I am often asked “what have I done for the Philippines” whenever some heated topics on Filipino culture come up. Here’s a typical rant from the clueless 
Allow me to present Exhibit #1 of the typical “anti-Pinoy”
I’ve encountered this writer before and I swear, the only friggin job he can get is in this anti-pinoy website.
And someone swears the dude is in an industry with a bright outlook 
You are of the Philippines A-Hole, and my oh my, am I glad you are no longer Filipino? I sure hope the Philippines will revoke your dual citizenship status if you ever have one so you can never return to this country you hate so much.
If you are incapable to contribute anything positive for my country, then shut the hell up. You people are a bunch of losers. Your articles are no eye opener. Yes, you have a point but you killed all of them by your condescending presumptuous claims.
The Philippine government is living off on OFW remittances, which means YOU are getting a free lunch out of the OFW’s good graces – the least you can do is say THANK YOU you ungrateful DOOFUS.
What have you guys done for the country? seriously? show me one positive effect of your racist bashing against Filipinos? don’t you dare claim that more Filipinos are now educated? there are other political forums here that are working positively for Filipinos. It is obvious how these writers don’t have a friggin clue of what is happening in the Philippines outside of Luzon.
Love the classic “what have you done for the country” eh kung sampalin ko kaya ito ng mga projects na nagawa ko sa Pinas, he’ll be buried alive
Idiots! if you have never traveled the 7107 islands in the country, DO NOT PRESUME you know the Philippines. Your articles are so revealing. Idiots!
Oh we have travelled it the 7,107 islands many times over – we know every nook, cranny, and crevice than you can imagine. We are so effective in describing it – it ruffled feathers with the accuracy of the descriptions.
Have you bothered to check your dirty palengke with all the bangaw?
How about your BBQ stalls that throw their trash wherever they feel convenient.
How about your noisy undisciplined tricycle drivers that are the bane of bus drivers?
How many vehicle accidents have happened from due to tricycle drivers who race in the highway – or the bus drivers high on shabu.
Have you been to the restroom in the public market – omg – the toilets are unflushed, there’s no toilet paper, the floor is muddy, people spit on the floor, and wherever.
Visit any restroom of the restaurants when you are taking a road trip – check out the toilets if they are clean. Super stinky! Nakalutang ang mga yellow submarine – at inu-uod! 
Here’s some more bones to chew on
* Gini Coefficient – that is a summation of all the efforts of Filipinos to widen the income disparity – very wide disparity
* Global Competitiveness index – - that is a summation of all the efforts of Filipinos to be competitive – ranks are going down
* Failed States Index – rank is going down
You’d rather talk about Vicke Belo giving botox to Charice Pempengco? Or Filipinos reactions to Adam Carolla’s – Get Your Sh*t Together Philippines comment – should Carolla repeat that after this hostage fiasco? I think now is a good time for Adam Carolla to deliver that line.
How about those boorish folks who rallied against Chip Tsao – a nation of hostage rescue bunglers!
You seen the hostage rescue in the Discovery Channel? Hostage taker dead – all hostages rescued – That’s how you do it.
How many amucks in the Philippines get away with murder huh? Do you want to keep on sweeping all that under the rug? Get real now.”
Time to Dream BIG, Philippines
Having said that – Allow me to use as reference the 12 little things Lacson wrote about – these are things I have been doing even BEFORE he wrote about this. Here are my experiences based on each item on the list.
Follow traffic laws. Follow the law.
- I follow traffic laws. However, no matter how you follow traffic laws – are there enough roads that allow you to follow traffic laws? What exactly are our traffic laws? Are they written such that it makes sense to follow them?
Whenever you buy or pay for anything, always ask for an official receipt.
- I always ask for an official receipt. Is that an assurance that the amount will be reported to the BIR?
Don’t buy smuggled goods. Buy local. Buy Filipino.
- I don’t buy on the basis of blind nationalism – I spend money on durable, long lasting goods. Philippine businesses will have to earn their right to my money.
When you talk to others, especially foreigners, speak positively about us and our country.
- There’s a point when you have to determine what’s real, what’s deluded, and what’s truly positive. Do not exterminate the truth just so you can pain a pretty picture about the country. It is better to tell the truth – and that you are working hard with other like-minded Filipinos to bring about genuine change – a globally-oriented economy, a huge middle class, lean government that actually works, keeping taxpayers money where it belongs – the taxpayer.
Respect your traffic officers, policemen and soldiers.
- Respect is earned. Until traffic officers, policemen, and soldiers learn to conduct themselves accordingly. Or when the government finally gets the balls to pay for compensation that attract the people who can command respect – then respect will follow.
Do not litter, dispose your garbage properly. Segregate. Recycle. Conserve.
