A Blast From the Past: Noynoy’s Philippine Dream
Noynoy Aquino announces he will run for president. [AFP Photo/Ted Alibe, via Rappler]
A Blast From the Past: Noynoy’s Philippine Dream
By Popoy Del R. Cartanio
The world is too familiar with the American Dream. The global compass needle pointing from north to south, east to west quivers in awe, on how a person through hard work and human ability, in an incredible thrusting environment that challenges the individual, can transform a pauper into a millionaire, a relative unknown talent into a wealthy celebrity; how struggling artists and professionals can win fame and fortune overnight.
The American dream is about Americans, not about the country—the United States of America. Without the country—being about or in another country—there will be no American Dream. I know, so that’s my dilemma. By serendipity, hard work and rare skills, Manny Pacquiao—many clueless Filipinos don’t realize—Manny obtained undreamed of fame and riches in America, which he can never get in the Philippines even if he wins the Lotto a few times. Lea Salonga is another modest version of the American Dream; Vanessa Hudgens, Charice Pempengco and some others are on their way if they don’t blow it.
So who or which created or caused the dream, the people or the country? Will it be: The Filipino Dream or the Philippine Dream? A case of which comes first: the hen or the egg? The habitat or the organism? If an honest earthshaking siege is to be done to make such a dream possible in centuries (about three to four generations) to come, where must REFORMERS start: on the organism (Filipinos)? Or the habitat and environment (the Philippines)? This piece, given the present situation—very tragic situation, indeed—will put emphasis on habitat (Philippine) change believing that such success will lead on to a changed organism (Filipino). A Philippine Dream leading to a Filipino Dream centuries from now. If we fail, we are stuck to being what we are now: banana men.
Before thoughts unfold, let it be clear that REFORMS—seeking a Philippine Dream—start and are expected to be instigated from the TOP; while REVOLUTIONS are upheavals exploding from BELOW. This piece is about the former.
Mindanao, the Philippines’ land of promise, is the symbol of the country’s grand illusion to progress—a towering monument of national failure to take proper care of its people and its natural resources. There is no Mindanao land of promise, much more a Mindanao dream, only unending pockets of nightmares to its multi-ethnic inhabitants. Just as Maguindanao is part of Mindanao, Mindanao is the second biggest part of the nation—reminds us that the parts constitute the whole. During the past and in the present century, Mindanao has always been under some form of martial law, a de facto kind of legal oppression where the people have been continuously subjugated to the whims and caprices of greedy governmental authority.
The recent massacre of some 60 innocent civilians in Maguindanao caught world attention and brought down Filipinos’ humanity notches no higher than monsters. How do you transform this recent Maguindanao nightmare into a human dream? How indeed, can it be reconciled with the good image of Filipino expatriates who chose to work and live abroad? Foreigners remain baffled by upright Filipino Dr. Jekyls in their midst compared with Filipino Mr Hydes who lord it over in their home country. How do we explaine the passivity of the majority to the centuries old oppressive rule by the few?
A descendant of slaves, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “I have a dream,” and died for it. Even before and from that time, the slaves of America and their descendants were fighting every inch of the way for their rightful place in the sun; persisting to this day, in every nook and corner where vestiges of slavery seeks to perpetuate its ugly head. Until that divine time when one of their sons was voted by offspring of masters and children of slaves alike to be their leader—their President. Still they, Dr. King’s children, remain fighting for that dream, the American Dream to make a stay.
Jose Rizal said, “There will be no masters where there are no willing slaves.” His written thoughts and his actions led to his public execution by the colonial masters. It is an skewed comparison but Ninoy Aquino of recent history said, “The Filipinos are worth dying for.” A quarter of a century after those words were said—that led to his murder—many are still uncertain, dubious as to what Ninoy really meant. To the patriots, the nationalists, the proud breast beaters, the Filipinos are really worth the lives of their heroes. To a trickle few, history has yet to prove its veracity—Filipinos have yet to prove to themselves that nothing is amiss about their humanity. Unlike Dr. King, both Rizal and Ninoy were no dreamers hence were limited to their noble introspection. It was about us, about me, about the Filipino’s life’s worth and his position against other men. If there was a dream, it seemed all about the self, his independence and self-improvement. No utopic dream for its citizens to rise above his worth.
