Man In Barong and Flashy Car Snatches Your Wallet

Picture Taken From:
http://www.barongfilipinodesigns.com/images/uploads/J4001.jpg

Ang hirap makaisip ng headline sa diyaryo na ganun. When someone mentions the word "snatcher", ang iniisip natin yung taong mukhang hindi naligo nang dalawang linggo, the kind you see who wears clothes which look like they were stained with piss, crud, and shit. Di ba ganun naman ang mga magnanakaw?

Photo Taken From:
http://www.amren.com/ar/2009/04/06a-guatemala_gang_tattoo_01.jpg

Di ba wala namang snatcher o magnanakaw na naka barong at naka kotseng maganda? Di ba sa news sa television, kapag may napapanood tayong mga hinuhuli ng pulis na mga magnanakaw, kadalasan mga gusgusin ang itsura, yung tipong mga istambay sa squatter areas na mahilig mag shabu, or they look more like menacing figures in military fatigues, brandishing high-caliber firearms, with grim faces.

Ang mga magnanakaw, in other words, hindi mukhang mga lawyer o politiko.

Pero teka, di ba bukangbibig naman nating lahat na mga Pinoy na karamihan sa mga pulitiko natin mahilig din magnakaw? Problem is, hindi natin ramdam. Iba na kasi yung naglalakad ka sa kalye, it's nighttime, and you see this suspicious shadow following you, sigurado matatakot ka. Lalo na kapag napansin mo na yung sumusunod sa iyo mukha talagang taong nanggaling sa putikan. Pero when you see this polished, squeaky-clean person attired in the finest haute-couture, we tend to let our guard down. Bakit ka nga ba iiwas doon sa makintab mula buhok hanggang sapatos niya, di ba?

Even more so when such persons are onstage. Siyempre pag nasa entablado na sila at nakikita mong isangkatutak na taong audience ang nakikinig sa kanila, bakit mo sila lalayuan, di ba? Hindi naman sila mukhang may magagawang masama sa iyo. So, it's fine for them to get near you. Lalo na if they wear designer perfumes. Kasi kapag mabango hindi life-threatening.

Pero let's take a second look.

What's the difference between yung taong mabango at naka porma compared to isang taong amoy mabantot tsaka pangit ang damit pati mukha? Madaling sabihin na yung adik sa kalye na sinubukang kunin yung wallet mo, which contains what you earned the whole day, o kaya yung cellphone mo, na pagkamahal mahal ang bili--napakadaling sabihin na dapat nga silang bugbugin ng mga pulis pag nahuli sila. We even prefer to maul them to bits right after they are captured.

Photo Taken From:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvam0D5x04w7HUeVt4Agn_EXbbuDuZSz8k1JqgBUh1I7gZxbw-ema2RQ1MVano0PyKTbR1zibGrRBAGoLC6rAx1fooIwGDMeOeNcygIbb_PNramTfekffOQOtjNgFmVyQ8KyTOAFqau6p9/s400/IMG_7924+copy.jpg

At the same time, we admit to ourselves that people who dress well and look good can and will steal from us simple citizens. And we also have an idea that yung mabango mas maraming nananakaw. Pero sobrang hirap ma imagine ang isang magnanakaw na naka barong tsaka may luxury car na binubugbog sa kalye. Sige, try to see it in your mind. Di ba it's harder to do so? Lalo na kasi we don't see anything like that on TV.

And yet, they can steal more from you because you don't notice it. Hindi man sila kumikilos sa kalye, may kinukuha pa rin silang pera galing sa bawa't isa sa atin.

Photo Taken From:
http://z.hubpages.com/u/760331_f260.jpg

So can it be said that these kinds of people, too, should also experience getting beaten up by a mob? Siguro yung picture sa taas magiging ganito ang itsura:

Anong kaibahan ng magnanakaw na mabango doon sa magnanakaw na madungis? Mas mahirap sa ating isiping magalit at mambugbog ng magnanakaw na mabango. Mahirap magalit sa naka barong. Pero kahit pa ganun nga, it's better to always remind ourselves how robbers in good clothes operate.

Imagine na ikaw ay piso. Just this once. Try to see yourself as this one peso coin below.

