The Age of Stupid 2

The strong rains brought floods that exposed a weak state and a weak republic. Let me add to that. The floods also exposed what we suspected before, the weak candidate of the administration will be a weak leader too. A blog exposed that the coordination efforts of the National Disaster Coordination Council was a disaster. A television footage of an NDCC meeting at the height of the relief efforts showed the military generals with heads bowed in shame because the NDCC was ineffective.

Meanwhile, life goes on in San Juan. We have always been in the forefront of flood stories before, but we take a backseat now despite the heavy damage Ondoy brought because other places were more devastated.

The photo at left shows the scene in front of our house four days after the flood. Contrast that with the other photo showing the actual flood in its early hours. The photo was taken around 1:30pm. The flood was deepest at around 7:00pm, when it was 2.5 ft more than the 1:30 level.

It took a while before things got a semblance of normality. But the people living under the bridge near SM Centerpoint (Sta. Mesa) were back as soon as the flood subsided. I observed them returning to their abode on the 27th, the day after the flood. The pictures, taken on the 29th, indicates that they have washed their clothes, salvaged their belongings and have started to move on. The SM high rise condominium complex in the background is less than 100 meters away.

There are hundreds of other households living near esteros, under bridges, and on other waterways. They clog the canals not only with their waste but with their very presence. They endanger their lives with every coming of the rains.

But how does a weak state implement existing laws against settling on these places?

It doesn't. This is the age of stupid.

White Hair Chronicles XI - Ondoy (Ketsana) and The Age of Stupid

I just watched "The Age of Stupid" last September 24. It is a documentary/ futuristic take on climate change that is more engrossing than Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth". And then on September 26, it was as if it actually happened. Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) poured torrents onto a hapless Metro Manila, deluging us without relent for 6 hours, resulting to the worst floods (I've seen many) I've experienced. This is the age of stupid and we have to learn fast.

I was about to leave early that Saturday morning. But the street was already flooded so I decided to stay home. My son, who was going to attend make-up classes, forgot to bring his lunch money and came back. It turned out to be wise decision. By 11:00 am the water on the street was already waist-deep, and the rains never let up.

My neighbor has moved by then his brand new Pajero to an elevated driveway in the barangay hall across my house. Flood water continued to rise and swiftly crept to the wheels of the Pajero. It was too late to move it to higher grounds because that would mean passing thru already chest deep floods. All the owner could hope for was for the flood to remain at that level.

By noon, the water is already around 8 ft high. And the current was strong. This flood is like no other that I've seen. Whereas before, the flood waters would slowly rise and then ebb, but not flow, as if it was slowly drained out. But this time, the water current was strong enough to move stranded vehicles.

By 2:00 pm, water has started to seep in the second floor of my house. We vainly tried to stack things on top of the tables. The water then was around 12-13 ft. When the flood reached electric outlets, we decided to move next door, where my mother lives. Her portion of the house has an attic, perhaps the floods won't reach us there.

Power was cut off. It was getting dark fast. We had to be rescued quickly before total darkness sets in. But help won't come soon.

Some brave souls decided to use an air bed to take us out of the house. It was around 5:00 pm. We had to go by batches. The first to go were my mom and the kids - my sons and nieces, then ladies - my wife and sister-in-laws. My brother and I carried them piggy back style. But going from the attic to the door meant wading through cold, murky, chest-deep floods, while pushing away floating tables, chairs, TVs, monitors, etc. in near total darkness. And in the little moonlight aided by a tiny penlight, I could see that there were snakes. They were around 10-12 inches long and just about a little finger in diameter, nevertheless, they were scary. I managed to grab a floating plastic flute recorder and swatted away the snakes. I hit around four snakes. It was crazy. This typhoon would put to shame any Hollywood special effects movie.

My brother and I and a neighbor were the last to leave. On the airbed, the rescuers deftly tried to veer away from sharp and pointed edges of the roofs we passed. The flood was already at roof level. They had tied lifelines on the posts. We tugged on the lifelines towards the direction of the higher ground, against the swift current. We passed several houses with people on the roofs begging to be let on the airbed too. But we were already five people on a 5'x6'x8" airbed. And we couldn't risk the airbed getting nicked by the galvanized roof sheets and us sinking to the rushing 15 foot-deep flood waters. After what seemed an eternity, we finally reached higher ground. I was gnashing and gritting my teeth. Perhaps from the cold, perhaps from anger. What stupid thing have we done to deserve this. It was only 7:00pm. It's going to be a long night.

We stayed at my brother's house in the next barangay. My sister-in-law's family is such a nice family. They gladly clothed and fed us. The kids were in high spirits despite the ordeal they just went through. We were thankful we survived. Fatigue and biting cold were not a concern. We were concerned about the others on the roofs we passed by. We were sure many, many more were in far worse condition.

By Sunday morning, the water was gone. It was only then that I discovered that a portion of our adobe wall had collapsed towards the vacant lot next to us. The snakes surely came from that lot. The great flood is over but the cleanup has yet to begin.

It was at that time that I felt I aged a lot overnight. I was soaked in flood waters for a long time, but I felt shriveled, humiliated, and puny against Ondoy.

I am in the age of stupid.

White Hair Chronicles IX - COBOL is 50

We mark this month the 50th year of the COBOL language. COBOL (COmmon Business Oriented Language) is one of the oldest programming language. It is also the first computer language I learned. I had to study it back in college. We used punched cards then for our programs that run on big-double-cabinet sized computers at the university.

According to Wikipedia, a specification for COBOL was initially designed by Grace Hopper. Committees were set up to recommend an approach to a common business language. On September 18, 1959, they decided on COBOL for the name.

I also used COBOL in my job as an Operations Research analyst, though I didn't use punch cards anymore, I typed directly on to dumb terminals of a ref-sized mainframe. That mainframe, which had a 90 MB hard disk (yes that's right 90 megabytes) that took half-day to format. There were no defragment tools then. But it also had a BASIC (BASIC itself is 45 years old) version that can do matrix algebra. COBOL is still very much around, though largely unseen.

Those were the days. Life was so much simpler.

"Ah, but I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now" - (My Back Pages-Bob Dylan)

White Hair Chronicles VIII - Ganito kami noon, ganito pa rin ngayon?

This week marks the 37th year of imposition of martial law. I was a frail, skinny kid then in a public elementary school and this weekend I will be meeting again with some classmates from those days, some I have not seen in 35 years. They will find me still frail and skinny and still a kid at heart.

I remember waking up and being told that were no classes that day, September 23, 1972, a Friday I think. We were not allowed to go out and check with our schoolmates/ neighbors. The streets were deserted anyway. No one knew what was going on. There were bombings and rallies going on the past weeks. Talks were rife that classes will be suspended until the end of the schoolyear. We were initially overjoyed but got immediately terrified when told that we may have to repeat the grade when school reopens.

