President-Elect Duterte and Don Quixote
Don Quixote and his beautiful love, Dulcinea
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by Wilfredo G. Villanueva
For President-Elect Rodrigo Duterte
Dear Sir:
For now we are still equals, or you are not hard-to-reach anyway, because you haven’t assumed, so please indulge me.
Don Quixote is mankind’s best novel, written by Miguel de Cervantes. It speaks of a world (Spain) that was in transition. Chivalry was about to be shown the door, the Crusades was in tatters, and Western civilization could go either way: progress or decline.
It is a laborious read. Don Quixote had a lady love, Dulcinea, to whom he dedicated every thrust of his lance, every world-weary trot of his steed Rocinante which has seen better days, every fevered word he exchanged with his man Friday, Sancho Panza.
He jousts with windmills, water mills, a flock of sheep, a cloud of dust, anything that his mind fancied to be enemy. His world was banal, ho-hum, but all he could see were opportunities for his knighthood, battling all kinds of enemies in his mind, but through it all, when his jousting was done, he would return to his Dulcinea, wonder of wonders, the most beautiful woman any man could lay his eyes on.
In reality, Dulcinea was fat. She tended pigs, had a pugnacious vocabulary, yellowed teeth, and she was every inch nightmarish in appearance. But to the day of his death, Don Quixote insisted on her innate beauty, and when he breathed his last, thoughts of her flooded his addled brain and he was well departed.
Why do I share this story with you, Sir? It’s because you seem to be the opposite of Don Quixote. You see the world as it actually is, with no noble implications or rosy embellishments. That could be your magic. Your supporters see the world as a brutal beast that has to be tamed with equal brutality, niceties kept as far as possible from bloody battlefield. But you reserve your choicest put-downs for women. I will not go through the litany of your sins against womanhood, for they are many, instead I will try to pry you open, for sometimes I can see through men and women, their dreams, their loves, what drives them, what makes them great.
Let me say it outright: you are, or you will be a great person. Sixteen million six hundred thousand voters, even if they comprise a mere 16 per cent of the country’s population of 100 million couldn’t be all that wrong. No, Sir, they cannot be that wrong.
They can see what you have in Davao. My jaw dropped when I saw photos of you in a taxicab cruising the streets of your beloved Davao to take care of your people in the dead of night when most of them are asleep and when bad people tend to be awake. My jaw dropped when I saw the array of patrol jeeps, ambulances, your own version of 911. Some of my friends reasoned with me, incredulous as to why I am against you when in fact they have been to or lived in Davao, and will place their hands on the Holy Bible to testify that you are the real deal. I was of course unimpressed because you are not yellow, and yellow is my political color of choice since 1983 when Ninoy Aquino was gunned down.
But I have an aha moment with you, and this is where Don Quixote comes in. You gave us a clue of the Duterte soul, tormented with your battles with the devil for the last 20 years as hands-on mayor of what was once Wild, Wild Davao. On the night unofficial tallies showed that you were miles away from your nearest opponent, you hied off to your parents’ graves and said in between sobs, “Mother, please help me.” Aha! Got you! You are human after all. In a sense, you may appear like a devil but a part of you is still connected to the mother who birthed you, that you have a streak of nobility after all, a Don Quixote fighting battles to redeem mankind, rushing headlong to your enemy of choice. And you do not think lowly of women, no Sir. You do have a heart because it beats for the first woman of your life.
My heart melts as I reflect on what you have done in the cemetery. I can see that you have several modes or an armory of personalities to combat evil in our midst. But one thing remains: you are a dutiful son, yes, and sorry for this term, you may be a mama’s boy (just like me).
But sir, when you metamorphose noontime of June 30th, could you shed already one particular trait of yours which I think may get in the way of governance? What is that particular trait? It is this: You are afraid of what to you may be unmanly traits of compassion, kindness, understanding, forgiveness, yes, love, because your enemies may see the chink in your armor and they may defeat you, our champion for the next six years. Am I still on the right track, Sir?
All I want to say is that love still works. I shouldn’t be lecturing you on this because I know you are that kind of a person. I just read an article, about your helping out a boy who had cancer, something like that. I salute you, Sir. You are after all one of us.
This is not to say that we are to surrender to our being mama’s boys. No, Sir. But I urge you to please retrofit your armor. Everyone has a chink, a weak spot, and for a president like you, what have you got to prove?
Coming to terms with your compassion, your innate kindness could perhaps finally exorcise you of the ghosts of the kanto. No more foul language. No more being ahead of the pack in gang rape. No more bluster. Why? You don’t have to be cruel to be kind. You don’t have to swing your manliness like a club, hitting anyone indiscriminately. You have your title zipped up, you are in charge now, and you deserve to be where you are.
But for now, embrace your mother. Embrace your mother’s compassion for it is not a sign of weakness. You are our president, and you can be who you are. Show us some love. Show us the Don Quixote in you, a man whose head soars on eagle’s wings with thoughts of chivalry, idealism, a never-say-die stance against all enemies imagined or real. You have it in you. In doses. Your tears in your mother’s grave betrayed the very best of what is inside you. Love us then as your mother loved you and as you loved her, and let the world drop its collective jaw.
“I never believed for a moment that President Duterte is as bad as he projected himself to be. It was just war paint, calculated to strike fear in the hearts of his enemies,” the world would say with a collective sigh.
Here’s wishing you success in both your private and public life, soon-to-be Your Excellency.
The Society of Honor by Joe America 
Irony of ironies, the ma was anti-dictatorship and anti-plunder but the son is an enabler of the beneficiary of plunder and dictatorship.
I remember Uncle Sonny’s windmills.
It is Inang Bayan not P.I. like during American rule.
Irineo,
I did not undrstand your comment,kindly elucidate.
PI = Philippine Islands, during American rule.
Never again, never forget – Imelda’s beauty.
Gotcha, I thought you were commenting something that can be read from the article.
Like being a mama’s boy,and all the stuff about mothers.
In the age of Duterte, everything is high-context and ambiguous.
Tulad ng kwan ni Imelda, iyong beauty niya siyempre.
Nakalimutan tuloy ni Ferdie ang ganda ng Pilipinas.
President Rody is a quantum wave. He goes left and he goes right in the double-slit simultaneously. He has appointed some leftist members in his cabinet and also recycled some people from the Estrada and Arroyo admin and retained friendship with the Marcoses. He has embraced Joma and at the same time cultivated his own berdugo in the police and the military.
Down the line 2 or 3 years into his presidency, as he will be in constant glare of spotlight and observation, he will most probably behave like a classical particle and breeze through either left or right of the slit.
If he veers right, it will be for the expedient need to retain the job and consequently betray the constituency that elected him.
If he veers left, he must be prepared to confront an enemy far more dangerous and more powerful than the drug lords who allegedly put bounty on his head – the neoliberal capitalist global fraternity who took down the likes of Salvador Allende of Chile in the 1970’s and most recently orchestrated the coup that ousted Dilma Rousseff of Brazil.
They are, most assuredly, not just windmills.
Veer left all he wants, if he must, but Scarburough Shoal must not be touch by his friend. Or the “enemy” will make mincemeat out of him, windmill or not.
‘touched’ (dumb Chinese keyboard)
Or you are the one dumb to buy it…please donate it to JoeAm,,,he has a collection of them…hahahahhahaha
🙂
We all have the same supplier.Joe,Bert,and I.
Medyo huli ka yata sa balita pareng Bert. Sa pagkaka-alam ko guwardyado na ng Chinese Coast Guard ang Scarborough Shoals mula pa noong 2012 at ultimong Pilipinong mangingisda ay hindi na makapasok dun.