If one must contrive, concoct, sculpt and fashion a country dream, a nation of dream-like reality, a Philippine Dream for example, one need not dream about it, or do a doctoral thesis about it, or do a research about it. The country dream is all over the place, across history, written (except England) and venerated by wise men amongst brotherhood of nations. As I am wont to admonish myself, my flippant thoughts; “It is the CONSTITUTION, dummy!”
Well, not really, that’s not it, absolutely. There’s more from national leaders like Lee Kuan Yew, Mandela, Ignatieff, Stephen Harper, Barack Obama and (Filipinos willing) a Noynoy Aquino. Lee and Mandela had their ideology as fabric of a national dream; Ignatieff and Harper, their political party’s philosophical agenda; Obama, his party’s time tested theory and practice of democratic politics and lastly, Noynoy’s original youngster—a hotchpotch, mishmash—of amalgamated distilled remedies to decades of gross societal malfunction of democratic governance. Noynoy call it his Social Contract with the people—which this piece will attempt to make do as his Philippine Dream.
Early on, I posited not without alacrity that a constitution, the fundamental law of the land, embodies the dream of the polity, i.e. of a nation and its people. From a sublime desire, the constitution becomes a clear statement of intent, of a future state of the state; but which others will see as impossible to achieve in its totality as in a dream come true. More apt perhaps is to understand it as an entity of many pieces across time and space, that achieving the greatest number of pieces—realizes the dream.
The Philippine Constitution defines the Philippine Dream, piecemeal. The broadest and largest chunk of it is in the Preamble. In the 1987 version: the dream under God’s blessing seeks the existence of a just and humane society, a government nurturing and espousing people’s ideals and aspiration which promote the common good, as it pursues prosperity as an independent democracy under the rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace.
In short the dream is about the virtues of theist law-abiding citizens, efficiently and justly governed, in united pursuit of prosperity. The sub categories are defined in the chapters that deal with health, education, justice, national defense, finance, environment, etc.
Noynoy’s Social Contract with the People may,—put in its proper perspective—be considered his Philippine Dream. We can find it in his stated vision for the country: (1) A re-awakened sense of right and wrong, through the living examples of our highest leaders; (2) An organized and widely-shared rapid expansion of our economy through a government dedicated to honing and mobilizing our people’s skills and energies as well as the responsible harnessing of our natural resources; (3) A collective belief that doing the right thing does not only make sense morally, but translates into economic value as well and,(4) Public institutions—as instruments of social justice—rebuilt on the strong solidarity of our society and its communities.
To recapitulate in more specific terms the essence of Noynoy’s vision is about three concerns: restoring people’s virtue of right and wrong, harnessing resources for economic prosperity, and resurrecting the structures of governance as instruments of social justice. It looks so simple and narrow, but is not. As it is more down to earth, current, and doable and non-committal where it should not be.
The vision looks inadequate and simplistic without belaboring its context. The people’s virtue of right and wrong leads on to more complex issues of education reform; nationalistic attitude of patriotism and love of country; deep changes that can lead to “new politics”, a politics that overhauls the authoritative allocation of values in the Filipino society; the intrusion of religion on purely Caesar’s jurisdiction; fostering excellence in the sciences and the arts; recognition and honor for its heroes and upright citizens, just compensation for victims of neglect, atrocities and misgovernance, etc.
The second essence of the dream is about managing an economy towards egalitarian prosperity; taming pernicious poverty; wise use and application of natural resources; of a reformed business-government integrity; of rewarded honest toil; humane and just taxation; of productive results from foreign debts and public borrowings; of a rehabilitated economic image in the ASEAN and respect from the world; and so forth.
