con't... (message board 90)

Name:   Mano Olin
Address:   Brgy. Sulangan, Guiuan, Eastern Samar, Philippines
Email:
Date:   16 July, 2009

Reproductive Health Bill (HB5043)

All factors taken equal and constant (body built, level of hunger, etc.) will two (2 persons eating from a plate the same amount of food that ten (10) individuals having similar to consume in another plate of the same size, would make a difference? Naturally the former would have eaten or filled more food in their stomachs than the latter. Our country’s territory or its land size has not grown from its original size. But over time its population has increased at a rate that is considered one of the highest in the entire Pacific rim (30 countries plus those island nations in the Pacific). And though there are no current available data as late as 2000, it is forecasted that our number will double and will reach 100 million in 14 years (est. 2014). This estimate is not far-fetched or an exaggeration because we are currently at 92.2 million Filipinos making us the 12th most populous country in the entire planet.

At the current situation, the continued loss of our agricultural lands taken over either thru urban sprawl or because of its commercialization (land taken and used as shopping centers, commercial establishments as in factories, etc.,) has consequently exacerbated the country’s capacity to feed its population.

Currently we have been importing rice from Thailand and Vietnam, (to fill purportedly that 10% production shortfall as asserted by Agriculture Secretary Yap in an interview the other day) but ironically both these countries have been end recipients and beneficiaries of our own Rice Research Institute more popularly known as IRRI. This institute is an autonomous agricultural research and training organization with the main goal of finding sustainable ways to improve the well-being of present and future generations of our poor rice farmers and consumers. To my knowledge however, over the years since the IRRI was founded and while it initially concentrated its research studies in its experimental sites in Laguna, what came out from all these experiments, research studies and advocacies until the present time did not make our rice producers more efficient and productive. Instead our rice production capability has remained in ‘backwater’ from the rest of the Asian countries that adopted the techniques. The IRRI initiatives despite of its seemingly promising start here in the Philippines did not improve our ability to adequately feed our people from our own rice farms.

It is not hard to think and does not take someone to have a brilliant mind (bisan ngani kun it aton ‘utok’ pariho la hin kadako hin ‘sarapon’ o’ anchovies/dilis we (remember that vernacular quip, “utak dilis“) can easily understand the simple law of ‘supply and demand’. Consumption demand for rice increases as population grows, it is simple correlation. Of course, other factors (please don’t use the word government corruption as the main cause of why we are this miserable and impoverish as the shenanigans and their unscrupulous acts are just but BY–PRODUCTS OF AN EVER-INCREASING POPULATION, – I will qualify this if someone in this column ask me to do so ) have contributed to the multifarious and ever-increasing national mess we are in.

I would like to ask the readers of this column this nagging question in my mind that needs plausible answer. Is our seemingly unstoppable growth in population a consequence of our religious beliefs and convictions, and our cultural and social values?

For those who oppose the passage of RHB 504 into law please try to give serious thoughts of the following:

1) The Philippines holds the world’s record of the worse peacetime maritime casualties when a Don Sulpicio passenger ship collided with a sea- going tanker carrying oil. While it has been found out that the principal cause of this accident was ‘human error’ it is hard to deny that the overloading of people beyond the ship’s capacity of more than four thousand as against the ship’s manifest and allowable load of over a thousand passengers has contributed to a greater number of deaths because of overcapacity. This clearly illustrates that a high demand (passengers) far outstrip supply (available sea-going vessels).

2) Time and again we are greeted by our newspapers and on televisions that fights would break out between urban poor dwellers that are being evicted (it is also happening now in some blighted areas in the provinces) and the police over some contested land where these slum residents had lived for years. Scarcity of available living spaces in and around town centers and suburbs forces marginalized people to live under bridges, cemeteries, rubbish tips, beside railway lines, esteros (river estuaries), street islands (medians) to name just a few of these depressing habitations.

Even our national parks are not spared of homeless people usually littering its lawns and gardens that you will notice that some of them have been in the park for quite some time judging by how they look (unkempt hair, crumpled clothes that had seemed been worn day and night, etc.) and carrying with them their few possessions in life like handbags and knick knacks. And some that still carry on their hands in broad daylight toiletries (other stuff like toothbrush, soap) as they move from one spot to another to avoid being noticed and accosted by park officers.

