If you failed to catch the second part of the GMA Isang Tanong Presidential Forum you didn’t really miss much. Although it aired rather late I tried my best to watch it in full. But, hey, the combination of sleepiness and boredom can be quite a challenge to fight off.
The first part, which aired last Sunday, November 22, was quite disappointing as I pointed out in an earlier post. I mean, as a voter who is seriously interested to know what our presidential candidates plan to do, I was expecting insightful questions about specific matters involving governance but heard nothing but motherhood questions. I guess disappointment come in pairs.
The main problem lies in the questions that were asked. With the exception of a few, the questions mostly delved into past concerns such as Former President Joseph Estrada’s conviction for plunder. Some were just plain weird like the one asked by former MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando, which was “What is political will in Tagalog?”
I don’t know why but some people just can’t seem to grasp the simple, basic truth about elections. Elections are all about the future; when we talk of the future we should talk of plans; therefore we should ask the candidates about their plans. Of course, there is also that differentiation between promises and plans, which I will address later.
Anyway, with lousy questions we can expect lousy answers. I can say again without hesitation that majority of the answers provided by the candidates failed to give the voting public a clear view of how they plan to achieve their campaign promises. We’ve heard them all before but to refresh our memories here are a few the most popular ones: education for all, affordable (if not free) healthcare for all, peace in Mindanao, and everyone’s favorite an end to government corruption.
By the way, in my opinion, environmentalist Nicanor Perlas and evangelist Bro. Eddie Villanueva gave the best answers. Perlas was particularly straightforward with his answers. Senator Noynoy Aquino, the candidate who would probably be elected president in 2010, was a no-show. However, judging from his past interviews, his absence wasn’t really such a big loss.
Going back to the topic… I don’t understand why the questions asked in both episodes of Isang Tanong were not well thought out considering that the producer of the forum is a multi-awarded TV network. I guess this only proves that awards are really no proof of great thinking.
In any case, I remain optimistic succeeding programs of this kind will be done much better. And, since I’m aware that some network researchers actually do visit this blog I’ll end this piece with a link to a blogpost that should help them come up with better questions for the candidates the next time around. The difference between a campaign promise and a plan is clearly defined there.
Mainstream media or MSM continues to contribute to the dumbing down of this country on issues related to the upcoming elections. MSM has been providing more than enough coverage alright, but what it has been doing so far is hardly beneficial. Instead of using their power to tackle REAL ISSUES and help uncover REAL SOLUTIONS, mainstream media companies remain fixated on useless stuff. Their particular favorite: the never-ending shifts in political alliances.
The sad thing about all this is that this particular topic is also becoming commonplace in the blogosphere. Not a few bloggers (particularly those who have positioned themselves as experts of some sort) are giving way too much bandwidth and disk space on such useless “political” analysis. Just this morning I visited the site of one particular blogger who imagines himself as both a journalist and a political commentator. As I expected, one of this blogger’s most recent output is again about this and that politician’s allegiance with this or that party, which is really not unlike the “who’s sleeping with whom” reports regularly dished out by showbiz reporters only more disgusting. I read through his crap and noticed that this poseur journalist (who also happens to have a juvenile understanding of heroism) thought it best to end his commentary with a statement of disgust over the “dumbing down of the people.” I almost spat on the monitor.
Wadapak! Helloooo!!! Your political commentary contributes to this dumbing down you jackass.
Another troubling trend that caught my attention recently is the emergence of bloggers who do pr work for politicians and at the same time engage in political commentary. I don’t really have any problem with the fact that they’re doing this for monetary gain or any other personal benefit. That’s their business. What I can’t stand though is the fact that, because of their strange, hybrid position as both pr manager and political commentator, they produce nothing more than feel-good press releases on and in behalf of various politicians. The problem is they pass off their junk as unbiased commentary. Unfortunately some people actually read their stuff and end up believing them.
Moving on.
The period allotted for the filing of Certificates of Candidacy is nearing its end. I’m hoping that after the deadline our candidates would start focusing more on communicating their respective platforms instead of the awesomeness of their characters. By the way, Senator Noynoy Aquino has finally come out with his platform. However, based on what I’ve read so far I think there’s still a lot of room for improvement.