The third essence is the mammoth engine of the dream, what Noynoy calls the structures of governance. It is so large, overlapping the three others, it is considered the fourth branch of governance: the BUREAUCRACY. It is the super Jumbo jet, so colossal that when piloted by the morally unfit, technically decrepit, leadership incompetent could dehumanized and crashed the nation into poverty then turmoil. They are co-pilots, they who work alongside the pilot, the branch which make the laws, and the branch which interprets the law. These co-equal branches, the Legislative and the Judiciary, shall also be held commendable or equally responsible and ACCOUNTABLE should the pilot makes or unmakes the nation.
Noynoy needs ALL the help he can get from all Filipinos: the pious and the peacemakers, the zealots and the crooks, the clean and the dirty politicians, the opportunists and free-loaders, the radicals and the communists, the misled government men, the OFWs, the immigrants and the double citizens, the young idealists, all creatures with two legs whose DNAs and spirit are Filipino—who according to John Donne is no island but a minutiae of a grain, all are pieces of the whole, the Philippine Dream.
Not probably known to many but Noynoy knows the moment he was sworn in as President of the Philippines, he has become the President, the leader and protector of all Filipinos, anywhere and everywhere in the planet and must pursue his Philippine dream at the cost of his pride, party loyalty and political debts. Unlike Abraham Lincoln, he need not wage and win a civil a war to free the enslaved segment of the citizenry.
**** December 9, 2009
The Society of Honor by Joe America 
Editor’s note:
Shortly after he filed his certificate of candidacy, or shortly before he was elected.
And what happens when you dream, wake up too early and sleep again?
I have had the weirdest of nightmares in such situations.
if I may,
Irineo, since that happens to me too
it happens only to old people I guess.
a nightmare is not a dream it is
a normal aberration of the brain
that explains the past or give
cautionary pieces of future fear
and longings. A dream is beautiful
like wet dreams but may be
only for the young. It is axiomatic
men can dream of orgasms while young
but older men never dream
of winning the lottery.
So the present Philippine nightmare is due to an old President sleeping?
My nightmare would be the old president having a wet dream!
From drinking too much coffee?
Also, from a certain age we must dress properly.
only young people or Justin Trudeau look this good in underwear.
I guess.
Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a man who loved his country as did his Father and Mother. They called him Noynoy …
Thanks for the great read, Popoy.
This in particular got to me: “The BUREAUCRACY. It is the super Jumbo jet, so colossal that when piloted by the morally unfit, technically decrepit, leadership incompetent could dehumanized and crashed the nation into poverty then turmoil…These co-equal branches, the Legislative and the Judiciary, shall also be held commendable or equally responsible and ACCOUNTABLE should the pilot make or unmake the nation.”
The bumbling, two-bit lawyer Gadon is the unwitting agent that has put the House on the spot. It has clearly been shown before Congress that there are NO grounds for the call to impeach Sereno. If they still go ahead with this glaringly malicious and unconstitutional move, it will simply get shot down in the Senate. But if they STILL go ahead with it, the only possible reasons would be their own cowardice and total lack of ethics and morality. It will prove them once and for all unfit–not just for office, but for Filipino citizenship.
And prove that even a three-eyed, one-legged chicken is more qualified to run for office than they are.
And your comment feeds directly into Monday’s blog, which discusses the “ethical injustices” that surround us.
At the very least if Umali and Farinas dealt with Gadon’s Impeachment Complaint against CJ Sereno as they dealt with Alejano’s Impeachment Complaint against President Duterte, the House will not have the embarrassment that they now have.
I did google a three-eyed, one-legged chicken, could not find any….. 🙂
And that is why we end up with Pacquiao and others even lower on the evolutionary ladder. 😀
I wanted to have that chickens name so i could vote for it….
Count the legs, this got KFC to sue.
Gadon is just a nincompoop of a lawyer, an unprofessional miscast, an idiot who loves to be misused. What motivates such a man to make a fool of himself in the HOR if not for promised positions of some pieces silvers? He is just the bullet. It’s he who pulls the trigger we want to know, and there are only 2 names in mind. It just amazes me that time and again the whole Filipino nation is stripped naked in front of the world to witness its crazy inutility in the hands of a single nincompoop in the greatest circus in town, the HOR.
Same name i have..Start with A and ends with guirre…
May i add Belgica to the bullet club?