- I do not litter, i dispose trash properly. Though it is another matter when your government is stocked with councilors whose concept of solid waste management is to throw the trash in the adjoining town.
Support your church.
- I dunno about the church – am an avowed atheist and am not about to support any church. I have had enough of the churches interference into politics – and quite lousy at it – Reproductive Health Bill and Divorce being exhibit #1.
During elections, do your solemn duty.
- I do my solemn duty to vote for upright candidates like Gordon. Unfortunately lots of Filipinos also believe it is their solemn duty to vote for an incompetent candidate like Aquino. Don’t just vote – vote for the best competent candidate.
Pay your employees well.
- I pay my employees well, until Joma’s teamsters and union bosses come in to make sure business fold out in the name of “protecting workers interest”. Yeah – the company lost revenue after the strike and everyone lost their jobs.
Pay your taxes.
- As a fixed wage earner – I am quite overtaxed – and the government has nothing to show for where my taxes went – though Congressmen, Senators, and the Executive sure made a lot of money on the Road Board Fund – not to mention their unexplained wealth.
Adopt a scholar or a poor child.
- I have gone beyond that, I have adopted schools and communities and sent education resources their way. You know what happened – the LGUs and Congressman no longer feel responsible about supporting schools since taxpayers are already donating resources… this isn’t working.
Be a good parent. Teach your kids to follow the law and to love our country.
- I don’t just teach my kids to follow the law – I teach myself, my friends, my colleagues about following the law and loving the country – and that means having the capacity to look at the truth – warts, pimples, beer belly, and scars included. The thing is what kind of laws are we following? Are they worth following at all? Why have we not been able to elect people who come with good laws?
The long and short of it is that Filipinos should not be contented with the small, the petty, the trivial. We need to DREAM BIG, ASPIRE BIG, ACHIEVE BIG. We are a pitiful nation because we have CEASED to THINK BIG.
Do not be ashamed to aspire for excellence – it is not unpatriotic to be smart, to speak your mind, and to be passionate.
Do not be ashamed to admit failure – what’s more important is what can we learn from it and how can we ensure we don’t repeat the same mistakes all over again.
If we are to achieve something we haven’t ahieved before, we have to do something which we haven’t done before – DREAM BIG. enough of the small.
So here are EIGHT BIG dreams each Filipino can work on to bring this country around.
- Support Charter Change
- Remove protectionist provisions Sec 10, 11 – Art 12 of Philippine constitution.
- Support the shift to a federal parliamentary system.
- Support the passage of a strong Freedom of Information Act
- Support passing of the Reproductive Health Bill.
- Support the passing of the Divorce Bill.
- Eliminate the pork barrel.
- Tax religious organizations that get involved in politics. Catholic church can participate in politics if it waives its tax exemption status.
Get your sh*t together Philippines.
About the Author
BongV has written 163 stories on this site.
BongV is just another Pinoy blogger in the Pinoy blogosphere.
Comments on “Will doing the “12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do to Help Our Country” really help?”
Bravo!
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The question is, would Filipinos even try to read this let alone do something for the country? The flips are more concerned with getting pictures in their Facebook and Twitter accounts, may it be another Starbucks photo or another disaster. No wonder they’re greatest achievement is a collection of FHM magazines with their photos in it claiming, “hindi ito malaswa.”
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BongV Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
@silvercrest – they wouldn’t. They’d rather read the Hallmark-ish feel-good stuff while they are neck deep in cow dung
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Couldn’t agree more. I have the exact same thought and I agree that Pinoys need to wake the f*ck up to what’s happening around them. It’s sad that most act like 5 year olds when reprimanded but like a parent who must discipline his child, he must show him the error of ways. It’s not how many times you fall, it’s how you get back up and finish in the end. People ought to learn from their mistakes and move on.
What irks me about these dumb Filipinos is that they make a mistake, laugh it off and then do it again. Here’s a definition of insanity: Do the same thing over and over again and expect different results. Seriously, after seeing how much these people fail, I have come to the conclusion that the average Pinoy is stupid. This may come off as racist but these views get reinforced to you once you live among them and see for yourself first hand how these people act and conduct themselves. And if it’s any comfort, the book “IQ and the Wealth of Nations” utterly reinforces this view on the average brain power of the ordinary Filipino.
The country needs to implement Eugenics and send people who are borderline retarded to gas chambers to be honest. Maybe then the country will be saved.
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Aegis-Judex Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
“The country needs to implement Eugenics and send people who are borderline retarded to gas chambers to be honest. Maybe then the country will be saved.”
The first part was what I wished would happen – people with intellectual talents being encouraged to breed by the state. The lesser creatures are allowed only one living child, while the true humans are allowed at most four. The second part… Dosvidaniya, PNoy and you lesser creatures that voted for him!
