The History of The Philippines Just Keeps Repeating Itself
Just last week there was a conversation in the Facebook Discussion Group for Antipinoy.com readers about Manuel L. Quezon’s statement about how he would rather “…have The Philippines run like hell by Filipinos than run by heaven by Americans”. As with other discussions involving that quote, there would always be one or more Filipinos with what they call “nationalism” saying “at least The Philippines is a free country”.
For me, nothing could be farther from the truth. The Philippines and The Filipino people are not free and have undergone a pattern of perpetual subjugation that continues to this day. The people continue to suffer the fate of a vanquished people as the slavery of old just took on a new form.
The Japanese Example
The patterns have never changed for Da Pinoy. If during World War II the Japanese Imperial Army through their superior discipline and industry (brought about by their culture) was able to make the Americans retreat and vanquish the native indios of the land, what happened before is still happening now. We all know the stories of how the Japanese Imperial Army procured “Comfort Women” among the Filipinas and made them perform sexual acts with their soldiers and officers. It is sad, but what’s even sadder is that it still happens today! The only difference is, it is now the Filipina women who go in droves to Japan and other countries to become “entertainers” or “Japayukis”.
If before the Japanese soldiers force open the legs of Filipinas through the use of weapons, now they just rely on their economic forces and the legs of the Pinay women open widely and willingly. Pinays go to Japan to perform sexual services even if the Japanese are no longer armed with bayonets, Zero fighters or Yamato battleships. The weapons they now have are their cars, electronics, motorcycles and all the other excellent products that result from their industriousness and discipline just like in World War II. The Filipinos, with their party loving attitudes and shallow depths of thinking once again failed to industrialize themselves and lagged behind which results in them suffering the same consequences as before. Well, at least they are good in singing and sexy dancing which they put to good use after all.
Pinoys haven’t changed after all this time and the culture puts the people on a pattern of perpetual subjugation. The industrial powers of before such as the Japanese, Europeans and Americans are still the conquerors and the party loving emo people like Da Pinoy are still the conquered.
Where are the tyrants now?
I have encountered a lot of Filipinos who would blame the former colonizers for the current state of the country. I can only tell these people to wake up! Almost all of Asia was colonized at least once and so are so many countries around the world that are already progressive. Move on! The biggest tryrant that enslaves The Philippines these days is none other but the people’s very own culture. The modern day “conquests” were made possible even if today’s conquerors do not exert too much effort. Some of them do not even need to lift a finger. There is no longer a need to surround our cities with armies and put them under siege so the hungry people eventually come out and surrender. The people’s own sloth and folly has caused hunger, poverty and misery that they themselves take great pains to move to the countries of the “conquerors” to work with relatively low wages and demeaning jobs such as becoming Japayukis and drug mules.
Just take a look at how our people are and you will see that the conquerors are really not the ones to blame. We have no control of other people’s actions but we do have control of how we handle it. It is our responsibility to NOT be conquered and even if we were (and we succeeded in driving the conqueors out), we should resolve to not let it happen again in any way, shape or form. If we do not acknowledge that our culture is to blame and we should change it, we would not be able to consolidate our forces to collectively build a strong “defense” (economy). Nature always gives people what they deserve. It rewards the industrious and logical people with slaves, it punishes the lazy and emotional people with slavery. Both are well deserved.
As long as we do things like exclaim “proud to be pinoy” even if there is nothing to be proud about or say we are “resilient” even if it actually means withstanding repeated blows of hammers we do to our own heads, then we just have to accept that we shall forever remain at the bottom of the food chain. But If we wake up, face the pain of getting real and consciously change our culture then we shall be able to rise up and know how it is to be truly free.
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54 Comments on “The History of The Philippines Just Keeps Repeating Itself”
Your analysis of our current situation is quite on the mark, but I beg to disagree that it is our slothfulness that is responsible for our lack of progress, economic, social and political. As noted in previous posts here, Filipinos who are abroad do make it to the high rung of the ladder of social/economic mobility. They work hard given that the worth ethics of the countries they choose to live in are such that you have to give your all in order to keep your job and in order to prosper in life. There is reward for the hard work you put in. This was true for the Japanese as well, postwar Japan was literally held by the neck by its occupiers, the Americans to stabilize the country as a counterweight to the growing communist threat. The Americans shared its technology for free with Japanese companies, put in all orders for all its procurements for its engagements in the Korean war from Japan to rehabilitate their industries, injected billions and billions of dollars year in aid to the country to be able to get back on its feet. The Japanese responded with hard work and dedication, now, the imperial legitimacy has been replaced with the legitimacy of freedom and democracy, and the promise for individual pursuit of happiness under the guidance of the Americans. I just wonder what if the Americans had treated us the same way, had given us the same enormous sums of money to jump-start our economy, had imposed land reform just like they did in Japan, would we be as a people responsive to nation-building as the Japanese were. I have a feeling that we would have been as progressive as the Japanese.