Ay, Mareng Micha, mukhang hindi tayo nagkakaintindihan. Ang sabi ko, huwag lang gagalawin ng kaibigan niya ang Scarburough Shoal…ibig sabihin niyan huwag mag-reclaim o maglagay ng anumang structure. HIndi ko naman sinabi na huwag guwardyahan.
Okay na, Mareng Micha?
Meron bang pormal na kasunduan ang Pilipinas at China na guwardyahan lang at huwag gahasain ang Scarborough, pareng Bert?
Wala akong alam na kasunduan, Mareng Micha. Bakit mo naman naitanong iyan?
At, Mareng Micha, bakit ala-una ng madaling araw ay gising ka pa? Mukhang interesting talaga itong itong blog na ito ni Pareng Willy ano? Pareng Willy, paki-timpla naman ng coffee diyan si Mareng Micha para lalong ganahan, :).
stateside si mareng Micha,pareng Bert.
Ah, ganun ba, Pareng karl?
Mareng Micha, paki-kumusta mo ako diyan kay Pareng Donald at pakisabi sa kanya na next year na presidente na siya ay alalayan si Pareng Joe dito sa Society at baka pag-initan ng mga bata ni……
Touched and mutilated already, since 2012. 😀
With a president that does not tell exactly what to expect, and as he veers left and right, and probably some u-turns, Filipinos will be like sub particles zig zagging in the Brownian motion. It’s too giddy to figure out where the particles’ journey will end.
Failed to attach,this is my last attempt on the Brownian Motion
Congratulations Karl, your skills are improving.
Quantum physics terrifies me. The equations are intimidating. Yet it’s terribly fascinating. I learnt a bit of it when trying to understand nano technology. The Brownian motion I learnt from Isaac Asimov’s sci-fi novel “Fantastic Voyage” – a story of a group of guys and a submersible vessel maniaturised to sub-atomic size and injected into the cranial bloodstream of a comatose Russian scientist in order to study his secret thought patterns.
I think Brownian motion is at work in the micro-wave ovens. The waves agitate the sub-atomic whatevers in the liquid of the food in the oven, increases the speed which increases energy and thus the heat.
You might want to see another illustrative version. This one is better. You can see the interaction of mass, speed, energy.
http://labs.minutelabs.io/Brownian-Motion/
Hehe,slow learner on the attachments Chempo.
Thanks for the link on Brownian motion.
You were into nano tech?
No I know nuts about nano tech. But was interested in nano products to market in the earlier years.
You got to know what you are selling,unles it is what Joe calls a pig’s ear. i googled that and found out it is sold to dog owners as dog food.
I’ve adapted the following idiomatic expression, because if fits when people are trying to sell bad ideas as good ones:
You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. (old-fashioned) Something that you say which means you cannot make a good quality product using bad quality materials. To make chairs that’ll last, you need good strong pieces of wood. You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
Again,google failed me hehe.Just kidding.
Don’t worry chemp, quantum particles will behave like classical particles as soon as they’re being observed. Hopefully, President Rody’s behavior will be more predictable when he knows there are eyes following his every moves as soon as he ascends the throne.
Not brownian at all.. I suspect…To the extent they can, the motion will be to other countries as migrants. .
Like the 2.1 million who have already migrated ( not as OFW’s ) since 1984.. And over 200,000 of them were professionals or in management. When you consider that these people have wives & families, this group represents a high proportion of the total.
No worries, Bill, we’re staying put. This place is our land, we love it…and we know what to do when the right time comes. Don’t worry.
Yes, Bill, a country like no other.
Will,nabuhay ka. akala ko hindi ka magcocomment.
Hi Karl! I can see that Joe and you and the others have kept the fort locked and ready for Injuns. What’s not to like about TSH?
Locked like Fort Knox.
👍🏻
the draw bridge will always be lowered for you.
Bert, it is the impoverishment of the Philippines which I was thinking about. It is one thing to encourage OFQ’s. They come home and are probably richer financially. But professionally trained & manager permanent migrants become citizens of the countries they migrate to. Build or buy homes; send children to school there… And so are a real long term loss.
I am thinking of an olf ormer friend who’s family migrated to the USA in the 70’s. He became a chiropractor ( a good one ) married a Canadian and then migrated to Australia…The Philippines was never in his thinking
Of late, sister’s family were talking about emigrating to New Zealand just because this country isn’t giving everything for them and they’re scared of squatters. Ha! Becoming Kiwis. Well, good luck to them, because frankly certain things will be hard to come by, such as computer parts.
I’d rather be here when my number’s up and blood-kin will visit my tomb every November 1 than would be lonely and forgotten in a cold faraway land.
Re computer parts… N Z has what anyone needs.. Just that the cost varies with the exchange rate
PS There is no way I will be hanging round waiting for relatives to visit my grave after I am gone !..Much better things to do/be
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Bill, you have post-mortem plans? I would love to visit places I haven’t been to. And, no, I am not referring to Dante’s circles.
*****
Bill, be a good boy. November 1 is family day, a reunion of sort. Be there!
If cremation is your choice,would you like your ashes in an urn for a longtime or spread in the air ?
No. I am a traditionalist as far as burials are concerned, preferring a week’s festive wake, a coffin and six feet of dirt, rather to be atomized and remembered only in pictures in a forgotten photo album.
There is plans and then there is what ‘happens’..
Better not to be too arrogant about destinations
Buddhists & Hindus do cremation – to set the soul/atman free
Christians are buried in coffins facing the rising sun to be ready for resurrection
I incline to the former
@karl
I don’t know Bill’s or Edgar’s preference, but those who like to be cremated and have ashes blown in the wind are having their last wish granted – they’ve always wanted a blow job.
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I like to be scattered too.
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Scattered ashes are a way of dissolving bonds to a (now) dead body.. And thus be more ‘ready’ for reincarnating..
But I have wondered about the wisdom of this in a world where too much co2 is changing climate for all the world.. More burning = more co2.
Recently in Adelaide a new burial ritual has emerged.. Burial in the earth without a coffin and a tree planted on the site. It feels sort of right to me…
@chempo lol at the last wish
Ah, okay, Bill, clear enough.
My thoughts were in relation to chempo’s and Micha’s quantum particles and Duterte’s behaviour which I agree we’ll be zigging and zagging around like quantum particles whatever that means as long as the guy remains unpredictable. But I know we;ll soon find our way to our desired outcome come rain or shine. Nothing similar to what happened to Willy’s hero Don Quixote, :).
Sabi ni Joe Assad that there are more laebanese living out of lebanon than in lebanon. Mas mas malaki yung ofw poplulation nila kay sa sa kanilang homeland population. Phoenicians sila noon. Ancient times….I think the same with Israel. But their populations are really small
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Love the metaphor.
*****
This may not be the Don Quixote transformation yet that Will wrote about in the blog — after all the PE has not officially started office yet. But there seems to be an effort toward softening the hard edges of previous pronouncements before July 1 comes around. Here is Abella, the brand new spokesperson:
President-elect Rodrigo Duterte is open to a “cordial working relationship” with Vice President-elect Leni Robredo although they come from opposite sides of the political fence.
…
I don’t know about the exact date or plans [of a possible meeting], but I’m sure that the President, being President of the entire nation, is quite open to having a cordial relationship with the Vice President, or more than cordial … working relationship.
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What does “more than cordial” mean?