Photo Taken From:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKCgmvLQt1oxQbbxDtox2PkqtSHVp0h2dtDBB887Pb-hPJvsJF6aIxxC_oYUgOtJPItujk8mFZ427bpn1Y-fJL7_rB9wsPIOWfAgTKDfo9usK_wMe0yohzngRDREIv_EmSDdH50iRSvWI/s320/1+peso+dekada+ng+kulturang+pilipino+commemorative+r.jpg

Isa ka lang sa dinami dami pang ibang piso na kinita ng isang typical na worker pagkatapos ng isang araw ng pagkakayod. Therefore, ikaw ay pag-aari nung trabahador na may hawak sa iyo. Marami kang kasamang ibang piso diyan sa tabi mo, at lahat kayo ay, presumably, binigay doon sa worker dahil kayo ay pinaghirapan at pinagpawisan niya buong araw. The worker fully deserves to receive you because he earned you lawfully, which means he didn't steal you from anyone else.

Pero pwede kang nakawin from that worker, kahit piso ka lang, and the worker wouldn't even feel anything. Maraming binibili at binabayaran ang trabahador sa loob ng isang araw--mostly food or groceries or, occasionally, clothing, movie tickets perhaps, or even home utility bills.

Kasi dito sa Pilipinas, isangkatutak na taxes ang sinisingil sa mga binibili ng mga trabahador in their everyday lives. Let's say that bibili ang isang trabahador ng gamot, which is a necessity. Yung gamot sa normal headache costs around 5 pesos. Being a one-peso coin yourself, you might be among those 5 pesos which the worker paid to get that medicine. Ideally, dapat kang mapunta doon sa bulsa ng nagbenta nung gamot, kasi binayad ka para sa gamot eh.

Ideally yun. But it's also possible that you, wretched one-peso coin, will only end up as payment of taxes levied on the medicine. Yung 4 na ibang piso lang ang mabubulsa nung nagbenta ng gamot. Ikaw, nailipat ka sa bulsa ng gobyerno, more specifically, into the supposed "fund" na dapat ipanggastos for road improvement. Marami kang makakasamang ibang tig mamiso doon, galing sa mga taxes na pinataw sa marami pang ibang produkto--baka tig iisang balde kayo ng piso. Ang sabi nung pulitiko--na laging naka barong, na may magandang kotse, at mabango--ipanggagastos daw sa pagpapaganda ng kalye ang milyon-milyong piso na iyon.

Siyempre, because this politician doesn't outwardly look like the dirty-rat criminal on the street, you won't readily suspect him of having plans to commit robbery. Hindi naman siya bumubuntot sa iyo sa gabi, neither does the guy display any outward appearance which would tell you that he wants to steal your wallet while you are walking along the street. Kung tutuusin nga, ang tawag natin sa mga ka itsura nila is yung "disente", o di kaya "mapapagkatiwalaan".

Photo Taken From: http://cdn.wn.com/o25/ph//2009/06/08/6dedb4517ee1c7f490349da240f4862e-grande.jpg

Now, balik tayo sa situation mo bilang isang piso. So ikaw, na nanggaling sa kinita ng isang worker, nasingil ka as tax sa gamot, so imbes na napunta ka sa bulsa ng drugstore, napunta ka doon sa bulsa ng pulitiko. Sabi nung pulitko dapat daw gagamitin ka para sa pagpapaganda ng kalye.

Of course not. The politician could decide to use you--isang piso among a collections of a million or so others--to buy a house for him or herself. Or you may be part of millions used to buy a luxurious car. Or even an expensive cellphone for his child. Ang lumilitaw, ninakaw ka galing doon sa trabahador na nagpagod para makuha ka, ninakaw ka nung pulitikong naka barong. Imbes na gamitin niya yung millions equivalent in taxes para pagandahin yung kalye na ikaw din ang gagamit, kinamkam niya yung amount na iyon para sa sarili niyang luho. It deserves to be repeated--milyon milyon piso galing sa milyun milyong mga trabahador na nagpapagod ang ninakaw niya and he or she did it without appearing to do so.

Of course, the example given above might seem so superfluous and overly simplistic...all the same, we Pinoys are certain that, whether in its most basic form or in more complex schemes, robberies following the same principle always happen.

People in barongs or classy suits and smelling nice rob from each and every typical worker each day. This is a truth we must keep in mind all the time. They rob from OFW's, factory workers, office staff, street vendors, practically every Pinoy who has to sweat and toil just to earn enough to get a decent meal.

Now consider this. Can you remember just how many times a supposedly "dirty-looking" purse snatcher victimizes you in a day? Or in a month? In a year? Do greasy, stinking, unwashed gangsta-types manage to divest you of your hard-earned cash almost each time you spend for anything--and this means, almost anything at all? Nah, that would be impossible. Kung ganun ang nangyayari, eh di dapat bawa't oras na you are outside your house nakukuhanan ka ng wallet ng snatcher.

