|
For the past 17 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
|
|
This website includes selected articles from this week's edition of the Filipino Express. Not all the stories published in the printed version appear on this site.
|
|
|
|
To tell us what you think about Filipino Express Online or to comment on the stories published here, E-mail us at Filexpress@aol.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DOES one become patriotic because he or she supports his or her country’s president or government? Or conversely, is one guilty of being unpatriotic because he or she does not support the current head of state and administration?
This talk about patriotism is among the myriad of issues that forced themselves into the public arena during President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s visit to New York earlier this month.
On one hand, supporters of Mrs. Arroyo accused those who were attending rallies against her government of being unpatriotic, of “demonizing” Mrs. Arroyo’s visit and of being intent on embarrassing her and the country.
On the other hand, protesters contend that the President has betrayed the trust of the nation when she allegedly connived with corrupt election officials to rig last year’s presidential election. What can be more unpatriotic than that, they say.
There really is no black-and-white answer to those questions.. They can be both right, and they can be both wrong. It all boils down to how one defines patriotism.
There is a sense of patriotic pride surging within us to know that Mrs. Arroyo was the first Philippine President, the first Asian leader, and the first female head of state to preside over a United Nations Security Council Summit. We at The Filipino Express take pride in that achievement.
At the same time, we also believe that sometimes, the patriotic thing to do is to expose and oppose abuses, neglect and ineptness of the government, especially if one strongly believes that these are harming the people’s interests. We have the cases of deposed Presidents Marcos and Estrada as clear historical examples.
What should be made clear from the onset is the fact that loyalty to the President is different from loyalty to the country, or the people. Supporting the President is not synonymous to upholding the people’s interests.
Loyalty to the person of the President does not a patriot make. Only by putting the people’s interests above all else can one claim to be a genuine patriot. (NP)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Desperate measures, desperate times
|
|
|
|
NEW YORK --- If you're following a developing story about the upcoming Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI) election, you'd be taken aback by how ugly it is turning out to be.
The days of "poison" letters are back just like when several of these hate letters were floated around during the days of past PIDCI overall chairs Nena Kaufman and Lolita Gillberg. And if you recall, this anonymous letter writing had its copycats in New Jersey which also got Dr. Alice Francisco and Joseph Tieng peeved.
Whoever thought of this tactic to influence people's mind at election time is doing a disservice to our community. These letters are desperate measures which are meant to serve people – wives and husbands – who need to boost their ego. How can people be so low? As community leader Ernie Gange from Pennsylvania always says: "Parada lang ito (This is just a parade.)"
But there are people who don't see the truism of that statement. They want to organize townhall meetings to discuss issues that supposedly affect our community. What these issues are about, I don't know; these are not mentioned in the announcement.
The only issue I see here, which escapes the minds of most PIDCI leaders, is to deliver an independence commemoration worthy of our race, our people and our country. And as public money is involved, it should be done with the highest standard of accountability, transparency, integrity and credibility. That's the bottom line.
While the idea of a townhall meeting to allow PIDCI candidates to present themselves and articulate their plans and perhaps their views about PIDCI is reasonable, it only becomes an exercise in ego-trip and mental calisthenics.
By now, we all know what PIDCI is all about. It is not the right place where people can discuss ideas openly to arrive at certain goals but an arena where people battle over power, territorial rights and vengeance.
Besides, even if a townhall meeting was held, what benefit would it serve if organization-members have already set their mind on whom to vote for? Would it alter the result of the elections? I don't think so.
We all know by now the reason why these new organizations were registered and by whose camp. If all the required documentation were complied with and rendered legitimate, who can stop these organizations even if membership fees came only from one source?
It only proves which side is more experienced, more organized and more smart at implementing political strategy and tactics. That's reality – a fact of life which we are faced with. It would only make those people who complain or whine about this fact as real losers.
The mission of PIDCI is different from that of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) in this region. That was made very clear during the early days of PIDCI formation, which unfortunately, are the same people who are now involved in NaFFAA.
