Gaano nga ba kalaki ang 500 daang libo?

Noong nakaraang buwan, naging napakalaking kontrobersya ang nabalitaang “panunuhol” ng Malacanang sa mga kongresista at gobernador na dumalo sa isang pag pupulong na naganap sa Palasyo.

Ayon sa pagbubulgar ng paring nagging gobernador na si Ed Pallilio, sya ay inabutan (o ang kanyang opisyal na tauhan) ng isang supot na naglalaman ng kalahating milyon.

Hindi nakakapagtaka na magulat at maguluhan ang gobernador pagkat hindi nya alam kung para saan at anung dahilang kung bakit sya nabigyan ng ganung halaga.

Sa ngayon ay samut sari na ang mga pagpapaliwanag at pag e esplika kung kanino at para saan nga ba galing ang halagang natangap na maykalakip ng “tagong pabor?”

At ang mas nakakalungkot (o nakapang gi gigil) ay ang mga pulitikong nag sasabi na wala raw masama sa pag tanggap ang ganung halaga, lalo’t nat bigay daw iyon? (Hindi bat bigay din inyong perang pinagtatalunan kaya na kulong at napatalsik si Erap?)

Malamang me punto sila, lalo na at ang nasabing halaga di umano’y gagamitin sa pagtulong sa mga proyekto sa pagpapalakad ng mga distrito at probinsya…

Ngunit, ang tanung, gaano ba talaga kalaki ang kalahating milyon, ilang eskwelahan ba ang maari mo maipagawa sa halagang ito? Ilang kabang bigas ang kaya nitong bilhin? Ilang tulay ang kaya nitong ipakumpuni? Ilang gamut at maaring bilihin?

Sapat na ba ang dami ng mga ito upang msabing malaking tulong ito sa pag uumpisa ng isang bagitong gobernador tulad ni Ed Pallilio? O mallit itong tulong, ngunit malaking suhol?

FINE DAY.

Well this week could not be a lot interesting than it is, on my way to POEA, I got stuck in Traffic due to a special Police checkpoint, maybe the Government is serious in preventing any havoc that the communist threat might cause...

Or maybe its just one of GMA's power tripping, what day is it anyway?
anyway, I got this funny thing that happened after I arrived at the Office.
An OFW approach me and ask me a question.

OFW: Sir, pwedeng magtanung... saan ang daan patungo paitaas?

Im a bit confuse...Is this a religious question or he is just too darn stupid to realize that there is an elevator at the lobby and he probably saw it when he entered the Office.
(OH PROBABLY NOT)

Anyway, I directed the poor soul which way to go... but I'm a moment away in giving him a bible.
but I guess its sacrilegious... he he he

The Middle Class Talk

Received it from the mail. A bit self righteous but most of his/her points are valid

Walang kwenta ang PilipinasBy: jawbreaker.

(isang ordinaryong office worker na ayaw na magbayad ng tax...ever!)

