San Anselmo Publications, Inc.

10/01/2025

Bitcoin to the Sun —
: El Salvador Is Winning the Bitcoin Debate So Far

In September 2021, El Salvador captured global attention by becoming the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. President Nayib Bukele championed this bold move, arguing that Bitcoin could modernize the economy, attract foreign investment, and create opportunities for the country’s unbanked population. To cement this vision, the government began systematically purchasing Bitcoin—buying one Bitcoin a day since late 2022.

Recent data shared by President Bukele on his X account paints a promising picture. El Salvador now owns over 6,000 Bitcoins, valued at approximately $571 million as of early 2025. This strategy seems to be paying off, with significant unrealized gains as Bitcoin’s price has appreciated in recent months. The graph Bukele shared underscores the upward trajectory of the country’s Bitcoin holdings and their corresponding dollar value, a testament to strategic timing and long-term planning.

El Salvador’s Bitcoin holdings have increased, with an additional 18.42 BTC acquired in the last seven days alone—worth $1,749,073. The government’s disciplined accumulation strategy, at an average cost of $94,955.10 per Bitcoin, demonstrates a calculated approach to leveraging cryptocurrency. With the current market price slightly above their acquisition cost, the country’s total holdings of 6,022.18 BTC are now valued at $571,944,799. Having invested approximately $225 million, El Salvador has achieved an unrealized profit of $346,944,799—a substantial gain that validates its controversial decision to embrace Bitcoin.

The journey, however, has not been without obstacles. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has repeatedly expressed concerns about the risks of Bitcoin adoption, urging El Salvador to scale back its ambitions. While the government has implemented some IMF directives, it remains resolute in continuing its daily Bitcoin purchases, signaling unwavering confidence in its long-term vision.

The question then arises: Why has El Salvador pursued this unorthodox path while other countries, like the Philippines, remain hesitant? The Philippines shares several economic similarities with El Salvador, such as dependence on remittances and a large unbanked population. Bitcoin could theoretically provide a solution, offering reduced remittance costs, greater financial inclusion, and an alternative to traditional banking.

Yet, under President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (BBM), the Philippines has shown little interest in exploring such transformative policies. Instead, BBM’s focus on motorsports and rock concerts highlights a lack of urgency in addressing systemic economic challenges. Early in his term BBM championed the creation of the sovereign wealth fund, but it was stuck for a while on the issue of executive compensation. While El Salvador is building a reputation as a trailblazer in digital finance, the Philippines risks being left behind in the global race toward financial innovation.

The hesitation in the Philippines may stem from legitimate concerns about Bitcoin’s volatility, regulatory hurdles, or political inertia. However, El Salvador’s experience shows that these risks can be mitigated through calculated policies and incremental adoption. The Philippines has the benefit of learning from El Salvador’s successes and mistakes but appears content to remain on the sidelines.

El Salvador’s Bitcoin experiment, while polarizing, has undeniably sparked a global conversation about the role of cryptocurrency in public finance. The government’s strategy of daily Bitcoin purchases has proven profitable, and the country is forging a unique identity as a pioneer in digital finance. While challenges such as limited domestic adoption and Bitcoin’s inherent volatility persist, El Salvador’s boldness may pave the way for other nations to follow.

In contrast, the Philippines continues to overlook this potential, leaving critical opportunities untapped. With its dependence on remittances and a large unbanked population, the Philippines could benefit greatly from exploring innovative financial solutions like cryptocurrency. The future of public finance is being reshaped, and El Salvador is leading the charge. The question is: Will the Philippines recognize this opportunity before it’s too late, or will it simply watch from the sidelines as others move ahead?

Marvin B. Aceron
Executive Publisher
San Anselmo Press

08/01/2025

THE LIVING HOPE SERIES:
TRUTH IS NOT HATE SPEECH
By Joel Pablo Salud

“I don’t know how you lay it out properly, but you tell people how to love, how to avoid the road to hell. And you don’t do that because you’re shaking your finger at them, or because you’re a moral authority… You do it because you don’t want them to burn. I think there’s too much of the moral authority in the church and not enough of the love that helps people avoid the fire.” – Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson

Love is the most difficult of the moral landscapes. Traversing its peaks and valleys, its crests and crevices, the dark and hostile forces that push back its claims on society and individuals, makes for a good study of the apologetics of the heart.