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/947318/nbi-ordered-to-probe-aquino-2-others-over-dap-misuse
BBM, Imelda
And a third name, Arroyo
The sad story of how the Aquinos gave their lives–Ninoy literally lost his life, and Cory and Noynoy just barely survived coup and assassination attempts and years of public service, for no personal advantage–for what turned into a small-minded, eternally carping and trick-playing body politic is really a tragedy for democracy worldwide.
Sure, they were imperfect leaders—they were of their particular era and class and world view, and were caught, as Filipinos all are, in the national morass of eternal factionalism—“splinterism” I’d call it—as well the debased forms of utang na loob and conflicting loyalties between, on the one hand, clans and local politicos, and the state.
But as individuals these Aquinos did their best, and in remarkable ways they each broke out of the limiting mold of their class and national history, and set the country on more enlightened trajectories. There has not been a wide overview or in-depth appreciation of what they accomplished; just constant fault-finding and denigration and demolition of any of the ways in which they DID make the country better.
And why is that? The usual reasons. The corrosive power of the self-seeking, and their respective gimmicks: the totally amoral, for-sale Left; the Marcoses of course; the regional splinterists (“it’s OUR turn to get a slice of the pie”); the law school fraternities and military brotherhoods; a business sector lacking in dynamism and expansive forward thinking; and a grant-seeking intelligentsia that for decades has fixated on Marxist rhetoric, post-modernist analysis leading to nothing, and pin-headed identity politics.
And “ordinary” Filipinos are by no means absolved. Just see how we—like it or not—we’re a WE—have chosen to be cynical rather than hopeful (it takes real maturity to be hopeful). We have lapped up the fake news, and continued to elect on the basis of entertainment value. We wipe from our radar any problem that requires complex thinking—Mindanao and its complicated intertwining of crime and extremism is seen as less entertaining that Mocha running for senator—and we’re now reaping the consequences.
Vicara, this comment skillfully encapsulates the extremely difficult to define schism in the Filipino society. The penultimate para is a gem. You can do excel columns and list every actor in the executive, legislative and judiciary bodies under the appropriate ones.
Thanks, Chemrock. (I forgot to add GMA and others to the list.)
We really should all keep tallies of the record of EACH and every congressional representative–especially our own! How they vote in the House; and how they defend their votes–if they bother to speak out at all. What they say–or when they refuse to say regarding the worst actions of the judiciary and executive branches. What they’re like when they’re in their home base and have kicked off their Congress shoes and put on their hometown slippers and actually deal with their constituents.
And to my shame, until earlier this year, I’ve been one of those who don’t bother to engage with their representatives or local officials. The truth is a deplorable number of supposedly educated people don’t even know the name of their congressman. And if we who are blessed with some intelligence, social confidence, resources and time to spare don’t speak up and engage with our elected representatives, we deserve to be blamed as well for bad governance.
There’s too much of a fixation on the president and the smoke-and-mirrors personalities which I believe have been deliberately thrust into the public eye to distract us (e.g. Mocha, Panelo, the fame-whore bloggers). The real cancer is in the House.
The comment comes close to the classic description of the Germans by Charles de Gaulle: “A bundle of strong and troubled instincts, born artists without taste, technicians who are still feudal, fathers of families who are warriors, oppressors who want to be loved, separatists who are strictly obedient, knights bearing garlands who vomit beer . . . a sublime green ocean where the net hosts a tangle of monsters and treasures.”
It is just as expressive, even if the players described are absurd in a different, own way.
Playing with a quote from Tolstoy: “Happy nations are all alike; every unhappy nation is unhappy in its own way.”
I also like “It takes real maturity to be hopeful”… or it takes real maturity to be a constructive contributor to anything whatsoever. Whether at work, in blogging or at national level.
Just complaining, or even throwing monkey wrenches into the (MRT?) system, is too easy.