Hindi ko na mapigilan ang sarili ko. Sukang-suka na ko sa mganangyayari sa bansang 'to!Walang katapusang corruption, walang kamatayang pangbabatikos,pagbabatuhan ng ta* at pagpapa-taasan ng ihi ng mga pulitiko sa bawatisa, walang tigil na imbestigasyon ng kung ano-anong isyu pero walanamang matinong resolusyon, walang puknat na pag-aagawan ngkapangyarihan sa pagitan ng mga partido, patuloy na pagdami ng tamadat tangang Pilipino, patuloy na pakikipaglaban ng ideolohiyang walanamang silbi.Ang gobyerno ng Pilipinas, talo pa ang septic tank na hinihigop ngMalabanan ? saksakan ng dumi at napakabaho. Kaya hindi nakakapagtakana ang Pilipinas ang isa sa pinakamahirap at corrupt na bansa samundo. Kasi lahat sila bulok, lahat sila walang kwenta. Lahat silasugapa sa kapangyarihan at sa pera.ANAK NG TETENG! !$#%Q!&!* @!!!!!KAHIT KRISTIYANO AKO, HINDI KO MAPIGILANG MAGMURA AT HILINGIN SADIYOS (MINSAN NGA PATI SA DEMONYO) NA MAMATAY NA SILANG LAHAT ATI-BBQ SILA NG HABANG-BUHAY SA IMPIERNO.SINONG "SILA"? EH DI MGA CORRUPT NA GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND WORKERS,MGA TAMBAY NA PILIPINO NA ANG LALAKI NG KATAWAN PERO HINDI NAMANNAGTRATRABAHO AT HINDI NAGBABAYAD NG TAX, MGA MAYAYAMAN AT ARISTANGTAX EVADERS, PATI MGA AKTIBISTA, NPA AT IBA PANG IDEOLOGICAL GROUPSNA HINDI NAGBABAYAD NG TAX PERO PANG-GULO!!! MAMATAY NA KAYO!!!Lagi na lang sinasabi ng mga pulitiko: Ipaglaban ang masa! Tulunganang masa! Mahalin ang masa!nyets! MASA LANG BA ANG TAO SA PILIPINAS?SINO BA TALAGA ANG BUMUBUHAY SA PUNYETANG BANSANG TO?SAAN BA GALING ANG PANGPAGAWA NG MGA TULAY AT KALYE? SAAN BA GALINGANG PORK BARREL? SAAN BA GALING ANG PERANG KINUKURAKOT NYO?KAMI NA MGA MANGGAGAWA AT MIDDLE CLASS NA BAGO PA MAKUHA ANG SWELDOBAWAS NA ? KAMI ANG BUMUBUHAY SA WALANG KWENTANG BANSA NA'TO!!!!!!!!!BAKIT YANG BANG MGA MASANG YAN NA LAGI NA LANG SENTRO NG PLATAPORMANG MGA PULITIKO EH NAGBABAYAD BA NG TAX???!!!!F**K YOU! KAHIT ISA SA MGA NAG-RA-RALLYING MGA SQUATTER NA YAN, KAHITSINGKO HINDI NAG-RE-REMIT YAN SA BIR!PERO PINAPAKINGGAN BA KAMI NG GOBYERNO?LAGI NA LANG OPINYON NG MASA ANG INIINTINDI NG GOBYERNO.KUNG SINO ANG NAG-RA-RALLY, SA EDSA, SILA ANG NASUSUNOD.KUNG SINO ANG MAS MALAKAS SUMIGAW PERO WALA NAMANG ECONOMICCONTRIBUTION, SILA LAGI ANG FOCUS PAG MAY PROBLEMA.SILA LAGI ANG BIDA.KAMING MGA ORDINARYONG OFFICE WORKERS, OFW'S, LABORERS AT IBA PANGNAG-TRA-TRABAHO AT NAGBABAYAD NG TAX ? KAMI ANG NAGPAPAKAHIRAP PARABUHAYIN ANG PILIPINAS. KAMI ANG MGA TUNAY NA BAYANI NG BANSA!!!Tuwing nakikita ko ang payslip ko, nag-iinit ang ulo ko at gusto kongmaiyak sa inis. Napakalaki ng tax na binabawas sa akin pero ginagamitlang sa walang kwentang bagay ang perang pinaghirapan ko.Lahat ng pagtitipid