They walked around during the day and wait until night falls when everything becomes quiet before finding their preferred spaces to sleep for the night. Weather permitting they sleep under starry skies with the din of passing vehicles. And when rain comes they take shelter in dark shanty sheds reserved for construction equipments, etc. in the dead center of the park where certain public works are in progress or been stationed permanently as maintenance outposts. But the most hard-pressed are those ones who rely on the sidewalks in the city as their sleeping quarters during evenings. Lying on dirty cardboards as their sleeping mats, old newspapers as blankets and cover and unmindful of lurking dangers or potential street violence , these hapless people have not known any other place to live for most of their lives. They have developed among themselves a ‘subculture’ that one striking example is, when someone who is a ‘regular’ among those that sleep on the sidewalk had missed for one reason or another a night stay on his allotted space on the sidewalk meant ‘eviction’ or loss of his precious spot. Yes, these sidewalk dwellers were the first ones to start the process of ‘eviction’ and not from those ‘Pinoy Big Brother shows.

One day when I was walking in one of the side streets in the city of Manila and as I was walking past a couple of wooden carts (kariton) parked on the side kerb of the street, rain started coming down.To my surprise I saw this sudden movement of the cardboard on top of one of these karitons and out came the head of a man followed shortly by another, this time a woman then again by two little children. And just for a few seconds they were all out of their kariton and started pushing it away from where I was standing. The kariton was their home and obviously the staccato sound of the rain pelting down on the cardboard cover had awakened them.

To finish off this item, I could confidently say that the aforementioned examples of current dismal living conditions of our countrymen were none existent 30 or 40 years ago when our country had only about 38 million Filipinos.

On the education front, CURRENTLY THE COUNTRY’S TOTAL ENROLLMENT OF STUDENTS FROM PRIMARY GRADE TO COLLEGE STANDS AT 21 MILLION. THIS NUMBER IS EQUIVALNET OF THE PRESENT POPULATION OF AUSTRALIA A CONTINENT THAT HAS 2,967,893 SQUARE MILES IN TOTAL AREA AS COMPARED TO THE PHILIPPINES WITH A 115,830 SQUARE MILES OF LAND TERRITORY. Australia is one of the leading economies in the Southern Hemisphere and on the top ten countries in the world in terms of the best quality of life. But despite of its current small population it has recently had a contentious and heated debate in the halls of their federal parliament (like our congress) at which stage in a woman’s pregnancy can it be aborted and considered not a crime when such pregnancy puts the mother’s life in danger. One pre-condition of the legislation by which such abortion can be carried-out is the unborn child has been determined to have some form of abnormalities or impairment.. The bill introduced before parliament was originally for a decriminalization of abortion of such cases when the fetus is about 20 weeks old. But civic and religious groups as well as in the catholic hierarchy itself as usual, registered its strong opposition to this and to cut this story short, the opposing sides had a ‘compromise and settled for 24 WEEKS before abortion can take place without being charge criminally.

Sex education in Australian primary schools start at the Grave 5 level, while in Netherlands 5 year olds are already shown and taught the parts of their bodies and their physiological functions preparatory to more comprehensive sex education in the latter years. Population control methods of both countries are widely practice. Recently, Australian high school classrooms have been introduced a more dramatic approach against teen age pregnancies that instead of them (high school students) being shown or required to study the human anatomy in charts and other visual presentations like in slides, a teenager in her 6-month pregnancy came into the classroom for the students to see and observe. The effect of this presentation to the students was downright shocking and had ‘stoned’ the students in that school. And to add one more argument in this message without sounding redundant is, both countries have one thing in COMMON… they are sparsely populated as compared to the sizes of their lands.

From what I know and in my mind, the ratio of teacher-to -students in a typical grade school classroom (in the national capital region) is already a staggering figure of 60 graders to 1 teacher. But this number of student-to-teacher ratio has just been shattered when lately after watching Channel 2’s ‘documentary ‘The Correspondents’ it was revealed that in a Grade 4 class in a Metro Manila elementary school, the teacher had a whopping 148 children under her. Hesus Maria Hosep!!! Hin kada-mo!!! Ba-ah kun hi ako in nga maestra bangin waray ko na tiempo para maka ‘kalot’ kun ano man it makatol hit ak lawas while teaching!!!

Again in an Australian state (public) elementary school where the enrolment of one particular grade (say, Grade 1) is fewer than 15, the school administration would combine it with another class having less number of kids but of the next grade level (Grade 2). These two grades would share one classroom and they are commonly referred to as ‘composite’ class. Both classes are given two separate sets of lessons and activities appropriate to their grades. These composite classes are prevalent in Australian state schools where enrollments are low, and not because for lack of classrooms and other school infrastructures.