It thus becomes clear that, compared to the multitude of people wearing barongs who manage to constantly steal from you every single day, the purse snatchers we always think of as being "common criminals" would certainly appear to be the amateurs--no, even worse than amateurs, given that they will infinitely be less than likely to victimize you with the same consistent frequency.

Perhaps it's about time we change the way "common criminals" are defined. Di ba mas madaling isipin ang salitang "common" as something occurring regularly--every day? So, lumilitaw na dahil mas madalas tayo nakawan ng mga taong naka barong kumpara sa mga taong pangit, mabaho, tsaka umiistambay sa kalye--maybe it's wiser to apply the term "common criminals" to people in barongs!

And, to add insult to injury, we see the fruits of the crimes committed by these people nearly all the time. When you see them riding in their expensive cars, wearing expensive watches, using expensive gadgets, smoking expensive cigars...nakakainis isipin na pinapakita pa nila yung mga bagay na binili nila using the money they stole from you. Opo, mga kaibigan, tayo pong mga simpleng trabahador, kung tutuusin, ay may karapatan gamitin ang ginagamit nila, kasi in truth, meron tayong contribution sa mga iyon. Kung tutuusin, kasama ka-- kababayan kong trabahador din--sa mga nagpagod para bilhin ang mga kotseng magagara nila, tulad ng kotse sa ibaba.

Photo Taken From: http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/12/roewe-suv-430.jpg

Let's always remember: whatever expensive things these people in barongs bring with them, they most probably came from your own pockets and not theirs. Let's not forget that previous controversy regarding a certain former First Lady and her thousands or millions of pairs of expensive shoes--not to mention a whole collection of designer jewelry. Kung iisipin mo nang husto, pwede nating kunin ang mga iyon at ibenta tapos ikalat ang kinita natin sa mga iyon amongst ourselves. Kasi we were the ones who spent the money for that First Lady to enjoy them in the first place!

Photo Taken From:
http://timesonline.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/27/imelda_marcos.jpg

Do we have a right to express our anger at people in barongs who steal from us? Of course! And why not? Yun ngang mga tao sa kalyeng hindi naman araw-araw at oras-oras nagnanakaw, hinuhuli agad eh. Everyone therefore should exercise double effort in bringing to justice people who can steal from you every second. Because in reality, sila ang mga "common criminals". They deserve to be prosecuted and sent to jail with even greater urgency kumpara sa mga taong nagnanakaw nang lantaran sa kalye.

So, can people in barongs and flashy cars snatch your wallet? You bet they do, all the time. Be careful of them.

Lolo Pepe ( Jose Rizal ) And Some Of His Thoughts on the Present State of His Mother Land

My fellow countrymen, again and again you make me proud to be a Filipino. Many times we have fought for our freedom with nobility and sincerity. Our former Spaniard colonizers were just the tip of the iceberg; later on, we fought for our own sovereignty with our American--ahem--friends, and then we fought the Japanese for it in World War II; and then much much later on, we stood up against a fellow Filipino who should have been a promising President but ended up being an egomaniacal dictator who put the country to ruin. And then, only recently, we defended our freedom one more time and overthrew yet another President who turned out to be engaged in the most distasteful criminality.

Yes, we fight for freedom--or what modern political reality designates as "democracy", if you may--and we are repeatedly victorious in doing so. That's something that I will always be proud of. However, it might have escaped most of us Filipinos that being a “free” and “democratic” people is in itself merely a Beginning. Freedom undeniably plays a big role in defining ourselves as a Nation, but what is this so-called “democracy” without a Destiny in mind? Oh yes, we can talk endlessly amongst ourselves about how liberty is still the best virtue in a country, but this liberty should be...for what end?

Better education for our people has always been what I've been pushing for. And why not? The whole Community of Nations can be compared to a big, vast classroom. Each country can be thought of as one student. And of course we know who the top students, the sobresalientes, of this Classroom of the World are. Where once they were called Great Nations, now they are designated as the First World Countries—nations which excel in industry and commerce, modern innovations and technology, both pure and applied sciences, even in athletics and military defense capabilities, just to name a few. More importantly, taking the analogy of a World Classroom further, these First World Countries, or top students, shall we say, are able to give the best quality of life to their peoples.

Sadly, if we are to consider the Philippines a student, we have always been ranked among the “mediocre” majority in a Classroom of the World. This would be quite incongruous with the way we yearn for our own children to excel in their studies—to strive to be at the top rank. Why shouldn't a Whole Nation be motivated with the same vigour to excel within the world community?