Related to this, those of us advocating for a more issue-based discussion rather than the “trapo-esque” personality-based debates are very pleased to see a steady growth in the number of people wanting to find out more about the candidates’ platforms. A cousin of mine told me that in their university some students are actually discussing the importance of platforms. She said some students even think that there’s a certain element of “cool” about it and that they’re realizing it’s better to be informed than mesmerized.
My hope now is that more people would help spread the word that there’s more to choosing a candidate than just watching their dramatic political ads, memorizing their feel-good anthems and accepting without question all their motherhood statements. This is one situation where good old-fashioned, word-of-mouth marketing and networking could play an important role. Visit http://blogwatch.ph/ and look for the post titled Platforms and Motherhood Statements by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.
Some people are making an issue out of the absence of online displays of indignation over the recent killings in Maguindanao. Had it not been for the admonishing comments left by these indignant netizens on blog posts totally unrelated to the massacre I wouldn’t have noticed the absence. I guess I wrongly assumed that the usual starters of online indignation would already be on it after all it’s been three days already.
Now, that’s quite interesting, isn’t it? The lack of widespread display of indignation. Makes you wonder what happened to the “always-indignant-over-something” crowd.
Many months ago this particular class of netizens jumped on the bandwagon we’ve all come to know as the Pangandaman-De La Paz Brawl. Inspired to action by a one-sided account from the daughter of the supposed victim, these people inundated cyberspace with their expressions of righteous anger aimed at the “guilty” party. Of course, we now know how that whole controversy unfolded. It turned out the “aggrieved” party did not exactly go to the online court of public opinion with clean hands.
There have been other instances where these netizens found it necessary to show everyone the power of their indignation. Two of the most talked about that I can remember are the Nation of Servants brouhaha and the most recent, the case of the undistributed relief goods.
I suppose the stark contrast between the volume and speed of delivery of reactions to the relatively minor events stated above and the Maguindanao Massacre is what prompted one particular netizen to leave the following admonition and similarly worded comments on various blogs.
For pity’s sake, the worst Philippine tragedy in my lifetime, worst than Garci, Ondoy, the “accidental” killing in Paranaque, etc has just happened. You’re talking about other things? People in Mindanao who believe that unarmed women and journalists are fair game for their grisly hobbies, and just as bad, the completely inappropriate slow reaction by government when they should’ve left no room for doubt that they would act. This happened in your country, to your own people. Just because they don’t read Twilight or watch Conan O’Brien, you think their lives mean less? Look at how they were killed and look at the apparent lack of boundaries in the hearts of the perpetrators. Mindanao might be in the Middle Ages but so are you for not putting this on top of your lists today, this abhorrent deed. You are like the nobility of 500 years ago who’d drink wine and eat roast pig and splendid time while the peasantry are being raped and killed by barbarians.
He does have a point, one that should not go over the heads of those who have the habit of jumping on each and every indignation bandwagon.
But, to be honest about it, I personally don’t feel obliged to write about the Maguindanao Massacre. That’s not to say though that I don’t feel angry that such a barbaric event still happens in our country. As a human being, I’m all indignant about the loss of life resulting from this barbaric and brazen display of violence. I’m so angry in fact I wish a slow and painful death would befall the perpetrators and those closest to them. But that’s just me.
Anyway, if you’re looking for a sensible write-up about the Maguindanao Massacre that goes beyond the dime-a-dozen type of indignation look no further than this one over at www.antipinoy.com.
The early supporters of Senator Noynoy Aquino — that would be those who were swept off their feet by the torrent of yellowness and nothing more — sure know how to put up a show.
Following the airing of part 1 of GMA7’s Isang Tanong Presidential Forum, his rabid supporters immediately flooded cyberspace with praises for their idol Senator Noynoy Aquino. Their statements vary slightly but in essence they all say the same thing and that is:
I was so impressed with Noynoy.
I don’t know about you but I find this really strange. If you watched the forum with an objective mind I seriously doubt you’d find anything impressive about the performance of Noynoy or any of the other participants for that matter. The fact is most of their answers weren’t really substantial at all. Of course, there were some exceptions but none of them from Noynoy.
