Featured Post

MABUHAY PRRD!

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Best Obama Joke Ever


As he approaches the cashier he says, "Good morning Ma'am, could you please cash this check for me?" 
  
  Cashier: "It would be my pleasure sir. Could you please show me your ID?" 
  
  Obama:  "Truthfully, I did not bring my ID with me as I didn't think there was any need to. I am President Barack Obama, the President of the United States of AMERICA !!!!" 
  
  Cashier:  "Yes sir, I know who you are, but with all the regulations and monitoring of the banks because of impostors and forgers and requirements of the Dodd/Frank legislation, etc., I must insist on seeing ID." 
  
  Obama:   "Just ask anyone here at the bank who I am and they will tell you. Everybody knows who I am." 
  
  Cashier:   "I am sorry Mr. President but these are the bank rules and I must follow them." 
  
  Obama:    "I am urging you, please, to cash this check." 
  
  Cashier:   "Look Mr. President, here is an example of what we can do. One day Tiger Woods  came into the bank without ID. To prove he was Tiger Woods he pulled out his putter and made  a beautiful shot across the bank into a cup. With that shot we knew him to be Tiger Woods and cashed his check. Another time, Andre Agassi came in without ID. He pulled out his tennis racket and made a fabulous shot whereas the tennis ball landed in my cup. With that shot we cashed his check.  So, Mr. President, what can you do to prove that it is you, and only you, as  the President of the United States?" 
  
  Obama stands there thinking, and thinking, and finally says, "Honestly, my mind is a total blank. There is nothing that comes to my mind. I can't think of a single thing. I have absolutely no idea what to do and I don't have a clue. 
  
  Cashier;  "Will that be large or small bills, Mr. President?* 

Wednesday of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time: Costly Catholicism‏



Father Edward McIlmail, LC
 Luke 21:12-19
Jesus said to his disciples: "Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
Introductory Prayer: Jesus my Savior, thank you for another day and another chance to grow in holiness with your grace. I love you and wish to make you the true center of my thoughts, desires and actions.
Petition: Lord, help me face the difficulties of practicing my faith day-to-day.
1. Persecution: Opposition from the world is the price we pay for following Christ. No pain, no gain. Why should that surprise us? If living the Gospel were easy, the entire world would be saints. But the Gospel is demanding. It rubs against our fallen human nature. It demands of us — and even makes us unpopular. Why? Because people who do good are a thorny reminder to those who don´t. It shouldn´t surprise us that the neighbors look down on us for having so many kids. Or that the guys in the dorm snicker at us for living chastely. Or that the boss overlooks us for a promotion because we wouldn´t donate to that pro-abortion group last Christmas during the company fund drive. Do I realize that to be a Christian is to be persecuted?
2. No Defense: When Christ tells us not to prepare our defense he´s not telling us to sit back and do nothing. Rather, he wants us to use our talents for the Kingdom. Christ is inviting us to trust that ultimately the victory of good over evil belongs to him. God has his time and place for everything. In the meantime we are called to build the Kingdom wherever we can — in our families, our offices, our schools, our communities. How am I building the Kingdom in the areas around me?
3. Wisdom from Above: "I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking…" When we stay close to Christ in prayer and deed, he takes over our lives little by little. And that´s good. Our selfishness fades. Our heart grows. We die to ourselves. "He must increase; I must decrease" (John 3:30). But we have to ask ourselves: Do we really believe in the Gospel? Do we believe in it enough to use Christ´s words when we have to respond to the nonbelievers around us? How often do we identify ourselves as Catholic in public?
Conversation with Christ: Lord, you know it´s not easy to be seen as your friend. People laugh at us — if they don´t feel sorry for us. They don´t understand where we are coming from. Help me understand some of the loneliness you must have felt when you went against the world´s standards. Help me be faithful to you regardless of the cost.
Resolution: In conversation or in an e-mail I will use a line of Christ’s wisdom from the Gospel. 

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

VERY USEFUL!!!

Description: https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/546595_311722812260447_1092347259_n.jpg
Description: https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/217948_311105992322129_844493623_n.jpg
Description: https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/418596_310730792359649_1178251982_n.jpg
Description: https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/185173_310716815694380_1350524457_n.jpg
Description: https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/551720_310088839090511_40951019_n.jpg
Description: https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/574447_310079125758149_1708248535_n.jpg
Description:  https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/547348_309742072458521_720450105_n.jpg
Description: https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/314966_309418915824170_1599932422_n.jpg
Description: https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/378195_309409262491802_1986795674_n.jpg
Description: https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/300755_308081735957888_2006299621_n.jpg
Description: https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/324797_307788822653846_1919263641_o.jpg
Description: https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/426739_307192296046832_1867949926_n.jpg
Health Benefits of Consuming Dates "

1) Dates are free from cholesterol and contain very low fat. Dates are rich in vitamins and minerals.