I have always written about the Great Nations around the world that I personally visited in countless journeys and sojourns. I have always longed to see the same operating principles that made them Great right here in our Motherland, to be experienced by all Filipinos. Yes, we Filipinos will fight for our freedoms, but we must also equally fight for a Destiny.

Why I Did Not Attend Cory's Funeral And Burial

Photo Taken From:

http://chuvachienes.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/cory2.jpg

Nakakatamad pumunta kasi umuulan tsaka sobrang trapik. Nah, of course that's not the sole reason. Hindi ko naman sinasabing balewala sa akin ang pagkamatay ni Cory Aquino.

It's just that the dreary rains all throughout the four-day funeral rites, and moreso the current downcast mood all over the country because of persistent dire social and economic crises, greatly magnified the loss even further. Napakabigat na nga na nawala sa piling natin si Cory, hindi man lang nangyari yun sa panahong medyo mas maigi ang sitwasyon natin sa Pilipinas. Hindi ko na kinayang magpunta. Gaya ng karamihang ibang tao na kahit nalungkot man sila ay hindi na din nagpunta.

Ano ba dapat ang ideal conditions para mas marami sana ang dumalo doon sa funeral rites? Siguro let us name just a few. First of all, dapat hindi na kailangang malaki ang gagastusing pamasahe para lang makapunta doon sa location. Second, kung pupunta nga ang mga tao doon dapat din hindi na sila masyadong nanghihinayang sa gagastusin nila for food while staying there. I mean, you could be staying there for five hours for all you know, dahil pipila ka pa before mo pa malapitan yung kabaong mismo ni Cory. Paano pa kung kasama mo ang buong pamilya mo? Mabuti kung ang pamasahe ng limang kataong pupunta doon galing Tarlac ay aabot lang ng 100 PhP, tapos ang gagastusin ninyong pagkain na nakakabusog will only set you back around 60PhP. 160PhP lang for five people from Tarlac to go all the way to Greenhills, Metro Manila! Aba, siyempre maraming pupunta nun, di ba?

And maaaring third ideal condition is...kung ang buhay nating lahat na mga Pinoy ay katulad sa buhay ng mga Amerikano nung panahon na nawala din ang Presidente nilang minamahal nung 1960's, si John F. Kennedy. Kumbaga, maayos ang buhay, wala kang ibang iniisip kung may makakain ba ang pamilya mo araw-araw o ano. Kung hindi ka ba mawawalan ng trabaho kinabukasan pagkatapos mong dumalo sa funeral rites.

Pero kahit pa man maraming hindi nakapunta, aminin din natin na marami din talagang nagpunta. At umiyak. And shared in collective mourning side-by-side, shoulder-to-shoulder. Which is something that Cory, after all, fully deserves.

Photo Taken From:

http://www.inquirer.net/

But there is, perhaps, an arguably more ominous reason why many other mourning Pinoys could simply not bear to go to the funeral ceremonies. It could be that there lies heavy over the proceedings this nagging sense that...our beloved Cory might have died in vain. Pumanaw man ang sinasabi nilang Ilaw ng ating bansa, maaari pa ring hindi ito magsilbing catalyst para mabawasan man lang ang masasamang nangyayari sa bansang Pilipinas. Oo, dapat nga ang pagkawala ng isang katulad ni Cory ang gigising sa ating lahat para kumilos upang huwag masayang ang lahat ng pinaghirapan niya.

Then again, maybe, just maybe, her death ( and sacrifice, if you may ) might just not serve any greater purpose at all.

Aba, e nakakatakot yun.

Photo Taken From:

http://www.mb.com.ph/home

No one can deny that Cory in her lifetime has given the Philippines that most precious of gifts--liberation from the shackles of a crushing dictatorship under former President Ferdinand Marcos. And in what breathtaking and awe-inspiring fashion!

Naaalala pa ng karamihan sa atin ang 1986, kung kailan namangha tayo sa mga litrato ni Cory na kumakalaban kay Marcos, who was every bit the strongman, with a whole army of soldiers, tanks, and helicopters at his disposal. And who was directly opposing him? A housewife. Kumbaga, isang babaeng hindi siguro nalalayo sa karamihan ng mga nanay natin. Pero dahil sa pananampalataya ni Cory sa Diyos at sa mga Pinoy na sumusuporta sa kanya, dahil sa paniniwala niyang hindi daw kailangang tapatan ng dahas ang dahas, nanaig siya. Imbes na siya ang dinurog ng mga tangke, yung tao sa likod ng mga tangke at armas, si Marcos, ang tumakas nang parang asong dinaig ng leon.

