Better Philippines

Get Real Philippines ‘Nuff Of This Hero Crap

A blogger friend called my attention to a banner going around Facebook. It is this one:

It’s a nice graphic if I may say so myself. However, I’m not at all impressed with the message it imparts. My apologies to Mark Gosingtian, the artist responsible for this artwork.

I’m certain Mark got his inspiration for this artwork from the outpouring of assistance for the victims of the recent floods. I can’t blame him. It really is quite a sight seeing people working together to help those in need. The effect is amplified even more when the scenes are rendered in slow motion and set to dramatic music. Such is the power of video editing.

Well, as I said earlier, I am not at all impressed with the message.

Where I’m From Everyone’s A Hero

(Mark I’m really sorry. In case you read this I just want you to know that I don’t mean to offend you especially since I got word that you may actually be doing this for charity.)

My main problem with Mark’s slogan is that it is one big exaggeration and a flat out lie. My other problem is that because it was rendered in such a fashionable manner it will certainly attract a bit of a following. Remember those ubiquitous Ako Mismo dogtags?

I know the message is meant to be inspirational and I sincerely hope it does inspire Filipinos to come out with real initiatives aimed at getting our country moving towards real progress. But that’s the problem. Slogans like these don’t really do that sort of thing. They always fail to produce meaningful results. Worse they even contribute to the dumbing down of this country by reinforcing the wrong notion that everything is alright. Unfortunately, where such an attitude or belief is the prevalent one you can be sure real progress is almost non-existent.

To be blunt about it. We are not a nation of heroes. We are just a nation of ordinary people currently facing extraordinary challenges. How we turn out afterwards is of course yet to be seen. I am betting though that even we apply Rhonda Bryne’s visualization technique to this hero thing there is no way we will become a nation of heroes.

Instead of aspiring for hero status why don’t we just aspire for something a little more down to earth. How about we aspire to be a nation of rational thinking people? And, if having a slogan is a must then I would suggest something less “fashionable” but truly meaningful. I propose this one from the netizen known only as Benign0:

Get Real Philippines!

It’s pretty simple, isn’t it? It may not be as sexy as “Where I’m From Everyone’s A Hero” but it certainly does more than just create an artificial feeling of patriotism. For one it tells you to do something. Now, the great thing about it is that if you feel you’re really up to it there’s already a place where you can go to get ideas. I’ll provide the link in a bit but before that I want to warn you the content in the site you’re going to see will challenge your beliefs and make you think really hard.

So, are you ready to exercise your brain and get real or would you rather just wear the national colors on your shirt and feel all hero-like? Well, if you’re the former then proceed here. And, if you really want to get into the nitty gritty of being real for the Philippines go here.

Ninoy Aquino’s Speech In Los Angeles

Video courtesy of NinoyAquinoTV.

For a transcription of Ninoy’s speech go to Real Encounters.

And, here’s a YouTube video about his assassination.

WWCAD?

I’m amused by calls for former President Corazon Aquino’s canonnization. I just feel that it’s a bit of a stretch. Calling her a hero may already be enough (although that too gives me goosebumps). But, a saint? Missus Aquino herself may be turning in her grave.

There’s no doubt about it even though she was not perfect Missus Aquino is worth emulating. Much has been said about her preference for the simple lifestyle. Though she belonged to one of the wealthiest families in this country she never became a slave to the trappings of power. For that alone, she is truly worthy of praise.

In his elegantly titled blogpost “President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo et al won’t puke up NY dinner”, Pinoy Buzz wrote:

The next time Gloria Macapagal Arroyo eats out in some other country, it wouldn’t hurt to ask herself… What would Cory Aquino do?

Indeed, what would Cory Aquino do (or have done)? Would she have allowed herself to be treated to a dinner, the cost of which is reportedly enough to buy thousands of value meals enough to feed a small community? Would she have graciously declined the extravagance of it all and insisted on less expensive fare?

Given what we know about Missus Aquino’s character, I guess it would be safe to guess that she would have declined the invitation or opted for less extravagant fare at the very least. Of course, we will never really know how the former president would have acted.

What Would Cory Aquino Do? WWCAD?

It’s a fairly simple question one that we could ask ourselves when we’re in a quandary.

Should I take this taxpayers money so I could buy that beachfront property? WWCAD?

Should I remain in power? WWCAD?

Should I eat this lobster? WWCAD?

Public Servants To Stand Motionless For Better Public Service

Standing still for close to nine hours straight is no mean feat. What more if you’re standing on the flatbed of a moving truck and without anything to hold on to. That’s exactly what four Honor Guards from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police did yesterday during the funeral procession for former President Corazon Aquino.

There’s no question about it. Pfc. Antonio Cadiente, Airman 2nd Class Gener Laguindam, Petty Officer 3 Edgardo Rodriguez and Police Officer 1 Danilo Malab gave us an outstanding display of physical conditioning, endurance and discipline.

It comes as no surprise that the four Honor Guards are now being treated as celebrities of some sort. Media outfits have come out with reports and commentary about them. And, as can be expected, at least one politico has been unable to resist riding on the attention these four are getting at the moment.