Before the war, the Japanese had the emperor who was revered as god by everyone including the oligarchs, and therefore, the oligarchs worked and cooperated hard to make the nation great and thereby honor the emperor. What if in the Philippines, we had a god who is actually the ruler of the country, before the foreign occupiers came, instead of a foreign god who is out there, reachable only through the Catholic faith, and thereby our oligarchs could easily cheat and in whose name at times, could betray their own country. The Philippines and Japan simply have different historical experiences to be compared. And in the bigger scheme of things, our Filipinas as sex slaves may be degrading to us as a nation, but with open market economy being sold all over the place, the flesh trade has also obliged.
You have to credit Gloria Macapagal Arroyo though for negotiating with the Japanese government a reduction in the number of entertainers’ visas issued to Filipinas. Instead of entertainers, she had the vision of replacing these entertainers with caregivers, nurses and more respectable professionals. I commend this unpopular decision of Gloria, being a woman herself, she was keenly aware of the effect of the liberal issuance of entertainers’ visa to our women, it had become an inducement to our women to be lazy and rely instead on their sexual skills to earn money in Japan. At least now, the young and impressionable women aspire for higher professional skills to want to come and work in Japan. Okay, I have said enough for now. As you may have discerned, this post is about how concrete public policiescould work to reverse the defeatist course of our nation.
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rafterman Reply:
April 30th, 2011 at 10:35 pm
Hello Miriam. The Philippines was under Uncle Sam’s wing for a long time and was also given aid throughout the years even after “independence”. The only difference is, Japanese culture turned the aid into investments that grew. The Philippines meanwhile, squandered it. I do not like blaming others for my situation and I think it is about time we stopped saying “It is because of the (insert foreign power here) and what they did/did not do for us that our fate became like this”. We have to take responsibility for our own situations which can ultimately be attributed to our own actions (or inactions).
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Miriam Quiamco Reply:
April 30th, 2011 at 11:01 pm
I agree, our elites and the Americans conspired to keep the masses in poverty. As is already common knowledge, the hacienderos were given their landholdings to supply American market with the sugar it needed and to keep us their colony. I have to say though that we never received the same level of economic/technological assistance that the Americans extended to the Japanese. After the war, Romulo simply gave a speech at the San Francisco Peace conference in which he reiterated that all we needed from Japan was contrition that it should never again engage in acts of aggression against its neighbors. Land reform had helped Japan immensely in raising capital for its economic reconstruction, while the Americans had a rather cozy relationship with our hacienderos, as a result, we could not have an indigenous source of capital which could have spurred our industrialization efforts. We should not blame outsiders for our misfortune, but our situation has not occurred in a vacuum, we have become who we are as a nation because of our historical accidents. This could be turned back with this age of free flow of information by reforming our system of government and I strongly endorse the ideas of Orion in improving our socio-economic prospects. I don’t believe in cultural determinism, our misfortunes could be explained largely by our historical experience which does not necessarily have to confine us to permanent underdevelopment. There are aspects in our culture which could be harnessed for development, only if we have the right government system to encourage this.
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rafterman Reply:
May 1st, 2011 at 12:25 am
Wasn’t The Philippines second to Japan in the 1950′s when Uncle Sam was still giving it heavy support? Why don’t the Koreans, Taiwanese or Thais depend on what the Americans did or did not do as far as their development as nations is concerned? Heck, the Vietnamese were even ravaged by war involving the Kano before but they rose from the ashes and Da Pinoy shall be eating more of their dust if things stay the way they are. Their system is communist, worse than the “democratic” presidential system that we want to turn into a parliamentary one. They have a confucian culture, we have a “confused yan” culture. Foreign powers can conspire all they want but the conspiracy was made possible due to a cultural dysfunction – “kanya kanya” mentality. If one benefits at the destruction of others, ok lang daw yun. They cannot do that to the Japs because their sense of honor will not allow it even if they die. Mas gaganahan nga naman ako magbigay sa mga taong mapapalago ang binibigay ko kaysa sa mga taong wawaldasin lang ito.