The TV channels were cut off. When Marcos appeared on-screen with his "I hereby declare" speech, people confirmed what was whispered in hush-hush tones. After which, only one channel operated and all it showed was Maribeth Bichara gyrating in skimpy clothes, alternating with Sahlee Quizon and Sonny Cortez singing something about sugar.

I'm sure my classmates can fill up my fading memories of how things were. These days we also have insurgency, bombings, journalists/activists missing/getting killed, corruption, military in the bureaucracy, poverty, efforts to change the charter, and more recently spying on the academe. Jun Cruz Reyes was my Filipino literature instructor in high school while Bien Lumbera was my professor in Pilipino 41 (an elective course - Critical Thinking) in college.

Alex Magno refuses to see the parallels between the situation then and now. But Winnie Monsod believes we are still haunted by Marcos' martial law, enumerating the problems that hound us up to this day.

While Alex Magno insists that dictatorship is impossible at this time, it is not dictatorship per se that bothers us. It is the damage being done to the institutions just to perpetuate oneself in power. It is to that that we say never again.

Just do it.

The passivity and incompetence in Philippine bureaucracy can be partly traced to its segurista attitude. The tendency of upper management to be aristocratic and dictatorial together with their underlings' sipsip ways (unhealthy managing up) likewise lead to the lethargy. Many are unwilling to take initiative outside of what upper management hints, wary of their bosses' capacity to hold grudges.

So risk-aversion is ever the order of the day. Maybe the workforce should revisit the Grace Hopper quotations "It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission" and "A ship in a harbor is safe, but that is not what a ship is built for."

We need to remember that "winners take imperfect action while losers are still perfecting the plan" (Gina Graves).  Or as the commercial says "Just do it".

Bayan muna bago sarili

I would have voted for Mar Roxas.

I believe he is the only candidate that puts the nation's interests above his own. Not many can say that with Villar, Erap, and the others. I also think that despite his sputtering start, he is beginning to pick up momentum to figure prominently in succeeding surveys. He leads all other presidential contenders in an online poll at abs-cbnnews.com.

He has long been groomed by elder Liberal party leaders as the standard bearer, although others within the party demand a caucus. In a supreme display of statesmanship and in a class act worthy of emulation by all other oppposition candidates, Mar stepped aside to give way to the popular clamor for Noynoy to run. This move further marginalizes Liberal Party noisemakers led by GMA lapdog Lito Atienza. This morning on radio Atienza still insists on party consultations. I'm sure he will soon realize the small band of Liberals he leads shares the same thoughts of many Filipinos about Noynoy's candidacy.

With this great step, sacrificing his own ambition, I hope other opposition candidates likewise step aside to make a truly formidable opposition in the 2010 elections.

See also my new criteria for choosing the next president.

Pahabol sa buwan ng mga bayani

Dito sa Pilipinas, maraming ipinagdiriwang na piesta opisyal tuwing buwan ng Agosto. Ngayong taong ito, nadagdagan pa ang walang pasok noong ilibing (Agosto 5) ang Pangulong Cory Aquino. Tumingin ako sa Wikipedia at nalaman ko na marami mga bansa ang nagdiriwang naman ng araw ng kanilang kalayaan tuwing Agosto. Kasama sa mga ito ang Switzerland, Bolivia, Ecuador, Pakistan, Korea, India, Indonesia, Uruguay at Malaysia.

Agosto 1, 2009 nang pumanaw si Pang. Aquino. Agosto 1, 1944 naman ng mamatay si Pang. Manuel Quezon na isinilang din sa buwan ng Agosto (19), na ipinagdiriwang naman na araw ng Quezon. Isa pang dating pangulo, si Pang. Magsaysay, ay isinilang din sa buwan ng Agosto (31).

Tuwing ika-30 naman ng Agosto ipinagdiriwang natin ang Ang Araw ng mga Bayani bagama't inililipat ang pagdiriwang sa pinakamalapit na Lunes. Sa petsang ito, inaalala natin ang Sigaw ng Pugad Lawin ng mga rebolusyonaryong Katipunero sa pamumuno ni Ka Andres Bonifacio.

Sa Agosto ipinagdiriwang ang buwan ng wika bilang paggunita sa kaarawan ni Pang. Quezon, ang kinikilalang “Ama ng Wikang Pambansa”.  Sa mga malls sa ganitong panahon maraming mga paninda ang may kaugnayan sa ating kultura. Maraming mga t-shirts, souvenirs, at ibang memorabilia ukol sa Pilipinas ang mabibili. Mayroon ding mga maikling concerts, katuland ng isang napanood ko noong ika-29 sa SM Centerpoint, kung saan umawit si Bayang Barrios. Malayo na ang narating ni Bayang mula noong una siyang nakilala bilang kasama ni Joey Ayala at ang Bagong Lumad. Hindi na siya si Bayang na tila isang inosenteng katutubo. Naroon pa rin ang tanging kagandahan at angking talino sa pag-awit. Ngayon ay may dagdag na sopistikasyon sa kanyang imahe, kasama na rin na ang dagdag na timbang. Naroon pa rin ang katutubong tunog na napalawak naman ng idagdag sa areglo ang jazz beat.

Sa harap ng maraming suliranin sa ekonomiya, mahalagang patuloy nating bigyan pansin ang mga sariling atin. Ipagpatuloy sana natin ang pagtangkilik sa mga produktong gawa sa ating bayan. Makakatulong itong pabalikin ang sigla ng industriya at manggagawang Pilipino. Sana ay hindi magwakas ang pagbibigay pansin sa gawang Pilipino sa pagtatapos ng buwan ng pagdiriwang dito. Lalo na at papasok naman ang tinatawag na buwan ng -ber o -bre, at sa lalong madaling panahon ay kaPaskuhan naman, mamimili na naman ang sambayanan, kaya sana "Buy Philippine made products".

White hair chronicles VI

My son Vito turned 13 yesterday, formally making him a teenager, and thus further making me a tatang-ager. That is double jeopardy, being a tatang and an ager, suddenly I feel doubly old. When I was 13 myself, my father was a boyish 35. He was what some would call today "papa-ble". Whatever that means, it doesn't describe me now - grandfatherish on the wrong side of 40s. In fact many think I am Vito's grandfather.

The saving grace is I don't 'feel' old at all. Sure an elbow aches, DeQuervain's syndrome acts up on my right wrist - 12 years after my left wrist was operated on for the same reason, isolated white hairs grow on places where no hair grew before, and of course, 95% of the hair is white. But I definitely feel young. I can relate to what Vito likes and he can relate to what I enjoy. It helps that retro (emo?) fashion is in. It helps that he also appreciates the music I enjoy.

But retro fashion or not, only external appearances seem old. I still have the same idealism I had in my teens. The teenage angst back then is eerily the same as Generations Jones' anxieties today. But of course! The teenagers of old comprise the Generation Jones. Furthermore we had Marcos then, we have Gloria now. Same difference really. Even if some have moved to the other side of the fence, like administration apologist Alex Magno and GMA spokesman Gary Olivar.