2) They are rich source of protein, dietary fiber and rich in vitamin B1, B2, B3 and B5 along with vitamin A1 and C.

3)It helps improve the digestive system as it contains soluble and insoluble fibers and different kinds of amino acids.

4) Dates are great energy boosters as they contain natural sugars like glucose, sucrose and fructose. To get more advantage add dates to milk and make it a very nutritious snack.

5) Dates are very low in calories and are extremely suitable for health conscious people.

6) Dates are rich in potassium and reduced in sodium. This helps regulate a healthy nervous system. Researchers have revealed the fact that potassium intake up to a certain extent can reduce risk of stroke.

7) Dates also help in lowering of the LDL cholesterol.

8) Dates have high iron content and are very useful in treating anemia. The patients can eat many dates for better advantages.

9) Dates also have fluorine that slows down the process of tooth decay.

10) It helps people suffering from constipation. Soak dates overnight and take it along with water to have added advantage.

11) Dates help in weight gain and are beneficial for those who suffer from over slimming problem.

12) Dates are excellent for alcoholic intoxication.Cures abdominal cancer.

13) It also helps in improving eye sight and helps in curing night blindness as well.

"The best thing is that it does not have any side effect on the body and is completely natural as well as it works better than medicine."

Description: https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/484061_306603929439002_2063599916_n.jpg
Description: https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/264818_306318556134206_42135436_n.jpg
Description:  https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/411566_305406292892099_1749000306_o.jpg
Description: https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/557369_306304436135618_449901463_n.jpg
Description: https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/562882_304781619621233_851641174_n.jpg


Bodies dumped in mass graves as PNoy expresses concern over ‘anxiety’ of families of missing Yolanda victims


November 26, 2013
by benign0
Reports of the death toll following the devastation left by super-typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) continue to pour in. The most recently-released official Philippine government estimate released two days ago put the number of deaths at more than 5,200. President Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino III has since “conceded” that the death toll is at least double what he originally estimated in earlier days.
First responders reported seeing numerous bodies littering the streets and floating in the water, and local government and police officials feared the storm had killed up to 10,000 people.
The government was displeased with that estimate and sacked the regional police director in Eastern Visayas, Chief Supt. Elmer Soria, who had quoted the figure from a briefing by Leyte Gov. Dominic Petilla on Nov. 9.
The sacking of Soria and the clampdown on body-count reports by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) gave rise to the criticism that the government was playing down the death toll.
Mass burial of dead left by Typhoon Yolanda
Mass burial of dead left by Typhoon Yolanda
But the Philippine leader is reportedly “not bothered” by the mounting body count saying instead that the government will henceforth refrain from issuing death toll estimates until figures that “[cannot be doubted]” are available so as not to “increase the people’s anxiety, especially those with missing relatives”.
President BS Aquino’s concern for the “anxiety” felt by Filipinos with missing relatives is inconsistent with reports of hundreds of unidentified bodies being unceremoniously dumped into mass graves — a common procedure routinely practiced by Philippine government personnel whenever thousands of people die in the numerous “natural” disasters that hit the country. “In Tacloban, recovered bodies are deposited in the public cemeteries at Basper village, 8 kilometers from the provincial capital, and Suhi village, 13 km from the city,” continues the same Inquirer report. Back in 2011, when Typhoon Sendong devastated the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan in northern Mindanao, there were even reports that mass graves were being dug in garbage dump sites. This despite assurances from the Department of Health (DOH) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) that decaying corpses do not pose immediate risks of outbreak of communicable disease.
Slow progress at providing reliable estimates of the death toll can also seemingly be attributed to government red tape and meddling by certain Cabinet officials
Asked why the recorded number of fatalities remained the same despite reports of bodies being retrieved in Tacloban City and other areas, [Maj. Rey Balido, NDRRMC spokesperson] said Interior Secretary Mar Roxas had directed local chief executives to submit official reports duly signed by the mayors or governors to the NDRRMC.
It is interesting to note that it was also Roxas who had previously vehemently downplayed reports that the government was mismanaging the collection and processing of victims’ remains in an earlier interview with CNN reporter Andrew Stevens.
mar_roxas_yolanda_death_toll
The WHO recommends in its Technical Note for Emergencies No. 8 that health-related risks due to uncollected bodies are “negligible” but that the rapid collection of victims’ remains is important “because of the possible social and political impact and trauma.”
Also stressed is the importance of identifying bodies before their disposal for record keeping purposes; “Once [a body is] identified, a death certificate should be issued, an official record of death prepared and the body tagged. With violent deaths, it is also important to record the cause of death for possible future investigation.” The report also recommends that burial procedures “be consistent with the usual practices of the community concerned.”
[Photo of Yolanda mass grave courtesy NBCNews.com.]