4) The ever-rising criminality in the country can be attributed to numerous factors one of which is, majority of these crimes committed are poverty-related. Unsustainable growth in population of a country like ours leads most of our people to poverty. And when endemic poverty is all around us, crime is but a natural thing to happen.

POST SCRIPT

If in my next life I become a house cat (uding) I would prefer to live in a rich country, kay it akon mga dadakpon at pag-uuya-san nga mga yatot (rats) are fatter than those rats in the Philippines that are skinny (mag-gasa) and always hungry.

Amo la, an iyo Mano Olin

Name:   Lucresia Casinta
Address:   Samar, Philippines
Email:   lucresia_casilag@yahoo.com
Date:   July 16, 2009

Good Day to all,

I am very glad to hear about the 4Ps in Pagsanghan Samar [ see article ] that truly helped in alleviating poverty. I am very much glad with this, thanks to GOD FOR THIS!

But to my despair is that I heard from a fellow friend that there are some few people able to qualified to this program. Even though they are not so indigent yet they availed this program. Hope there will be some one check this if it is true.

Thanks!

Name:   Taga-Salug
Address:   Catbalogan City, Philippines
Email:
Date:   July 15, 2009

To Sangkay of Cebu

I do not condone the mistakes and evils that the so-called "American Sponsored Marcos Dictatorship" has done in our country. But also please acknowledge the goods things (call them "white elephants" if you will) that the Marcos regime has brought to the country. Be fair.

By the way, what can you say about the Communist-NPA-Sponsored Politicians in Samar and in other places of the country? Do you know how much damage these politicians have done to the province/s? How many thousands and millions of Filipinos are suffering because of these corrupt NPA-Sponsored/Protected Politicians?

Looks like that you are just looking at one side of the coin my friend....

Wake up!!!

Name:   Lagataw
Address:    Riyadh, KSA
Email:
Date:   July 15, 2009

Excuse me to disagree with some writers in your column. Damo an mga kaupayan an nabuhat ni Marcos han iya panahon. Drug addicts were less prominent because of curfew hours. Maharlika highway was done.

The United States had done also a lot of good things to our country. Same as Spain. Try to swing the camera in Roxas Boulevard. Instead of focusing on the few noisy demonstrators, focus it on the long lines of people trying to get a visa in going to the United States. It is still a clear testament of how the Filipinos deeply love the United States.

I admired most Republican Presidents in the US most especially to Ronald Reagan who was behind in tearing down the Iron Curtain.

I don't really care who rule the Philippines as long as the common people prosper, not the elite few. Mas masagwa kung Pinoy naman pero buwaya at kurakot. True nationalism is the dynamic action and feeling to better improve the lives of ordinary Pinoy.

Nandito kami ngayon sa ibang bansa at nagpapaalipin para gumanda ang mga pamumuhay namin na hindi maibigay ng independent Philippines. Aanhin mo ang demokrasya kung wala kang makain!

Name:   A. Morales
Email:
Date:   14 Jul 2009

The Shifting Alliances in the Capitol

When RTC Judge Clemens issued a TRO against the provincial Bid and Awards Committee and indirectly against the provincial governor, the political re-allignments are being drawn slowly. The provincial vice governor has led the charge to block the camp of Gov. Mila Tan to pursue another milking operation that would cost the provincial government some 100+ millions in new government expenditures that are most likely to be used to finance the 2010 elections. When politicians charge each other with malfeasance, ordinary mortals should listen because the politicians know the motives of their fellow politicians.

To some extent, it is good that the governor and the vice governor are at odds. The public will benefit from the in-fighting in terms of each trying to check and counter-check the act of the other. The fact that the province is on a re-enacted budget (using the 2008 budget) is a testament that all is not well within the capitol.

Most likely, Redaja will run against the candidate of Mila. With the support of Mila's foes like Cata Figueroa, Ining Uy, and Mel Sarmiento, he has a chance---albeit slim--- of beating the gubernatorial candidate of Mila who is most likely one of her children. Mila is reportedly planning to run for vice governor to secure her hold of the province. As to whether the Samarenyos are stupid enough to vote Tan-Tan-Tan for governor-vice governor-congressman of the 2nd district is still to be seen. Well, the possibility is there.

