Ang Senado ng Pilipinas: Wala talaga kayo kungdi mga asong mangangaso
Mga Senador na Nagpupulong? [Kredito ng Larawan: animalbffs.com]
Article by Joe America (English)
Translation by Enigma
Mga Minamahal kong mambabasa, puedi ho bang hihingin ko ang inyong pahintulot upang magsalita ng hindi kagandahan? Upang itabi muna ang “kagandahang asal” sa kapakanan ng katapatan ng salita? Upang magsalita ng tahasan sa halip na magkunwaring mabait at magalang?
Sa aking palagay alinman sa itikum ko ang aking bibig at manahimik, katulad ng ginagawa ng maraming kilalang tao tungkol sa mga ginagawang mga kalokohan ni VP Binay. O tumayo ako at magsalita tungkol sa kahalagahan ng mga bagay, ng mabuting asal, ng prinsipyo, ng mabuti at marangal na gawain.
Ang ibig kong sabihin, nagtataka ako. Kayo ba ay naiinis din katulad ko sa kawalan ng pagkatao na pinapakita ng Senado dito sa Pilipinas? Pakiwari nyo ba’y pakete sila ng mga walang prinsipyo, makasarili, mga walang kwentang ipokrito?
Katulad ng sila’y nagtatrabaho sa kapakanan ng iba, ngunit hindi sa inyo?
Parang ito ang pakiramdam ko.
- Pinayagan nila ang isang bagay na niluma na ng panahon na dapat ay nasa kulungan na mangingibabaw sa kanilang balakin na paghihiganti sa politika. Siya at ang ilan lang ambisyosong mga tao na naghahangad na maging Presidenti ay sila lang ang naghahangad sa bansa na gustong umakyat muli sa pamamagitan ng kalungkutan ng Mamasapano. Sa ngalan ng politika. Samantala, ang ibang mga kinakailangan isabatas ay naunsiyami, ang pandaigdigang ipinagbubunyi na BBL ay isa nito.
- Ang mga Senador ay namumulitika. Pamumulitika, karapatan, ligtas sa kaparusahan. Yan ang kanilang ginagawa. Pamumulitika ang nangingibabaw sa prinsipyo, nangingibabaw sa serbisyo, nangingibabaw sa pagpa-usad ng bansa. Ito ang kanilang ginawa sa SET (Senate Electoral Tribunal) na desisyon na isinantabi ang Saligang Batas ng Pilipinas pabor sa pandaigdigang batas. Kahit ang pinakamagaling sa lahat, ang pinaka may prinsipyo sa kanila . . . si Senador Bam Aquino . . . ay bumigay. At kasama sa botong iyon, ang pag-asa ng pangkaibahang lideratong pambansa ay lumabo.
- Mukha yatang hindi tayo magkakaroon ng isang Pambansang Batas sa Paggamit ng Lupain na batas. Naaapakan sa paa ang maraming may mga karapatan sa mga nambubugaw na mga politikong senador.
- Si Senadora Pia Cayetano ay nagngangalit sa kinahinatnan ng mga kaawa-awang mga kababaihan pagkatapos na ilan sa kanyang mga nananahimik at lihim na nagtatagong mga kasamahan, kasama ang isang babaeng nagngangalang Senadora Loren Legarda, tinanggal ang 1.1 bilyong peso at maraming kalusugan palabas ng Pondo sa RH na Batas . . . sa kapakanan ng kanilang relihiyon. Si Cayetano ay siya rin ang babaeng nanahimik tungkol sa garapal na pagtrato sa mga kababaihan ng kandidato sa pagka Presidenti na si Duterte, ang kanyang pagtataksil sa kanila, ang paggawa na kalakalan ang kababaihan, at ang pangmomolestya sa kanila. Ano bang bansa ang pinag-aalagaran ng mga kababaihang ito, ipinagtataka ko? Ang katolikong bansa lang? Ang nag reeleksyong bansa? O ang ating bansa?
- Makikita natin ang pagmamaliit nina Senadora Poe at Binay ng mga institusyon ng Pilipinas para sa kanilang kapakanang pampulitika. Inaatake nila ang Ombudsman, mga Korte, ang DOJ, COMELEC o kahit sinong kumuntra sa kanilang gusto. At pagtapos ng araw, kung magtanong tayo, “Anong maipakita ng Senado sa kahit anong bagay?”, ating makita ang isang palyadong balsa, masalita, nasobrahan ng detalye, mga batas na hilaw na kanilang ipinain sa Ehekutibo na ipagsasakatuparan, at pagkatapos tumayo sila sa likuran at mangutya. Paano kaya kung nagtrabaho sila sa napakagaling na pagpatakbo ng institusyon ng Senado bago sila magturo kung paanong patakbuhin ang sa iba? Paano kaya kung sumulat sila ng napakagandang batas, talagang napakaimportanting batas?