The problem of squatters in the Philippines cannot be solved by invoking ‘humanitarian’ appeal


By benign0
But of course. Perhaps there is some merit in what a “human rights regional official” and the “officers of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines” assert in siding with Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte on the grounds that taking “the humanitarian point of view” is called for in this situation. This situation, relates to Duterte’s punching court sheriff Abe Andres after he acted on oders to proceed with a demoliton of illegally-built structures that were home to 500 families — squatters — in Barangay Kapitan Tomas Monteverde Sr. Suliman, Agdao.
Squatting is a huge social and economic problem in the Philippines, more so because squatters are protected by laws that make it difficult to remove them from properties they infest. Presidential Decree 772 (PD 772) effected by former President Ferdinand Marcos in 1975 made prosecuting “squatting and other criminal acts” relatively easy. Squatting under PD 772 was clearly a criminalundertaking as Section 1 of the decree states…
Any person who, with the use of force, intimidation or threat, or taking advantage of the absence or tolerance of the landowner, succeeds in occupying or possessing the property of the latter against his will for residential commercial or any other purposes, shall be punished by an imprisonment ranging from six months to one year or a fine of not less than one thousand nor more than five thousand pesos at the discretion of the court, with subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency.
And so, under Marcos’s administration, thousands of squatters were successfully evicted from land they illegally inhabited and jailed for their offense.
Unfortunately PD 772 was repealed when Republic Act No. 8368, the “Anti-Squatting Law Repeal Act of 1997″ took effect. RA 8368 also authorised dismissal of all pending cases that drew upon the provisions of the now repealed PD 772. It also directed criminal cases against squatters to defer to the broader “Comprehensive and Continuing Urban Development Program” described by Republic Act 7279, which stipulated sanctions that are applicable only to “professional squatters” which are defined to be…
[...] individuals or groups who occupy lands without the express consent of the landowner and who have sufficient income for legitimate housing. The term shall also apply to persons who have previously been awarded homelots or housing units by the Government but who sold, leased or transferred the same to settle illegally in the same place or in another urban area, and non-bona fide occupants and intruders of lands reserved for socialized housing.
RA 7279 however explicitly excludes from the definition “individuals or groups who simply rent land and housing from professional squatters or squatting syndicates.” These laws, in effect, make the process of removing squatters from one’s property a long and convoluted one.
Unfortunately for the hapless landowner, the Philippines is a society that likes to play the “humanitarian” card when it comes to squatters. Even the use of the word “squatter” has for some time been routinely dropped in “polite” conversation in favour of the euphemism “informal settler.” Indeed, “human rights” activists have been quick to side with Duterte, in the process becoming apologists for a mayor who, in front of TV cameras, launched into an unprovoked assault against Andres, an officer of the Judiciary who, apparently, was just out to implement a court order. That, plus the convenient downplaying of what was clearly criminal behaviour on the part of the “informal settlers” affected by the demolition order who were throwing rocks and sharp objects at Andres’s team and the police officers who were escorting them, is typical of a society where impunity rules.
Bottom line is that the issue of evicting squatters from land they have no right to inhabit will not have been muddled into idiotic debates that invoke “humanitarian” appeal had laws on squatting and legal use of both public and private property been observed from the very start. The problem with the way things are done in the Philippines is that small misdemeanors get routinely tolerated. And then more and more of them get tolerated until the pile of little misdemeanors gets bigger and bigger. We no longer see the small misdemeanors but behold the big pile of impunity looming tall before us and wonder, how this came to be.
It’s simple, really when one considers how the Rule of Law ideally applies to everything and all people — from the smallest ordinance and from the most ordinary people from the very start.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

