Denouncing Suffrage

The first time I voted was in 1998. It was also the last.

The voting precint is right next to where we live so I don't think it's an inconvenience.

Sloth is a sin I don't think I've ever been guilty of. Just take a look at the number of posts I did in the last 2 months and I assure you, you cannot accuse me of being lazy.

So why, oh why, denounce a right that so many suffragettes fought for???

Philippine politics, in my humble opinion, is in a state of decadence. Sheer and utter decay. Public service turned into self service. What should be a noble profession is merely a business transaction.

Let me start with the candidates. Take your pick - celebrities, ex-matinee idols, ex-burlesque queens, boxers, retired basketball players, and my favorite category - the next of kin - the husband, the son, the daughter, the son-in-law, the daughter-in-law, heck even the grandchild of the incumbent want their share of power. Kamag-anak Inc. There is only a handful of sincere candidates out there (less than 10, IMO).

Don't get me started on Pork Barrel. I've already written something on it on my The Philippines Through the Eyes of A Filipina post. In case you didn't read it, I'll say it again. The Pork Barrel A.K.A. Countrywide Development Fund (CDF) A.K.A. Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) are funds given to members of the Senate and Congress. These are discretionary in nature so it is up to the senator or congressman to identify the projects that will be funded from these funds. Correct me if I'm wrong, senators get a whopping P 200 million (about $4.65 million USD) each, while the congressmen are allotted about P 70 million (about $1.62 million USD) each. Sheesh, I'm starting to sound like a broken record. So where, oh where does all the money go??? oink oink oink. Let me just give you an example, or better yet, I'll show you.................

Congressmen (esp. women) love building waiting sheds and plant boxes........Pardon my ignorance, but THAT, to me, looks more like a rubbish bin............. Again, I'm really, really ignorant, but..............

Hair & Makeup + Diamond earrings + Color Separation + Tarpaulin printing > GI pipes + scraps of plywoodIs it because it's way cheaper than building schools or spending on infrastructure??? Even if I add the cost of these monstrosities, I mean waiting sheds, I do not think this is worth millions in taxpayer's money............

Potholes galore.........Why not at least spend on that???
Just asking...........

What about the squatters in Metro Manila??? This happens to be right behind a huge goverment facility, and I'm not telling where.............. Did you notice the huge service drop??? Did you also notice that there is NOT A SINGLE ELECTRIC METER???!!!! No wonder our electirc bills continue to sky rocket............

Principles, my dears. Something I think every person should have, only a handful have, and (almost, I'm not saying all) no politician thinks he needs...............

Trick or Treat

I love halloween. Maybe even more so than Christmas.

All the garish decor................ The sweets........................All the costumes...................Todays was my pre-schooler's halloween party. Nothing unusual, just your average halloween party. What struck me though was one of the winner's costumes. Among them was Optimus Prime. And yes, he transforms....................This one though caught my attention. Well, not so much the outfit but the message. Did you hear that Mr. Trapo??? As I'm writing this, Erap is having his press conference celebrating his freedom....................... Do you really think we are THAT stupid???
I do not recall picking "TRICK"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If my post yesterday was depressing, this is disturbing.......................kakainis

1 + 1 = 2,106 ???

Yesterday, the peso soared as it hit a 7-year high of 44.35 to a dollar.

Gas prices, however, are still on an all-time high. These are the current prices of petrol in the Philippines, I took these just about an hour ago. I remember (was it only last year?) when the peso was 55+ to a dollar, gasoline prices cost this much already. Correct me if I'm wrong, a barrel of crude oil right now costs about $80.00 plus or minus, that's still not a a lot compared last year as it fluctuated to about $70.00 last year. A gallon is 3.7854 liters, if the peso right now is 44.35, a gallon of premium gasoline would cost about $3.65.

Yes, gasoline companies do sometimes rollback prices. Say about 10 to 25 Philippine cents per liter. But everytime there is a slight rise in crude oil prices, they jack up their prices to about 1 to 2 pesos per liter.