The root of the problem is cultural. Changing the system of government having an effect on how Da Pinoy performs is yet to be seen but I do agree that attempts have to be made and I support whatever change can be implemented to remedy or channel Pinoy culture (or changes to it) into progress.
John McClane: You throw quite a party. I didn’t realize they celebrated Christmas in Japan.
Joseph Takagi: Hey, we’re flexible. Pearl Harbor didn’t work out so we got you with tape decks.
And just like that analogy, we go along willingly. No need to point a rifle at us.
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rafterman Reply:
April 30th, 2011 at 10:41 pm
The true mark of people who conquer is if they make the conquered speak their language. The British Empire and the Americans were able o popularize English, the Spanish Empire made their language the lingua franca of most of Central and South America. The Japanese meanwhile, has conquered the world too. Tell tale sign? The world speaks their language. Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, Sony, Sanyo…
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During the time of the Roman General Julius Ceasar, conquest of the Gauls (now France)…he built a wall around the walled city of the Gauls. He starved them…hungry women, old men, children, etc…anyone hungry…willingly surrendered, without a fight…
It is ironic, that the present President, Benigno Aquino III, is the grandson of the Japanese Army Imperialist, foremost collaborator, Benigno Aquino, Sr. The Japanese, had never it so good to enslave the Filipinos; since their Japanese Imperial Army occupation of the Philippines…
Unless, we take a serious look at our Realities: we will remain where we are…Feudal Oligarchy government; with a shade of Roman Catholic Theocracy…
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Hsing Tao Reply:
May 3rd, 2011 at 12:34 am
Turko Turero oh wise man. Thank you for sharing with us your valuable wisdom.
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Hyden Toro Reply:
May 3rd, 2011 at 1:29 pm
I just want to awaken people…they have been on sleeping, for many years; lulled by the Siren Songs of self-serving Politicians and Leaders…
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We definitely have the same problems as we had before but I believe that more and more Filipinos are becoming wiser, seeking for a better country. As long as we are consistent with our goal I know that we will have a brighter future ahead of us and our families.
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Miriam Quiamco Reply:
May 2nd, 2011 at 9:56 pm
I like your optimism, we all should have this outlook and never lose sight of our goal of a shift to parliamentary form of government!
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Hsing Tao Reply:
May 3rd, 2011 at 12:33 am
I believe there is a lot of optimism in AP that Filipinos could change. That is why AP keeps writing what needs to be changed. Change your personal cultures and habits while waiting for the system of government to change. In order for efforts to change the system of the government to succeed, we should make clear the reasons why it needs to be changed, and a major reason is the damaged culture.
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“I would rather have a country run like hell by Filipinos than a country run like heaven by the Americans, because however a bad Filipino government might be, we can always change it.”
LOL, Quezon should have been an actor. “However bad the Filipino government might be,” he says, “we can always change it.” Yeap, we keep changing it and it keeps getting worse and worse. He rushed the Philippine independence to prevent America from fully guiding us toward a mature state. Quezon then imposes the worthless Tagalog language just so we can show the international community that we have a national language (a language we can’t really use in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Europe, America and South America because there are no jobs in our hellish country). To top it all off, he abandoned the masterplan to redevelop Manila and instead create a capital in his honor. My dad debated with his professor whether or not Filipinos were ready for independence. In a nutshell, Quezon was a selfish, delusional thespian comparable to Imelda Marcos, et al.
The Filipino leaders failed and they keep failing us. The opportunities were/are there and the oligarchs continue to squander them. Miriam, when you said, “our elites and the Americans conspired to keep the masses in poverty,” that is absolutely false. What country on earth is the greatest military and economic power? The United States of America. It’s not a perfect country but it’s the best innovator and security guard the world has ever seen. It’s a country where Charice Pempengco and others were rewarded for their talent and not judged because of their flat noses and dark complexion. America is a country we always seek assistance from when times are tough.
America and Japan provided millions, if not billions, to the Philippine government for war reparations, where did that money go? The money went to our newly-independent oligarchy who had full control of the cash without America’s guidance. And instead of mass producing cars to sell to the world, we come up with the jeepneys that continue to clog and pollute our streets.
America gave us the opportunity to be a long-term commonwealth, even eventual statehood, if we chose not to be an independent country down the road. But phucking Quezon and his oligarch buddies couldn’t wait to get their hand in the cookie jar.
