Political Will, Squatters, and the Middle Class

People often use the words “political guts” and “political will” without really knowing their meanings. It has been used by the middle class in a rant against informal settlers. It has been used by politicians in an attempt to plump up their image. Recently, I read a headline with a large picture of Senator Drilon in a theatrical pose. The headline read: “POLITICAL WILL NEEEDED TO RELOCATE INFORMAL SETTLERS – DRILON”. Senator Frank Drilon is probably the least qualified animal to say that. It is only the squatters who have no sense of the word, but they are shrewd enough to make REAL use of it.

“POLITICAL CAPITAL NEEDED TO ERADICATE INFORMAL SETTLERS!!!”

Political will is the willingness to give up political capital to achieve a common good.

But what is political capital? It is simply public ratings. Higher public ratings means a more secured political survival.Political capital acknowledges that it is still the people who are in charge. Why are people in charge? Because they can punish or reward politicians through the most powerful institution of the land: ELECTIONS.

In other words, a politician must sacrifice his public ratings to achieve something for the common good. He must make very unpopular decisions. When he does this, he is no longer a politician, but a statesman.

Now. Squatters.

Why is it so difficult to relocate informal settlers? The MMDA blames the mayors, who bank on the informal settlers’ votes in exchange for not demolishing their houses.

Currently, there is mounting hatred against squatters online because they are alleged savages. All this, according to the non-savage middle class.

The middle class.

The middle class often brags about having to carry the weight of the lower classes especially the informal settlers. They are educated, they pay taxes, and they whine about it. It’s so annoying. What they do not realize is that it is as much their fault as everybody else’s that they live in such a putrid city.

The middle class will only act whenever they are affected. Social issues have no bearing for them unless they’re about taxes and sex, alcohol, and the Internet. They have a passionate hatred for the lower class, whom they fear as much as they hate. Hence, when Erap won the presidency in 1998 in a massive landslide, they quickly labeled him as bobo – the universal tag of the masses. Their so-called “superior intelligence” over the squatters and the lower class is something they like to brandish around like a foolish scepter.

They have even rallied around a female celebrity who has probably never experienced a non-air-conditioned climate.

Of course, her “activism” has been mainly confined only to Twitter. LMAO.

If the city is unlivable, then the middle class, who are more educated (supposedly), should take a stand and allow themselves to be FELT. Every day, it is the middle class I encounter who cut lines at the MRT. It is the middle class who litter the streets. It is the middle class who violate laws and cause traffic.

In the past elections, I recently learned that the middle class, especially those who live in posh residences, NEVER VOTE. In the 2010 national elections, only 20% of residents of the 74 villages in BF Homes Paranaque (the largest subdivision in the world; it is larger than the city of San Juan) went out to vote. BF Homes has more than 40,000 registered voters.

On the other hand, squatters areas always end up having a voter turnout of more than 90% EVERY ELECTION.

The apathetic middle class bears more responsibility. They want change but do not exercise their right to affect it. They are educated but behave like mobs. They claim superior intelligence but do not use it. They do not see squatters as people, but something that has to be eradicated, much like a disease. They are concerned about the Internet. Alcohol. Sex. – petty, pathetic little things, while the squatters are concerned about living.

The middle class can afford apathy. They can afford social ignorance. They can afford these things because they pay taxes, which entitles them to just about anything. If the middle class want change, I really hate to see them whining on the social network.

Instead, try threatening your leaders with your very powerful votes. Follow traffic rules. Do not litter. THIS WORKS. The government leaders believe in one thing, and that is political capital. Make them believe that the middle class also control this source of survival, and things will change.

Next Philippine president should cut Ph dependence on easy OFW money

February 1, 2016

by benign0

 

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) rock. They number in the millions and, collectively, are the bedrock of the Philippine economy. They account for up to 10 percent of the value of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and fuel the massive expansion of the Philippines’ retail and entertainment industries.

But the question most often asked about this disturbing dependence on OFWs is, this:

Are OFWs part of the future of a truly prosperous Philippines?

The answer to this question is most likely to be a key issue that will mark the administration of whoever will be winning the presidential elections in 2016 and, most likely, subsequent ones.

It seems, the Philippines’ party days relying on the bonanza of more than $20 billion in remittances that fill the pockets of Filipino islanders to boost consumption and prop up the economy are nearing an end. According to a Bloomberg Business report, the Philippines’ 10 million-strong OFW remittance mill may be badly hurt by crashing global oil prices.