- Ang mga Senador pumasa ng pagtataas ng PhP2,000 sa Social Security bawat benepisyaryo bawat buwan ngunit tinanggal ang mekanismo ng pagpopondo, sa ganyang paraan minaliit ang kakayahan ng pondong magpapatuloy sa pagbabayad sa hinaharap. Pinahintulot nilang si Presidenti Aquino ang sumalo ng init pampolitikang dumepensa sa kapakanan ng sambayanan dahil sila ay walang lakas para gawin ito. Nakita nila ang tubig na pampaligo ng sariling kapakanang pampulitika sa kapanahunan ng taon ng eleksyon at ihinulog ang bata sa kandungan ng Presidenti. “Ito ho ang isang panukalang batas tungkol sa mga batang napulot, Mr. President.” Nabuo sa paglalaro ng pamumulitika.
- Ito ay kabuuwan ng mga aktor at kanilang mga anak na babae, mga kawatan at mga panginoon ng mga kudeta. Sa pinakamalapitan na masabi ko apat lamang – mga Senador Angara, Villar, Recto at Aquino – sila lang mandin ang may kahit kalahating dedikasyon sa paglingkod sa kapakanan ng bayan. Yung iba, masabi ko, nandoon sila kung ang kamera ng telibisyon ay nandoon . . .
Sina Joey de Leon at Senador Tito Sotto sa “Eat Bulaga” [Kredito ng Larawan: Philstar]
- Ang partidong pampulitika ni Senador Pimentel ay gustong magbigay sa atin ng isang mamamatay tao, malibog na otokratikong Presidenti at si Pimentel ay may karahasang manlait kay Bise Presidenti Binay sa pagnakaw ng ilang bilyon? Sa pakiwari baga’y mas mahalaga pa ang pera kaysa buhay ng tao, kagandahang-asal, at karapatang pantao. Buong-buo kong inasahang ang plataporma ng PDP-Laban ay babasahing, “Parating na, Pulutong ni Kamatayan sa INYONG nayon!”
- Hindi ko na kailangang banggitin pa si Senador Cayetano, bumubuntot sa likuran ni Duterte na parang mga payasong sumusunod sa likuran ng mga elepante sa Sirkus na naglilinis ng kanilang malakihang dumi. Pinagtataka ko lang kung sino ang gaganap kay Cayetano sa pelikulang ipapalabas sa paparating na panahon na may titulong, “Ang bata pa, at ang ambisyoso”. Pangalawang pamagat, “Walang prinsipyong mga nangangalakal ng sarili na kayang ipangangatwiran ang kahit ano”.
- Dalawa sa tinitingalang kabuuwan ng Senado ay nananatili sa kulungan, kahit na ang pangatlo ay nakatakas sa paglaro sa Korte Suprema na parang pakete ng mga tanga. “Napakatanda na nya at napakasakitin para makulong”, ang deklarasyon ng pinakamataas na hukuman ng bansa. Pinayagan nila syang makalabas para mahalungkat nya ang dignidad ng bayan. At ang integridad ng korte . . . para paboran ang karapatan at pagkaligtas sa kaparusahan. At ang mga tao ay nagtataka kung bakit napakahirap para kumuha ng mga taong susunod sa batas sa lugar na ito.
- Si Senador Sotto ay nangunguna sa mga kandidato sa Senado sa 2016. Siya ang nangongopya ng sinulat ng iba ng walang pahintulot na naglagay ng “sotto-copy” sa ating mga pag-uusap, hinubaran ang mga mahihirap na kababaihan ng kanilang mga panangga sa pagbubuntis, nagpapalipas ng kanyang pananghalian na nakakatawa sa telebisyon at sumulat . . . anong batas, eksakto . . . sa paggawa ng bansa? Hindi kalayuan sa kanya sa botohan ay isang kampyon sa boksing. Bata papano, na kikilos ng pasulong ang ating bansa ng marahasan?
Ang karamihang ng tao na nagtapon ng Social Security sa Presidenti? [Kredito ng Larawan: bp.blogspot.com]
Alam nyo, kahit na nagpupurol ako, sabihin ko sa inyo na ako ay nagkakasakit sa ganyang paglilihis ng argumento. Ito ay nakakatangang masyado sa pag-uusap. Kung ang Kongreso ng Estados Unidos ay isang pakete ng mga makapansariling mga papet sa Korporasyong Amerika, mapawalang sala ba ang mga Senador ng Pilipinas ng pagiging makapansarili at nagkulang din?
Hindi, hindi.
Hindi!
Iyan ang isa sa napakamatandang panlilinlang ng pangangatwiran sa masamang ugali. Sa paggawa ng lumang “lahat naman ay nakakalusot, bakit kami hindi?”
Tumayo. Humarap. Harapin ito. Integridad at pananagutan ang dapat nyong iaatas sa inyong sarili. Hindi kailangan ng komparasyon, maliban sa inyong ugali, at sa inyong mga prinsipyo, at sa inyong mga nagawang mga kabutihan.
