Things are pointing to love as the Filipino philosophy, the only way out
Smiling in a flood (Photo source: executivechronicles.com)
by Wilfredo G. Villanueva
Such a saccharine term, love. But back against the wall, the Philippines seems at a standstill, or on the verge of civil war, generally nowhere to go, and we have to be our loving selves.
See, if ever President Rodrigo Duterte finally gets called to hell as he fervently wishes, do you think the country will have the peace it longs for? Will Vice President Leni Robredo inherit a country who will love her beyond measure, will the trolls cease their barrage of insults and fake news on her, or will the political horizon erupt with the force of ten Pinatubos, the Marcos army going for the jugular as they insist that Ma’am Leni is a usurper of the highest post in the land?
It doesn’t take rocket science to say that the latter situation awaits the new President. In fact, knowing what I know (which most of us know by way of traditional and social media) hell will break loose to push a President Robredo to the ropes, fighting for dear life every day she sits in Malacañang Palace. There will be no letup until maybe the military will have to step in to quell budding rebellion, assuming Marcos trolls are actually people with tax identification numbers or birth certificates.
And if President Duterte is denied even in hell and condemned to suffer for the next five years in limbo, and the rest of us with him, opposition to his malevolent rule will rise in crescendo, curses from both sides will resonate fever pitch, and we will finally get the economy we deserve as investors with long-term goals in the country finally say it cannot deal with a schizophrenic country who destroys as it builds, dissing friends but going to them for succor, a constitutional government but adhering to shoot-to-kill without due process, as bowlegged as a cowboy with vertigo.
So we have come to this. Chemrock thinks we are in for the winter of our lives. Winter meaning dying. He’s a foreigner by the way, and he cuts with a surgeon’s knife deep into our psyche, not being related to us which is good for the procedure to give him more knowledge about and access into our souls.
Where is our soul? What is our soul?
Every time I see Dr. Jose P. Rizal on a pedestal overlooking the country he sought to bring to modern times, I feel pain in the belly radiating to the chest, onto the throat and shoulders, and I am paralyzed with the thought that we have not only failed him, we are actually deconstructing him. And the heroes march on in my vision, like the Nagasaki survivors after the nuclear blast, not knowing what hit them, oblivious to pain even as their bodies are torn to pieces, walking about like zombies in present-day Philippines they thought was worth dying for.
Were they mistaken? Lives wasted for an ungrateful people given to frolic, sardonic humor, shallow thoughts on where to quaff beer and ale and where to drown their sorrows because they lack critical thinking and would just as well go the way of the lemmings?
What do we have left?
Family. That’s something no one can take from us. But our jewels are also our shame, because we adhere too much to family and friends we cannot see beyond our myopia. We do not need country. Why? Every family or group or organization is its own social security system, health care, bank (loans never to be repaid), disciplinary systems, security and military, cocoons happily surviving revolutions and wars unmindful of the evil outside its impenetrable boundaries. We are orbiting in space shorn of the bigger concepts of patriotism and self-negation for the common good because, hey, family works and we are all right, thank you.
Location. Our geography may have led us to the path of storms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, but we have turned disadvantage into advantage because we know how to celebrate between disasters, catastrophes, temporary shocks. We are a people of mirth and good spirits because we have seen the bottom of the chasm and when we surface we are like dolphins with nary a care in the world.
What else do we have that could turn the tide of negativism, such that we can take possession of the fabulous beaches, seas, mountains we have all around us as portrayed in tourism commercials and drone videos which make people from other countries say wow but none of nature’s bounties filter to us as we sit in traffic, live in windowless shanties hovering over the detritus of humanity in physical and metaphysical forms?
Should our philosophy be love? We have nothing left. The President will not change, much as we want him to change. Foul mouths have lives of their own, like waterless planets circling the universe seemingly useless but a part of our existence. Bongbong will never capitulate, and he would rather see our country go up in flames than for his family to live in political oblivion. Ma’am Leni will not step down for the sake of Bongbong, believing that she has been elected fair and square. The trolls will continue to collect their hard-earned salaries as they plug the depths of hell to exercise their peculiar vocabulary and equally strange behavior. Jim Paredes and the rest of the yellow crowd will not give in, knowing that they are in the right (I am in that column).
Can we still coexist? Can we still reach out to the men and women we detest like animal droppings, embrace them as taught in catechism and the Holy Bible? What will become of us if we continue in our path of mutual destruction?
I have no answers. Day in and day out, I try to sort life in the Philippines and I come up blank.