How do you solve a problem like Mila? I have always said that Mila can never be toppled with another Mila-like-politico. Cata, Ining, Mel, and Jess Redaja can never defeat Mila because people could not make a distinction between themselves and Mila---they are all the same. Only somebody who is starkly different from Mila can defeat her. The same thing that only light can dispel darkness, only goodness can trounce evil, and only faith can triumph over fear. Choosing between the lesser evil will not work against Mila.

I am therefore hoping that Father Noel Labendia will offer himself for a nobler mission to cleanse the province from moral decay and degeneration. If you know Father Labendia and has contact of him, please encourage him to throw his hat in the ring to once and for all right the wrongs in our beloved land.

Again, only goodness can triumph against evil.

Name:   Sankay
Address:   Cebu City
Email:
Date:   12 July 2009

Most Filipinos are very soft hearted, easily forgive and easily forget no matter how devastating the experience from the American sponsored Marcos Dictatorship. On the other hand, America is full of monuments and shrines depicting the American experiences. One example is the Shrine of Balangiga Bells in North Dakota depicting the over 200 American soldiers who were ambushed by our Filipino forefathers.

We do not have money to build monument to enshrine the dark chaos of the American sponsored Marcos Dictatorship that killed more than a million Filipinos both military and civilians. The only way to let our future Filipino generations remember the dark history is to occasionally bring it up on the Samarnews and other blogs. It is not very effective but it is working.

It is our Filipino solemn duty to pass the dark history of American sponsored dictatorship to the next generations so that we do not repeat it again. A martial rule is already in the planning stage again and is looking for an American guaranteed life support again as in the past Marcos Dictatorship. I am just banging on the bells to warn the Filipinos and I would be more happier if I could ring the Balangiga bells to warn my fellow Waraynons.

Just to recapture some events during the 20 year American sponsored Martial rule in the Philippines. About 25 percent of the AFP were either bombed or ambushed. 25 more percent switch their loyalty openly or secretly to the NPA and the last AFP General who openly switched to the NPA is General Jalandani from Negros Island. Nobody wins with Martial Law because it is immoral, it is undemocratic, and it is un-American. American people will not support another martial law in the Philippines and we will have to garner mass support in America against un-American foreign policy. President Obama is unlikely to support Martial Rule in the Philippines, unlike the cowboy, happy trigger self righteous Republican American Presidents.

Name:   Domingo de Ramos
Address:   Catarman, N. Samar
Email:
Date:   July 10, 2009

Its hard to understand why some people dwells on the past mistakes of our leaders, and keep blaming the United States, of our own predicament and miserable situation. Life is our own making, regardless whether you regard yourself as intellectual giant or intellectual midget. What is past is past, and "there's no use crying over a spilled milk".

During the Marcos Era, all cabinet members are well disciplined. If corruption did really exist, it was limited only among close Marcos cronies. But now, almost all our government officials from the lowly clerk and up the ladder are perceived to be corrupt.

The existence of our various Party List groups has not contributed a bit to the economic condition of our country, but to the contrary. To think that they are empowered representatives of our marginalized sector of our society is a farce. How can you account in having a politician represents farmers, or tricycle drivers, when neither of these representatives is really a farmer nor a tricycle driver. Hain na iton nga aton An Waray representative, hasta yana kablas la kita guihapon.

A poet once wrote, "Among life dying embers this are my regrets, when I am correct nobody remembers, but when I am wrong no one forgets". It's a sad truth. Maybe us Samareños, need to be reminded, that if not for Marcos and Imelda, the Leyte-Samar Bridge, benefiting us waraynons, could have not been a reality.

Thanks and May God Bless us all !!!

Name:   Ricky Bautista
Email:   trexpelunker@yahoo.com
Date:   July 9, 2009

To Jing-ging/Mcdanny:

Thanks for following my travel blog (www.pinoycaver.blogspot.com), I also wish to see you or come along with us as we nurture ourselves to our own version of world-class natural wonders here in our beloved Samar.

In case you haven't read it, please read my new article, either here or at my site, entitled "Samar version of world-class natural wonders: A must see."

Thanks again and God bless you, and all the people reading this!

Name:   Erwin Radomes
Address:   Makati City, Metro Manila
Email:    airwin_radomes@yahoo.com.ph
Date:   July 9, 2009

Maupay nga udto!.. Kun Hino man nakilala kan Ronaldo "Ronron" Gabumpa nga taga Villareal nanawagan ako "hoy padi hain kana yana waray na ako balita ha im ngatan na nga social sites ginbisita ko na pero waray ko gudman ikaw mabibilngi???