The high horse

November 25, 2013 9:39 pm

Ben D. Kritz

Ben D. Kritz
These anti-critics really do not get it. We can see better from atop our high horses, and what we see is appalling. Were it not for a deep concern for our fellow man, a frantic distress at seeing even one blameless citizen of the world suffer for one moment longer than could have been avoided by better preparation or better response, we would have nothing to criticize.
These anti-critics really do not get it. We can see better from atop our high horses, and what we see is appalling. Were it not for a deep concern for our fellow man, a frantic distress at seeing even one blameless citizen of the world suffer for one moment longer than could have been avoided by better preparation or better response, we would have nothing to criticize. The dissent in defense of the government’s negligent mediocrity has a horrifying implication: That additional suffering is both inevitable and acceptable, because the government “has good intentions” and is “doing its best.” To put it in human terms the apologists would prefer to avoid, November 19, 11 days after Typhoon Yolanda struck, the United Nations World Food Program published a conservative estimate that 600,000 people had not yet been reached with substantial aid. Thus the message of the anti-critics to those people is, “Survival and compassion from others are privileges, not rights. Your suffering is less important than our self-image.”
Being critical is questioning the way things are done and the results they produce. Being an anti-critic is to assert that “business as usual” is sufficient, improvements are not necessary, and that improvements are perhaps not even possible. Business as usual has not been enough, and it will not be enough for the much more difficult tasks that lie ahead as the country slowly shifts from relief to recovery.
Beyond the grievous human toll, the cost exacted upon the Philippines by the storm is mind-boggling. Up to a third of the country’s rice-production capacity at least temporarily interrupted. Even more worrisome, up to a third of the Philippines’ coconut production was lost; rice farms can be recovered in a matter of weeks, but replacing coconut farms, which produce a key export commodity, will take seven to 10 years. According to various estimates, between 20,000 and 40,000 small fishermen will be unable to work until they replace boats and equipment lost in the storm. Still uncounted are the losses to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), thousands of businesses providing jobs and a tax base; early assessments by the UN International Labor Organization suggest that a total of up to 2.5 million jobs were lost in the disaster.
When the global judgment of the task facing the Philippines is that the reconstruction will rival that of the country’s post-World War II recovery, business is anything but usual. One of the biggest concerns of economic and market observers who have not been enamored by the Philippines “miracle” is that several bubble-like aspects of the economy—which to be fair, the country has so far somehow managed fairly well—make it extremely susceptible to an external shock. Typhoon Yolanda was that shock, and it has left a huge hole in the already brittle foundation that props up the Philippine economy.
There are a couple obvious ways the Philippines could run into serious economic trouble over the next few months. Even though government debt has increased during President Benigno Aquino 3rd’s term, it has been reasonably manageable because roughly 89 percent of the government’s debt is owed to domestic creditors. Domestic credit capacity has been diminished because of the sudden drop in consumer spending, and so the government will have to turn to more external sources to fund reconstruction; that will in turn reduce its ability to service domestic debt—even if the total amount of debt service is not reduced in any way, that pie will have to be sliced into more pieces—and that will in turn act as a brake on business growth, slowing the recovery of jobs and consumer spending, a feedback loop that could quickly spiral out of control. If the increase in foreign debt is significant enough that it actually does require an increase in debt service, that will reduce government’s capacity for increased spending—already attenuated by at least temporary losses in its tax base—to replace destroyed infrastructure and provide economic support to the agriculture and SME sectors, which again will hamper the recovery of consumer spending.
There are other at-risk components of the economy as well, but a complete discussion would probably fill this entire paper and then some. What is alarming to critics is that the approach of the Aquino administration so far—which the anti-critics think is okay—is to follow the same program with the same people after the typhoon as before; the reconstruction “task force,” cheerfully announced by the government last week is, after all, the same Cabinet in a different wrapper, the very same leadership that is responsible for creating such a tenuous economy in the first place, and were subjected to international reproach for its unimpressive performance in the immediate aftermath of the storm.
Effective solutions require imagination and ideas that are different from what has become routine, because the circumstances are anything but routine now. The watchword for the recovery effort should be “Progress”: part of the reason the people in the areas lashed by Yolanda suffered so grievously is that the government and that part of Philippine society to which the anti-critics belong looks upon the impoverishment of some—too many, actually—as a normative state. The recovery must focus on reducing the imbalance between productive and consumptive capacity and sustainability of physical and social infrastructures, so that the next Yolanda—whether it is a typhoon, earthquake, large-scale flood, or some other disaster, it will arrive sooner than anyone is prepared to face—will not exact such a tragic toll on the country.
benkritz@outlook.com

Filipinos who say ‘stop criticizing the government’ are not helping the country progress


