In his Inquirer column today, Jose Ma. Montelibano described the three Ang Kapatiran candidates as sacrificial lambs. He compared them to the 299 Spartans who "dined in hell". (One returned to tell the story.) But no, we don't need another heroes.
Mr. Montelibano tried very hard to justify the significance of the candidacies of the Martin Bautista, Adrian Sison and Zosino Paredes in spite of being unknowns, "penniless" and without a machinery. He claimed that they are symbols of purity. That the party they represent is the opposite of compromise and corruption. That they are not the lesser evil nor the alternative but the pure and virtuous. But how can we be sure? Should we just take Mr. Montelibano's words as the truth about these candidates and the party they represent? Of course not. Mr. Montelibano is merely expressing his point of view.
What about my point of view? Well, I came to know some of the people behind the Ang Kapatiran. They are indeed very honorable individuals. Their love for country is beyond reproach. But they are just a few. Still, I have a lot of respect to the group as a political party. I believe they mean well and that there is no personal agenda. But I sincerely believe that it is not yet ripe for the party to enter the political arena as I have state in their forum. That's just my point of view.
What about the point of view of the magtataho, the masa? Chances are, their take on this is, sino sila? Elections in our country is always about the person not the platform nor the party. I myself don't even know who these three candidates are or how sincere they are. I am merely taking my cue on the fact that they are Ang Kapatiran members. That is enough to convince me that these three are righteous individuals. But what about the masa? They who have no access to internet and may not even know what a podcast is. What the Kapatiran candidates say are also being parroted by the trapo candidates. So how can the masa tell the difference?
All politicians mouth motherhood statements during campaigns. They all say they will stamp out corruption. They all say that they will create jobs. They all say that they will lead us to our Dream Philippines. But they are all, well most of them, the same after the election. It is personal interest first before the national interest. So how cna the ordinary people tell the difference? It is not enough to tell our people that these three candidates are "saints". Prove themselves first.
But no, they did not take the route of introducing themselves first to our people as who they are as individuals. Instead, they immediately offered themselves as an option and make the people believe that what they say is who they are. The problem with Ang Kapatiran is that it is not capable of seeing things from the point of view of the masses. It does not shed its elitist character but instead magnifies it more.
Now that the candidates are not even appearing in the top 20, Mr. Montelibano tried to justify the wisdom of Ang Kapatiran's entry into the political fray. It will be very, very interesting to see what happens to the party after the counting.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
May ibang paraan pa
Sila ba ay makabayan o sila ba ay panggulo ng bayan?
Simulan natin sa OAKWOOD MUTINY. Mga junior officers ng militar, kinontrol ang Oakwood sa Makati para ipakita ang kanilang pagkadismaya sa kasalukuyang gobyerno.
Makalipas ang ilang buwan, ang former ATO chief, kinontrol ang NAIA tower, bilang protesta sa umiiral na sistema ng pamahalaan sa Pilipinas.
Tapos kahapon, nagpyesta nanaman ang media. Mga bata hinostage bilang pagtutol sa political dynasties at rampant stealing in government.
Sa tatlong insidente, kitang kita ang frustration sa klase ng pamamalakad ng mga pulitiko sa ating bansa. Masyado nang naipon ang frustration na iyon kaya napunta sa act of desperation. Gumawa na ng krimen para lamang maipahatid ang kanilang hinaing sa pamahalaan. Kung tutuusin, di naman sila mga ordinaryong Pilipino. Mga may kaya at may pinag aralan. Pero bakit humahantong sa karahasan ang frustrations nila? Isa lang ang nakikita kong dahilan, atensyon.
Alam na nating lahat na corrupt ang pamahalaan magmula sa mga ordinaryong empleyado ng gobyerno hanggang sa kataas taasang pinuno nito. Na puros pansariling interes lamang ang alam ng mga pulitiko. Pero may ginagawa na ba tayo para labanan at tutulan ito? O nagkikibit balikat na lang ba tayo at tinatanggap na ganun talaga ang kalakaran dito sa ating bansa? Para sa iba nating mga kababayan, napuno na ang salop. Gumawa na sila ng hakbang kahit labag sa batas. Justified ba ito? Para sa akin, sa kahit anong anggulo mo tignan, hindi justified ang mga ganitong pamamaraan. May ibang paraan pa upang makakuha ng atensyon.
Sa paggamit ng armas, di malayo na may maaaring mapahamak. Maaaring may mga buhay na madamay. May mga inosenteng masasaktan. Pero kailangan nila ng armas para sila mapansin. Kung magtatalumpati sila sa gitna ng kalye upang ipahayag nag kanilang saloobin, baka isiping may topak pa sila. Pero kung may hawak silang baril at granada, tiyak pyesta ang media.
Pero hindi naman kailangang may baril ka para mapansin ng media. Ang kailangan lang naman, magiging kakaiba ka. Be creative. May mga ibang pamamaraan pa upang maipahayag ang ating pagka dismaya. May ibang paraan pa upang makuha ang simpatya ng tao. Hindi natin kailangang magpapansin. Gumawa na lang tayo ng mga bagay bagay na kanilang mapapansin. Dapat ang atensyon, nasa isyu hindi sa tao. At kapag nagtanong ang media ng sino, wala silang makikitang kasagutan dito. Ganun dapat. May ibang paraan pa.
Simulan natin sa OAKWOOD MUTINY. Mga junior officers ng militar, kinontrol ang Oakwood sa Makati para ipakita ang kanilang pagkadismaya sa kasalukuyang gobyerno.
Makalipas ang ilang buwan, ang former ATO chief, kinontrol ang NAIA tower, bilang protesta sa umiiral na sistema ng pamahalaan sa Pilipinas.
Tapos kahapon, nagpyesta nanaman ang media. Mga bata hinostage bilang pagtutol sa political dynasties at rampant stealing in government.
Sa tatlong insidente, kitang kita ang frustration sa klase ng pamamalakad ng mga pulitiko sa ating bansa. Masyado nang naipon ang frustration na iyon kaya napunta sa act of desperation. Gumawa na ng krimen para lamang maipahatid ang kanilang hinaing sa pamahalaan. Kung tutuusin, di naman sila mga ordinaryong Pilipino. Mga may kaya at may pinag aralan. Pero bakit humahantong sa karahasan ang frustrations nila? Isa lang ang nakikita kong dahilan, atensyon.
Alam na nating lahat na corrupt ang pamahalaan magmula sa mga ordinaryong empleyado ng gobyerno hanggang sa kataas taasang pinuno nito. Na puros pansariling interes lamang ang alam ng mga pulitiko. Pero may ginagawa na ba tayo para labanan at tutulan ito? O nagkikibit balikat na lang ba tayo at tinatanggap na ganun talaga ang kalakaran dito sa ating bansa? Para sa iba nating mga kababayan, napuno na ang salop. Gumawa na sila ng hakbang kahit labag sa batas. Justified ba ito? Para sa akin, sa kahit anong anggulo mo tignan, hindi justified ang mga ganitong pamamaraan. May ibang paraan pa upang makakuha ng atensyon.
Sa paggamit ng armas, di malayo na may maaaring mapahamak. Maaaring may mga buhay na madamay. May mga inosenteng masasaktan. Pero kailangan nila ng armas para sila mapansin. Kung magtatalumpati sila sa gitna ng kalye upang ipahayag nag kanilang saloobin, baka isiping may topak pa sila. Pero kung may hawak silang baril at granada, tiyak pyesta ang media.
Pero hindi naman kailangang may baril ka para mapansin ng media. Ang kailangan lang naman, magiging kakaiba ka. Be creative. May mga ibang pamamaraan pa upang maipahayag ang ating pagka dismaya. May ibang paraan pa upang makuha ang simpatya ng tao. Hindi natin kailangang magpapansin. Gumawa na lang tayo ng mga bagay bagay na kanilang mapapansin. Dapat ang atensyon, nasa isyu hindi sa tao. At kapag nagtanong ang media ng sino, wala silang makikitang kasagutan dito. Ganun dapat. May ibang paraan pa.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Bakit ngayon lang?
Part of GOOD CITIZENSHIP is to admit ones mistake and to say sorry kung sino man ang nasaktan. Pero yung "sorry" ni Oreta, hindi naman talaga sorry iyon. May agenda yung "sorry" nya. Ang makabalik sa Senado.
Hindi ko pa napapanood yung ad ni Oreta. Madalang lang naman kasi ako magbukas ng tv. Nakakasuka kasing mapanood yung mga political ads. Kahit itong ad ni Oreta, wala akong balak na abangan. Ang akin lang sana matalo sya.
Nang matalo sya sa halalan noong 2004, napabalita na naging relihiyosa sya. Ganun? Kailangan bang ipagsigawan yon? Tapos noong napabalitang hindi sya mapapasama sa lineup ng opposition, biglang bumaligtad kasama si Sotto? Ano yun? Ganun ba talaga sila kagahaman sa pwesto? Walang prinsi prinsipyo, ang importante maupo sa pwesto. Dahil nangungulelat sa survey, ngayon may pa sorry sorry pa sya? Hellloooooooooo.....
Magsorry sya sa lelang nyang panot. Kung talagang sorry sya sa pagiging dancing queen nya, dapat noon pa nya ginawa, noong hindi pa sya nangangampanya. Noong sinasabing naging relihiyosa na sya. Kung talagang sorry sya, umatras na lang sya sa pagtakbo para hindi pag isipan na may iba syang motibo.
Yung nasa malakanyang naman, kaagad agad nag sorry dahil political survival nya ang at stake. Pero syempre alam natin na hindi sincere iyon. Naghahanap lang sya ng karamay. Para sa akin, kapag ang pulitiko ang nag sorry, mahirap tanggapin. Dahil alam ko may iba silang agenda.
Hindi ko pa napapanood yung ad ni Oreta. Madalang lang naman kasi ako magbukas ng tv. Nakakasuka kasing mapanood yung mga political ads. Kahit itong ad ni Oreta, wala akong balak na abangan. Ang akin lang sana matalo sya.
Nang matalo sya sa halalan noong 2004, napabalita na naging relihiyosa sya. Ganun? Kailangan bang ipagsigawan yon? Tapos noong napabalitang hindi sya mapapasama sa lineup ng opposition, biglang bumaligtad kasama si Sotto? Ano yun? Ganun ba talaga sila kagahaman sa pwesto? Walang prinsi prinsipyo, ang importante maupo sa pwesto. Dahil nangungulelat sa survey, ngayon may pa sorry sorry pa sya? Hellloooooooooo.....
Magsorry sya sa lelang nyang panot. Kung talagang sorry sya sa pagiging dancing queen nya, dapat noon pa nya ginawa, noong hindi pa sya nangangampanya. Noong sinasabing naging relihiyosa na sya. Kung talagang sorry sya, umatras na lang sya sa pagtakbo para hindi pag isipan na may iba syang motibo.
Yung nasa malakanyang naman, kaagad agad nag sorry dahil political survival nya ang at stake. Pero syempre alam natin na hindi sincere iyon. Naghahanap lang sya ng karamay. Para sa akin, kapag ang pulitiko ang nag sorry, mahirap tanggapin. Dahil alam ko may iba silang agenda.
Philippine Agenda
Kakapanood ko lang ng episode ng Philippine Agenda, isang News and Public Affairs program ng channel 7. Mga ilang linggo na rin akong hindi nanonood ng tv. Ngayon lang uli at nakaka depress pa ang napanood ko.
Topic sa episode ng programa ang state of Philippine education. Siguro hindi na lingid sa kaalaman natin kung gaano ka talamak ang sistema ng edukasyon. We all know that there is so much to be desired in our educational system. Sa programa, nagkaroon ng mukha ang klase ng edukasyon meron tayo.
Naantig ako ng husto doon sa batang babae na 12 taong gulang na nasa grade 1 pa lang. Kailangan nya pang mamulot ng basura para may pang baon. Masigasig ang bata mag aral. Ayaw nyang mag absent. Aktibo sa klase kahit kulang sa timbang. Napa shit na lang ako ng sabihin ng nanay patitigilin na sya sa susunod na pasukan. Parang gusto na lang yatang pagkakitaan ng nanany yung anak. Di ko masyado nakuha yung dahilan kung bakit patitigilin yung bata.
Yung teacher tricycle driver bago at pagkatapos ng klase. Yung isang estudyante, amgtitinda muna ng pandesal sa umaga para may makain ang mga kapatid bago sya pumasok.
Inabangan ko kung ano ang io offer na solusyon ng programa. Ayun, nauwi sa boto. Ang sabi, pag isipan ng husto kung sino ang iboboto. Ako? Wala, wala akong maio offer na solusyon. Malalim ang ugat nito mula sa kariharap, pulitika, corruption. It is the state of our nation. Sa munting simulaing ito, nawa'y lumuganap ito at magtulong tulong tayong mapabuti ang kalagayan ng ating bansa.
Topic sa episode ng programa ang state of Philippine education. Siguro hindi na lingid sa kaalaman natin kung gaano ka talamak ang sistema ng edukasyon. We all know that there is so much to be desired in our educational system. Sa programa, nagkaroon ng mukha ang klase ng edukasyon meron tayo.
Naantig ako ng husto doon sa batang babae na 12 taong gulang na nasa grade 1 pa lang. Kailangan nya pang mamulot ng basura para may pang baon. Masigasig ang bata mag aral. Ayaw nyang mag absent. Aktibo sa klase kahit kulang sa timbang. Napa shit na lang ako ng sabihin ng nanay patitigilin na sya sa susunod na pasukan. Parang gusto na lang yatang pagkakitaan ng nanany yung anak. Di ko masyado nakuha yung dahilan kung bakit patitigilin yung bata.
Yung teacher tricycle driver bago at pagkatapos ng klase. Yung isang estudyante, amgtitinda muna ng pandesal sa umaga para may makain ang mga kapatid bago sya pumasok.
Inabangan ko kung ano ang io offer na solusyon ng programa. Ayun, nauwi sa boto. Ang sabi, pag isipan ng husto kung sino ang iboboto. Ako? Wala, wala akong maio offer na solusyon. Malalim ang ugat nito mula sa kariharap, pulitika, corruption. It is the state of our nation. Sa munting simulaing ito, nawa'y lumuganap ito at magtulong tulong tayong mapabuti ang kalagayan ng ating bansa.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Friday, March 23, 2007
MONAY
When I first saw the trailer of this movie, alam kong hindi sya maganda. Sa trailer pa lang, mukha siyang pito pitong pelikula. Out of curiousity, pinanood ko kanina. Di nga ako nagkamali.
I know Jun Urbano means well. He has a message to share to all of us. His call is for us to change by showing what is bad about us. He is sincere and that his intentions are pure. Unfortunately, he failed miserably.
Sobrang pangit talaga ng pelikula to the max. I don't even find their comedy funny. Some even borders into being insulting. The movie tries to appeal to our senses but the movie itself doesn't make sense at all. The plot is just too absurd.
The movie tries to show the kind of citizens that we are. That we are bad citizens. Mga pulis na nangongotong. Mga pulitikong kurakot. Taxi driver na mapagsamantala. Mga umiihi sa pader kahit may karatulang bawal umihi. Mga estudyanteng walang alam sa kasaysayan. Pinapakita ng pelikula ang mga mali sa atin bilang mga mamamayan. Pero pati yung pelikula, napakagandang halimbawa kung ano tayo, mediocre. The movie is soooooo mediocre. Wala ka man lang makakitaan ng attempt na mag stive for excllence. Yung tipong basta matapos lang, ok na. Walang karapatan ang pelikula na magsabi kung ano ang mali sa atin dahil yung pelikula mismo isang malaking pagkakamali. Taong 2007 na pero yung pelikula parang circa 70s pa. Ganun na lang ba talaga ang kaya natin?
Sayang ang pera. Sayang ang oras. Lahat sayang. Maganda sana ang intensyon kaya lang pati yung pelikula nagpe perpetuate ng culture of mediocrity.
I know Jun Urbano means well. He has a message to share to all of us. His call is for us to change by showing what is bad about us. He is sincere and that his intentions are pure. Unfortunately, he failed miserably.
Sobrang pangit talaga ng pelikula to the max. I don't even find their comedy funny. Some even borders into being insulting. The movie tries to appeal to our senses but the movie itself doesn't make sense at all. The plot is just too absurd.