Shall we await the Second Coming of Christ because we have completely given up hope of leadership the way we conceive it to be?
I have no answers, but I know, in my small circle of family and friends, reaching out is the only solution to settle grudges, the division of siblings and long-time friends. Someone has to have the courage and humility to say that our differences will always be there, but can we find a common vision and mission and push our country past the roughest of roads in which we find ourselves today? If only we can say in word and deed that we love our adversary, and can we laugh together again?
After all, what is a Filipino for except to light up the world with our smiles and our laughter that reaches the heavenly Father, and he will smile Himself and bless us beyond comprehension.
Is anyone listening?
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[…] of people lie, cheat, hurt, steal, even kill others. Bonifacio’s brother/sisterhood or Will’s love mightbe too idealistic, but the other extreme is awful. What is realizable is the idea of […]
The Society of Honor by Joe America 
Beautifully written but still the Philippines with all it’s God given charms is still marching with trolls, lackeys and 16 million vigorously clapping while marching towards destruction. I do that hope some of them will be enlightened with this post.
Thank you, Alicia. I hope so, too. Let me tell you a true story. For obvious reasons, it will be told in the third person and names will be masked.
Gerry’s activism go back a long way. Charlie watched him from the sidelines when they were in university in the First Quarter Storm. When Gerry became a cabinet member in the administration of a president who was deemed corrupt, Charlie could only sigh and say to himself that Gerry had sold his soul to the devil. And when PRRD became president, Gerry battled with dilawan, to which Charlie belonged. It came to pass that Charlie met Gerry again in social media and naturally the relationship had an adversarial bent. But Charlie maintained his composure, determined to show that dilawan stands on reason and therefore cusswords are counterproductive. He reached out to Gerry who had become a typical dutertard dripping with venom. By some fluke or guidance of the Holy Spirit, it turned out by way of Charlie’s posting in Facebook that both prayed the Holy Rosary in the early morning, Gerry while out on a walk, and Charlie while still in bed. Gerry was quick to recognize the happiness in Charlie’s life because of the Rosary, and vice versa, and they discovered a common platform.
Trajectory of the story? No one can tell. Push comes to shove, Gerry will bare his fangs and Charlie will push back. That’s a probability. It’s also probable, based on past events, that both can talk things out in back channel to defuse the political situation. No one can tell, but when the Holy Spirit, on the crest of love, works in the hearts of men and women, who knows what can happen.
Good thoughts Wil A year ago today I posted this shout out:
♫♪Do you know where you’re goin’ to?
Do you like the things that life is showin’ you
Where are you goin’ to? Do you know?
Do you get what you’re hopin’ for
When you look behind you, there’s no open doors
What are you hopin’ for? Do you know?♪♪♫
Just made it into a blog. Sometimes, listening to the news reminds me of these song lyrics. Sing it with feeling people. I don’t understand what is happening. This country has become……
Thanks, Arlene. This country has become… open to the Holy Spirit. Demons abound, yes, but God is alive in us. Press on.
Thanks Wil for the article of what may be the last-resort antidote to what ails us — love, the Filipino way.
I can almost expect edgar essaying, in his patented style, the taxonomy of love.
You’re welcome, NH.
In one your previous blog installment, it was like Cain an Abel, brother killing brother.
I am still hopeful about that light at the end of the tunnel won’t be a rampaging truck or train ready to destroy everyone on its path.
Yes, Karl. The light at the end of the tunnel will be angels come to give succor. Happy wedding anniversary!
Thanks Will! 😊
A certain hope is necessary to get through these times. Love can help. The rest will be battle.
XXX makes the world go ’round.
XXX = love?
XXX = money?
XXX = power?
XXX = war?
*******
XXX = momentum and gravity
*****
Scientist edgar: yes, for planets with its substantial mass — and we know the internal heat makes most of its mass, other than the crust, molten or “fluid” — the center which acts with the most gravity pulls the mass matters inward; ergo the spherical or round world.
My answer would be XXX
Yes karl, a lot of things in PH make for reasons why (our) world go ’round. We probably have more of the XXXs than the people of other countries. Exhibit A: we have laws upon laws and our lawmakers are tireless and creative on these, but these are violated mostly. Reason: baka makalusot. Exhibit B: we are creative and malleable; our OFWs adapt easily to the ways of the countries they work in. That is why we love Halo-Halo. Our XXXs are boundless.
Yes NH👍.
Put away your sword, Irineo. We choose life.