*****
I think I know what you may have in mind. Abella should, one of this days, define his terms so we don’t misunderstand. We may, for example, mistakingly think that what he means is
Cordial = courteous and gracious; friendly; warm; sincere; heartfelt
And “more than cordial” may mean something else — such as the saying “keeping your enemies closer?” And so …
Or something one does not usually think about during the day. Oh, see what you get me started Edgar. 🙂
I am also uncomfortable of the word “quite” in “quite open”. In Tagalog, we often use “medyo” or “kaunti” which leads to so much inaccuracy and fuzziness in what is meant.
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That’s a good one. Quite can mean “to a degree” or “completely.”
*****
Quite is in the South of Iraq in the Persian gulf
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Well, not quite. Heh heh.
*****
That’s quite correct, karl, but quite out of topic, 🙂
Also quite rhymed with Kuwait, hehehe.
My bad,Quite is not in the Persian Gulf.
Do native Kwaitis also pronounce it as Q8? not Quite?
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Aha! The penny dropped.
This indicates to me that some of people surrounding Duterte are amateurs. Panelo was obviously one from Day One… when he said Duterte should be proclaimed ahead of the settlement of the vice presidential contest. That was imprudent segurista mentality.
Amateurs do not know where to begin and when to stop. They step in where angels fear to tread, and they must elaborate, embellish. This gets them into trouble.
In so many various ways, Duterte himself is an amateur.
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I am not sure Bill has mentioned this, but another sound feature of the parliamentary system is that The Opposition maintains a “shadow” cabinet. These shadow ministers are familiar with their portfolios and are able to scrutinize the words, acts and plans of their counterparts in power… and they are prepared to take over should The Opposition win government at the next election.
In our case, members of the cabinet may be unelected officials with some, little or no expertise in their assigned portfolios. And their primary loyalty and accountability is to the appointing power and not to the nation.
*****
Thanks Edgar ! You are right – amateurs feeling their way into the roles given them by Duterte.lifted out of their previous lives completely….While not having any authority, or being actually paid to do the job or being in Manila with immediate access to the bureaucracy..They are all at Davao. And wondering if remnants of the Aquino government will undermine them.. So focused on looking for plots
All the ingredients for stuff ups galore
Also thanks for putting out that extra info re the shadow cabinet.. I completely forgot about it and as you say, it has an important role…The shadow minister for education for example will be up to speed on the issues in the event of a change of government..
It makes a difference ! After an election in Oz the new government is usually formed and sworn in and actually working within 2 weeks.
Because in Oz it will probably be like in Germany – the professional bureacracy does the day-to-day work and briefs the new ministers from new governments.
The “Apparat” or machinery may seem like a quiet dictatorship at first, but it is not the role of the machinery of state to be political – it has a lot of day-to-day work to take care of.
What I hope is that Duterte respects the Commisioners whose terms go beyond his inauguration, and does not try to block their budgets – or those of the Vice-President?
Isn’t cordial physically expressed with a firm hug and more than cordial is intending more than a firm hug?
What I heard from the grapevine is that incoming VP Robredo has been denied an audience with Duterte. FOUR times.
It is obvious with Leni and I am not surprised,but my chismis is about the South Korean ambassador made to wait for three hours sitting in a mono block chair.My theory is since the South Korean president already congratulated him,he thinks can make the ambassador wait.What a diplomat! He wants us to be like North Korea,isolated.
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WE’RE GONNA KNOCK ON YOUR DOOR
We’re gonna knock on your door, ring on your bell
Tap on your window too,
If you won’t let Leni in when the day is right,
We’re gonna knock and ring and tap until you do.
We’re gonna knock on your door, call out your name,
Stir up the town, you’ll see.
We’re gonna ungaaa and howl like a carabao,
Until you say you’re gonna talk with… she.
CHORUS:
Hey, little boy, this ain’t no time to creep,
Let’s count deeds ‘stead of avoidin’ the veep,
How, how can we hold your ear,
With you down there and us up here?
*****
Brilliant. I note that the spokespeople scrambled to make up excuses to suggest they were thinking of VPE Robredo when they told her to have her own ceremony. We can tell that the spin is healthy, the deceits but a sentence away. Old school.
Offtopic: Prez thumbs-down the Nursing Bill, which is, of course, sponsored by certain political foes. The problem here is that 25k can be unsustainable in the long run, however unpopular the decision is, much like shooting down the SSS pension increase.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/570183/news/nation/aquino-gives-pay-hike-for-nurses-the-thumbs-down
Unfortunately, I’m positive that the PE will reverse those vetos for the hike and pension and sign those bills.
Yes.. my lady pointed it out to me yesterday… Some comments posted at the end of the ‘Decency’ post.
Sponsored by Trillanes sure.. But it could not have passed without ‘Liberal party’ majority support. Just like SSS..Now what Is that all about ? The locally elected pollies & solonic pollies don’t know what they are doing.. So the prez has to set them straight ? Or maybe he has lost touch with ordinary voters concerns while elected members cop an earfull from electors all the time ?
When money is thrown in, it becomes easy to know who are either for principle or profit.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/791071/pay-raise-for-nurses-vetoed
Quoting: “Nurses, medical technologists, pharmacists, laboratory technicians, physical therapists, nutritionists, and midwives, among others, are professionals who have taken a four-year course whose entry level salaries are pegged at Salary Grade 11, or a monthly salary of P19,077 under EO 201.”
The prez sees that the bill, despite having good intentions, is unequitable, in that it favors only nurses and not other health professionals within the same pay grade, who may also ask for the same amount of wages.
Nearly 20k, but this amount will of course, be deducted by taxes etc. leaving around 13-15k. Which is why the real emphasis of nursing schools is to prepare for employment overseas, where nurses are in demand and wages are more competitive.
Political reality bill.
During GMAs time she passed EVAT which raised vat from 10-12% this saved our country and was really the start of a from scally sound Philippines.
Ralph recto the Senate author of the bill despite being very popular lost primarily because of evat.
Now he is one of the top senate advocates of making life easier for Filipinos.
Senators wanting to be reelected have different priorities than a president who just wants to do the pragmatic, unpopular but in some ways needed hard stance that senators ever wary of an unpopular stand that sinks their chances for re election.
Well, indeed, the authors who really pushed this out for popularity and name recall:
16th Congress Senate Bill No. 2720
COMPREHENSIVE NURSING LAW OF 2015
Filed on April 15, 2015 by Recto, Ralph G., **Trillanes, Antonio “Sonny” F., Marcos, Ferdinand “Bongbong” R., Binay, Maria Lourdes Nancy S., Angara, Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M., Guingona III, Teofisto “Tg”, Escudero, Francis “Chiz” G., Villar, Cynthia A., Revilla Jr., Ramon A.
Phishing, oops sorry, fishing for votes, then and thereafter . . . .☺
And in the old Congress.. why were Liberal party members supporting it ?
Is the prez’s job to control the rowdy congress & senate like the emperors of old time Rome ?
Now the incoming House speaker has the solution.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/567065
May 20, 2016 – Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez said the prohibition against turncoatism can be spelled out in the proposed …
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After taking in turncoats suggest a way to stop turncoatism.
I see gems of wisdom everyday.
It is not illegal so it is not unethical.
That’s a very interesting article. The proposal is for a two-party system, which seeks to correct both turncoatism and the plurality elections where it is so difficult to get a majority. It addresses other constitutional revisions than Federalism that will be targeted for a plebiscite in 2019. Like foreign ownership. I like the proposals, myself. Except I am not sold on Federalism yet.
Joe,I am puzzled..You come from the USA which is a federarion with 52 states, plus self governing ‘territories’.. You have experienced a federal type government.. Yet you are against it for the Philippines.. Something does not compute
The US National government is strong, and if the PH version has that element of coverage for defense and to make sure poor regions get pretty much all the benefits the rich states can provide, then I am not against it. If the idea is to create a bunch of autonomous states and have national acquire the clout of the EU . . . That is, very little . . . Then I am opposed. What I am doing is posing some huge issues that need to be considered. It is study and shaping time, not opposing or favoring time.