The Philippines is hopeless. To be a poor country in todays advanced communication and global economy is beyond stupidity. I absolutely agree with the European who plans on leaving the Philippines. We are uncivilized as a nation. We were not meant to be a self-governing people. We suck at it! We kicked the Americans out. Now we want the Americans back in Subic.
Let’s swallow our pride and start a movement to bring the Americans back! It’s the only way to turn this country around. The only way! They left too early was what my dad argued for against his professor in college. That professor is buried in hell with Quezon now.
Don’t get me wrong. I love the Philippines. That’s why I’m here responding and offering an off the beaten track solution to our troubled land. I am practical and I want results right away. What do you guys say? Bring America back for another 50 years (one full generation). Or kneel and pray to God that the Philippines will change in 50 years? The Ayuntamiento in Intramuros is finally being restored since 1946. Now is the time to have a new American Governor General.
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Miriam Quiamco Reply:
May 1st, 2011 at 8:08 pm
That is the sad part, the Americans and the Japanese did not provide billions of reparations after the war to the country they had destroyed. Think of how many died during the siege of Manila hundreds of thousands in a month or so, the Americans bombed Manila to oblivion to ferret out every single Japanese hiding in the nooks and crannies of the city. The Japanese soldiers panicked and started their campaign of carnage against Filipino civilians. We should have been rebuilt like how the Americans showed so much concern for Japan, due to their bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, I reckon. No sir, we were never compensated with billions of dollars by the Japanese either, this is a lie, check your history books. All we got were goods from Japanese companies that gave them the chance to make inroads into our domestic markets. The Japanese are very shrewd and showed it at the time of the San Francisco Peace Treaty. We got compensation in kind and not to the tunes of billions of dollars. Their mode of compensation had made us dependent for parts of the machineries on their companies.
Imagine if we got the same level of assistance the Japanese got after the war, we would have been rich, sure the Americans would have to see to it that the money was spent well, but they would have done anyway, had they shown the same concern they showed to the Japanese. Instead, we got military aid mostly in keeping with their wishes to have their military bases in the country. Now that certainly was squandered money knowing how corrupt our military institution has been from the time of our very own dictator that is now being interred in the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
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Miriam Quiamco Reply:
May 1st, 2011 at 8:14 pm
I am not saying America is evil, I am simply saying they had a different policy towards our country after the war from the one they pursued with the Japanese, that was because we were already allies and so they did not have to buy our loyalty. The Japanese were a different story, they needed to persuade the Japanese of the virtue of democracy and freedom to counter the growing communist threat in Northeast Asia. They needed to showcase economic development in Japan as a free and democratic country lest countries would go towards the Communist path. The Americans underwrote the defense and security of Japan literally so that Japan could focus on economic reconstruction, not only that, they also poured into the dying Japanese industries billions and billions of money and shared their technology with them.
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Hsing Tao Reply:
May 1st, 2011 at 10:05 pm
The Vietnamese were ravaged by war, they did not blame the Americans for it and instead built their country on its own. Why blame the Americans for not “helping enough?” I do not get this mentality. We should be able to do things on our own and not blame people.
Japan became strong enough to fight the USA even before they were “rebuilt” after the war because even before the USA got involved in rebuilding them, their culture already gave them progress and industrialization.
Stop saying “oh because the Americans did not help” that is entitlement. Stop saying “oh the Americans conspired” it is our responsibility to NOT be conspired against and if others do things against us, it is OUR responsibility to thwart them.
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miriam quiamco Reply:
May 1st, 2011 at 10:39 pm
I am not blaming the Americans for our underdevelopment completely, although I wish they had been more generous towards us, whose system of government is a mimicry of theirs. In our case, history has not been that magnanimous. Vietnam was destroyed and it was able to establish a free-market economy that is benefiting a lot of its people now, thanks to its proximity to China. Mobilization of resources and political capital is easier in a totalitarian state, in ours, one that is a bad copy of the American system, we cannot possibly develop along Vietnamese lines, not because of our culture per se, but because of our system of government. In Vietnam, there is no freedom of the press that sabotages state goals on every level. I surmise that Vietnam is strictly following the Chinese model, free market economics minus political liberalization.
You say the Japanese were able to industrialize even before the Americans came, that is true, thanks to their history of xenophobia and seclusion for 260 years, mobilization of resources and general brainwashing of the population were easier in the name of the god-emperor. We simply did not have this political system, and plus they already had a parliamentary form of government introduced under the Meiji constitution. Our history is different, we could have developed had we had the same rebuilding aid offered to the Japanese, any country could.