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Your 8 big dreams makes Lacson’s 12 commandments look…..supot.
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Four things that every Filipino can do to help Pilipinas.
job. (2) Get a 
job. (3) Get a better-paying job so one can save at least 
P250 a month. (4) Stay 
healthy — no drugs, no smoking, no STD. (5) Intelligent sex. 
Can’t afford to raise them??? Then don’t have them!!!!
(1) Get a
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NFA rice Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 4:49 pm
@OFW-accountant in Maryland
What is intelligent sex? Inquiring minds want to know.
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Jay Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
He laid it out there. If having unprotected sex means getting your wife pregnant, for the F*&cking sake of your economic future please don’t do it at all. Either use protection, pill or what not. Yes it spits at the face of what catholic religion says about contraceptives but they aren’t the ones needing their normal, human urges fulfilled. It is better to wait until they have saved up enough funds to support a potential ‘genetic accident’, or two (what are the chances, 8 if even).
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BongV Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 4:56 pm
@OFW-accountant in Maryland – Nice addition to the list
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daaaang…. ay sus ginoo… big dreams #5 & 6 are going to be wet and sticky… hard on padre damaso… (get it, hard on)… flips will hump on this subjects day and night, till midnight… flips will be in and out of this hole everysecond of the day… flips will be sucking and blowing stuff to ignore #5 & 6… at the end, flips will be rear ended…
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laughing off our problems? kasalanan ito ni Freddie Aguilar, he had a song “Tawanan mo ang iyong problema”
also in defense of Atty. Lacson’s suggestions (i’m defending a lawyer) 12 little things, its a start and we can do more after that. sad to say those 12 are not even fulfilled by most of us. so how can we go to the next level.
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BongV Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
@Zadkiel – good question. You can do all those together. Tactics and strategy – both complement each other. Tactics however, Lacson’s prescriptions – are useless because these actions do not address the root causes of the national economic malady – which in turn is driven by the cultural bankruptcy. By addressing the economic malady you create the conditions for cultural revitalization because the citizens will have the power of choice – the former serfs morph into prosperous and productive consumers .
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Anonylol Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 10:29 pm
I think he was just going the “start at the bottom” way. It makes a bit of sense doesn’t it? I mean, if someone can’t even follow traffic laws how can you expect them to do the bigger, much more fundamental changes?
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BongV Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 10:35 pm
@anonylol – “Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.”
Anonylol Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 10:58 pm
Wow, deep man. I totally missed your point.
BongV Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 11:38 pm
@anonylol – got DC.. here’s the continuation of more points to miss… or connect
.“Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can?” – 8 Big dreams
“Opportunities multiply as they are seized.”
“The skilful employer of men will employ the wise man, the brave man, the covetous man, and the stupid man.”
“The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.”
Anonylol Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Yeah, I have the Art of War right in front of me too. But how does that tie in to my original statement? You said it is all driven by cultural bankruptcy, which Lacson’s prescriptions address, after a fashion, somewhat. Alright it’s by no means complete but it’s a start. In any case I wouldn’t say it’s useless.
I think the reverse would be more appropriate given the situation, that cultural revitilization come first which would enable to citizens to be able to address the economic malady. Because if the citizens are given the economic options and they are still cutlurally/morally bankrupt then it would not be sustainable. Given a bit of time, the situation would probably regress back to the start point.
BongV Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 12:16 am
I disagree, so far Singapore, HK, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan have more economic options, culturally or morally bankrupt is a value judgement based on Catholic or Christian mores – and will not amount to much. After all Christian piety will not exactly pay your mortgage bills. But if you have a darn good revenue source – you can be pious, and have your own thing going on the side. Practically nearly all the overseas destinations of Filipinos are “culturally/morally bankrupt” – and yet they sustain – and what’s more – Filipinos vote with their feet and go there.
Anonylol Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 12:52 am
I think we have a very different definition of cultural and moral bankruptcy.
By cultural bankruptcy I mean that lack of sophistication. The absence of appreciation for the beauty of things. Not just the classics mind you, a well run rave party is plenty beautiful. Moral bankruptcy is just what it says, a lack of morals. I don’t mean morals as prescribed by any creed or organization, but human morals. I guess apathy and the unwillingness to set things right is a good indicator along with the inability to feel or care for others.
I find the Philippines is rather culturally and morally bankrupt. I can see it everyday. Ironic considering how religious people here are.
I’m not a Christian by the way. Raised Catholic but all that just didn’t sit well with me.
I’ve stayed for a while in Hong Kong and Japan. I loved it there. It’s not just the bacon wrapped riceballs, which are great, people are very very different.