If everything is possible in the ConConv why are they quiet on Parliamentarism?
Joe the EU model does not work even for the Europeans..Hence Brexit..
And no it would be a disaster for the Philippines.
But a genuine federation with a strong central government in it’s area of responsibility and strong states in their areas of responsibility would be better.
Right. So we await the details of the plan.
Joe,
It just struck me: Can you or anyone here do a “Understanding President Duterte #6: if he is anti-corruption and anti-criminality, why does he support the Marcoses?”
I think the answer is that he is against corrupt people he is not indebted to.
But it was Cory who appointed him OIC mayor of Davao. You mean support for this past election?
Yes, past election. Mayor Duterte’s cabinet selections illustrate a strong “loyalty” payout, and I suspect that he and Sen Marcos are “good old boys” cut of the same cloth. I’d struggle with a blog on it myself. One is hard pressed to find consistency and reason in any line of thinking by the President Elect.
He went as far back to who put his dad into power(Governor of Davao).
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1. The novel Don Quixote is a fitting metaphor for Duterte. The novel has many parallel and opposite themes — chivalry and knight errantry, illusion and reality, ideals and heroic deeds, simple-mindedness and acts of buffoonery, and sanity and insanity. .
1.1. The relevance to Will is in the contrast of the latter to the Don. Will writes:
“It’s because you seem to be the opposite of Don Quixote. You see the world as it actually is, with no noble implications or rosy embellishments.”
2. Where Will sees contrast I see plausible parallels. Is Duterte a chivalrous knight that will slay giants? Or is he a bumbling madmen that will bring disaster?
3. Anent Will’s perspective, there is this quote from the book: “When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies? Perhaps to be too practical is madness. To surrender dreams — this may be madness. Too much sanity may be madness — and maddest of all: to see life as it is, and not as it should be!”
4. Let me emphasize those two central propositions:
o “Too much sanity may be madness…”
o “… and maddest of all: to see life as it is and not as it should be!”
4.1. This brings into mind Hitler’s “perfect German race” and his “final solution.” As to the former, what is more sane than a perfect idea? And as to the latter, what is more insane than a perfect solution?
4.2. This is the way the fundamentalist mind works. And the fascist mind.
5. I will note that Will has gone from atheist to agnostic. He is willing to give Duterte a chance. While I remain an atheist, I think it is big of Will to change his stance. I just hope Duterte appreciates the gesture, and that he will strive with all his might not to disappoint people like Will… and the people who voted him into office.
*****
“Too much sanity may be madness — and maddest of all: to see life as it is, and not as it should be!”
Absent any clear meaning or any clear purpose, life itself might seem to be the embodiment of madness. What then should it be?
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Ease and joy and contentment in a self-governed community where there is honest livelihood according to one’s skills and talents, and where there is honor and respect for each other.
And computers.
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Are you describing mankind before the agricultural revolution? Groups of 20/30, a few families roaming around, hunting and gathering. No personal possessions, cooperation essential for survival, few infections because of isolation and very little intimate contact with animals. No revengeful gods and a lot of spare time to cultivate relationships. Our lost paradise (minus the computers?).
Makes sense, or genes prepared us for this archaic way of life. Genes develop slow, adjustment to our today’s hectic environment will take many more generations, unless our “intelligent” design and designer babies come soon.
I wonder if our failure to adjust is reflected in the lunacy we see in the PH and US as sense is lost and blustering dogmatics lead the dialogue toward anger and confrontation. It is like a giant scream, “WE CAN’T COPE!!!! SAVE US!!!!”
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Good catch, Joseph.
Indeed I may have been harkening back to idyllic village life in the past… but not pre-agriculture.
I associate pre-agriculture with tribal wars and witch doctors.
I’m thinking of the modern village, may be urban or may be rural, with inside plumbing and all the modern amenities. A secular community bereft of superstition. No, not the barangay with its micro-management of lives. Neat dwellings spaced apart with fences, with front yards and backyards. Nearby spacious parks with water features where one can play basketball, football or volleyball, and exercise or read a book through free wifi; libraries and shopping centers with medical clinics within walking or biking distance of residential clusters. A hospital or two within driving distance.
So a population like a town or suburb, small enough for people to know or hear about each other, but big enough to support community businesses and professionals.
Cities would be aggregates of these smallish communities with central business districts that feature fine restaurants, entertainment centers, museums and art galleries.
And the global village would just be a macrocosm of these microcosmic villages.
*****
I suspect you are suggesting to the PE a framework for retirement villages.
******
Good catch, chempo.
I forgot to mention the nursery and K-12 schools that must be within walking distance, the skating rinks, cinemas and the electronic game rooms in the shopping centers.
And the universities, gambling casinos, and pubs in the cities.
Don’t forget the massage parlors.
But if that’s the case, that is what we have now, ain’t it?
*****
*******
I guess going back to my original vision, what i should emphasize is not the milieu — the amenities and the infrastructure of the community that I have described — but the things we do occupationally and in our spare time, which is the way we achieve our potential and our purpose in life, and the way we interact and treat each other, which is the way we achieve our common goals and the purposes of the community.
The milieu is important primarily as the means to our individual and collective ends… but maintaining the milieu and enhancing it are also goals in themselves.
*****
The original sins that agriculture introduced were property (how to call land yours if you move out next week, or if you steal an ax, how to use it that the other 29 members don’t notice), hard work (working the fields, building durable stuff and things that give status but you don’t really need is harder than moving and hunting or gathering a little), over-population (more food in a small area, more people, more opportunities to mate, more people….), hierarchies and the need for better weapons (in a small group results of your hunting are appreciated, not your artificial status or the size of club/army). 10,000 years we lost our innocence, we only can alleviate the pain of the consequences, physically by new inventions, organizationally with better divine or human legislations. In the future maybe by adjusting our genes.
What you describe does not wash away our original sins.
*******
Joseph, as usual you bring interesting perspectives into the discussion.
1. You cite the following as sins of agriculture:
o Property
o Hard work
o Over population
o Hierarchies
2. I do not see these as sins. I do not believe in sins, original or agricultural. I see these as necessary or consequential adjuncts of the march of civilization.
2.1. From nomadic existence, mankind has progressed in three waves according to Alvin Toffler:
o First wave – Agrarian
o Second wave – industrial Revolution
o Third wave – Post Industrial
2.2. In a way, the march of civilization has been about the use of earth resources. In the nomadic life, all resources were available as part of the “global commons.” One could pitch one’s tent anywhere, let the flock graze, and then move on to greener pastures. As mankind moved into an agrarian society, resources were divvied up to provide a more planned and deliberate existence than the haphazard nomadic way.
2.3. Property, hard work and population growth were cause and effect of this planned existence. One needed to work hard to obtain and till acres, and one needed extra hands to help till, plant, harvest, and market one’s produce.
2.4. The Industrial Revolution saw the invention of mechanized tools to make life easier. The manufacture of tools required a partial shift from rural labor to city labor. Ownership of property turned from agricultural land holdings to small tenancies that were temporarily owned.
2.5. The Post-Industrial stage started with the invention of automatic production and is proceeding rapidly with technological change. And ownership of property has ballooned into the acquisition of cars, condos and gadgets. Also Nike shoes, Chanel handbags, Audemars Piguet watches.
2.6. Both the second and third waves have required the exploration and development of earth’s resources, from lumber and ores to oil. We are engaged in deadly struggle to control these resources, a struggle not only against each other but also against the ability of the planet to provide.