Before any of you pro-Noynoys get all indignant consider first the questions asked of him. (loosely translated from the vernaclar)
From Mel Tiangco: What have you accomplished?
From Malou Mangahas: What three things do you plan to accomplish?
Viewer-submitted question: If elected to the presidency would you be willing to give up your position should you be implicated in allegations of corruption?
Efren Peñaflorida: How can one be a hero?
Analyzing the questions with an objective mind, one should easily see that these questions are hardly insightful. As I said in the preceeding post, they were mostly “motherhood” questions that demand nothing more than motherhood statements. Of course, Mel Tiangco’s question is in a class of its own. It was so basic a question it shouldn’t have been asked at all especially since Noynoy’s much-vaunted “accomplishments” are already public knowledge. Seriously, someone should have given Ms. Tiangco a better question to ask.
So how did Noynoy answer these questions anyway? See for yourself.
This comment posted on another blog should give you an idea of the general sentiment of objective viewers.
what I see is mediocrity, lack of confidence (as seen in his bearing), lack of focus (as seen in his shifting eye focus), seeming lack of conviction, and incoherence. I had to replay the video thrice before i could get heads or tails of what he talking about… he’s the type of person that I will not hire based on the initial interview alone…
My observations as well. I also noticed, as many others also have, that Noynoy talked really fast. Was it a conscious effort on his part to appear fast as opposed to slow? Or did he just have another appointment to attend to?
Come on pro-Noynoys, can’t you just be real for once? Noynoy was not at all impressive in that forum. Not by a long shot. And what’s with the false air of objectivity some widely known Noynoy fanatics are trying hard to project with comments similar to this one:
For me Gibo, Perlas and Noy did very well. I’m impressed.
Who are you kidding? If you were really objective you wouldn’t include Noynoy in that list. Compared to how former Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and environmentalist Nick Perlas carried themselves and responded to the questions, Noynoy’s performance was nowhere near as good. MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando and even Councilor JC de los Reyes provided better (not necessarily popular or palatable) answers.
Can’t we just all be honest about it? I don’t like Noynoy because he has nothing to offer than a fairy tale and has made no real effort to prove otherwise. The rabid Noynoy supporter, on the other hand, likes Noynoy exactly for that reason. Stop pretending that you like him because of his “impressive” qualities because the simple fact of the matter is he has not displayed any up to now. Hopefully, he will be able to in part 2 of the forum.
But wait, there seems to be a slight problem. Rumor has it that the Senator will not be appearing in the 2nd part to be aired next Sunday. Apparently, the source of this piece of disappointing news is shock-jock Mo Twister. Here’s the relevant excerpt from his blogpost.
And here is a bit on information you might not know. This is a two-part show, last night and then the other half to be aired this Sunday. The next episode was supposed to have a twist where we will see the presidentiables ask questions to each other, but guess who isn’t going to be there? Noynoy. Apparently, right after the taping of the first show, he stood up and said he had to leave for some official reason. The other half of the program (next week’s episode) wasn’t finished–shoot, it didn’t even start. So unfortunately, this pivotal episode will not have the guy most of us came to see. Rumor has it that because Noynoy wasn’t answering very well, it was decided by his people, that it would be best if he did not take part in the 2nd half. What answer Senator Aquino gave to GMA on why he was leaving, I don’t know at this point. However, what could be more important? I would understand if it were a medical emergency, but is there anything else more important at that time than finishing this program? Wasn’t he aware when they scheduled the show taping that day, that you should be prepared to finish your obligation to the show and not just that, to the public who are so eager to see you and hear your views? Is the rumor true that he ran away because he was struggling? What do you guys think?
Well, if Noynoy’s camp is to be believed the reason for his departure has something to do with the Election rules. Here’s an excerpt of the “official” explanation (boldface highlights are mine):
Senators Aquino and Roxas will be filing their certificates of candidacy on November 28, and the decision to do so was made as early as the first week of November.