“Before, when the trouble would be concentrated in one of the countries in the Middle East and North Africa, the workers could just simply move to a neighboring country and find employment,” central bank Governor Amando Tetangco said Jan. 25. “Now the trouble is more widespread.”

As well as declining oil prices, a more general slowdown in global trade is affecting the job prospects of Filipino seamen. Many drillers and oil-service companies have suspended operations and shipping companies are also hurting, said Nelson Ramirez, the president of United Filipino Seafarers.
“I have talked to one of the biggest crew suppliers of offshore vessels,” he said in Manila. “They have many laid-up ships. There will be more job losses.”

The OFW industry should be regarded by the Philippine government as a sunset industry that it needs to get rid of. There should be a strategy in place to wean the Philippine economy off the easy money of foreign employment. This will involve implementation of robust measures to lay the foundation for a strong capital-intensive domestic industry that is fuelled by productivity, innovation, and an appetite for entrepreneurial venture.

In short, it’s time Filipinos learn to make money off its own cleverness and industry. That is the challenge for the Philippines as it aspires to takes its place amongst the truly great nations aiming to compete for a big piece of the pie in the 21st Century. It will be a world for the taking — not by passive people but by people who rely on themselves to succeeed.

The Philippines is worse off 30 years after the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution

February 24, 2016

by Ilda

 

I’m tired of reading stories from old farts about the so-called “people power” revolution that transpired at EDSA in 1986. These old-timers hold a tradition to relive the tale over and over and this year is no different as Filipinos set out to mark the 30th anniversary of the event. The stories seem to be growing on trees lately and some of them are annoying because they omit the important role played by Senator Juan Ponce Enrile & former President Fidel Ramos in the lead up to the event. Cory Aquino wasn’t even present during the three-day rally as she was said to be hiding in Cebu but her supporters keep crediting EDSA’s “success” to her.

A 3-day fiesta: The so-called EDSA ‘people power’ revolution

Had Enrile and Ramos not defected from the Marcos administration, the military then would have probably dispersed the crowd even before their numbers reached a hundred. Fortunately for those who took to the streets to support Enrile and Ramos, the military did not touch them. It’s no secret that the military respected both Enrile and Ramos in those days and possibly until now. The people should also give credit to the late former President Ferdinand Marcos for not insisting on shooting or using water canons on the protesters. A truly evil dictator like the late Muammar Gaddafi and Bashar al-Assad would have clung to power even if it meant killing hundreds of civilians.

 

Those who keep reliving the stories of EDSA simply can’t move on. They cling on to the memory of the event partly because of the fiesta atmosphere and mostly because the event was anti-climactic. What followed the “success” of the EDSA revolution was disappointing.

Truly, after all the build up, the ending of the EDSA story was an anticlimactic letdown. I feel sorry for people who are stuck in the past. Being stuck in the past is a phenomenon that occurs when nothing significant has happened in the succeeding years following a supposedly seminal event or when things went downhill from a happy and glorious event.

While the peaceful revolution was hailed worldwide and impressed the international community, three decades later, not much has changed in Philippine society. Filipinos are facing a different kind of tyranny nowadays – something that is even more difficult to remove than a single dictator – the members of the oligarchy. They are the few powerful elite families and clans that own and control mainstream media, telecommunications networks, power and water supply. They provide mostly crappy service and shortchange their Filipino customers.

The protesters may have succeeded in ousting Marcos Sr, but his successors, starting with the late President Cory Aquino, were either too incompetent or too corrupt in their own right to fix the ills of the nation. A lot of people actually describe the current President Benigno Simeon Aquino as both incompetent and corrupt and, in that sense, worse than Marcos Sr. 

Sure, the Philippines or, rather, Metro Manila has more malls now than before and there are more cars on the road but those are hardly signs of progress. It’s actually an indication of society’s lack of imagination and lack of planning. The number of malls is proportionate to the number of people who spend a lot of time doing shallow activities like shopping and spending money instead of saving or investing it. The number of cars on the road point to the lack of reliable public transportation. We all know that Filipinos love their malls. But don’t ask BS Aquino why the traffic is bad. He’ll insist it is a sign of progress. He has this bizarre way of spinning his failures to suit a perception favorable to him.

Do not believe anyone who says that life during the Martial Law years was worse than today. It’s not black and white. It could be the same. There are a lot of people who say that life then was peaceful for those who did not break the law.