The movie tries to show the kind of citizens that we are. That we are bad citizens. Mga pulis na nangongotong. Mga pulitikong kurakot. Taxi driver na mapagsamantala. Mga umiihi sa pader kahit may karatulang bawal umihi. Mga estudyanteng walang alam sa kasaysayan. Pinapakita ng pelikula ang mga mali sa atin bilang mga mamamayan. Pero pati yung pelikula, napakagandang halimbawa kung ano tayo, mediocre. The movie is soooooo mediocre. Wala ka man lang makakitaan ng attempt na mag stive for excllence. Yung tipong basta matapos lang, ok na. Walang karapatan ang pelikula na magsabi kung ano ang mali sa atin dahil yung pelikula mismo isang malaking pagkakamali. Taong 2007 na pero yung pelikula parang circa 70s pa. Ganun na lang ba talaga ang kaya natin?
Sayang ang pera. Sayang ang oras. Lahat sayang. Maganda sana ang intensyon kaya lang pati yung pelikula nagpe perpetuate ng culture of mediocrity.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
The Elite Mindset
Para sa post na ito, kung sino ang hindi masa, yun ang magiging definition ng elite. Yung ABC class, yung mga pa gimik gimik, yung mga nagkakape sa starbucks o figaro, yung nakakapasyal sa boracay at baguio, yung mga tumira sa ibang bansa at nagpalit ng passport, yung mga naging successful na OFW, basta alam nyo kung sino kayo. Kayo ang tinutukoy ko na mga elite sa post na ito.
Marami sa atin malaki ang malasakit sa bayan. May mga naglakbay o nangibang bayan sa atin at nakita natin ang progreso at kaibahan sa ibang bansa. Maayos. Malinis. May disiplina. Progresibo. Halong inggit at panghihinayang ang ating nadama. Bakit hindi ito magawa sa Pilipinas? Bakit hindi ito magawa ng mga Pilipino? Bakit kulelat tayo?
Alam natin na malaki ang problema ng Pilipinas. Masalimuot. Kumplikado. Malalim ang ugat. Lahat tayo may kanya kanyang opinyon. Gusto nating makatulong.
Sa mundo ng internet, napakaraming initiatives ang mga nakita kong binuo, binubuo at tiyak ko marami ang bububuin pa. Gusto nating maging bahagi ng pagbabago at makatulong sa pagtaas ng antas ng kabuhayan ng mga Pilipino. Walang masama doon. Katunayan, kahanga hanga yon. Pero ang tanong, sapat ba iyon?
Miyembro ako ng isang yahoo group, ang ofcouncil. Samahan ito ng mga Pilipino na mga naninirahan na sa ibang bansa. May mga OFWs din at mga Pilipinong nandito sa Pilipinas. Ika nga, sila/kami ay mga brdigebuilders, torchbearers at pledgekeepers. Walang masama. Ang problema, ang mindset. The elite are always looking at our national problem from their/our point of view. Yung point of view ng masa, yung mas nakakarami, hindi nakikita.
Mahaba haba rin ang pakikipagbalitaktakan ko sa grupo noong simula. Ang una kong tanong, how will the magtataho come into the picture. Ang sagot, if this initiatives becomes successful, then they will benefit from it or something to that effect. Trickle down effect, ika nga. Di ba napaka elitista ng mindset. Para bang sinasabi sa magtataho, maghintay ka lang at makikinabang ka rin.
May mga overseas fund, investment board at kung ano ano pang mga terminong mahirap unawaiin ng magtataho. Ngayon, napaka excited ng mga post nila tungkol sa binabalak nilang walk in clinics in every town. Again, walang masama. Ang tanong, will it make a difference? Kung ang magiging assumption ay ang pagiging sucessful ng initiative, of course, it will make a difference. So the next question is, will it succeed? I doubt it. I wish them success but I doubt if it will succeed. Masasayang lang ang lahat ng effort at resources nila. Mapupunta lang ito sa wala. Hindi ko pwede i post ito sa yahoo group nila at baka mabansagan pa ako ng crab mentality at kontrabida. So I will just keep my comments here in my blog.
Why do I think this initiative won't succeed? Because of the mindset. Marami na ang mga gumagawa ng iba't ibang initiatives. May pa donate donate ng libro, damit at kung ano ano pa. May mga nagtatayo ng eskwelahan. May tumutulong sa mga binagyo. Siyempre ang pinaka sikat, ang pagconduct ng mga medical at dental missions. Libreng gamot, libreng bunot, libreng tuli, libreng konsulta, libre lahat. Syempre yung nakatanggap ng libre tuwang tuwa. Yung nagbigay ng tulong, natuwa din dahil nakatulong sya. So lahat masaya. Pero may nabago ba? Wala. Sadly, the culture of mendicancy is perpetuated.
When we give something for free, "no strings attached", the "you have and I have none so you should give me" attitude is reinforced. My advocacy is to put strings when we give something. People who receive must take some form of responsibility. That responsibility is for them to become good citizens. Tell the masa to be part of change. The best time to inspire them to change is when they are on the receiving end.
What does the OFCouncil got to do with this since they are not really giving anything away? It's the mindset. It is not enough to say to ourselves that we did something for our country if we really want change to happen. The elite must go down to the level of the masses and see things from their point of view. The masses are also people. They have feelings and emotions. They need the respect and confidence. They should be part of the picture. If we don't see things from this perspective, nothing will really change.
Let us continue making donations and holding medical missions. Let us involve oursleves in various selfless initiatives. Let us continue to discuss what is best for our country. But let us involve the ordinary folks by making them take responsibility. They just can't be spectators and always on the receiving end. They should also do their share in nation building by becoming good citizens. And our responsibility is to inspire them to become such citizens.
Marami sa atin malaki ang malasakit sa bayan. May mga naglakbay o nangibang bayan sa atin at nakita natin ang progreso at kaibahan sa ibang bansa. Maayos. Malinis. May disiplina. Progresibo. Halong inggit at panghihinayang ang ating nadama. Bakit hindi ito magawa sa Pilipinas? Bakit hindi ito magawa ng mga Pilipino? Bakit kulelat tayo?
Alam natin na malaki ang problema ng Pilipinas. Masalimuot. Kumplikado. Malalim ang ugat. Lahat tayo may kanya kanyang opinyon. Gusto nating makatulong.
Sa mundo ng internet, napakaraming initiatives ang mga nakita kong binuo, binubuo at tiyak ko marami ang bububuin pa. Gusto nating maging bahagi ng pagbabago at makatulong sa pagtaas ng antas ng kabuhayan ng mga Pilipino. Walang masama doon. Katunayan, kahanga hanga yon. Pero ang tanong, sapat ba iyon?
Miyembro ako ng isang yahoo group, ang ofcouncil. Samahan ito ng mga Pilipino na mga naninirahan na sa ibang bansa. May mga OFWs din at mga Pilipinong nandito sa Pilipinas. Ika nga, sila/kami ay mga brdigebuilders, torchbearers at pledgekeepers. Walang masama. Ang problema, ang mindset. The elite are always looking at our national problem from their/our point of view. Yung point of view ng masa, yung mas nakakarami, hindi nakikita.
Mahaba haba rin ang pakikipagbalitaktakan ko sa grupo noong simula. Ang una kong tanong, how will the magtataho come into the picture. Ang sagot, if this initiatives becomes successful, then they will benefit from it or something to that effect. Trickle down effect, ika nga. Di ba napaka elitista ng mindset. Para bang sinasabi sa magtataho, maghintay ka lang at makikinabang ka rin.
May mga overseas fund, investment board at kung ano ano pang mga terminong mahirap unawaiin ng magtataho. Ngayon, napaka excited ng mga post nila tungkol sa binabalak nilang walk in clinics in every town. Again, walang masama. Ang tanong, will it make a difference? Kung ang magiging assumption ay ang pagiging sucessful ng initiative, of course, it will make a difference. So the next question is, will it succeed? I doubt it. I wish them success but I doubt if it will succeed. Masasayang lang ang lahat ng effort at resources nila. Mapupunta lang ito sa wala. Hindi ko pwede i post ito sa yahoo group nila at baka mabansagan pa ako ng crab mentality at kontrabida. So I will just keep my comments here in my blog.
Why do I think this initiative won't succeed? Because of the mindset. Marami na ang mga gumagawa ng iba't ibang initiatives. May pa donate donate ng libro, damit at kung ano ano pa. May mga nagtatayo ng eskwelahan. May tumutulong sa mga binagyo. Siyempre ang pinaka sikat, ang pagconduct ng mga medical at dental missions. Libreng gamot, libreng bunot, libreng tuli, libreng konsulta, libre lahat. Syempre yung nakatanggap ng libre tuwang tuwa. Yung nagbigay ng tulong, natuwa din dahil nakatulong sya. So lahat masaya. Pero may nabago ba? Wala. Sadly, the culture of mendicancy is perpetuated.
When we give something for free, "no strings attached", the "you have and I have none so you should give me" attitude is reinforced. My advocacy is to put strings when we give something. People who receive must take some form of responsibility. That responsibility is for them to become good citizens. Tell the masa to be part of change. The best time to inspire them to change is when they are on the receiving end.
What does the OFCouncil got to do with this since they are not really giving anything away? It's the mindset. It is not enough to say to ourselves that we did something for our country if we really want change to happen. The elite must go down to the level of the masses and see things from their point of view. The masses are also people. They have feelings and emotions. They need the respect and confidence. They should be part of the picture. If we don't see things from this perspective, nothing will really change.
Let us continue making donations and holding medical missions. Let us involve oursleves in various selfless initiatives. Let us continue to discuss what is best for our country. But let us involve the ordinary folks by making them take responsibility. They just can't be spectators and always on the receiving end. They should also do their share in nation building by becoming good citizens. And our responsibility is to inspire them to become such citizens.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Kapag Metro Guapo, Tao Ganado!
Ito ang GOOD CITIZENSHIP campaign ng MMDA. Lagi kong napapanood sa sinehan yung film clip ng kampanyang ito. Maliban kay Atienza, bawat alkalde ng Metro Manila may dialogue sa film clip. Noong una kong napanood, ang unang pumasok sa isp ko, napaka aga namang mangampanya ng mga mayor ng Metro Manila.
Kapag mapapadaan ka sa mga malalaking lansangan, tiyak may makikita kang karatula ng Metro Guapo. This campaign is all about GOOD CITIZENSHIP. Pero may pumapansin ba? May sumusunod ba? Sa tingin ko wala. Sa mga nakakakita at nakakarinig ng kampayang ito, ang reaction nila, ala lang. Sa EDSA na nga lang, ang lalaki ng karatulang may nakasulat na WALANG TAWIRAN, NAKAMAMATAY pero, hala, sige, tawiran pa rin ng tawiran ang mga tao. Sadya nga ba talagang matitigas ang ulo ng mga Pinoy?
Hindi ko iku question ang sincerity ni Bayani Fernando sa kampanyang ito. Maganda ang nagawa niya sa Marikina. Kung kayang gawin sa Marikina, bakit di magawa sa buong Metro Manila o sa buong Pilipinas? Kaya naman talaga nating sumunod sa mga alituntunin. Mga Pinoy din naman ang mga nakatira sa Marikina, di ba? Pero bakit ang titigas ng mga ulo natin. Karamihan sa atin, mga pasaway. Kung susundin lang natin ang mga panawagan ng MMDA, magkakaroon siguro ng kaayusan sa ating paligid. Pero bakit walang pumapansin sa kampanyang ito ng MMDA?
Hula ko lang, dahil kampanya ito ng gobyerno. Walang tiwala ang mga tao sa gobyerno kaya't ang mga panawagan nito ay hindi pinapansin ng tao. Ibig sabihin, walang kredibilidad ang gobyerno. Baka isipin pa ng mga tao naghahanap lang sila ng pagkakagastusan para may makurakot.
Sa palagay ko, ano mang kampanya tungkol sa GOOD CITIZENSHIP ay mahihirapang ma internalize kung hindi ito sustained. Isa pa, ang problema ng GOOD CITIZENSHIP ay hindi lang sa METRO MANILA. Ito ay problema ng buong bansa. Kailangan ang maging target ng kampanya ay ang collective psyche ng mga Pilipino. HIndi uubra yung mga nasa Marikina o Naga lang. Para magkaroon ng impact dapat national ang scope. Isa pang importante aspesto ng kampanya, dapat faceless ito.
Noong isinama ang mga mayor ng Metro Manila sa kampanya, ala na. Simula pa lang sira na. Dapat faceless para hindi pag isipan ng agenda. Kaso hindi uubra sa mga pulitiko ang faceless dahil kahit ano ang mangyari, ilalagay at ilagay nila ang mga pagmumukha nila kahit saan mapa pader man o poste.
Sayang ang kampanyang ito. Pinagkagastusan pero di naman sineseryoso ng mga tao.
Kapag mapapadaan ka sa mga malalaking lansangan, tiyak may makikita kang karatula ng Metro Guapo. This campaign is all about GOOD CITIZENSHIP. Pero may pumapansin ba? May sumusunod ba? Sa tingin ko wala. Sa mga nakakakita at nakakarinig ng kampayang ito, ang reaction nila, ala lang. Sa EDSA na nga lang, ang lalaki ng karatulang may nakasulat na WALANG TAWIRAN, NAKAMAMATAY pero, hala, sige, tawiran pa rin ng tawiran ang mga tao. Sadya nga ba talagang matitigas ang ulo ng mga Pinoy?
Hindi ko iku question ang sincerity ni Bayani Fernando sa kampanyang ito. Maganda ang nagawa niya sa Marikina. Kung kayang gawin sa Marikina, bakit di magawa sa buong Metro Manila o sa buong Pilipinas? Kaya naman talaga nating sumunod sa mga alituntunin. Mga Pinoy din naman ang mga nakatira sa Marikina, di ba? Pero bakit ang titigas ng mga ulo natin. Karamihan sa atin, mga pasaway. Kung susundin lang natin ang mga panawagan ng MMDA, magkakaroon siguro ng kaayusan sa ating paligid. Pero bakit walang pumapansin sa kampanyang ito ng MMDA?
Hula ko lang, dahil kampanya ito ng gobyerno. Walang tiwala ang mga tao sa gobyerno kaya't ang mga panawagan nito ay hindi pinapansin ng tao. Ibig sabihin, walang kredibilidad ang gobyerno. Baka isipin pa ng mga tao naghahanap lang sila ng pagkakagastusan para may makurakot.
Sa palagay ko, ano mang kampanya tungkol sa GOOD CITIZENSHIP ay mahihirapang ma internalize kung hindi ito sustained. Isa pa, ang problema ng GOOD CITIZENSHIP ay hindi lang sa METRO MANILA. Ito ay problema ng buong bansa. Kailangan ang maging target ng kampanya ay ang collective psyche ng mga Pilipino. HIndi uubra yung mga nasa Marikina o Naga lang. Para magkaroon ng impact dapat national ang scope. Isa pang importante aspesto ng kampanya, dapat faceless ito.
Noong isinama ang mga mayor ng Metro Manila sa kampanya, ala na. Simula pa lang sira na. Dapat faceless para hindi pag isipan ng agenda. Kaso hindi uubra sa mga pulitiko ang faceless dahil kahit ano ang mangyari, ilalagay at ilagay nila ang mga pagmumukha nila kahit saan mapa pader man o poste.
Sayang ang kampanyang ito. Pinagkagastusan pero di naman sineseryoso ng mga tao.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Hearts and Minds
Isang paumanhin kay mlq3 sa pagkopya ko ng title ng blog nya sa Inquirer. Hearts and minds ang labanan. Whoever can capture the imagination of the people, yun ang panalo.
Ang pagngangawngaw ni Norberto Gonzalez na ang mga partylist groups na BAYAN MUNA, GABRIELA, ANAKPAWIS na mga front ng komunista ay may batayan. Isang maka kaliwa si Gonzales bago sya napasok sa Malakanyang. Normal lamang na ide deny ito ng mga nabanggit na party list groups. Pero hwag na tayong maglokohan. Totoong mga front sila.
I was once a part of the underground left. Yung sense of nationalism ko ngayon doon nag ugat. Marami sa mga dating kasamahan ko sa kaliwa ngayon ay nasa main stream na. Nagulat nga ako ng marealize ko na si Malou Mangahas top executive na ng GMA samantalang noon isinisigaw namin sa kalye, "Palayain si Malou Mangahas!".
Anyway, maliit lang ang naging bahagi ko sa kilusan pero nakita ko kung paano sila nag o operate. Yung mga legal na organisasyon binubutasan. Ibig sabihin, magpapasok sila ng kaalyado nila at pilit iimpluwensyahan ang mga policies at patakaran ng legal na organization. Pilit nilang ipapasok ang kanilang influence hanggang makuha nila ang liderato. Habang ginagawa ang "pagbutas", may underground cell na gumagabay sa legal personality para magbigay ng political direction sa pagbutas. Ganun ang gawain. Ang gawain ay magbutas ng mga legal na organisasyon. Pero sa ngayon, ang pagtatayo na nang legal na organisasyon ang kanilang ginagawa.