During those days, for practical reasons, I suggested that PIDCI was organized by NaFFAA instead since the latter has local state chapters which are likewise involved in PIDCI. I also reasoned out that as a national organization, NaFFAA has more clout in promoting the independence celebration, not only in this region but nationally.
That idea received a howling response from the audience and was shot down almost instantly. I didn't understand then the cause of that reaction but now I do and that is: the more power opportunity you give to people the happier they become.
And the bottom line? We've all been taken to a power-trip and until today, either in PIDCI or NaFFAA they're still squabbling about who comes first in the cue. It's like vying for a spot that is closer to a high-level government official or celebrity in photo-ops.
Whether or not the days of hate letters are back, this isn't really a good representation of how we believe in service to humanity as the best work of life.
These letters represent desperate measures in desperate times.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DAYS after the President’s mea culpa speech, America is still coming to terms with the devastation caused by Katrina in the U.S. Gulf Coast. And by devastation, I don’t only mean the hurricane but its aftermath as well – the loss of lives, the chaos.
Perhaps the biggest shock has been that this is happening in America, the world’s richest, most powerful nation. You see, up until 9/11, America had thought herself removed from the perils of third world life like terrorism and natural calamities which naturally bring with them the twin curse of poverty and death. It always seemed like things happened “over there” never here. Tsunami hits Thailand out of nowhere – there not here. Massive floods displace people – there not here.
It was almost as if America felt spared from destructive acts of nature, if not, from being caught ill-equipped to handle them. America lived the Boy Scout motto “Be Prepared.” – but with Katrina, she was scarcely ready. Something finally happened here.
The thing about tragedy is that it shows us that there is still some good left in people. Despite the looting and the violence that ensued in New Orleans during the first days after the hurricane, many good Samaritans came forth. From showbiz folk and musicians mounting a telethon to pre-school kids selling lemonade on their front yards, the outpouring of kindness is impressive. Even big corporations have made a show of lending a hand to those affected by the hurricane.
Does it have to take an immense disaster for people to act kind?
In the Philippines, the monsoon rains bring the same death and destruction experienced in the Gulf, not once in a 100 years but yearly. There are many lives lost but they aren’t publicized.
Over there, it is a fact of life. Shanty towns brought to the ground by a hard rain. Little kids and their poor parents sick with diseases caused by contaminated water. But the Filipino just trudges along.
The government is helpless and the people almost apathetic. But life goes on, bahala na. You want to see survivors? Walk down a Manila street, any day, any time.
My son wonders if hurricanes can hit New Jersey. We reassure him they do not, at least not like Katrina. He seems a little worried, and just when we think he is worried for himself, the little angel shows us what it is to be compassionate: “Let’s talk to God to help those people,” he says.
And so I tell him to include our fellow Americans in the Gulf Coast in his prayers, but I also tell him that they need a little more help than that. After all, “Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa.”
America, it’s time to rebuild.
e-mail. manilagirl01@hotmail.com, www.missingmangoes.com, www.manila-girl.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Party’s Interest Comes First
|
|
|
|
“My loyalty to the party ends where my loyalty to the country begins.”
- President Manuel L. Quezon
Chicago, ILLINOIS --- Some members of the opposition party in the Philippines still can not get it. They were throwing the towel even before the fight started.
I am, of course, referring to the no-show and half-hearted convictions of some of the members of the opposition in the House of Representatives before the voting for the impeachment trial of President Arroyo last week.
These congressmen said because the minority is outnumbered, there are no more need for them to show up.
Have they forgotten their lessons in grade school that taking the test even if they were not ready for it is better than being absent from class? Taking a make-up test is always frowned upon because it is a form of cheating, especially if one tries to get an edge by getting a clue or picking the brains from those who took the test.
Lapse in Judgment
Instead of admitting their “lapse in judgment” and vowing not to repeat the same and apologizing for it, these congressmen still had the gull to rationalize their action.