November 23, 2013
by Ilda
One of the stupidest things some Filipinos kept suggesting during the height of the disaster in Central Philippines brought about by super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) is for people to stop criticizing the Philippine government. For some bizarre reason, some equate the criticism coming from those who were concerned for the welfare of the victims as “negativity”.
Relief slow to come: Yolanda victims in Tacloban
Relief slow to come: Yolanda victims in Tacloban
The belief that criticizing the government is “unproductive” is wrong. If not for the barrage of criticism the government received because of its slow response to the recent calamity, the assistance to the victims would not have come for weeks. If not for the Filipinos who “complain”, the suffering of the victims would not have been exposed and the death toll would have been much greater. If not for the well-meaning individuals who “questioned” the inaction of the government, the victims would have been walking around like zombies or sleeping near the bodies of their dead loved ones for much longer. As it is, there are already reports that a few of the people who sustained injuries have died because they did not receive immediate medical attention.
There is no question that everyone’s priority should be on the search and rescue operation of survivors immediately after a disaster. But when those in charge of the search and rescue operation are not doing their jobs at all, the concerned members of the public have every right to call their attention to what has to be done as soon as possible.
Some misguided Filipinos even dared ask personal questions like “have you donated money already”? And then there are those who were quick to say, “just stay quiet, be positive and support your government”. It’s like for them, those who have not donated to the victims do not have the right to demand anything from their government. Likewise, there are some who get annoyed when they see others share articles that are critical of the government on social networking sites like Facebook. One can be forgiven for thinking that the reason why some want to remain “positive” is because they cannot wait to resume sharing their selfies. They probably want everyone’s attention on them again instead of the disaster.
Members of the international media played a big role in highlighting the appalling conditions of the victims of the typhoon. If not for them, Filipinos both in the country and those living overseas would not have been aware of the suffering of their own countrymen. Most of the news and images being passed around on the Net covering the areas ravaged by the typhoon came from the international media. Local media did not even have reliable coverage of the plight of those who were suffering similar to what networks like CNN had. It’s quite strange considering foreign correspondents had to travel thousands of miles to get to the disaster zone while members of the local media are already in the country.
Concerned citizens found it odd how slow the local media were in providing updates about the status of the survivors. Local journalists were definitely outclassed by foreign journalists. The latter used their investigative skills in pointedly grilling Filipino public servants during live interviews. It’s something that our local journalists would never think of doing perhaps for fear of getting shot in the head by a motorcycle-riding hit man later. Journalists being gunned down in broad daylight are a normal occurrence in the Philippines indeed, which is why a journalist will not ask the hard questions while conducting an interview a-la Andrews Stevens with a Philippine politician.
The lack of coverage from local media certainly made some Filipinos a bit anxious to know what happened to the people in the areas directly hit by the super typhoon. There was even speculation around whether or not there was some kind of news blackout about the real situation. They left a big yawning gap, which foreign media quickly filled.
The information and in-depth analysis provided by foreign journalists covering typhoon Yolanda shocked the entire nation and the global community. Foreign journalists like CNN’s Anderson Cooper and Andrews Steven not only helped expose the incompetence and arrogance of Filipino public servants; they also put pressure on the Philippine government to move a bit quicker. There’s still a lot to be said about the government’s efforts but at least they know now that the people have put them on notice.
While a lot of Filipinos laud the actions of some members of the international media, there were some Filipinos who did not appreciate their honesty. They became defensive and even wrote an open letter to CNN asking them not to compare the Philippines to first world countries like Japan for example. Their reason is that the Philippines is a poor country with poor infrastructure and a few resources. Never mind that the a big part of the reason the Philippines is poor is because its voters keep electing leaders who mismanage the country.
Those who were offended by the straightforward assessment applied by the foreign correspondents seem to be more concerned with image. It has become apparent that they just want to project a “fun” Philippines to the international community. It’s like they do not want anyone highlighting or broadcasting the real state of the poor people and the country’s decrepit infrastructure.
In bad need of a reality check: President BS Aquino
In bad need of a reality check: President BS Aquino
Hiding the real condition of the country never works. Natural calamities are guaranteed to reveal it one way or another. Disasters tend to expose not just people’s capacity to handle stressful situations, it also exposes the fact that the country does not have the capability to save it’s own people.
There is no point in pretending that the country is doing great when it is not. This is something that President Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino needs to understand. During his interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, he kept reassuring her that things are under control even when reports from other people more reliable than the President of the Philippines contradict what he was saying. He just looked pathetic.
Filipinos who keep saying “stop being negative” every time a natural disaster strikes the country need to stop saying it already. People are not being negative when they state facts and describe the reality they see around them. We cannot continue pretending the country is a wonderful place to live in when more and more people are being born into poverty. These children often end up living in squatter areas that are vulnerable to extreme weather conditions like super typhoons.
Calls for unity and peace every time a tragedy occurs are beginning to look quite suspect especially when the ones calling for these are public servants. In the aftermath of Sendong, a tropical storm that killed over a thousand Filipinos in Mindanao in 2011, Malacañang Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda asked for the same thing when President BS Aquino was accused of negligence in disaster preparedness:
In Malacañang, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda asked Palatino to avoid finger-pointing at this time of tragedy.
Lacierda stressed that the government has enough funds for disaster preparedness.
“Let’s not politicize the issue. We have specific funds for disaster preparedness. We have always maintained that we need to clear the esteros and waterways of people there and that’s the danger zone that we have always been emphasizing and that’s the reason why we’re also providing for housing for people in those areas,” he said.
“And, like I said, specific agencies have funds for that so we can address those situations. So I would like to ask Congressman Palatino, now is not the time to point fingers. Now is the time to help out in the tragic incident in Mindanao,” he added.
Obviously, some people like Lacierda just want people to stay “positive” because they do not want to highlight the fact that they failed in their duties to protect the Filipino people. So for the sake of the country, the Filipino people should start being “negative” and continue criticizing their government in times of crisis. Otherwise, public servants will always think they are doing a great job.
There are countless tragedies that happen in the Philippines as a result of natural calamities. Since the foreign correspondents do not go to each one of those disaster areas when tragedy occurs, it can only mean that the victims suffered the same ordeal but did not get the same attention as the victims of super typhoon Yolanda.
[Photo of Yolanda victims courtesy NYDailyNews.com.]