My point being , may personal knowledge ako sa gawaing ito. But that was years ago. Pwede nilang sabihin na hindi na nila ginagawa ito, which I doubt. In the past two elections I voted for BAYAN MUNA. The vote is essentially a support in their participation in the electoral arena. I want that. I want them to join the mainstream.
Initially, BAYAN MUNA got three seats. I guess that was in 2001. I got suspiscious of their intentions when they branched themselves out to include GABRIELA and ANAKAPAWIS. Now there is a new one, the KABATAAN party list group. At this point, I realized na pera pera lang pala ang hanap nila. The pork barrel must have been so sweet that they wanted more.
At the height of the Batasan 6 issue, I engaged Rep. Teddy Casino in a discussion in their their blog with regards to my personal call for them to denoucne/renounce armed struggle. (The blog is not there anymore.) Rep. Casino's reasoning is essentially what Ina Alleco said in her blog. It is that it is the right of the people to defend themselves against an abusive regime. Parang scripted tuloy ang mga sagot nila. From legal point of view, syempre hindi sasabihin ng mga party list groups na ito na sinusuportahan nila ang armed struggle. Krimen yon. At the same time, hindi rin naman nila ito ide denounce.
Ang pinakamalaking proof ng "alliance" ng CPP/NPA/NDF with BAYAN MUNA and company ay ang existence ng AKBAYAN, SANLAKAS at PARTIDO NG MANGGAGAWA. The existence of AKBAYAN, SANLAKAS and PM is a reflection of the split in the underground. Kung hindi nagkaroon ng split, magkakaalyado ang mga leftist party list groups. Kaso kahit sila nagbabangayan. So wag na tayong maglokohan. May basis yung sinasabi na front lang ang mga party list groups at malaki ang posibiladad na ang underground left ay nakikinabang sa pork barrel ng mga party list groups.
Sa blog ng batasan 6, tinawag ko ang mga representatives nito na mga ipokrito. Bago pa man sila naupo sa kongreso, sinisigaw nila na ibasura ang pork barrel. Ngayong nakaupo na sila, naririnig pa ba natin sila sa panawagan na i scrap ang pork barrel? Ayun nagpapakasasa na rin sila sa pork barrel. Imbes daw na mapunta pa sa corruption yung perang nakalaan para sa pork barrel nila, might as well gamitin na lang sa kanilang mga proyekto. Palusot. Lubusan akong hahanga sa kanila kung hindi nila tataggapin ang nakakarimarim na pork barrel. Kaso nilamon na rin sila ng sistema.
At dito nag uugat ang lahat. Sinisikil ng gobyerno ang party list representatives dahil alam ng gobyerno na ginagamit lang ng party list groups na ito ang kanilang pork barrel para mapabagsak ang kanilang rehimen. Kung patuloy silang dadami sa kongreso, patuloy na lalaki ang kanilang pondo through the pork barrel. Sinasamahan pa ito ng pananakot at pagpaslang sa mga kaalyado ng mga party list groups na ito. Kaya ayon, gumugulo ng gumugulo ang sitwasyon. Ang reaksyon ng taumbayan? "Bahala kayo dyan kahit magpatayan pa kayo basta kami mas aabangan namin ang latest kay Kris, James at Hope."
This kind of reacton is simply a reflection of the kind of people we are, bad citizens. If we are good citizens, we will mass out in the streets to condemn these killings irregardless of who are being kllled. We will raise our collective voice to demand from government a resolution of the issue. But as a people, we don't. It needs foreign government, international organiations and even the UN to make these killings become a full blown global issue. And the left is obviously trying to extract whatever propaganda mileage they can get out of the issue. Naging katawa tawa pa tuloy ang sitwasyon. Ang kaliwa humihingi ng tulong kay Uncle Sam at nakikinig naman si Uncle Sam habang tayong mga ordinaryong tao ay mga miron lang. Pero mukhang kahit magmiron, hindi interesado ang nakakarami. Kasi karamihan sa atin wala naman talagang paki.
Wala tayong paki dahil nga kasi, most of us are bad citizens. Why we are bad citizens? Ibang usapan na yan. And to turn our people into becoming good citizens, we need to capture their imagination, we need to capture their hearts and minds.
Ang pagngangawngaw ni Norberto Gonzalez na ang mga partylist groups na BAYAN MUNA, GABRIELA, ANAKPAWIS na mga front ng komunista ay may batayan. Isang maka kaliwa si Gonzales bago sya napasok sa Malakanyang. Normal lamang na ide deny ito ng mga nabanggit na party list groups. Pero hwag na tayong maglokohan. Totoong mga front sila.
I was once a part of the underground left. Yung sense of nationalism ko ngayon doon nag ugat. Marami sa mga dating kasamahan ko sa kaliwa ngayon ay nasa main stream na. Nagulat nga ako ng marealize ko na si Malou Mangahas top executive na ng GMA samantalang noon isinisigaw namin sa kalye, "Palayain si Malou Mangahas!".
Anyway, maliit lang ang naging bahagi ko sa kilusan pero nakita ko kung paano sila nag o operate. Yung mga legal na organisasyon binubutasan. Ibig sabihin, magpapasok sila ng kaalyado nila at pilit iimpluwensyahan ang mga policies at patakaran ng legal na organization. Pilit nilang ipapasok ang kanilang influence hanggang makuha nila ang liderato. Habang ginagawa ang "pagbutas", may underground cell na gumagabay sa legal personality para magbigay ng political direction sa pagbutas. Ganun ang gawain. Ang gawain ay magbutas ng mga legal na organisasyon. Pero sa ngayon, ang pagtatayo na nang legal na organisasyon ang kanilang ginagawa.
My point being , may personal knowledge ako sa gawaing ito. But that was years ago. Pwede nilang sabihin na hindi na nila ginagawa ito, which I doubt. In the past two elections I voted for BAYAN MUNA. The vote is essentially a support in their participation in the electoral arena. I want that. I want them to join the mainstream.
Initially, BAYAN MUNA got three seats. I guess that was in 2001. I got suspiscious of their intentions when they branched themselves out to include GABRIELA and ANAKAPAWIS. Now there is a new one, the KABATAAN party list group. At this point, I realized na pera pera lang pala ang hanap nila. The pork barrel must have been so sweet that they wanted more.
At the height of the Batasan 6 issue, I engaged Rep. Teddy Casino in a discussion in their their blog with regards to my personal call for them to denoucne/renounce armed struggle. (The blog is not there anymore.) Rep. Casino's reasoning is essentially what Ina Alleco said in her blog. It is that it is the right of the people to defend themselves against an abusive regime. Parang scripted tuloy ang mga sagot nila. From legal point of view, syempre hindi sasabihin ng mga party list groups na ito na sinusuportahan nila ang armed struggle. Krimen yon. At the same time, hindi rin naman nila ito ide denounce.
Ang pinakamalaking proof ng "alliance" ng CPP/NPA/NDF with BAYAN MUNA and company ay ang existence ng AKBAYAN, SANLAKAS at PARTIDO NG MANGGAGAWA. The existence of AKBAYAN, SANLAKAS and PM is a reflection of the split in the underground. Kung hindi nagkaroon ng split, magkakaalyado ang mga leftist party list groups. Kaso kahit sila nagbabangayan. So wag na tayong maglokohan. May basis yung sinasabi na front lang ang mga party list groups at malaki ang posibiladad na ang underground left ay nakikinabang sa pork barrel ng mga party list groups.
Sa blog ng batasan 6, tinawag ko ang mga representatives nito na mga ipokrito. Bago pa man sila naupo sa kongreso, sinisigaw nila na ibasura ang pork barrel. Ngayong nakaupo na sila, naririnig pa ba natin sila sa panawagan na i scrap ang pork barrel? Ayun nagpapakasasa na rin sila sa pork barrel. Imbes daw na mapunta pa sa corruption yung perang nakalaan para sa pork barrel nila, might as well gamitin na lang sa kanilang mga proyekto. Palusot. Lubusan akong hahanga sa kanila kung hindi nila tataggapin ang nakakarimarim na pork barrel. Kaso nilamon na rin sila ng sistema.
At dito nag uugat ang lahat. Sinisikil ng gobyerno ang party list representatives dahil alam ng gobyerno na ginagamit lang ng party list groups na ito ang kanilang pork barrel para mapabagsak ang kanilang rehimen. Kung patuloy silang dadami sa kongreso, patuloy na lalaki ang kanilang pondo through the pork barrel. Sinasamahan pa ito ng pananakot at pagpaslang sa mga kaalyado ng mga party list groups na ito. Kaya ayon, gumugulo ng gumugulo ang sitwasyon. Ang reaksyon ng taumbayan? "Bahala kayo dyan kahit magpatayan pa kayo basta kami mas aabangan namin ang latest kay Kris, James at Hope."
This kind of reacton is simply a reflection of the kind of people we are, bad citizens. If we are good citizens, we will mass out in the streets to condemn these killings irregardless of who are being kllled. We will raise our collective voice to demand from government a resolution of the issue. But as a people, we don't. It needs foreign government, international organiations and even the UN to make these killings become a full blown global issue. And the left is obviously trying to extract whatever propaganda mileage they can get out of the issue. Naging katawa tawa pa tuloy ang sitwasyon. Ang kaliwa humihingi ng tulong kay Uncle Sam at nakikinig naman si Uncle Sam habang tayong mga ordinaryong tao ay mga miron lang. Pero mukhang kahit magmiron, hindi interesado ang nakakarami. Kasi karamihan sa atin wala naman talagang paki.
Wala tayong paki dahil nga kasi, most of us are bad citizens. Why we are bad citizens? Ibang usapan na yan. And to turn our people into becoming good citizens, we need to capture their imagination, we need to capture their hearts and minds.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Gold in Grass
I met Ms. Lilia Pelayo, finance officer of Gold in Grass Corporation through ANG BAGONG PINOY. We've attended several meetings together. I know she is in the lemon grass business but never really got to know the details. Not until today when I went to Megamall to visit the National Trade Fair.
I am not exactly impressed with the products in this year's fair. Halos pare pareho lang every year. But this lemon grass business, I believe has a potential. Not that I am making sipsip to Lilia because I know her personally but I am truly convinced that I has a huge potential.
I know nothing about essential oils and its product derivatives. What struck me with this product is the technology that they employ. The machine used to extact the oil from lemon grass was invented by Lilia's brother. There are other available equipments that can extract the oil but in terms of efficiency and quality, the machine they use in Gold In Grass is much better. There were email offers coming from other countries to buy the machine but no, they are not selling. I begged Lilia and her brother not to sell the technology if other offers come along and they assured my that they won't sell. Keep it as ours, I pleaded them.
Their main issue right now is expansion. In as much as they would want to extract more oil from lemon grass, they are limited by the fact that the only have one extractor at this time. It costs more that P7M to build one extrator. I am not really sure about the economics of this since its a huge amount on capital outlay for one machine. Maybe Lilia is a better position to explain in terms of ROI.
There must be a huge potential here considering that the lemon grass anywhere where cogon grow. The lemon grass can be harvested within three months with a minimal input. Compared to rice production, there is more to earn in lemon grass. Well, I am speaking from what Lilia told me. But the most important thing here is the technology. The technology is ours. It's something that we should/could capitalize on.
I am not exactly impressed with the products in this year's fair. Halos pare pareho lang every year. But this lemon grass business, I believe has a potential. Not that I am making sipsip to Lilia because I know her personally but I am truly convinced that I has a huge potential.
I know nothing about essential oils and its product derivatives. What struck me with this product is the technology that they employ. The machine used to extact the oil from lemon grass was invented by Lilia's brother. There are other available equipments that can extract the oil but in terms of efficiency and quality, the machine they use in Gold In Grass is much better. There were email offers coming from other countries to buy the machine but no, they are not selling. I begged Lilia and her brother not to sell the technology if other offers come along and they assured my that they won't sell. Keep it as ours, I pleaded them.
Their main issue right now is expansion. In as much as they would want to extract more oil from lemon grass, they are limited by the fact that the only have one extractor at this time. It costs more that P7M to build one extrator. I am not really sure about the economics of this since its a huge amount on capital outlay for one machine. Maybe Lilia is a better position to explain in terms of ROI.
There must be a huge potential here considering that the lemon grass anywhere where cogon grow. The lemon grass can be harvested within three months with a minimal input. Compared to rice production, there is more to earn in lemon grass. Well, I am speaking from what Lilia told me. But the most important thing here is the technology. The technology is ours. It's something that we should/could capitalize on.
National Trade Fair
The National Trade Fair (NTF) is a yearly event organized by the Department Trade and Industries. If I am not mistaken, this has always been held at the Megatrade Hall at Megamall. NTF is the government's attempt to introduce small producers to a bigger market. Support is also given in terms of product development, product design and packaging. Small producers are usually those that have graduated from the level of micro/backyard enterprise. The customary buyers for this fair are exporters, department stores, specialty shops/stores and some foreign buyers. This week is another NTF week.
After visiting NTF every year for several years now, all I can say is that it's still all the same. Not much has changed. It's the usual stuff; bags, accessories, bamboo craft, weaves, packaged food, wood craft, furnitures. Since the time that I visited the NTF event, the only product that I know that was truly developed and has matured is the virgin coconut oil. After all these year, it's still the same kind of products year in year out, except for this one..
I am not really sure if the NTF is focused on mass produced/handicraft/labor intensive products but that is my impression since they are dealing with small producers. The NTF is suppose to be a showcase of Filipino ingenuity and creativity. Well, I'm not impressed. Pare pareho na lang yung creativity at ingenuity na nakikita ko. Sana may ma create tayo na product na makita mo pa lang, ang masasabi mo agad, "Wow, this is something new!" Kaso halos puro replay lang yung mga produkto.
My wish is sana maka create tayo ng global brand. Kung magawa nating global brand ang adobo bakit hindi natin gawin. Ang Thai restaurant dito hindi lang pinapasok ng mga Thai kundi pati mga locals and expats. Ang Filipino restaurants abroad ba pina patronize din ng mga locals at expats doon? Di ba kadalasan tayo tayo ding mga Pinoy ang tumatangkilik sa mga Pinoy restaurant. Since nagkalat na tayo sa buong mundo, hindi ba natin pwedeng turuan ang ibang nationalities na ma appreciate ang pagkain natin. Di ba masarap pakinggan kung sasabihin ng mga expats, "Let's have Filipino food for lunch." Hindi na lang yung puro Chinese, Japanese, French, Thai, Mexican food ang choice nila. Ewan ko kung ano ang kinalaman nito sa NTF pero sana meron tayong ganung mindset, pang global ang approach hindi iyong puro handicraft na lang.
Ewan ko kung may bagong technology na na imbento in terms of processing and production. Hindi naman kasi nakikita yun sa end product at usually iyon ang trade secret. But since pare pareho yung mga produkto, siguro walang bagong technology na naimbento, except for one. Siguro dapat mas mag focus tayo doon. Ewan ko kung na kopya na yung process nang paggawa ng virgin coconut oil sa ibang bansa pero I'm sure tayo ang naka develop ng process nun. Yung technology ng waterless fish hibernation, atin iyon. Pati din yung coconet technology. Yung mga ganito ang dapat natin i encourage at i develop. Yung mga bag, picture frames, fashion accessories na yan, kayang kayang gayahin yan sa China at bagsak presyo pa. Dapat ang mindset, ano yung di nila kayang gawin, ano yung hindi nila makokopya.
Sana ma transcend natin yung mindset na handicraft. Walang masama sa handicraft. Maraming nabubuhay dito. Ang akin lang naman, sana sige pa. May magagawa at madidiskubre pa tayo maliban sa handicraft.
After visiting NTF every year for several years now, all I can say is that it's still all the same. Not much has changed. It's the usual stuff; bags, accessories, bamboo craft, weaves, packaged food, wood craft, furnitures. Since the time that I visited the NTF event, the only product that I know that was truly developed and has matured is the virgin coconut oil. After all these year, it's still the same kind of products year in year out, except for this one..
I am not really sure if the NTF is focused on mass produced/handicraft/labor intensive products but that is my impression since they are dealing with small producers. The NTF is suppose to be a showcase of Filipino ingenuity and creativity. Well, I'm not impressed. Pare pareho na lang yung creativity at ingenuity na nakikita ko. Sana may ma create tayo na product na makita mo pa lang, ang masasabi mo agad, "Wow, this is something new!" Kaso halos puro replay lang yung mga produkto.