One can consider the audacity of hope a bit too optimistic without voting… Donald Trump. Waking up from a dream and sleeping again can bring you into a terrible nightmare. For Germany, the dream of “Wir schaffen das” – we will make it (c) Merkel has been replaced by the reality of a troubled world. Possibly, waking up and getting up to deal with things, whether you know if you’re going to make it or not, is still best. Make sure the coffee is strong enough.(@NHerrera: it looks like a grand coalition has a chance, thanks to President Steinmeier)
… it looks like a grand coalition has a chance, thanks to President Steinmeier.
Seems like it — an audacity of hope. Those guys need a lot of coffee brewing in the kettle. Thanks for the update, Irineo. We don’t want Macron to be lording it by his lonesome do we?
To return to the topic of the bureaucracy (sorry for the above rants, Joe): several months ago, when a senior Davao police official turned out to be helping her Abu Sayyaf boyfriend in some Bohol caper, and parallels between Tokhang and the Davao death squad killings came up in the news (and in FB posts), I got a message online from someone who said he was a medico-police officer in Mindanao.
And he said: I just want you to know that many of us here do not approve of what is going on, we do not feel good about it, we just want to do our jobs. But the chief(s) have these programs that they want us to implement. And so we have to do it.
That was the only time I heard from that correspondent, whose identity I never verified. But he’s crossed my mind occasionally. Like when someone I know said that his young relatives in the PNP “hindi sumasangayon sa pinagagawa sa kanila” under Tokhang. Or when an EJK widow, who had been told that the official account of her husband’s death consisted only of the few handwritten lines found in a police blotter, was, months after the killing, quietly handed fuller reports–including medical findings–by a senior police officer from another district. And when another EJK survivor–who’d been told by the barangay captain complicit in the killing that there was absolutely no barangay CCTV capture of her husband being gunned down–was mysteriously provided a video clip of what occurred.
One would like to think that within a bureaucracy–however hidebound, inefficient, and riddled with graft it may be–there are still people with conscience. And people who act (quietly, for now) in accordance with that conscience. There are ways large and small, of resisting oppression and the slow killing of a republic.
Thank you Vicara for your effort in providing insight and a glimmer of hope in these dark times that we find ourselves in. When will we, Filipinos learn and be more patriotic, discerning and critical thinkers?😢
Thank you Sir Popoy!
Bakit eehka-ehka kung lumakad ang Mindanao
Dahil ba matagal na ang kanyang mga paa ay meron
ayaw na gumaling na bakukang?
SEGURO RE-CYCLE NA ITO DITO, Pero nalathala na
ito sa librong “Constant Winds” page 96.
Bulabog Mindanao
Why is there no peace
in Mindanao? Forefathers’ land
of promise, this vastness of restless
potential.This home of tribals, this melting
pot of strangers Now our wasteland of denuded
forests, of exploited mines, Polluted shores and drying
dying marine life Small world of tears, desolate prairie
of widows and orphans, Grasslands cratered by bombs and
mortars Singing armalites, whistling bullets, roaring howitzers
Sands of dried blood, ashes of burned homes Baptismal
fonts of lieutenants, Oases of generals Graveyard of
yes sirs. Broadway stage of decapitated heroes
Paradise of the Haves, hell of the have nots
A piece of toy, a piece of cake, a
treasure trove Shangri-La of
political warlords Eden of the
second coming, second original sin
Mindanao is where the soul of the
Philippines was born And where
it will finally die. Then have its
RESURRECTION.
one of this years most discussed movies about Mindanao…
In this the above piece
it seems
There are two words
which did not catch
TSoH avid bloggers attention.
I was searching for a relevant link,
don’t know if this one fits;
am still in wide cyber search.
’cause it causes me to shiver
what seems bizarre
even macabre to depict
a polity of karmic
contradictions.
Hindi panaginip ‘to
parang bangungot Pare ko,
sa balintataw lang
naa-alimpungatan
hindi magising kaya
search pa rin ako.
here’s the thinkeroo portion that uses banana men as the punchline.
