Hello one and all,
For those following our various social media groups, the gradual transformation taking place across them over recent weeks has probably not gone unnoticed. What may have initially appeared to be minor administrative changes is, in reality, part of a broader reassessment of both the future of these platforms and my own increasingly limited interest in continuing to promote the Philippine railfan scene — or, indeed, the railways themselves.
For quite some time, the steadily worsening toxicity within sections of the Philippine rail enthusiast community has raised serious questions about whether the hobby remains worth the effort at all. Recent heritage visits to several South Line stations only reinforced that conclusion. Between the spectacularly unpleasant attitudes encountered along the way and the absurdly overblown reactionary photography regulations now emerging, the motivation to seriously document anything during my most recent visit was reduced to near zero.
The country itself is still capable of moments of brilliance, but it no longer resembles the place I first came to know. The warmth, humour and generosity once so common among the people I met increasingly feels drowned beneath a layer of needless hostility, suspicion, and bureaucratic theatre performed by individuals seemingly determined to ensure nobody enjoys anything ever again.
As some will already have observed, a number of PRHS social media groups are now being quietly retired, while others are transitioning to the control of the ‘Semi-Retired Foamer Media & Publishing’ entity. This is not so much a dramatic ending as it is a practical response to an environment that has become progressively more exhausting to engage with.
This website will likewise transition to operation under ‘Semi-Retired Foamer Media & Publishing’, and for now will continue largely as normal — at least until photographic coverage through 2026 is completed. Beyond that point, however, the exercise increasingly feels pointless when sections of authority appear actively hostile toward the photographic preservation of Philippine history through the lives and experiences of ordinary people.
One can only imagine the historical void that would exist had these attitudes prevailed a century ago. Entire generations would now be remembered through a handful of blurred, badly framed scraps of film — the sort of images modern authorities would presumably regard as the gold standard of cultural preservation.
The 'Philippine Railway Historical Society' Facebook page is being replaced by the 'Semi-Retired Foamer Media' Facebook page if you just wish to be occasionally informed of Philippine posts.
Otherwise our main PRHS chat and history forum can still be found HERE.
Thank you for all your support over the years, and I am truly regretful that humans have brought us to this point.
Pretty please :-)
