely this 2016.md\|Fête wisely this 2016]] The gist is music-lovers the world over celebrate Fête dela Musique --- World Music Day --- in June every year. In the Philippines this year, the 22nd Fête will be held on 18 June 2016 in Makati. With that much stages, it can be a very daunting task though. So how do we do make it easier? Let's follow the data. | | 2016 May 27 | [[Writing/Articles/On the Elections - Election Fingerprints.md\|On the Elections - Election Fingerprints]] In this elections series, we'll explore various aspects of the 2016 Philippine National Elections, from fraud detection to the differences in how our country votes. In this first instalment, we learn about election fingerprints and how they may be used to detect fraud in the form of ballot stuffing or vote padding. | | 2015 Nov 29 | [[Writing/Articles/On Coverage and Capacity.md\|On Coverage and Capacity]] Students require rooms, students, and operating budgets in order to receive a proper education. The question is, which resources are in short supply? How does this differ across different parts of the country? Let's find out how the school system is holding up in this second installment of the EduData Series. | | 2015 Aug 26 | [[Writing/Articles/On Schools and Survival.md\|On Schools and Survival]] In what grade level are students most likely to drop out? Are females or males more likely to stay in school? We'll explore delays and dropouts in the Philippine education system with data from the Department of Education in this first installment of the EduData series. | | 2015 May 16 | [[Writing/Articles/On the MRT - A Capacity Conundrum.md\|On the MRT - A Capacity Conundrum]] The Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT) has been operating at 142% capacity since 2004. New prototype trains have been scheduled to arrive in 2015, but the actual deployment will still be in the following year. How bad is the current train situation? Let's find out through data! | | 2015 Mar 19 | [[Writing/Articles/On Airline Agitation.md\|On Airline Agitation]] The airline industry is one of the most competitive industries in the Philippines, and has recently undergone a wave of consolidation, rebranding, and restructuring in an effort to capture Filipinos' growing love for air travel. By analyzing Facebook comments and flight network data, we can shed light on how the key players are competing in this space. | | 2014 Nov 17 | [[Writing/Articles/On Benford's Law.md\|On Benford's Law]] If you were to think of the first digits of a group of related variables, say, tax payments, it would be intuitive to think that the digits would more or less be evenly distributed between 1 to 9. However, it turns out that the exponential nature of growth makes it such that the first digits are more likely to be 1's than any other number. | | 2014 Oct 19 | [[Writing/Articles/On Coffee Coverage.md\|On Coffee Coverage]] Some people just can't start the day without having a cup of coffee. By taking a look at the city-specific distribution of Starbucks stores around Metro Manila, we can see where the coffee guzzlers are located. | | 2014 Oct 05 | [[Writing/Articles/On Taxes versus Sales.md\|On Taxes versus Sales]] Have you ever wondered how government finances compare to the largest publicly-listed corporations in the country? When the financial bulk of private entities outweigh that of the public purse, it may give rise to undue influence over regulation and legislation. Data from public company disclosures and Department of Finance can help us investigate the matter. | | 2014 Sept 27 | [[Writing/Articles/On Imperial Manila, Modernization Failure, and Comparative Advantage.md\|On Imperial Manila, Modernization Failure, and Comparative Advantage]] With traffic jams and port congestion an all-too-common sight in the Philippine capital, there is growing sentiment that development should be moved away from the metropolis and into other regions. What does the data, particularly regional accounts from the Philippine Statistics Authority, have to say? | | 2014 Sept 16 | [[Writing/Articles/On the Effectiveness of Higher Sin Taxes (2014 Q2 Update).md\|On the Effectiveness of Higher Sin Taxes (2014 Q2 Update)]] We update our assessment on the effectiveness of sin taxes with fresh national accounts data for the second quarter of 2014, and learn that sin taxes may be losing steam - smokers and drinkers may be having a hard time kicking the habit. | | 2014 Aug 31 | [[Writing/Articles/On Pump Prices.md\|On Pump Prices]] What providers let your stretch you gas money for more miles? Where is it more economical to gas up? Data from the Department of Energy's price watch can provide some data-driven answers to these questions. | | 2014 Aug 24 | [[Writing/Articles/On Taxes - Do Filipinos really pay the highest taxes among ASEAN countries.md\|On Taxes - Do Filipinos really pay the highest taxes among ASEAN countries]] Congress is moving to lower income tax rates for Filipinos, with impetus from a report by the Tax Management Association of the Philippines (TMAP) asserting that Filipinos pay the highest income tax rates in Southeast Asia. Let's investigate this claim and determine whether the argument holds water. | | 2014 Aug 13 | [[Writing/Articles/On Presidential Priorities (July 2014).md\|On Presidential Priorities (July 2014)]] The annual State of the Nation Address (SONA) of the President of the Philippines, when distilled using word counts, can provide insight into the pressing issues of the day. We update our original post to include the latest 2014 SONA by President Aquino. | | 2014 Jul 04 | [[Writing/Articles/On Pork and Plunder.md\|On Pork and Plunder]] In one of the rarest moments in Philippine history, three high-ranking lawmakers were arrested on charges of plunder related to the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), or pork barrel scam. | | 2014 Jun 28 | [[Writing/Articles/On Latin Honors.md\|On Latin Honors]] An article from the Inquirer takes a look at how there are more latin honors graduates in Philippines colleges and universities than in years past. We can view comparative data for selected universities to know, more or less, how much weight a cum laude title carries for a particular school. | | 2014 Jun 15 | [[Writing/Articles/On the Overweight and Obese.md\|On the Overweight and Obese]] A report by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation reveals that obesity for both children and adults is on the rise in the Philippines. While girls are less prone to obesity than boys early on, this trend reverses as they become adults. However, both sexes are still losers in the battle of the bulge, as obesity rates increase as they age. | | 2014 Jun 01 | [[Writing/Articles/On the S&P Credit Rating Upgrade.md\|On the S&P Credit Rating Upgrade]] Ratings agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) has raised the Philippines sovereign credit rating from BBB- to BBB, making it fully in the ranks of investment-grade sovereign debt. Let's look through those three B's and look at the data behind their decision. | | 2014 May 25 | [[Writing/Articles/On Purchasing Power Parities, the Big Mac Index, and the International Comparison Programme.md\|On Purchasing Power Parities, the Big Mac Index, and the International Comparison Programme]] The GDP per capita of the Philippines exceeds that of India by 55%, but the cost of living is so much cheaper in India that if you account for cheaper goods and services, that difference narrows to only 20%. In this first installment of Numbersense, we will take a look at purchasing power parities and why they are important for cross-country comparisons. | | 2014 May 18 | [[Writing/Articles/On the Filipino Migration and Remittances.md\|On the Filipino Migration and Remittances]] The Filipino diaspora has been a relatively well-documented phenomenon, as poor circumstances in the domestic economy nudge others to seek greener pastures abroad. But where exactly do these people go, and how have the trends changed since 1990? Also, are there any people coming in to the country? Let's take a look at the data. | | 2014 May 11 | [[Writing/Articles/On Inflation and Poverty.md\|On Inflation and Poverty]] Because the prices of various goods and services rise and fall at different rates, different groups of people, most notably the poor, experience the burden of inflation much more than the rest of the population. | | 2014 May 04 | [[Writing/Articles/On What It Means to Be Filipino.md\|On What It Means to Be Filipino]] What's important in life? What do you want in a job? Is suicide justifiable? Would you want a drug addict as a neighbor? How many children would you like to have? Do you have confidence in the church? Find out how