My wish is sana maka create tayo ng global brand. Kung magawa nating global brand ang adobo bakit hindi natin gawin. Ang Thai restaurant dito hindi lang pinapasok ng mga Thai kundi pati mga locals and expats. Ang Filipino restaurants abroad ba pina patronize din ng mga locals at expats doon? Di ba kadalasan tayo tayo ding mga Pinoy ang tumatangkilik sa mga Pinoy restaurant. Since nagkalat na tayo sa buong mundo, hindi ba natin pwedeng turuan ang ibang nationalities na ma appreciate ang pagkain natin. Di ba masarap pakinggan kung sasabihin ng mga expats, "Let's have Filipino food for lunch." Hindi na lang yung puro Chinese, Japanese, French, Thai, Mexican food ang choice nila. Ewan ko kung ano ang kinalaman nito sa NTF pero sana meron tayong ganung mindset, pang global ang approach hindi iyong puro handicraft na lang.
Ewan ko kung may bagong technology na na imbento in terms of processing and production. Hindi naman kasi nakikita yun sa end product at usually iyon ang trade secret. But since pare pareho yung mga produkto, siguro walang bagong technology na naimbento, except for one. Siguro dapat mas mag focus tayo doon. Ewan ko kung na kopya na yung process nang paggawa ng virgin coconut oil sa ibang bansa pero I'm sure tayo ang naka develop ng process nun. Yung technology ng waterless fish hibernation, atin iyon. Pati din yung coconet technology. Yung mga ganito ang dapat natin i encourage at i develop. Yung mga bag, picture frames, fashion accessories na yan, kayang kayang gayahin yan sa China at bagsak presyo pa. Dapat ang mindset, ano yung di nila kayang gawin, ano yung hindi nila makokopya.
Sana ma transcend natin yung mindset na handicraft. Walang masama sa handicraft. Maraming nabubuhay dito. Ang akin lang naman, sana sige pa. May magagawa at madidiskubre pa tayo maliban sa handicraft.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Most corrupt economy in Asia
Balita pa ba ito?
Sa looban dito sa amin, may nahuling nagsa shabu session. May nakuha ang mga pulis na mga paraphernalia. Isa lang ang nadala sa presinto. Pagdating sa presinto, tawaran portion na. Ang unang hinihingi ng mga pulis P40,000 para hindi sampahan ng kaso. Saan kukunin yon nung pamilya ng nahuli eh hampas lupa lang sila. Hirap na nga sa buhay nagsa shabu pa. Ayun, natauhan siguro ang pulis at alam na di makakapagbigay nang ganung halaga ang pamilya kaya bumaba hanggang P3,000. Pera din yon.
Minsan, yung mga nagbi bingo dito sa may eskenita sa amin nabulabog. Pinagdadampot sila ng mga pulis. Illegal gambling daw. Yung limang nahuli pinagbayad ng P200 para walang kaso. Isang libo din yon, pang good time din sa beerhouse. Yun eh kung nagbabayad nga sila sa beerhouse.
May pulis dito sa amin ang sideline naglalakad ng kung ano mang papeles. Kailangan mo ng lisensya? Sa tamang halaga, sya na ang bahala. Ang ilaw, tubig at cable jina jumper. Ang magsumbong, maaabala para tumestigo sa korte. Kaaway mo pa lahat. Yung nagtatrabaho sa munisipyo, sya na mag aasikaso kung ano man ang kailangan mo, pang kape na lang ang katapat tutal kapit bahay naman.
Iba ang corruption na nagaganap na itaas. Iba din ang uri ng corruption na nangyayari dito sa amin sa ibaba. Sa amin barya barya lang. Sa taas, milyon ang pinag uusapan.
Sabi ni Alex Magno, ang solusyon daw dito, bureaucratic reform. Ano daw? Bureaucratic reform? Baguhin mo man ang sistema ng pamamalakad ng pamahalaan pero hangga't hindi nagbabago ang mindset ng mga taong nasa gobyerno, hahanap at hahanap yan nang butas para makapag sideline. Sila sila din naman ang gagawa ng mga patakaran at guidelines. Matagal nang problema yang corruption na yan. Kahit ano pang batas ang ipasa nila, itaga mo sa bato, walang magbabago. Malalim na ang pagkakabaon sa kultura natin ang ugaling maka isa, makalusot, maka lamang, maka daya, maka parte, at kung anu ano pang maka. Di naman kataka taka kung maging most corrupt tayo sa Asia.
Sa anggulo ng pagkamakabayan, halos wala tayo nito, nada, zero, bokya. Kung may pagmamalasakit man lang tayo sa bayan natin, magdadalawa o magsasampung isip muna tayo bago gumawa nang katiwalian. Kaso yung paggawa ng katiwalian parang automatic na yon. Sa amin na lang, yung mga pipitsuging pulis, suma sideline eh ano pa kaya kaming mga ordinaryong tao lang. Para bang nagkakaroon ng dahilan na gumawa ng kalokohan ang mga tao kasi yung mga awtoridad mismo, gawain nila ito. Pero kung yung mga nasa gobyerno meron man lang kahit katiting na pagmamalasakit sa bayan, magkakaroon sila ng kahit katiting na kahihiyan para gumawa ng kabulastugan. Huwag sasabihin ni Gloria na perception lamang ito. Corruption is a reality, tanggapin nya iyon.
Kaya ang solusyon ko sa corruption, GOOD CITIZENSHIP. Mga Pilipino pa rin ang mga nasa gobyerno. Kung mga good citizens sila, mababawasan at hindi magiging garapalan ang corruption. Kung tayong mga mamamayan namam ay magiging good citizens, hindi na natin tatangkilikin yung mga fixers na yan. Magtitiyaga tayong pumila. Kung mga good citizens tayo, hindi tayo magbibigay at tatanggap ng suhol. Kung mga good citizens tayo, hindi lang yung mga kamag anak natin ang bibigyan ng kontrata sa gobyerno. Kung mga good citizens tayo, hindi tayo magiging most corrupt nation in Asia. Tayo ang number one kasi nananaig sa kultura natin ang bad citizenship. Our country is in a mess because most of our leaders are bad citizens. Karamihan sa kanila hindi magandang example and they themselves help perpetuate the culture of corruption. If majority of our people are good citizens, chances are, we will have leaders who are good citizens. Then we won't be where we are right now. GOOD CITIZENSHIP is the answer.
In his Inquirer column, Jose Ma. Montelibano called this rating from PERC a national shame. From his point of view, it is a national shame. But I doubt if there is a collective feeling of national shame. The people in our neighborhood couldn't care less what this news is all about. The so called intellegentsia, do feel a lot of shame about this report. The people in Malacanang must also be shameful. But on a national scale, there is none. Why? Because we are bad citizens. Bad citizens won't be affected by such reports. For most of us, the report is just "so what?'.
At the end of his column, Mr. Montelibanno said, "This is the moment for Filipinos to realize that it is truly a change in character, from corruption to honesty, from falsehood to sincerity, from compromise to integrity, that is the ONLY way for a nation to cast away its national shame and regain national honor -- and attain progress as well. There is a hint of light in our dark tunnel with more and more Filipinos becoming more and more intolerant of corruption in their lives. Let us seize the moment and begin our journey towards the sun." I agree. So what's next? Is it just a paragraph to end a column or are we going to take concrete steps into that direction? Last December at the anti Cha cha rally, the Church said we need character change. Has the Church taken a concrete step into that direction? We all say we need to change our character. But has anyone, any group really taken this issue seriously?
GOOD CITIZENSHIP is part of the solution but we have to work on it, not just lip service.
Sa looban dito sa amin, may nahuling nagsa shabu session. May nakuha ang mga pulis na mga paraphernalia. Isa lang ang nadala sa presinto. Pagdating sa presinto, tawaran portion na. Ang unang hinihingi ng mga pulis P40,000 para hindi sampahan ng kaso. Saan kukunin yon nung pamilya ng nahuli eh hampas lupa lang sila. Hirap na nga sa buhay nagsa shabu pa. Ayun, natauhan siguro ang pulis at alam na di makakapagbigay nang ganung halaga ang pamilya kaya bumaba hanggang P3,000. Pera din yon.
Minsan, yung mga nagbi bingo dito sa may eskenita sa amin nabulabog. Pinagdadampot sila ng mga pulis. Illegal gambling daw. Yung limang nahuli pinagbayad ng P200 para walang kaso. Isang libo din yon, pang good time din sa beerhouse. Yun eh kung nagbabayad nga sila sa beerhouse.
May pulis dito sa amin ang sideline naglalakad ng kung ano mang papeles. Kailangan mo ng lisensya? Sa tamang halaga, sya na ang bahala. Ang ilaw, tubig at cable jina jumper. Ang magsumbong, maaabala para tumestigo sa korte. Kaaway mo pa lahat. Yung nagtatrabaho sa munisipyo, sya na mag aasikaso kung ano man ang kailangan mo, pang kape na lang ang katapat tutal kapit bahay naman.
Iba ang corruption na nagaganap na itaas. Iba din ang uri ng corruption na nangyayari dito sa amin sa ibaba. Sa amin barya barya lang. Sa taas, milyon ang pinag uusapan.
Sabi ni Alex Magno, ang solusyon daw dito, bureaucratic reform. Ano daw? Bureaucratic reform? Baguhin mo man ang sistema ng pamamalakad ng pamahalaan pero hangga't hindi nagbabago ang mindset ng mga taong nasa gobyerno, hahanap at hahanap yan nang butas para makapag sideline. Sila sila din naman ang gagawa ng mga patakaran at guidelines. Matagal nang problema yang corruption na yan. Kahit ano pang batas ang ipasa nila, itaga mo sa bato, walang magbabago. Malalim na ang pagkakabaon sa kultura natin ang ugaling maka isa, makalusot, maka lamang, maka daya, maka parte, at kung anu ano pang maka. Di naman kataka taka kung maging most corrupt tayo sa Asia.
Sa anggulo ng pagkamakabayan, halos wala tayo nito, nada, zero, bokya. Kung may pagmamalasakit man lang tayo sa bayan natin, magdadalawa o magsasampung isip muna tayo bago gumawa nang katiwalian. Kaso yung paggawa ng katiwalian parang automatic na yon. Sa amin na lang, yung mga pipitsuging pulis, suma sideline eh ano pa kaya kaming mga ordinaryong tao lang. Para bang nagkakaroon ng dahilan na gumawa ng kalokohan ang mga tao kasi yung mga awtoridad mismo, gawain nila ito. Pero kung yung mga nasa gobyerno meron man lang kahit katiting na pagmamalasakit sa bayan, magkakaroon sila ng kahit katiting na kahihiyan para gumawa ng kabulastugan. Huwag sasabihin ni Gloria na perception lamang ito. Corruption is a reality, tanggapin nya iyon.
Kaya ang solusyon ko sa corruption, GOOD CITIZENSHIP. Mga Pilipino pa rin ang mga nasa gobyerno. Kung mga good citizens sila, mababawasan at hindi magiging garapalan ang corruption. Kung tayong mga mamamayan namam ay magiging good citizens, hindi na natin tatangkilikin yung mga fixers na yan. Magtitiyaga tayong pumila. Kung mga good citizens tayo, hindi tayo magbibigay at tatanggap ng suhol. Kung mga good citizens tayo, hindi lang yung mga kamag anak natin ang bibigyan ng kontrata sa gobyerno. Kung mga good citizens tayo, hindi tayo magiging most corrupt nation in Asia. Tayo ang number one kasi nananaig sa kultura natin ang bad citizenship. Our country is in a mess because most of our leaders are bad citizens. Karamihan sa kanila hindi magandang example and they themselves help perpetuate the culture of corruption. If majority of our people are good citizens, chances are, we will have leaders who are good citizens. Then we won't be where we are right now. GOOD CITIZENSHIP is the answer.
In his Inquirer column, Jose Ma. Montelibano called this rating from PERC a national shame. From his point of view, it is a national shame. But I doubt if there is a collective feeling of national shame. The people in our neighborhood couldn't care less what this news is all about. The so called intellegentsia, do feel a lot of shame about this report. The people in Malacanang must also be shameful. But on a national scale, there is none. Why? Because we are bad citizens. Bad citizens won't be affected by such reports. For most of us, the report is just "so what?'.
At the end of his column, Mr. Montelibanno said, "This is the moment for Filipinos to realize that it is truly a change in character, from corruption to honesty, from falsehood to sincerity, from compromise to integrity, that is the ONLY way for a nation to cast away its national shame and regain national honor -- and attain progress as well. There is a hint of light in our dark tunnel with more and more Filipinos becoming more and more intolerant of corruption in their lives. Let us seize the moment and begin our journey towards the sun." I agree. So what's next? Is it just a paragraph to end a column or are we going to take concrete steps into that direction? Last December at the anti Cha cha rally, the Church said we need character change. Has the Church taken a concrete step into that direction? We all say we need to change our character. But has anyone, any group really taken this issue seriously?
GOOD CITIZENSHIP is part of the solution but we have to work on it, not just lip service.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
M.O.N.A.Y.
State of the "neysion" is de Quiros' Inquirer column today. I will not react with what he wrote. I will just post a personal email I wrote to Leo Martinez last March 6, 2007 regarding this movie M.O.N.A.Y. Up to this day, I am still awaiting for his response. No word from him even if just "I got your email" note.
The following is my email to him.
Dear Mr. Martinez:
A few days ago, I had the chance to view the trailer of the movie M.O.N.A.Y. which will be shown in theaters this month. I also heard a plug on the radio on this movie where you said "ang problema tayo mismo" or something to that effect. I agree with you. The problem is us.
Although many of us do recognize that a major cause of our woes is us, there isn't really a serious campaign to address this. The movie M.O.N.A.Y. is an obvious attempt to show what is wrong with us as a people. Unfortunately, I doubt if people will take the message seriously. It is the "comedy" aspect that they will see.
GOOD CITIZENSHIP is my personal advocacy. I believe this is part of the solution. Unfortunately, I simply can't find people who may be willing to work on this cause. Everybody seems too busy with their own advocacies. I am writing simply to make a connection. I feel that GOOD CITIZENSHIP is also your cause. I am just an ordinary Filipino who wants to do his share in nation building. I am just taking my chance that maybe we could build up a strategic campaign on a regular, nationwide and sustained basis to change the collective consciousness and mindset of Filipinos. What I envision is a large scale campaign but we can always start with something small and build it up from there.
Just taking my chance.
Iniibig ko ang Pilipinas,
Pinoy
There is also an email I sent to Mr. Harvey Keh in reaction to his open letter about leaving the Philippines. To date, no response. Nada. I really wonder what's wrong with the GOOD CITIZENSHIP advocacy. But this is where my heart is. I am most willing to discuss this advocacy but no one seems to care. It's a lonely road.
The following is my email to him.
Dear Mr. Martinez:
A few days ago, I had the chance to view the trailer of the movie M.O.N.A.Y. which will be shown in theaters this month. I also heard a plug on the radio on this movie where you said "ang problema tayo mismo" or something to that effect. I agree with you. The problem is us.
Although many of us do recognize that a major cause of our woes is us, there isn't really a serious campaign to address this. The movie M.O.N.A.Y. is an obvious attempt to show what is wrong with us as a people. Unfortunately, I doubt if people will take the message seriously. It is the "comedy" aspect that they will see.
GOOD CITIZENSHIP is my personal advocacy. I believe this is part of the solution. Unfortunately, I simply can't find people who may be willing to work on this cause. Everybody seems too busy with their own advocacies. I am writing simply to make a connection. I feel that GOOD CITIZENSHIP is also your cause. I am just an ordinary Filipino who wants to do his share in nation building. I am just taking my chance that maybe we could build up a strategic campaign on a regular, nationwide and sustained basis to change the collective consciousness and mindset of Filipinos. What I envision is a large scale campaign but we can always start with something small and build it up from there.
Just taking my chance.
Iniibig ko ang Pilipinas,
Pinoy
There is also an email I sent to Mr. Harvey Keh in reaction to his open letter about leaving the Philippines. To date, no response. Nada. I really wonder what's wrong with the GOOD CITIZENSHIP advocacy. But this is where my heart is. I am most willing to discuss this advocacy but no one seems to care. It's a lonely road.
Another open letter
A few days ago, I made a post about this "open letter" phenomenon. Well, here is another one.
Cyber Istambay is obviously writing from his point of view. Well, most of the time, we always see things from our perspective. He rants about the kind of people we elect, He blames the "the system that brings us these shady characters". The he makes an appeal to see beyond characters and personality and to collectively respond for meaningful change.