Para han mga tawo nga nakilala ha iya pakicrang nala salamat! Adi ak email add ngayan: airwin_radomes@yahoo.com.ph salamat nga madamo.

Name:   Domingo de Ramos
Address:   Catarman, N. Samar
Email:
Date:   July 8, 2009

To all Samarenos,

Samar is the third largest island of the Philippine archipelago, and despite the abundance of our natural resources, our province is one of the poorest in our country today. Why not all of us outshine each other in putting up innovative ideas that we can practically adopt on how to improve the economic condition of our people and province?

Maybe, some of our bright minds can offer suggestions, such as on how to improve the unreliable electrical power system in our province, improvements of our roadway networks, health centers, livelihood programs, educational centers, vocational training for our youths, irrigation system, feeder roads, etc.

Let’s utilize this message board to our advantage, as a sounding board of our patriotic and practical ideas for progress. Maybe our elected officials will listen and do the right move.

Name:   Sankay
Address:   Cebu City
Email:
Date:   7 July 2009

Sangkay Bottom Bourgeoisie (BOBO) says: “Americans love the Filipino people; only mental giants can comprehend this”

What qualifies a mental giant? This American Filipino Bobo cannot comprehend the enormous crisis that millions of Filipino families were destroyed during the 20 year rule of American sponsored dictatorship in the Philippines. I am only a mental midget just like most Filipinos you are insulting, but I can see America providing money and weapons and life support to the Marcos dictatorship , similar with “America providing money and weapons to a criminal act”. In a court of law and American justice, this is called “aiding and abating a criminal with malicious intent and premeditation” which is punishable by death sentence. If America truly loves the Filipino people as Bobo is claiming, then America should have ceased quickly the American life support for Dictator Marcos so that more Filipino families would have been spared of their lives including our beloved leader Ninoy Aquino. The American life support for the dictatorship lasted for 20 years.

American Bobo is preaching again the American self-righteousness over other people in the world. Ironically, President Dubya Bush in his speech on 911 attack; he claimed that “ if you are helping the terrorists, then you are also a terrorist” But America helped Dictator Marcos terrorize the Filipino people for 20 years; so would this qualify America as the good guy?

Sangkay please enjoy your American hotdogs and your American freedom, we Filipinos here also enjoy our special Cebuano zoriso (Cebuano style Filipino Hotdog) with fried rice.

Name:   D' GaRado
Address:   San Francisco, USA
Email:
Date:   Jul 7, 2009

Why the Philippines wont be a strong leader Nation in ASIA. In my observation it’s because of the so-called “Filipino mentality”, Majority of the population is poor, Politician and Business Leaders are corrupt.

Majority of the Filipinos are religious but not spiritual. On Sundays or fiestas they’ll attend church mass in droves, but once mass is over, specially men, would go to sabong, majhong, inoman with kompares, visit the No 2. In contrast the wives naman ay tomataya sa jueting or tsismis sa kapit bahay or naka babad sa wawawe t.v. show.

When the election comes, whoever has the most money mostly wins for buying the poor’s vote. This majority part of the population figured out that since the candidate’s promises never come true, it’s better to accept money upfront.

Then the politician that won the election, who spent lots of money, would go on overdrive to recoup his money spent during the election. And because of this, these politicians are easy target and very vulnerable to accepting bribes from China and other foreign countries that flashes dollars.

Because of this environment, its common practice from giant companies or common citizens to attach money, wither for processing a business permit, crossing at customs checkpoints or getting government approval on a multi-million dollars project.

I am impressed though with some posting here and I can tell that the sender are intelligent because their words used and sentence construction are excellent, unlike mine very elementary – ako ay high school graduate lang.

Now, because of these national problems, USA is to be blame? Let’s examine countries that has US military presence and receiving military aid. These includes Japan, Germany, France and Britain, yet they are G7 members and very strong militarily.

Last observation, the experienced “SABONGEROS” (cockfighters), WHY would they spend a bundle of money to import the popular and sought after roster from Texas? What is wrong with the local Philippines roster? They are the same gender – male, but their character measures the deference.

Finally, coach can only effectively coach his players when he is on the sideline for the VISTA can provide a different VISION.

Thank you Mr Rey Gaspay for me able to share my opinion in this website.

Name:   Sankay
Address:   Cebu City
Email:
Date:   6 July 2009

Our Filipino party is over; past generation is gone. Now is our time to do what is right and to correct what is wrong. No one will pick up the trash but us. No one will clean the house but us Filipinos. No one else but us can change things here in the Philippines. We have two choices: Jump off the ship and look for fertile lands or stay here in the Philippines and do something. Staying idle and day dreaming is absolutely the incorrect way.