ginagawa ko para suportahan ang sarili ko,pamilya ko at ang punyetang bansang to. Ni hindi ako makabili ngchicken and spaghetti meal sa Jollibee kahit gutom na gutom na ko.Nag-tya-tyaga ako sa waffle na tig-P10, o kaya pag may konting pera,junior bola-bola siopao sa Mini-Stop sa halangang P20.Eh kung yung pera ko na pinapangbabayad sa tax sa kin na langnapunta, eh di sana nakakapanood pa ko ng sine at least 2 beses saisang buwan. Nakabili na sana ako ng bagong rubber shoes.Nakapagpagawa na sana ako ng sarili kong bahay.Yung tax na binabayad ko, karamihan nun derecho sa bulsa ng mgacorrupt na mga government officials at workers. Habang hirap na hirapakong i-budget ang pera ko, sila naman nagpapakasarap sa mga mansyon.SUV's at luxury cars pa ang dina-drive nila, samantalang ako sapedicab lang sumasakay!P****** INA! PERA KO YANG PINAPAGPAPASASAAN NYO!!!!!Yung tax na binabayad ko, pinapangsuporta sa mga mahihirap. Saan bagaling ang pera pangpagawa ng housing at pagtulong sa mga mahihirap,di ba sa mga manggagawa na nagbabayad ng buwis! Pero karamihan ngmahihirap, kung umasta kala mo inaapi sila ng sobra.SA TOTOO LANG NO, KAYA ANG MGA MAHIHIRAP LALONG NAGHIHIRAP KASI MGATAMAD!Ang daming mga tambay sa kalye na walang trabaho pero ang laki ngkatawan. Eh kung sila ba nagkargador sa pier eh di sana may perasila.TAPOS WALA NA NGANG PERA, ANAK PA NG ANAK!nyets! LALO NYO LANG PINAPADAMI ANG TAMAD AT t*nga SA MUNDO!!!!!Naaawa ako sa mga batang pakalat-kalat sa kalye at namamalimos.Imbes na nag-aaral, dumadagdag lang sila sa bilang ng mga futurecriminals sa Pinas. Hindi ako magtataka na yung batang nakita kongnamamalimos sa Cubao, pagkatapos ng ilang taon cellphone snatcher na.YUNG MGA MAGULANG NAMAN DYAN, COMMON SENSE LANG! HIRAP NA HIRAP NANGA KAYO SA BUHAY, MANGDADAMAY PA KAYO NG IBA?! PAPARAMIHAN NYO PALAHI NYO!Palibhasa walang mga trabaho at walang pinagkaka-abalahan, kayanagkakalabitan at nagsusundutan na lang maghapon, magdamag. Sa totoolang, nakakabilib. Kasi kahit sa ilalim ng tulay o sa kariton lang,nakakabuo pa rin ng bata! Ibig sabihin, maabilidad ang mga Pinoy.Kung gugustuhin, gagawan ng paraan. Kahit sa makipot, mabaho atmaduming lugar ? SOLVE!Isa pang mga grupo ng tao na nakakainis, yung mga aktibista, NPA atkung ano-ano pang ideological political groups. Sabi nila, mahal namahal nila ang Pilipinas kaya pinagpalalaban nila ang kanilang mgaadhikain.nyets! EH HINDI RIN KAYO NAGBABAYAD NG TAX! ANG KAKAPAL RIN NG MGAMUKHA NYO!MGA IPOKRITO! MAHAL DAW ANG PILIPINAS AYAW NAMAN MAGBAYAD NG BUWIS!BAKIT MAY BIR COLLECTOR BA SA GITNA NG MENDIOLA AT EDSA?! MAY TAXCOLLECTION BA SA BUNDOK?!WALA DIN NAMAN KAYONG MGA TRABAHO! KUNG MAY TRABAHO TALAGA KAYO,HINDI KAYO MAG-RA-RALLY DAHIL