What I am saying is that, everything has a historical context, i will never buy the argument that we are incapable of development all because of the backwardness of our culture, that we are like children unworthy of independence (the argument of the American businessmen against granting us independence), or that we are not worthy of Spanish education, at least those without Spanish blood, according to the Spaniards. I tend to think that this culture argument on development is bordering on racism.
rafterman Reply:
May 1st, 2011 at 11:09 pm
History definitely is a factor and I did not say we are incapable of development but other countries with even worse historical contexts were able to industrialize while The Philippines remains the sick man of Asia. Culture plays a large part in why this is the case. Other countries like Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand and countless others have progressed. I don’t buy the blaming of Americans or any other entity but OURSELVES, the Filipino people. We got conquered because we have always been conquerable. When invaders left, we got conquered again because we never learned the first time. We were granted independence, yet we ARE a conquered people because we STILL have not learned. The lack of ability to learn is part of our culture. Even LKY said “it is a soft and forgiving culture” and as long as that is the case, he conquest continues. Yes, change the system to Parliamentary, I hope that helps but culture is definitely a part of the problem (if not the main part). Even Orion’s proposal to change the system is heavily attributed to tailoring it to the culture.
Hsing Tao Reply:
May 1st, 2011 at 11:15 pm
Isn’t it that Japan gives aid to the Philippines too up to this day? The US does the same and so do other countries http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090513-204846/US-ups-foreign-aid-to-Philippines . I think if you add all the dole-outs the international community gives Da Pinas it will be more than what Japan got but still Da Pinas is ****. Japan stopped receiving aid long after Da Pinas did and now it is not getting any. Other countries not given US Aid have progressed.
Miriam Quiamco Reply:
May 2nd, 2011 at 4:32 am
Well, we have not become a soft and forgiving culture by accident, if you analyze how we have come to imbibe this trait, it is because of our experiences with different conquerors. To survive, Filipinos had had to literally be corrupt as the Spaniards deprived us of proper education, they thought we were only fit to learn prayers for the masses. The Filipino masses were kept ignorant by the Spaniards due to prevailing racism at that time. Only privileged Filipinos with Spanish connection could go to universities and educate themselves. In other words, history had conspired to keep our masses in ignorance for too long. When the Americans came, we were thankful for their tutelage and the public education system made available to all. But have we ever had a compulsory education system which the Japanese for example have had? Civic culture is passed on through education and the Japanese have shown that a country could be bent towards cooperating with the state through education.
I know we should have learned, we should have prioritized education and population control policies, but we haven’t, as a result we are still at the mercy of other countries for “aid”, although I must say we have to examine closely this “aid” for development regime that we have been a part of all along. Numerous scholarly studies have pointed out the self-interest of donors in providing aid to us. And in the time of Marcos it is estimated that 70% of Japanese ODA to country went straight to pockets of the cronies in collusion with Japanese companies that worked hard to get the loans approved so that they might get the contracts for projects funded by these loans.
We have continually received assistance that is true and Japan got assistance before IMF manipulations of domestic policies. It is safe to say that when Japan got massive assistance from the U.S., there were no World Bank or IMF financial institutions yet that intervened in their domestic policies. Taiwan was a colony of Japan, Thailand was never destroyed and never got colonized, South Korea has a similar story as the Japanese. Certainly we could have pursued the same economic policies as South Korea and Japan, state capitalism, but as we were completely under the tutelage of the U.S., we were not able to come up with an industrial policy similar to Japan and South Korea.
In other words, we have not been able to overcome our struggles within a particular historical context because we have not really been weaned away from the U.S. tutelage. It is time to shift our system of government and once and for all pursue pragmatic policies that are not a model of our biggest historical patron, but those that really address our problems as a nation. It is harder now that everything has to be done in a global context, but I believe, by getting rid of a government structure that has not served us well, we can finally join the ranks of the winners in the 21st century.