Filipinos responded to these types of questions using data from the World Values Survey. | | 2014 Apr 29 | [[Writing/Articles/On Delays and Dropouts.md\|On Delays and Dropouts]] Using new data from the Department of Education, we can take a look at the current state of Philippine education. Is everyone being educated, is it inclusive, and teachers being paid enough? Find out in this article. | | 2014 Mar 30 | [[Writing/Articles/On Fraud and Fake Ballots.md\|On Fraud and Fake Ballots]] Election fraud in the Philippines is almost always alleged, but never really proven. We can explore an approach that can identify voting data patterns those most likely to be associated with vote padding - adding fake ballots - and find out how the sanctity of the ballot can be preserved by the thoughtful use of election data. | | 2014 Mar 19 | [[Writing/Articles/On Using Data to Choose your Next Vacation Destination.md\|On Using Data to Choose your Next Vacation Destination]] Are you looking for somewhere to lose yourself, experience new things, or just sit back and relax? We can take data on flights from the Philippines and construct a circular dendogram that allows you to view all your potential destinations and the airlines that service the route at a single glance. | | 2014 Mar 09 | [[Writing/Articles/On the Probability of Mortality.md\|On the Probability of Mortality]] Everything carries a risk, and nothing has preoccupied the human mind more than the risk of death. What are the safest (and most dangerous) modes of transportation? What activities commonly regarded as risky, really are? Let's find out. | | 2014 Feb 22 | [[Writing/Articles/On Corruption and Collusion.md\|On Corruption and Collusion]] They say corruption is 'infectious,' and you risk being 'eaten up by the system' when you enter government. In this article, we take a look at evidence that reveals how individual morality can be dampened if you have cohorts to share the blame with you, among other factors. | | 2014 Feb 18 | [[Writing/Articles/On Presidents and Priorities.md\|On Presidents and Priorities]] The President's annual State of the Nation Address (SONA) is a strong indicator of an administration's priorities and accomplishments, but how do we compare across presidents? We can distill the SONA into numbers and count instances of national issues mentioned in the speech to find out and compare. You can also explore the speeches yourself using an interactive SONA word counter. | | 2014 Feb 10 | [[Writing/Articles/On the Philippine IT-BPO Industry.md\|On the Philippine IT-BPO Industry]] The call center industry, or more widely called IT-BPO, has received its fair share of praise for contributing to economic and job growth, but a job in this industry still carries the stigma of low pay and low skill. We can take a look at the IT-BPO industry using data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to shed some light on the graveyard shift. | | 2014 Feb 02 | [[Writing/Articles/On Getting to Know the Filipino Informal Settler.md\|On Getting to Know the Filipino Informal Settler]] How well do you know the Filipino informal settler? Is he poor and underprivileged? What happens if you force him to pay rent? Well, short of actually starting a conversation with one, we can get to know the Filipino informal settler through data. Read on to find out more. | | 2014 Jan 29 | [[Writing/Articles/On Maximizing Your Interview Chances.md\|On Maximizing Your Interview Chances]] If you have an interview coming up, whether it be for a job, award, or in this particular study, parole, your chances are best when the interviewers are fresh from a break. A group of researchers at the National Academy of Sciences confirmed what we had suspected all along - happy tummies make happy decisions. Read on to find out more! | | 2014 Jan 26 | [[Writing/Articles/On Your Life Expectancy.md\|On Your Life Expectancy]] Everyone says that smoking can drastically reduce your life expectancy by introducing all sorts of complications, but the question is: how much of your life are you sacrificing, stick by stick? Know the answer to this question and for many other chronic behaviors by reading on! | | 2014 Jan 22 | [[Writing/Articles/On Hot Hands and Shooting Streaks.md\|On Hot Hands and Shooting Streaks]] Basketball fans and players alike will attest to the 'hot hand' phenomenon, where the chances