With that, I still stand by my statement. The Philippines cannot sustain economic development with the people as they are. Keyword here is sustain. Whereas if the people better themselves, they will want economic development and it will be sustained.
Of course one doesn’t have to come after the other, both can develop in parallel. I think my key point is that it starts with the people wanting something better and I think adhering to a couple of what Lacson prescribed would be a good start towards bettering themselves.
ChinoF Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 1:13 am
It’s true culture needs to change, and that both can develop in parallel. But it’s easier to change culture with more money. Because the culture of poverty we experience in the Philippines in created by just that – poverty. Most of the things in our culture, like laughing problems off, having sex if there’s nothing to do (you can have more hobbies with more money), padrino/patronage, medieval religion and family values, and more, are causally related to poverty, Solving poverty will go a long way to change factors that make our culture bad.
Anonylol Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 1:24 am
Yeah, and my point is that it will be exceedingly difficult to solve poverty without any cultural change.
And I don’t believe that it is a catch-22 situation. But I do believe that the starting point should be with the culture of the people and, going back to my original statement, Lacson’s list isn’t out and out useless. It is a good start.
Aegis-Judex Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 2:45 am
It’s a good start, yes, but I think the Filipino (Those who think) can make it lead to a good finish, unlike the Flip (The lesser creatures) who would just stop at the starting line.
BongV Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 6:48 am
you don’t need 100% – you just need to build a sizeable minority of thought leaders who in turn can influence the rest -http://filipinovoices.com/is-the-philippines-ready-for-change – so far, AP has been on point with its timetable
Anonylol Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 2:49 am
Yeah, that’s my point. But he said they were useless.
BongV Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 7:08 am
take for example – the family – and a marriage – do you wanna follow the law on annulment forever?
or you have protectionist provisions in the fundamental law of the land – should you just blindly follow or should you seek to change it? because no one will be with you – you will not do it anymore? right
– if I followed that logic – you wouldn’t even be reading this article or there wouldn’t be any antipinoy.com 
ChinoF Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
” Lacson’s list isn’t out and out useless. It is a good start.”
The tragedy is when people believe that it ends with the list as well.
Consider BongV’s points also. I take issue especially with “Buy Filipino.” If we follow the latter to the letter, we shouldn’t even have computers to use.
BongV Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
it’s a WRONG START – it’s useless
BongV Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 8:24 am
What is an “enabling environment” ?- The enabling environment refers to the national policies, laws, physical infrastructure (roads, electricity, etc.), and other infrastructure (access to education, access to banks, etc.) that need to be in place for people to be able to use government services to their advantage.
To create an enabling environment for prosperity and economic vibrancy there are eight macro policies that can be adopted – which for now are goals – 8 big dreams.
EIGHT – S-pecific M-easurable A-chievable R-elevant T-imebound goals. -
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_criteria
What I did basically was to provide a goal-setting framework – the goals can be changed – but the point is to have a goal – all the dreams should work together to achieve “the vision”
a. globally integrated;
b. large middle class;
c. economically prosperous and vibrant
We need to achieve the enabling environment that will sustain “the vision”. The eight goals/dreams will do the job.
Divorce, RHB, and Church intervention are tied together – Keep a dysfunctional family breeding and you have one effed up society – more people scampering for scarce resources.
To address this issue you need to widen the net for revenue generation – cast a wider net – go global – protectionism will not be to our advantage as it isolates us from the global stream of wealth.
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Anonylol Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 11:21 pm
Ok guys, I know you all are fairly intelligent people but when you can’t keep track of an argument that really kinda puts a dent in your credibility and sort of makes you look like all those people you love to rag on.
My first statement was “If they cannot do those little things then how can we expect them to go about the big things. To which the response was a bunch of quotes. Alright, I can dig it
I responded by saying “Well, the list is by no means complete but its got a bit of a point going for it. And you did say ‘Tactics however, Lacson’s prescriptions – are useless because these actions do not address the root causes of the national economic malady – which in turn is driven by the cultural bankruptcy’ so going by that then making people better by getting them to do some of these things on the list would address a root cause and do some good yeah?”. To which you responded by saying the concept of moral and cultural bankruptcy is a Christian thing and its no good.
So I defined what I mean by moral and cultural bankruptcy and how I wasn’t biased by Christian or any religious dogma. Then I reasserted my first point that was counter to your first point. To which you replied by making examples of choice parts of the list that went by literal interpretations. You would notice that I said the list is by no means complete but not out and out useless so that response doesn’t really do much for the argument.
Then you just say “LIST IS WRONG!”
Man what? I mean, you could have at least expounded a bit more on why the list is so wrong. Well alright, this IS a blog after all but I sort of expected more from you. I’m starting to see why some of those other guys take jabs at you a lot.
The Enabling Environment is a good point though. Let’s take that up in that other article you wrote.