Of course there were the abuses committed by members of the military and the Philippine National Police. But the same can be said about their behavior during the Cory years. She has not been held accountable for the Mendiola massacres in 1987 where 13 people were killed by government anti-riot forces. Likewise, the Hacienda Luisita massacre in 2004 was when seven farmers died in the hands of PNP and AFP forces. And now, during her son’s reign, BS Aquino has avoided taking responsibility for the countless deaths during his term starting with the eight Chinese tourists who died during the Mendoza hostage crisis in 2010 which was partly due to government incompetence in handling the situation.

For the same reason, six thousand people (a conservative estimate) died during the Yolanda typhoon in 2014. And let’s now forget the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) troopers who died in the hands of members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front who were, at the time, in the process dictating the terms of a so-called peace agreement to BS Aquino. The President’s effort to appease the rebels was allegedly the reason he did not authorize the military to help the SAF troops who were under attack. His behavior – favoring the enemy more than his men – was tantamount to treason. That’s obviously something worse than declaring Martial Law, which was a legal move to save the country from a communist takeover back in the early 1970s.

Do not believe anyone who says that the economy is better now. BS Aquino’s government used illegal means like pork barrel funds and the so-called Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) to aggressively spend in a desperate bid to stimulate economic growth. The problem is, the economy is now a bubble. If the next administration puts a hold on spending, it could negatively-affect economic growth. In other words, the economic growth we are supposedly in the midst of is now unsustainable and merely for show while BS Aquino is in power. The only thing that truly keeps the economy afloat are the remittances from overseas contract workers. It’s worth mentioning again, for the sake of the new voters, that it was during Marcos Sr’s time when the policy of sending Filipinos to work abroad started. It was not a good way to fix unemployment but succeeding administrators also benefited from that strategy nonetheless.

Furthermore, the BS Aquino government borrowed too much from foreign creditors to fund his three trillion-peso budget. The total amount he borrowed during his term is said to be more than four trillion pesos. That is more than the amount his supporters keep accusing Marcos Sr of borrowing during his term. Filipinos who are not even born yet already have a debt to pay thanks to BS Aquino. I suppose the thought doesn’t bother him because he does not have a child and his term is about to end anyway. It’ll be someone else’s problem. As long as BS Aquino’s allies in the media keep harping about how the economy is better during his term, his image will remain intact.

So the stories about EDSA told by the old farts will remain a story about a three-day fiesta and nothing more. As my sociology professor once said, Filipinos love feasting for a day and fasting all year. In this case, a three-decade fasting followed a three-day fiesta.

A message to Filipinos who plan to celebrate the EDSA People Power ‘revolution’ anniversary

February 23, 2016

by benign0

I find them funny, these articles, blogs, and Facebook posts that together mount a futile effort to trumpet the dubious “achievements” of Yellow-branded “democracy” over the last 30 years. Authors of these hilarious articles make the whole circus sound colourful and peachy only because they apply a low bar as a baseline for measuring “progress”. All they really do is further highlight Filipinos’ renowned pwede-na-yan (that’ll do) mentality.

Some of them are downright misleading. Purchasing power supposedly increased since then because prices were crushed by the “reforms” following the 1986 “revolution” under the weight of a torrent of cheap imports from China and pretty much the rest of the world flooding the Philippines’ consumer market. Family incomes were propped up by millions of Filipinos working abroad at the expense of the sound upbringing of an entire generation of Filipino youth. Lower prices crushed by industry-killing imports plus incomes raised by a labour practice that erodes a society’s core social fabric equals the sick society we see today.

Freedom of speech? Of course we have lots of that. That “freedom” to speak is now used to spread inanities over a vast swath of the nation’s ill-educated (thanks to a still-decrepit public education system) electorate. Evidence of this failure of the nation’s “free-thinking” thought leaders to uplift the national discourse is on display today in the sorry lot of presidential candidates lined up before us and the half-brained celebrities populating the country’s legislature. Collectively, our presidential candidates are products of Philippine society and mirror its intellectual bankruptcy.

Sure, Metro Manila now looks like a “modern city” with a skyline that rivals other metropolises around the world. But how much of that cosmopolitan chic and trendiness do Filipinos really have access to? Not much. And even for those who “can afford” (thanks to OT hours and night differentials racked up in our famous call centres), getting there is an unnecessarily onerous challenge. Walking is virtually out of the question as you’ll need another shower after spending just 15 minutes outdoors in Manila’s toxic atmosphere. Public transport? There ain’t any — none that is modern at least. Own a shiny new Toyota Fortuner? Make sure you don some adult diapers (or dehydrate yourself to a crisp) before embarking on the 20-kilometre drive from your tony White Plains suburb to chi-chi Makati to “gimmick galore”. And bring your iPhone. You might be lucky enough to catch a decent Globe or SMART 3G or 4G signal during the three-hour ride — if you are extremely lucky, that is.