Photo Taken From:

http://www.monthlyreview.org/mrzine/EDSA_Feb1986.jpg

That momentous event, now universally called 1986 EDSA Revolution or People Power, served as one of the most potent examples of non-violent resistance in perhaps the whole of human history. It was of such exemplary and phenomenal proportions that many other peoples in other countries used it as their inspiration to launch their own successful non-violent revolutions against repressive governments. Oo, ginaya ang Pinoy ng ibang bansa pagdating sa People Power natin. Ang East at West Germany nagawang mag unite ulit after around 40 or so years of division. Ang dating Soviet Union nagawa nilang pabagsakin ang Communist regime sa lupain nila. Naging trendy ang People Power, kahit pa walang nag akala na mangyayari yun.

Photo Taken From:

http://www.blogbat.us/FallCommunism.jpg

Kung ganito naman pala na not only the Philippines, but the whole world in general was inspired so much by Cory's steadfastness, bravery, and faith in a Higher Power, bakit naman mawawalan ng pag-asa ang karamihan ng Pinoy sa bansa natin kahit pa nawala nga sa atin si Cory?

Let us liken the situation to what happened to the United States after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center twin towers. Lahat ng Amerikano ay nagdamdam nang husto na marami talagang namatay doon sa trahedyang iyon. Pero nasabi pa ng mga Amerikano sa sarili nila na "We will rise from this disaster stronger and more united". Naroon ang grief, pero naroon pa rin ang nananaig na pag-asa. Could we Pinoys say the same to ourselves after losing Cory? Do we still have hope? Will we also rise as a nation stronger and more united after this loss? O lalo lang ba tayo mababaon nito sa kahirapan?

I would have preferred it if I could have gone to her funeral grieving for her loss, and yet feeling a sense of triumph all the same. I wouldn't want to stain her memory by going there and feeling that my country will go to the dogs because its sole remaining person of inestimable worth has passed away.

Maraming nagsasabi diyan na pagkatapos daw ng People Power 1986 ganun pa din ang kalagayan ng Pilipinas, katulad pa rin ng paghihirap natin noong presidente pa si Marcos. May mga nagsasabi pa nga na mas mabuti pa sanang hindi na lang umalis si Marcos, which is somehow delusional, admittedly. Pero, let's also admit na may punto din ang mga nagsasabing sana naman ay mas malaking ginhawa ang nararamdaman natin ngayon dahil nga sa paghihirap na dinanas ni Cory.

Sige, sabihin na natin na kahit pa hindi naging perpektong presidente si Cory nung term niya ay okey lang naman. Parang si Michael Jackson yan, di ba, who was hounded by all sorts of scandalous accusations involving probable child molestation during his lifetime, but was remembered simply as a pop singer who revolutionized mainstream music after his untimely death. Let's also say na hindi din naging perpekto ang mga presidente after Cory, and that past is past. It's now time to lay the wreath on Cory's remains and thank her for all she's done and now look to the future.

And what future is that?

It's inevitable that the figure of Cory will continue to cast its influence when we contemplate a future without her physical presence. Siya kasi ang "exemplar" e, ang "icon". Sana katulad niyang walang bahid ang bawa't isa ng mga namumuno sa bansa natin. Sana lahat sila tulad ni Cory na mas inuna ang interes ng nakararami kesa sa interes ng sariling pamilya. So natural lang na we can always try to evaluate the future of the country by how the legacy Cory left us should somehow affect it. We can do this more easily by asking some simple questions.

1) Do We Need Another Cory?

Photo Taken From:

http://www.mb.com.ph/home

Naku, sana si Cory ay nag iisa na lang. But please don't misunderstand. I am simply saying this because it is very sad to say that, "yes, we need another Cory". What are the implications of that statement? That, for all she has done, the forces she did battle against are still in existence. Oo, nawala nga ang diktador na si Marcos, pero beyond that fact, Cory was also, in principle, not just opposing a single person, but the mechanisms of repression and depravity which that person simply embodied. Oo nawala nga si Marcos, pero if Pinoys still continue to suffer the same conditions that they did under his rule dahil sa mga pumalit sa kanya, then it simply means that may kulang pa sa nangyari nung 1986. Which is not necessarily Cory's fault, of course.

Nung nagkaroon ng sariling People Power ang Russia at pinatalsik nila ang Communist Party, ang nag spearhead ng rebolusyong iyon ay si former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. After that change of government in Russia, which, by the way, was just as earth-shaking as our own 1986 EDSA Revolution, nag hirap nang husto ang Russia. Nabaon sila sa utang. Ang mga babae nila kumalat sa buong mundo at naging mga prostitutes. Marami pa ngang Russian prostitutes na umabot sa Pilipinas.