So, has Philippine life gone full circle?
Or, have we moved at all?

Mass media "kills" GMA; there might be a method to her madness

GMA has been president for too long that when some people say president they inadvertently say Arroyo afterward. If it's election time and you're a candidate, that's good. But if the people's reaction is it's as if they wish it to happen, then it's bad, election or not and candidate or not.

In the TV/radio broadcast of former President Cory's wake and burial several reporters have 'killed' GMA. But they recover in time and manage to correct themselves.

But recovery was not possible in the 'killing' of GMA by the Manila Bulletin, August 6 edition. The paper might have discovered a sure way to boost readership. They carelessly captioned a photo (shown here) -"with utmost care, military...moves the coffin of President Arroyo...". I think there is one proofreader looking for a new job by now.



The Internet version of ABS-CBNnews also managed to inflict cancer to GMA in its report dated July 24, 2009, a snap shot of which appears on the left. The website has not been corrected since.

Mistakes or wishful thinking?
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There might actually be a method to GMA's madness in the recall of President Cory's security. We all know that the former president has been gravely sick. Her medical history was no secret, and even if it was, it is easy to get medical details. Remember GMA's boob job?

Malacanang surely knew that Cory's cancer has spread to her other organs and that she had just days to live. And being a former president, Cory is entitled to a state funeral that means means lying in state at the Palace. And the wake would mean throngs of people will troop to pay their respects. Malacanang can be sieged! So what can the taray queen do? Well something that will offend Cory's kin enough for them resent the government and thus reject a state funeral. Like withdraw the security perhaps?

So rightfully, the family rejected a state funeral which made GMA look bad. But GMA has a bad image anyway. And in the end, the thousands who paid their respects to Cory did so but not in Malacanang, where they could have had the naughty thoughts of reclaiming it.

GMA to insist on Cha-cha

NBN-4 televised yesterday CNBC's interview with Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. I caught a portion of it and from what I heard it seems that she will definitely push for Cha-cha. The interviewer, Maria Bartiromo, asked if she would want to continue as prime minister. GMA's reply was not a categorical no, but she insisted that fundamental reforms in the political system is necessary.

Our dysfunctional political institutions became that way because of GMA herself, and now she has the gall to declare that amendments are necessary. Fortunately, many now see through her devious plans. Definitely she will not succeed.

Here is the transcript from 7:26 to 8:42. In the video, you may slide the progress bar to around 7:26. Or click here to open a new window.


Maria Bartiromo - ...So it sounds like you are not done yet. You still have a lot left on your plate

GMA - YES!(grins and nods)
MB - Let me ask you this - would you like a constitutional amendment to a parliamentary system where perhaps you can serve as prime minsiter?

GMA - Well, I've always been saying there are two Philippines. One is where the economy is working again and moving forward. The other one is where the policitcal system is still broken. We've done many fundamental reforms in the economy and it's time to begin to do fundamental reforms in the political system. Now where that will go, what the specific reforms will be, that will be up to those who are in charge of doing such amendments.

MB - I guess there was a vote recently and a third of the people said that they do not expect PGMA to step down.

GMA - (chuckles) Oh well (unintelligible) that's only a third and that's not true and I've said it over and over again, my term ends in 2010 but until the last day I'm going to continue to work hard for our economy, our environment, and our education,

MB -  Sounds like the people likes you to be there beyond 2010 which I'm sure is a very nice feeling for you.

GMA - The important thing is what we must do within this next year.

Cory's death further isolates GMA

When I woke up last Saturday, I was expecting the GMA-friendly press to harp on the meeting between GMA and Obama. The TV news last Friday night was already half-agog with the success of the meeting. It is no secret that GMA was angling for a meeting for the longest time.

To many's sad surprise what instead greeted us was the news of Cory's death. She had a tough battle with cancer and we knew she'll be gone soon, but the news still jolted the Filipinos. The beloved former president, the symbol of democracy, the brave widow of a martyred hero, is gone. And with that whatever trumpeting of the GMA-Obama meeting was trumped. Even in death Cory spoiled GMA's glory.

In no time at all, the networks pulled all the plugs and flooded us with profuse praise for the former president. It was people-power relived even for a short while. We are again united. But as if to validate Imelda's rehabilitation two decades hence their ignonimous exit, little mention was made about the former first lady and her excesses. The Inquirer's report on her 80th birthday last July seemed like a report from a martial law controlled paper. Yes, today even Imelda enjoys better press than Gloria.

In an interview at her mother's wake, Kris Aquino thanked the Marcoses for their prayers for Cory. Later she also thanked Erap. But she expressed hurt feelings about the present administration's withdrawal of the security detail for her mother. She also effectively refused the offer of a state funeral. Cory's family is not even  keen on seeing GMA at their mother’s wake or funeral. Meanwhile, a coup plotter during Cory's presidency salutes (click here video) the dead president. Col. Ariel Querubin said "It is no secret that I was one of those who led the coup against her administration in 1989 and I am glad that 20 years then, the wounds brought about by that exercise have begun to heal. At this time of national grief, and in her honor, I give my former Commander-in-Chief my snappy salute. Farewell, Mrs. President."

Healing the wounds of EDSA is one of GMA's priorities. That may be happening but no thanks to this administration. GMA's increasing isolation hastens the healing process. And as soon as she is gone, the nation will again become as one.

It wasn't a SONA, it was SANA

There's a world of difference between truth and facts. Facts can obscure the truth.--Maya Angelou

To be persuasive, one must be believable. To be believable, we must be credible. To be credible, we must be truthful.--Edward R. Murrow

The most dangerous of all falsehoods is a slightly distorted truth.--G. C. Lichtenberg 

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People are still wondering what country was described by Gloria in her SONA last Monday. Maybe she thought she would be delivering not a SONA but a SANA or Statement of Activities Not Accomplished. Sana is the Tagalog word used to express unreal futurity in the past or doubtful futurity in the present; it is also used to express uncertainty; or to mean "if only" or "I wish".

Sure she can boast of the nautical highway as roll-on roll-off ports were built. But the other claims are dubious. The claims on the poverty reduction are belied by statistics from her own agency that measure those stats. NSCB data shows poverty incidence to be about the same since she assumed office. Moreover, the Social Weather Stations released on the same day as the SONA survey results indicating that hunger is rising under her watch.

The PCIJ assessed GMA's accomplishments and they came out with a two part report. The report gave her a grade of conditional failure. And riddle me this, she claims foreign direct investments grew by leaps and bounds in her term but still her partymates want to tinker with the constitution in the guise that doing so will attract foreign investments. If GMA can boast that investments are coming in, why change the constitution at all?

Lies + verbal jabs + fashion statements + patutsadas = Twitter top trend

As expected, many find the SONA as a pack of lies. The Philippine twitter scene was abuzz. Jim Paredes was impressed but wondered what country GMA was describing. I pity her ghost writers now. She must miss the previous ones who managed to give her speeches some tone of credibility. Or it must be simply that her credibility has gone down south so much that anything she says sounds like lies.