The goverment insists our economy is booming. Who or what were they referring to??? The economy of their pockets or their Swiss bank accounts???

I just don't get it.

What do you think???

The Philippines Through the Eyes of A Filipina

The Philippines Through the Eyes of a Filipina
By Ivy Agustin
http://blackbaies.blogspot.com/, October 2, 2007


I received a copy of 'The Philippines Through the Eyes of a Foreigner' through an email last June 2007. Why did I not react then? First, I did not have my own blog yet. Second, and more importantly, I did not see the need to do so as it was one man's sentiment and there was some truth to it. So why am I reacting now? Well, yesterday as I was sorting out my email I chance upon the letter again and then later on as I was doing some research on Filipino culture I chance upon the same essay. This time though, I was surprised to see a lot of reactions from my kababayans, ranging from defensive to violent rections. Why be so harsh on the guy when he is merely voicing out his sentiments as he is entitled to in the first place.

Although there are some truths in his essay, there are also some overstatements.

Let me start with the sad truths:

1. Yes, it is true that we do have streets lined with street people, beggars and squatters.

But, let me remind you that those people did not dominate our sidestreets overnight.

Once upon a time, those people used to live happily in the rural areas. Then one day, a politician named Mr. Trapo arrives in a shiny limo and promises them the sun, the moon and the stars. But there is a catch, they have to go to his town to help him win elections by becoming 'flying voters'. They were pledged mammoth promises, given a few measly bucks and picked up by huge Sarao jeepneys bound for Zion. After Mr. Trapo wins his election, he leaves all the necessitous folk behind. With their families still with them, hungry, broke and exhausted, where do they go now? With very little money left from Mr. Trapo, they begin building shanties along the sidestreets. And the rest as they say is history........

2. Yes, it is true that our roads are cursed with pollution and our public utility vehicles are in disreputable states of repair. Yes, we have streets full of potholes and unrepaired streets.

Then one day, after Mr. Trapo is sworn into office, he becomes Congressman Trapo. He decrees that the roads be repaired and lined with asphalt. Since he has the power to pick the contractor, he selects the one who offers him the most proceeds. And because the contractor has to give a huge chunk of his earnings to Congressman Trapo, he figures that to earn more he could probably gain more by using substandard materials. That explains the potholes.

Congressman Trapo runs for the Senate and wins. Senator Trapo is now even more jaded by all his power. He does not care (or he has been bribed enough) to overlook that the other government subsidiaries are allowing bus comapnies to import buses that are really old and dilapidated. So that explains the disintegrating vehicles and the pollution that comes with it.

3. Yes, it is true that our educational system allows children to attend schools without desks or books to accommodate them. Yes, it also true that teachers, even college professors, are paid salaries so disgracefully low that it's a wonder that anyone would want to go into the teaching profession in the first place.

Senator Trapo has his share of the The Pork Barrel, A.K.A. Pork, Countrywide Development Fund (CDF) or Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). These are funds given to both members of the Senate and Congress, these are discretionary in nature so it is up to Senator Trapo to identify the projects that will be funded from these funds. Senators get P 200 million each while the congressmen are allotted about P 70 million each. To have something to show for, Senator Trapo builds small waiting sheds with a huge picture of his face and his name in large fonts to advertise what he has done. He forgets about the public schools that cannot accommodate half the school's population. Senator Trapo also needs more funds to help him in his re-election bid. He forgets about the teachers who, aside from a meager salary, work long, grueling hours.

There are a lot of Mr. Trapos all around us. He could very well be holding office at your Barangay Hall, the City Hall, the House of Representatives, the Senate, maybe even in Malacañang. Who knows?

There is no ending to my fairy (goblin) tale. The rest is up to you.


As for the overstatements, here's my take on that:

1. Filipinos do not worship, almost slavishly, everything foreign. Foreigners are not looked up to and idolized.

Filipinos are essentially warm, nurturing, and tolerant to a fault.