Dahil sa kahirapan ng Russia, hindi nanalo ng 2nd term si Gorbachev. Pumalit sa kanya si Boris Yeltsin. Ang problema, si Yeltsin ay parang panibagong Gorbachev lang din. Hindi umangat ang kabuhayan ng mga Russians. Oo, nagkaroon nga sila ng sinasabi nating "democratic republic". Pero ang mga Russians, tulad ng mga ibang Pinoy ngayon na gustong bumalik ang panahon ni Marcos, nagkaroon din ng mga pagyamot na sana daw ay ibalik na lang ang Communist Party.

Ang tanging nagpabago ng sitwasyon ng Russia ay si Vladimir Putin, pagkatapos niyang palitan si Yeltsin as Russian President. Gumawa siya ng maraming reforms. Dumoble daw ang pangkaraniwang sinusuweldo ng mga Russian laborers under Putin's administration. Yumaman ang Russia at nabayaran nila ang foreign debts nila. Without bringing back the Communists. It simply turns out na Russia didn't need another Gorbachev or Yeltsin. Kinailangan nila si Putin, who was a better administrator than the former two. Gorbachev and Yeltsin laid the foundations for a democratic Russia, Putin built on them.

Photo Taken From:

http://www.ybw.com/img/newsdesk/ym/blog/putin-time2007.jpg

Could we really say we need another Cory? Or do we need someone with better abilities to build and expand on what she left for us? Obviously the past three Pinoy presidents who followed Cory couldn't exactly do that. They weren't much worse than Cory in administering to the Philippines, but they weren't exactly way much better, too. In fact, our present president as of this writing, si Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, is being labelled as practicing many policies which are not far from what Marcos promulgated during his term, policies which encourage widespread corruption and violent repression of dissent.

Maybe we don't need another Cory. She did her job as president once before and that's that. Let us look for someone really better, someone who can inspire, mobilize, and lead us towards further progress than whatever might have been done before. Cory laid the foundations, the next one should build higher than ever before upon them.

2) Ano Ba Kasi Ang Silbi Ng Demokrasya Para Sa Mga Pinoy?

While Marcos is perceived as the shrewd dictator who ruled with absolute power, Cory is revered as the one who brought democracy back to the people. One of the first manifestations of how this came about was the immediate relaxation of censorship on the news media. Biglang naging malaya ang mga diyaryo at mga komentarista sa radyo at telebisyon na mambatikos ng kahit sinong government official na tiwali. Sabi nila na kapag nalaman ng karamihan ng populasyong Pinoy ang mga pandaraya na ginagawa ng mga kriminal na officials ay mas mababawasan ang pag-asang manumbalik ang Marcos-style na diktadurya, kung saan madaling pagtakpan ang corruption.

Madaling kalimutan na kapag isang "democracy" ang isang bansa, malaki ang responsibilidad ng mga citizens ng bansang iyon na gawin ang nararapat para sa sarili nilang kaunlaran. Kumbaga, sa isang bansang democratic tulad ng Amerika, ang masa ang may pinakamabigat na responsibilidad para sa kinabukasan nila. Mahirap gawin yun. Ang "demokrasya" ang isa sa pinakamahirap itaguyod na gobyerno sa lahat. Mas madali pa nga ang "komunista" kasi mas kaunti ang responsibilidad ng tao na mag isip para sa sarili.

There's this saying which goes: "Freedom comes with great responsibility". Ang Pinoy kasi, mas sanay na diktahan, kesa sa mag isip para sa sarili. Kahit sa pagboto ng mga opisyal kapag may eleksiyon, karamihan sa atin nakiki uso na lang sa kung sino ang sikat. Democracy will not work on a herd mentality, o yung mentalidad na kung ano ang ginagawa ng nakararami ay siyang dapat ding gagawin mo. Oo nandyan na sinasabi na ang demokrasya ay "majority vote", pero kapag nangyayari ito, matagal na matagal, as in sobrang tagal, ng proseso bago makakuha ng "majority vote". Simple lang ang dahilan. It is the "presumption" in a democratic government na pinag iisipan ng husto ng mga botante ang pipiliin nila.

It's always said that America has faster elections compared to the Philippines. Not necessarily so. Mabilis magbilang ng boto ang Amerikano, pero ang proseso ng eleksyon nila ay napakatagal. Sobra lang advanced ang galaw ng mga partido doon kaya parang mabilis lang ang lahat. Tsaka ang screening process ng magiging kandidato nila doon sobrang higpit. Hindi tulad sa atin ngayon na kahit sino pwedeng kumandidato. Kahit sino, kahit 2 months na lang bago ang deadline ng submission ng certificates of candidacy, pwedeng bumuo ng sariling partido.