I will let the experts dissect and analyze the details. I found the fashion statements and the patutsadas more interesting. The first photo (from the GMANews) shows Rep. Liza Maza in a white katsa (flour sack) gown. The gown is hand-painted with a golden image of GMA, who is shown weaving an embroidery of the constitution (Con-Ass), while the people below her are strangled by its thread.

The second photo (also from the GMANews) shows Rep. Riza Hontiveros celebrating GMA's last SONA in a white pearl-scale gown embellished it with a red floral accent and a yellow ribbon for Cory.

But the real eye catcher is Sen. Loren Legarda's gown. That ensemble made Sen. Miriam Santiago look like her alalay.

Based on what I heard at the SONA, I think Sen. Manny Villar may yet end up as the administration candidate. Understandably, GMA will not hit his partymates at the SONA. But she swung at her opponents. So in her potshot at Erap, who still dreams of returning to Malacanan, - "Those who live in glass houses should cast no stones. Those who should be in jail should not threaten it, especially if they have been there." - touche. She was just being her taray self.

Even her party mate, former president Fidel Ramos, received a joust. She said "the noisiest critics of constitutional reform tirelessly and shamelessly attempted Cha-cha when they thought they could take advantage of a shift in the form of government. Now that they feel they cannot benefit from it, they oppose it." It can be remembered that Ramos attempted charter change during his term.

She had some advice to presidentiables - "To those who want to be President, this advice: If you want something done, do it hard, do it well. Don’t pussyfoot. Just do it. Don't say bad words in public." It is an obvious dig at Sen. Mar Roxas who once cursed publicly in disgust. And where does Mar Roxas post his reply? In Twitter, where else - "Gloria, I have to say bad words in public because of bad deeds done in secret."

So why do I think Villar may yet be GMA's candidate? Despite his lead in the surveys (he was ahead of Erap and Mar), he was spared from the patutsadas as if he were a partymate.

Onli in da Pilipins.

Filipinos have a folk belief that if someone is falsely reported to have died, that person will live on even longer, lalong hahaba ang buhay. That must have been the intention of those who started the text rumors that former President Cory Aquino has died. The speed, power, and persuasiveness of text messaging in Manila was such that the false news was even announced by a former Supreme Court justice after a mass for the former president. Talk about verifying the info at hand. A foreign embassy also has sent condolences to Cory's family based on the false alarm. If the pamahiin or kasabihan comes true to form, Cory will still be around for a while.

On the other hand, many can't wait for Gloria Arroyo to go. For every man who prays for Cory to live, there are definitely more who pray for Gloria to leave. The US might have reservations on electing a woman president but the Philippines had two within a very short span of time. Where else have they had two women presidents like we had? One is a picture of hope, the other a picture of hopelessness. Onli in da Pilipins.

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There will lots of protest actions in today's state of the nation address by Gloria. This day is also the Iglesia ni Cristo anniversary. This day is a special working holiday, as announced by GMA, by virtue of RA 9645 which declared July 27 a special working holiday. There was some confusion after she made the announcement. Many thought that it will be another long weekend, as she has a holiday economics policy. Additionally, Gloria had proclaimed non-working holidays to send students and the rest of the public to enjoy themselves when prospects of them joining political rallies were high. But today turns out to be a special working holiday. Where else do you work on holidays? And special ones at that. Onli in da Pilipins.

Stinking Homeland's Incredible Tales

If the US President has his annual State of the Union Address as mandated by their constitution, the Philippine President has her State of the Nation Address or SONA. President Arroyo will deliver her SONA on Monday, July 27. According to Press Secretary Remonde, she will clarify many political issues and highlight the accomplishments of her 8-year term. Remonde added that the President will discuss political reforms that will complement her planned economic reforms. Many local political pundits await if it would include a push for Charter change, or if she would bare her political ambitions.

Equally many, on the other hand will not care at all. To them the event on Monday is "SO WHAT!" or the State Of the Whole Homeland And Territories.

To those who feel bad for themselves at the way this dispensation has treated them, they want Arroyo to say   "SORRY" - State Of the Residents and Regions Yearnings.

If Arroyo remains the taray-queen, bitchy, aloof and snobbish, her speech will be "SUPLADA" - Some Updates on the Philippine Life And Direction Address.

If her speech will be full of lies and will not make sense, it is "NOT SMART" - No Other Than Snobbish Macapagal-Arroyo Represses Truth.

The speech can turn out to be self-gratuitous, wherein it will be called "SALSAL" - Speech of Arroyo: Last Sona, At Last.

But to many Filipinos the presidential speech on Monday will be just full of - Stinking Homeland's Incredible Tales - or just full of "SH*T".

A short history of the Philippines

This is an email I got last Independence Day. Are we really malas or can we make our own destiny?

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WHAT'S the big deal when Lapu-Lapu killed Magellan in 1521? Nothing much really. During Lapu-Lapu's time, Mactan was strictly tribal. Think small, gid. There were no big ideas such as nationalism or geopolitics.

Lapu-Lapu was simply, the local siga-siga and Magellan was the culture-shocked Westerner, a native first-timer in the exotic east.

We lionize Lapu-Lapu as a hero and nationalist. Ang totoo, mayabang lang si Lapu-Lapu. But his defeat of a foreign invader, did not make a Filipino nation. The timing was wrong. And don't you believe that bull that Spanish explorers came to find spices of the East to improve the taste of their bland cuisine. Their hidden agenda was to spread their kingdom through colonization, the euphemism for land grabbing.

During the 333 years of Spanish rule (1565-1898), hundreds of rebellion were waged by native firebrands in many parts of the archipelago.

Not one succeeded. Our rebels were either caught, garotted, or simply ignored by the Commandante as nuisances. Puro malas!

The execution of Rizal in 1896 was a traumatic experience for Filipinos. Those who read Rizal's Fili and Noli were incensed by the abuses of the church and state regime of the Spaniards. Emotions ran high, from Aparri to Jolo. The critical mass needed for nationhood was formed. At last we could rebel as a people, as a nation.

The Katipunan did their battle heroics, originally led by the firebrand Bonifacio and later on by the crafty Aguinaldo. With more Katipunan charges (Sugod mga Kapatid), freedom seemed possible. Between 1897 and 1899, stealth, betrayal, and skullduggery bedeviled our prospect for independence. The Aguinaldo and Bonifacio factions engaged in an ugly infighting (the talangka mentality) resulting in the execution of Bonifacio.

Meantime, an American Admiral named Dewey (not Dewey Dee, the fast one) entered Manila Bay and defeated a lackluster Spanish navy. Aguinaldo reneged on the pact of Biak na bato.

He resumed the revolution by proclaiming the Philippine Independence in Kawit. June 12. From who? We are still under the Americans & Spaniards at that time.