Maaari po ba nating putulin ang pambansang pagtakbo ng pagsubok sa pag-iwas ng pananagutan? Maaari ba, sa ating sarili, kahit man lang gumawa ng pagsisikap?
“Okay, kaya ano ang ating asahan, Joeboy? Napakatalino nyo kaya.”
Hindi yan ang inaasahan ko. Iyan ang dapat NYONG asahan.
Hindi, iyan ang dapat nyong HILINGIN.
- Dapat nyong hilingin na ang Senado ay umasal katulad ng pinakamagaling at pinakamaunlad na katutubong diplomatiko sa ibabaw ng planeta. Katulad ng totoong Mataas na Pulungan, katulad ng mga taong may integridad, marangal, maprinsipyo, totohanan, kung saan ang kabutihan ng sambayanan at respeto sa mga prinsipyo ng demokrasya ay mas importanti kaysa mga senador bilang mga indibidwal.
- Dapat nyong hilingin na sila ay maupo sa Komite ng Etika at hawakan nila ang sarili ng mahusay na pag-uugali. Dapat hilingin ninyo na ang mga kasapi nito na pumasa-kulungan ay tanggalan ng kahit anong impluwensya sa kahit anong batas, sa kahihiyang kanilang dinala sa institusyon, at para mailayo sila sa kahit anong masabi nila sa ating mga natira.
- Dapat nyong hilingin na tigilan na nila ang pagbubuga ng napakahabang listahan ng mga pansariling pag-aangkin ng pambabatas na napakadalang mangyari. Dapat nyong hilingin taun-taon . . . sama-sama . . . gumawa ng pahayag ng pinakamataas na PAMBANSANG KARAPATANG MAUNA na magpahinto sa mga matatandang may lamat na ang kaisipan at mga politikong oportunista sa pag kumander ng mga bagay na dapat gawin samantalang ang kapakanan ng bansa ay nagdurusa.
- Dapat nyong hilingin na malaman nila kung paanong gumawa ng batas na makabuluhan sa pagtutuon sa malalim na polisa. Sa pagbaklas sa mga nakakalito sa isip na mga detalye at ilagay ito sa isang ahensya upang ang mga batas ay humabol sa kapanahunan. Katulad, puede bang kunin nyo ang kodigo ng mga gusali sa pambansang batas at hayaan ang isang ahensya na magsabi kung anong laki ng pako ang dapat nating gamitin.
- Dapat nyong hilingin na sila’y maging matapang at gumawa ng mabigat, importanting trabaho imbes na magbugaw sa mga may karapatan. Hilingin na sila ay magpasa ng isang Pambansang Batas sa Paggamit ng Lupain na mapapanatili ang mga bukas na mga puwang at kayamanan at lagyan ng kunting kaayusan sa pag-unlad at kautusan ng paghahati-hati ng lugar na naging napaka-delikado sa kasalukuyan na napakamapanganib na maglakad sa bangketa ng halos lahat ng mga lungsod. Kung merong bangketa.
Dapat nyong hilingin na sila ay magtrabaho ng marangal, na may karapatang mauna ang pagkamakabayan, katulad ng mga sundalo sa digmaan. Na payag isakripisyo ang kanilang kasuapangan at ambition para sa atin.
Hindi talaga ito mahirap, talaga.
Bago nga lang ito sa kanila.
The Society of Honor by Joe America 
*******
Very faithful translation and not at all enigmatic — that is, “mysterious or difficult to understand.” Kudos to Enigma.
*****
Yes, Thank you Enigma. Time to spread the word!
It delivers the message very powerfully, more than the English original.
English is often used by Filipinos do distance themselves from a topic. For many including me Tagalog means talking turkey and cutting the bullshit. Putangina ano ba iyan!! (c) Mar
Hi Irineo, Did you receive and email I sent you this morning ?
Bill In Oz
Yes I did… answer is coming. Many thanks. 🙂
PiE, my late uncle Dr Bonifacio Sibayan (recognized doyen of Linguistics) had early on pointed to the singular capability of Pilipino to deliver emotion. Hence, Pilipino is a high context language. English’s power on the other hand, is derived from the high degree of borrowings, viz Greek, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, German, French, et al. Taglish bridges our bilinguistic and multicultural (hopefully) dynamism.
That is true… every language is shaped by the character or culture of a people, and shapes it in return… English started off as a Saxon (Germanic) dialect, 8th century German and English were still mutually intelligible with some effort, not much further apart than the Bisakol (Bisaya-Bikol) dialect of Sorsogon (my grandmother’s language, even if she as a Spanish mestiza brought my father up with Spanish, his Bikol he learned from his yaya) and Waray. Then came the Danes, the Normans, the Welsh Tudor Kings, the Scottish Kings (James and Charles the First and Second all four), William of Orange (Dutch Oranje)… and American English is the mixture par excellence… Afro-American cool comes from West African “kul” (means good soul in the sense of tropical happiness)…
The strength of American culture and its defining power as the culture of globalization comes from its being mixed… its hamburgers and Joe’s folks came from North Germany… its Mafia from Italy… it Filams from the Philippines… it’s “Hawaaianos” from Ilokos… now the Philippines is in the process of assimilating American influence “pa more” and “now na”, just like the Mexican and Spanish influences became part and parcel of the culture, AlDub and its jokingly Filipino adaptations of American musics by DubSmash a sign of it… and Pia Wurtzbach from Stuttgart has both German stability and Filipina niceness… the latest Miss Cebu is Croatian-Filipina so the Balkan element is coming in also… now Germany 15 years ago was different, Philippines too… so I think Fraport will not repeat.