Sa demokrasya kasi, self-determination ang policy. Walang swerte swerte diyan. Tayong mga Pinoy malaki ang ipinauubaya natin sa swerte. Hindi sa atin natural na mag isip na ang ginagawa natin ngayong 2009 ay may bearing sa mangyayari sa 2019, 10 years from now. Mas madali nating sabihin sa sarili natin na "bahala na si batman basta gagawin ko ang gusto kong gawin, susuwertehin din ako niyan". Sa totoong demokrasya, iniisip mo ngayon pa lang kung ano ang kailangan mong gawin para 10 or 20 or 100 years from now gaganda hindi lang ang buhay mo kundi pati buhay ng anak at magiging anak mo. Kaya nga kapag nangangampanya sa mga eleksyon ang mga kandidato sa Amerika, lagi nilang sinasabi na "what we are doing is for our children and our children's children".

Sa turo kasi ng relihiyon, basta gumawa ka ng mabuti may biyaya ka. Kapag ang bansa ay matatag at magandang demokrasya, tulad ng Amerika, hindi ganun ka simple ang patakaran. Kailangan pag aralan nang mabuti ng bawa't mamamayan ang mga ginagawa niya, kung makakabuti ba iyon sa bansa o hindi. Kahit pa sabihin ng relihiyon na bawal ang divorce, o di kaya bawal ang abortion, para sa mga Amerikano ang tunay na demokrasya ay ipauubaya sa mga tao mismo kung gagawin ba nila ang mga ito o hindi, kaya legal pa din sa kanila ang divorce at abortion.

Kung may ginagawa mang katiwalian ang isang government official, sa isang bansang may demokrasya malaki pa rin ang nakasalalay sa mga taong bayan para puksain ang katiwalian niya, hindi ito pwedeng basta ipag sa Diyos lang. Kung nag iisip naman ang mga Pinoy officials na kumilos ayon sa prinsipyo na democratic country ang Pilipinas, hindi nila pwedeng ipaubaya sa Amerika ang pagdala ng yaman sa Pilipinas, o ipaubaya sa Amerika ang depensa ng Pilipinas laban sa kung sino man ang pwedeng makipag giyera sa atin. Ang karamihan ng mga magagandang bansang democratic, kung tutuusin, ay may high level of self-sufficiency. At naka plano na sa kanila ang kailangan nilang gawin for the next 10 or 20 years para sa kapakanan ng bansa nila.

Masasabi ba natin na ang Pilipinas ay tunay na demokrasya na ngayon? Kahit malaya pa tayong mambatikos ng ibang tao, masasabi ba natin na tayo din ang umaako ng responsibilidad para sa sariling bansa natin? Na hindi natin ito ipinauubaya sa Diyos o sa swerte? Sabi nga ni President John F. Kennedy, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."

Sabi nga nating mga Pinoy mas mabuti na ang demokrasya kesa sa komunista o diktadura. Pero kailangan maintindihan ng bawa't isa sa atin na kapag demokrasya nga tayo, malaking malaki ang responsibilidad nating bawa't isang Pinoy. Cory gave it back to us, it is up to us now to make the most of it. No one else will.

3) What Is The Simplest Way Towards "Pagkakaisa"?

Photo Taken From:

http://www.theworldofdj.com/wp-content/photos/pp01.jpg

The most popular song during the 1986 EDSA Revolution was "Magkaisa". So, we were supposed to unite back then against a dictator. So what do we unite for after the dictator left? It's a simple question with no simple answer.

Or perhaps the answer should be simple. Napakahirap magkaisa kung hindi natin maintindihan para saan ba ang pagkakaisa natin. Napakadaling sabihin na magkaisa tayo para "pagandahin ang buhay ng bawa't Pilipino". What should a good Pinoy life be like, anyway?

Perhaps it is a life much like what Singaporeans enjoy in their country. Halos lahat ng tao doon may magandang trabaho. Malinis ang mga kalye. Kakaunti lang ang krimen. Mababa ang corruption sa gobyerno nila. Sobrang taas ng sweldo ng mga tao doon, kahit mga katulong doon mas mataas pa ang sweldo kumpara sa mga teacher dito sa Pilipinas. Sa sobrang ganda ng sweldo ng mga maids doon pagka dami daming Pilipina ang pumupunta sa Singapore para mag maid. Kung lahat ng mga Pinay na domestic helper sa Singapore bumalik sa Pilipinas para maging maid ng mga Pinoy, lahat ng mga pamilya nila magugutom, hindi makakapag aral ang mga anak nila, mawawala ang lahat ng pag-asa nilang maka angat sa kahirapan. Mas mabuti pa kaya sa mga Pinoy na mabuhay katulad ng mga Singaporean?