Meanwhile, American and Spanish soldiers held a "moromoro" battle in Intramuros with the Spaniards surrendering. Aguinaldo's republic and his KKK patriots were left out and ignored. Naisahan tayo... Minalas na naman.

The Filipino-American War broke out. Tall American soldiers looking like Clark Gable chased and battled the outlawed Filipino revolutionaries, ending in the capture of Aguinaldo in Isabela. Thanks to the mercenaries from Macabebe. This is the second time those Macabebe turn in their own kind first the Spaniards. This was the mother of all kamalasan.

At that time, our population was 8 million. The gap between the rich and the poor was estimated at 30% middle-class and rich, 70% low-class and rural poor.

During the Commonwealth period (1901-1941), which followed, there were lots of learning on democratic principles, its structure and governance. Technology transfers were done on Constitutional Rights, Public Education, Transportation, Health, International Trade and Industrialization. The Americans turned out to be good tutors. Filipinos also went crazy over American brand products like Libby's corned beef and Portola sardines, Hershey's Kisses and Wrigley's chewing gum, Camel cigarettes and Model T Ford for the hacienderos of Pampanga and Iloilo .

Hollywood films made Pinoy males fantasize on Jean Harlow, Betty Grable, and Mae West. Thus, Filipino colonial mentality began. We fondly called this period Peace Time. By the way, American troops massacred innocent people in Balanguiga. Mga hayup din pala!

1941. Disaster! World War II! After attacking Pearl Harbor , the Japanese army invaded our country defeating the combined American and Filipino forces (USAFFE). General McArthur, the proud and handsome Army chief, fled to Australia at the height of the battle. Then the Filipinos march to Bataan as the prisoner in the Death March.

For four miserable years we suffered the sadism of the Japanese militarists rule. Torture, famine, and death were for us, the order of the day... Kawawa. Malas na malas!

The American forces returned in 1945 to liberate the country. McArthur, General superiority complex himself, sporting Ray Ban sunglasses and corncob pipe swaggered back to Manila . Piqued at his humiliation in 1941, McArthur ordered the bombing and shelling of Manila till kingdom come. So he can get back at Japs for wrecking his R&R place in Asia. Malas na naman.

The whole-wide expanse South of Pasig - from Post Office to Vito Cruz, including all of Intramuros - was pulverized. Manila was the most destroyed city of World War II next to Tokyo .

Our culture, our heritage, and historical assets (seven beautiful churches in Intramuros, hundreds of elegant Art Deco and neo-classical architecture in Paco) were sacrificed recklessly and completely erased from the face of the earth. Sayang na sayang!

In 1946, we gained our Independence from the Americans. We were a free nation at last. A true Independence day for us July 4th 1946 not the June 12th that Aguinaldo declared and Marcos celebrated. We had enough exposure and lessons on how to govern a democratic country, the first in Asia . Our population was 17 million. The dollar exchange was US$1 to P2.

But there was still no peace from 1947 to 1966. A widespread communist rebellion led by Taruc, the Lava brothers, and its armed guerillas called Hukbalahap (Supposed to be Hukbong Laban sa Hapon) waged bloody war with government troops and turn out to be nothing but bandits in disguised. Filipinos killed kapwa Filipinos. Malas na naman!

Our politicians and bureaucrats learned to engage in graft and corruption (What are we in power for?) - such as the war surplus bribery, the Tambobong wheeler-dealing and the Namarco scam. Talo!

Six presidents were elected to manage the country from 1947 to 1972, under the democratic system. They were Presidents Roxas, Quirino, Magsaysay, Garcia, Macapagal, and Marcos.

Economists looked back to the decades of the 50s and 60s as the best years of the Philippine economy, surpassing Asian countries. The nostalgia was naiveté, a useless ego-tripping. The gap between the rich and the poor remained big. 30% middle-class and rich, 70% low- class, rural and urban poor. We were 27 million people. US$1 was to P4.

During the late 60's, the Maoist communists led by Commander Dante intensified its drive to overthrow the government.. Marcos added fuel to the fire by creating a communist spook. Violence and mayhem rule the streets. The youth went up in arms! Martial Law was declared in 1972 and Marcos became dictator. Freedom of assembly and expression went out of the window..

What followed were years of dictatorial abuse, crony capitalism, shackled free enterprise, near economic collapse and a demoralized middle class. The gap between the rich (30%) and poor (70%) remained in a quagmire. Pareho rin pala ang situation.

Our population was 40 million. Exchange rate was US$1 to P7.. Kawawang kawawa! Malas na malas! In 1983, Ninoy Aquino, Marcos' exiled arch rival, was assassinated upon his return. Push came to shove. Cardinal Sin egged on the people on to protest. Outrage, self- pity, shame and fury raged and rumbled like a tidal wave, culminating in the incredible People Power Revolution. The very sick and obstinate Marcos fled (hijacked by Americans from Clark) to Hawaii (sounds like Paoay) where he died. His alleged millions of stolen dollars intact and unresolved. Up to now... Peso to dollar exchange is now P20 to $1.

But People Power was our shining glory! The whole world applauded our saintly courage, our dignified defiance, our bloodless solution to expel a dictator. We were the toast of all freedom-loving countries, the envy of all oppressed people. In 1986, we placed Cory Aquino, Ninoy's widow, in Malacañang. She was virtuous, sincere and full of good intentions for the country. But what happens under Cory?

An endless brown out and living in a portable generators is a must and monopolize be Cory's relatives who threw out her Energy Dept down to Pasig river.

The land reform she professed and promised was going good at first but after she found out her Hacienda Luisa will be greatly affected that program went down the Pasig river too!. No wonder that river is so polluted.

Coup attempts by Honasan, power struggle, political squabbles, and the infighting for juicy deals harassed the amateur Cory presidency. So nothing happened. No progress took place. The economy was still bad. The poor suffered more and more. Sure we got democracy back on its feet. But the Filipino resolve didn't happen. People Power pala was ningas cogon power.

Sayang na sayang! Tha gap between the rich and the poor remained at 30% (middle-class and rich), 70% (lower-class and rural/urban poor). Exchange rate was US$1 to P25. We were 55 million people.

In 1992, Cory's choice, Fidel Ramos, West Pointer, soldier, and hero of the People Power won the presidency. He had the bearing, the single-mindedness and the vision to bring the country to a tiger economy status. Ramos was a terrific salesman of the Philippines to the world. He was able to hype a climate of an economic ground. He removed barriers to progress. He was an apostle of privatization. His mantra was, less government, more private sector! Fidel hit the right note and the economy went on a roll.

Fidel wanted to run for reelection but failed to swing the cha-cha (an idiotic acronym for Constitutional Change) so he could run again.

In 1997, the Asian economic crises struck, triggered by a balloons burst of the hyper speculative Bangkok economy. The financial debacle created a disastrous effects in the investment institutions of Manila , Jakarta , Kuala Lumpur , Hong Kong, Seoul , and Taiwan .