Do not mistake Filipino hospitality for worship. Having said that, it is but natural for Filipinos, even Asians in particular to be generous givers. Luxury goods, more often than not, imported brands flatter not just the giver but the receiver as well. Isn't that what it's about, status quo?

Case in point, last week my husband & I were in Greenhills for an errand. In case you don't know, it is a shopping mecca for everything faked or copied. We traverse the tiangges as I wanted to do some research on the demographics of people who patronize fakes. Surprise, surprise. In one corner, we saw 2 Americans (males) searching for an 'authentic looking fake' briefcase. We walk some more and more and we see 3 foriegners (they sounded British but I wasn't sure) looking for 'authentic looking fake' Mont Blanc pen. We walk a bit more and we see 2 foreigners (males) looking for 'authentic looking fake' Louis Vuitton bags for their girlfriends. Is that what character is to you? I'm not even making this up.

Allow me to spill another anecdote. A few months ago I was at Louis Vuitton in Greenbelt waiting for my purchase to be wrapped when I was approached by a man in his 60's (about my Dad's age) asking my impression on 4 LV bags laid out in front of him. He said he was having a hard time deciding which one to pick as an anniversary present for his wife and the SA(sales associate) wasn't much help. I gladly oblige. Mind you, he was Filipino, very simply and unostentastiously dressed. He didn't look like a fashion victim nor did he look uber rich. Maybe just like the rest of us, he appreciates a little luxury. Don't you think?

Even in HongKong, walk around and you'll see about 60% of the locals are carrying LV bags. Real ones, I'm sure. We went to all 3 stores and all of them were packed. In one store, we had to wait in a long queue just to get in. You wouldn't call them slaves to foreigners, would you?

2. Filipinos are not itching to leave the country.

It's just that sometimes, for some people, there seems to be no other choice.

Do you think our OFWs would still leave the country if they were given the same rate here as they are given abroad? Domestic helpers abroad are paid more than thrice over than what our teachers are paid here.

In the United States for instance, the minimum wage (average) is about $6.00 an hour. Did you know that that same amount is the minimum wage here BUT for a full day's labor? I hate it when I hear foreigners say, 'Oh, the gasoline prices here are the same as in the US' or whatever country. No matter how the numbers match, it's still not the same. No matter how our government rubs all sorts of figures on our faces, they mean nothing. Absolutely nothing. Why? Because we, the Filipinos, feel nothing. The government has nothing to offer. The jobs they claim to have are mediocre compared to what we as parents have to pay for in tuition fees. What jobs await U.P., Ateneo and La Salle graduates? Jobs at call centers?

To strive for something better is no shortcoming on our part. We will always strive for the best, not just for ourselves, but for our families and our nation.

The government claims that it is helping boost tourism in our country. How exactly?

When we went to Bangkok just a few weeks ago, I wanted to visit Siam Paragon. We could've walked as the mall was only about 5 kilometers from our hotel, I merely wanted to ride a tuk tuk so we hail one to take us there. Since the cab and tuk tuk drivers there understood very little English I brought a map, a picture of the mall and a copy of the exact address. About 15 minutes and many kilometers later, still no mall in sight. He brings us to a jewelry store, when we asked why, he said that he's bringing us there at no extra charge to us. It's just that everytime they bring in tourists, they get a coupon for free LPG (their petrol) from the government. We aren't under any obligation to buy, just come in for a visit. He then takes us to another shop (and thus my asthma was triggered by the stench of LPG). We ended up buying some goodies as he says he will get a small commission if we do so (yes, we were that gullible, but to us it was being helpful). Even during the temple tour, the tour guide told us that it was compulsory for them to bring tourists to particular spots. That is because their government encourages exactly that. Do you think the tricycle drivers here would get an incentive if they bring you to Luneta? I don't think so.

But what about tourism in the Philippines. My husband & I were surprised to see on a cable channel that some of our museums are still open. Note that it was on a cable channel and not even a local channel. Up until that moment we thought all our museums have closed down. Is that the government's definiton of 'boosting' tourism?