Filipinos should get the real lesson from Pacquiao’s latest victory


November 26, 2013
by ChinoF
Once again, Filipino boxer extraordinaire Manny Pacquiao claims another victory, this time over Brandon Rios. This is supposed to uplift people’s spirits in the wake of the destruction caused by Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. And it’s probably making up for the loss against Juan Manuel Marquez last year. Again, Filipinos are going to say “Pinoy pride,” something that we’ve been shooting down in Get Real Philippines for good reason. While Pacquiao’s victory may have its good side, it will also have a bad one.
Pacquiao and Rios at the Great Wall of China. Photo courtesy of Philippine Star.
Pacquiao and Rios at the Great Wall of China. Photo courtesy of Philippine Star.
Pacquiao won because of his training and his sipag at tiyaga. It certainly isn’t because of his being Filipino. It’s just a lucky coincidence that he is Filipino. It’s the same point as in my previous articles on Gilas Pilipinas and Megan Young. However, Pinoy Pridists will claim Pacquiao is a great boxer because he’s Filipino. They’re only after praising Pacquiao in order to boost their own image, the folly of an overly image-conscious culture. This is the great propagandic myth we’ve been shooting down. If Pacquiao is great, that doesn’t mean all Filipinos are great.
What Filipinos should understand is that he is already a level above most Filipinos. He trained himself, gained experience, and humbled himself before his American trainer, Freddie Roach, to follow his advice. He earned a lot of victories, went through some defeats… and earned a lot of money. He can’t be a representative of the ordinary Filipino, because he’s not an ordinary Filipino. He’s already up somewhere unreachable. He can be an example for people who want to do something about their lives, but he can’t identify anymore with the ordinary Filipino.
Also, the victory comes after the Visayas is pummeled by the onslaught of Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. The obvious emotional high is there, but it’ll pass. And this is a fact; as fellow blogger Kate Natividad eloquently stated, Manny Pacquiao’s victory will never save or help the typhoon victims in a substantial way. It perhaps gives temporary emotional support for the victims. But after Manny’s victory, it’s back to reality; no house to live in, no livelihood, no food. Hopefully, Manny can help in that department. Filipino “resilience” has a limit.
This is one problem with Filipinos: they think only for the short-term, as theGeert-Hofstede index for the Philippines shows. Pursuing something for the long-term is not valued in our society. Among these long-term things is proper preparation for storms of Yolanda’s strength. That kind of thinking is even shot down as “high-class” or “negative.” Filipinos prefer the short-term joys because these don’t need much work to get. So when disaster strikes, the joys are quickly extinguished.
This brings me to ask; what if Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda never struck at all? Would most still wish Pacquiao would win? Perhaps the attitudes would be different then. For me, this reveals how petty the values of Filipinos can be. Anything to give temporary highs is more valued. Something for the long-term is shunned.
Using other Filipinos’ victories to base one’s happiness on is superficial. We would like to think Pacquiao winning against someone is a victory also for the country. But in truth, Manny is the sole winner of this fight. He goes all the way to the bank with this one. If he really gives a lot of his winnings to help typhoon victims, then he gets my praise.
If Filipinos seek to make Pacquiao’s victory more meaningful, they should stop saying the victory is Pinoy Pride. A more realistic realization is that the victory just shows that some are luckier than others. Perhaps there have been would be great boxers from Tacloban or Leyte, who with enough training, could achieve what Pacquiao did. Sadly, the storm claimed their lives. Pacquiao just knows how to make use of his luck and make it meaningful for himself. How about other Filipinos, can they make their lives meaningful?