All the Ramos gains evaporated into thin air. Malas na naman! The poor, specially Mang Pandoy, were poorer than ever.

1998 was showbiz time! The Erap para sa mahirap show opened to the chagrin of Makati Business Club. Pasensya na po kayo, mga elitists. Democracy is also weird. The choice of the masa must be respected.

Catastrophe! Chavit Singson exploded jueteng bombs! For days on end, a nation sick in the stomach, sat through primetime TV aghast at watching the bizarre drama of alleged bribery, gambling, drunkenness, womanizing, deceit, and corruption. A lantern-jawed witness and a sexy intelligence "asset" hogged the witness stand.

Viewing the scandals on TV was like watching dogs mating in the public square. It's embarrassing but you can't take your eyes of them.

The impeachment trial serialized on TV was riveting.. The defense lawyers, some wearing a canine sneer (ngiting aso) insulted our intelligence often. (Lokohin n'yo ang lelang n'yo). The whole country was stinking to high heavens.. The prosecution produced its own witnesses - Clarissa Ocampo, Emma Lim, Carmencita Itchon and many others.

Idols with feet of clay fell crashing into the dust. Those who voted against opening the enveloped were legalese, procedural, and sounding intellectually brilliant. Also heartless and thick-skinned. They couldn't fathom the heartbeat of the nation. Cardinal Sin, aging and sickly, called the people again. It was People Power II!

Same humongous and collective umbrage, same brinkmanship, and same staccato prayers! Generals Reyes and Villanueva simply joined the mammoth EDSA crowd. No US jets from Clark this time. Erap was out!
Gloria was in!

Hope springs eternal. Malacañang regained its honor and dignity. Protocol was observed. Absurdity was gone.. Grammatical English was back. Now the first gentleman should have been named Mr. Pakyao, he has the monopoly of the graft behind Gloria's back.

2001. More catastrophies! The peso plummeted to a horrifying P51 to US$1. The Abu Sayyaf (extremist ideologues? Or mindless barbarians) were into kidnapping and terrorism, gaining worldwide notoriety. Businesses are still closing shop. Thousands of workers are being retrenched. Prices of food and gasoline are very high. (Galunggong is P80 per kilo!) Our streets became permanent garbage dumps. Maggots multiply to spread disease. Our communities stink.

Again, the whole nation was witnessing sickening crimes attributed to people in the government. Talo na naman! We are now 75 million people but the gap between the rich, 30% (middle-class and rich), 70% (lower-class and rural/urban poor) remains the same for one century.

When will this end? It's been more than 350 years since Lapu- Lapu's victory, 100 years since Rizal martyrdom and we're nowhere as a people, as a nation. Malas pa rin!

Some wise guy said the Filipino is a damaged culture. Bully! And what do you call other foreigners. They used slaves in their plantations, and landgrabbed from the natives! What should we call such culture? Predatory Culture? Bully Culture? What about another country? How many countries did it put under the barrel of its gunships, so they could gloat that the sun never sets on their empire?" What shall we call this culture?

Sahib culture? Gunga Din culture? C'mon, give us a break!

We Filipinos have strengths and endearing values. We are Christians, God-fearing, and peace-loving. We are patient and tolerant (matiisin to a fault). We are musical. We sing our blues away. We have a sense of humor. (We concoct and text Imelda hyperboles and Erap malapropism. ) We learn fast because we are bilingual and highly educated.

We've got thousands of MBA's and PhD's in economics and management from AIM, WHARTON, HARVARD, UCLA, etc (most of them now overseas).

We've got a surplus of technocrats for nation-building.
We want to work if there are vacancies.
We want to go into business if we have the capital.
We want to obey the law if the law is being enforced.
We want to live and die here, if there is peace and order.

But, but, and but. We have many shortcomings. We are immature in our politics. Given a choice on whom to elect: a handsome pabling movie star or an honest and brilliant political scientist, we'll vote for the movie star.

No brainer tayo dito. Talo! We have many stupidities. Like dogs, we pee (Bawal umihi dito) on walls and tires. Our driving is suicidal. Our service quality is inferior.

Clerks at City Hall act arrogant. Sales ladies at department stores don't know their product features. No exchange No return even it is defective you have to argue for it. Tourists get mugged by thugs in uniform.

Police lay traps so they can catch you and ask for bribe. What's wrong with us? We don't have a great leader. And good governance. (In Singapore , Lee Kwan Yu did it. The constituency profile is similar to Filipinos.) Admittedly, this country is impossible, tiresome, and frustrating.

But it's the only country we've got.

We live and die here.
Will we ever see the dawn?
Dios na mahabagin, Kailan pa kaya? Ubos na ang aming luha. Katog na ang aming mga tuhod. Tuyot na ang aming utak. Hingal na ang aming puso.
Dios na mahabagin, isalba Mo po kami. Hindi po kami talunan. At lalo pong hindi kami tanga. Sunod-sunod lang po ang malas.

San Miguel wins - at last, in the San Miguel league

Congrats SMB! The San Miguel Beermen ended four years of frustration by smashing a depleted Barangay Ginebra Kings in the 2009 PBA Fiesta Conference. San Miguel came from behind after being down 3-2 in the best-of-seven series.

San Miguel was much too deep the injury-riddled Ginebra who was simply too tired in the final game. San Miguel coach Siot Tanquincen finally won a crown for SMB.

The San Miguel team was actually a very deep team in all positions for several years now. But the potential never came to fruition under Tanquincen. I was so frustrated with his inability to win a champinship that I initiated a 'fire Siot' movement in a basketbal forum thread/poll. There were many others who were equally dismayed and the thread ran for a long time. The poll showed 70% wanted Siot out as coach since last year.

But with the win, Siot made a lot of SMB fans happy at the moment. His tenure is safe for another conference at least.

The best of seven series still produced a lot of thrills notwithstanding the corporate relations between the two teams. The PBA is truly a San Miguel league with three of the 10 teams (can be actually four) from the San Miguel conglomerate. That makes SMB, Ginebra, and Purefoods (and maybe Coca-Cola) sister teams. In this situation, accusations of a 'scripted' series abound. With its vast corporate resources, SMB teams manage to corner the top players money can buy and go circuitous routes to go around league rules on player transfers. So with the supposed 'script', Purefoods is poised to win the next championship.

Is this situation healthy? The other team owners do not seem to mind, after all PBA continues to provide good exposure for their products. But the rigodon of the players around the league leaves sports fans lost. In the Toyota-Crispa days, PBA fans are fans of the teams. Either you're a Toyota fan or a Crispa fan. When these teams disbanded and the players dispersed to other teams, the players took along their fan base to their new teams. So San Miguel acquired a lot of new fans with the arrival of Mon Fernandez. It was the same with Ginebra when Sonny Jaworski came on board.