BongV Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 11:37 pm
The list is useless because you are starting on the WRONG PREMISE. Why the hell will you keep on following a stupid law? That’s stupid – clearer now?
What sort of change will it bring? PETTY – TRIVIAL.. SHALLOW – We’ve been doing the same thing all this years – this same stupid little 12 things… it’s not ****ing working… get it?
.
Anonylol Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 12:13 am
Now that wasn’t so hard was it?
Your assertions ignore a bit of context though. He said people should follow traffic laws because no one seems to be following them. Though, the idea that people should stop following a stupid law has a lot of little problems that come with it.
The disconnect I think is that you think everyone is doing these things. They’re not (Oh but they do keep saying the list and sending them out). You are well equipped to deal with the higher level, the people who this list was addressed to are not. You are part of an educated elite from which things like those twelve are second nature.
I really wouldn’t use petty, trivial, and shallow to describe the changes. Small and personal is what I would use. Small and rather uninspiring to look at but those add up. It’s not working because the people who are supposed to do it are not. You can just take a walk around Manila to see that.
Also, lol butthurt.
BongV Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 12:25 am
when you say stop following a stupid law it goes without saying – you have the law amended or repealed. why keep on with a constitution that’s not generating a high quality of life? same o same o
BongV Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 12:34 am
what will fiddling add up to? doing petty and trivial does great results? i don’t think – that was a scatterbrained list – try using that list to run a business… i shlt you not – you’ll tank in 6 months… look at the Philippines now… following traffic laws – where there are no roads? are you kidding me? you want an equivalent of four lanes of cars to follow traffic laws in a two lane road… c’mon dude… that’s so effed up… remember aquino’s tardiness.. so.. retarded
– for following the law… without taking into consideration its relevance and applicability… retarded and stupid..
Anonylol Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 12:36 am
No no, I’m not talking about bizarre laws that require people to get congress to amend or repeal (Haha, like that happens here), like that book tax law that I waged my own personal war on. The list was never put out with that in mind, as you can tell from the content.
It’s talking about the basics that a lot of people here in the Philippines can’t seem to fathom. Like I said, take a walk around Manila. You will see people doing the most insane things that you will never see in any half-civilized nation.
The list is a sort of grassroots thing, not really a sweeping change sort of thing. So we shouldn’t treat it like that, especially for this discussion. It just keeps us on a disconnect.
BongV Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 6:28 am
you don’t have the enabling environment that supports enforcement of traffic laws – and you expect people to comply – are you out of your mind?
Anonylol Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 12:39 am
List was never meant for that so yeah.
The problem is that if those cars don’t bother to follow ANY traffic laws then it will be much worse. And people flipping the bird at traffic laws because of the inconvenience are distressingly common.
The Philippines is just depressing…sobrang nakakalungkot talaga
Those dreams really are big; but they’re not impossible.
I am not an Atheist though, I’m a member of the Church of God International (popularly known as Ang Dating Daan). In Iglesia Ni Cristo, the members are supposed to vote whoever it is their leader chooses else they’ll be excommunicated from the congregation; lagi na lang iniimpluwensyahan yung gobyerno, mismo leader namin si Bro. Eli Soriano napalagay nila sa INTERPOL dahil sa napakalaki nilang impluwensya. Hay nako. I also remember Quiboloy from the Philippines, the guy who says he’s the SON of GOD. He said he had a vision that Gibo Teodoro would win the election, which of course…didn’t happen. He also said a revelation came to him in 2005 that in 6 months our leader would be inflicted with a deadly serious disease he cannot overcome. W/C also didn’t happen, thank God.
Isapa yung Catholic church, nakita mo ba yung mga kawawang pamilya na natutulog sa isang karton na inilatag labas lamang ng Kapliya nila? Nilalangaw pa, tsk tsk.
I can go on and on about the Corruptness of most of the churches in that country, as long as the govt will let themselves be influenced by these churches like Gloria our country will never achieve these dreams.
Like I said…Philippines is just depressing.
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I dunno if its from Chris Rock but he talks about how parents claim that they are good and have to be given credit for. There shouldn’t be anyone discriminating what is good or bad parenthood at all! Being a good parent, much like a teacher is a thankless job but one that initially decides what your children will become and how they will perceive the world around them. The problem is since bad parenthood in certain societies are tolerated, people make that distinction. To me, there is only effective parenthood and failed parents.
And to be an effective parent, one has to teach discipline and democracy at home. Critical thinking as well especially in a society like the Philippines where its meritocracy and mediocracy is rampant.
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Anonylol Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 10:25 pm
Yeah, I think that was Chris Rock. Was that the one Obama paraphrased in a speech?