For those Filipinos who chose to jump off the ship and leave the Philippines, here is an example of an article I have read. Most of the Chinese students then applied for asylum to the United States but, there was this Chinese student who studied in America in the 1990s. While studying, he discovered and pioneered new techniques and processes for using stem cells from human tissues. Many corporations in America knowing the economic significance of his work offered him multi-million dollar annual pay for his expertise. The Chinese government offered him less money but more in power of position. The Chinese government offered him top position as Dean of Faculty in one of China’s prestigious universities. At the age of 27, he was the youngest Dean of any university in the world.

The life of this young Chinese is AN ORDINARY EXAMPLE OF PATRIOTISM PREVAILING OVER MONEY. Money cannot buy heroism and pride of one’s country. You can only take finite amount of money in your limited lifetime. The rest of your money is an extra weight to carry until you finally die and your money is wasted. Where is President Marcos’ extra weight of money today? Most Chinese who jumped off the ship are swimming back as fast as they can back to China. The proud Filipinos overseas can do the same by swimming back to the Philippines carrying with them the power of knowledge. Just as the Chinese Communist government did, Filipino government can make this happen also.

The work of this Chinese and once an American student has continually made dramatic results for the world. For example, just recently because of unavailability of stem cell treatment in America, an American family brought their blind daughter to China in hopes of getting the daughter to see. Chinese doctors successfully treated the blind girl using stem cell treatment from the pioneering work of this American student now a Dean in China.

The mother raised hell against her own American government asking why stem cell treatment never was available in America. The answer was very simple. The Republican political party which ruled America for decades, is so traditionalist and so conservative that they cut the funding for research as a result of “false belief that manipulating stem cell is playing like God and humans should not play like God and humans should die when God decides”.

The American Republican political party is like the conservative political parties in the Philippines who falsely think “leftist should not exist and should be exterminated as they are threat to our unique Filipino oligarch democracy”. Today in America, a more liberal President Obama is in power, American funding for stem cell research was restored but they are behind by the Chinese advances. We Filipinos should also elect a more liberal president who would welcome our leftist brothers and sisters with wide open arms. I am looking forward for this occasion when the NPA and CPP are finally integrated as our equal citizens with the same rights and privileges afforded by our laws.

For those Filipinos who cannot leave but stay in this old beaten, abused, sinking ship, what else can we do but DO SOMETHING. The bolder and smarter the way we do is even better and there is no limit to the things we can do. Of all the knowledge combined, the smartest way is to organize or join an existing organization that shares your beliefs and values, and become active to your organization like it is your own family. Being active means you are part of the decision making inside your organization. We should also form alliances with other organizations to form a bigger power similar to the LAKAS and KAMPI which formed an alliance at GMA’s initiative. Beware of lies and rumors to discredit your organization as this is always how politics is played anywhere. This includes the NPA, CPP, Lakas, Kampi, Laya, Bayan, Gabriella and many more.

Name:   Bottom Bourgeoisie (BOBO)
Address:   Samar
Email:
Date:   July 4, 2009

It's the fourth of July, United States of America's birthday party celebration; fireworks bursting in air, beaches teaming with humanity, barbecue grill firing, and concerts singing patriotic songs and yelling slogan like Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of hamburgers and hot dogs. Everyone in a festive mode. Puerto Rico is one of those invited to the party. Sorry, the Philippines is not after her leaders opted for independence.

The independence that our leaders asked and granted is based, in my opinion, on personal hubris, self-interest, and distorted vision. Although it's a democracy, America in the late 19th century was mired with social issues, like race, social justice, and equality. And our leaders had first hand experience with the social conditions. Segregation and discrimination were the rules rather than exceptions. Our leaders could not envision Filipino people being treated like other minorities. More so that American culture is alien and spoken language is hard to learn even up to this very day. But little did they know that American can change for the better with the passage of time.

Today, America elected a black president, not to mention a Catholic a few years earlier. Our leaders of old could not fathom the depth and breadth of the present American transformation. Had they have known this social renaissance, they would have thought twice before asking for independence. The Philippines would have been a territory like Puerto Rico and Guam, showered with economic prosperity and plenty. Now, all the country can do is to be grateful to American benevolence and friendship grounded on moral certainty.