According to the Omnibus Election Code, and in light of the recent Supreme Court decision in the case of Penera vs. Commission of Elections, after the certificate of candidacy has been filed (Nov 28 in the case of Senators Aquino and Roxas), candidates may not participate in election-related events until February 9, 2010, for those vying for national positions
Section 80 of the Omnibus Election Code prohibits any person from engaging in election campaign and partisan political activity outside the campaign period. Under 79 of the OEC, election campaign and partisan political activity refers to any act designed to promote the election or defeat of a particular candidate to a public office, which includes:
“Holding political caucuses, conferences, meetings, rallies, parades, or other similar assemblies, for the purpose of soliciting votes and/or undertaking any campaign or propaganda for or against a candidate;
This provision of law has been expanded by the Supreme Court in the recent case of Penera vs. Comelec, G. R. No. 181613, September 11, 2009, where the Court ruled that “the conduct of a motorcade is a form of election campaign or partisan political activity, falling squarely within the ambit of Section 79(b)(2) of the Omnibus Election Code, on “[h]olding political caucuses, conferences, meetings, rallies, parades, or other similar assemblies, for the purpose of soliciting votes and/or undertaking any campaign or propaganda for or against a candidate.”
If a mere motorcade as in the case of Penera was considered a form of premature campaigning, then appearing on a televised program such as “Isang Tanong, Isang Sagot” where known presidentiables are invited to answer policy questions that may touch on their respective platform of governments, will be certainly be considered as engaging in an act designed to promote one’s candidacy.
Based on the advice of his legal team, Senator Aquino declined to participate in the second half of “Isang Tanong, Isang Sagot,” which will be aired the day after he files for candidacy, on November 29.
Hmm. This is really funny. Really, really funny. After subjecting the public to heavy bombardment of his “mythical” TV ad, Noynoy now suddenly turns into a shy boy. Ayayay. What’s so special about November 28 anyway that Noynoy can’t just move the date for the filing of his COC? And what about that legal advice? If Noynoy’s camp was really so concerned about the airing date of the forum’s 2nd part then shouldn’t it be concerned also about possible re-runs of the 1st part after November 28? Ayayay again.
Well, what do you know. There’s a big reason why Noynoy can’t move the date of his COC filing and here it is:
Editor’s Postscript:
Some have been asking, why not just move the date? Good question. Here’s the answer:
(1) The Nov 28 filing date was chosen and confirmed before the invitation to join Isang Tanong Isang Sagot reached the Senator’s desk.
(2) It was also chosen, on a more personal note, because it is the day after Ninoy’s birthday. (You might ask, why not Ninoy’s birthday itself? Well, because there are a lot of events to celebrate Ninoy Day and Sen Aquino wanted to celebrate it freely with the people, without legal constraints).
(3) Also traditionally, major political parties choose separate dates to file, so it can be “their day” with their supporters, and no confusion. That gives only 2 days for an invariably more number of presidentiables to file AFTER “Isang Tanong, Isang Sagot.”
Celebrate Ninoy’s birthday freely with the people? Why? Let me guess. Media Mileage.
Noynoy is really missing out on an opportunity to show the people what he is made of. Part 2 of the forum would have given him a chance to showcase his awesomeness against the other candidates, all of whom are nothing compared to him at least according to his most rabid supporters. But instead of taking up the challenge he retreats?!?
The Kapuso Network missed a golden opportunity with its much publicized Isang Tanong Presidential Forum last night. The presidential aspirants came and they seemed all ready to be grilled, to be asked the really tough questions. But, instead, they were made to answer mostly “motherhood” questions that naturally elicited “motherhood” answers. Here are the questions asked (condensed and loosely translated from the vernacular).
Noynoy Aquino
(Mel Tiangco) What have you accomplished? (Malou Mangahas) What three things do you plan to accomplish? (submitted question) If elected to the presidency would you be willing to give up your position should you be implicated in allegations of corruption?
John Carlos “JC” de los Reyes
(Mel Tiangco) A candidate runs because he knows he has a chance of winning. Do you think you have the resources to win?
(student representative) You are against the Reproductive Health Bill because you say it tramples on the rights of women. How will you balance protecting women’s rights and addressing the country’s population problem? (submitted question) How will you prove to the nation that you’re running for the good of the country and not for your own interest?
Joseph Estrada
(Jessica Soho) Why are you running? For public service or for vengeance?
