Why is Philippines a nation of servants?

A slap in the face we, Filipinos, all deserve.

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Why are we a nation of servants?
By F. Sionil Jose

Here we go again, some inconsequential columnist in Hong Kong takes a cheap shot at our unhappy country, calls us “a nation of servants” and immediately an uproar, and magma feelings of hurt are unleashed. Editorials, columnists, politicians are outraged — they demand apology as if one would really salve the bone-deep insult. It was the same sometime back when an English publisher defined “Filipina” as a housemaid. Such insults hurt profoundly but the pain fades quickly and soon after all that enraged outburst, we settle down to the same complacency, we continue sending more of our women abroad to be raped by Arabs, demeaned by Malaysians and Chinese, heckled by the Brits. What has our sense of outrage brought us?

Go to Hong Kong, to Singapore. Visit the Star Ferry environs in Hong Kong or Lucky Plaza, and Singapore’s Orchard St. And there, on Sundays you will see them, hundreds of Filipino domestics, yak-yaking, socializing on the sidewalk, having a pleasant respite from their work.

To the visitors, tourists and the natives, they are a piteous sight, illustrating so clearly and so well how this country has sank. As a Filipino, having witnessed such, I am utterly shamed. I do not blame our poor women for their sorry condition, for I know only too well their plight is the only way by which they can help their families at home and survive.

It is such a boring cliché now, but back to the not-so-distant past: Filipinas was the second richest country in the region, next only to Japan; our universities attracted students from all over Asia, and we had the best professionals, the most modern stores and hospitals.

And what was Hong Kong then? There were slums crawling up those hills on Victoria island, and slums all over Kowloon. Singapore as an English naval base was like old Binondo, with its small squalid shops and equally small houses.

But look at Singapore and Hong Kong now, then look at our country and people.

Sure, you can find in Makati magnificent mansions, the biggest luxury cars, the tony restaurants, skyscrapers. But elsewhere the ugly sprawl of slums, the very poor who now eat only once a day. We must ask ourselves that question, why we became “the hewers of wood and drawers of water” of the world. What happened to us, a very talented and heroic people with a revolutionary tradition?

Once we have answered this question, then we should no longer wonder why there is a continuing diaspora of our brightest people, of our women. It is then the time for us to be truly enraged — not at that Hong Kong columnist — but at the creators of this dismal miasma we call Filipinas. Do not kill the messenger who comes to us to tell the horrid truth about us. Ingest his message, then turn all that outrage, that vehemence, to the Filipinos who turned this beautiful country into the garbage dump of the region: the oligarchs, the Spanish mestizos, the Chinese Filipinos and the treasonous Indios who sent their money abroad instead of investing it here in industries to create jobs for our people. Then it is time for us to rail and condemn the crooked politicians who are the allies of these wretched rich who permitted the relentless hemorrhage of this nation’s capital.

Revolutionary tradition? Ask those rebels why, after 40 years, these leeches are still feasting on our blood!

T-Pain vs. Rihanna: Auto-Tune Battle

Who do you think will WIN in the battle of electronically enhanced voices?

Let your comments be heard!

Earth Hour ignored by Filipinos

I was on a bus, on my way to Metro Manila… and 80% of the households from Dasma, Cavite to Pasay, Metro Manila had their lights on. Can’t blame them. I have to agree with the Time article, Can Earth Hour Galvanize the Global Warming Fight?,  that the reason why the movement against global warming has yet to culminate is because, “We can’t see it yet, not quite — and we can’t see its victims. But by the time we can, it will be too late.“

And I believe that Earth is going to be fine… even if global warming goes full blown! Earth is going to live. It is the people who are going to die. A DEATH each one of us deserves.

Chris “WomanBeater” Brown

Do not forget this act of brutality. Do not forget all other acts of brutality. Please. I’m not appealing to your emotions, I’m just saying let us not to forget.

If Tupac was alive, he’ll have this “woman-beater” beaten up. Here’s a few lines from one of his more woman-friendly songs, Keep ‘ya Head Up:

But please don’t cry, dry your eyes, never let up
Forgive but don’t forget, girl keep your head up
And when he tells you, “you ain’t nuttin” don’t believe him
And if he can’t learn to love you, you should leave him

“Domestic violence causes far more pain than the visible marks of bruises and scars. It is devastating to be abused by someone that you love and think loves you in return…” ~ Dianne Feinstein

According to a detective’s affidavit:
Brown and Rihanna got into a fight early on 8 February after she checked her boyfriend’s mobile phone and found a text message from another woman.

Brown pulled his car over and tried to push Rihanna out, but she was still wearing her seat belt, Los Angeles Police detective De Shon Andrews wrote.