You know, the one that went “This guy is proud because ‘I’ve never been in jail’, well **** son, you’re not supposed to be in jail.” or something.
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ChinoF Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 1:17 am
“This guy is proud because ‘I’ve never been in jail’, well **** son, you’re not supposed to be in jail.”
Bwahahahahaha, the Pharisee and the Publican.
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the only thing worth supporting is your charter change, the rest are all bs! =)
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Anonylol Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 10:24 pm
Well alright, let’s skip the rest since they have their pros and cons and are rather controversial in their own right. **** is hard so yeah.
But why would you not want to eliminate the pork barrel?
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Aegis-Judex Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 1:21 am
I assume he was convinced that once Charter Change is in place, everything follows. Domino effect, anyone?
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Anonylol Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 1:35 am
Then that doesn’t make the rest of the list bs like he said. Clearly, there is some strange logic at work here.
BongV Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 6:46 am
It’s a logic called “enabling environment” – Enabling environment is the expression that encompasses government policies that focus on creating and maintaining an overall macroeconomic environment that brings together suppliers and consumers in an inter-firm co-operation manner (UNCTAD, 1998a. TD/B/COM.2/33).
The “8 BIG DREAMS” provide the “enabling environment”. For example, on “follow the law” – if you have an unjust or highly discriminatory law – will you follow it? That’s how the Nazis started carting the Jews – because they “followed the law”.
Anonylol Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 10:58 pm
I was making a joke regarding his statement that your list was BS.
Because it’s kinda not.
BongV Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 12:29 am
i was referring to Lacson’s list – not AJ’s list
Anonylol Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 12:57 am
Sorry about that.
Bit strange though because it came out of nowhere.
@kill_em,
how much does the church and oligarchs pay you for that? XD
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Jay Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 12:14 am
I think killem was trying to be edgy by defying all forms of logic.
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Anonylol Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 12:24 am
Oh is that so?
@kill_em
Go to your room. Adults are talking.
Go to your room! I am very angry right now. I am very very cross.
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I do not litter, i dispose trash properly. Though it is another matter when your government is stocked with councilors whose concept of solid waste management is to throw the trash in the adjoining town.
AHHH!
This remind of Firipin meido I see in pureisu korudo “BIII-NOO-NNN-DO” who oruways ritta and throw garbage in street!
Then when great karamatii korudo “OHH-NNN-DOYUU” come forth, drainage system bekamu kurogged with garbage. Then meido bureimu Arroyo shogunate!
VERY FUNNY!
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I do my solemn duty to vote for upright candidates like Gordon [Gibo, in my case]. Unfortunately lots of Filipinos also believe it is their solemn duty to vote for an incompetent candidate like Aquino. Don’t just vote – vote for the best competent candidate.
You got that right. The problem lies with the lesser creatures that voted for the fvck. My stepdad worships the guy — merely thinking about THAT makes my skin crawl. It’s as if in my family, only Mom and I still have functioning minds!
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OK, let me do the long version of what these “12 little things” is actually doing to us:
Idiot: “Just do the 12 little things, that’s all you need to do to improve the country.”
Thinker: “But they won’t improve the country. That’s why they’re called “little things;” they’ll actually do little to change things. What we need is charter change. We need foreign investments. Our culture is bad, we need to change it big time.”
Idiot: “Ay naku. Charter change will only bring a corrupt leader to power and foreign investments are imperialism. Plus those foreign corporations are ungodly, I’ve heard stories from missionaries in Nepal and Tibet. And our culture is beautiful! It will become ugly only when you bring up the bad things! Forget them! Stick to the 12 little things.”
Thinker: “But that’s it! Sticking to the ’12 little things’ means you’ll only do little! The problems of the country will still be there. Doing only the 12 little things will distract us from what we have to really do. We can do the 12 little things, but we need to do more, bigger things!”
Idiot: “Ay naku, unpatriotic ka! Pilipino ka ba? Your heart is so closed.”
Thinker: “Much more yours. Go ahead and stick to your 12 little things. I can do those too AND A LOT MORE.”
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Anonylol Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 2:51 am
Well, that’s what you get for talking to an idiot.
I prefer to regard them from ten feet away behind double sided bullet proof protective glass.
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Jay Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 12:03 am
@ChinoF
just watched an ep of reporters notebook. 12 little things is nothing compared to what the rice basket (and saladbowl, among other agri areas) of the Philippines have to go through. Those 12 little things aren’t fixing the logistics between those areas to Manila, where the goods are sold and with so many middlemen and no real system implemented to help both sides out, its honestly such a poor outlook.
12 little things != total awareness of what happens in the whole country.
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Kikuchi-sensei Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 10:50 am
AHHHH!
That why Firipin KARUCHAA nevah improve!