(student representative) What mistakes did you commit during your previous term that you will no longer commit should you be elected again?
(submitted question) Can you rid the government of corruption?
Bayani Fernando
(Jessica Soho) We’ve been through a dictatorship. Why should you be elected considering that you’ve been characterized as a dictator and executioner? (Atty. Victor Lazatin) You’re not ranking well in the surveys despite the fact that you’ve already gone around the country. You’ve also lost support from Lakas. Will you still push through with your presidential bid.
(submitted question) Do you have any other motive for running?
Nicanor Perlas
(Arnold Clavio) You are in favor of divorce. How do you expect to get the support of Catholic voters? (John Nery) How do you differentiate yourself from Senator Loren Legarda who is also a high profile green (environment advocate) candidate?
(submitted question) What is your platform with regard to national security, corruption education and the millenium development goals?
Gilbert Teodoro
(Arnold Clavio) You’re not ranking well in the surveys. Would you admit that President Arroyo is like heavy baggage? (Mon Casiple) What is your final solution to insurgency? (submitted question) Would you be amenable to having your assets frozen while you’re in office?
Bro. Eddie Villanueva (Vicky Morales) You didn’t fare well in the 2004 presiential elections. What will you change in your present strategy to do better this time around? (Howie Severino) Can you promise you won’t use the bible as basis for your policies and decisions in case you get elected? (submitted question) What will you do to help the middle class?
Manny Villar (Vicky Morales) You are rumored to be PGMA’s secret candidate because you’re the least hostile. What is your stand on “Hello Garci” and the other issues involving the First Family? (Winnie Monsod) You were part of the impeachment of Former President Estrada as Speaker of the House. Now, you’re being accused of using your office to enrich yourself. What makes your case different from that of Estrada? (submitted question) what steps will you take to destroy the network or machinery of discrimination against workers?
While not a complete waste of time, the program did very little to provide the public with a clearer picture of what the candidates have to offer. It really didn’t help that none of the questions delved into the “How” as in “How do you plan to rid the government of corruption?” or “How will you improve the economy?”
The word “platform” was also mentioned a couple of times but no additional detail was provided. I expected GMA7’s award winning line-up of broadcast journalists to dig deeper but apparently the forum rules limited them to asking just one question. I guess they had to stay true to the program’s title ‘Isang Tanong’ or ‘One Question.’
The final round of questioning was supposedly a main highlight of the program. None other than CNN Hero of the Year awardee Efren Peñaflorida was tapped to ask the question. I have nothing but respect for Peñaflorida. What he has done to help poor children in Cavite get their basic education is truly commendable. However, I just can’t understand why, of all the possible questions, he had to ask this one: How can one be a hero?
All in all, I would say that the forum could have been done better. For one, I think the economist Winnie Monsod should have been designated as the lone interviewer. The question she asked of Senator Manny Villar was the only one that had a bit of a bite. As a viewer I would love to see Monsod taking the lead in future programs of this type.
Now, about the candidates. In general, none of them impressed me. Definitely not Bayani Fernando who was applauded by the students among the audience for his reply to Peñaflorida’s “hero” question. To me, the fact that they applauded him for his inane response is truly troubling.
Pinoy Buzz has been blogging about the interview he and several bloggers had with Senator Francis Escudero last Saturday. You can read the first two parts of his series titled “Grilled Chiz: Lunch With An Ex-Presidential Candidate” here and here.
I was actually planning on joining Pinoy Buzz but I had to beg off because of a prior commitment. I wanted to find out from the senator himself if he really suggested making mathematics an elective subject. Pinoy Buzz was kind enough to ask the senator on my behalf. Here’s that part of the interview:
First off, I’d like to say that I kinda like Chiz better when he speaks like this. It’s more natural and candid compared to his usual style. It’s also less insulting when he uses fewer motherhood statements. To the senator’s handlers and rabid supporters, hayan ah constructive criticism yan for your idol.
Anyway, if you listened carefully to the senator he is now claiming that he is really not against mathematics at all. He says he was just proposing that the review of the country’s curriculum be done more frequently and for subjects to be made more relevant.