SAYANG ANG SWELDO NYO PAG ABSENT KAYO!PAANO NYO MAIPAPAKITA ANG PAGMAMAHAL NYO SA PILIPINAS KUNG WALA NAKAYONG GAWANG MATINO KUNDI MAG-RALLY AT MAMUNDOK??!!!ISA PA YANG MGA MAYAYAMAN AT MGA ARTISTA, NA NANGDADAYA AT HINDINAGBABAYAD NG BUWIS. ANG KAKAPAL NG MUKHA NYO! ANG DAMI NYO NA NGANGPERA NANGDADAYA PA KAYO SA TAX!!!! HINDI NYO NAMAN MADADALA SAIMPIERNO YANG MGA KAYAMAN NYO. MASUSUNOG LANG DUN YAN.KAYA LALONG BUMABAGSAK ANG NEGOSYO DITO SA PILIPINAS, KASI MGANEGOSYANTE MANDARAYA. PATI SHOWBIZ INDUSTRY, BAGSAK NA DIN. KARMA ANGTAWAG DYAN. MGA BALASUBAS KASI.Sana magkaron ng POLITICAL AND NATIONAL CLEANSING.Alisin (mas maganda kung patayin na lang) ang lahat ng pulitiko atpolitical families sa puwesto. Tibagin ang lahat ng mapanirangorganizations at grupo. Itapon sa malayong isla o kaya i-pwersa nghard labor ang mga sobrang tamad na mga Pilipino. Ihiwalay ang mgabata sa kanilang mga tamad at tangang magulang upang makapag-aralsila at maturuan na maging mabuting tao at mamamayan. Magkaron ngbagong lider na walang political ties at utang na loob sa kahit sino.At higit sa lahat, dapat tax payers lang ang pwedeng bumoto!Kung kinakailangang magka-giyera para magtino ang mga Pilipino, ayoslang. Masyado na kasing matigas ang ulo ng mga tao dito. Gusto ngkalayaan, pero hindi naman handang panagutan ang responsibilidad ngpagiging malaya. Meron daw pinaglalaban na prinsipyo at adhikain perotakot namang mamatay para dito.(Sa mga nakaka-alam sa anime na Gundam Wing, yan ang inspirasyon kosa new Pinas hehe. I love you Zechs! I love you Treize!)Hangga't hindi nagkakaron ng radical change, patuloy na walang kwentaang Pilipinas at patuloy na magiging t*nga ang majority ng mgaPilipino.Sa dami ng nag-mi-migrate na Pilipino sa ibang bansa, dadating angpanahon na minority na lang ng population sa Pilipinas ang may utak.Yung mga magagaling na Pilipino, malamang maubos na. Sobra na kasisilang na-fru-frustrate at na-de-depress sa mga nakikita nila.Ilang taon pa at aalis na rin ako sa Pilipinas. Wala kong balak namagkaron ng pamilya sa isang bansa na hindi pinapahalagahan angkontribusyon ng mga taong tunay na bumubuhay dito. Kawawa naman angmagiging anak ko kung dito sya mabubuhay.Sa totoo lang, broken hearted ako. Minahal ko din ang bansang ito.Pilit kong pinagtatanggol kahit bulok. Nakarating na ko ng ibangbansa, pero pinili kong bumalik. Pero ngayon, ayoko na. Suko na ko.Sayang lang ako sa bansang to. Simple lang naman ang hiling ko. Gustoko lang mabuhay ng tahimik at maayos. Gusto ko na kahit paano ehmaipagmalaki ang Pilipinas. Pero wala eh. Doomed to be jologs angbansang to.Alam ko marami pa ang umaasa at naniniwala sa pagbabago. Good luckand God bless! Sana tama kayo at mali ako.