Wil, I found this difficult to read and even more difficult to understand. Despite the title it is mostly moralising & despairing futurology with a political perspective.
What do we know of Duterte’s ‘mortality’ ? Very little beyond him going out of public sight for a few days at a time. He is getting on at 73, and there are reports that he takes prescription meds for a chronic condition.But beyond that no real information.
In my view, at his age, Duterte probably needs some time out regularly from the enormous burden of being president of the Philippines. In other countries the deputy would then step up and take on some of the load. But the deputy is Leni Robredo from the Liberal’s and not a supporter of Dutere’s coalition. Such are the remarkable consequences of the Philippines constitution.
Unfortunately Leni Robredo is seen by the Dutertistas as a threat rather than a potential help. She is hated by the Dutertistas. And that is a real pity. Leni is caring and loving person who in my view, would not use a more active role as vice president to advance her own particular political party.
Turning to Duterte, the first step to ‘loving’ for this old man is understanding. So I suggest there is a great need to understand him, it is important to know what moves him; what motivates him.
Despite the photo of Duterte being blessed by some religious figure, I doubt that Duterte has any significant religious beliefs. Certainly he is not Catholic or Christian. He seems ‘a-religious’.
We know some basic facts about the man & his history. We know he was the ruler of Davao. We know he is against drugs and the drug trade. We know that because he promised to have shabu takers and dealers killed and their bodies disposed of in Manila Bay.
But we know bugger all beyond these bare facts.
You did a marvelous interview of De Lima a little while back. Have you thought of doing a similar one with Duterte ?.
Hi Bill. Stay with us some more. We have this particular trait that manifests itself when we are on the ropes. It’s called love, not despair. PRRD in TSOH? Shudder.
“I have no answers, but I know, in my small circle of family and friends, reaching out is the only solution to settle grudges, the division of siblings and long-time friends. Someone has to have the courage and humility to say that our differences will always be there, but can we find a common vision and mission…”
Wil, great article about love! That above line is the heart of it IMHO. I find these stories of long time friends, close family, turn apart because they’re posting this or that on their social media profiles. If your friendships, familial relationships come apart at the slightest provocation then maybe not much effort was put into cultivating it in the 1st place is what I say all the time. Common vision and mission… I hope people remember why they became friends and close family in the 1st place, and focus on that before all this social media stuff, that’s a start. Thanks, Wil!
You’re welcome, Lance Corporal! Just read in GRP that Filipino families are prone to fight amongst themselves. Hmm. What lens can do.
It will take me more time to say and admire
how good is this piece of Wil G. V.
suffice may be to let love say it with songs
The mind is the most powerful energy in the universe
The heart is the engine of love that tames the mind
Together loving and intellection becomes the Holy Grail
No evil can vanquished. Songs tell it in many ways”
’cause you’re my country AND I AM YOUR MAN.
If you go and stretch the metaphor.
Here’s a rendition of the same song of an Italian Tenor blind lawyer named Andrea Bocelli, This time from a Welshman Engelbert Humperdink:
it’s everywhere the love of a country transcends the love for a Sheila:
——————————-
Popoy, “And the band Played waltzing Matilda” was written in 1968-9 by a Scotsman named Eric Bogle. He migrated here to Australia in 1968.
It was a hit then and remains popular around ANZAC day even now.
But was it written in 1915 ( or around that time ) when ANZAC went ashore to fight the Turks at Galipoli ?
No.
Was it written by an Australian ?
No.
Thanks Bill in Oz for the info. Not surprise though a Scotch este Scotsman composed it. Australia was a young country then. When I was attending a course in Kunyung Road behind which was a beach of former nudist colony and the Oz population was only 16 million; 20 years later working in nearby northern country we had our R and R in Darwin. Ah memories of adventures past.
I think you mean down on the Mornington peninsula, in Victoria..South East of Melbourne.. There was a gov’t administration training school there then..
Wonderful song.
From wiki.
“”The Power of Love” is a song co-written and originally recorded by Jennifer Rush in 1984. It has been covered by several artists, most notably by Celine Dion, Laura Branigan, Helene Fischer, and Air Supply. Rush’s original version went to number one in the United Kingdom in 1985 and became the biggest-selling single of the year in that country. It was also a number one single in several other European countries, as well as Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Dion’s version went to number one in the United States, Canada and Australia in 1994. The song has been translated into several languages, becoming a pop standard.”