Filipinos should get the real lesson from Pacquiao’s latest victory


November 26, 2013
by ChinoF
Once again, Filipino boxer extraordinaire Manny Pacquiao claims another victory, this time over Brandon Rios. This is supposed to uplift people’s spirits in the wake of the destruction caused by Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. And it’s probably making up for the loss against Juan Manuel Marquez last year. Again, Filipinos are going to say “Pinoy pride,” something that we’ve been shooting down in Get Real Philippines for good reason. While Pacquiao’s victory may have its good side, it will also have a bad one.
Pacquiao and Rios at the Great Wall of China. Photo courtesy of Philippine Star.
Pacquiao and Rios at the Great Wall of China. Photo courtesy of Philippine Star.
Pacquiao won because of his training and his sipag at tiyaga. It certainly isn’t because of his being Filipino. It’s just a lucky coincidence that he is Filipino. It’s the same point as in my previous articles on Gilas Pilipinas and Megan Young. However, Pinoy Pridists will claim Pacquiao is a great boxer because he’s Filipino. They’re only after praising Pacquiao in order to boost their own image, the folly of an overly image-conscious culture. This is the great propagandic myth we’ve been shooting down. If Pacquiao is great, that doesn’t mean all Filipinos are great.
What Filipinos should understand is that he is already a level above most Filipinos. He trained himself, gained experience, and humbled himself before his American trainer, Freddie Roach, to follow his advice. He earned a lot of victories, went through some defeats… and earned a lot of money. He can’t be a representative of the ordinary Filipino, because he’s not an ordinary Filipino. He’s already up somewhere unreachable. He can be an example for people who want to do something about their lives, but he can’t identify anymore with the ordinary Filipino.
Also, the victory comes after the Visayas is pummeled by the onslaught of Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. The obvious emotional high is there, but it’ll pass. And this is a fact; as fellow blogger Kate Natividad eloquently stated, Manny Pacquiao’s victory will never save or help the typhoon victims in a substantial way. It perhaps gives temporary emotional support for the victims. But after Manny’s victory, it’s back to reality; no house to live in, no livelihood, no food. Hopefully, Manny can help in that department. Filipino “resilience” has a limit.
This is one problem with Filipinos: they think only for the short-term, as theGeert-Hofstede index for the Philippines shows. Pursuing something for the long-term is not valued in our society. Among these long-term things is proper preparation for storms of Yolanda’s strength. That kind of thinking is even shot down as “high-class” or “negative.” Filipinos prefer the short-term joys because these don’t need much work to get. So when disaster strikes, the joys are quickly extinguished.
This brings me to ask; what if Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda never struck at all? Would most still wish Pacquiao would win? Perhaps the attitudes would be different then. For me, this reveals how petty the values of Filipinos can be. Anything to give temporary highs is more valued. Something for the long-term is shunned.
Using other Filipinos’ victories to base one’s happiness on is superficial. We would like to think Pacquiao winning against someone is a victory also for the country. But in truth, Manny is the sole winner of this fight. He goes all the way to the bank with this one. If he really gives a lot of his winnings to help typhoon victims, then he gets my praise.
If Filipinos seek to make Pacquiao’s victory more meaningful, they should stop saying the victory is Pinoy Pride. A more realistic realization is that the victory just shows that some are luckier than others. Perhaps there have been would be great boxers from Tacloban or Leyte, who with enough training, could achieve what Pacquiao did. Sadly, the storm claimed their lives. Pacquiao just knows how to make use of his luck and make it meaningful for himself. How about other Filipinos, can they make their lives meaningful?

Filipinos should get the real lesson from Pacquiao’s latest victory


November 26, 2013
by ChinoF
Once again, Filipino boxer extraordinaire Manny Pacquiao claims another victory, this time over Brandon Rios. This is supposed to uplift people’s spirits in the wake of the destruction caused by Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. And it’s probably making up for the loss against Juan Manuel Marquez last year. Again, Filipinos are going to say “Pinoy pride,” something that we’ve been shooting down in Get Real Philippines for good reason. While Pacquiao’s victory may have its good side, it will also have a bad one.
Pacquiao and Rios at the Great Wall of China. Photo courtesy of Philippine Star.
Pacquiao and Rios at the Great Wall of China. Photo courtesy of Philippine Star.
Pacquiao won because of his training and his sipag at tiyaga. It certainly isn’t because of his being Filipino. It’s just a lucky coincidence that he is Filipino. It’s the same point as in my previous articles on Gilas Pilipinas and Megan Young. However, Pinoy Pridists will claim Pacquiao is a great boxer because he’s Filipino. They’re only after praising Pacquiao in order to boost their own image, the folly of an overly image-conscious culture. This is the great propagandic myth we’ve been shooting down. If Pacquiao is great, that doesn’t mean all Filipinos are great.
What Filipinos should understand is that he is already a level above most Filipinos. He trained himself, gained experience, and humbled himself before his American trainer, Freddie Roach, to follow his advice. He earned a lot of victories, went through some defeats… and earned a lot of money. He can’t be a representative of the ordinary Filipino, because he’s not an ordinary Filipino. He’s already up somewhere unreachable. He can be an example for people who want to do something about their lives, but he can’t identify anymore with the ordinary Filipino.
Also, the victory comes after the Visayas is pummeled by the onslaught of Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. The obvious emotional high is there, but it’ll pass. And this is a fact; as fellow blogger Kate Natividad eloquently stated, Manny Pacquiao’s victory will never save or help the typhoon victims in a substantial way. It perhaps gives temporary emotional support for the victims. But after Manny’s victory, it’s back to reality; no house to live in, no livelihood, no food. Hopefully, Manny can help in that department. Filipino “resilience” has a limit.
This is one problem with Filipinos: they think only for the short-term, as theGeert-Hofstede index for the Philippines shows. Pursuing something for the long-term is not valued in our society. Among these long-term things is proper preparation for storms of Yolanda’s strength. That kind of thinking is even shot down as “high-class” or “negative.” Filipinos prefer the short-term joys because these don’t need much work to get. So when disaster strikes, the joys are quickly extinguished.
This brings me to ask; what if Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda never struck at all? Would most still wish Pacquiao would win? Perhaps the attitudes would be different then. For me, this reveals how petty the values of Filipinos can be. Anything to give temporary highs is more valued. Something for the long-term is shunned.
Using other Filipinos’ victories to base one’s happiness on is superficial. We would like to think Pacquiao winning against someone is a victory also for the country. But in truth, Manny is the sole winner of this fight. He goes all the way to the bank with this one. If he really gives a lot of his winnings to help typhoon victims, then he gets my praise.
If Filipinos seek to make Pacquiao’s victory more meaningful, they should stop saying the victory is Pinoy Pride. A more realistic realization is that the victory just shows that some are luckier than others. Perhaps there have been would be great boxers from Tacloban or Leyte, who with enough training, could achieve what Pacquiao did. Sadly, the storm claimed their lives. Pacquiao just knows how to make use of his luck and make it meaningful for himself. How about other Filipinos, can they make their lives meaningful?

