My wife, Grace, is trying to learn SEO or search engine optimization. Some days ago she told me that thanks to a new update in Google called “Hummingbird”, spamming that is used to increase ranking for websites has now been thoroughly checked. Google is now doing double time to reward quality content to reduce spam. All of us should be very grateful for that.
Grace doesn’t have much time for Mindanao Advice as of now. But while Grace rides the Hummingbird, I will try to post something here every now and then until we can figure out how to go on with this website.
Let’s talk about something else.
What amazes me here in the Philippines is the capacity to handle the hard everyday toil with a smile, the strong faith in God, and the ability to feel satisfied with very little. But, this attitude also contains a vicious cycle of naive and miracle-oriented optimism. With the widespread crab mentality, it’s easy to get lost. Most Filipinos seem to be trapped in a kaing (crab cage), and the unhealthy mix of corruption and hypocrisy that has been allowed to grow strong makes it very hard to get out of it.
The crab mentality is normally considered destructive. It’s a result of envy and greed, but its origin is constructive. It is like when the leading crab against the current functions becomes a base for others to go up further. The many breadwinners abroad and in the country function like that. They shouldn’t be dragged down, but pushed up and supported. This is the best prescription for a successful kaing escape to join the hummingbirds in fighting all kinds of “spam” in our lives.