Thanks, Pops. We like to sing about love without much prodding, yet we hesitate to live it. But knowing the Philippines, when we go at it, the whole world bursts into a smile at the kind of love that we can give.
I like these statements by Mark, here………eloquently said…….
Excerpts……from Mark Gettin’Smaller Wilson
“It’s time to reclaim this nation. For all of those who believe in good. For all those who believe in righteousness. For those who stood up and risked their lives and fortunes to have a free country. For all those who have since given their lives defending it. For all those who believe we should leave this world better for our children than what we inherited. No one person can make all these changes and win all these victories. But each of us can make a difference and a change, even if it’s just in our little corner of America.
It’s up to you, Americans. It’s up to you, Church. Together we can reclaim our country. One person at a time.
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV”
….
Addressing to us, New-Filipinos,
It’s up to us, New-Filipinos, Its up to us. Together we can reclaim our country. One person at a time.
Yes, Oldman, one person at a time.
Sharing this inspiring poem by Tonya Ingram.
Love In A Time of Injustice
To be in love during a time of injustice, in the face of injustice, is a revolutionary act.
and so i will hug my brothers and i will tell my sister to call me anytime and i will give the young man at the train station a metro card swipe and i will tell my boyfriend to text me when he gets home and i will sit next to my mother and i will value my mental health and i will be excellent and i will weep and i will compliment and celebrate the black and brown of us because tomorrow is promised to no one. but for us, today ain’t promised either.
and so i will listen in my love. i will be active in the verb of love. i will be love.
*******
Excellent. Thank you.
*****
Thanks, Thea. I like that. Love is a revolutionary act. Love isn’t a sissy.
A person must arrive at the highest level of maturity to love an enemy. He must be so spiritual to feel this wonder towards people who are far humane and erring. How could one love another who welcomes and brings violence and tears? I don’t know how to do it. Time will tell me. For now, I have to stand where I am. A dilawan, if that stands for justice and humanity. i will be a good mother, a supportive sister and kind neighbour.
Yes, Thea, me too. I’ll be a dilawan who makes a difference.
*******
1. It’s hard for me, sitting 5,812 km from Manila, to grasp the reality of what you are going through now.
2, Yes, I read the news, see the pictures, and register the soc-med commentary. But I have not seen the taped corpses in person, not smelled death’s breath, not heard the cries of those left behind.
Yes, I have sensed the enmity between supporters and adversaries but have not been scorched.
And, yes, I have felt dread but have not been enveloped by the fear that pervades the atmosphere like volcanic dust.
3. I know — intellectually — that things are dire but do not hear whispers of civil war. I do, though, have intimations of assassinations. We have been here before.
3.1. Winter? Winter is already here.
4. Love may be the answer but the hearts are inflamed with anger rather than love. From where will love spring?
4.1. In the Philippines, love seems to gush forth from the catharsis of death. Not the death of nobodies, of taped corpses; it has to be the death of Somebody. But, then, it is not really love, is it? It is just anger turned upside down. If it were true love, the affect and the effort would be sustained; at the same time, it would not be an effort.
4.2. The love is entombed in the image of the Mother and not carried in the heart. Then it is forgotten.
5. We are an idolatrous people. We worship idols of all kind – religious, political, thespian.
5.1. Virtue is not to be found in symbols, living or dead. It has to be in our be-ing.
*****
Don’t give up, Edgar. Love isn’t late. It’s just right on time.
I reminded of the 20th century German psychologist Erich Fromm’s book “The Art of Loving” where he postulates – “Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence.” Substitute the Philippines for human existence in that sentence and you’ve got modern day Filipino humanist Will Villanueva in your head.
The way to love, according to Fromm, is through personal development. One needs to learn true humility, develop courage, actualise faith and master discipline to be able to truly love one’s neighbour, he says. He believed that in a culture where humility, courage, faith and discipline are rare, the capacity to love would likewise be sparse. Maybe that explains the Philippines.
Fromm also says, “just as love for one individual which excludes the love for others is not love, love for one’s country which is not part of one’s love for humanity is not love, but idolatrous worship.” Again, sounds exactly like the Philippine situation.
Will noted the same need for courage and humility in his piece. And we all know Filipinos like to think they are people of faith, so maybe right there’s our window of opportunity. The Catholic Church in the Philippines, unfortunately, seems just as clueless at the moment, how to use its influence to bring together and unite all of its Catholic faithful for the good of all. But sans humility and discipline on our side, it seems like it is our best (and probably our only) bet for now, to bank on the one thing many Filipinos have in common through the Church, to help it find its courage and lead the charge towards a humane and just Philippine society. It did so once before, it can do it again.