Madami nang naisa batas ang Kongreso pero dahil sa absenteeism o kawalan ng quorum di na maisasabatas ang iba dito.
”
A core group comprising the Offices of the Executive Secretary, Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs, Cabinet Secretary, Presidential Legislative Liaison, and the LEDAC Secretariat organized and conducted a Cabinet Cluster workshop on July 15, 2013 to come up with a list of proposed priority legislative measures for the 16th Congress.
In his opening remarks, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Jr. pointed out the objective of the activity to limit the proposed measures depending upon their level of importance as input to or consistent with the President’s SONA.
PLLO Secretary Manuel Mamba presented the status of the 15th Congress CLA. On the accomplishment of the 15th Congress, Mamba emphasized the 467 new laws enacted as of July 15, 2013 and 28 more for Presidential action. 73 of said laws are of national application and 15 of which are LEDAC CLA.
DOF Secretary Cesar Purisima presented the proposed priority legislative measures of the Economic Development Cluster, as follows: (1) Removing investment restrictions in specific laws cited in the Foreign Investment Negative List; (2) Amendments to RA 7718 of the Build-Operate-Transfer Law, as amended; (3) Rationalization of the Mining Fiscal Regime; (4) Transparency and Accountability in Administration of Fiscal Incentives/Fiscal Incentives Rationalization; (5) Amendments to RA 8974 – An Act to Facilitate the Acquisition of Right-of-Way, Site or Location for National Government Infrastructure Projects and for Other Purposes; (6) Amendments to the Cabotage Law; (7) Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA); (8) Amendments to the BSP Charter; and (9) Further Amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA).
DTI Secretary Gregory Domingo proposed to include the following: (a) Amendment to Consumer Act, which aims to incorporate the Lemon Law and update the Consumer Act because of the growing e-commerce, and (b) Competition Law.
DOTC Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya also proposed to include the following: (a) Creation of National Transport Safety Board; (b) Strengthening MARINA to be made as single maritime agency in terms of STCW compliance; (c) extending the term of PNR, and; (d) amendment to LRTA charter.
DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan presented the proposed priority legislative measures of the Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cluster (HDPR), i.e., Magna Carta of the Poor and National Land Use Act, respectively. Secretary Soliman also proposed to include the following HDPRC priorities: (1) Marine and Coastal Resources Protection Act; (2) Amendment of the Local Government Code (LGC) of 1991 or RA 7160 re effective implementation of the Universal Health Care Coverage in the grassroots; (3) Coconut Levy Act; (4) Magna Carta of Workers in the Informal Economy Bill; (5) Amendment to Public Employment Service Act of 1999 or RA 8759; (6) An Act to Strengthen the Apprenticeship System.
DENR Secretary Ramon Paje introduced the proposed priority legislative measures of the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation (CCAM) Cluster, namely: (1) Land Administration Reform Act; (2) Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act; (3) Alternative Vehicles Act (Electric Vehicles); (4) Liberalizing the Export of Rice, Corn, and other Grains or Related Agricultural Products, amending Sec. 6 of the National Grains Law; (5) Delineation of Specific Forest Limits of the Public Domain; and (6) Water Sector Reform Act.
DBM Secretary Florencio Abad presented the proposed priority legislative measures of the Good Governance and Anti-Corruption (GGAC) Cluster, except for the Fiscal Responsibility as this bill was moved to the EDC, namely: (1) Retirement Benefit and Pension Law for Retired Uniformed Personnel; (2) Amendment to Witness Protection; (3) Whistle Blower Protection and Security; (4) Amendment of Ombudsman’s Act; (5) Strengthening Asset Forfeiture; and (6) Freedom of Information. Secretary Abad emphasized the retirement benefit and pension law as the primary priority legislative measure but needs further study in terms of sources of funding.
The GGAC Cluster, however, has reservation on a salient provision of the proposed amendment to the Ombudsman Act, specifically on the grant of immunity for Ombudsman investigators, complainants and witnesses, as well as the Office of the Ombudsman’s (OMB) 50% share in the proceeds from recovered/forfeited in favor of government. These matters will be discussed or cleared with the OMB.
DOJ Secretary de Lima raised objection/reservation on the proposed measure strengthening the forfeiture power of the OMB, specifically if the intention of the bill is to grant exclusive power to the Ombudsman as it will divest the Solicitor General of its civil and criminal forfeiture powers. The measure needs further study.