2.7. Micha’s Venus Project seems to be a vision of a self-sustaining future with careful management of earth’s resources.
3. To attain a life of ease and joy and contentment, I think a balance of performing hard work and owning property is necessary for most of us… that are upright and honest citizens. And population growth must be managed because the earth’s resources are finite. But the end purposes of our lives should not simply be in the joys of possession and consumption. It should be in the sharing of the joys of devotion and communion with whatever we hold sacred.
*****
Included somewhere in the seven deadly sins are feudalism and rentseeking.
Was trying to explain something different. Some things we do instinctively, or some behavior is directed by our genes. Genes are selected on being better in sustaining the species. E.g. help children, cooperate, share food… Things everybody does do not have to be regulated, not doing them is very exceptional. (Second type of behavior comes from cultural (nurture) indoctrination, such as dog meat jak or dog meat yam, they are embedded in a grownup brain, but differ between populations… Third type of behavior is purely rational, taking conscious decisions)
With the advent of agriculture the environment changed dramatically in a few hundreds of years but genes need many, many thousands of years to adapt. New values were created as ownership and thus heritage, patriarchs with exclusive rights and possession of many wives, blood lines more important than meritocracy. Creating value, thus hard work, for oneself, but more often for the patriarch, became more important than just sustaining good relationships. All these discrepancies needed rules because our genes were blind for them, the most important ones were imbedded in “supernatural” systems, and they became divine rules, not following them sins. Also infections (seen as God’s punishment) became more frequent, preventing them more important, thus many hygienic rules too.
For the rest Alvin (and Heidi) Tofflers and your description of our “recent” history is correct, all creating new discrepancies with our genes, all requiring new regulations, creating new sins. A 4e wave is immanent though, the “Singularity”, the abundance of (artificial) intelligence, but probably we will be able to adjust our genes artificially too and skip the need to create new categories of sins.
*******
Joseph, ah sorry, you were talking of behavioral genetics or sociobiology?
This is an area I haven’t read much of, but indeed it seems behavioral patterns can be encoded in genes and that these can be modified by natural selection.
When I use the term “conditioning” most of the time I am referring to cultural conditioning, which is the second type of learning you mention. Peripherally, I am also referring to instincts and “racial memory.” As to the latter, I assumed the locus was in the brain, if internal, and in the Akashic database, if external.
But now you are saying that parts of these may be embedded in our genes. I guess this makes sense. Neuroscience, however, in addition to recognizing genetic vectors, continues to analyze the brain and its structures to account for the peculiarities of human behavior.
That there is a first level of genetic component to our behavior shows how deeply our reasoning minds, the third level of learning, must delve to be aware of — and overcome, if need be — the influences of these lower layers on our behavior.
Behavior, one can say, is genetic, neural, and (ir)rational.
I also now understand your use of the term “sin” in the context of violation of rules that were made necessary because human behavior is soft-coded and not genetically hard-coded.
In the context of Will’s post, can one then say that Duterte is trying to hard-code good civic behavior through the use of instinctual violence?
*****
Sorry discussion is too deep, Is it like Nature vs Nurture?
Not nature vs nurture, but nature and nurture and your own independent thinking. We do things instinctively, cultural determined or because we reasoned them to be the best.
Parents care for children is mostly instinctive, preference for stinking cheese or dog meat is set by culture, some investment decisions might be rational.
Were instincts (nature) are not serving survival in the current environment friction arises, regulations are required to ease them, laws (human and divine) have to be imbedded in the culture (nurture), but in specific situations you still have to use reason to decide what to do. We are three different animals in one package.
*******
Joseph, thanks.
Neat… but it might be deeper than that.
o Nature can be genes or neural.
o Nurture can be original (where one is born), mixed (as in JoeAm’s son) or adopted (where one lives).
o Reason can be subjective (one’s own) or inter-subjective (adopted from others).
– Further, reason can be that of the mind (logic) or the heart (feeling or intuition).
o Laws are consensual but subject to observance.
– Laws can be familial, tribal, national, international, or religious. Or individual.
Are we then saying that behavior is determined — biologically, culturally, rationally, lawfully?
I’m not sure. A man can act against or above all that — nature, nurture, reason and law — because of free will. Or is free will an illusion?
*****
We don’t have complete free will. Try leaping off the earth, as my son did this morning, and you find it does not work. Living alone gives one considerably more latitude to be responsible for one’s own acts. It is when we join with others that we have new restraints. Nurturing is a restraint. Nature is too, especially typhoons. Reason is flawed with ignorance and poor linkages of data. Laws are completely manmade and artificial, a house of cards.
I saw an episode of Dual Survival this morning. A survivalist was paired with a Special Forces partner and dumped on a snowy mountain in the middle of nowhere. The survivalist opined that he thought that we had advanced backward, that high rises and computers are not advanced, they are artificial. Advanced is living off the land with nothing but what you can make. Furthermore, educators are postulating that we need new values that are not economic. Like, taking care of resources and surviving is becoming more important than GDP growth, and we better recognize it or perish.
I agree with that but I don’t hold much confidence. Mankind is an incredibly dense and obstinate and self-involved species. It is the wiring in our brain and emotions that limit our capacity to think right, and that is what josephivo’s first comment meant to me. We are not cut out to survive any longer than our biological tools allow us to. Our tools are severely limited. There is plenty of evidence laying about.
Or lying about. hahaha
Yes, of course it is much deeper, 10 lines in a blog cannot detail human evolution, recent behavioral science, new discoveries in how genes unfold or how the brain functions, philosophical discussions on determinism and free will….
It was just an effort in summarizing some amazing books of the last years: “Sapiens, a brief history of mankind” by Yuval Noah Harari; “The good book of human nature. An evolutionary reading of the Bible.” by Carel Van Schaik and Kai Michel; “The year of living Danishly, uncovering the secrets of the world’s happiest people” by Hellen Russel; a little older “Zealot. The life and times of Jesus of Nazareth” by Reza Aslan; “The anatomy of violence” by Adrian Raine… The first two are WOW from A to Z, the others have some interesting thoughts.
These books make one think why the world is as it is and why I am as I am. What we can do is huge, go to the moon, create Artificial Intelligence or designer babies, compose Cantatas or Goldberg Variations… What we can do is so little, it is driven by an inborn urge to get our genes in the next generation, reacting on environmental impulses, building on what is, and most importantly so much depends on chance…
*******
That’s quite a list of books you have there. I have the first (unread) but not the second. I’ve heard of Reza Aslan but not the rest.
We have, in fact, leapt off the earth. We fly everyday. We have landed on the moon. We are reaching for Mars. And we are electing Neanderthals into office to lead us.
So there are heights we have reached and depths we continue to slide down. There are explanations and there are no explanations.
(In spite of it all, I still hold the belief that we, as individuals, can transcend our biological and cultural roots.)
The threads in this post reflect the heights and the depths… and the puzzlement.
*****
Many thanks Joseph,Edgar and Joe.
Sounds like home to me in SA..Or yours there in Canberra Edgar Nice
And yet, here you are, Bill, in the hellhole of Quiapo, stuck in endless LRT queues and endless traffic jams and enduring the aroma of stinky esteros and sweaty pedestrians. The irony.
Yes Bert, here in Quiapo but blessed by an air conditioned quiet room.. So it is not quite hell for me.. But I wonder how the locals cope.. The traffic is awful. The noise of the loud speakers on full bore all day is awful.The humid sticky heat is debilitating.. And just the intensity of the crowds. Yes I see people just sitting waiting even sleeping in the midst of it.
If it gets too sweaty and sticky, don’t go outside shirtless, Bill. You may feel a bit of drought but only because the PNP will mistake you for windmills.