I totally support the senator on this. However, I still disagree with his proposal to make mathematic subjects elective. Considering the almost natural aversion of students to anything mathematical, giving them the right to choose is almost a guarrantee that no student will ever take those subjects. Unfortunately, Escudero didn’t really clarify this in that interview.
Now I’d like to show you a screenshot of the senator’s website. Please take note of the posted article about this particular proposal of his.
I’m posting this here so that everyone will know that he really proposed making math an elective subject. You may have heard in that youtube clip his claim that he was just misquoted on this whole mathematics issue.
On another matter… I appreciate Escudero’s idea of presenting a platform patterned after the format of the National Budget. I only hope the senator would release his platform immediately so that we can all start scrutinizing it. Come to think of it if the Senator really cares so much for this country he should present his platform whether or not he decides to push through with his presidential bid. If his platform is really any good he shouldn’t be selfish about it. Instead he should even let other politicians or incumbent officials take a crack at implementing it. Idea sharing baga. Para naman sa bayan eh.
Btw, I also think there’s merit in Escudero’s idea of appropriating the profits of PAGCOR for education.
Now, I hope the senator’s rabid fans will now see that those of us who have been dissing him all this time are not really against him per se. We’re just doing what we do to get him and the other candidates to start talking about their plans for the country.
You can view the full interview of the senator over at YouTube. It’s divided in about 18 parts. Start with this link here. Just ignore the juvenile questions like the one about superheroes.
Aside from the blatant use of the memory of dead people as campaign foundation, there is another campaign trend all voters should be wary of. It’s that cheesy use of the “Hindi ko ito kaya mag-isa pero sa tulong niyo magagawa ko” (I cant do this alone but with your help I can) line not a few politicians like to use for dramatic effect and to prop up their substance-free campaigns.
Now I don’t know about you but for me this is simply unacceptable. Nakakainsulto eh. Obviously, politicians who run their campaign on this crap think voters are stupid. I know I’m not. How about you?
On second thought maybe these politicians do have basis to think such empty rhetoric can still work. I won’t single out any one particular person but in this blog alone a few commenters have been displaying their voting immaturity. You can easily recognize the type. They are those who rabidly defend certain candidates against — of all things — legitimate calls for platforms. These people are so juvenile they are easily convinced to support certain candidates as if there are already enough relevant information with which to base their decision on.
Ok, I may be generalizing too much. Not all of these premature supporters lack the necessary intelligence to vote wisely. Some of them are actually smart — smart enough to act like real supporters when in truth they are actually paid hacks. Some are smarter even in that they are backing up this or that candidate not for loose change but for political leverage. Btw, these people are quite easy to detect. They are usually involved in high-level “volunteer” work for the candidates. Some of them serve as spokspersons or advisers. Afew are public personalities themselves who are now also being tagged for inclsion in their candidates’ respective line-ups. I don’t want to insult creepy crawlers but these characters can easily be likened to leeches.
But enough about these shady characters. Let’s go back to this “Hindi ko ito kaya mag-isa pero sa tulong niyo magagawa ko” drama. If you really think hard about it you’d probably realize that a politician who wants to lead on a national level shouldn’t really be using such a line. Think about it. What kind of a president would such a candidate be? Di pa nga nagsisimula alam na niya na hindi niya kaya. If he/she can’t do it on his own then he/she has no business running for higher office. Of course, the rabid supporters of such candidates will simply say their bets are just being humble. Puhleez. Ever heard of false humility?
What’s even funnier is that these non-thinking rabid supporters lap up such lines even though their candidates do not really say what exactly it is that they cannot do on their own. Apparently, these people are real suckers for vague statements. “Hindi ko ito kaya mag-isa…” What does “ito” refer to anyway? Ask 10 fanatics and you can be sure you’ll get 10 different interpretations. Even then they still think they are all on the same page. I think they call that unity.
“Hindi ko ito kaya mag-isa pero sa tulong niyo magagawa ko”
Seriously, have you ever encountered a politician who turns to his/her constituents for advice or support after they get elected? I know I haven’t. Let’s be realistic here. The only time politicians find us useful is during the election season. After that they simply forget we exist. I don’t know about you but I don’t really care if a politician turns into a snob after he or she is voted into office as long as he/she is competent and confident enough to lead with or without my support.