Miriam Quiamco Reply:
May 2nd, 2011 at 4:49 am
Thanks for the link, an increase in the U.S. aid was called for due to the continuing strategic partnership of the U.S. and the Philippines. And there it is all explained, that a great part of this aid is channeled through military uses, not to improve local businesses, not to finance population control policies and certainly not to address classroom shortage in the country. A great bulk of this aid will be for the activities of the U.S. and Philippine military personnel in Mindanao. This aid will finance the civic activities of the U.S. military and Philippine military in partnership. Compared it to aid given to Japan, straightforward orders for the American troops in Korea to revitalize the Japanese industries, aid to carry out land reform, aid to transfer technology to Japan, etc., etc., there you can see the difference in the quality of aid to both countries, and to Japan, it was massive right after the war.
rafterman Reply:
May 2nd, 2011 at 3:11 pm
Military aid would bave subsidized the budget so the country can build infrastructure. In fact, it is not the only fprm of aid provided by the US, Japan and many others. There is no dichotomy here Miriam. Culture is the problem, therefore a shift in government is probably necessary. Everything is rooted in culture. Why have we not broken away from the tutelage of the US? It is cultural (colonial mentality). Why is the budget mismanaged? Cultural again (corruption). Why are there killings and chaos? Culture (of impunity) and the list goes on. Maybe making the system parliamentary is the solution and it sounds like a good one but I do not make conclusions on a pro forma basis. As far as I am concerned the end result is but a mere projection and we can only hope for the best. In the meantime, putting culture in the forefront so it can be scrutinized is prudent because it is changeable in each one who realizes the wrong things about it and resolves to change it within him or herself.
Miriam Quiamco Reply:
May 2nd, 2011 at 9:35 pm
But how do you change culture? This has already been explained quite exhaustively by Orion in his previous postings. No need to repeat his ideas here, it is through a change of government structure that will allow a massive change in people’s consciousness. It is not simply possible to tell every Filipino to change their self-defeating ways, there has got to be a live framework which encourages each and everyone to change. In my opinion, it is more urgent to push for a parliamentary form of government than to keep blaming our culture for our underdevelopment. It is already a given that a culture is shaped by shared historical experiences of a people and we cannot undo centuries of cultural weakness, all we can do is look forward and push for a concrete solution to reshape our defeatist culture and that is only through a real change in our political system.
Look at the Chinese, they changed to a communist system from an antiquated and ineffectual imperial system as they were getting overrun by the aggressive West and then when Communism proved ineffectual, despite their cultural traditions, they shifted to a free-market communist system.
What about us, we should also work to shift our system of government that breeds corruption no end. People who complain of systemic corruption have no business carping at this dead horse as a reason for our underdevelopment if they do not actively campaign for a change in our government structure, in my opinion.
1macbayan Reply:
May 3rd, 2011 at 1:15 am
interesting topic and discussion…we can not change our nation/world in a day but we can influence the people around us…it’s a long, rough road towards the rewards of change…let us not be swayed.
Hsing Tao Reply:
May 2nd, 2011 at 10:57 pm
Yes, Parliamentary system has to be TRIED and see if it solves the problem. The reason the change is wanted is because of culture. It is possible for one to change his or her own personal culture. I am an example. I used to be the quintessential PROUD PINOY and had a lot of sense of entitlement and dependency. Then my life experiences taught me to Get Real (even before benign0′s site). When benign0 came along and the movement snowballed, I realized that other people too have gotten real. It is just like getting UNPLUGGED from Da Pinoy matrix. Yes, centuries old dysfunctions can be changed, if people are informed and they become conscious of them.
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I quite subscribe to your idea that unless the Filipnos acknowledge the dysfunctional culture (that many have long been in denial of), the movers of the Philippine society, the politicians ,civic leaders,clergy etc. wiil not move towards genuine and long lasting social, economic, and political reforms. Self-aggrandizement, personal or otherwise, pulls a horse’s rein back that can only result in regression and inhibit progress.
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rafterman Reply:
May 2nd, 2011 at 3:13 pm
I absolutely agree
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Miriam Quiamco Reply:
May 2nd, 2011 at 9:58 pm
Self-aggrandizement, personal and otherwise are not exclusively Filipino traits but in other countries, these are inhibited by their system of government and thus, they do not take on a destructive form for the nation.
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Hsing Tao Reply:
May 2nd, 2011 at 10:12 pm
They are more prevalent in Filipinos though.
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Miriam Quiamco Reply:
May 2nd, 2011 at 11:16 pm
Would you say the Americans and Latinos are less self-aggrandizing than Filipinos?