In this post-truth, mediocre world, the spread of truth is dangerous. Not only is peril attached to it, but also hostility. In this age where the sense of victimization stands equal to the claims of virtue, to simply disagree falls under the category of being dismissed or despised. Worse, to correct a clear error in thinking puts the expert or intellectual in harm’s way, if not altogether “canceled” for being a “gatekeeper”.

This therefore puts Aleksander Solzhenitsyn’s words into question, which goes, “The simple step of a courageous individual is not to take part in the lie.” If our era today does not mind participating in the spread of outright lies – having embraced the postmodernist view that truth is largely relative – how then would it be possible for this world to get back on track?

In the Christian worldview, truth and love share the same essence. In fact, the apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, define love as one that “does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out” (1 Corinthians 13:6 NLT).

If you read this passage closely, Paul is contrasting the truth and the lie by calling the latter an act of injustice. In other words, tolerating a lie is never an act of love, however much society insists upon it.

This confluence of truth and love is best displayed in the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

To clear the air of any faulty claims, true Christians do not share their faith in order to proselytize. Even by its own definition, as listed by Miriam-Webster – proselytize means “to persuade someone to join a cause, group, or religion, or to convert to one's faith. It can also mean to recruit someone to join a party or institution”. This is nowhere close to reasons Christians share their faith.

The sharing or preaching of the gospel is predicated largely on God’s love for His people. The apostle Paul could not have been any clearer than this: “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

See, the question one must ask is this: How much hate should people have for one another to deprive them of the truth? For the true believer, this is the one overarching message of the gospel, and to consciously neglect telling the truth to people is to prove himself detached from God who is love (1 John 4:16).

I have heard it said so many times, even from people who should know better, that the preaching of the gospel is no different from shoving Jesus down their throats. The gospel has become such a nuisance to society that the mere mention of Jesus stirs unbelievable hostility.

Tell me then, is not wanting you to burn a bad thing? Are we to spend the rest of our lives as Christians keeping the truth to ourselves? What good would that do?

Make no mistake: the threat of final judgment is real.

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15).

The whole world is sliding perniciously into perdition because of sin. And all we want is for you to share the joy and peace of which Jesus Christ is the one and true source. As one pastor has said, we are mere beggars who want other beggars to know where they can find bread.

In fact, it is God’s love which paved the way for us to become his children:

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him” (1 John 3:1).

Are Christians now to be labeled “recruiters” just because we want as many as God would draw to His Son Jesus to belong to God’s family? Would you therefore sue a doctor who would reveal to you your true health condition?

The message of the gospel is second to none on earth as per its overwhelming value to the human soul. While the message may be hard to understand at first – why the Son of God Himself would enter history and rescue sinful humanity by His life, death, and resurrection – simple logic would tell you that a debt paid for is truly a debt paid for.

The debt of the soul, which only the Son of God can pay with His blood, is completely erased, therefore, and is transformed by the legal claims of a covenant between God and man. Faith alone is the requirement (Acts 16:31).

This “new thing” that God is doing is best articulated by the prophet Jeremiah in the Old Testament:

“And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jeremiah 31:34).

There is thus no excuse not to preach this “good news”. Prior to His ascension, Jesus explicitly left this commandment:

“Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).

Jesus’ decision to have his followers preach the gospel to a largely deaf, blind, and hostile humanity is already an act of unbelievable love. The gospel carries with it astounding power to save and transform an individual, as proven by the conversion of the Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-43), and even the Lord’s brother James, who had been a skeptic all throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry.

This had led Paul to say, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).

If you are a nonbeliever, consciously rejecting the claims of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on your life, there is still hope as you read this. The Bible says, “None is righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

This free gift of eternal life with God is being offered to you, right this very moment, through faith in Christ.

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Should the day arrive when Christians come up to you to share the gospel, give some time to listen. No one is forcing you to accept or believe the message. We are simply here to love you enough to tell you the truth as God has revealed it through His Word.