Tell this to the magtataho and he'll give you a blank stare. The mangangalahig may not even know what an intellegentsia is. And Cyber Istambay wonders why we have become such a basket case in Asia? Don't look far. Part of the problem is us, the so called intellengentsia. We always see things from our perspective, from our point of view. Have we tried to see or explain why we can't get our act together in choosing the right leaders? Simply because the intellengentsia won't go down to the level of the mangangalahig. The intellegnetsia never tried to see things from the perspective of the mangangalahig. Tayong mga nag i internet, matatalino tayo. Laging may opinyon. Pero paki ba ng mas nakakaraming Pilipino na hindi alam kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng online.
It is good that Cyber Istambay made mention of the Pinoy DNA. That is what the intellegentsia and the mangangalahig have in common, the Pinoy DNA. I will call it our collective psyche. Walang mayaman at mahirap dito. Walang grade one lang ang natapos vs. may PhD. Kapag Pinoy ka, pare pareho ang Pinoy DNA natin. Iisa lang ang ating collective psyche. The solution must be viewed from this perspective. Walang matalino, walang bobo. Lahat pare pareho. Kaya ng ang advocacy ko GOOD CITIZENSHIP. Lahat tayo dito pare pareho. Yung kandidato, bad citizen sya kasi bumibili ng boto. Yung botante bad citizen sya kasi nagbebenta ng boto. Sa isyu ng citizenship, walang mahirap o mayaman. Yung collective psyche natin ang tina target. Minu mutate natin yung Pinoy DNA para manaig ang GOOD CITIZENSHIP. Once we've become good citizens, or at least a majority, then we can develop, evolve, formulate a system that will best lead us to our Dream Philippines. Baguhin man natin ang sistema o konstitusyon pero kung hindi naman tayo magbabago bilang mga PILIPINO, walang totoong pagbabagong magaganap.
Cyber Istambay is obviously writing from his point of view. Well, most of the time, we always see things from our perspective. He rants about the kind of people we elect, He blames the "the system that brings us these shady characters". The he makes an appeal to see beyond characters and personality and to collectively respond for meaningful change.
Tell this to the magtataho and he'll give you a blank stare. The mangangalahig may not even know what an intellegentsia is. And Cyber Istambay wonders why we have become such a basket case in Asia? Don't look far. Part of the problem is us, the so called intellengentsia. We always see things from our perspective, from our point of view. Have we tried to see or explain why we can't get our act together in choosing the right leaders? Simply because the intellengentsia won't go down to the level of the mangangalahig. The intellegnetsia never tried to see things from the perspective of the mangangalahig. Tayong mga nag i internet, matatalino tayo. Laging may opinyon. Pero paki ba ng mas nakakaraming Pilipino na hindi alam kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng online.
It is good that Cyber Istambay made mention of the Pinoy DNA. That is what the intellegentsia and the mangangalahig have in common, the Pinoy DNA. I will call it our collective psyche. Walang mayaman at mahirap dito. Walang grade one lang ang natapos vs. may PhD. Kapag Pinoy ka, pare pareho ang Pinoy DNA natin. Iisa lang ang ating collective psyche. The solution must be viewed from this perspective. Walang matalino, walang bobo. Lahat pare pareho. Kaya ng ang advocacy ko GOOD CITIZENSHIP. Lahat tayo dito pare pareho. Yung kandidato, bad citizen sya kasi bumibili ng boto. Yung botante bad citizen sya kasi nagbebenta ng boto. Sa isyu ng citizenship, walang mahirap o mayaman. Yung collective psyche natin ang tina target. Minu mutate natin yung Pinoy DNA para manaig ang GOOD CITIZENSHIP. Once we've become good citizens, or at least a majority, then we can develop, evolve, formulate a system that will best lead us to our Dream Philippines. Baguhin man natin ang sistema o konstitusyon pero kung hindi naman tayo magbabago bilang mga PILIPINO, walang totoong pagbabagong magaganap.
Maagang suhulan and the NBI incident
Dito sa amin sa looban, kapag tinatamad magluto, ang takbuhan, sa kanto para bumili ng lutong ulam. Kahapon habang napi piano ako ng mga kaldero, yung isa isa mong tinataas yung takip para malaman kung anong putahe ang laman, nagkakabiruan ang mga tao.
Sabi ng taga takal ng ulam sa karinderya, "alam ko kanino galing yang pera mo. Ah, iyan alam ko rin kung kanino galing iyan." Nagtaka ako kung ano yun pinagsasabi nya. Mga malulutong na P50 ang ibinabayad sa karinderya. Yun pala, may mga pulitikong namimigay ng pera at sa gabi ito nagaganap. Sa loob loob ko, sana matalo yung namudmod ng pera para madala. Kapag nanalo ang pulitikong ito, tiyak mahigit sampung beses pa siguro ang balik ng pinuhunan niya sa panunuhol at pangangampanya. Siyempre yung mga taong nabiyayaan syempre natuwa pero sana pag isipan nila ng husto kung sino ang iboboto nila.
Ganito ang realidad sa looban. Mag sasanto santohan ba ako at sasabihin sa mga tao na huwag tanggapin ang pera? Baka ang isagotlang nila sa akin, "Sino ka? Mapapakain mo ba ang mga anak namin?" Kaya ayun, mere spectator lang ako sa garapalang pamumudmod ng pera ng mga pulitiko. Kung mag isa lang akong magsasalita sa lugar namin di iyon uubra. Ang pangungonsensya, di pwedeng pa isa isa. Collective dapat ang approach. Ganun ang target ko sa GOOD CITIZENSHIP na kampanya. A strategy that will collectively influence the Filipno psyche.
Which reminds me. Almost a year ago, I tried to take a photo of the tattered flags displayed at the NBI headquaters head office along Taft Ave. I was accosted by NBI agents and was brought inside the compound for interrogation. Their first question, after verifying my identity, was why I was doing what I was doing. I just told them that it just doesn't feel right everytime I pass by their building, I see our tattered flags still on display. Their follow up question was, "Sino ka? Anong klaseng makabayan ka?" Or something to that effect. For almost two hours, I was passed around various offices before they finally let me go after being convinced that I am not a terrorist or an enemy of the state. That I was merely trying to expose a practice of bad citizenship, displaying tattered flags.
The whole incident simply validated my view of what we are as a people. Na bad citizenship ang nangingibabaw sa atin. Wala tayong paki kahit araw araw nating nakikita yung madumi at punit punit na watawat natin. Hindi natin pinpahalagahan ang ating sagisag tapos magtataka pa tayo kung bakit ganito ang bansa natin. We need to raise our morale as a people. Kaso ang ginagawa natin hilaan tayo ng hilaan pababa. Na tayo ang tama at yung kabila ang mali. We never tried to find a common ground. GOOD CITIZENSHIP is our common ground. But it seems there is no one out there who wants to take this issue seriously.
Sinubukan kong "magpakabayani" sa NBI pero hindi sila makapaniwala na ginawa ko lamang yung ginawa ko dahil sa pagmamahal ko sa bayan ko. Hindi na ako nagpakabayani habang pinag uusapan ang pamumudmod ng pera ng mga pulitiko. Pag nagsalita ako, tiyak pagtatawwnan lang ako. May ibang paraan pa.
Sabi ng taga takal ng ulam sa karinderya, "alam ko kanino galing yang pera mo. Ah, iyan alam ko rin kung kanino galing iyan." Nagtaka ako kung ano yun pinagsasabi nya. Mga malulutong na P50 ang ibinabayad sa karinderya. Yun pala, may mga pulitikong namimigay ng pera at sa gabi ito nagaganap. Sa loob loob ko, sana matalo yung namudmod ng pera para madala. Kapag nanalo ang pulitikong ito, tiyak mahigit sampung beses pa siguro ang balik ng pinuhunan niya sa panunuhol at pangangampanya. Siyempre yung mga taong nabiyayaan syempre natuwa pero sana pag isipan nila ng husto kung sino ang iboboto nila.
Ganito ang realidad sa looban. Mag sasanto santohan ba ako at sasabihin sa mga tao na huwag tanggapin ang pera? Baka ang isagotlang nila sa akin, "Sino ka? Mapapakain mo ba ang mga anak namin?" Kaya ayun, mere spectator lang ako sa garapalang pamumudmod ng pera ng mga pulitiko. Kung mag isa lang akong magsasalita sa lugar namin di iyon uubra. Ang pangungonsensya, di pwedeng pa isa isa. Collective dapat ang approach. Ganun ang target ko sa GOOD CITIZENSHIP na kampanya. A strategy that will collectively influence the Filipno psyche.
Which reminds me. Almost a year ago, I tried to take a photo of the tattered flags displayed at the NBI headquaters head office along Taft Ave. I was accosted by NBI agents and was brought inside the compound for interrogation. Their first question, after verifying my identity, was why I was doing what I was doing. I just told them that it just doesn't feel right everytime I pass by their building, I see our tattered flags still on display. Their follow up question was, "Sino ka? Anong klaseng makabayan ka?" Or something to that effect. For almost two hours, I was passed around various offices before they finally let me go after being convinced that I am not a terrorist or an enemy of the state. That I was merely trying to expose a practice of bad citizenship, displaying tattered flags.
The whole incident simply validated my view of what we are as a people. Na bad citizenship ang nangingibabaw sa atin. Wala tayong paki kahit araw araw nating nakikita yung madumi at punit punit na watawat natin. Hindi natin pinpahalagahan ang ating sagisag tapos magtataka pa tayo kung bakit ganito ang bansa natin. We need to raise our morale as a people. Kaso ang ginagawa natin hilaan tayo ng hilaan pababa. Na tayo ang tama at yung kabila ang mali. We never tried to find a common ground. GOOD CITIZENSHIP is our common ground. But it seems there is no one out there who wants to take this issue seriously.
Sinubukan kong "magpakabayani" sa NBI pero hindi sila makapaniwala na ginawa ko lamang yung ginawa ko dahil sa pagmamahal ko sa bayan ko. Hindi na ako nagpakabayani habang pinag uusapan ang pamumudmod ng pera ng mga pulitiko. Pag nagsalita ako, tiyak pagtatawwnan lang ako. May ibang paraan pa.
Monday, March 12, 2007
The pledge card
Ano kaya kung bawat isa sa atin ay may pledge card. Ang pledge card na ito ay lagi nating dala at araw araw binabasa upang maisa puso ang mga nilalaman. Ka size nito yung atm para kasyang kasya sa wallet. Sa isang side ng pledge card, nakasulat ang
Panatang Makabayan
Iniibig ko ang Pilipinas
Ito ang aking lupang sinilangan
Ito ang tahanan ng aking lahi
Ako’s kanyang kinukupkop at tinutulungan
Upang maging malakas, maligaya at kapakipakinabang
Bilang ganti, diringgin ko ang payo ng aking mga magulang
Susundin ko ang tuntunin ng aking paaralan
Tutuparin ko ang mga tungkulin ng isang mamamayang
Makabayan at masunurin sa batas
Paglilingkuran ko ang aking bayan ng walang pag iimbot
At buong katapatan
Sisikapin kong maging isang tunay na Pilipino
Sa isip, sa salita at sa gawa.
Sa kabilang side naman ay ang Sumpa Ko...
Parang ganito ang nilalaman ng Sumpa Ko side,
Sumpa ko,
1) Igagalang ko ang watawat at aawiting ng buong puso ang Pambansang Awit.
2) Tatangkilikin ko ang gawang Pilipino at ipo promote ko pa ito sa ibang bansa.
3) Ako ay matitipid at mag iimpok.
4) Lagi kong paghuhusayin ano man ang gawain.
5) Hindi ako mandaraya, manlalamang o mang iiisa.
6) Sa lahat ng usapan, ako ay darating sa takdang oras.
7) Hindi ako magkakalat o magtatapon ng basura kung saan saan lang.
8) Lagi akong pipila at hindi makikipag unahan.
9) Ang mga turista ay aking igagalang at hindi pagsasamantalahan.
10) Tutulong ako sa mga nangangailangan sa abot ng aking makakaya.
11) Hindi pwede ang pwede na. Kailangan da best.
12) Hindi ko iboboto ang mga trapo na pansariling kapakanan lang ang pinapahalagahan.
13) Hindi ako mangsusuhol at hindi magpapasuhol.
14) Hindi kailanman ikahihiya ang pagka Pilipino ko.
15) Igagalang ko ang opinyon ng ibang tao.
Pwede pang baguhin, bawasan o dagdagan.
Tapos i sponsor na lang ng mga malalaking kumpanya ang pag imprenta nito kung saan pwede nila ilagay ang pangalan at logo ng kumpanya nila. Siguro kahit papaano magkakaroon ito ng collective effect sa ating mga Pilipino na magkaroon tayo ng character change. Mas maganda pa siguro kung may versions ito ng iba't ibang major languages sa atin. Hahanapan ko ng paraan upang magkaroon ito ng katuparan.
Panatang Makabayan
Iniibig ko ang Pilipinas
Ito ang aking lupang sinilangan
Ito ang tahanan ng aking lahi
Ako’s kanyang kinukupkop at tinutulungan
Upang maging malakas, maligaya at kapakipakinabang
Bilang ganti, diringgin ko ang payo ng aking mga magulang
Susundin ko ang tuntunin ng aking paaralan
Tutuparin ko ang mga tungkulin ng isang mamamayang
Makabayan at masunurin sa batas
Paglilingkuran ko ang aking bayan ng walang pag iimbot
At buong katapatan
Sisikapin kong maging isang tunay na Pilipino
Sa isip, sa salita at sa gawa.
Sa kabilang side naman ay ang Sumpa Ko...
Parang ganito ang nilalaman ng Sumpa Ko side,
Sumpa ko,
1) Igagalang ko ang watawat at aawiting ng buong puso ang Pambansang Awit.
2) Tatangkilikin ko ang gawang Pilipino at ipo promote ko pa ito sa ibang bansa.
3) Ako ay matitipid at mag iimpok.
4) Lagi kong paghuhusayin ano man ang gawain.
5) Hindi ako mandaraya, manlalamang o mang iiisa.
6) Sa lahat ng usapan, ako ay darating sa takdang oras.
7) Hindi ako magkakalat o magtatapon ng basura kung saan saan lang.
8) Lagi akong pipila at hindi makikipag unahan.
9) Ang mga turista ay aking igagalang at hindi pagsasamantalahan.
10) Tutulong ako sa mga nangangailangan sa abot ng aking makakaya.
11) Hindi pwede ang pwede na. Kailangan da best.
12) Hindi ko iboboto ang mga trapo na pansariling kapakanan lang ang pinapahalagahan.
13) Hindi ako mangsusuhol at hindi magpapasuhol.
14) Hindi kailanman ikahihiya ang pagka Pilipino ko.
15) Igagalang ko ang opinyon ng ibang tao.
Pwede pang baguhin, bawasan o dagdagan.
Tapos i sponsor na lang ng mga malalaking kumpanya ang pag imprenta nito kung saan pwede nila ilagay ang pangalan at logo ng kumpanya nila. Siguro kahit papaano magkakaroon ito ng collective effect sa ating mga Pilipino na magkaroon tayo ng character change. Mas maganda pa siguro kung may versions ito ng iba't ibang major languages sa atin. Hahanapan ko ng paraan upang magkaroon ito ng katuparan.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
The Power of TV
Surfing led me to this blog of Howie Severino. On his post is the Inquirer column of Randy David.. Sabi ni Howie, kahit na halos madaling araw na pinapalabas ang I-witness sa tv, mapapanood naman ito sa ibang medium tulad ng sa sinehan, CD, DVD at youtube. Sabi nya, versatile ang medium ng I-witness. Pero kahit papaano, ni recognize nya na powerful medium pa rin ang tv na sinabi naman ni Randy David sa column nya.
Ayon sa column ni Randy, television "can produce change in values". Sa totoo lang, ang predominant values natin ngayon, hindi nahubog ng simbahan o eskuwelahan. Nahubog ito ng media, mapa radyo, tv o dyaryo. Ang problema ang mga namumuhunan ang may desisyon kung ano ang ipalalabas nila. Kung saan sila kikita doon sila. Yung mga public service programs, pa image lang yon. I don't think sincere ang mga yon. Profit pa rin ang labanan.
Noong bata pa ako, ang lagi kong napapanood na balita yung NEWSWATCH ni Harry Gasser. Straight forward yung balita. Pero ngayon, yung away ni ganitong artista kay ganyan nasa primetime na. Talagang nakakabobo di ba? Pero yun kasi ang gusto ng tao, yun ang magre rate, kaya iyon ang pinapalabas nila. Iyon ba ang serbisoyong totoo? Serbisyo sa kabobohan yon.` Ito kalakaran ng mediang ito ang kailangan nating labanan. Pero hindi sila dapat kalabanin. Dapat silang gamitin. Kailangang mabaligtad ang sitwasyon. Kailangang magamit ang media upang mapalaganap ang tamang kamalayan. Gamitin ang media upang mapalaganap ang pagka makabayan nating mga Pilipino. Gamitin ang media upang mapalaganan ang GOOD CITIZENSHIP. This will cost, a lot.