Lastly, the proposed priority legislative measures of Security, Justice, and Peace (SJP) Cluster were presented by Secretary Cesar Garcia, namely: (1) National Defense Act; (2) Philippine Maritime Zones Act; (3) Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act; (4) An Act Reorganizing & Modernizing the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI); (5) Strategic Trade Management Act; (6) Criminal Code Revision; and (7) Bangsamoro Basic Law.
The Executive Secretary informed the members of the Cabinet that a technical working group comprising the Cabinet cluster chairpersons will finalize the list of priorities.”
Nephew, the dynamics & checks and balances of the 3 branches are already extremely time-consuming even when all concerned are divested of politics. Hence the proportionate education of the electorate is mega-imperative in order to recruit and deploy the best officers of our government. Alas we have to keep defining who are the best.
Agree Uncle.
Thanks Karl for posting the important work LEDAC is doing.
Because benign0 obviously used your first posting on LEDAS to smash Aquino – again.
GRP is becoming a truly hateful place – possibly because they are running out of real arguments. BTW I will at some point write my evaluation of President Aquino. I want it to be balanced, so every information you give is significant – including the speeches you posted.
Comparing senators to Basset Hounds are an insult to the latter or any breeds of dogs for that matter…btw Joe, am a frequent reader of your blogsite. Mabrook to have such enlightening and thought-provoking articles and hopefully somebody like Enigma can do the translation so the people can understand what it wants to convey.
I’ve already apologized to the dogs, Keith. It was literary technique and I am sorry if I offended any. Translations are strictly voluntary, and so far four or five people have stepped forward to take care of a blog they found particularly worthwhile to spread more broadly. The normal audience for the blog is generally narrower, the “reading classes” and assorted opinion makers and presidents.
Tungkol ito sa palusot este dahilan ni Legarda sa pag tapyas o bawas sa pondo ng contraceptives.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/754937/legarda-there-are-enough-funds-for-contraceptives
Sana naman sa susunod na administrasyon maipasa na itong land use act.
”
OPENING STATEMENT
HEARING ON NATIONAL LAND USE ACT
COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES
A pleasant day to all and thank you for coming to this public hearing of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.
We are almost coming to a resolution of a 20-year old issue on the need for a national land use policy. We are in the penultimate stage of finalizing the consolidation of Senate Bills 7, 63 and 150, after having conducted at least 3 technical working group meetings and a number of consultations with various stakeholders.
This bill will help us understand the land use framework around four policy pillars, namely, Protection, Production, Settlements and Infrastructure. It attempts to clarify the complexities of regulating land use planning and to institutionalize mechanisms that will ensure its strict implementation from the national to the local levels.
This bill is also a timely policy that supports climate change adaptation and mitigation as it recognizes the ridge-to-reef framework. This promotes the principle that whatever is done in the uplands shall have consequences to lowlands, residential and coastal areas.
The bill also seeks to address the key issue of institutional coordination and the need for a centralized paradigm for classifying land according to use. This is also crucial in the light of recent disasters that have wreaked havoc on our communities.
The passage of this bill will define how we can sustainably use and manage our land and resources for generations to come. I pray we will arrive at the best consensus at the end of this hearing. Suffice to say, this is a legacy we owe to our children.”
Karl, kelan iyan? Sino ang mga miyembro ng committee na iyan? Kongreso ba iyan?
Heto ang tanong para sa akin: paano mag-prioritize ang Kongreso? Saan ito mababasa?
https://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2015/0211_legarda1.asp
pebrero 2015 sa senado.di ko alam kung sinomga myembro. pero si chiz escudero committeee chairng environment and natural resources.
at ang nagsasalita dito ay si loren legarda
di ko alam kung pano mag prioritize ang kongreso.kelangan ba ng basbas ng pangulo o batok.
Begs for citizen-watchdog groups (not obstructionists) when objects for change are non-renewable and/or extractive parts of the nation’s patrimony, (I will call the grps ‘amici populi’ w/real, bona fide expertise. I hope i’m reading the thread direction correctly.)
Civic groups are already many in the Philippines, I have read in some sources – I am looking at some foreign sources on the development of Philippine political culture. In fact according to one source Aquino already involves them, more than any other before him.
However, they seem to be pretty diverse and unable to cooperate with one another – something I know from Filipino overseas associations. And probably the same stuff as I have seen myself in such associations. Either clique or regional fission with very personal altercations – I saw a Bikol association fission into Albay and Sorsogon groups myself. Sometimes there will be stealing, sometimes there will be unfounded allegations of this, sometimes helping people in non-standard ways gets one accused of stealing, DAP style.
Sometimes honest leaders are not preferred, dishonest but “strong” leaders are, probably because the culture among some is simply that way. In fact some do not want democracy, some just want a “strong person” who say what should be done, or some a “nice person” even if that person uses them. I have seen all of this, I will not stop like Karl or Mary, but I will not name any names either. Usually associations with purely students or people who have studied work, but even they can have the usual ills of Filipino politics, micro version.