For instance, Kaloocan City Rep. Luis “Baby” Asistio said that his “failure to appear during the crucial plenary voting on the impeachment complaint at the House of Representatives last Tuesday does not mean” he is severing ties with the opposition. He explained that “it would have been (a) useless exercise” since he had “forseen the opposition’s bid to impeach President Arroyo was doomed from the start.”
Since when did Representative Asistio become an expert prophet of doom? Is he drawing his advice from Madame Auring? Isn’t it one way of saying that since people will just go hungry, there is no more need for them to eat? Or why do people even wash dishes when these are going to be dirty after use?
Then, he added that he never turned his back on his constituents regarding the impeachment complaint against Mrs. Arroyo. This is b.s. because if his constituents wanted him to impeach the President, he should have stayed around to face defeat, instead of attending to his personal business.
The fact that he did not show up was a sign that he was supporting the cause of the majority. Hasn’t he heard the saying “the enemy of my enemy is my friend?”
Doing a St. Peter
Then, he compounded his mistake by saying that his “no-show at the plenary session does not necessarily mean” he has turned his back on deposed President Joseph Estrada. Jesus heard these same assurances from St. Peter before, only to deny Jesus thrice as the cock crowed.
Doesn’t he know that talk is cheap? That action speaks louder than words? I’m sure if President Estrada were not in detention, Erap would be doing his homework, lobbying some members of the Administration to join the minority’s side. How can Asistio or some of his colleagues, who were also no-show, run away from a fight at a time when their party needed them most? Who knows their presence could have been a moral boost just as Moses was raising his staff before the parting of the Red Sea, isn’t it?
Instead of keeping their mouths shut for abandoning their party, Asistio, and other like-minded opposition congressmen like Oscar Malapitan (Kaloocan) and Vincent “Bingbong” Crisologo (Quezon City) went on a defensive. And so, did Rep. Imee Marcos (Ilocus Norte) who put her family’s interest ahead of her party’s.
In sports, when US baseball superstar Sammy Sosa left his Cubs team while his team was still playing, Sosa was eventually forced to quit his team. Sosa left early to evade the scrutiny of the media, who would be blaming him for the failure of his team to make the playoff.
Desertion or AWOL
In the military, leaving the armed forces for only a short time to avoid hazardous duty or important work is called desertion. But returning to the unit makes him guilty of the military crime of absence without leave (AWOL).
AWOL is punishable by confinement for one month and forfeiture of two-thirds pay per month for one month. During wartime, deserters may be punished by death.
In the US, when a married person intentionally leaves his or her spouse, and stays away for a certain length of time, without consent or adequate reason, this desertion is a ground for divorce.
Now, the ball is in the hands of the members of the opposition: If they will let the deserters off the hook, without penalizing them for breaking party discipline, other members are bound to repeat the same mistake.
If they enforce party discipline, like suspending them or removing them from juicy committee positions, it will put a lid on this treasonous act.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Case studies to weep over
|
|
|
|
|
HAVE we become adept, as a nation, at churning out case studies on how to fail? Look at key sectors of our economy, like forests and water, then decide.
“The Philippine experience, as a major supplier of hardwood logs, provides a poignant lesson for today’s (still-forest rich ) countries,” says the Food and Agriculture Organization.
In 1575, over 92 percent of the country was forested. “In it’s virgin state. Philippine forests were among the most commercially-viable in the world,” notes FAO’s study, Asia-Pacific Forestry Towards 2010.
“The Philippines was the first Asia-Pacific country, in the post World War II era, to extensively liquidate it’s forest wealth,” this UN case study adds.
In the 60s and 70s, we strutted as a world timber exporter. Yearly, freighters hauled out 10 million cubic meters of wood for markets abroad. But the industry’s leaders acted as if they had no grandchildren.
“Thus, the 1960s ‘Timber Prima Donna’ became the ‘Wood Pauper’ of today,” Inquirer pointed out. “The timber mafia spent for flashy cars, mansions, jewelry – even costly runs for Congress to protect shrinking forest concessions.”