To be sure, kung lahat ng Pinoy sumusuweldo nang kasing taas ng nakukuha ng mga Singaporean, wala nang dahilan para may pumunta pang Pinay doon sa Singapore para mag maid. Kasi kahit dito na sila sa Pilipinas mag trabaho, pareho lang ang makukuha nilang income.

Tsaka ang buong Pilipinas magiging ganito ang itsura:

Photo Taken From:

http://www.fashionart.it/training/Singapore.jpg

So, magkakaisa ba tayong lahat para isang araw maging parang Singapore tayo? Pwede yun. Napaka simpleng layunin yun. Pero dapat magkaisa din tayo kung kailan ang target date natin para maabot ang ganitong pamumuhay. 2009 ngayon. How many years before we become as rich and progressive as Singapore? 20 years? 30 years? 50 years? Imposible ba? May ibang bansa ba na nakagawa ng katulad nito?

Actually, meron. Pagkatapos ng World War II, the year 1946, lugmok ang Japan sa kahirapan. Natalo sila sa gera laban sa mga Amerikano, nasabugan sila ng dalawang atomic bomb, halos buong bansa nila nagiba dahil sa labanan. Nagkaisa sila na in 20 years, dapat naka ahon na sila sa kalagayan nila. More specifically, they wanted to become as rich as the United States of America, to the best of their abilities.

Tamang tama nga, pagdating ng 1966, nakita agad ng buong mundo na lumalapit na sila sa layunin nila, kasi umangat ulit ang ekonomiya nila. Dumami ang trabaho para sa mga Hapon. Gumanda ulit ang bansa nila, akala mo hindi nagdaan sa gera. Lalo pa silang yumaman habang dumaan pa ang ilang taon. Today, they are the second richest nation in the world. Ang mas mayaman lang sa kanila, Amerika. Malay natin kung in 10 years malampasan na nila ang Amerika?

Pwede kaya tayong magkaisa na payamanin ang Pilipinas sa loob ng 20 years?

Ang problema, pagkatapos nating makuha muli ang demokrasya, medyo nawala yata sa isipan ng mga Pinoy kung ano ba dapat ang mangyayari sa Pilipinas pagkatapos ng 1986. We suddenly didn't know what the Philippines is supposed to be, anyway. Iba iba ang opinion. Baka pwedeng magkaisa man lang muna tayo sa gusto nating mangyari. Mas simple naman ang usapan na ganun kesa kung anu ano pa ang sabihin na "to establish a democratic republic that cherishes and preserves the ideals of the people blah blah blah". Baka ang mas madali pang gawin natin, hanap tayo ng ibang bansa na pwede nating gawing modelo. Gusto ba nating maging parang Australia? Maging parang Japan? Korea? China? Gusto ba nating maging parang Amerika? Ilang taon ang kakailanganin natin para magawa yun? Kung may pinagkaisahan na tayo na bansang pwedeng tularan, mas madadalian na tayong kumilos.

Photo Taken From:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVYRTIwPEZOd94jgIy_QzNqB6-Cs_d9U6zMFuN6Sf631O6ceR_RQBBKBBYeZbArzR1KOBA19W7whDMrX-SIl46_ts6pXHYgVv89_bRjVMvFqn6sCx9zstcQXgvuz-Ad8fB28D6KyyrkO_p/s400/26462081_167192b3f1.jpg

Even if I did fail to visit our dear beloved Tita Cory during the time when her funeral procession traced its much celebrated path across Metro Manila from the Basilica of St. Peter to Manila Memorial Park yesterday, August 5, 2009--it doesn't really mean that I wouldn't do her the courtesy of paying my respects to her in the future. Isang araw, bibisita ako sa puntod niya sa Manila Memorial Park. Pero bago ko gawin yun, sisiguraduhin ko muna na kahit papaano may nagawa muna akong kontribusyon para makadagdag sa kung anuman ang ipinunla ni Tita Cory para sa Pilipinas. Sa ngayon hindi ko pa masasabing meron na. My personal commitment is to do so within 2 or 3 years. And then, I can finally visit Tita Cory. I hope I will not be alone when that time comes.

The greatest honor we can bestow on her, after all, is to make something happen together, so that her death would not really be in vain.

Photo Taken From:

http://inquirer.net/