He he
No, never Chempo…Need to lose some weight before I go shirtless anywhere
He, He
😜
@edgar
This could be the one you’re looking for :
“The Venus Project proposes an alternative vision of what the future can be if we apply what we already know in order to achieve a sustainable new world civilization. It calls for a straightforward redesign of our culture in which the age-old inadequacies of war, poverty, hunger, debt and unnecessary human suffering are viewed not only as avoidable, but as totally unacceptable. Anything less will result in a continuation of the same catalog of problems inherent in today’s world.”
https://www.thevenusproject.com/
I just read the main article. It is a laudable concept in its stated purpose. However, I have not read all the related articles to answer for myself the following:
– Is this Venus project a “one size fits all” idea?
– A Singapore type scale?
– A US type scale?
– China?
– Whole world Venus Project?
We need innovative ideas like those of course. But the premise, though very understandable,
It calls for a straightforward redesign of our culture in which the age-old inadequacies of war, poverty, hunger, debt and unnecessary human suffering are viewed not only as avoidable, but as totally unacceptable
is a hard one for me to imagine in its implementation details considering a shrinking time-scale the world is in, with the environment of climate change, and China-US confrontation, etc.
Meantime back in the Philippines…
@NHerrera
Jacque Fresco is the master visionary of the project – engineer, futurist, lecturer, author – who also coined the concept “resource based economy”.
The way I understand it, his vision is for the whole of humanity, hence global, that will transcend the current isms and status quo. He’s been featured in this Zeitgeist movie:
Micha: thanks for the 2-hour video link which I viewed in its entirety. It explains the Venus Project: starting where we are today on a profit-monetary driven economy which Fresco says is headed for unsustainability to where we should be under a resource and technology driven economy. (Jacque Fresco had a lot of negative things to say about the Fed cartel of big banks, globalization and trade liberalization; organized religion.) Among others, Fresco argues for our weaning away from fossil fuels to tidal wave, solar, wind and geothermal energy. The presentation sounds futuristic. It puts great weight to the attitudinal or cultural change needed to go from our current status A to the desired future B.
@NHerrera
Thanks for taking the trouble to watch the movie. In a way, we are all dreamers. And in view of the current state of humanity, the sheer madness of it all, why not indeed.
*******
Micha, thanks. It’s good to know there are others out there envisioning an acceptable and self-sustaining future.
*****
Not quite unrelated ,this kid proposed how to clean the oceans and naysayers are a plenty.
http://www.techinsider.io/boyan-slats-ocean-cleanup-to-clear-the-pacific-garbage-patch-2015-11
Another sustainable future project is this.
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/531346/can-sucking-co2-out-of-the-atmosphere-really-work/
I love seeing a sustainable future.
But Info not understand people dreaming that one day all people would not throw out trash and just recycle,no amount of self discipline in this planet can make that happen.
They are against landfill mining and the pacific ocean cleanup because it discourages recycling.Duh!
Micha, Edgar Nhererra, there are many similar projects with similar ideals, almost all in the modern, western world. The problem is that no poor developing nation has taken such ideals and skipped the industrial phase of social/economic development.. None..Because none wants to take such a risk of failure. by experimenting..
Even me, who was an organic farmer for many years & knows all about sustainable agriculture, I cannot bring myself to condemn those here in the Philippines who are trying to encourage a ‘modern’ consumer, urban nation.. The poverty & the needs are too much..
One thing is very important I have realized – Karl and me chatted about this on FB.
The mix of different groups of people, so that there are no rich/poor/ethnic ghettos.
People used to each other daily become more tolerant – Munich and Vienna did this…
I have to get used to the notion that there is indeed a man who only desires much temporal power over money, in that the starting line will be July 1, an opportunity to remake society as he sees fit, for better or for worse.
Spot on as usual, Prof. Edgar. This will be a slog. Better be on the lookout for opportunities to serve rather than for opportunities to punch holes. The country continues beyond 2022. Country beyond 2022, country beyond 2022… That’s my mantra. I’m not alone. My circle of vociferous opponents of PEDut think likewise. judging by private messages to me about the article. New day. Thanks, Prof.
*******
To Mr. Duterte: Please be careful in exercising your rampant will. I assure you, sir, that you do not want to see and be confronted with the spectacle of a rampant Will.
*****
@Gian, Josepho…Last week you asked about Brexit..Being born in the UK I am interested in this issue.. Here is an excellent thoughtful article on this subject from the Guardian
-which is ideologically opposed to the UK leaving the EU
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jun/17/britain-working-class-revolt-eu-referendum
The last sentence has a quote from Gramski ( now who is he…? Not sure ) But it is worth quoting here as it offers some light on the Philippines at this time :
““The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new is yet to be born. And in the interregnum, a great variety of morbid symptoms appear.”
Thanks bill
According to wiki:
Antonio Gramsci was an Italian Marxist theorist and politician. He wrote on political theory, sociology and linguistics.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Gramsci
in all of these it might be asked how much is duterte his own man, how much is driven by his political officer/s. he’s a colorful character all right but there are shadows behind him… ought we not look at their agenda perhaps to better understand the moves of duterdarth vader. it’s also been suggested that he has two personas : the tough bad boy image that the public has been lapping up, and the caring and quiet one in private.
*******
A Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?
Author Will cites Duterte’s visit to his parents tomb and the show of emotion there as the turning point of his (the author’s) resistance to Duterte. A Dr. Jekyll moment.
Then, away from the tomb, Duterte openly rebuffs Leni and, in so doing, dishonors the 14M voters who supported her, women in general and the vice presidency in particular. A Mr. Hyde moment, one of many.
There may be shadows behind the man, but the shadows are not primarily behind. They are primarily within.
*****
JUNE 30: THE MOMENT OF TRUTH AND OTHER THOUGHTS
In a timely way, Will writes of an aha moment on PE Duterte recalling Don Quixote in the process and ends with the wish on PE’s success after June 30. It remains to be seen of course, but this may be an Aldub moment for the PE of which subject Will also wrote about.
Homobono Adaza who is a Mindanaoan writes on the PE starting with a quote from Winston’s Churchill: “In War: Resolution, In Defeat: Defiance, In Victory: Magnanimity, In Peace: Good will.” Daza then goes on to describe the PE in terms not as generous as Will’s current blog topic.
read:http://www.manilatimes.net/the-country-according-to-duterte/268045/
Question: with more than enough poison injected pre and post election, how difficult is it for the system to go back to civility and tackle the hard work required to do what is honestly realistically needed? They say “poison” is used as a medical curative, but too much is a killer. Have we gone past the curative threshold?
I tend to think it is easy to cure, but it runs against the grain of warlord mentality which is, if you aren’t for me, you are against me. All PE Duterte has to do is start to show respect for those who are not fully in his camp. Take VPE Robredo. If he can’t find a way to be respectful of her, he can’t create unity.
I noticed recently that cars with a Duterte sticker at their back windows are more aggressief and bully more during driving……
Yes, people are following the leader, as to style. On line. On the road. In police departments across the nation as due process is set aside in favor of shooting suspects dead, dead, dead. It is not a kinder and gentler nation, for sure. Cue theme song, “Who let the dogs out . . .”
When the party was nice, the party was bumpin’ {Hey, Yippie, Yi, Yo}
And everybody havin’ a ball {Hah, ho, Yippie Yi Yo}
Untill the fellas “: start the name callin’: ” {Yippie Yi Yo}
And the girls respond to the call
I heard a poor man shout out
Who let the dogs out {woof, woof, woof, woof}
Who let the dogs out {woof, woof, woof, woof}
Who let the dogs out {woof, woof, woof, woof}
Who let the dogs out {woof, woof, woof, woof}
hahahahaha 🙂
Duterte Car plates on cars in Davao were supposedly confiscated.