Little of harvested forest wealth was invested in down-stream processing industries, FAO says. “Nor was attention paid to sustainable management.”
By the 1980s, this once-lavish resource petered out. Today, we shop for timber abroad. “Net imports cost the country 10 times the value of its forestry exports.”
Countries like Cambodia or Papua New Guinea still have extensive forests. Japan conserves its timber stands. It buys abroad, from the Philippines in the past, now from countries that reforested, like New Zealand.
Self-imposed timber-penury is seen in wood shortages, lack of factories and trained technicians. These shut the country out from 21st century money spinners: round and sawn wood, paper, plywood and other panels, etc. Demand for these products, specially in North America, has exploded.
A shoddy case study on water emerges in Cebu City.
There, Mayor Tomas Osmena’s “Crown Jewel” is a sprawling 295-hectare South Reclamation Project (SRP), scraped from the sea with a bloated P6.3 billion loan. It is crisscrossed by access roads, power lines and canals, flanked by a six-lane 12 kilometer national highway --- and short of water.
“Whiskey’s for drinkin’,” Mark Twain once wrote “But water is for fightin’ over.” And SRP biggest brawls are not over conflicting land titles by Talisay City. They’ll be over water. How did this come about?
The metropolis itself already siphons 300,000 cubic meters daily from its limited aquifers, twice the amount they can recharge. Asian Development Bank notes Metro Cebu Water District serves only more than half of households. Salt contamination of limited aquifers has seeped almost to the city’s foothills, the prestigious Water Resources Center reveals..
But Osmena never crafted a city master plan. His administration has “policy black holes” in water, land use, foreign loans, housing, youth, peri-urban areas and other critical areas, Cebu Daily News editorially noted.
Sole-decision making exacerbates this flaw. Osmena clamped, for example, a decade long blackout on SRP yen loans – now chewing a quarter of city hall’s budgets in interest payments alone. SRP construction ignored essentials like water. “He has all the virtues we dislike and none of the vices we admire,” the paper said.
If taps are dry, no investor in his right mind will locate, says Cebu Investments Promotion Center’s Joel Mari Yu. Scrubbing sea water of salt is an alternative for SRP. But it’s costly. .
Desalting water costs 10 times more than piping water from conventional sources, Worldwatch Institute estimates . Yet, Osmena assailed as “too costly” a carefully drawn up Ayala offer to pipe water in from Carmen town, 40 kilometers away.
But he kept mum on costs of desalinating sea water for SRP. An April 2005 FAO consultation on water desalanation in Rome said it’d cost between US$1.00 and US$1.50 per cubic meter. What is sauce for the goose is not necessarily sauce for the gander?
Osmena is boxed into desalination by his earlier decisions. He sneaked to Singapore which launched a US$119 million desalination plant. It will meet at least 10 percent of the city-state’s water needs, and reduce dependence on Johore reservoirs in next door Malaysia.
Singapore’s water agreements with Malaysia expire by 2061. But even this early, Singapore – unlike laid-back us -- is moving to ensure self-sufficiency by augmenting supply and conserving.
Singapore started recycling and purifying sewage water in 2003. Half the island is already used for rainwater collection. It aims to make that 90 percent. ( Cebu City Council hasn’t even discussed a draft ordinance on rain catchments.).
“Water is for us not an inexhaustible gift of nature, the Singapore Prime Minister said. “We must husband it -- a reference to 1963/64 rationing from drought.
Singapore is , in fact, a case study on how to succeed.
“Desalination is energy-intensive,” Sun Star noted in February 2002. It burns oil. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iran swap oil for water. They can afford to. Cebu cannot. Modern technology has brought costs down. But oil at US$70 a barrel wiped that advantage out
“No city relishes being straight-jacketed into high-cost energy-intensive water systems,” is the point in this shoddy case study. “And that’s where Cebu is headed for.”
E-mail: juan_mercado@paci-fic.net.ph
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