We are a free country. We are free people. We are entitled to our own opinion. In the same way that each of us is free to voice that opinion. If you'd want to block or edit everything negative you hear just to make it favorable to you, won't that be the start of censorship?

The reason behind my poking fun at Filipino drivers (in my blog) isn't to insult, ridicule or degrade them but maybe, just maybe with those little insights I could reach out to someone to do something about it, be it by doing better at it (it is a skill after all) or by at least implementing the laws that are there for a reason.

Hats off to Mr. Barth Suretsky. I do believe that it was in his best intention to put a little perspective into our culture and I take no offense whatsoever. I thank him for taking the time to analyze the things that somehow puzzle me as well.

To all foreigners, always remember this, we Filipinos have managed to unseat 2 presidents in the last 2 decades. It is my belief that we can do so again. It's just that at this point, there is no one person who could penetrate the system and not be spoiled by it. It will take time, discipline, and the will to change in each of us. Like I said, probably not in my lifetime. But soon, I hope.

I am a Filipino and I am proud to be one. I love my country and it is here that I will spend my old age until the rest of my days.


I hope you can say the same for yourselves.

Me Oh, My Oh, on Current Events.............

There are times when forgetting can be just as important as remembering. But to rewrite history is another story. I'm not hallucinating, Martial Law did happen! I may not have been born at the time, but one thing I'm sure of is that it happened. I may not have winessed it first hand, but I still remember seeing on reruns in black and white of the late ex-President Ferdinand Marcos saying 'I now declare Martial Law'. It's like saying the Holocaust never happened, or even World War I or World War II. Stop asking for history books to be rewritten bwiset.

Time may heal all wounds. But it cannot erase the scars left behind. The scars will probably remain to serve as reminders. Just ask all those people who were tortured, jailed, and whose human rights were violated between 1972 to 1981. Not to mention the ones who were brutally murdered, ewan ko kung paano niyo sila tatanungin. Ano ba naman kayo, para kayong hindi kapwa Filipino.

There is a world of difference between good sound reasons and reasons that sound good. Huwag niyo baluktutuin ang katwiran. I know you're all smart, kaya nga nandiyan kayo. But stop making fools of us all. We're not as stupid as you think we are.

This is why I avoid watching the news. Apparently an impossible task since Joel loves keeping abreast of current events. Ako ang na hi high blood. kainis

Filipinos: The Good, The Bad, & The Chaka

Allow me to start with the good.

Bayanihan. I love the fact that the word has no english equivalent making it distinctively Filipino. I once thought that the concept died long ago along with chivalry. I was proven wrong some 2 years ago when I was driving (with my 2 kids in tow) along a narrow alley when my car's front tire got stuck in a deep and wide manhole. The only way out was for the front part of the car to be lifted. I called my husband but he was about 2 hours away from our location. I was terrified as it was getting dark and the area was infested by squatters adding paranoia that we might (a) get mugged, (b) get carjacked, or (c) my kids could get kidnapped. Two men approached and offered help, a tricycle driver stopped by to help, and three tambays stood up from their drinking session to help as well. In no time, the six men were able to lift the front part of the car. I offered each of them a small sum for their help but to my surprise, none of them accepted. I call it a random act of kindness. God bless them.

Filipinos truly are beautiful people, inside and out. We once went to ________ and the only women I noticed were those clad in Prada, not neccesarily for their beauty. Even in _______, the transvestites and transexuals are prettier than their women. Walk by anywhere in Manila and you'll always find a pretty face, cloaked in Prada or otherwise. tarush

Filipinos are one happy bunch. We are very optimistic. Filipinos are among the happiest people in the planet and we have the lowest suicide rate in the world. Living in a third world country doesn't seem to matter. Heck, first world countries have the highest divorce and suicide rates. 'Ang saya saya di ba'.

Now for the bad and the chaka.