And so Filipinos are “still here”.

Yes, continuing to exist is now regarded as an “achievement”. Pwede na yan, right? So we will, yet again, troop to EDSA to celebrate the 1986 “people power revolution”. Was it, indeed, a display of people power? Perhaps. Filipinos have since exhibited a talent for physically massing themselves in the hundreds of thousands to “achieve” something that could be listed on the Guinness Book of World Records, so we must have learned something there, to be fair. But was it a revolution? It is on that question that the interesting discussion begins.

Was the supposed “transformation” of the Philippines following 1986 truly revolutionary?

Continuing to be “still here”, I guess, is something Filipinos consider to be revolutionary. To each his own standards I guess. Some people consider advancing from Third World to First World as the gold standard of revolutionary. Other people regard simply still being alive as “revolutionary”.

Perhaps we don’t deserve the gold standard in much the same way that we are happy defending our skies with FA-50 training planes while the airforces of the rest of the region menace their respective airspaces with F-16s and 4th-generation fighters.

Oh well. Existing is a quintessentially Filipino achievement. That, at least, we can assure ourselves of.

Don’t thank PNoy: Economic growth does not necessarily mean good governance!

February 22, 2016

by David Yap II

Lately I’ve been seeing these posts thanking the president for increasing our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by something like 120 billion USD.

It upsets me because it betrays a piss poor understanding of economics.

I’ll give you two reasons why this thinking is wrong — because two is more than enough.

First and foremost, the government has spent massive amounts of money in the past five years. The current budget alone is 3 trillion pesos. A three trillion peso government budget is a massive infusion to the GDP. That’s approximately 250 billion USD even before factoring multiplier effects (and of course government inefficiency – an indispensable variable in any equation that involves the government). Put simply, any administration can jack up the GDP by simply enlarging the national budget and spending government tax revenue and loans. It’s what the government does. It spends money. I’m not even going to go into how much debt we’ve incurred to finance that gargantuan budget.

You’d think that with that kind of budget we would have state-of-the-art trains, seamless and reliable transport systems, better and more affordable healthcare, free colleges, fast and reliable public internet, high-quality public K-12 schools, license plates with functioning bar codes (or license plates for that matter), and highly automated government services buuuuut, yeah, never mind.

Second, overseas Filipino worker (OFW) deployment has been surging for the past five years. On average there are 350,000 to 400,000 new officially-registered deployments every year. That is almost 2 million Filipinos sent abroad as OFWs in the past five years. That is an extra 2 million OFWs on top of the previously deployed OFWs. That’s billions of dollars in remittances – every month, every year. That is billions of dollars that will feed into the economy through consumer demand. You’re going to thank the government for sending our countrymen and countrywomen abroad? I suppose you can tout that as an “export-oriented policy” wherein your primary export would be people.

What economic reforms were put in place? What productivity enhancing major infrastructure projects were completed in the past five years (sans those began by the previous administration)?

How about the real performance of the economy as measured by real income gains? Nobody is talking about real income gains BECAUSE THE REAL INCOMES OF MOST PEOPLE DID NOT INCREASE. How about poverty? The poverty incidence numbers have stayed the same despite the fact that the poverty threshold is increasing at a rate lower than the headline inflation rate. Never mind that the inflation rate among the poor is easily twice or thrice the headline inflation rate – which basically means that we are grossly underestimating poverty. How about inequality? Our GINI is inching dangerously close to 50%. While real incomes of most people stay the same, the net worths of the elite is doubling – even tripling. How about the agricultural sector? Myanmar is about to overtake us in terms of agricultural productivity. Myanmar guys Myanmar. They’ve been at each other’s throats for years, decades even, and they are about to eclipse our agricultural productivity.

But, you know, who cares. The GDP INCREASED.

#PiliPinasDebates2016 outcome: Mar Roxas the clear loser in the 2016 Philippine presidential debate

February 22, 2016

by benign0

It was a first of its kind face-off amongst the Philippines’ presidential candidates which was organised by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and sponsored by TV network GMA-7. But because the 2016 Presidential Debate (dubbed #PiliPinasDebates2016 on Twitter), was held in Cagayan de Oro City in the southern island of Mindanao, most of the topics fielded by hosts Mike Enriquez and Jessica Soho were focused on that region.