05/01/2025

https://philstarlife.com/news-and-views/732189-admirable-fresh-poetry?page=3

"Juggernaut" by Alyza Taguilaso is a bold and unflinching debut poetry collection that navigates themes of identity, faith, medicine, and survival.

03/01/2025

Thank you so much Esquire Philippines for including San Anselmo Publications, Inc. 's "Six Filipino Women for Justice" as one of the favorite Filipino books of 2024!

It was another good year for Philippine literature.

03/01/2025

Bitcoin to the Sun: Our Own Heroes —
Bitcoin Decoupling from the Failures of the State

For Gen-Xers, Philippine currency was more than a medium of exchange—it was a history lesson. Jose Rizal graced the blue two-peso bill, Andres Bonifacio the green five-peso bill, and Apolinario Mabini the ten-peso bill. Manuel Quezon appeared on the 20-peso bill. These images celebrated Filipino heroism and nationhood, immortalizing the values they fought for.

Then came Ferdinand Marcos Sr., who disrupted this tradition by minting a five-peso silver coin bearing his own likeness. This marked the politicization of Philippine currency. Later, Cory Aquino’s administration issued the 500-peso bill featuring Ninoy Aquino—a design briefly contested as plagiarized from Time magazine. Most recently, under Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Philippine currency saw another transformation: the replacement of heroes with animals. While some welcomed this environmental theme, others saw it as a further erosion of the symbolic role currency once played.

Such changes underscore a deeper issue: fiat money is not merely a tool of trade but also of propaganda and state control. Beyond symbols, governments wield monetary systems to shape economies—and, often, to mismanage them. When fiscal policies falter, it is ordinary citizens who suffer the consequences.

The Philippine government’s budget deficit is a stark example. As of February 2024, the deficit stood at ₱76.7 billion, a 26.56% increase from the same period the previous year, according to NEDA reports. To cover this gap, the government relies on borrowing, raising taxes, or printing more money—each of which carries serious implications. Borrowing adds to national debt and diverts future revenues to interest payments, which grew by 50.53% year-over-year. Printing money devalues the peso, driving inflation and reducing purchasing power. Raising taxes burdens ordinary citizens and can deepen poverty.

This cycle is not unique to the Philippines. During the 2008 global financial crisis, the U.S. Federal Reserve implemented “quantitative easing,” injecting over $1 trillion into the economy in a few years—an amount that previously took a century to accumulate. While this staved off a financial collapse, it inflated asset prices and widened economic inequality. For developing nations like the Philippines, where inflation hits the poor hardest, such models are even more dangerous.

In 2009, Satoshi Nakamoto introduced Bitcoin as a response to these systemic failures. Unlike government-issued currency, Bitcoin is decentralized and operates independently of any central authority. Its supply is capped at 21 million, making it immune to inflation caused by excessive money printing.

Bitcoin represents a paradigm shift: it decouples money from government control, giving individuals financial sovereignty. This is more than theoretical—it is already happening. In Venezuela, where hyperinflation rendered the bolívar nearly worthless, citizens turned to Bitcoin to preserve wealth and conduct transactions. In the Philippines, Bitcoin is gaining traction for remittances, allowing overseas workers to bypass exorbitant fees imposed by banks and remittance companies. For a nation reliant on these inflows, Bitcoin offers a way to keep more of their hard-earned money.

The deflationary nature of Bitcoin also addresses a historical pain point. During World War II, the Japanese flooded the Philippines with “Mickey Mouse money,” causing such extreme devaluation that citizens resorted to barter. Bitcoin’s decentralized structure prevents such manipulation, ensuring its value cannot be eroded by political or economic mismanagement.

Despite its promise, Bitcoin is not without flaws. Its price volatility makes it risky as a store of value, and its technical complexity can alienate potential users, particularly in developing countries. Environmental concerns over its energy-intensive mining process are another barrier, as is the growing push for government regulation, which could undermine its decentralized ethos.

Moreover, Bitcoin alone cannot solve systemic economic issues. It is a powerful alternative, but not a substitute for sound fiscal policies, financial literacy, or equitable economic reforms. The future of money likely lies in a combination of innovations, including Bitcoin, other cryptocurrencies, and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).