Hsing Tao Reply:
May 2nd, 2011 at 11:30 pm
The Latinos are not, maybe the Americans are not too but they have a lot of characteristics that make up for their self-aggrandizement that is why they are progressive (just don’t know for how long though). To convince people that a shift in system is needed, it has to be established that the reason for it is the culture. So why are you trying to deny that culture is also part of the problem? Why are you finding excuses for the Pinoy not to change his culture by becoming aware? Shall we forever blame external factors and not find the solutions within ourselves?
Miriam Quiamco Reply:
May 3rd, 2011 at 1:44 am
Because as I already said the cultural argument on development issues smacks of racism. . .
Miriam Quiamco Reply:
May 3rd, 2011 at 1:49 am
But if a cultural argument could help us push for a shift in parliamentary form of government, so be it, let us help campaign for the shift in government, let us study its intricacies more and certainly Orion has already crystallized a lot of the difficult parts of understanding how a parliamentary form of government works. In order to persuade people that this is ultimately our salvation, we need to form study groups and convince more people the merits of a parliamentary system of government.
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Hsing Tao Reply:
May 6th, 2011 at 10:26 am
Articles like this are good because they provide the impetus for system change.
concerned_citizen Reply:
May 6th, 2011 at 5:06 am
The only question is whether our politicians are up to the task and willing to effect change when most of these politicians come from the elite who have reaped the most benefits from our dysfunctional culture.
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Miriam Quiamco Reply:
May 6th, 2011 at 6:00 am
You are quite right, the biggest challenge really is how to make Orion’s proposition a mainstream idea so that even our self-serving politicians will have no other way but go along with the winds of change. They should be ashamed of our status in Asia as its ultimate basketcase. The mass media could really help, like radio programs in local vernaculars, but if not , a mass movement led by students and intellectuals will also do.
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palebluedot_ Reply:
May 6th, 2011 at 1:58 pm
where i am, some of us (super few) are banking on the unemployed & new college graduates to catch the concept of the need to change the system of our government, and open to them why there is a need to modify some parts of the constitution. the problem with this endeavor is your spirits will usually dampen when these common flips mock at you for having some sort of “messianic” syndrome, and tell you “to have a life”. yes, that’s how the mainstream thought is in typical filipino society (even those in US etc). the common flips believes that life is only about having fun, and not to give a damn about what is happening in the society, and just pray and pray (kayawa jud ning mga simbahan!). for them: “let’s just wait for the next election to make changes; just pray that we will get better leaders in the future.”
anyways, i wonder if we can account for the number of AP people who can really reach out “in person” to the masses. because it seems like most of those who are suggesting some type of campaigns for change are working abroad. when you challenge them to come here and do what they are preaching, they reply (reading between the lines of several comments here in AP): “it’s not our fault that you are there, and we are here. we are MORE INTELLECTUAL & WISER than you for being “opportuned” to work abroad. we send money to our family & we write blogs (that aren’t read by common flips?), we have done our part already.” typical bobong flip nga naman…
that’s why history repeats itself in this damned country…
I quite subscribe to your idea that unless the Filipinos acknowledge the dysfunctional facets of the Philippine culture (that many have long been in denial of), the movers of the Philippine society, the politicians ,civic leaders ,the clergy etc. will not move towards social, economic, and political reforms. Self-aggrandizement, personal or otherwise, pulls a horse’s rein back that can only result in regression and inhibit progress.
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Hmm…Nice article
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miriam
agree
you have great insight
the cojuangcos are the root of all evil in the philippines. thats chinese culture for you.
p.s. love the photo
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Hsing Tao Reply:
May 3rd, 2011 at 12:30 am
The people were not able to protect themselves against such oligarchs because their culture allows such to happen. Complacent at sabi nga ni LKY masyadong malambot at mapagbigay.
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Miriam Quiamco Reply:
May 3rd, 2011 at 9:14 am
you love the photo of J-lo, lol!
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“At least the Philippines is a free country.”
I think that’s the trouble. Filipinos want all the freedom, but none of the responsibility that entails. FILIPINOS JUST DO NOT DESERVE FREEDOM.
Just the other day, I saw a girl in her late teens or early 20s spit her chewing gum on the street (it was a main highway, too). It reminded me of Lee Kuan Yew banning the chewing of gum in Singapore. I think that’s what we need around here. A government that really enforces the law because we can’t rely on Filipinos policing themselves. Of course, knowing Filipinos, they’ll probably take to the streets and demand that they have every right to chew gum because we live in a democracy blah blah blah. Yet those same people can’t be bothered to properly dispose of their spent gum.
all freedom + no responsibility = anarchy and chaos = the Philippines
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lo Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 7:41 am
Living in Philippines is still better than China when it comes to rights and freedom because if you live in mainland China and you dare criticize the government good luck in prison. And oh sites like this one (antipinoy.com) would be taken down if we are under the Chinese government. The creators and bloggers of this site will be imprisoned as well. All you would see in tv and hear in radios would be praise for the government with all the good news. Totally opposite to our media with all the bad news everyday which is carefree just too carefree though.