As such, Mindanao’s poverty, inadequate infrastructure, and corruption, dominated the debate topics fielded. To be fair, they were important issues. Mindanao is the Philippines’ second biggest land mass and regarded as the nation’s “breadbasket” accounting for 40% of national economic output in agriculture, forestry, and fishing. The region, overall, accounts for about 15% of national Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Mindanao is often described as being “home to the Philippines’ poorest people” but most fail to mention that much of this poverty is concentrated in provinces dominated by Islamic people where terrorists, bandits, and other criminals reign with impunity.

Hands down, Senator Grace Poe stood out as the most articulate and fresh-faced candidate, perhaps owing to her youth and telegenic showbiz looks, general superior breeding, and confident demeanour. In comparison, the other candidates came across as out of their element and, quite frankly, old-fartish. Perhaps, being traditional politicians, they were unaccustomed to the confonting and real-time pace of a live televised debate (there hasn’t been any such of consequence for a long time).

For his part, Rodrigo Duterte hinged most of his arguments on the promise to deliver fast results across the most difficult of issues to tackle, staking his word and honour on a commitment to solve much of the country’s peace-and-order and corruption issues within a 3- to 6-month timeframe. The audacity of this promise notwithstanding, it is only Duterte who exhibits a boldness that could resonate with a largely cynical electorate. Whilst all the other candidates, in comparison, waffle out motherhood statements on how to address crime and corruption, the key takeaway from Duterte’s position is clear and starkly stands out as points the Filipino public can categorically hold his administration to.

Indeed, this lack of specifics amongst most candidates is the cornerstone of Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s arguments. Her challenge is simple: specific actions and plans should be backed by a proposed budget and funding approach. She admonishes the candidates with what is pretty much a no-brainer perspective — that promises are easy to make during election campaigns and requires no particular skill or qualification to issue. It was quite evident, however, that Santiago was struggling during the event. Her voice was quivering and she exhibited none of the fire, coherence, and clarity of thought she contributes in Senate plenary sessions.

Jejomar Binay, perhaps being the most experienced administrator of the lot, showed calm and deliberateness in the manner with which he delivered his arguments. However, he spent much of his airtime deflecting and sidestepping questions about his alleged “ill-gotten wealth”.

Quite unfortunate, however, that Liberal Party candidate Mar Roxas drew much of his arguments from the tired old Daang Matuwid (“straight path”) party mantra. This doctrine has, for some time, been suffering a crushing crisis of credibility thanks to the failure of the administration of President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III to deliver much around upgrading the country’s decrepit infrastructure and addressing the rampant criminality sweeping the nation. The administration has also failed to convincingly stamp out the criminal practice of pork barrel politics between Malacanang and Congress, mounting mere token gestures across a number of media circuses in a lame effort to be perceived to be “reforming” governance. Various high-profile infrastructure failures, notably in the country’s transport facilities also occurred under Roxas’s watch.

Suffice to say, most people’s eyes likely simply glazed over everytime Roxas parrotted the LP script he likely keeps in his back pocket most days. It probably didn’t help that barkadas across the nation played a bullshit bingo drinking game whenever Roxas’s turn to speak came up.

Filipinos will likely be awaiting the next instalment in this long-overdue COMELEC franchise. This one was criticised by some quarters as a bit tame and as coming across more as a question-and-answer forum than a true debate. Hopefully, there will be a bit more latitude provided in the debate structure next time to allow the candidates to engage in more pointed exchanges of ideas and points of view. An important outcome will have been more clarity around how the platforms and visions of each candidate differ from one another. Sadly, this episode fell short of that ideal outcome. The exercise was a step in the right direction, nonetheless. Kudos to the COMELEC for a job well done!

[Source of economic data: NCR GRDP Press Release 2014]

Vice Ganda’s vulgar behavior damages the image of the Philippines’ gay community

February 20, 2016

by Ilda

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community has been thrown in the spotlight after boxing champion and Philippine congressman Manny Pacquiao’s controversial statement saying they are worse than animals. While he received a lot of flak from people around the world and consequently got fired by his sponsor, shoe manufacturing giant Nike, Pacquiao also received a lot of support from those who share his views.