Bitcoin’s limitations do not overshadow its transformative potential. By freeing money from the grip of government control, it empowers individuals to take charge of their financial destinies. It challenges the status quo, offering a vision of money as a tool for liberation rather than manipulation.

As Filipinos consider the future of their financial system, Bitcoin invites us to reimagine what money can be—not just a medium of exchange, but a symbol of freedom and resilience. While it is not a Swiss knife solution, Bitcoin is a beacon of possibility in a world where the failures of the state often weigh heaviest on the most vulnerable.

Marvin B. Aceron
Executive Publisher
San Anselmo Press

02/01/2025

SOCRATES: That again, Gorgias is ambiguous; I am still in the dark: for which are the greatest and best of human things? I dare say that you have heard men singing at feasts the old drinking song, in which the singers enumerate the goods of life, first health, beauty next, thirdly, as the writer of the song says, wealth honestly obtained.

From Plato’s Gorgias

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

01/01/2025

“Socrates said, “The misuse of language induces evil in the soul.” He wasn’t talking about grammar. To misuse language is to use it the way politicians and advertisers do, for profit, without taking responsibility for what the words mean. Language used as a means to get power or make money goes wrong: it lies. Language used as an end in itself, to sing a poem or tell a story, goes right, goes towards the truth. A writer is a person who cares what words mean, what they say, how they say it. Writers know words are their way towards truth and freedom, and so they use them with care, with thought, with fear, with delight. By using words well they strengthen their souls. Story-tellers and poets spend their lives learning that skill and art of using words well. And their words make the souls of their readers stronger, brighter, deeper.”
~ Ursula K. Le Guin

30/12/2024

30/12/2024

https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/reflection-hope-new-year-2025/

'Hope is the capacity to ask the question: Now that nothing can be done, what can be done?'

29/12/2024

Cheers!

26/12/2024

Bitcoin to the Sun:
“Sec may 200 ka no more” — Bitcoin in Public Finance

“Sec, may 200 ka dito.” said then Comelec Chair Benjamin Abalos to NEDA Secretary Romulo Neri after a golf game to seek approval for the NBN-ZTE deal—a project that became a symbol of corruption in Philippine governance. While the deal was eventually shelved thanks to a whistleblower, the underlying issue remains unresolved. Corruption, as we know, is alive and well in government transactions. Recently, the Ombudsman estimated that 20% of the Philippine national budget—amounting to hundreds of billions of pesos—ends up lost to corruption each year.

Think about that: 20% of the national budget. That’s money meant for hospitals, schools, roads, and social services. It vanishes into the pockets of shady middlemen, opportunistic officials, and a system designed to operate in the dark. But does it have to be this way?

What if the government operated on Bitcoin? Bitcoin’s public ledger doesn’t allow for secrecy. It ensures that every single peso allocated for government projects leaves a trail. If the ₱6.352 trillion 2025 national budget were transacted in Bitcoin, payments to contractors, suppliers, and service providers could be traced down to the last centavo. Every transaction would be open for public inspection, effectively eliminating the opacity that enables corruption.

The Ombudsman’s alarming estimate of 20 percent of the national going to corruption is equal to ₱1.2704 trillion that would be lost in the 2025 budget. That's about 1,106,900 Bitcoins. Twenty percent is only 221,380 Bitcoins. If this money were transacted in Bitcoin, it wouldn’t be a mystery where it went. Kickbacks, padded contracts, or ghost projects would be laid bare because every transaction on the blockchain is immutable and traceable. Designated public wallets for specific projects could be made fully-public for real time audits. Suspicious payments that don’t align with a project’s purpose would be easy to identify, and corrupt officials wouldn’t be able to doctor records or hide illicit gains.

Consider the NBN-ZTE deal. If Bitcoin had been the currency used for government transactions then, the alleged “200 ka dito” wouldn’t just be a rumor—it would be an entry on the ledger. Citizens could have traced the funds and asked, “Why is this payment being made, and to whom?” The whistleblower wouldn’t have needed to testify; the blockchain would have done it for them. The same could be said for other infamous cases, like the fertilizer fund scam or the pork barrel scandal, where billions were siphoned off from programs meant to uplift the lives of ordinary Filipinos.