With the right foundation and ground work, we can make this work. With the right packaging, the public will "buy" the GOOD CITIZENSHIP product. Almost every Filipino has some degree of frustration in their being a Filipino. We need to capitalize on that frustration by making them feel good being Filipinos and at the same time telling them what is wrong with their habits, manners and mindset. If senatorial candidates can conduct a nationwide campaign to capture the imagination of the voting public, why can't we do it on a GOOD CITIZENSHIP campaign?
Because we don't have the money, individually that is. Are there people out there willing to throw away their own hard earned money for this campaign? I doubt it. so how can I move this campaign forward? I will find a way.
Ayon sa column ni Randy, television "can produce change in values". Sa totoo lang, ang predominant values natin ngayon, hindi nahubog ng simbahan o eskuwelahan. Nahubog ito ng media, mapa radyo, tv o dyaryo. Ang problema ang mga namumuhunan ang may desisyon kung ano ang ipalalabas nila. Kung saan sila kikita doon sila. Yung mga public service programs, pa image lang yon. I don't think sincere ang mga yon. Profit pa rin ang labanan.
Noong bata pa ako, ang lagi kong napapanood na balita yung NEWSWATCH ni Harry Gasser. Straight forward yung balita. Pero ngayon, yung away ni ganitong artista kay ganyan nasa primetime na. Talagang nakakabobo di ba? Pero yun kasi ang gusto ng tao, yun ang magre rate, kaya iyon ang pinapalabas nila. Iyon ba ang serbisoyong totoo? Serbisyo sa kabobohan yon.` Ito kalakaran ng mediang ito ang kailangan nating labanan. Pero hindi sila dapat kalabanin. Dapat silang gamitin. Kailangang mabaligtad ang sitwasyon. Kailangang magamit ang media upang mapalaganap ang tamang kamalayan. Gamitin ang media upang mapalaganap ang pagka makabayan nating mga Pilipino. Gamitin ang media upang mapalaganan ang GOOD CITIZENSHIP. This will cost, a lot.
With the right foundation and ground work, we can make this work. With the right packaging, the public will "buy" the GOOD CITIZENSHIP product. Almost every Filipino has some degree of frustration in their being a Filipino. We need to capitalize on that frustration by making them feel good being Filipinos and at the same time telling them what is wrong with their habits, manners and mindset. If senatorial candidates can conduct a nationwide campaign to capture the imagination of the voting public, why can't we do it on a GOOD CITIZENSHIP campaign?
Because we don't have the money, individually that is. Are there people out there willing to throw away their own hard earned money for this campaign? I doubt it. so how can I move this campaign forward? I will find a way.
The story of this blog
I created this blog to start all over again.
I have two blogs before but decided to delete them. First I don't post in them regularly anyway. Second, the language I will use here will be less formal. Masyado kasi akong nako conscious sa style at grammar doon sa mga nauna. Dito, whatever comes in my mind, isusulat ko. I'll try to be more casual. More importantly, gustong maging sentro ng blog ko ang "Iniibig ko ang Pilipinas!".
May long term objective ang blog na ito. This will mostly be about GOOD CITIZENSHIP. This is where my personal crusade will all start. Parang hindi ko talaga ma push yung advocacy ko na GOOD CITIZENSHIP sa ibang tao. Marami na akong na email at sinabihan pero ala lang. Pagsinabi mo sa kanila ang isyung ito, para bang "ah okay" lang ang reaction nila. It seems nobody will take this issue seriously.
It is actually from Manolo's blog where I was inspired to start all over again. In fact, it is from his blog where I lifted the very first post on this blog. I didn't give credit since I could have lifted it from anywhere. Anyway, after reading the Panatang Makabayan, it's bingo! Iyong ang hinahanap ko. I have been trying very hard looking for a GOOD CITIZENSHIP product. The Panatang Makabayan is an excellent product. This is the product the I will sell and branch it out from there.
So I am making the Panatang Makabayan a personal advocacy na maisaisip, maisapuso at misadiwa nating mga Pilipino. Papaano? Hinay hinay lang. Hindi ito makukuha sa biglaan.
Nasulat ko itong post na ito dahil ng mapasyalan ko ang blog ni Ellen, napansin ko na yong post nya may mahigit 300 na comments. Wow! Daming comments nun ah. Randomly, nagbasa basa ako ng mga comments. Ayun, ganun pa rin. Walang katapusang patalinuhan. Marami ang nagsasabi, ganito at ganyan ang mali sa ating mga Pilipino. Eh tapos? Sapat na bang masabi mo yon. Hanggang doon na lang ba ang kaya nila? Hindi ba sila gagawa ng hakabng para mabago yung mga pangit na ugali na sinasabi nila? Ayun, puro lang dakdak. Di na sila nagsawa. Ako, sawang sawa na. Nakasuka na nga yung mga walang katapusang pagtatalo dito sa internet. Gumawa na lang tayo ng hakbang. Ang problema pa, may kanya kanya tayong hakbang o advocacy ika nga. Pati ako mag sariling advocacy, GOOD CITIZENSHIP. Pero di na ako makikisawsaw sa patalinuhan nila. Gagawa na lang ako kahit mag solo flight pa.
I have two blogs before but decided to delete them. First I don't post in them regularly anyway. Second, the language I will use here will be less formal. Masyado kasi akong nako conscious sa style at grammar doon sa mga nauna. Dito, whatever comes in my mind, isusulat ko. I'll try to be more casual. More importantly, gustong maging sentro ng blog ko ang "Iniibig ko ang Pilipinas!".
May long term objective ang blog na ito. This will mostly be about GOOD CITIZENSHIP. This is where my personal crusade will all start. Parang hindi ko talaga ma push yung advocacy ko na GOOD CITIZENSHIP sa ibang tao. Marami na akong na email at sinabihan pero ala lang. Pagsinabi mo sa kanila ang isyung ito, para bang "ah okay" lang ang reaction nila. It seems nobody will take this issue seriously.
It is actually from Manolo's blog where I was inspired to start all over again. In fact, it is from his blog where I lifted the very first post on this blog. I didn't give credit since I could have lifted it from anywhere. Anyway, after reading the Panatang Makabayan, it's bingo! Iyong ang hinahanap ko. I have been trying very hard looking for a GOOD CITIZENSHIP product. The Panatang Makabayan is an excellent product. This is the product the I will sell and branch it out from there.
So I am making the Panatang Makabayan a personal advocacy na maisaisip, maisapuso at misadiwa nating mga Pilipino. Papaano? Hinay hinay lang. Hindi ito makukuha sa biglaan.
Nasulat ko itong post na ito dahil ng mapasyalan ko ang blog ni Ellen, napansin ko na yong post nya may mahigit 300 na comments. Wow! Daming comments nun ah. Randomly, nagbasa basa ako ng mga comments. Ayun, ganun pa rin. Walang katapusang patalinuhan. Marami ang nagsasabi, ganito at ganyan ang mali sa ating mga Pilipino. Eh tapos? Sapat na bang masabi mo yon. Hanggang doon na lang ba ang kaya nila? Hindi ba sila gagawa ng hakabng para mabago yung mga pangit na ugali na sinasabi nila? Ayun, puro lang dakdak. Di na sila nagsawa. Ako, sawang sawa na. Nakasuka na nga yung mga walang katapusang pagtatalo dito sa internet. Gumawa na lang tayo ng hakbang. Ang problema pa, may kanya kanya tayong hakbang o advocacy ika nga. Pati ako mag sariling advocacy, GOOD CITIZENSHIP. Pero di na ako makikisawsaw sa patalinuhan nila. Gagawa na lang ako kahit mag solo flight pa.
Ang Kapatiran
When I first heard of ANG KAPATIRAN, my first reaction was "how come I never heard of this political party". That was just less than a year ago. But now, they are in full swing in their campaign, getting a lot of media mileage. That is good. The party offers the public an alternative.
However, I doubt very much the chance of even gaining just one senate seat. Our voters are not yet ready for this kind of politics. For them, the color of politics is still black and white. Either you are pro or anti whatever. Wala pa sa panlasang Pinoy ang klase ng pulitika ng Ang Kapatiran. But the campaign of Ang Kapatiran is a good start to make the people taste a different kind of politics. The greater challenge is how to capitalize on the "goodwill" being generated by the Ang Kapatiran campaign. After the election, there must be a sustained campaign promoting the kind of politics being espoused by Ang Kapatiran. The party must make their presence felt even when everything gets back to normal. Otherwise, all the efforts to present a different kind of politics will just go to waste and we go back to square one. Ang Kapatiran is getting the attention of the people. The greater challenge is to capture the collective imagination of the people and not just as something kakaiba as how they are being presented by media. How they differ is not really being explained by media.
My other issue with Ang Kapatiran is that masyadong middle class ang dating nila. I can't see a grassroot connection. It's like they just popped out from nowhere when in fact they have been around for years. I doubt if they have a nationwide network. Parang dito lang sa Metro Manila ang presence nila.
I do not doubt the sincerity of the people behind Ang Kapatiran and that they have no personal agenda. That they do what they do for love of country. But if they cannot make a connection with the masses, all their efforts will be in vain. As I kept saying, we, the so called intellegentsia, must see things not just from our perspective. We must know and understand the point of view of the mangangalahig, the magtataho. Otherwise, the mangangalahig, the magtataho will not listen to what we have to say. This is the reason why the Left has endured. The Left tries to see things from the perspective of the masses. From this perspective, the Left fit it their own agenda. We can do the same with the agenda being our Dream Philippines.
However, I doubt very much the chance of even gaining just one senate seat. Our voters are not yet ready for this kind of politics. For them, the color of politics is still black and white. Either you are pro or anti whatever. Wala pa sa panlasang Pinoy ang klase ng pulitika ng Ang Kapatiran. But the campaign of Ang Kapatiran is a good start to make the people taste a different kind of politics. The greater challenge is how to capitalize on the "goodwill" being generated by the Ang Kapatiran campaign. After the election, there must be a sustained campaign promoting the kind of politics being espoused by Ang Kapatiran. The party must make their presence felt even when everything gets back to normal. Otherwise, all the efforts to present a different kind of politics will just go to waste and we go back to square one. Ang Kapatiran is getting the attention of the people. The greater challenge is to capture the collective imagination of the people and not just as something kakaiba as how they are being presented by media. How they differ is not really being explained by media.
My other issue with Ang Kapatiran is that masyadong middle class ang dating nila. I can't see a grassroot connection. It's like they just popped out from nowhere when in fact they have been around for years. I doubt if they have a nationwide network. Parang dito lang sa Metro Manila ang presence nila.
I do not doubt the sincerity of the people behind Ang Kapatiran and that they have no personal agenda. That they do what they do for love of country. But if they cannot make a connection with the masses, all their efforts will be in vain. As I kept saying, we, the so called intellegentsia, must see things not just from our perspective. We must know and understand the point of view of the mangangalahig, the magtataho. Otherwise, the mangangalahig, the magtataho will not listen to what we have to say. This is the reason why the Left has endured. The Left tries to see things from the perspective of the masses. From this perspective, the Left fit it their own agenda. We can do the same with the agenda being our Dream Philippines.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
The "open letter" phenomenon
A year ago, Bong Austero wrote the following "open letter" which somehow brought him inatant fame.
Open Letter To Our Leaders
Dear Tita Cory, Senators, Congressmen, Businessmen, Media people, Leftists, and all Bleeding Hearts Out There:
I am angry. And I know that there are many out there who are angrier than I am for the same reason. And that reason is simple. I am sick and tired of all you guys claiming to speak for me and many Filipinos. I feel like screaming every time you mouth words about fighting for my freedom and my rights, when you obviously are just thinking about yours. You tell me that the essence of democracy is providing every citizen the right to speak his or her mind and make his or her own informed judgments, but you yourselves do not respect my silence and the choices I and many others have made. In other words, your concept of democracy is limited to having your rights and your freedoms respected, at the expense of ours.
I am utterly flabbergasted that you still do not get it: we already responded to your calls, and our response has been very clear - we chose not to heed your calls to go to EDSA or to Fort Bonifacio not because we do not love our country or our freedoms or our rights, but precisely because we love our country even more. Because quite frankly, we are prepared to lose our freedoms and our rights just to move this country forward. You may think that is not correct, you can tell me all the dire warnings about the evils of authoritarian rule, but quite frankly all we see is your pathetic efforts to prop up your cause. You tell me that you are simply protecting my freedoms and my rights, but who told you to do that? I assure you that when I feel that my rights and my freedoms are at a peril, I will stand up and fight for them myself.
You tell us that GMA is not the right person to lead this country because she has done immoral acts. As someone who sees immorality being committed wantonly in many ways every day and by everyone (yes, including the ones you do), I may have become jaded. But you have not been able to offer me any viable alternative, while GMA has bent over backwards many times to accommodate you while continuing to work hard despite all the obstacles and the brickbats you have thrown her way. From where I sit, she is the one who has been working really hard to move this country forward while all of you have been so busy with one and only one thing: to make sure she does not succeed. So forgive me if I do not want to join you in your moral pissing contest. Forgive me if I have chosen to see things from another perspective. You say she is the problem. I say, we are the problem, more to the point, I think you are a bigger problem than she is. Taking her out may solve part of the problem, but that leaves us with a bigger problem: you. That is right, YOU!
While I felt outraged that she called a Comelec official during the elections and that she may have rigged the elections, I have since then taken the higher moral ground and forgiven her. Yes my dear bishops, I have done what you have told me to do since I was a child, which you say is the Christian and moral thing to do: forgive. Especially since she has asked for forgiveness and has tried to make amends for it. Erap certainly has not apologized and continues to be defiant, continuing to insult us everyday with his protestations. Cory has not apologized for her incompetence but we have forgiven her just the same because like GMA, she has worked hard after all.
I know you do not think that GMA's apology was not enough, or that she was insincere, or that that apology should not be the end of it, but please spare me the hypocrisy of telling me that you do so for the sake of protecting the moral fibre of society. The real reason is because you smell blood and wants to go for the kill.
Well, I have news for you. I do not like her too. I did not even vote for her. I voted for Raul Roco. But as much as I do not like her, I do not like you even more. I may not trust her, but guess what, I do not trust you even more.
You know why? Because all you do is whine and sabotage this country. You belittle every little progress we make, conveniently forgetting that it is not just GMA who has been working so hard to achieve them. Every single day, we keep the faith burning in our hearts that this country will finally pull itself out of the mess and we work so hard to do that. Every little progress is the result of our collective effort, we who toil hard everyday in our jobs. Yet, you persist in one and only thing: making GMA look bad in the eyes of the world and making sure that this country continues to suffer to prove your sorry point. In the process, you continue to destroy what we painstakinly try to built. So please do not be surprised that I do not share your cause. Do not be surprised that we have become contemptuous of your antics. You have moved heaven and earth to destroy her credibility, you have convened all kinds of fora and hearings and all you have done is test our patience to the core. For all your effort, you have only succeeded in dragging us further down. I say enough.
Don't get me wrong. I am not asking that we take immorality lying down, or that we let the President get away with anything illegal. But you have tried to prove your accusations all these time and you have not succeeded, so it is time to let things be. Besides, you are doing something immoral as well if not utterly unforgivable. The Magdalo soldiers are consorting with the communists - the same people who have been trying to kill democracy for years. Cory has been consorting with Erap and the Marcoses.
So please wake up and take a reality check. In the absence of true and genuine moral leadership, many of us have decided to cast our lot with the President, even if we do not like her. A flawed leader is better than scheming power hungry fools who can not even stand up for their convictions in the face of an impending arrest.
Your coup attempts and the denials that you have consequently made only underscore what we think is true: you are spineless and unreliable people whose only defense is to cry suppression when your ruse do not work. You are like bullies who taunt and provoke, but cry oppression when taken to task for your cruelty.
I would have respected you if you took the consequences of your actions like real heroes: calmly and responsibly instead of kicking and screaming and making lame excuses. You say you are willing to die for us, that you do all these things for the country and the Filipino, but you are not even willing to go to jail for us.
Come on, you really think we believe that you did not want to bring down the government when that is the one and only thing you have been trying to do in the last many months?
We love this country and we want peace and progress. Many among us do not give a f*&k who sits at Malacanang because we will work hard and do our share to make things work. If you only do your jobs, the ones that we elected you to do, things would be a lot simpler and easier for every one.