Netizens pray that Manny Pacquiao learn to be more tolerant of homosexuals.

Many of his supporters say that he is entitled to his opinion just like any regular guy. The problem is, Pacquiao is not a regular guy. He is an internationally-renowned athlete and is treated like a celebrity everywhere he goes. His millions of followers look up to him and take his words very seriously. His words can ignite anti-homosexual attitudes and promote intolerance in communities around the world. Already we are seeing people arguing online over his statements – religious groups against LGBT supporters – and things are becoming nasty. To be fair, both sides tend to act like lynch mobs.

The worst part is, since he is a lawmaker in the Philippines, Pacquiao can come up with laws that could make homosexuals feel unwelcome in the country. Some say he could eventually ban homosexuals considering he doesn’t think too highly of them.

Indeed, Pacquiao is entitled to his opinion but he has to learn to choose his words very carefully. There are people from certain groups like the gay community who have received their fair share of beating just for being who they are. In the past, gays have been bullied and even murdered for being “different”. What I’m trying to say is, while on the surface, gays and lesbians seem to be accepted by the general community nowadays, a lot of people still resent their lifestyle. Some people’s views against homosexuals get validated when popular figures like Pacquiao share their own views via mainstream media. Some of these people hate homosexuals enough to kill the first one they see.

Vice Ganda has come to symbolise male homosexuality in the Philippines.

Prior to Pacquiao’s statement, most people agreed that he is a likeable person. It’s not surprising since he has helped a lot of people in his district General Santos City with his generosity. He is said to have used his own money to build houses for thousands of poor people. While his actions are commendable, it is not a long-term solution to fixing poverty in the Philippines. Most of what he does are Band-Aid solutions. Besides, Pacquiao helping the poor using his own money is not sustainable not to mention unwise on his part. The money could run out eventually. Furthermore, it is encouraging people to be too reliant on handouts. A more sustainable way to help would have been to provide livelihood projects for the poor so they could work for a living.

His supporters who cite his generosity in defending him should realize that his generosity is not a license for him to spread hatred against people who have values and belief systems different to his.

While Pacquiao’s statement deserves to be criticized, I can understand why there are people who hate members of the LGBT community particularly in the Philippines. A lot of those who represent homosexuals in Philippine show business are crass and vulgar. They seem to be obsessed with talking about sex and acting it out in their shows.

One such homosexual who is very popular in the Philippines is Vice Ganda. He quite often dresses inappropriately and uses language not suitable for children under 15 years of age. Unfortunately, he has a lot of underage followers who even emulate him. Another homosexual representative in show business is Boy Abunda. He may not be as rude and crude as Vice Ganda but his show promotes gossiping – talking about people instead of ideas. This is not good for the society.

Incidentally, Vice Ganda has come under fire for his lascivious acts during a concert in Japan gyrating on stage with two men. It seems some homosexuals like Vice Ganda are overcompensating for something by acting like nymphomaniacs in public.

The point is, when Filipinos think of homosexuals, what comes to their mind are gays like Vice Ganda and Boy Abunda. That’s enough for a lot of people to become homophobic.

Not all homosexuals act like Vice Ganda and he is not doing the LGBT community any favors by acting like a sexually-deprived individual on stage in his shows. I know a few homosexuals who don’t act like Vice Ganda and you wouldn’t even think they are gay because they are very fine and proper. It is not fair for homosexuals like them to be represented by the likes of Vice Ganda.

Vice Ganda’s lascivious antics in front of the cameras possibly contribute to homophobia.

In a lot of progressive countries, homosexuals are not exclusively represented by what some call in derogatory terms “screaming faggots”. The Americans have fashion designer and movie director Tom Ford; the United Kingdom has highly-acclaimed actor Sir Ian McKellen, among other prominent folks. You wouldn’t even realize some of them are homosexuals because they are very discrete. There are homosexuals in the medical and law professions – they are professionals who lead quiet and respectable lives and do not deserve to be lumped in the same mold as Vice Ganda.

It’s a shame that the LGTB community in the Philippines is represented by such characters like Vice Ganda. Some homosexuals actually don’t want him to represent the gay community. Goes to show that it’s not only Pacquiao who is taking the country in the wrong direction. The best way to fix this dilemma is to meet halfway. Pacquiao should promote tolerance of homosexuals and the LGBT community should speak out against people like Vice Ganda and stop them from promoting promiscuity and overall appalling behavior in public.

[Photo courtesy ABS-CBN News.]