Corruption thrives in secrecy, in systems where paper trails can be shredded and transactions concealed. Bitcoin removes this space. Transactions recorded on the blockchain are permanent and cannot be altered or erased. This creates a new level of accountability, where every peso is accounted for, and every expenditure is visible. By requiring all government funding and expenditures to be transacted in Bitcoin, we could fundamentally change the way governance works.

Critics might argue that implementing Bitcoin in government transactions is unrealistic or prone to misuse. Concerns about Bitcoin’s volatility, the anonymity of some transactions, or the technological hurdles in adopting such a system are valid. However, these challenges are surmountable. Bitcoin’s volatility can be mitigated by using stablecoins or pe***ng values during transactions. Anonymity isn’t an issue for government wallets, which can be publicly identified and monitored. As for technology, many nations are already exploring blockchain-based solutions for governance, showing that adoption is feasible with political will and public education.

This transparency would empower citizens, advocacy groups, and journalists. Instead of relying on whistleblowers or the slow grind of anti-corruption agencies, anyone could audit the government in real time. For every peso allocated to infrastructure, health care, or education, we could ask: Was it spent properly? Who received the funds? Were there suspicious transactions?

Of course, implementing such a system would face resistance from those who benefit from the current opaque processes. Transitioning to Bitcoin for government transactions would require significant political will, public support, and investment in technology. However, the potential benefits far outweigh the challenges. This idea is not for the current politicians who've already sold their souls to corruption. This is for the youth who care for their future. Even if this Bitcoin system prevented just a fraction of the twenty percent lost to corruption each year, it could fund countless classrooms, hospitals, and vital infrastructure projects.

The Ombudsman has described corruption as endemic, perhaps unsolvable in our lifetime. But Bitcoin offers hope. It doesn’t just promise transparency; it enforces it. Imagine a future where public officials know that every transaction they make is open to scrutiny—not just by auditors or investigators, but by every citizen.

This isn’t just wishful thinking; it’s a realistic and achievable solution. By embracing Bitcoin, we could finally shine a light on the dark corners of government spending and reclaim public funds for their intended purpose. It’s time to move from secrecy to accountability and from corruption to progress. Bitcoin could make that possible.

Marvin B. Aceron
Executive Publisher
San Anselmo Press

24/12/2024

Somm Vinery!

Bring festive flavor to your stocks with Jurtschitsch Gruner Veltliner Terrasen ✨🎄

A wonderful food companion, and goes well with light starters but also with spicy heavy main dishes, fish, or cheese. Intense aroma of fruit and blossoms, this is fresh and spicy, at the same time complex and mouth-filling with a lively acidity.

Photo | vintagewine.dk

23/12/2024

RISA CALLS FOR CIVILITY IN POLITICAL DISCOURSE

Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros emphasized the urgent need to restore civility in public discourse, particularly in today's polarized political climate.

In an interview with Rolling Stone Philippines on November 27, Hontiveros responded to her confrontation with former President Rodrigo Duterte during a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee inquiry on the Philippine war on illegal drugs. She acknowledged the impact of his life experiences on his views but stressed her strong disagreement with his interpretation of events.

"We need to recover civility in public discourse, and learn how to disagree without wanting to kill each other," Hontiveros said, highlighting the growing challenge of navigating political differences in the age of social media.

She called for respect in political discussions, recognizing that while differing perspectives are natural, there is a need to approach these disagreements with understanding, not hostility.

Hontiveros also spoke about the reality of political compromise.

"Politics is such a concentrated space for reaching out into communities beyond our own. Any politician, and I too have to admit — we have to make compromises to make steps forward," she said.

Reflecting on her own decisions, she shared, "I can think of at least one vote I cast that I'm not happy about. There were certain circumstances I used as my excuse at the time, pero hindi ko siya malimutan. I always remember to make up for that part of my vote habang mambabatas pa ako."

She emphasized the role of political parties and movements in guiding and reminding leaders of their shared values.

"That's why I'm part of a political party — a movement — kasi ito 'yong community of shared values who can remind me, 'Ito 'yong value natin kaya tayo nasa space na 'to, sa landas na 'to.' Or, 'Hoy, lumilihis ka na. Lumalabag ka. Magbalik loob ka.'" she added.