It's unfortunate that many of us mental midgets blame America for all our imperfections and transgressions. We hate America for supporting a dictatorship that blew a pestilential wind across the archipelago, suspending the writ of habeas corpus, usurping powers, and declaring martial law. But American did not elect our despot; it was we who put him into office. American support in kind and in spirit was intended for the Filipino people and not for the despot and his henchmen. As a matter of fact, an American president called the despot as "our son of a bitch in Asia, but he is our very own sob. As you see, America loves the Filipino people, but only mental giants can comprehend, not mental midgets.

Today, independence day in America, let's join and toss for the home of the brave and the land of the free. This is the least we can do.

Name:   Sankay
Address:   Cebu City
Email:
Date:   3 July 2009

The Philippines is still a significant value for America

The Philippines still carry a significant military value for the United States in today’s world politics. The United States can still use the Philippines as a military radar base for anti missile system against China which is a rising world power. Our country is a perfect location because it is close to China. The near location compensates for the radar system abnormalities as a result of the curvature of the earth.

During the cold war (US vs Russia), American ships and air bombers carrying nuclear bombs were stationed in our country for quick delivery to targets. The American Marcos Dictatorship allowed the station of nuclear bombs, and any Filipino who protested against the presence of nuclear bombs end up down six feet under with nobody knowing. Even Fernando Poe Jr led a protest of hundreds of Filipinos in front of then Clark Air Base but only when Marcos was gone.

Because of the presence of nuclear bombs, America’s enemy will not hesitate to bomb the Philippines let alone using nuclear bombs as well. North Korea will not hesitate to hit American presence here in the Philippines. Filipinos should worry and should not allow American military presence in our country anymore. We are not fortunate of American military presence as other countries do where American presence is compensated with billions of dollars in economic aid. Here in the Philippines, America just cheaply bribes our lawmakers to provide great favors for American interest and that is why more Filipinos are poor and do not benefit from the American presence . Billions of economic aid is costly; bribery is cheap and why provide economic aid when Filipino lawmakers can be bribed to control and forcefully make Filipinos quiet about American military activities in our country?

Another significant military value was a network of cable sensors was laid out across the China Sea by the United States during the cold war, and was maintained by the US Navy base at then Subic Bay.

Name:   Jing-ging
Address:   Dumalo-ong, Gandara, Samar
Email:   gandarasamar@live.com
Date:   0927H7.03.09

Para ha mga Gandariño,

Pakibisita na la an "gandara-samar.ning.com". Let us make this page grown for the reunion of all Gandariños all over the world.

Para kan Mr. Ray Gaspay, salamat hin madamo ha "samarnews.com".

Para kan Ricky Bautista, Komusta na Trekker?! Mamingaw na an kabukiran, mga lungib, falls han Samar. I am following your blogsite, keep up the nice stuff! Paghirot la pirmi.

Jing-ging/McDanny

Name:   Mano Olin
Address:   Brgy. Sulangan, Guiuan, Eastern Samar
Email:
Date:   07-02-09

I would rather have a country run like hell by Filipinos than a country run like heaven by the Americans, because however bad a Filipino government might be, it can always be improved.” [4]

Rightly so, the late Manuel L. Quezon unknowingly prophesied that over the years the Philippines will be run and governed to a nearly ‘hellish’ state by persons whom the people have put their trust when they elected them to public office. Quezon perhaps had only in his mind that those who will come after his time and will be at the helm of government will look after what is best for the country and to think in the most unlikely chance that future elected officials will run the country like hell was nothing but pure rhetoric and wild imaginings on his mind at that point when he quipped those words. And this is in order to convince the American leadership at that time that he and his party were hell -bent in securing the country’s independence no matter what it entails.

Have we really been better off since then and under the present economic conditions that we are in? The nationalist words and persuasiveness of Quezon and the other leaders have begun to crack and crumble in the direction he least expect in the face of the economic difficulties that confront us now. National manifestations past and present by our people tend to show that we seem to be jumping to the sea from a sinking ship and as an example is the on-going program hosted by Mr. Michael Garfinkel in TFC’s ‘Citizen Pinoy’. 99% of the topics and issues raised in this program are all immigration related. These are Filipino Americans trying to sponsor from the Philippines family members that can join and live in America. These Fil-Ams have only one common reason and desire, and that is to yanked-out their kins out of the country because of that general feeling of hopelessness that to continue to live in the Philippines as ordinary citizens is tantamount of denying and depriving oneself the chance of a better quality of life.