The events during the weekend only proved one thing. You are more dangerous and a serious threat to this country than GMA is. We have seen what you are capable of doing - you are ready to burn this country and reduce everything to ashes just to prove your point. If there is something that we need protection from, it is protection from you.
A few weeks ago, Harvey Keh of Pathways Philippines wrote the following open letter which was passed around in the cyberworld and even picked up by the Inquirer and elicited commnent from Chavit Singson.
Dear Fellow Filipino,
Good day to all of you! Before I begin my letter... just a disclaimer, for people who know me they know that I love the Philippines very much and I am not really one who rants and complaints to high heavens about what is happening to our country and does nothing about it, in fact, I feel that at my relatively young age of 27, I have done much service to the Philippines by setting up Pathways to Higher Education which has sent more than 500 poor but deserving students to college and AHON Foundation which has already built two public elementary school libraries that have benefitted more than 3,500 students. Yet, after seeing how events in our nation have transpired the past few weeks and talking with some friends, I feel the urge to share with you my own thoughts and feelings.
Over the weekend, we saw the completion of two major political alliances for this coming Senate Elections that has just began here in the Philippines. Now we have two political forces with familiar faces nonetheless on opposite sides of the fences. On one end, you have Tito Sotto and Tessie Aquino-Oreta who were two major stalwarts of the opposition and the FPJ Campaign in 2004 hobnobbing with the woman (Pres. GMA) whom they claimed to have cheated FPJ in the last Presidential Elections.On the other side of the fence, you see Manny Villar, the former house speaker who was actually responsible for impeaching Erap now part of the United Opposition who is led by no less than... Erap himself. Now if you don't see anything wrong with this picture then you must be one of the many Filipinos who have accepted this very sad reality that there is indeed no permanent ideals that our government leaders stand up for but rather they just go where there self-interests can best be served. It is this kind of politics why I no longer wonder why good people like Ramon Magsaysay Awardee Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City or outstanding Bulacan Governor Josie Dela Cruz will find it hard or worse, never be elected to national positions.
1.) If former COMELEC Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano of Hello Garci fame wins in his bid to become Congressman of Bukidnon...seeking to replace a good man no less in incumbent Cong. Neric Acosta... We would really be the laughing stock of the whole world if we allow a man with the reputation of Garci to be one of our so called "Honorable Gentlemen".
2.) If Dancing Queen Tessie Aquino Oreta reclaims her seat at the Senate... I hope that all of us would still remember that dance that she did during the 2001 impeachment hearings after they voted to overrule the decision of then Chief Justice Davide... let us make sure that people like her never make it to the Senate again.
3.) If Richard Gomez becomes a senator... what does he know about making laws? We already have the likes of Bong Revilla and Lito Lapid in the Senate and their performance or lack of it would be reason enough not to elect another actor who has no prior experience in government to the distinguished halls of the Senate.
4.) If Gringo Honasan wins again.... have we not learned our lesson? I cannot believe that just because someone is charismatic then we will just elect him to become one of our senators despite the fact that he has time and again caused so much instability in our country... if we want a military junta similar to that of Thailand... then lets all vote for this guy....
5.) If Manny Pacquiao becomes Congressman of General Santos City... everybody loves Manny the Boxing Champ but Manny the Lawmaker? Lets be realistic here, Manny is our Hero alright but I think it takes more than just great boxing skills and a desire to serve to be able to make appropriate laws that would help uplift the lives of the many Filipinos who live in Poverty.
6.) If Lito Lapid wins for Mayor of Makati City... I don't like Jojo Binay as well but Lito Lapid as city mayor of the country's finance and business center?!?! And do you really think he is from Makati and has good plans for the city? The Arroyos asking someone like him to run just goes to show you how much love and concern this government has for our country.
7.) If Chavit Singson becomes a Senator, Illegal Gambling =Chavit... enough said.
Now if all of these 7 things happen during this coming elections then don't be surprised if I decide to leave this country that I love dearly. Like I said during the first part of my letter, I feel that I have done much for this country but I think its time that Filipinos become more vigilant and critical in selecting our leaders for the sake of our future and the generations that will go beyond us. So I appeal to every Filipino who asks what can I actually do for my country... Choose and vote for the right people this coming elections, huwag na tayong magpaloko sa mga kandidatong maganda lang ang jingle o gwapo lang sa mga poster. Let us choose leaders who have a good track record for service and who are genuinely committed towards serving our country.
Manindigan naman tayong lahat para sa ating Kinabukasan at para sa Kapakanan ng ating Bayan!
Thank you very much for your time in reading this letter.
Sincerely,
Harvey S. Keh
Bong Austero evenrtually became a Manila Standard columnist. Harvey Keh meanwhile is organizing the Bagong Pag Asa Movement. To some extent, the authors had their moment of instant fame. Nothing wrong with that. My issue is, why this phenomenon. Not just the letter writing itself but the deluge of responses such open letters get. My greater issue is the lost opportunity to build up on something.
Both letters are about frustrations in the state of our nation. The thousands of reactions, too, are expressions of frustrations. But once this frustration is released, things tend to calm down. The internal tension becomes less, therefore the state of things become less untolerable.
It won't be surprisng if months from now, another letter will be passed around and will bring some attention to the writer. The letter will again get tons of reactions, and the cycle goes on. At the end of the day, nothing really changed.
So who's next?
If us, the middle class, the thinking class, will continue to see things from our point of view, there isn't really much we can do about our national situation. We can always engage in endless debates, easily form groups, clubs, associations and movements, interact in cyberspace, hold medical/dental missions, collect books/toys/clothes for charity, write open letters and react to these letters, hold fund raising for calamity victims, etc. the tambays will continue to drink red horse on credit, play tong its, sell their votes for a few kilos of rice, vote for incompetent actors/actresses/athletes, etc. We, the middle class, need to make a connection otherwise things will just remain more of the same.
Open Letter To Our Leaders
Dear Tita Cory, Senators, Congressmen, Businessmen, Media people, Leftists, and all Bleeding Hearts Out There:
I am angry. And I know that there are many out there who are angrier than I am for the same reason. And that reason is simple. I am sick and tired of all you guys claiming to speak for me and many Filipinos. I feel like screaming every time you mouth words about fighting for my freedom and my rights, when you obviously are just thinking about yours. You tell me that the essence of democracy is providing every citizen the right to speak his or her mind and make his or her own informed judgments, but you yourselves do not respect my silence and the choices I and many others have made. In other words, your concept of democracy is limited to having your rights and your freedoms respected, at the expense of ours.
I am utterly flabbergasted that you still do not get it: we already responded to your calls, and our response has been very clear - we chose not to heed your calls to go to EDSA or to Fort Bonifacio not because we do not love our country or our freedoms or our rights, but precisely because we love our country even more. Because quite frankly, we are prepared to lose our freedoms and our rights just to move this country forward. You may think that is not correct, you can tell me all the dire warnings about the evils of authoritarian rule, but quite frankly all we see is your pathetic efforts to prop up your cause. You tell me that you are simply protecting my freedoms and my rights, but who told you to do that? I assure you that when I feel that my rights and my freedoms are at a peril, I will stand up and fight for them myself.
You tell us that GMA is not the right person to lead this country because she has done immoral acts. As someone who sees immorality being committed wantonly in many ways every day and by everyone (yes, including the ones you do), I may have become jaded. But you have not been able to offer me any viable alternative, while GMA has bent over backwards many times to accommodate you while continuing to work hard despite all the obstacles and the brickbats you have thrown her way. From where I sit, she is the one who has been working really hard to move this country forward while all of you have been so busy with one and only one thing: to make sure she does not succeed. So forgive me if I do not want to join you in your moral pissing contest. Forgive me if I have chosen to see things from another perspective. You say she is the problem. I say, we are the problem, more to the point, I think you are a bigger problem than she is. Taking her out may solve part of the problem, but that leaves us with a bigger problem: you. That is right, YOU!
While I felt outraged that she called a Comelec official during the elections and that she may have rigged the elections, I have since then taken the higher moral ground and forgiven her. Yes my dear bishops, I have done what you have told me to do since I was a child, which you say is the Christian and moral thing to do: forgive. Especially since she has asked for forgiveness and has tried to make amends for it. Erap certainly has not apologized and continues to be defiant, continuing to insult us everyday with his protestations. Cory has not apologized for her incompetence but we have forgiven her just the same because like GMA, she has worked hard after all.
I know you do not think that GMA's apology was not enough, or that she was insincere, or that that apology should not be the end of it, but please spare me the hypocrisy of telling me that you do so for the sake of protecting the moral fibre of society. The real reason is because you smell blood and wants to go for the kill.
Well, I have news for you. I do not like her too. I did not even vote for her. I voted for Raul Roco. But as much as I do not like her, I do not like you even more. I may not trust her, but guess what, I do not trust you even more.
You know why? Because all you do is whine and sabotage this country. You belittle every little progress we make, conveniently forgetting that it is not just GMA who has been working so hard to achieve them. Every single day, we keep the faith burning in our hearts that this country will finally pull itself out of the mess and we work so hard to do that. Every little progress is the result of our collective effort, we who toil hard everyday in our jobs. Yet, you persist in one and only thing: making GMA look bad in the eyes of the world and making sure that this country continues to suffer to prove your sorry point. In the process, you continue to destroy what we painstakinly try to built. So please do not be surprised that I do not share your cause. Do not be surprised that we have become contemptuous of your antics. You have moved heaven and earth to destroy her credibility, you have convened all kinds of fora and hearings and all you have done is test our patience to the core. For all your effort, you have only succeeded in dragging us further down. I say enough.
Don't get me wrong. I am not asking that we take immorality lying down, or that we let the President get away with anything illegal. But you have tried to prove your accusations all these time and you have not succeeded, so it is time to let things be. Besides, you are doing something immoral as well if not utterly unforgivable. The Magdalo soldiers are consorting with the communists - the same people who have been trying to kill democracy for years. Cory has been consorting with Erap and the Marcoses.
So please wake up and take a reality check. In the absence of true and genuine moral leadership, many of us have decided to cast our lot with the President, even if we do not like her. A flawed leader is better than scheming power hungry fools who can not even stand up for their convictions in the face of an impending arrest.
Your coup attempts and the denials that you have consequently made only underscore what we think is true: you are spineless and unreliable people whose only defense is to cry suppression when your ruse do not work. You are like bullies who taunt and provoke, but cry oppression when taken to task for your cruelty.
I would have respected you if you took the consequences of your actions like real heroes: calmly and responsibly instead of kicking and screaming and making lame excuses. You say you are willing to die for us, that you do all these things for the country and the Filipino, but you are not even willing to go to jail for us.
Come on, you really think we believe that you did not want to bring down the government when that is the one and only thing you have been trying to do in the last many months?
We love this country and we want peace and progress. Many among us do not give a f*&k who sits at Malacanang because we will work hard and do our share to make things work. If you only do your jobs, the ones that we elected you to do, things would be a lot simpler and easier for every one.
The events during the weekend only proved one thing. You are more dangerous and a serious threat to this country than GMA is. We have seen what you are capable of doing - you are ready to burn this country and reduce everything to ashes just to prove your point. If there is something that we need protection from, it is protection from you.
A few weeks ago, Harvey Keh of Pathways Philippines wrote the following open letter which was passed around in the cyberworld and even picked up by the Inquirer and elicited commnent from Chavit Singson.
Dear Fellow Filipino,
Good day to all of you! Before I begin my letter... just a disclaimer, for people who know me they know that I love the Philippines very much and I am not really one who rants and complaints to high heavens about what is happening to our country and does nothing about it, in fact, I feel that at my relatively young age of 27, I have done much service to the Philippines by setting up Pathways to Higher Education which has sent more than 500 poor but deserving students to college and AHON Foundation which has already built two public elementary school libraries that have benefitted more than 3,500 students. Yet, after seeing how events in our nation have transpired the past few weeks and talking with some friends, I feel the urge to share with you my own thoughts and feelings.
Over the weekend, we saw the completion of two major political alliances for this coming Senate Elections that has just began here in the Philippines. Now we have two political forces with familiar faces nonetheless on opposite sides of the fences. On one end, you have Tito Sotto and Tessie Aquino-Oreta who were two major stalwarts of the opposition and the FPJ Campaign in 2004 hobnobbing with the woman (Pres. GMA) whom they claimed to have cheated FPJ in the last Presidential Elections.On the other side of the fence, you see Manny Villar, the former house speaker who was actually responsible for impeaching Erap now part of the United Opposition who is led by no less than... Erap himself. Now if you don't see anything wrong with this picture then you must be one of the many Filipinos who have accepted this very sad reality that there is indeed no permanent ideals that our government leaders stand up for but rather they just go where there self-interests can best be served. It is this kind of politics why I no longer wonder why good people like Ramon Magsaysay Awardee Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City or outstanding Bulacan Governor Josie Dela Cruz will find it hard or worse, never be elected to national positions.
1.) If former COMELEC Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano of Hello Garci fame wins in his bid to become Congressman of Bukidnon...seeking to replace a good man no less in incumbent Cong. Neric Acosta... We would really be the laughing stock of the whole world if we allow a man with the reputation of Garci to be one of our so called "Honorable Gentlemen".
2.) If Dancing Queen Tessie Aquino Oreta reclaims her seat at the Senate... I hope that all of us would still remember that dance that she did during the 2001 impeachment hearings after they voted to overrule the decision of then Chief Justice Davide... let us make sure that people like her never make it to the Senate again.
3.) If Richard Gomez becomes a senator... what does he know about making laws? We already have the likes of Bong Revilla and Lito Lapid in the Senate and their performance or lack of it would be reason enough not to elect another actor who has no prior experience in government to the distinguished halls of the Senate.
4.) If Gringo Honasan wins again.... have we not learned our lesson? I cannot believe that just because someone is charismatic then we will just elect him to become one of our senators despite the fact that he has time and again caused so much instability in our country... if we want a military junta similar to that of Thailand... then lets all vote for this guy....
5.) If Manny Pacquiao becomes Congressman of General Santos City... everybody loves Manny the Boxing Champ but Manny the Lawmaker? Lets be realistic here, Manny is our Hero alright but I think it takes more than just great boxing skills and a desire to serve to be able to make appropriate laws that would help uplift the lives of the many Filipinos who live in Poverty.
6.) If Lito Lapid wins for Mayor of Makati City... I don't like Jojo Binay as well but Lito Lapid as city mayor of the country's finance and business center?!?! And do you really think he is from Makati and has good plans for the city? The Arroyos asking someone like him to run just goes to show you how much love and concern this government has for our country.
7.) If Chavit Singson becomes a Senator, Illegal Gambling =Chavit... enough said.
Now if all of these 7 things happen during this coming elections then don't be surprised if I decide to leave this country that I love dearly. Like I said during the first part of my letter, I feel that I have done much for this country but I think its time that Filipinos become more vigilant and critical in selecting our leaders for the sake of our future and the generations that will go beyond us. So I appeal to every Filipino who asks what can I actually do for my country... Choose and vote for the right people this coming elections, huwag na tayong magpaloko sa mga kandidatong maganda lang ang jingle o gwapo lang sa mga poster. Let us choose leaders who have a good track record for service and who are genuinely committed towards serving our country.
Manindigan naman tayong lahat para sa ating Kinabukasan at para sa Kapakanan ng ating Bayan!
Thank you very much for your time in reading this letter.
Sincerely,
Harvey S. Keh
Bong Austero evenrtually became a Manila Standard columnist. Harvey Keh meanwhile is organizing the Bagong Pag Asa Movement. To some extent, the authors had their moment of instant fame. Nothing wrong with that. My issue is, why this phenomenon. Not just the letter writing itself but the deluge of responses such open letters get. My greater issue is the lost opportunity to build up on something.
Both letters are about frustrations in the state of our nation. The thousands of reactions, too, are expressions of frustrations. But once this frustration is released, things tend to calm down. The internal tension becomes less, therefore the state of things become less untolerable.
It won't be surprisng if months from now, another letter will be passed around and will bring some attention to the writer. The letter will again get tons of reactions, and the cycle goes on. At the end of the day, nothing really changed.
So who's next?
If us, the middle class, the thinking class, will continue to see things from our point of view, there isn't really much we can do about our national situation. We can always engage in endless debates, easily form groups, clubs, associations and movements, interact in cyberspace, hold medical/dental missions, collect books/toys/clothes for charity, write open letters and react to these letters, hold fund raising for calamity victims, etc. the tambays will continue to drink red horse on credit, play tong its, sell their votes for a few kilos of rice, vote for incompetent actors/actresses/athletes, etc. We, the middle class, need to make a connection otherwise things will just remain more of the same.