Oruways rook at onry good things and not focus on bad to improve!!! Remind me of stubborn student who no want to risten to sensei! Then I disciprine him! AHHH!!!
Therefooru reason why Firipin have heritage of SUMOORUNESS! AHHH!!! This probabry reason why “TIAN-GGE” so popuraru in Firipin! Especiarry in Divisoria! AHHH!
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I’ve seen this chain email about 12 little things or something similar since the dawn of electronic mailing system. The sad thing is, it didn’t show it has some good impact.
If Pinoys can’t do little things, how much more big things?
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Anonylol Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 2:53 am
Welcome to the Philippines.
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Nawalan na ako ng gana sa twing uuwi ako sa Pinas.
Ano ba nman kasi.. Imbes na tanungin ako kung kumusta ako, ang unang salabong sa akin ng mga walang pakinabang na mga kapit-bahay eh. ” Asan ng pasalubong ko?”
Hais, ang mentalidad nga nman ng Pinoy.. tsk tsk..
Sa totoo lang walang nagawang maganda para sa ming OFW ang gobyerno kaya wala silang karapatang magtanong kung ano bang nagawa namin para sa bansa.
Philippines is such a pity, if it were not for my family, I won’t have any reason to go back.
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frustrated citizen Reply:
September 11th, 2010 at 6:27 pm
that’s what’s so frustrating with our people when they see a balikbayan. kaya ung mga relatives ko at mga barkada ko, nagtatago tuwing umuuwi dito, di na nga responsibilidad na bigyan ang kapitbahay eh, eto namang mga tao sa tabi eh tuloy pa rin ang hirit at banat
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I wonder how much the “12 Little Things” have resonated with people especially given that Alex Lacson was part of the LP’s senatorial slate.
Thank goodness I decided not to vote for him anymore.
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I couldn’t agree more!
so far, saludo ako sa Singapore, its law-abiding citizens and the system itself
PANALO when it comes to “this is where your taxes go”
I believe in you Philippines, there is still HOPE
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This page and related articles and blogs on the site certainly helped in expanding my views about the world today, especially here in our country.
I thank the admins for teaching us Filipinos TRUE CHANGE.
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This Lacson guy was a speaker in one of the conferences I attended and he did a lecture about this exactly 12 Little Things. Almost everyone bought the book based on this except for me and a few.
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ChinoF Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 12:39 am
Typical of charismatic figures. After delivering talks and seminars, they have their own merchandise to sell. Not harmful by itself, but sometimes you wonder… what’s more important for them? Delivering a message or selling merchandise? That makes me very skeptical of the motivational industry.
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Mr. Lacson points to us ordinary Filipinos as the problem. He should point out our Politicians; public officials; especially high ranking officials as the problem. Tell them: (1) Do Not Steal. (2) Do Not Use Public Office, to protect your Hacienda interest. and (3) Do Not Deceive Voters.
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If anyone has a full copy of Alex Lacson’s email can he or she post it on AP and debunk it piece by piece? Id love to see it. Oh and email it back to him and around the web please?
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The Lacson letter can be found here, posted by Expat from TW. I think BongV did a good job here though,focusing on the wrong parts of the letter.
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I think the argument as to which goes first to change has an edge for Top-Down. The problem with bottom-up is the inability for pinoys to organize for group efforts in general. Of course in certain areas it has been shown to be done, but in other cases they can care less about priorities like that and focus more on what the local leader there is doing, like Binay’s hand-me-down system for Makati.
When you do it top down, you start to hit the major parts of what makes the country as a system work. And when people see something working, then certainly they too would have more of a reason to have faith not only in a competent and working government, but themselves. If they don’t hold up their end, they become the odd ones out, much like how AP and intelligent minds are the odd ones out in the sea of idiocracy and mediocracy.
Meaning, it only takes a decent sized majority to push for changes that would affect the top, which in the end would also trickle down to everybody. A bottom-down approach sadly would need the efforts and organization of everyone seeing one simple goal that would motivate them, with the problem being the goals. Going for FOIA means the government is automatically transparent depending on how the people want it. No one has to make speeches about guaranteeing transparency.
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Anonylol Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 12:55 am
But if the masses are incapable of going for group efforts then what does that mean for the top-down approach? There is no guarantee that people will have faith in themselves and do things once someone upstairs bails them out.
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Jay Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 3:25 am
Simple. Create a culture of competence. As ChinoF said, many of what the Pinoys in culture are under the influence a country that is devoid of choices. Create choices and people will take advantage of it.
Clearly there is no guarantee, but there is also no excuse once it has been proven that the government actually finishes projects that helps people out in their day to day and they see the results of it.