or a player making the shot are much higher following a series of successful shots than the chances following a miss. In this article, we feature a journal article that debunks this phenomenon as merely a figment of fans' imaginations. | | 2014 Jan 19 | [[Writing/Articles/On Trains and Tribulations - The LRT South Extension and Fare Hikes.md\|On Trains and Tribulations - The LRT South Extension and Fare Hikes]] The Light Rail Transit Line 1 South Extension Project is now out for bidding, with the contract to be awarded in the second quarter of this year. The rail system is under intense public scrutiny amidst talks of fare hikes, but as in most cases, a look at the data can lend some meaningful context to these debates: fare hikes, capacity constraints, and South Extension feasibility. | | 2014 Jan 01 | [[Writing/Articles/On Holiday Weight Gain and New Years' Resolutions.md\|On Holiday Weight Gain and New Years' Resolutions]] Now that the holidays are over and a new year has started, it's time to take stock of the weight we have gained, and to decide how to stick to our recurring new year's resolution of getting that Bora body in time for summer. To help with that, let's take a look at holiday weight gain data and listen to a podcast on commitment devices - self-imposed punishments that keep you focused on the goal. | | 2013 Dec 23 | [[Writing/Articles/On Christmas in the Philippines.md\|On Christmas in the Philippines]] Christmas festivities in the Philippines are world-renowned. Spectacular light displays, early morning mass, and smiles all around make it hard to be in the island nation during this time of the year and not feel the spirit of Christmas. Let's take a look at the data and see how we can quantify Christmas in the Philippines. | | 2013 Dec 15 | [[Writing/Articles/On Philippine Foreign Trade - USA vs China.md\|On Philippine Foreign Trade - USA vs China]] The world is in the middle of an epic struggle for political influence between the USA and China, but what does this mean for Filipinos, who are trapped in the middle, both in the geographic and political sense? We can take a look at the data on one of the avenues of influence, foreign trade, and find out a little bit more. | | 2013 Dec 11 | [[Writing/Articles/On the Effectiveness of Sin Taxes in the Philippines (2013 Q3 Update).md\|On the Effectiveness of Sin Taxes in the Philippines (2013 Q3 Update)]] SIN TAXED - How effective are higher sin taxes at reducing alcohol and tobacco consumption? Some say it's a 'tax on the poor' and it would only lead to downshifting to cheaper, more dangerous brands, others are all for it, armed with the basic principle of demand. Newly released 3rd quarter national accounts can shed light on the situation. | | 2013 Dec 05 | [[Writing/Articles/On iPhone Exchange Rate and Tax Arbitrage.md\|On iPhone Exchange Rate and Tax Arbitrage]] ARBITRAGEURS REJOICE - Due to exchange rate and tax differences, the effective cost of your favorite gadget can vary from country to country, so if you're looking to buy yourself or a loved one an iPhone or other similar item during your Christmas vacation, here the most attractive 'iPhone tourism' sites. Read on to find out more. | | 2013 Nov 27 | [[Writing/Articles/On the Globe iPhone Forever Plan.md\|On the Globe iPhone Forever Plan]] Globe Telecom has recently announced a new postpaid plan for iPhone-loving subscribers. You can trade-in your old iPhone every year for the latest model, provided that you abide by a lock-in period, of course. | | 2013 Nov 23 | [[Writing/Articles/On Yolanda (Haiyan) Foreign Aid.md\|On Yolanda (Haiyan) Foreign Aid]] Foreign aid for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) has reached staggering levels, with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs pegging the value at P19.53 billion. Data on these massive aid flows can be visualized to show the donors, and through which channels the donations were made. | | 2013 Nov 13 | [[Writing/Articles/On True Filipino Resilience.md\|On True Filipino Resilience]] Super Typhoon Yolanda (international codename Haiyan) struck the Philippine central islands last November 8, 2012. | | 2013 Nov 06 | [[Writing/Articles/On the Risk-Return Relationship of your Love Life.md\|On the Risk-Return Relationship of your Love Life]] Chinese astrology tells of certain animal signs that, because of their