Those were the days...

Yes Mr Sobrevinas I agree with you. More than 100%. Perhaps, it should be us who should be singing "Those Were the Days my Friend..." Here is the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyaTIXdN5fI.

During the period you are citing here, our country was No. 1 among the five original ASEAN countries that organized the regional organization:

1. Pilipinas
2. Singapore
3. Malaysia
4. Thailand
5. Indonesia, reputed to be the poorest and the most corrupt.

I was an undergraduate when I happened to attend a global conference of some 23 countries in Jakarta. My gangmates were a Japanese Ph.D. who became a VIP in the UNDP. Then there was a Thai, a Nepalese and me. When the Indonesians would learm that I was Filipino, they would be drawn to me. "Filipina? Filipina?" They were not overly impressed with my friends who came from the other Asian countries. I was the favorite of the Indonesia waiters and waitresses. Apparently the Pinoys in Jakarta were very popular.

On my way home, I passed by Singapore. I would roam the city. It was so clean and very orderly. I would look at the shoes they were selling. I remember my thinking that the shoes we were making in Marikina were much much better than the shoes displayed in Singapore. In the two days I was in Singapore, I did not see a single Filipino. When I entered a department store, I was given a chair, and a bottle of coke. I was entertained. They thought I was a businessman from Manila.

I passed by Hongkong. Again, I did not see a single Filipino. Ang pambato ng kanilang mga department stores were the Jusi or Pina bridal dresses. They were elegant, and embroidered. They were displayed in prominent areas of the department stores, pati yata sa mga hotels.

Of course, at that time, the '60s, I seem to remember that in all of Asia, the Philippines was No. 2 to Japan in terms of various economic and social indicators. There was even a time when the proportion of the number of college graduates in the Philippines was much higher compared to the US.

I thought that there was no other way for us but to improve. And then Wham!

Now we are on the verge of becoming a failed state? We are Bangsa Kasuko-an? In Islas de los Ladrones, ang Lupa ng mga Ladies of the Night and Alipin ng Mundo?

The leadership of President Aquino is very critical.

Cesar Torres

- o - o -

Cesar, not exactly. These were definitely not Marcos debauchery time of crony Capitalism and pervasive CORRUPTION.

These were the 50s and 60s, before Martial Law, arguably the best economic times in modern RP history. This period represented the greatest economic advances of the RP, when we actually had the greatest advances of the middle classes.

I remember around this era, the greatest corruption scandal was Elpidio Quirino's "golden orinola" (which later turned out to be a cheap gold plated orinola). MACAPAGAL WAS CALLED "THE INCORRUPTIBLE" by the Press. The corruption was limited and through hard work, members of the lower classes could get an education and ascend to the middle classes. Even Washington Sycip went to the plebian Araullo High School and succeeded.

THIS WAS AN AGE OF POSSIBLE SOCIAL MOBILITY, A MERITOCRATIC PERIOD WE HAVEN'T SEEN SINCE! THE RP CONSEQUENTLY WAS THE BEST ECONOMY IN ASIA AFTER JAPAN, LOOKED UP TO BY HONG KONG, SINGAPORE, TAIWAN, THAILAND, MALAYSIA, INDONESIA AND WAS THE HUB OF BUSINESS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA! AND IN ANSWER TO THAT ROLE THERE WAS A NEED FOR A WORLD CLASS HOTEL LIKE THE MANILA HILTON TO HOUSE VISITING BUSINESSMEN WHO WERE LOOKING TO INVEST IN OUR COUNTRY! IN OTHER WORDS, THIS WAS PART OF THE BUSINESS INFRASTRUCTURE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO CONDUCT MAJOR BUSINESS WITH MAJOR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSMEN, COMMENSURATE WITH OUR LEADING ECONOMIC ROLE IN THE REGION AT THAT TIME.

A HOTEL LIKE THIS WAS AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY - IT WAS OUR ONLY WORLD CLASS ONE.

THIS WAS NOT ABOUT THE ECONOMIC PLUNDER AND DEBAUCHERY OF MARCOS, HIS FAMILY, AND HIS CRONIES FIDDLING WITH THE VIOLIN OR IN YOUR EXAMPLE, THE UKELELE WHILE THE COUNTRY BURNED TO THE GROUND.

Ricky