We The Jologs: A Reaction to Jawbreaker’s "Walang Kwenta and Pilipinas" by Iona

I am working class, I pay my taxes, I am an "ordinary office worker," I know how it feels..... but this person, whoever he or she is, does not speak for me. While the writer did not claim that he was speaking for anyone but himself, the same passion that compelled him to compose his message is the same passion which compels me now to say my piece.I write this for several reasons. First, the email (or more accurately, the blog entry) now circulating, as strongly-worded as it is, is bound to reach more and more people and lest more are led to believe that most of us think in the same vein, I have to say that we do not, or at least I don't. Second, many of his statements do a great many Filipino grave disservice. Third, it is time to speak.I am just as sick of the corruption and the scandals and the politicking. Pagod, sawa, at sukang-suka sa walang katapusang pagbabangayan, tama siya doon! Ang gobyerno ng Pilipinas ay saksakan ng dumi at baho... tama ulit! We are all sick of watching these politicians fight over positions in goverment like rabied dogs, all in the name of public service kuno when in fact the only interest they ever serve is their own. But this issue goes so far beyond politics! Sino nga bang kawawa sa mga nangyayari ngayon? Kahit naman anong mangyari doon sa itaas, wala naman sa kanila ang maghihirap. Even if Gloria resigns or is removed from office, she's not going to end up anywhere near the poor house scrounging for a daily living. Lahat sila, administrasyon, oposisyon, militar, the big business players... all those powers that be who seem to be driving the country further and further into the depths of oblivion... they have nothing to lose except the opportunity to accumulate more wealth a! t our expense. If this country does self-destruct, all they have to do is hop on an airplane and fly, business class at that, to some other country.At sino ang maiiwan dito? Tayo. The so-called "middle-class"... and the so-called "masa". Sama-sama tayong maiiwan dito to drown in the muck. And because of this, I see no distinction between the purported middle-class and the masa anymore, definitely not one that will help us in these trying times. To hang on to the notion that our interests are different is myopic. To believe that the middle-class have more at stake is arrogant. To continue to keep a line between "them" and "us" is elitist and wrong. It also borders on prejudice, which is unacceptable. This kind of hatred is just as bad as greed. Look around you. Unless you are surnamed Ayala (exception na lang siguro si Joey Ayala) or Cojuancgo or Gokongwei or what have you.... working or not, MASA ka rin! So what if you dress better, or went to a private school, can speak decent English, or listen to Coldplay instead of April Boy? Does it make you more of a person? Does it make you more deserving of a better life? Does it make you more entitled to decent service from an honest government? All it makes you is, well, better-dressed and eligible for a higher tax bracket.You know what the real differences are? The real difference between "us" and "them" is that while "we" complain about not being able to afford a fancy dinner at some expensive restaurant or buy a new pair of sneakers or get the latest cellphone, "they" worry about where to get money for their next meal. "They" worry about diseases like pneumonia and TB and not having even a hundred bucks to even go to a doctor to ask for a prescription that they won't be able to afford to buy anyway. Our children give up going to the movies; their children give up fare money and walk to school, if they are able to still go to school in the first place. The taxes that you pay may mean an out-of-town family vacation. The taxes that according to you they don’t pay could spell the difference between life and death. THAT is the difference.Paying your taxes does not make you better than anyone else. Haven’t you thought about the fact that so many Filipinos are exempt from paying taxes precisely because they are too poor to pay any tax? And for sure, kahit kailan hindi sila naging bida. Kahit kailan, hindi sila nasunod. Kahit kailan, hindi sila ever pinakinggan ng gobyerno. Pinarada si Mang Pandoy dati, yung tatlong bata naman nung panahon ni Gloria, pero nasaan na sila ngayon? The Government has always claimed to but has NEVER actually championed their cause. EDSA I? Mind you, hindi yun laban ng mga jologs na masa. Laban yun ng lahat ng Pilipino, led foremost by the middle-class! Lalo naman ang EDSA II which put Gloria in power. That was almost a purely middle-class movement. Maybe you’re talking about the so called mob which rally to support Erap at every opportunity, but they have not been heard. More importantly, they do not properly represent the poor of this country. The "masa" can be found not only in Metro Manila; they are scattered all across these 7,107 islands of ours. High tide or low tide, they have never been empowered. They remain desolate and neglected and oppressed. True, pag kampanya sila!ang bida sa plataporma, pero pagkatapos