BTW, please don’t put words into my mouth and think that i’m saying Philippines is better than China. No i’m not. I’m just referring to the system of governing when it comes to rights and freedom. China is much more efficient when it comes to law enforcement and economics than PH obviously.
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concerned_citizen Reply:
May 6th, 2011 at 5:11 am
The Filipinos could teach a thing or two to the Chinese on how to keep partying despite having no savings account. At least China has the balls to enforce the law. Ignorance of the law excuses no one.
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Miriam Quiamco Reply:
May 6th, 2011 at 6:04 am
Or better yet, teach the Chinese how to lighten up a bit, what with hundreds of thousands of suicides a year in some cities there, nothing compared to the general population number, still it is a gruesome picture. It could be that the lack of democratic venue to air their grievances have caused their desperation to be expressed in mass self-destruction.
Hsing Tao Reply:
May 6th, 2011 at 10:37 am
I agree. China is fast becoming progressive and the people would become much happier. The Philippines does not really have freedom despite the claims because the economy and the dysfunctions serve as their tyrants. A lot of people are dying of hunger and even getting executed abroad because of their lack of TRUE freedom.
lo Reply:
May 6th, 2011 at 6:30 pm
The middle class here and those who may be considered poor but can barely afford internet and education still have access to an infinite library of information, knowledge, wisdom, and arts while the mainland Chinese don’t. In China, you can’t visit any site you want. Although they are learning English, we are still better equipped when it comes to English education. I constantly read the-diplomat.com for news and i have read a lot about their education system where the Chinese are caring more for the grades, scores, and standing rather than the knowledge and wisdom attained. So much for being a communist country.
Anyway, the problem lies in our elites and middle class families who have everything needed in their hands to lift this country and change it with the power of internet and technology. But since they couldn’t care less about this goddamn country, most of them will just submit to the cancerous corrupt system or leave the country and never come back and do something, making the Philippines rot for more years to come.
So what’s lacking? It’s simple really. “Genuine” love for the country. Not that shallow Pinoy pride. I’m talking about people who are really thinking about the country and doing something to change the current situation. If the people have that, then things will follow and it will just be a matter of time.
Hsing Tao Reply:
May 6th, 2011 at 10:22 am
I don’t think it is recommended by AP to copy the system of mainland China. It is more inclined toward the democratic Asian societies with Confucian cultures like Singapore, Taiwan, Japan etc…
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Miriam Quiamco Reply:
May 6th, 2011 at 7:12 pm
This is why I am very impressed and thankful that sites like AP and GRP have come up and have dared challenge the status quo. Our media outlets are useless in transforming the system because they only hire suckers (would you believe Failon has been hailed as the journalist of the year!), no analytical skills, he is only up to sensationalism. As I already mentioned, journalists like Failon, overpaid and useless in effecting real change in the country should not be given awards, bu then again, these award-giving bodies are probably connected to the owners of his station. Shame on us for having this journalist around as the ONE, when all his verbosities are empty and a celebration of Emocracy!
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Miriam Quiamco Reply:
May 6th, 2011 at 7:16 pm
Hsing Tao: The desperate poor in the Philippines are dying from real hunger whereas the desperate poor in China are killing themselves, and you are saying that since the Chinese situation is getting better, less and less suicides will ensue in the future whereas in our case, death from hunger will continue forever and ever, since we are an Emocracy! That is truly sad. . .
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lo Reply:
May 6th, 2011 at 10:04 pm
Poor Chinese getting better? Where’s the proof? You are sorely mistaken. In fact, it is quite the opposite.A big bubble is going to burst. Please watch this video to understand:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPILhiTJv7E&feature=autofb
Miriam Quiamco Reply:
May 7th, 2011 at 12:52 am
Thanks for the link, that documentary is spot on, poor China, it will probably make adjustments to its policies, but the sociologist is right, Chinese history attests to his predictions. The mandarins in Beijing must be wary of what the bursting of the bubble economy could mean to their hold to power.