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BongV Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 6:27 am
you don’t need 100% of the masses – you need only the percentage that gets the job done… you know this guy who just needed 15 million idiots to win – to the consternation of 35 million other idiots… if they don’t learn the lesson… natural selection will… :LOL:
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BongV Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 6:32 am
if there’s not enough masses in the bottom who can elect someone who can do a good top-down job… natural selection will take care of them… if you don’t decide for yourself, someone else will… and you might not like the way the decision swings… strategize…
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BongV Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 6:51 am
Don’t just exercise your solemn right to vote… Vote the best person who can do the job… Not who is most winnable – when you do, natural selection ensures gaffes come in a steady stream… you chose an enabling environment that enables INCOMPETENCE… that’s what you strategized for. that’s what you get.. INCOMPETENCE.. very simple arithmetic
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ulong pare Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 10:44 am
… daaaang… the bottom line is LEADERSHIP…. leader and led… in flipland, there’s no real LEADER to lead the masses… the masses “appoint” a gung gong to lead them…
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palebluedot_ Reply:
September 12th, 2010 at 3:43 am
because filipinos were never taught to be leaders…our culture, which is reflected in our school systems, teaches the population to be servants…to follow here, follow there, follow everywhere – “most obedient”, “best in deportment”, “model student” (because the student is always silent in class), “man & women for others”, rightfully called, servants/slaves of men. since filipinos do not know how & what a leader should be, by embodying in themselves the qualities of one, they always fail to vote the right leader to represent them.
as always, culprit for such inadequacies >>> the teachings of the churches in this damned country…
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I just love it when these members of the yellow army say “what have you done for your country” when they run out of anything sensible to say in defense of THEIR president. When i enumerate the things i’ve done for my fellow Filipinos and this God forsaken country, i just love the look on their faces. I’ve done so much more than these people could possibly do in their entire lifetime, and I love it when they finally shut up as soon as they have realized that.
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Hyden Toro Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
Tell the Yellow Hordes: I am awakening the people; telling them that they have been deceived by Noynoy Aquino..
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tell them we’re giving them the bitter pill that will finally cure the country and rid it of this dysfunction. yun ang ginagawa natin for the Philippines right now. Unfortunately like their prez whose an immature person (kid nga eh) , they’ll just spat out the bitter pill coz it doesn’t taste nice
another informative piece Sir BongV, well done!
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The Filipinos, if they want to stay religious and at the same time progressive, should do what the Jews did. We, despite our religiosity, do not rely on G-d on everything. We work and work until we get what we deserve to get. Ok, there are the Haredi Jews who are like Filipinos, but they are minority. The larger Orthodox, Reform, Conservative and at times Secular Jewish communities have contributed many things to the world. The Jews were able to contribute many things, whilst having less members than Filipinos. (15 million Jews to 90 million Filipinos?) At first, I considered myself a Filipino Jew. But, as I grew up, I lost hope to the Filipino cultural identity. I thought to myself, it’s so wrong. I mean, spending lots of money for “handaans” during festivals then whining about lack of cash next day? Come on! Look at Israel, from 1948 up to the 60′s, several towns and cities like most of greater Tel Aviv, Kiryat Shmona, Sderot, Bet Shemesh, etc. were just Tent cities. But now? They are cities/towns 100x better than the best town in the Philippines. Having gained independence (and established) in 1948, it’s now a Developed Country. The Philippines? Nah. From 1898 (or 1946, if you want) until now, the country is still rotting in pits.
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Hyden Toro Reply:
September 13th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
SHALOM…I respect all religion; I respect all people; I respect all ideologies. I don’t believe in putting people in boxes. Because of their religion, political idelogies, cultural differencences, etc…We all have the right to be here on this Globe of Dust in Outer Space called the Planet Earth. To kill; discriminate, exploit others; because they are different. Is not only inhuman, outrageous; but also is unhuman…:o
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Jay Reply:
September 13th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Of course now the Jews had something like a 1000+ year head start. However as a whole, I can understand what you are saying considering the 1000 years they had and how they kept things very consistent for themselves.
The Philippines seems like a bad case of M.C. Hammer where he becomes an overnight sensation and a millionaire but becomes near bankrupt after a bad summer spending spree of 30 million USD.
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ChinoF Reply:
September 13th, 2010 at 3:02 pm
Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa.
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ulong pare Reply:
September 13th, 2010 at 4:13 pm
@moshe-moshe ano ne? daaaaang…. firstly, hudjos (israel) receive ‘sang tambaks na billion dollares every year from unc sammy, oke? so, do not compare flipland and israel… flips should stop comparing themselves to anybody… bekos, flips are defcuktive pipol…
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I find those twelve (12) Little Things quite insulting. I learned the same during my elementary years! Without the proper environment, those things are just inept.
We are talking about how a nation can progress. If we are still to be reminded of those little things, then we cannot expect big things to happen.