As I see it now, the Police seem to understand that PE Duterte wants them to kill all the small time drug dealers, drug addict-rapists and just request the Police-generals involve in drug dealing to resign, leave the country, but will not gather evidence against them so they can be apprehended, tried then hanged. Only the urban poor will experience the Duterte brand of justice. The big time thieves like the Marcos’ heir will be given a cabinet position. And VPE Leny? Cong Alvarez understand that PE Duterte will eliminate her position thru federalism. Understand? Any more confusion?
Crystal clear to me Donna.
And so I weep for our country, Sir Karlgarcia.
sad,but I trust that Leni will not be a token VP.charter change will take time.
The senate will still be there for the mean time, to check on Duterte,I wish and I hope.
I also hope Cayetano would not convince the others that chairmanship should only be given to those who agrees with Duterte’s legislative agenda.That would be BS.I like it that De Lima is justice chair and Lacson Public order chair.If majority gives in to Cayetano’s wishes,that Sucks.
Re ” The big time thieves like the Marcos’ heir” Is there any published info on junior Marcos ? On how he has been as a ‘polly’ in the Phillipines ? After all he has been a governor, a congressman and a senator. What is his individual track record ? Apart from being the major beneficiary of his dad’s grand theft & killing dictatorship. ? After all his teflon coat is “I am not my dad”.
https://raissarobles.com/2012/02/25/senator-bongbong-marcos-confirmed-he-had-a-direct-hand-in-trying-to-withdraw-us213m-from-a-swiss-bank-in-1986/
https://www.raissarobles.com/2014/02/09/stopping-the-marcoses-from-erasing-their-crimes-from-history/
Try it later, I can’t access Raisa’s,you might be able to.
From another blog,with exerpts of one of her articles.
Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure, LG.
Raissa is also a speaker here, on Day 2 of Duterte’s reign…
Day 1 di ba?
Is this Wake for real?
U guys almost fooled me. This is satirical for sure. Ha ha ha.
Thanks Karl..I will check out the links..
I have Raisa’s book here.. A sad hard read..
But I am also interested in how /////Junior did as governor of Illlos Norte.. Bad, or poor or average or even brilliant.. The nitty gritty is important..just like the pieces in a jig saw puzzle
About Bongbong Marcos
Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has achieved a distinguished career in government, having served in several positions in both the executive and legislative branches of government. For the past 25 years, he has been active in public service, and has always kept his focus on serving the Filipino people.
In 2010, Bongbong won a seat in the Philippine Senate, placing seventh overall. He currently chairs the Senate Committee on Local Government and the Committee on Public Works.
In 2007, Bongbong was elected to Congress, where he was appointed Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. During his term, he authored the Philippine Archipelagic Baselines Law (Republic Act No. 9522).
From 1998 to 2007, Bongbong served as Governor of Ilocos Norte, where he served for three consecutive terms. During his tenure, he transformed Ilocos Norte into a first-class province of international acclaim, by showcasing its natural and cultural destinations. It was also during his stewardship that Ilocos Norte pioneered wind power technology which, to this day, serves as an alternative source of energy not only for the needs of his province, but for the other parts of Luzon as well.
In 1992, Bongbong served as Congressman in the Second District of Ilocos Norte, during which he authored the law establishing the Philippine Youth Commission. He was also instrumental in advancing the cause of cooperatives by devoting most of his Countryside Development Fund (CDF) to organizing the cooperatives of teachers and farmers in his home province.
Prior to that, he served as Governor of Ilocos Norte from 1983 to 1986, a post he assumed after being elected Vice-Governor of the province in 1981.
Bongbong attended the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, USA, where he has earned units towards a Masters in Business Administration degree. He also completed his undergraduate studies in Oxford University in England graduating with a Special Diploma in Social Studies.
He is married to lawyer Louise Araneta-Marcos with whom he has three sons: Sandro, Simon, and Vincent.
—-
From bongbongmarcos.com
of course it says there he graduated from Oxford.Even with a special diploma.
Bill,this was an issue before,he allegedly faked his credentials.
http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/investigative/84397-bongbong-marcos-degrees-oxford-wharton
Very high salary in Government, average 6 million yearly…200 mil. for 33 years service…
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/563299/news/nation/bongbong-marcos-is-wealthiest-vp-bet-with-a-networth-of-over-p200m
Thanks Karl…The same guff is also reprinted in Wikipedia.. Not really any use at all as it was written by a Marcos servant to praise the young master…Apart from being wealthy ( Thank’s Supp courtesy of daddy’s theiving ways ) what do we actually know as facts and what is the gossip?
Supp, re in 2014, “Marcos had a networth of P200.598 million.” I think we can afely assume this is a vast under statement of real wealth..I wonder what the Panama papers would reveal.
Yes, saln only….not talking about the ”other” wealth…
an embellished wikibio?
Can’t connect either Karl
22 hours ago, according to the Philippine Blog Center, this came out – usually Raissa gets database problems whenever she posts something anti-Duterte – of course this could just be too many trying to access the article, or a DDS (distributed denial of service) attack…
Are the Marcoses the ‘special guests’ at Rodrigo Duterte’s presidential inauguration? – At ang bangkay ni Duterte (corpse of Duterte) by Raïssa Robles – If they are, we are looking at the REAL REASON why Vice-President Leni Robredo was told to…
Your blog sometimes have a DDS attack,Irineo.
es, I have noticed this as well
True, since blogsport hosts a lot of different pages that some people may not like…
But the team is constantly up to date so it is up again fast… it is antifragile.
Raissa today…
The website you were trying to reach is temporarily unavailable.
Please check back soon.
If you are the owner of this website, please contact Technical Support as soon as possible
I tried to access raissa’s blog too, and horror of horrors, it said, “temporarily removed and if you’re the owner of the blog, please contact —–.” I wish raissa would write and explain somewhere for example in fb whatever happened. Sigh!
Big time drug dealers need small-time pushers in the local market and they need addicts. Neither will go away. Rather, what we see now is a consolidation,
What is going on now is low intensity turf battles, as less protected drug clans go under. Protected ones stay.
Duterte will bring the drug trade under his control rather than end it. As with any monopoly, there will be a certain peace that goes with that. The same kind of peace that areas under El Chapo’s control had in Mexico.
I find it darkly humorous that Filpinos think they can win a drug war in a free trading society where every other country failed.
The Title of the Blog is apt then. Don Quixote.
You have to deal with the social problems to minimize drug addiction…
Provide training, jobs and therapies… some will be weak or disoriented always of course.
I know a former alcoholic (also an addiction) who has city-subsidized job in recycling…
Urban housing, social welfare, but he has to work so he gets his dole…
Ever since he has that job he gets up early and drinks only on weekends….
It is ok with alcohol to not cold turkey and do it just once a week,but what about heroin,party,drugs,cocaine,etc.?
Having sad that,I agree with most.
Rehab from any substance abuse and addiction is tough even with all the science-based therapy oriented programs in use to date in the US. Attrition and recidivism in treatment are equally tough concurrent issues. Too complex and multifaceted to treat.
I doubt eradicating drug users, pushers and lords is the answer. Gen. Bato might be able to down the statistics in 6 months as well as during his term but would the decline continue after his term? Is 6 years enough to transform the culture of the drug market in the Philippines, much less the culture of the users, poor and rich alike to a culture that we wish for.
The Mexican drug lord, El Chapo, had noted after his recent arrest (that involved Sean Penn), his imprisonment alone would not dent the illegal drug industry at all.