What happens when players move around a lot? Team fans lose their identities too. Fans don't root for a team anymore, they root for the players. As a fan, I think rooting for a team is much better than rooting for a particular player, after all basketball is a team game. When fans start to root for a player and not for the team, and if the players move around teams a lot, that defeats the purpose of maintaining a team for product marketing purposes. With the grand exception of the San Miguel teams. The PBA has to do something about the San Miguel stronghold over the league.

“Our Culture is our Destiny”

From an email now circulating the rounds:

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In 1994, Lee Kuan Yew, the father and the builder of modern Singapore, was interviewed by Time Magazine. In one portion of the interview, Lee Kuan Yew was asked about the importance of culture.

Lee Kuan Yew said “culture is destiny”. Your culture is your destiny. Your culture will determine your destiny. Your set of beliefs will determine how far you will go in life. If you believe you are a failure, you will be a failure. If you believe you are great, you will be great. If you want to excel, you must build a culture of excellence. If you want to become great, you must build a culture of greatness.

Lee Kuan Yew said that this applies not only to an individual person. It also applies to a people. A people’s culture will determine the destiny of that people.

It is in this context that I wish to talk to you briefly about our story as a people.

We were a colony of Spain for 333 years, which ended only in December 1898. For 333 years, the Spaniards in our country did not treat our people kindly. In fact, they treated our people harshly, violently. At the height of its power in our country, there were just around 40,000 Spanish soldiers in our country, controlling and subjugating more than 1 million Filipinos. The Spaniards conquered and subjugated our people physically, thru superior weapons. But more importantly, they conquered and subjugated the spirit of our people.

The Spaniards called our people many bad and demeaning names. They called us Juan Tamad, or lazy Joe, and made us believe that we are a lazy people. Even inside the churches, in the pulpits, the Spanish Friars or priests called us – tanga, bobo, at tamad. They ridiculed the Filipino as dumb, dull and stupid. This they did continuously, often with violence, on our people, for 333 years. Until it killed the spirit of many of our people – the spirit to fight, the spirit to aspire, the spirit to excel, the spirit to aim high and dream big.

Napoleon Bonaparte said – the best conquest is the conquest of the mind and the heart.

To ensure that the almost 1 million Filipinos will not be united in a revolution against the 40,000 Spanish soldiers, the Spaniards sowed disunity and division among our people. This they did as a policy. They made Filipino families and clans fight among each other, by sowing intrigues among them. This the Spaniards did also for more than 300 years. As a result, many Filipinos did no trust one another, did not help one another, did not work with one another.

When the Spaniards left our country in 1898, after it sold our country to the United States, the 2 most serious problems they left the Filipino people were these – first, the Filipino lost his faith in himself, his self-respect and self-confidence. The Filipino had a very low and negative self-image of himself. Second, the Filipino people did not trust one another and could not work with each other.

The American rule of our country for the next 42 years aggravated these problems. The Japanese occupation of our country from 1941 to 1945 worsened the problems. The Japanese soldiers raped our daughters and sisters and enslaved our men.

We became a free people only in 1946 – that is 63 years ago. If you deduct 14 years of Martial Law from there, we are just 49 years old as a free people.

As you can see, we are still a young nation, a people that is still in search for itself, a nation that is still trying to find its own place under the sun.

But today, our Philippines is perceived as the most corrupt country in the whole of Asia and the 11th most corrupt in the whole world.

Today, our country is considered one of the poorest countries in Asia despite the fact that it is the 5th richest in mineral deposits out of 239 countries in the world, notwithstanding the fact that it has one of the richest natural resources in the world, despite the fact that it is the richest in marine life biodiversity in all the world.

Today, according to a Time Magazine article dated 24 November 2008, almost 10 million of our youth are growing up without a father or a mother by their side because the father or the mother has to find work abroad because our country could not provide the jobs to their fathers and mothers.

Today, almost 11 million of our youth are classified as out-of-school youth. They are school aged and should be at school, but they are not at school. They are out there in the streets or in the squatters or in the mountains of poverty.

Today, out of 20 million families in our country, 5 million families are homeless, living in the slums of poverty as squatters.

Today, the problems created and caused by foreign invaders and rulers of our country still exist in the hearts and minds of many of our people. Today, many of our people still have no faith in the Filipino and consider our Philippines a hopeless country. Many among us still bash the Filipino in front of foreigners and speak negatively about our country. Today, many of our people just think and live only for themselves and their families, but never for the whole Filipino people. A number of our political and government leaders, while in public office, just serve themselves and their families, and not the public interest. Many business people only think much of themselves and their families, but not much of their employees and their employees’ families.

Kanya-kanya at pamilya-pamilya pa rin lang ang marami sa atin. As a people, we still have difficulty attaining national unity in our acts for our country.

Our culture is our destiny. Our culture as a people will determine our destiny as a nation.

In 1987, American writer James Fallows called us a people with a damaged culture because, according to him, we do not have a sense of community as a people. We do not care for one another.

Today, one of the major challenges we face today as a people is this – How do we heal ourselves as a people? How do we repair the damage in our culture that was deeply inflicted in us as a people for almost 400 years? How do we build the greatness of Filipino? How do we make the Filipino truly great and respectable in the eyes of the world?

Truly, we need to rebuild the greatness of ourselves as a people, and this we can do and we must do piece by piece, block by block, group by group, town by town, city by city – until such time that our archipelago of 7,107 islands truly believe in one fundamental thing – that we Filipinos are one people. And that as one people, we are also just one family.

At this juncture, allow me to tell you a portion of my story.

I am a father of four (4) young children, the oldest of whom is 13 years old, while the youngest is just 3. As a parent, I dream of a beautiful country for all my children, one where their dreams are possible to attain, however high they may seem. A society that offers them boundless opportunities and limitless possibilities. One that can and is willing to pay the full value of their talent and hard work, in the same way that America and Canada are able to pay the full value of the talent and hard work of their own people. A nation that respects all their rights and liberties, and one that can provide them justice when an act of injustice is committed against anyone of them. A country that will make them truly proud of themselves as Filipino, one that will make the rest of the world respect the name Filipino.

As a Filipino, like Tito Tony Meloto and Gawad Kalinga, and perhaps like many of you, I also dream of a beautiful Philippines for the Filipino people. I dream of a Philippines that is beautiful in its march to progress, because it seeks prosperity for all and not only for a few, because there is enough for every Filipino and his family, because no Filipino family is left behind in the streets or in slums to suffer in poverty and misery. I dream of a country that is founded on love for one another, one where there is a culture of familihood among our people, because we as a people commit to the noble idea that we are our sister’s and our brother’s keeper. A society where the weakest of our people can also be strong, where the poorest among us can also be wealthy. A nation where law and justice is the rule, where the mighty are just, where the lowly are secure. A society that can meet the lowest needs and the highest expectations of our people. A country where every child is able to study, where every graduate is able to find work. A country where every Filipino can attain the fullness of life as he or she conceives it to be, one that can bring out the best, the highest, and the most beautiful of our people, so the Filipino may become a model and a light to many parts of the world.