(Here’s a guest post from Filo, a regular reader of ours who also happens to be a prolific contributor to the witty, graphic-centric, political blog Utak Ng Tilapia.)
Senator Chiz Escudero’s proposals to trim down standard school requirements, like say, make geometry an elective course in high school, will keep Juan a dull boy. Not only are today’s Filipino youth shortchanged on quality of education, they’re going to be scrimped on quantity as well if Escudero had his way.
I won’t go into what the senator was thinking. Anyone with half a brain could tell that the further dumbing down of a nation serves no good purpose. Without mincing words on this piece, I’d say his was a really stupid idea. So I ask those who still buy into the eloquent senator’s pandering: You skipped the thinking part again, didn’t you?Tsk, tsk, tsk. It happens all the time, unfortunately.
Many of us have lived here long enough to know that there is a Filipino tendency to skip the thinking part and still expect to get from A to B anyway. Let’s look at a few examples how Filipinos self-sabotage themselves with this tendency.
First, there’s our long held big basket of superstitious beliefs. “Don’t do A because you might get B.” “Huwag mo titigan ang bata, baka ma-usog.” “Huwag kang umalis habang may kumakain pa, baka ka madisgrasya.” Never mind that there’s no logical explanation how B happens because of A. For you to believe, you’ll have to skip the thinking part. And why not? The superstitious always tells us “Wala namang mawawala sa iyo kung sumunod ka.”
Second, there’s the Pinoy brand of wishful thinking: Bahala Na. Quite a lot of us Filipinos make certain decisions hoping for desirable results without preparing adequately for the consequences of our actions or following through to get what we want. We’re so used to uncalculated risk-taking, from spending money we haven’t even earned, to bearing six children in a row while combined family income stays the same in those six years, to voting for a politician that we didn’t bother to adequately scrutinize. What could possibly go wrong? God won’t disappoint us, right? Funny how we leave so much to chance and call it God’s will. We skip the thinking part when we decide to limit the variables we personally control.
Also worth mentioning is the Pinoy’s propensity to believe in the words of demagogues, populists, and endorsers of all sorts. “If these individuals choose A, then so should we.” Riiiight. Letting someone else make your mind up for you means you’ve skipped the thinking part yet again. (And that applies to pretty much everything else, not just in picking your choice of shampoo and conditioner.) I thought Pinoys like to be empowered in a democracy. What gives?
Now you might be thinking, “If we Pinoys have managed to survive for so long skipping that part where we’re supposed to think, what is this guy’s problem?” Simple answer: The Filipino habit of skipping the thinking part keeps millions of Pinoys from taking personal responsibility for whatever harm they cause on every other one of their countrymen, and on themselves. What you do affects me, and vice versa. It’s that simple.
It’s high time every proud Pinoy thought his convictions through and actually admitted to everyone else that in a democracy what each of us does (or fails to do) affects everyone else. That’s not to say that in other forms of government our actions don’t affect our neighbors much; it’s just that in a democracy we’re far more empowered than if we were in a dictatorship, yet we goofy Filipinos repeatedly squander the opportunities we get to elect competent and morally upright leaders, to adopt a mindset that brings us all closer to progress rather than peril, to distinguish between what is real and what is false or contrived. It’s not that we never get a chance to do the right thing; when it presents itself, we tend not to take it and so we do the skip. I’d bet my pants we could do way better than we do now, just by thinking our choices through. Haven’t you noticed how easy we are to the politicians who do pretty much everything on the edge of the law? Doesn’t it p*ss you off to be treated like an idiot by these politicians? Starting today, let’s vow not to be too easy.
Or we could remain as pushovers and bounce around in the wind like tumbleweed, like we always have. Who’s tired of living like this anyway, right? Let’s just keep skipping the thinking part and then pasensyahan tayo. ‘You game?
You are currently browsing the Better Philippines weblog archives for the month November, 2009.
bp on Gut Feel All Over Again pilipinopoako,
i'm no fan of manny villar, but i don't think there's anything shocking about the possibility that villar used himself ...