Alcohol, same thing. For as long as drinks are seen as relaxers, fun means to fellowship, party star, and desired gift item…no regs or laws, proactive and reactive, would be enough to curb illegal drinking and alcoholism as well as illnesses and deaths associated with it.
I wonder if Communist China and North Korea have such national problems on problem drinking and illegal drugs, to the extent that we consider them as legal and health problems. How about in nations like Germany, France, Canada, and Italy, among others, where wine/beer are a grocery list item of the general public?
Yes,correct,I suck at articulation.In rehab, do you just manage the withrawal symptoms???.Even in prescription drugs if you stop cold turkey,your system goes whack.
Actually I do not know what goes on, do they give you adjusted dosage from large to medium to small to none at all? If that is the case the rehabs must have a stash of drugs in its inventory.If it is just coaching and cheering squad sessions,of you can do it rah rah rah,I could not imagine how that would work.
thanks LG.
At a healthcare unit/facility for Substance Abuse and Addiction (SAA), medical treatment for withdrawal symptoms from a physically addicting substance like alcohol, prescription, and /or some illegal drug, first, includes several symptomatic treatment of the withdrawal symptoms, which can include, depending on the addicting substance in question: restlessness; gastro-intestinal symptoms; insomnia; aggressive behaviors; chills; sweats; depression, etc. Usually happens in inpatient setting. Some SAAs are outpatients.
When all the withdrawal symptoms have been adequately addressed, long term rehab can follow, if requested by the addicted client, generally multidisciplinary in approach and execution. Takes several weeks to months, even years, with furloughs, in an inpatient setting for the purpose.
Outpatient rehab follow up is recommended upon discharge from inpatient care.
Anywhere in the continuum can treatment attrition occurs. Recidivism too often occurs even after a seemingly successful treatment episode, from inpatient to outpatient.
Staying sober so to speak is tough to sustain. Sometimes, it’s living alone without the required support or living with unsupportive others that can lead to recidivism, among other factors.
With or without outpatient rehab ff up, support groups for various types of addiction are strongly recommended by substance abuse sexual it’s, e. g. Anonymous (AA), for Alcohol Addiction, Narcotic Anonymous ((NA) for Narcotic Addiction. They are a free membership, sponsor system groups. Known to be successful in aiding long term sobriety. They swear by “One day at a time” and Belief in a Higher Power.
Titration of the addicting substance is gradual decreasing to zero from the largest amount one consumes for comfort. For addiction to prescription drugs, may be done inpatient or outpatient on decreasing doses determined by the substance abuse specialist; for illegal drugs, substitute drugs are prescribed.
Alcohol, on the other hand, is not titrated in inpatient SAA facilities. The person who wants to stop drinking may do his own titration over a period of time, or request a titration schedule with supervision from an alcohol abuse specialist.
Hope the adds on help.
More than enough.
👍🏻 Many thanks. 🎩 tip
Yes, interesting ponderings. The basic premise put forth during the Duterte campaign was that one cannot build a vibrant economy if crime and drug use are rampant. Well, skeptics are inclined to think that, well, yes, crime and drug problems are serious matters, but they really have not impeded economic growth one iota. So there is a disconnect, which means that the dark and scary posturing was little more than a vehicle to get elected. Now the killings are picking up steam, it would seem, drug dealers and kidnappers lying dead in the streets. Or we are told that is the business the bodies were in, who is to know, really? Maybe one was the boyfriend of a cop’s girlfriend. And the skeptic is inclined to continue to wonder if this is not all just a continuation of the campaign strategy, to manage and cow the population in order to control things. Finally, one wonders when they will start shooting skeptics.
Quite alarming, ain’t it.
Drug abuse is mental illnesses to be treated as such, not as a crime to be killed for. Soon enough, they may start killing for driving under the influence (DUI) and walking under the influence (WUI). For alcohol is another drug that is as problematic as any illegal drug. Its significant difference from the illegal ones (cocaine, heroin, shabu) is that the alcohol manufacturing business and its market are legit, drinkers seen as ‘social’.
Or writing under the influence of opposite thinking. It’s a bad scene, I think. The police will have a hard time returning to “community policing” that has them taking a softer, engaged position. Or, rather the people will have a hard time trusting police. Period.
To Karl,
Thanks.
Typo alert. In the third line of the third paragraph from the last line of my reply to you today at 5:20pm, ‘sexual it’s’ shd. read ‘specialist’ and after ‘e.g.’, ‘Alcohol’ shd. precede ‘Anonymous’ (AA). ☺️.
I leave typos in when they are amusing.
Lol😊.
Another try: ‘Alcoholic’ instead of ‘Alcohol’ for AA. It must be my aversion for the adjective, too derogatory.
This typo error expert doesn’t mind.
Auto correct always second guesses you. sexual specialist… your smart phone or ipad has a green mind.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_addiction
There is such a thing as sexual addiction.
hahahaha, never would have imagined . . .
Anyone in the Society of H,know how to resolve this reader’s concerns?You might know some one who had the same problems.
—–
marieta
says:
June 18, 2016 at 12:32 pm
hi joe. i think you can truly be of help to me and my husband. we are here in nz eight years now and because they are looking at the authenticity of the papers we submitted to them regarding our employers, they are now asking us to submit to them an SSS, Philhealth numbers and BIR accounts. My husband worked as a casual employee in a dairy farm in Lanao in 2007 – 2009 and we don’t know how to explain to them the kind of agreement structure we have in the philippines about casual farmers\workers. that they do not have sss and philhealth numbers and no tax to pay as they they are only paid on the days they are needed …please, help us.
Here are some ideas that I’m sure can help:
1. Any one can get an SSS number, even a sidewalk vendor. Procedures: Bring Birth Certificate newly acquired from NSO; go to SSS branch office at East Ave.; accomplish application form for an SSS number then follow the step by step procedure from window X to window X. The final window is a personal interview, if you are a sidewalk vendor state that you are earning P3,000 a month and you will be assessed a monthly contribution of P300, then you will be assigned a number. That will be your permanent SSS number. Bring that number to cashier window No. 1 and pay your initial monthly contribution of P300.00. You are now a full SSS member. If you need to get an SSS ID, accomplish an application form for ID and with your payment receipt go to step 1 and then to Photograph Section. Your SSS ID will be sent to you by slow mail or by courier. Waiting time—3 to 4 months.
2. For Philhealth membership: Go to the PhilHealth branch nearest your residence. A valid ID is required. Accomplish the application form. Pay the required amount. Issuance of PhilHealth ID depends on availability of supply. That’s it.
3. For BIR Tax Account NUmber (TIN): I heard it’s easy to get a TIN at any BIR branch office.
If the NZ authority is asking for records of employment with their former employers (Dairy farm in Lanao) in the Philippines such as monthly SSS contributions provided by the former employers then I guess that could be a big problem if non existing.
I hope this help.
I will copy your reply Bert to Marrieta’s original post,in the article: SSS in the philippines. So Marrieta can read your post.TY Bert.
My quote for this Sunday..
Change is coming, climate change…..
🙂
Mine is different.
Reading the headlines left and right about killings by police of purported suspects, my quote for the day:
“Chain is coming.”
Joe, “writing under the influence”, that’s cute, that would be an innovative name for a felony or misdemeanor. Shoot the author of an article that makes no sense.
Ha ha ha:)
It flowed naturally from what you said. But you are right, and I can use it in response to troll comments on Facebook, as in “Aha, another twit writing under the influence of . . .” then add the substance, an empty brain, vacuuity, delusions of grandeur, etc.
👍Go for it.