Now I remember how once a Council of Filipino Associations in Germany was formed – after the German-Philippine Association and the Samahang Pilipino sa Alemanya – contact with both sides was NOT considered desirable, typical Filipino kampihan mentality – fissioned into local associations, some places had up to three associations, with the rivalry very intense. There was a Barangay sa Alemanya with local chapters though, as well… but after a few years there were two different federations of Filipino associations in Germany.
So as long as the mentality does not change to being capable of more real cooperation – and finding compromises – real grassroots democracy will not happen in the Philippines. BTW there were just over 10.000 Filipinos in Germany and growing in the time I describe.
Another thing I observed among Filipino associations in Germany back in the days – I distanced myself later for peace of mind – was that especially around Bonn there was a race to be “malakas” (have pull) with two institutions – the Embassy and the Church…
It was ridiculous how one wannabe influential woman – a nurse – tried to ingratiate herself with a German Catholic priest in a hospital. Another at a charitable Catholic organization…
Others tried to impress their “underlings” by showing who they “knew” at the Embassy…
And when more Filipinas came and married Germans in the 1980s, there was a fission between groups that wanted to be purely Filipino-led (Barangay), and the mixed groups… eventually more of us merged into mainstream German society and left Filipino madness.
This posting touches on a facet of Philippine development that intrigues me. The tendency toward cliques and division is anchored on emotional needs, and perhaps unhealthy ones if we consider the stage of life that most of us pass through during our teens, which is collecting in groups for the comfort of belonging and the security of having others to back us up. The globalization of the Philippines is throwing a lot of wrenches into the machinery as nationalists have to deal with Americans arriving, Catholics have to deal with Muslims rising and INC intruding into governance, and social media participants have to deal with trolls. The returning OFWs are no longer provincial in outlook, having gained either good or bad perspectives of others based on their experiences. I note that Filipinos abroad collect in huge, homogeneous Filipino communities. Some venture forth to travel the unfettered world of the global traveler, not bound to any anchors but that kind of self-contained resource of observation and introspection that you and so many participants here at the Society have found.
Things are changing. The Philippines of Cory’s time is fading. Rizal is an artifact, a precious one at that. We are witness to the Philippines arriving at a pivot point in Asia with the world spinning about her, and the whirling forces of other nations . . . Japan, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Viet Nam, South Korea, China and the US . . .even the Middle East . . . whipping past and leaving their marks, small or large, and changing the Philippines in small ways every day. We can either fight this, or go with the flow, and I know which is impossible.
The past as we knew it, only five years ago, is gone.
Joe: “We can either fight this, or go with the flow, and I know which is impossible.”
Hmm. Serendipity, Joe. My article coming at 3pm today could provide the answer as to what is possible or impossible. As a Catholic, I know that God makes all things possible. I have no other life preserver. Even if science disproves that principle, I will still insist that it’s true.
I look forward to that discussion.
https://archive.org/stream/philippinescentu00riza/philippinescentu00riza_djvu.txt – the Philippines, a century hence, written by Rizal, is worth re-reading today…
What is interesting is that he based some of his stuff on the predictions of Fedor Jagor, the Russian-German businessman and traveller from Berlin who went all over the Philippines including Bikol – who predicted the coming American influence in the area.
But in proportion as the commerce of the western coast of America extends the influence of the American elements over the South Sea, the ensnaring spell which the great republic exercises over the Spanish colonies will not fail to assert itself in the Philippines also. The Americans appear to be called upon to bring the germ planted by the Spaniards to its full development
But he also saw how colonialism had deformed Filipino attitudes… this passage reminds on both of GRPs criticisms and their own attitude towards themselves as Filipinos:
When the ethical abasement of the inhabitants had reached this stage, when they had become disheartened and disgusted with themselves, an effort was made to add the final stroke for reducing so many dormant wills and intellects to nothingness, in order to make of the individual a sort of toiler, a brute, a beast of burden, and to develop a race without mind or heart. Then the end sought was revealed, it was taken for granted, the race was insulted, an eifort was made to deny it every virtue, every human char-
acteristic, and there were even writers and priests who pushed the movement still further by trying to deny to the natives of the country not only capacity for virtue but also even the tendency to vice.
He also writes about uprisings… now what does this say about coups and stuff…
If those who guide the destinies of the Philippines remain obstinate, and instead of introducing reforms try to make the condition of the country retrograde, to push their severity and repression to extremes against the classes that suffer and think, they are going to force the latter to venture and put into play the wretchedness of ati unquiet life, filled with privation and bitterness, against the hope of securing something indefinite. What would be lost in the struggle? Almost nothing: the life of the numerous dicontented classes has no such great attraction that it should be preferred to a glorious death. It may indeed be a suicidal attempt — but then, what? Would not a bloody chasm yawn between victors and vanquished, and might not the latter with time and experience become equal in strength, since they are superior in numbers, to their dominators? Who disputes this? All the petty insurrections that have occurred in the Philippines were the work of a few fanatics or discontented soldiers, who had to deceive and humbug the people or avail themselves of their power over their subordinates to gain their ends.