I subscribe to the idea that love is observable. It can be seen in action. If one can observe it , then one can explain it. It one can explain it, then one actually understands.
Thanks, Cha. We can do it again, but this time in a better way, so that the Marcoses will be scalded by the warmth of our love.
Ontopic: when in doubt, family usually becomes the only fallback for survival.
Offtopic: this is too fishy, too blatant, it should warrant its own article:
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2101902/hong-kong-architect-bags-contract-massive-development
There is more to it than meets the eye. How could such a plan for the Pearl of Manila be out so fast? My two pesos worth say it must be one of those mass production plans for some development in China whose proposal was rejected. Keep those plans in the drawers, pull it out and superimpose it anywhere on any sucker who can be enticed in. As long as hands can be greased, those plans can be used. You can use the same plans for a Pearl of Singapore, or Pearl of Bangkok, or Pearl of Jakarta, see what I mean?.
Just put this link on my FB a few minutes ago
http://www.rappler.com/nation/175201-mmda-pasig-river-manila-reclamation
Mayor Estrada, the go to man for the Pearl of Manila project, say they can use the sludge from the Pasig River to reclaim the land in Manila Bay for the Pearl of Manila project. The sludge is 10% human shit. They don’t even know the difference between sludge and sand. You cannot do a sea reclamation with sludge. Fullstop.
I know you are in full stop and I hope this paper I will link would not cause a distracted driving ticket.
A Singaporean paper on reclamation and sludge is an option.
Click to access NTU-JTC%20I3C%20Seminar%20(02-8-2012)%20Slides.pdf
Good link Karl
Note
1. that soil/sludge reclamation requires expensive chemical treatment.
2. soft soil /sludge reclaimed land you can’t have high density high rise devt like Pearl of Manila
3. Soft soil / sludge like Kansai airport requires 50 years to stabilise. Kansei devt plagued by a lot of land subsiding/
4. In Spore some earlier reclamation used hill cut soil. We have low rise building about 4 stories only. In my army days I spent about 6 months in one camp. Buildings tilted by almost 12 inches.
5. Our reclamation now use only sea sand, with stringent specs on granularity..
6. If you want to reclaim and have a beach front, like our east coast, there is no choice but to use sand.
7, Water depth is also a critical issue. I dont know about Manila Bay. If it is beyond 30meters soft soil/sludge is gonna be a problem, I can’t see them reclaiming with those fancy islets as shown in their plans. I’m certain it;s not feasible.
8.Dubai’s World islands, even though they used the best sand and boulders,and shallow waters, are sinking into the seas.
I’m saying that kind of project can’t but the rush into it is scarry. It’s a 20 -40 years before you can put any buildings on it, They think they can do it in 5 years.
What has this got to do with OBOR? They just throw this in for propanganda. OBOR is all about infras to facilitate trade with the middle kingdom.
And they mentioned the land belongs to a Filipino.What a joke.There is no land. Who owns what land?
We dont know the environmental impact on Manila Bay, upstream Pasig River and lands along the river, the coastlines of Batang and Cavite.
*******
Ah, the folly!
*****
I know there is a big but in every study. Those caveats have big butts.
There is this rumor that the Chinese flattened a mountaintop in Zambales to reclaim the Scarborough. I wonder how flattening of a mountain top can remain just a rumor.
As seen from Baguio there are portions of carved mountains, are these used for reclamation?
Now, I can understand the frustration of Gina Lopez, and it is reported that it is back to business as usual at DENR.
Good thing you mentioned Dubai, the port of Manila ( Asian Terminals)is run by Dubai World, and I have no idea if Erap approached them about reclaiming Manila bay.
Haha Karl, about flattening hills.That was what we did in our earlier years of reclamation. That was during the times I was in full time national service. I remember out training using topographical maps. Going from point A to point B, reference point Hill 180. When we reached the point trying to find the higher point, the whole damn hill was gone!
Haha! Topograhical maps should be updated yearly, I guesss.
China is flattening their mountain tops to build more cities, where will they use them, Manila Bay or West Philippine sea?
link for the mountain flattening.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/dec/06/china-flatten-mountain-lanzhou-new-area
I saw a program here 2-3 years ago about an empty new city that had been built is a remote deserted part of China. The Australian journalist was given a guided tour. Entire malls and housing blocks standing empty..No industry so no work, so no people. I have the feeling it was this project Karl
Perhaps Bill. Lots of ghost towns in China. The most populous nation in the planet still has ghost towns and white elephants.