Brown pushed Rihanna’s head against the window, punched her with his right hand, and then continued driving while hitting her, the affidavit said, and also bit her on the ear.

The affidavit was filed as part of a search warrant request for the phone records of Brown, Rihanna and her assistant.

Brown allegedly threatened to kill Rihanna after she pretended to leave a phone message with her assistant, telling her to have the police waiting at her house.

Mr Andrews described Brown’s blows as causing Rihanna’s mouth to fill with blood. He also wrote that Brown tried to choke Rihanna after she took the keys to his car away. He said Rihanna nearly lost consciousness but also tried to fight back while in the car, at one point trying to gouge at Brown’s eyes.

Brown was arrested hours later and booked on suspicion of making criminal threats.

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From: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/chris-brown-charged-over-brutal-attack-on-rihanna-1638710.html

Pathetic—Arroyo chasing after Obama

PATHETIC.

That’s President Macapagal-Arroyo chasing US President Barack Obama like a lovesick woman chasing a man who doesn’t want her.

Read the whole article here:
“Pathetic—Arroyo chasing after Obama” by Neal Cruz  of the
Philippine Daily Inquirer
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*nabuo ang graphic satire salamat sa World Wide Web.

Intel Philippines site closing this 2009

It turns out that Intel was far more vulnerable to the crisis than anyone have thought. More than the local political instability, the worldwide crisis really hit Intel badly. And for the record, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO visited Intel Philippines site, Thursday, January 22, maybe with the hope of changing Intel of its decision to close the plant. She wished. She was sort of snubbed and was given just the right amount of courtesy by not throwing her out of the building. Think of your President as the economics student graduate… yet has too little understanding of how grave this crisis is. Tsk. And more than this so-called democratic leaders, we have to thank the free-market capitalism for that.

Intel Philippines site in Cavite will be closing soon
originally posted on April 8, 2008

I was told by my sister that the Intel Philippines site will be closed soon. I’ve never been a fan of a multinational company but it saddened me; it was Intel’s money that paid for my education, through my sister’s hardwork of course.

(Binalita sakin ng ate ko na iku-close na daw ang Philippines site ng Intel. Di ako panatiko ng mga kompanyang multinasyonal pero nakakalungkot, pera kasi ng Intel ang nagpaaral sakin mula siyempre sa pagsisikap ng ate ko.)

Many cried when it was announced in Intel earlier. I’m not really sure if I’m going to be really happy. I once wished to have worked there, since it is one of the company who really takes care of its employees. I have been to Intel, and I can say that the employees are really happy, and they are well compensated there than any other company. Indeed, it is sad for the employees.

(Marami daw nag-iyakan nung binalita ito kanina sa Intel. Di ko din alam kung matutuwa nga ako. Pinangarap ko din magtrabaho dito, ito kasi ang isa sa mga kompanyang alagang-alaga ang mga empleyado. Ilang beses na kong napunta sa Intel at masasabi kong masaya ang mga empleyado dito at mataas din kumpara sa ibang kompanya ang sweldo. Nakakaawa lang din talaga yung ibang mga empleyado.)

Intel will now close its plant maybe because of high operating cost here. Why would that be? Hmmm. It because of too much corruption and red tape of the Philippine idol, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Just think how much it will cost Intel if it closes its plant, but I guess continuing its operations here proves much costly. There are other Intel plants in Malaysia and China, maybe Intel will transfer there. I remember how Intel stood proud of being here in the Philippines, now it will all be gone.

(Magsasara ang Intel kasi mukhang masyadong magastos ang operating cost dito. Bakit kaya? Hmmm. Napaisip ka? Kasama na dito siyempre ang korupsyon at red tape ng burukrasya ng idolo mong si Gloria. Isipin niyo kasi kung gaano kalaking halaga ang masasayang kung isasara ang planta ng Intel, pero mukhang mas malaki ang mawawala sa kanila kung magpapatuloy sila dito. Meron ng planta sa China at pati na rin sa Malaysia, mukhang pwedeng dun ililipat. Naalala ko dati kung gaano naipagmamalaki ang planta ng Intel dito sa Pinas, ngayon mawawala na ito.)

My sister already has plans of leaving Intel. She plans to find a new job outside the country; not as a domestic helper but as a professional in another country. We have different views, my sister and I, but she has her reasons. Imagine how huge her tax cuts are, then it just goes straight to the pockets of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Heck no! Just like every other Filipino who strives hard, she sees no practically of staying in the Philippines.

(Aalis na din ate ko sa Intel. May plano siyang tumungo sa ibang bansa para dun magtrabaho. Hindi para mag-DH, pero para maging professional sa ibang bansa. Iba kaming mag-isip ng kapatid ko pero may dahilan siya. Ang laki ng kaltas sa kanyang sweldo na pinambabayad sa buwis, tapos mapupunta lang ito kay Gloria? Huwag na uy! Gaya ng maraming nagsusumikap, di na yata makita ng kapatid ko ang praktikang manatili pa dito sa Pilipinas.)