On January 20, 1961, President John F Kennedy, in whose name and honor this school of government of Harvard is dedicated, called on the American people in his Inaugural Address – “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country”.

That is the most famous line the world remembers today of John F Kennedy. His call for patriotism, for good citizenship. His call for the American people to step up on their love for their country.

That is also what we are trying to do in our country today. That is also call I make in my book “12 Little Things Filipinos Can Do To Help Our Country”.

But the biggest call in our country today is the one that Tito Tony Meloto and Gawad Kalinga are making to all Filipinos all over the world. A call to care for the poorest of our poor, a call to build homes for our 5 million homeless families, a call to provide the poorest of our people the opportunity to live among us in society, with dignity and hope.

Today, GK brings home millions of our people abroad, to help rebuild our country, to help build the greatness of the Filipino. Today, GK stands as the best vehicle that can unite all Filipinos from all over the world. It is the best hope for our 5 million families who are homeless in the very land where God planted them. GK is the best tool that can build the greatness of the Filipino. It is the best vehicle that can bring us to our dream of a beautiful Philippines.

I believe that there are six (6) core values we should all believe in as a people. These core values could serve as the foundations of the culture of greatness we wish to build for the Filipino.

First, as a people, we should believe that the Philippines is our Motherland. It is the birthplace of our race. It is the home of the Filipino. The Jewish Americans tell their children that while America is their country, Israel is their motherland. Israel is the home of the Jew. Japanese Americans do the same to their children. The Chinese and the Korean Americans too. We as a people, wherever we maybe in the world, should do the same. We should believe that, for it is the truth. Wherever we maybe in the world, we should tell our children that, so our young may grow up with deep love and affection for our motherland. For truly, Philippines is the country our Creator chose and gave to us as a people.

Second, as a people, we should believe that the Filipino is great for he is a child of a great God who truly wants him to be great. The Filipino is a child of God no less than the American, no less than the French or the Italian, no less than the stars above or any person on earth. God has equipped the Filipino, within him and around him, with all the essentials he needs to succeed in this world. God wants the best, the highest, and the most beautiful for the Filipino because he is God’s child.

Third, we should believe that as a people we are but one family. That while we have our spouses and children as our small family, the Filipino people is our big family. Therefore, as a people, we should have a culture of familihood, which is higher and greater than brotherhood. As one family of people, we should truly love and respect one another. Dapat wala tayong iwanan. Dapat wala tayong gulangan. Dapat wala tayong dayaan, lokohan, o nakawan.

Fourth, as people, we should believe that unity is higher and more important than individuality, but without choking anyone’s creativity. If we want the best for the Filipino, unity is essential. For a people achieve great things only if they are united. As JFK said “United, there is little we cannot do; Divided, there is little we can do”.

Fifth, as people, we should believe that the Filipino was born as part of the whole, as part of the answer to the question, as part of the solution to the problem, as part of the hope to our people. As a people, we are born to help build a better world for all humanity, and to help the Filipino become great not only in the eyes of the world but moreso in the eyes of our Lord.

Sixth, as a people, we should aim high and dream big for ourselves. For truly, we will only go as far as our dreams. If we dream small, our achievements will also be small. If we dream big, our achievements will also be big. For truly, we are the architects of our own success. We are the builders of our own greatness. We are the writers of our own story. We are the creators of our own future.

If the Americans were able to build for themselves a great and a prosperous country, why can’t we Filipinos build for ourselves a beautiful Philippines? If the Japanese and the Singaporeans were able to build for themselves an orderly and a prosperous country, why can’t we Filipinos build for our children and people a beautiful country?

We – the present generations of Filipinos – we are today the carriers of the flag of our Philippines. We are today the bearers of the name Filipino, the vanguards of the identity Filipino. It is therefore our task to build the Filipino great. It is therefore our duty to build our Motherland, our beloved Philippines, great!

We Filipinos are a beautiful people!

We and our children deserve a beautiful country!

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Mabuhay ang Pilipino!

God bless all of you!

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This is a short version of the speech of Alexander Lacson at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government during the GK Global Summit in Boston on June 12-14, 2009. Alex Lacson is the author of the book “12 Little Things Filipinos Can Do To Help Our Country”.

Freddie Aguilar vs. The World = The Worst in the Filipino

I wanted to post here the speech of Alex Lacson, author of the book “12 Little Things Filipinos Can Do To Help Our Country”, at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government during the GK Global Summit in Boston on June 12-14, 2009. It is about what he believes to be the core values that could serve as the foundations of the culture of greatness we wish to build for the Filipino. But I will post that tomorrow. Instead, let's take a look at the current word war between Freddie Aguilar and some Filipino singers, and its aftermath. The situation is a good example of what Alex Lacson is talking about.

Background: In an interview Freddie Aguilar made unfortunate remarks against Arnel Pineda and Charice Pempengco, the current toasts of the local music industry for their recent success in the American music scene. Ka Freddie lashed at Arnel and Charice. He boldly said that the two proved what Mariah Carey once said about Filipinos being like monkeys for aping others' styles. That was uncalled for since the Mariah Carey remark was just an Internet hoax, in the first place. Then Ka Freddie also dragged Gary Valenciano into the word war by saying Gary would be more popular if he does not imitate Michael Jackson and Al Jarreau. Needless to say, the singers responded (1, 2). Other columnists joined the fray, and a full word war erupted.

Freddie's beef was primarily the choice of songs by Charice, Arnel, and Gary. Somehow he equates nationalism with singing Tagalog (not Filipino). Just for that, he may yet enter into another word war with Cebuanos and those who speak other dialects. I believe his is a narrow-minded mindset in view of the globalization trend. Arnel and Charice catered to specific markets, just as Freddie captured the folk market before. Their styles, however American oriented, don't undo their being Filipinos. In fact they are billed as coming from the Philippines. In the light of the many influences in our culture, what is a real Filipino anyway?

I will not venture an answer to that this time.

Let us reflect on what Ka Freddie's thoughtless thoughts led to. For all those remarks, many now call Freddie Aguilar names like unggoy, crab, talangka. He is accused of having crab mentality. Those who got angry with Freddie jeer him as the proverbial Filipino talangka that tries to pull down anyone who attains success. The Wikipedia article about him was altered . The defaced article described him as crabby and the worst song writer in the region. His contribution to the anti-Marcos movement was changed from "Bayan Ko" to "Talangka Ako". A screenshot appears below.

Initially, I found it amusing. Since the interview came out last July 6, the Wikipedia page was repeatedly edited to disgrace him. All attempts to correct it was countered by another defacement. This is a link to the revision history of the article. But on second thought, those who defame Ka Freddie this way is not only doing the Filipino legend a great disservice. By their vandalism, they abuse the wiki concept, and they who maliciously edit the page are being mga talangka themselves.

This is not productive at all. I hope they get to read Alex Lacson's speech. I will post that tomorrow.

Basic Instinct + Technology = Sex Scandals

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