Barb on Ban On Cellphone Use While Driving Here's another house bill from Mr. Tieng...
http://www.topgear.com.ph/news/bill-seeks-mall-owners-liability-for-damages-on-parked-cars
The old notion that digital content does not reach the masses is no longer that clear-cut. This is an important thing to note in our campaign to find progressive alternatives to Big Media as a setter of trends and an originator of ideas in our chronically backward society. For it is not so much the poor masses as those who wield influence via their means to […]
There is one thing absolutely indisputible about the plight of the Filipino “Nation”, and that is its absolute lack of any collective achievement of consequence. A recent article that BongV pulled out from somewhere in the Net cites one failure after another over most of Philippine history, each snippet in itself a testament to our [...] […]
I originally posted this yesterday at AntiPinoy, and I figured it never hurts to give it a chance to get a few more eyes on it, so it's copied here. But do your mind a favor and visit AntiPinoy, too; there are a lot of sharp minds at work there, not only among the authors but in the comments as well (although to be strictly accurate, for every intellige […]
Yeahha…Thought I’ll put this here. Away from AP. As BenK puts it You know you are starting to make a difference when you really start pissing people off, it just goes with the territory. There is no available legal recourse for her to do anything, if she wants to make a complete fool of herself in Federal [...] […]
Certain circumstances in my life right now are compelling me to rethink my whole involvement with the Philippine blogosphere. I feel that I have lost my way and myself in the process of creating a... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] […]
There is one thing absolutely indisputible about the plight of the Filipino “Nation”, and that is its absolute lack of any collective achievement of consequence. A recent article that BongV pulled out from somewhere in the Net cites one failure after another over most of Philippine history, each snippet in itself a testament to our [...] […]
Last Tuesday, Sentro ng Katotohanan have as guest Atty. Troy Banez of OMAG (Outdoor Media Advocacy Group). It will be noticed that OMAG has been spreading the Vote Wisely message through billboards in EDSA lately. Learn about the group and their advocacies by listening to our archived broadcast.Sentro with OMAG […]
Santino is the star of the ABS-CBN program "May Bukas Pa". He's based on San Marcelino Pan y Vino. He is a "miracle boy" who regularly speaks with Jesus Christ and creates miracles for people. It becomes such that the people want to steal him and make him slave away to make miracles at their bidding. It's a typical "miracle […]
People always say: Too much of anything is bad. I’ve always thought that all this fanaticism towards the late Ninoy is going way overboard not to mention, exaggerated. This way of thinking has probably got to do with the fact that unless a person delivered results, I will not see him as someone who has [...] […]
BISTEK admits to splurging 90 million pesos on food & drinks- Cannot account for P2.7B of tax-payers' money - Quezon City Vice-Mayor Herbert ‘Bistek’ Bautista failed to satisfactorily answer the questions regarding the unexplained disbursement of his office’s P 2.7 billion budget.In an interview on national TV, the comedian/Vice-Mayor was evidently […]
French Virologist Luc Montagnier is credited with having co-discovered the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and was co-recepient of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 2008. In an uncut interview for the documentary House of Numbers, Dr. Montagnier shares some insights that may surprise those with common knowledge of HIV and AIDS. My main takeawa […]
At the end of the day, crooks go to jail or at the very least resign from their positions – in Japan and the US. The Philippines is a different story. […]
The country’s fightingest senator says that she has been doing poorly on pre-election surveys because people might look for her on the ballot under ‘Santiago’ instead of her preferred ‘Defensor-Santiago.’ Wailing at the violence inherent in the (patriarchal) system, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago called on the Commission on Elections as well as on other w […]
Senatorial candidate Jose de Venecia III claims the automated election system can be easily hacked by a lean team of about 30 hackers. The self-proclaimed IT expert whose claim to fame was an expose on a broadband deal that he himself used to be a party to says these hackers can easily get into Comelec's [...] […]
I was in elementary school when I first heard of Michael Jackson. His hit songs "Thriller", "Beat It" and "Billie Jean" were enjoying heavy airplay at that time. I wasn't into music back then so I didn't really pay much attention to those songs. I did, however, enjoy watching other kids my age copying Michael's da […]