Traffic. MMDA. Only in the Philippines are there no clear traffic monitoring schemes. No clear traffic guidelines. If you're driving a private vehicle traversing EDSA and for some reason you cross the yellow lane, you'll surely be apprehended. And yet buses, taxis, FX(s), jeeps swerve and cut all they want and then happily and proudly get away with it. Heck, I once saw a bus driving along Monumento, then take Samson Road where buses are not allowed, the driver opens his window and tosses a 20-peso bill to the MMDA standing by. He then happily passes without objection. And you still expect me not to beat the red light?

Politicians. Trapos. Politicos. Cabinet members. Customs officials. BIR officials. Political wannabees. Pulis patolas. Actors, actresses, boxers, and basketball players with no credentials whatsoever desperately pushing their luck into penetrating the political arena. We have the most number of elections and the most number of elected officials. Politics should focus on public service not self-service. Anak ng pulitiko. Need I say more?

Graft & corruption. This goes hand in hand with above mentioned chakaness. Take the case of politicos pre-election, they drive around in a mid-sized sedan, a ginormous van, or a small SUV. Then post-election, they upgrade to a Lincoln Navigator, a Cadillac Escalade, or a GMC Suburban. Note though that they also also need an entire convoy for protection (or to look important). Throw in a Ferrari or a Lamborghini for the weekends, maybe even a Chrysler 300 for the misus, and a discreet Audi for the mistress. Don't even get me started on their luxurious houses, posh weekend homes, jewelry collection, heck even mistresses. Dare I contest the Forbes article proclaiming that we are in the top 10 rank in the world as most corrupt. We desrve first place. We were robbed, seriously.

Noontime variety shows. Not since the birth of cable television have I watched local tv. I cannot sit and watch fellow Filipinos, balikbayans, and tourists laugh like hyenas at contestants making big fools of themselves for a meager sum. No wonder we are mocked, pitied, ridiculed and caricatured by other races. I actually wanted to strangle the guy from the recent APEC summit who called our native barong a 'peasant outfit'. Excuse me, but who the hell do you think you are???!!! But then again, how can I blame him when that is exactly how Willie & co., whether they are aware of it or not (maybe even part of their gameplan), portray how Filipinos are in general. Kawawa naman tayo. tsk tsk

Overly dramatic telenovelas. As if we haven't had enough, we now have koreanovelas and chinonovelas. Morning, noon, late afternoon, primetime, late night, take your pick. I swear I lose I.Q. points by the minute when I see them. Don't we tire of the same plot over and over and over again? Isn't it insanity when we do the same thing over and over and over again then expect a different outcome everytime?

Too much complacency. 'Pwede na yan' ('That'll do') is something I hear quite often. Doesn't excellence matter? Can't we strive for something better, or better yet, the best? After all, people will treat us the way we expect to be treated, therefore if 'pwede na' is okay with us, that's exactly all we'll ever get. di ba?

Inferiority complex. Whilst other races suffer the opposite (i.e., superiority complex), Filipinos perceive and treat other races as superior, yet their own race inferior. If we Filipinos treat each other like 2nd class citizens, how can we expect first class, preferential treatment from others?

We can't say NO. Why do I need to come up with a reason or an excuse everytime I decline or reject something? The word NO should be a complete sentence. Don't you think so too?

I'm not trying to be negative, after all I am a Filipina and (super) proud of it. But what future awaits us when we continue to see ourselves as nothing more than doormats? Unless we manifest change amongst ourselves, amongst our leaders, within our nation, then my Dad is probably right in saying 'This country is going to the dogs'. There are times I want to give up hope, but having children gives me much optimism on a future generation far more confident and competitive than ours is. Although I constantly pray for change, I don't see it coming anytime soon.........................Or at least not in my lifetime. So pray, have faith, keep your hopes and chin up so that one day you can truly be proud to say 'Ako ay Filipino', and actually mean it.

Ako ay Filipina! Mabuhay ang mga Filipino!