The most prophetic part of this writing could apply to today:
In short, then, the advancement and ethical progress of the Philippines are inevitable, are decreed by fate.
The most important caveat remains this:
We said, and once more we repeat, and will ever assert, that reforms which have a palliative character are not only ineffectual but even prejudicial, When the government is confronted with evils that must be cured radically. And were we not convinced of the honesty and rectitude of some governors, we would be tempted to say that all the partial reforms are only plasters and salves of a physician who, not knowing how to cure the cancer, and not daring to root it out, tries in this way to alleviate the patient’s sufferings or to temporize with the cowardice of the timid and ignorant…
The result is that the long-suffering Sancho (Panza), or the Philippines, misses his liberty, rejects all government and ends up by rebelling against his quack physician.
About “Filipino representatives”… meaning politicians:
What risks does the government see in them? One of three things: either that they will prove unruly, become political trimmers, or act properly.
Where is MRP? Rizal wrote this not him:
It is useless to answer certain objections of some fine writers regarding the rather brown skins and faces with somewhat wide nostrils.
About justice:
When the laws and the acts of oflficials are kept under surveillance, the word justice may cease to be a colonial jest. The thing that makes the English most respected in their possessions is their strict and speedy justice, so that the inhabitants repose entire confidence in the judges. Justice is the foremost virtue of the civilizing races.
Commercial break: http://filipinogerman.blogsport.eu/philippine-presidential-candidates/
tulad ng sinabi ko datii ang pagpangakan sa kalye,hospital at kung ano pa ay sana matangggal na sa poder ng kongreso.
kung me dapat gawin ang kongreso ay pasimplehin pa ang mga batas.
Tama iyon! Para iyong mga gustong gumawa ng labag sa batas, hindi na puwedeng magpasimple – at magpalusot kahit sino pang abogago ang kunin nila. At para naman iyong mga inosente, hindi magamitan ng technicality gawa ng sobrang komplikadong batas.
http://www.rappler.com/science-nature/environment/82698-solid-waste-management-waste-incineration
sa artikulo na topinagaltan ni legarda ang ahensya ng namamahala sa waste management,sa pag entertain sa mga grupo na gusto ng incineration.
maganda sana ang batas kung lahat nag rerecycle at nagsesegregate pero hindi yon ang nangyari, punong puno ang mga landfill punong puno ang garbage dump,mga estero,mga ilog.
dagdag mo pa ang kawalan ng disiplina.
dahil wala tayong didiplina kailangan na natin ng plasma gasification at advanced incineration.
mahal ito dahil madami ang ayaw dito. pag madami na sila ay mura na din ito.
@Irineo.
In Europe they recycle,but they still incinirate,correct?
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/incineration_versus_recycling__in_europe_a_debate_over_trash/2686/
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you can recycle or repurpose as much as you want.But sooner or later you will throw them out.
in general cleaning,you get rid of stuff,even favorite,sentimental stuff.This happens everywhere.Even hoarders throw stuff.
Germany, for example, incinerates 37 percent of its waste and recycles 45 percent — a considerably better recycling rate than the 30-plus percent of Scandinavian countries. some waste is simply too costly to recycle, and modern incinerators with exhaust filters don’t really pollute. A lot of incineration in Europe is for electricity, or for heating in winter – the other choice is to rely on Mr. Putin and his natural gas pipelines.
many thanks.
There are too many countries getting from Siberia, that is why China is looking at West Philippine sea for oil. Russia is nothing without Siberia…..when it comes to oil.
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There is a company claiming that it can reduce electricity costs by half and eliminate all landfills with its plasma gasification technology.
Legarda might say over my dead body.
oil prices – if it goes up,a crisis can happen. If it goes down,crisis can still happen.damn!
It gets worse karl..Any attempt to freeze oil prices causes a crisis….Double, no triple damn !
Marcos subsidized gasoline. That subsidy was lifted in the 1990s only. Spoiled Filipino motorists met that measure with a lot of protests.
Used to be Filipino gasoline was cheaper than even in the US. In Europe gasoline is heavily taxed to pay the road network, and to discourage too much use of cars – imagine the US car culture in congested Benelux and Germany, it would be like Metro Manila.
Cheap oil also means cheap cars.I hope it is never too late to impose no parking garage ,no sale of car.Phasing out old vehicles is useless with out mass transport……
gusto ko ang bill na ito community service ng mga students.
angal tayo ng kalat wala naman naglilinis.tama na bata pa lang ay makapag lingkod na.
ngayon kolehiyo ang gumagawa nito para makaiwas sa ROTC.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/364938/news/nation/senate-bill-requires-community-service-for-students-from-elementary-to-colleg
Para na din mabawasan na ang mga city jail .
“AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE COURT TO REQUIRE COMMUNITY SERVICE IN LIEU OF IMPRISONMENT FOR THE PENALTY OF ARRESTO MENOR, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE CHAPTER FIVE, TITLE THREE, BOOK ONE OF ACT NO. 3815, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE REVISED PENAL CODE”
http://www.senate.gov.ph/lis/bill_res.aspx?congress=16&q=SBN-1165
Hi Joe Am, I do not agree with you that Bam gave in to what you said “na pati si Sen Aquino ay bumigay”. If he gave in, it should have been a vote to disqualify Grace Poe as what the Liberal party pressured him to do. I agree we Sen Bam when he said, the people who has less in life, shall have more in law. The constitution is silent about foundlings. What’s more frustrating is that, no one really talked about the foundlings. Sen Bam’s vote was seen as a political vote. Bam has been very objective on almost all issues, why can’t we see this as it is. That the vote was to grant the foundlings natural born citizenship, not pro or anti-Grace. The issue was beyond Grace, and so was Bam’s vote.
How do you explain the division of three SC justices with one readout, presumably law-based and removed from Grace Poe, and that of the senators, very different? I presume we can agree that the Binay vote was purely political. My take on it was that the justices applied Philippine law while the senators applied international law and heart.
The constitution did not specifically mention the foundlings, so the room for interpretation. The Philippine constitution also has an overarching principle of social justice. That the foundlings being deprived and disadvantaged, the state should be there to take care of them. My point is, the vote is not political and “bumigay” to the pressure. It is the other way around.
Okay, thanks for making the point, that Bam Aquino did not undertake a political act, but one based on principle.
slightly off-topic: http://www.interaksyon.com/article/123209/after-1-year–greeces-tsipras-vows-to-implement-pension-reform-at-anniversary-rally – the Greeks are to reform their pension system.
Some of my unreliable sources from Athens told me they are going to borrow money from SSS.
Sorry, Professional Heckler, I was first this time.
Some people have commented about Ponce Enrile still active in Philippines politics as a Philippines senator.
I am ( still ) reading a book called “In Our own Image : America’s Empire in the Philippines” by Stanley Karnow published in 1989. He talks about Enrile and Marcos’ declaration of martial law. It seems that Byroade the USA ambassador in 1972, tried to persuade Marcos not to declare martial law.
So….”Marcos delayed – and Enrile proceeded to trigger the coup…….
…….Late on the afternoon of September the 22, Enrile headed home from his Manila office in his blue Ford sedan trailed as usual by his security escort.The convoy was approaching Harvard st behind the Wack Wack golf course, when assailants shooting from another automobile riddled his Ford.As Enrile related the attack at the time :’my driver slammed on the brakes and jumped out firing at the car which sped away’. He owed his providential escape, he revealed to a last minute decision to ride with his guards.Years later after he had turned against Marcos, he admitted to me that the ambush had been a sham.He was nowhere near the scene but had simply ordered his own gunmen to shoot up his empty Ford”…page 359
Is this statement about Enrile publicly known ? If so how come Enrile is still a senator ?
It is known, and Enrile, who is out on “compassion bail” granted by the Supreme Court (jailed for plunder pending trial), was at today’s Blue Ribbon Subcommittee meeting on the Binay plundering, and seemed mainly to be challenging assertions of witnesses about financial matters, causing some confusion in the main. Tomorrow he is center stage on the Mamasapano hearing, which I expect to be an effort to throw mud against the wall and hope the newspapers pick it up as headline material against President Aquino.
I would add that the culture of impunity does not permit ethical judgments here to be made about such matters. Crime is acceptable, due course of business, for many of the entitled.
A Filipino historian once wrote that datus ruled based on their prowess. A Spanish historian writing about the same period wrote that they ruled via deceit and intimidation. Probably both meant the same thing.
Enrile be BAD, he be a hustler man. Napoles be a hustlin bitch too. Filipinos like strong leaders someone once told me, hustlin be strong, saying sorry is weak being honest too. Some articles from now you will write about the Importance of Being Earnest. In 1986 or sometime just after People Power, there was an article in the Inquirer or another big Filipino paper – titled “The Importance of Being Enrile”. Same game then, same person.
I think that is the title of Hemingway’s biography.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Importance_of_Being_Earnest
Nope, it is not.
A vast pity that the judge did not think to grant ‘compassion’ the Philippino people
Many many people agree with you.
Ambassador Franz Jessen waters wheat to symbolically launch EU-funded project Democratic Party Development Bangsamoro (DEPAdev) – I have been watching this for a while… the EU and the German Konrad-Adenauer foundation want to sponsor the development of real political parties in Bangsamoro… they are continuing with the DEPAdev inspite of no BBL yet, meaning that Bangsamoro may eventually have real political parties AHEAD of Manila. The last will be first.