Ang Kumpil
Di ako relihiyosong tao. Napapasok lang ako ng simbahan kung may okasyon. Mag a attend ng kasal o kinuhang ninong sa binyag. Sa araw na ito, napasok uli ako sa simbaha. Kinuha akong proxy na ninong ng isang kakilalang magpapakumpil. Magpapakumpil sya dahil requirement ito para makasal sa simbahan.
Sabi sa akin, 8:30 ng umaga ang kumpil. Mga 8:00 pa lang nasa labas na ako ng simbahan ng Quiapo. Doon gaganapin ang kumpil. Nauna pa ako sa aanakin sa kumpil. Nang magkita kita sa labas ng simbahan, sabay ng pumila sa labas ng Jaime Cardical Sin Building. Isa isang pinapapasok ang mga kukumpilan at mga ninong at ninang. Karamihan o halos lahat ng kukumpilan ay magpapakumpil dahil magpapakasal.
Sa thied floor ng building kami pinapunta. Mga 75 din ang kukumpilan. Sa tig P200 bawat ulo, malinaw na P15,000 ang kita ng simbahan. Iba pa yung P50 na kailangang bayaran pagkuha ng certificate. Nsa isang side ng kwarto ang mga kukumpilan at nasa kabila naman ang mga ninong at ninang.
Mga 8:45, may pumunta sa harapan ng kwarto. Levi pangalan nya. Pinaliwanag niya ang mga teknikal na aspeto ng kumpil; pag claim, maling pangalan, bakit hinahanapan ng kung anu anong dokumento bago kumpilan, etc. Mahigit isang oras din ang paliwanagan. Pagkatapos niyang magsalita, sumunod naman ang isang babae na di ko malaman kung pinakilala nya ang sarili nya. Ang papel naman nya ay ipaliwanag ang ispiritual na kahalagahan ng kumpil. Boring.
Sa pagpapaliwanag sa significance ng kumpil, halatang di ganun ka interesado yung mga tao sa sinasabi ng nagle lecture. Halos lahat siguro ang feeling, let's get it over with. Alam naman ng lahat na kaya sila nandun ay dahil sa red tape. Kailangan nila ng certificate na sila ay nakumpilan bago sila pwedeng makapag pakasal.
Habang nagsasalita yung babae, marami nanaman akong naiisip. Ang nae experience ko nang mga oras na iyon ay salamin lamang ng mas malaking problema ng simbahang Katoliko. Ewan ko sa ibang relihiyon dahil sa simbahang Katoliko lang naman ako nakakapasok, pero ang feeling ko ang lahat ng ginawa ng mga Katoliko ay pawang mga ritwal lamang. Ang binyag, ang kumpil, ang kasal at pati mismo ang pagsimba, ito ay pawang mga ritwal lamang na kanilang ginagawa kasi dapat nilang gawin. Hindi naman talaga lubusang naiintindihan ng mga Katoliko ang kahalagahan ng bawat sakramento. Basta makapag simba, yun na yon. Basta maka kumpisal, yun na yon. Pagkatapos na ritwal, balik uli sa kung ano man ang mundo nila sa labas ng simbahan.
Bakit ba nagpapakumpil ang mga tao sa loob ng kwartong iyon? Dahil kasi kailangan nila ang certificate para makapagkasal sa simbahan, isang panibagong ritwal. Pipilitin ng simbahan na ipaliwanag ang kahalagahan ng bawat ritwal. Sa mga oras na iyon, pinapaliwanang ang kahalagahan ng kumpil. Sa mga ikakasal, kailangang dumaan sa seminar. Pero yun na yon para sa simbahan. Magbibigay sila ng paliwanag bago magkumpil. Pati pala sa binyag nagbibigay na din sila ng paliwanag. Sa kasal, pinagse seminar ata. Pero naisasa puso ba talaga ng mga taong ito ang kahalagan o ang ibig sabihin ng mga ritwal na pinapasok nila? Siyempre hindi. Basta maiparaos lang ok na yon. Ang ganitong sistema ay sinasalamin ang dahilan kung bakit kahit na tayo ang nag iisang Kristyanong bansa dito sa Asya, hindi naman talaga kabutihan ang nangingbabaw sa ating lipunan.
Magampanan lang ng simbahan ang mga ritwal na dapat nyang gawin, ang magmisa, magbinyag, mgakasal, magkumpil, etc, ok na yon. Doon na natatapos ang lahat. Wala na siyang pakialam kung isinasabuhay ba talaga ng kanyang mga taga sunod ang turo ng simbahan. Ina assume nya na lang na ganun na nga. At sa kamatayan na lang magkakaalaman, kung langit ka o impyerno.
Kaya ayun, imbes na ang simabahan ang maging tagapaggabay sa tamang asal, tamang gawain, tinatapos ng simbahan ang kanyang papel sa lipunan sa pagko conduct ng mga ritwal. Bahala na ang tao kung isasapuso niya ang mga turo ng simbahan. Hindi na pinupukpok ang mga tao sa turo ng relihiyon tutal may impyerno naman silang panakot sa mga hindi susunod sa utos ng simbahan. Kaya kahit tayo'y isang Katolikong bansa, laganap ang "kasamaan" sa ating lipunan.
Nalala ko tuloy yung rally na pinatawag ng mga obispo laban sa charter change last December. Ang sabi nila, hindi charter change ang kailangan kundi character change. Agree ako. Kaso pagkasabi nila nun, may ginawa ba silang hakbang para ma initiate yung character change na sinasabi nila? Wala. Pagkasabi ng statement nila, yun na yun. Bahala na ang tao kung pakikinggan ang panawagan nila basta sila sinabi na nila yung sa palagay nila ay dapat nilang sabihin. Pero sa palagay ko, dapat sige pa. Hindi lamang dapat inili limit ng simbahan ang gawain nila sa mga ritwal. They should inspire "goodness" in people kaso hindi iyon ang nangyayari. Sapat nang may nakokolekta sila sa bawat ritwal na isinasagawa nila.
Sabi sa akin, 8:30 ng umaga ang kumpil. Mga 8:00 pa lang nasa labas na ako ng simbahan ng Quiapo. Doon gaganapin ang kumpil. Nauna pa ako sa aanakin sa kumpil. Nang magkita kita sa labas ng simbahan, sabay ng pumila sa labas ng Jaime Cardical Sin Building. Isa isang pinapapasok ang mga kukumpilan at mga ninong at ninang. Karamihan o halos lahat ng kukumpilan ay magpapakumpil dahil magpapakasal.
Sa thied floor ng building kami pinapunta. Mga 75 din ang kukumpilan. Sa tig P200 bawat ulo, malinaw na P15,000 ang kita ng simbahan. Iba pa yung P50 na kailangang bayaran pagkuha ng certificate. Nsa isang side ng kwarto ang mga kukumpilan at nasa kabila naman ang mga ninong at ninang.
Mga 8:45, may pumunta sa harapan ng kwarto. Levi pangalan nya. Pinaliwanag niya ang mga teknikal na aspeto ng kumpil; pag claim, maling pangalan, bakit hinahanapan ng kung anu anong dokumento bago kumpilan, etc. Mahigit isang oras din ang paliwanagan. Pagkatapos niyang magsalita, sumunod naman ang isang babae na di ko malaman kung pinakilala nya ang sarili nya. Ang papel naman nya ay ipaliwanag ang ispiritual na kahalagahan ng kumpil. Boring.
Sa pagpapaliwanag sa significance ng kumpil, halatang di ganun ka interesado yung mga tao sa sinasabi ng nagle lecture. Halos lahat siguro ang feeling, let's get it over with. Alam naman ng lahat na kaya sila nandun ay dahil sa red tape. Kailangan nila ng certificate na sila ay nakumpilan bago sila pwedeng makapag pakasal.
Habang nagsasalita yung babae, marami nanaman akong naiisip. Ang nae experience ko nang mga oras na iyon ay salamin lamang ng mas malaking problema ng simbahang Katoliko. Ewan ko sa ibang relihiyon dahil sa simbahang Katoliko lang naman ako nakakapasok, pero ang feeling ko ang lahat ng ginawa ng mga Katoliko ay pawang mga ritwal lamang. Ang binyag, ang kumpil, ang kasal at pati mismo ang pagsimba, ito ay pawang mga ritwal lamang na kanilang ginagawa kasi dapat nilang gawin. Hindi naman talaga lubusang naiintindihan ng mga Katoliko ang kahalagahan ng bawat sakramento. Basta makapag simba, yun na yon. Basta maka kumpisal, yun na yon. Pagkatapos na ritwal, balik uli sa kung ano man ang mundo nila sa labas ng simbahan.
Bakit ba nagpapakumpil ang mga tao sa loob ng kwartong iyon? Dahil kasi kailangan nila ang certificate para makapagkasal sa simbahan, isang panibagong ritwal. Pipilitin ng simbahan na ipaliwanag ang kahalagahan ng bawat ritwal. Sa mga oras na iyon, pinapaliwanang ang kahalagahan ng kumpil. Sa mga ikakasal, kailangang dumaan sa seminar. Pero yun na yon para sa simbahan. Magbibigay sila ng paliwanag bago magkumpil. Pati pala sa binyag nagbibigay na din sila ng paliwanag. Sa kasal, pinagse seminar ata. Pero naisasa puso ba talaga ng mga taong ito ang kahalagan o ang ibig sabihin ng mga ritwal na pinapasok nila? Siyempre hindi. Basta maiparaos lang ok na yon. Ang ganitong sistema ay sinasalamin ang dahilan kung bakit kahit na tayo ang nag iisang Kristyanong bansa dito sa Asya, hindi naman talaga kabutihan ang nangingbabaw sa ating lipunan.
Magampanan lang ng simbahan ang mga ritwal na dapat nyang gawin, ang magmisa, magbinyag, mgakasal, magkumpil, etc, ok na yon. Doon na natatapos ang lahat. Wala na siyang pakialam kung isinasabuhay ba talaga ng kanyang mga taga sunod ang turo ng simbahan. Ina assume nya na lang na ganun na nga. At sa kamatayan na lang magkakaalaman, kung langit ka o impyerno.
Kaya ayun, imbes na ang simabahan ang maging tagapaggabay sa tamang asal, tamang gawain, tinatapos ng simbahan ang kanyang papel sa lipunan sa pagko conduct ng mga ritwal. Bahala na ang tao kung isasapuso niya ang mga turo ng simbahan. Hindi na pinupukpok ang mga tao sa turo ng relihiyon tutal may impyerno naman silang panakot sa mga hindi susunod sa utos ng simbahan. Kaya kahit tayo'y isang Katolikong bansa, laganap ang "kasamaan" sa ating lipunan.
Nalala ko tuloy yung rally na pinatawag ng mga obispo laban sa charter change last December. Ang sabi nila, hindi charter change ang kailangan kundi character change. Agree ako. Kaso pagkasabi nila nun, may ginawa ba silang hakbang para ma initiate yung character change na sinasabi nila? Wala. Pagkasabi ng statement nila, yun na yun. Bahala na ang tao kung pakikinggan ang panawagan nila basta sila sinabi na nila yung sa palagay nila ay dapat nilang sabihin. Pero sa palagay ko, dapat sige pa. Hindi lamang dapat inili limit ng simbahan ang gawain nila sa mga ritwal. They should inspire "goodness" in people kaso hindi iyon ang nangyayari. Sapat nang may nakokolekta sila sa bawat ritwal na isinasagawa nila.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
As I lurk
I have been online for almost a decade now. Since that time, I joined various discussion groups sharing my thoughts and views, most of the time on matters of politics. This interest in politics was bourne out of my sincere desire to do my share, whatever I can, to help my country move forward. But not much has changed. All these discussion has not really created any impact on our national lives. The only thing that I could remember that reached some national significance was the Elagda, an internet campaign against then president Erap. Today, things are still more of the same, all talk.
This day on, I will keep my silence. I will just lurk and simply post my comments on this blog. I will not make comments on forums, groups or blogs.
Masyado tayong matatalino. Walang magpapatalo. It is a rare find to read people admitting their mistake or fault. It is always pride and persoanl biases that reign in the discussions. People are just too predictable. Discussions are not about finding a common ground but about who posts better, who argues better. And we ask why our country doesn't move forwatd? We only need to look at the mirror.
I am a member of various yahoo groups. I am a regular reader of various blogs. I log in to several Fiipino forums. My comments I will post only on this blog. This is just for self expression. I don't want to argue out there anymore. Napagod na ako. Wala din namang mangyayari kundi patalinuhan at pataasan ng ihi. I will just quietly express my thoughts in here.
This day on, I will keep my silence. I will just lurk and simply post my comments on this blog. I will not make comments on forums, groups or blogs.
Masyado tayong matatalino. Walang magpapatalo. It is a rare find to read people admitting their mistake or fault. It is always pride and persoanl biases that reign in the discussions. People are just too predictable. Discussions are not about finding a common ground but about who posts better, who argues better. And we ask why our country doesn't move forwatd? We only need to look at the mirror.
I am a member of various yahoo groups. I am a regular reader of various blogs. I log in to several Fiipino forums. My comments I will post only on this blog. This is just for self expression. I don't want to argue out there anymore. Napagod na ako. Wala din namang mangyayari kundi patalinuhan at pataasan ng ihi. I will just quietly express my thoughts in here.
Ano kaya?
Ano kaya kung isasa puso at isasa diwa ng bawat Pilipino ang Panatang Makabayan.
Siguro magkakaisa na tayo bilang mga Pilipino.
Siguro di na magiging corrupt ang mga naka upo sa pwesto.
Siguro di na mangingikil ang mga pulis at di na maglalagay ang mga lumalabag sa batas.
Siguro mas magiging tolerant tayo sa kakaibang opinyon ng iba.
Siguro igagalang natin ang pasya ng mas nakakarami.
Siguro hindi na mandaraya ang mga pulitiko sa araw ng halalan.
Siguro hindi na natin iboboto yung dahil sikat lamang kahit walang kakayahan.
Siguro mas pangangahalagahan natin ang pambansang interest kesa sa personal na interes.
Siguro hindi na natin babastusin ang ating watawat at aawitin ng buong pagmamalaki ang Pambansang Awit.
Siguro mas tatangkilikin natin ang mga gawa natin.
Siguro mas magpupursigi tayo sa gumawa, mag imbento, mag sikap, mag impok at maging mahusay sa lahat ng gawain.
Siguro uunlad na rin tayo.
Ano kaya?
Siguro magkakaisa na tayo bilang mga Pilipino.
Siguro di na magiging corrupt ang mga naka upo sa pwesto.
Siguro di na mangingikil ang mga pulis at di na maglalagay ang mga lumalabag sa batas.
Siguro mas magiging tolerant tayo sa kakaibang opinyon ng iba.
Siguro igagalang natin ang pasya ng mas nakakarami.
Siguro hindi na mandaraya ang mga pulitiko sa araw ng halalan.
Siguro hindi na natin iboboto yung dahil sikat lamang kahit walang kakayahan.
Siguro mas pangangahalagahan natin ang pambansang interest kesa sa personal na interes.
Siguro hindi na natin babastusin ang ating watawat at aawitin ng buong pagmamalaki ang Pambansang Awit.
Siguro mas tatangkilikin natin ang mga gawa natin.
Siguro mas magpupursigi tayo sa gumawa, mag imbento, mag sikap, mag impok at maging mahusay sa lahat ng gawain.
Siguro uunlad na rin tayo.
Ano kaya?
Sana'y maging panata ng bawat Pilipino
Iniibig ko ang Pilipinas
Ito ang aking lupang sinilangan
Ito ang tahanan ng aking lahi
Ako’s kanyang kinukupkop at tinutulungan
Upang maging malakas, maligaya at kapakipakinabang
Bilang ganti, diringgin ko ang payo ng aking mga magulang
Susundin ko ang tuntunin ng aking paaralan
Tutuparin ko ang mga tungkulin ng isang mamamayang
Makabayan at masunurin sa batas
Paglilingkuran ko ang aking bayan ng walang pag iimbot
At buong katapatan
Sisikapin kong maging isang tunay na Pilipino
Sa isip, sa salita at sa gawa.
Ito ang aking lupang sinilangan
Ito ang tahanan ng aking lahi
Ako’s kanyang kinukupkop at tinutulungan
Upang maging malakas, maligaya at kapakipakinabang
Bilang ganti, diringgin ko ang payo ng aking mga magulang
Susundin ko ang tuntunin ng aking paaralan
Tutuparin ko ang mga tungkulin ng isang mamamayang
Makabayan at masunurin sa batas
Paglilingkuran ko ang aking bayan ng walang pag iimbot
At buong katapatan
Sisikapin kong maging isang tunay na Pilipino
Sa isip, sa salita at sa gawa.
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