So who or which created or caused the dream, the people or the country? Will it be: The Filipino Dream or the Philippine Dream? A case of which comes first: the hen or the egg? The habitat or the organism? If an honest earthshaking siege is to be done to make such a dream possible in centuries (about three to four generations) to come, where must REFORMERS start: on the organism (Filipinos)? Or the habitat and environment (the Philippines)? This piece, given the present situation—very tragic situation, indeed—will put emphasis on habitat (Philippine) change believing that such success will lead on to a changed organism (Filipino). A Philippine Dream leading to a Filipino Dream centuries from now. If we fail, we are stuck to being what we are now: banana men.
yung link medio nakaka-dyahe eh;baka kadiri pa sa iba. Yung hawla ng mga loro
o cockatoo, nasa basurahan na, minsan ang metaphor sobra na eh. Pero naisip ba
ninyo kahit mabaho at marumi sa smokey mountain o sa payatas mas malinis at mas mataas ang integridad ng mga tao diyan Lalo na sa mga nagsisigsang kabataan
Pero sino ba ang gagong wakarang tatangging magtrabaho sa kongreso? Banana men, nakahawla na itinapon pa sa basurahan? Oy, oy, kanta lang yan, pero ganyan kabagsik ang amoy sa tunay na basurahan.
How about the Pilipinos with P – I have always used Filipinos to refer to the “elite”.
Pilipinos are those whose sisters and daughters have -let and -lyn in their first names. Someone who can show me a daughter of a UP graduate with such a name wins a beer.
But what’s in the spelling of a name? Boy naging Bhoy or Vhoy; Kalyo naging Karlo; Angge naging Mary; Paul became Paolo became Polong; Noynoy naging P Noy (Philippines Noy). Pag kumuha ka clearance sa NBI may kapangalan kang may kaso, kaya meron problema, kaya payo ko sa mga nakasabay kong mga batang OFW sa mga anak ninyo dapat password ang ipangalan ninyo. Ano ba ang mga pangalan ni Duterte ngayon, baka hindi siya mabigyan ng NBI Clearance, Eh.
*******
Please release me. Thank you.
*****
You are welcome. But I don’t see any cage door.
THOUGHT FOR THE MORNING
When one considers the situation worldwide — including the Friday event in Egypt where 235 died — one may say that the Philippine overall situation is not bad.
Granted, but the riposte is why be content when it could be better?
This proves that Filipinos live in a 24hrs. timeframe, in the past the day before yesterday is the ancient past, who cares, in the future the day after tomorrow the far future, who cares.
Is Marawi forgotten already? Just look at international terrorist statistics, the Philippines is as bad! No need for ant riposte, the statement was false.
Filipinos only pretend to have short memories
With the way we blame each other,we bring up ancient history and rub it in.
”Filipinos only pretend to have short memories”
Especially after they did borrow money… 🙂
Korek!
monetary Alzheimer 🙂
Graphical representation of the thoughts of Josephivo, Karl and Sup (while testing my image maker in TSH).
🙂
Your drawing reminded me of this quote, NH:
Nice. Thanks.
Maganda, magaling kumanta puedeng ialay ni Ninoy kay Cory:
Popoy : You are keeping me in hysterics ☺☺☺☺☺
Hi mercedes!
Kumusta ka na Karl ? You seem to be working in earnest, konting relax pre ☺ ‘tamo si Popoy palaging bumubuga ng spinach ☺ ☺
Will do, thanks!
mercedes, did you use the handle lindrell recently? you may not answer, but you answered before when I noticed that you used balayang.
Ok lang si popoy nga he used and andy and neo. Basta wag lang sabay para di nakakalito.
Ngayun ko lang nagets ang Popoy the sailorman who is strong to the finish if he eats his spinach.
Salamat Chedeng, este Mercedes (pangalan ng magagandang Filipina) sa Germany pinakamatibay at mamahalin Kotse (dating taksi lang dito sa Maynila) sa puna mo. Si Popoy the sailor man ni Olive naintindihan ko ; pero in hysterics, parang freaking out ka ba? Heto yung kabilang parte dapat seguro medyo serioso ang dating pero parang klasik eh:
We are Philipinos, we are Spain somehow, we are all Don Kesot ng La Mancha with our own personal windmills, altogether making the struggle for a better Philippines. Tapos na ako dito. Till the next blog.