Who can forget ‘Nicole’ a rape victim who for a while was fighting for justice and bring to the ‘can’ the US service man who raped her. But in an alleged exchange for a US visa to enter the country she completely abandoned her case. She had realized that it was not worth pursuing if it can be swapped to something that would settle her for good in America and possibly secure her future. Will she think twice not to forget her humiliation and despondency during the court trial had she belong to a politically powerful wealthy family that can leave and enter America at the flick of a finger?

There are countless stories of Filipinos that to dream for a better life is to go out of the country by any means possible. The late American comedian Bob Hope has these words; If America can only be reach by swimming, then a multitude could be seen swimming towards the shores of America, and I would say that a big number of those swimmers that could be seen would be Filipinos.

The words of the late Pres. Quezon for all its unfortunate twists and turns have just been validated for what he meant when in a recent survey report, the Philippines is the most corrupt country in South East Asia. This assessment could have turned him from his grave as the earlier part of his pleadings to the Americans is now an unfortunate reality.

Foreign and independent economic surveys point to the Philippines as lagging behind in its economic fundamentals. One essential economic index that we have miserably failed to contain is the rising value of currencies (money) of our major foreign trading partners as against our own. Historically, the Philippine peso has continuously slid in value to the US dollar. It used to have an exchange rate of 2 pesos to 1 US dollar shortly after the war. Now as of yesterday (30 June) it has an exchange value of 48.16 to a dollar.

One alarming and disturbing sign is our money has also been going down in value even to our non-traditional trading partners in the region like Thailand. The baht (Thailand’s official currency) is 0.707630 as against ours. To put it simply, we have to have 1.41342 pesos to 1 baht. If baht continues to appreciate in value against our own money, it won’t be long for our OFW’s to populate Thais’ households serving as house helps as their baht becomes attractive to ever searching-for work Filipinos. The Thais would now become new bosses to us and Mr. Chip Tsao of Hongkong upon learning this would be laughing in his stomach.

Kairu man naton, nawa-warayan na gud kita hin nga sinisiring nga ‘Filipino pride’ kay manga-ngamu-han kita hit aton igkasi –Asian nga di ngani ma-aram mag-ining-glis.

POST SCRIPT

One of our pre-occupations that we love to do is talk about politics and upon hearing the word ‘election’ we seem to be thrown in a frenzy and agitated mood. Pareho gud kita hin nga mga bangka (cockroach) nga gin wisikan hin mapaso nga ‘lanot’ nga nagka-kali-lisang gud largo pagka-dungog nga may ti-abot nga elek-siyon!!!

Ano man hiton nga it nga aton mga pini-pili nga mga lideres/congressmen at governors ay di man gud naton hin gagamitan para hit kaupayan hit kadam-an nga ta-wo. Maru-upay pa gad para ha akon it nga mga ‘tagutu’ ha kisame kay kinaka-on hiton it mga namok para maka-turog ako hin maupay.

Amo la, an iyo Mano Olin.

Name:   Domingo de Ramos
Address:   Catarman 6400, N. Samar
Email:
Date:   July 2, 2009

In response to Sankay of Tacloban,

1) I believed in your patriotic idea, same as what our leaders before believed, that "We would rather see the Philippines run like HELL by Filipinos, rather than run like HEAVEN by the Americans. Geewhizz!! they are right!!!

2) In regards to our Filipino Veterans, they are smiling now, despite the long wait, in having granted their just compensation from the United States despite of everything. Do you think it’s also time for our Spanish Colonizers to give our forefathers reparation payments for enslaving them for three hundred years? However, don't get me wrong, I love all mestiza Kastila, they are so beautiful.

3) Sangkay, don't you know, that all qualified Filipno U.S. Veterans were lately granted U.S. Citizenship, and free to migrate to the United States. This could have happened long time ago, had it not been keep secret to our veterans, practically to those from far flung provinces, like Samar, and maybe Leyte, devoiding them of such opportunity. Is this the attitude of a self serving country like the U.S. as per your understanding?

4) However, One thing I disagree with U.S. today, is promoting "SAME SEX MARRIAGE FOR BAKLINGS AND TOMBOYS. Hope we don't imitate this idea.

SANGKAY MORE POWER TO YOU!!!. KEEP UP WITH YOUR IDEAS.

Name:   Raul Calinao
Address:   Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Email:   raul1224@gmail.com
Date:   July 2, 2009

To my beloved kabugtoan ha Gandara all over the globe:

Please visit our website at www.gandara.ning.com Our number keeps on growing. You can upload photos, videos, and music.

Raul - 1-905-962-7967