inherent characteristics, have varying love compatibilities with each other. By applying statistics to superstition, we can also determine - generally - how nice, and how rocky, your love life ought to be based on your ruling animal. | | 2013 Oct 23 | [[Writing/Articles/On Moving People, not Cars.md\|On Moving People, not Cars]] With the rainy season in full swing, monstrous traffic jams yet again plague the Philippine capital. There is a lot of blame to go around - some say we're too reliant on private transportation, and others say undisciplined, unregistered, and reckless buses are the real culprit. Let's take a closer look at the data and see if it can provide some clarity. | | 2013 Oct 15 | [[Writing/Articles/On Why You Shouldn't Save While You're Young.md\|On Why You Shouldn't Save While You're Young]] "Save while you're young" is one of the most common pieces of financial advice for the fresh young professional, but there is an economic argument that it can be overdone. In your early twenties, you're better off having fun, learning, and making new connections, because YOLOETSI (You Only Live Once and the Earnings Trajectory Strictly Increases). | | 2013 Oct 04 | [[Writing/Articles/On the UAAP Season 76 - DLSU vs UST Finals Game 1.md\|On the UAAP Season 76 - DLSU vs UST Finals Game 1]] What a heartbreaking loss! After recovering from a 17-point deficit, the DLSU Green Archers struggled to make the winning basket in their finals matchup against the UST Growling Tigers. To come to terms with it, I've tried to analyze the outcome of the game the way I know best: through data. Let's take a look at the numbers on the hard court. | | 2013 Oct 02 | [[Writing/Articles/On Tax Evasion in the Philippines.md\|On Tax Evasion in the Philippines]] The Tax Justice Institute estimated the amount of taxes lost due to tax avoidance for several countries, including the Philippines, using World Bank data on shadow economies (the unregulated, but not illegal part of the market). | | 2013 Sept 29 | [[Writing/Articles/On Traffic Accident Hotspots - EDSA and C-5.md\|On Traffic Accident Hotspots - EDSA and C-5]] Ever wonder where and what types of vehicles are involved in road accidents along Manila's major thoroughfares? The MMDA twitter account can shed some light on that. Vehicular accidents reported by the MMDA along EDSA and C-5 are parsed to reveal the most dangerous intersections and flyovers, as well as expose buses and trucks as major accident culprits. | | 2013 Sept 26 | [[Writing/Articles/On the News - The Philippines is hitting the jackpot, and the cash is here to stay.md\|On the News - The Philippines is hitting the jackpot, and the cash is here to stay]] This week in news: The Philippines posts large gaming revenue gains from recent resort and casino developments along Manila Bay, and the risk of capital flight remains relatively low amid prudent government finance and capital controls. Read more about them in this post. | | 2013 Sept 15 | [[Writing/Articles/On the Effectiveness of Higher Sin Taxes.md\|On the Effectiveness of Higher Sin Taxes]] Last year, President Aquino signed the Sin Tax Bill. It's now been half a year since the new taxes were implemented, and it's a good time to assess how it's been achieving its goals so far. | | 2013 Jul 14 | [[Writing/Articles/On What Manila Could Have Been.md\|On What Manila Could Have Been]] Manila wasn't always like this, however. It had a proper urban plan set out for it during the American colonial period, one that would, in my opinion truly make it the Pearl of the Orient. | | 2013 Jul 10 | [[Writing/Articles/On the Economics of Ticket Scalping.md\|On the Economics of Ticket Scalping]] We analyze ticket scalping during UAAP games using a simple demand and supply framework. | | 2013 Jul 07 | [[Writing/Articles/On Melting Coins and Negative Seignorage.md\|On Melting Coins and Negative Seignorage]] We're running out of coins! | | 2012 Apr 19 | [[Writing/Articles/On Man's Insignificance.md\|On Man's Insignificance]] From this distant vantage point, the Earth might not seem of particular interest. But for us, it’s different. Look again at that dot. That’s here, that’s home, that’s us. | | 2012 Apr 19 | [[Writing/Articles/On Prices.md\|On Prices]] It is only through the voluntary coordination of the efforts of various economic agents that we can make the products we use today. |