BRAVO, Pops ☺ ☺
I might be seeing you in Bilbao Pops ; one of my nieces married a Basqueño . She remains a Santos as married women in Spain do not use their hubby’s last name, apparently. Only the offsprings do ☺
Off topic
A PIVOT OF SORTS BETWEEN SAUDI ARABIA AND ISRAEL.
Confronting a mutual enemy, Iran: the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/25/middleeast/israel-saudi-relations/index.html
I want her to lose; it would be of no surprise to me once she marries that politician-scion and begins to ape Imelda Marcos.
From Twitter:
Leah Navarro @leahnavarro
Per her own statement, Rachel Peters supports Duterte, a proven misogynist, whose drug war has allegedly: killed 13k without due process, coddles drug lord pals, won’t sign a bank waiver. How can she represent the Filipina? No, she won’t get my vote.
MGPG:
She was included in the 10n semifinalist and failed to enter the 5 finalists. I think Sara D. and their supporters are disappointed. I’m not. Call me unpatriotic, I don’t care.
I think that was as an individual when she said that, before representing the Philippines. I’d hope she would see her mandate as representing all Filipinos, including yellows and drug addicts. I don’t know her personally, and would not expect her to carry my agenda for me. I’m happy for Jamaica.
er, Miss South Africa?
No, Jamaica for being a small, storm-battered, place of good music and interesting character.
Haha, and whom I was rooting for. Second is good. I think the PH pretty much cans half-Western looks rather than Filipino looks. I can’t get inspired.
True, the likes of Megan Young, Rachel Peters, Pia…the ones MRP describes not genuine Filipina. Well, we do have Wyn Wyn Marquez, Margie Moran, Gloria Diaz, and Melanie Marquez with the lovable murder of the English language.
Happy Birthday to one of the greatest heroes, Ninoy.
Here’s from another Aquino:
Kris Aquino:
I realized I’m a Gen X-er & most of you online are millennials. So I’m sparing you searching Spotify for Culture Club’s Karma Chameleon.
This is just TRUTH for all those fake news purveyors. We had English grammar earlier now it’s time for history: my dad was imprisoned during Martial Law when I was 19 months old. Before I was 7 years old I was campaigning for him, in grainy videos or if you search the New York Times, Time magazine etc from 1978 I have pictures w/ Tito Nene Pimentel (Senate President Koko’s father) holding me steady on a chair or carrying me so I could reach the microphone- i believe the documentary Batas Militar has footage of 6-7 year old me saying speeches. I am a straight talker, because I’ve had 40 years of experience in speaking at political rallies, and I did that when there was no freedom of speech & no freedom of the press.
So I very RESPECTFULLY implore you- pabayaan nyo po akong magtrabaho ng tahimik at payapa. Check my feed, both on IG & FB, even what we mirror on twitter- I haven’t engaged in political discourse BY CHOICE. That doesn’t mean I don’t care about our country, I am a mother & a stakeholder in our future.
You must know I VERIFY my FACTS before I post, in 10 years 2007-2016 to be exact I have paid P361,798,667.75 in income tax to the Philippine government. This doesn’t make me a better Filipino than others- but it does prove that I am a RESPONSIBLE citizen. I asked for a 10 year time period to be researched because that is Bimb’s age & it actually covers 3 administrations.
What’s my point? Public service = TRUST. I won’t & can’t capitalize on my last name. Because I could never be as HUMBLE & SIMPLE as my mom & my brother. Talo na ko sa comparison. So breathe easy all those fuming at the thought of my name on that ballot. I need to first become a self-made, entrepreneurial SUCCESS. Because at the end of the day we deserve a leader who will give us stable economic growth, and a fair chance for everybody to live in a prosperous environment. Fake News peeps – you challenged me.
I’m now going to work so much harder to make your No to Aquino irrelevant because it will be a Yes to KRIS
I posted a tweet some time ago: “Kris Aquino for President!” It got only 20 likes.
It just means that in this country, jealousy trumps appreciation of a level-headed, frank and open woman, one of the top individual taxpayers of the nation, one who did not let a wrong choice of the heart define her whole life.