Filipinos should get the real lesson from Pacquiao’s latest victory


November 26, 2013
by ChinoF
Once again, Filipino boxer extraordinaire Manny Pacquiao claims another victory, this time over Brandon Rios. This is supposed to uplift people’s spirits in the wake of the destruction caused by Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. And it’s probably making up for the loss against Juan Manuel Marquez last year. Again, Filipinos are going to say “Pinoy pride,” something that we’ve been shooting down in Get Real Philippines for good reason. While Pacquiao’s victory may have its good side, it will also have a bad one.
Pacquiao and Rios at the Great Wall of China. Photo courtesy of Philippine Star.
Pacquiao and Rios at the Great Wall of China. Photo courtesy of Philippine Star.
Pacquiao won because of his training and his sipag at tiyaga. It certainly isn’t because of his being Filipino. It’s just a lucky coincidence that he is Filipino. It’s the same point as in my previous articles on Gilas Pilipinas and Megan Young. However, Pinoy Pridists will claim Pacquiao is a great boxer because he’s Filipino. They’re only after praising Pacquiao in order to boost their own image, the folly of an overly image-conscious culture. This is the great propagandic myth we’ve been shooting down. If Pacquiao is great, that doesn’t mean all Filipinos are great.
What Filipinos should understand is that he is already a level above most Filipinos. He trained himself, gained experience, and humbled himself before his American trainer, Freddie Roach, to follow his advice. He earned a lot of victories, went through some defeats… and earned a lot of money. He can’t be a representative of the ordinary Filipino, because he’s not an ordinary Filipino. He’s already up somewhere unreachable. He can be an example for people who want to do something about their lives, but he can’t identify anymore with the ordinary Filipino.
Also, the victory comes after the Visayas is pummeled by the onslaught of Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. The obvious emotional high is there, but it’ll pass. And this is a fact; as fellow blogger Kate Natividad eloquently stated, Manny Pacquiao’s victory will never save or help the typhoon victims in a substantial way. It perhaps gives temporary emotional support for the victims. But after Manny’s victory, it’s back to reality; no house to live in, no livelihood, no food. Hopefully, Manny can help in that department. Filipino “resilience” has a limit.
This is one problem with Filipinos: they think only for the short-term, as theGeert-Hofstede index for the Philippines shows. Pursuing something for the long-term is not valued in our society. Among these long-term things is proper preparation for storms of Yolanda’s strength. That kind of thinking is even shot down as “high-class” or “negative.” Filipinos prefer the short-term joys because these don’t need much work to get. So when disaster strikes, the joys are quickly extinguished.
This brings me to ask; what if Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda never struck at all? Would most still wish Pacquiao would win? Perhaps the attitudes would be different then. For me, this reveals how petty the values of Filipinos can be. Anything to give temporary highs is more valued. Something for the long-term is shunned.
Using other Filipinos’ victories to base one’s happiness on is superficial. We would like to think Pacquiao winning against someone is a victory also for the country. But in truth, Manny is the sole winner of this fight. He goes all the way to the bank with this one. If he really gives a lot of his winnings to help typhoon victims, then he gets my praise.
If Filipinos seek to make Pacquiao’s victory more meaningful, they should stop saying the victory is Pinoy Pride. A more realistic realization is that the victory just shows that some are luckier than others. Perhaps there have been would be great boxers from Tacloban or Leyte, who with enough training, could achieve what Pacquiao did. Sadly, the storm claimed their lives. Pacquiao just knows how to make use of his luck and make it meaningful for himself. How about other Filipinos, can they make their lives meaningful?