Was a soilsman for 12 years to know that our Romblon’s deposit of metamorphic rock (marble) was said to be richer than those of Italy; that Manila is sitting on hyrdrosol parent material, which makes it a city to modernize must go underground with subways (remember Ruby Tower?) and underground malls, why nitsos (tombs) in Manila cemeteries were tilting or sinking;
England looks up to Holland for problems of reclamation, to Venice for wet infrastructure resourcefullness. I wrote here in TSOH in times past about a proposed ASVEN. A mammoth project for decades of ROI.
Because of igneous rock (molten magma) parent material (adobe and escumbro) Quezon City, Makati City and parts of Taguig and Paranaque can highrise it safely skyward. Just a conjecture knock on wood, if there’s an earthquake the damage on buildings could differ because of the city’s kind of parent material. Let the buildings dance and sway on soft or hard surface. More? Perhaps on Makati and Mandaluyong side of the Pasig River, a submarine mall can be built without a big budget for foundations. Preposterous EH? Not so for the Egyptians, the builders of the Great Wall, Sharjahan, the Ifugaos of Banawe and the Panama Canal excavators.
I was just about to ask for your input Popoy.
> What has this got to do with OBOR? They just throw this in for propanganda. OBOR is all about infras to facilitate trade with the middle kingdom.
The big likelihood is that given the aggressive thrust of the mainlander leadership, this eyesore may be used as headquarters for their businesses — a virtual colonial enclave — in much the same way the Western powers of the 19th century had concessions occupying choice chunks of Shanghai after the Treaty of Whampoa.
Chemrock,
Another case study that agrees or jibes with your conclusions.
http://waset.org/publications/15500/land-reclamation-using-waste-as-fill-material-a-case-study-in-jakarta
–///
It is nice that sludge and waste will have a purpose, but to keep it solid enough to withstand all the high rises and all the body weight of humanity, they still need those hill tops and sand to add to the dried waste.
I am still not giving up on plasma gasification. Once this technology would finally be doable, the massive sludge from all the rivers lakes, estuaries, waste water treatment will be put to use and of course landfills. Then the slag or plasma rock can be mixed with other solid particles for construction and land reclamation. I can dream, the best things in life are free.
Chempo, now there is a plan to revisit the Laguna lake dredging, and the dredging of all the river channels near it including Pasig.
https://www.pressreader.com/philippines/manila-bulletin/20170307/281732679277685
Here is a comprehensive report on the dangers of reclamation.
https://www.pressreader.com/philippines/the-philippine-star/20170313/281651074910472
Karl The Philippines is urbanising.The cities will get much bigger. Manila will get more populated. Where will all these new urban residents live ? Manila is already big and hugely over populated. Building high rises is part of the answer. But land is in short supply as well.
The Belgians like the Dutch have a long track record at land reclamation. If anyone can do It I suggest it might be them.
PS if the land is subsiding because for water extraction then put the water back down in the sub soil.The same pipes and pumps used to extract can also be used to put water back. Which water should be put back ? The water which floods Manila during typhoons and heavy rains.
Water from the drainage system can also be put back down into the deep earth. There is is cleansed and can then be re-used later. This is something done a lot in the Northern Adelaide urban plain area..
I understand Bill, I try to have an open mind on everything and try to learn and evaluate the pros and the cons of every discussion.
The Belgians proposed to dredge the Laguna lake but the project was shelved for some reason. About those reclamation project naysayers, here is the response of the agency in charge of reclamation to one opinion columnist.
http://pea.gov.ph/hide2/250-pra-response-to-the-article-bay-reclamation-a-treasure-trove
Love for one’s family rather limits the word but when Love goes out for Humanity, to the least of one’s brothers, even to one’s enemies, then that is the supernatural Love that could redeem the country and beyond. It won’t happen overnight though because for it to be supernatural one must embrace the suffering that comes with it, like Jesus on the Cross abandoned by the Father. The whole universal Christian Church wasn’t built in a day, values like patience, understanding, sharing (dialogue), commitment, responsibility had to be nurtured and be part of one’s being to attain Unity from Love. It is helping one drug addict one at a time for a start. One single mother, a neighbor in need, a smile for the person sat next to you on a jeepney amongst traffic congestion. Have we even try to talk to one lately? I’m sure that being a Dilawan nor a Dutertard would not matter to Humanity at all.