Senator Pia Cayetano — who also happens to be a triahtlete — knows exactly how physically difficult it was to do what those four Honor Guards did. She notes that standing motionless for a long duration of time is even harder than walking or running. Unable to contain her admiration, Senator Cayetano has announced that she will file a resolution to commend the four Honor Guards for being role models of what a public servant should be.

HUUUUWWWWWAAAATTTT?!?

Is she saying public servants should be motionless for long periods of time?

Here’s a quote of the senator lifted from a GMANews.tv report:

“They did their job well and I will file a resolution commending them because it is symbolic of what people in public service should do. Whatever your job is, do it well,” Cayetano said Thursday during the weekly news forum at the Senate.

“For the soldiers who did their simple job but did it well through rain and storm, without food, without rest, I think that was an effort on their part that they did it without need of attention. They did not speak, they did not call attention pero kapansin-pansin ang ginawa nila,” Cayetano said.

That clears it. But still isn’t this a bit over the top? I won’t deny it I was impressed myself with those Honor Guards. But, a commendation from the Senate no less?!? WADAPAK! Are we so lacking in sources of true inspiration that we have to make a big deal out of every little “exceptional” thing?

On second thought, maybe it is I who is making a big deal out of nothing. What’s this pending Senate commendation anyway aside from being an effective self-promotional tool? Well, it just happens to be one of those things that tend to bring down the Filipino’s standards for greatness. Something similar to this.

Indignant Over Hypocritical Show Of Selective Indignation

Do you know what makes Philippine politics one big joke? It’s the hypocrisy.

I’m really beginning to think there is no more hope for this country of ours. How can we expect to realize a better Philippines when we can not even mount a decent and genuine indignation rally. Heck, we can’t even decide exactly what we are being indignant about. Gloria Forever? Charter Change? Corruption? Transactional Politics? All of the above?

The Anti-Con-Ass rally should have been more than just a protest against Charter Change through Constituent Assembly. It should have been more than just an act of defiance against attempts to extend PGMA’s term. It should have been a rejection of graft, of corruption, of all the evils that plague our government.

Those who were there would likely say that it was. Really, now, is that what it was? I caught a live TV coverage of the rally and, boy, was I blown away by the images that I saw. Just as I feared, politicians and would-be politicians took over the stage again, displaying their disgusting smiles and fake posturings. If it were a real indignation rally against government evils then those opportunists shouldn’t have been allowed on stage to begin with.

And, what about those partylist solons who, at the very least, appear to be defenders of the common good? Were they not bothered at all that they were  sharing the stage with the poster boy for transactional politics? Ah, the hypocrisy.

Perhaps, the biggest hypocrisy and punchline in all of this is the fact that many of those so-called protesters did not even have the slightest idea what the hoopla was all about. A TV Patrol report showed a couple of “hakots” admitting on camera that they do not even know what Con-Ass meant.

I’m running out of words to express my indignation over this disappointing excuse of a rally. I’ll just borrow the famous words of Anti-Con Ass supporter Senator Mar Roxas, who, according to fellow blogger PinoyBuzz, is actually a closet charter change supporter.

P U T A N G I N A !

(I apologize for the profanity. I just can’t stand hypocrisy)

The Strange Case of Mabuhay

Isn’t it strange that in advertisements promoting Philippine tourism the word ‘mabuhay” is standard but in normal conversations it is never used. That being the case, why then do we use it at all when addressing a foreign audience?

“Come visit the Philippines. Mabuhay!”

Don’t we have any other conversational words that we can use in lieu of “mabuhay”?

Is our use of this word indicative of something deeper?

Share your thoughts, please.

We Can Stop Being Seen As A Nation of Servants

Now that the hullabaloo over the article written by HK Magazine columnist Chip Tsao has subsided we could hopefully devote the same time and energy to look at the other issues that his piece brought up to the surface.

Foremost of these, I think, is the reality that many Filipinos do go abroad to work as household helpers. Is that a bad thing? Generally speaking, it probably is. I don’t see how doing menial tasks like cleaning house, washing the dishes and doing the laundry for a foreign master can be good. Besides, no one takes on the job of a household servant because of calling or passion. Those who go into this kind of work do so because of plain necessity and therein lies the problem.

What is it exactly about Tsao’s column that got many of us all riled up anyway? Was it his characterization of his imaginary household help and her circumstance or was it the phrase “a nation of servants”? It was probably both although many of the news articles and blogposts on Tsao’s article did show that more focus was given to that “offensive” phrase.

A quick Google search brought up this definition of the word “servant”: a person working in the service of another (especially in the household).

It  appears that the word is not inherently derogatory. I guess it all depends on the context by which it is used. In any case, recent events have shown that it was easy for us Filipinos to find offense in being described as “a nation of servants.” Is it possible that we hate being called “servants” because we ourselves made the word and its vernacular equivalent “katulong” derogatory? Just consider the fact that we have become so uncomfortable using the term “katulong” that we even had to coin the seemingly more polite version “kasambahay.” I wonder when, how and why did “katulong” become a dirty word?

But, as I proposed earlier, the biggest issue here is the fact that many of our countrymen still find themselves faced with the choice of seeking work as household help. Why don’t we address this instead? We can do so not by flaming each and every person who describes us as a nation of servants but by forcing our leaders to find, formulate and implement measures that would ensure that no Filipino will  ever need to work as a servant anywhere including our own country.