What has this government done to let the Filipinos stay here in the Philippines? Nothing. It is happy sending her sons and daughters as slaves to other countries. Fuck the government.

(Sayang. Ano na bang ginawa ng gobyerno para panatilihin ang mga tao dito sa Pilipinas? Wala. Masaya siya na ginagawang alipin ang kapwa niya Pilipino sa kamay ng mga taga-ibang bansa. Putang ina lang talaga.)

To Intel… Thank you.

(Sa Intel… Salamat ng marami.)

*How good is Intel? I have done this personality profile of a former mechanic and operator in a theme park, the Enchanted Kingdom, but now he is one of Intel’s acclaimed technician. From being an intern, he was able to file a new technology for patent and has also written several technology papers presented in different international symposiums, thanks of course to his hard work, and yes, to Intel too. Buhbye Intel, you could have helped more Filipinos.

(*Gaano ba ka okay sa Intel? Gumawa ako ng personality profile ng isang dating mekaniko/operator sa theme park ng Echanted Kingdom sa Sta. Rosa, Laguna at ngayo’y isang tanyag na technician na sa Intel. Mula sa dating intern ng kompanya, nakapag-file na siya ng patent para sa isang bagong teknolohiya at nakagawa na rin ng iba pang tech papers. Nakapaglibot na rin sa mundo, salamat sa pagsisikap niya at sa Intel. Buhbye Intel… Sayang, dami mo pa sana natulungan.)

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From my blog entry:

Intel Philippines site in Cavite will be closing soon.

New ‘Twilight’ movie poster!

Toilet Movie Poster

 From the widely poppified (pop + stupid) movie Twilight comes its much awaited sequel…

TOILET! “para sa’yo ang laban na ‘to”

Starring Manny Pacquiao as Edward Cullen and Jinkee Pacquiao as Bella Swan.

 

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*picture taken from somewhere along the World Wide Web.

WB bans 3 RP firms in road construction!

Three more Philippine firms continue to do the country proud in the spirit of corruption. The World Bank blacklisted Philippine firms Cavite Ideal International Construction and Development Corp. and CM Pancho Construction Inc. for four years, and E.C. de Luna Construction Corp. was barred permanently. Aren’t you proud of being a Filipino? Three out of the seven construction firms tainted with corruption around the world were from the Philippines! That’s the goddamn spirit.

“The newspaper headline gave the bad news that the World Bank had blacklisted three Philippine construction firms for corrupt practices, but on closer reading, the body showed even more awful news. The WB barred only seven such firms worldwide: Three were Filipino, and a fourth, though Korean, was caught with its hand in the till in a Philippine project.“

by Raul Pangalangan in his article “All those ethics seminars: A waste?” from the Philippine Daily Inquirer

How vain?! Arroyo names self anti-drug czar!

FOR CHRISSAKE.

See how desperate this woman is in her moves to be the savior of this godforsaken nation?
WOW.

LOOK WHO’S TALKING?! 

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said: “A country awash with illegal drugs is a country compromised, its law and order institutions tainted and corrupted.”

In the wake of the drug problems and the DoJ bribery case, here comes your president to the rescue.

Ms. Arroyo announced she would assume the position of czar or overseer of the fight against drug trafficking until the bribery controversy is resolved.

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From Philippine Daily Inquirer article “Arroyo names self anti-drug czar” by TJ Burgonio, Christian V. Esguerra & Joel Guinto

The Hamas, Israelis and Fears of Obama Presidency

How do you solve a conflict so old it dates back to David and Goliath’s era? How do you rationalize the death of 800 people, women and children included? These are the sort of questions people ask, yet the bombing goes on. The Gaza strip basically is becoming more and more a guinea pig of annihilation, set forth by a corrupt Israeli government whose putting all the blame to the Hamas for its country’s miseries. The Hamas? Let’s just say that their type of armed revolution will not, even in a millennia, win this war.

How about the United States of America? With its sinking economy, you’ll wonder how they still manage to allocate money to so much warfare. People outside America is holding on to Obama’s promise of CHANGE… but I suggest people not to expect too much from it.

 

“The US pumps $3 billion annually into the Israeli military, supplying it with the most modern weaponry. Not only President Bush and the Republicans, but the Democrats in the Senate as well have unequivocally backed Israel. Bush’s successor, Barack Obama, has remained silent—which amounts to tacit agreement.”

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Quote taken from the article “A socialist answer to the Gaza crisis” of www.wsws.org