hindi ba yung mga crony na business tycoons at foreign investors din naman and naghahari? And you will deny them their right to basic government service? No need, because the Government never served them anyway.And besides, OO, tayong working class ang nagbabayad ng buwis at OO dahil dun nabubuhay ang Pilipinas. But do you know who really keeps this country afloat, albeit barely? The farmers! The fishermen! Those people who still somehow keep the agricultural sector going. They feed you and me. Literal pa yan! Economically, agriculture is still our major industry. By traditional definitions, I’m sure kasama sila sa masa na sobrang kinagagalitan mo. Will you deny them their proper place in keeping this country alive for all of us? They probably contribute more than both you and I do. Besides, the way things are going right now, meron pa bang tao na hindi nagbabayad ng buwis one way or the other?Yung mga big-time tax evaders, tama, sa kanila ka magalit. Pero wag doon sa maliliit na wala namang magawa.Totoo, nakakainis ang mga tamad. At totoo naman na maraming tamad sa Pilipinas. But the poor do not have a monopoly of the indolence in this country. At sa totoo lang, hindi sila mahirap dahil tamad sila. I find it tyrannical, and such a terrifying recall to the Spanish colonial era, that some people still seem to think so. As much as there are lazy people in the squatters of Tondo, there are just as many lazy people in Forbes Park. The only difference is that they have Daddy’s money to disguise their lack of productivity. At kahit tamad sila, hindi sila nagugutom.Totoo, may mahihirap na hindi umaangat kasi tamad. Pero karamihan sa mahihirap humihirap dahil kahit anong gawin nila, hindi sila nabibigyan ng pagkakataong umayos ang buhay. Do we really believe the poor are content with their poverty and do not try to do all in their power to change their fate? Tell that to the driver of the next pedicab you ride. The bare naked truth is, in most cases, they are simply not given the opportunity to prosper. For one, Government does not give them the education they need and deserve to equip and empower them to do better. And there’s the capitalist economy of consumption and excess, where profit is the end that justifies any means, which simply will not let anyone other than the key players and investors and top-level executives have any share of the wealth. I find it strange that you shouldn’t see this. You are the best example of what I mean. You complain of having to content yourself with a 10 peso waffledog at Mini-stop instead of your favorite value meal at Jollibee… yet you work your butt off, don’t you? Hindi ka tamad, pero yumaman ka na ba? Like I said, masa ka rin. The simple fact is, for poor people like us, there is a much bigger hurdle than the fight against one’s own "tamaditis." You also attack those activitists who take to the streets. Unang-una, sana ihiwalay mo yung mga tunay na aktibista dun sa mga binayaran lang ng kung sinong pulitiko para manggulo. Hindi lahat ng nakikipaglaban sa kalsada walang trabaho at tamad at hindi nagbabayad ng buwis at nagbibilad sa araw para lang manggulo. There are those of them, and believe me there are many, who are decent hard-working people. They sacrifice time that could otherwise have been spent with their families to fight for what they believe in. They sacrifice the daily wages they might otherwise earn precisely because they feel that it is the future of their children at stake. And it is precisely because they are the disadvantaged lot that their sacrifices are even more proportionately significant. More than income, they have sacrificed life and limb for this country, and will do so again if the need arises. For anyone to scoff at this, no matter how much we disagree with the form their ideology takes, is!disrespectful and cruel. It is an insult to those who have made such sacrifices, to their families who have made the sacrifices with them, and to those of us who still believe that this country, damned as it seems to be, is still worth fighting for.Besides, ano nga bang masama sa ideolohiya? You use it like it was a bad word. What is ideology, really, but a principle by which we aspire to achieve our ideals? And what are our ideals? Better lives for ourselves and our families? A better future for our children? To live in a peaceful and just society, where there is enough for all and no one is hungry or poor or uneducated? To be called a great nation and take pride in our citizenship? Isn’t that the ideal we all strive for? Ikaw, yun lang din naman ang gusto mo di ba? The ideologies may vary, but still, the ideals are the same. Bottomline: we all want the same thing. Masa man o middle class, (kahit nga yung mga mayayaman at corrupt na pulitiko, nasobrahan lang sila), we all want the same thing. Kelan ba kasi naging synonymous ang ideology sa idealismo at ang idealismo sa imposible? It is precisely because we have abandoned our ideals and idealism that we are in the muck. It is precisely because we have been so frustrate! d by our experiences that just the mere mention of the word "ideology" makes us cringe and turn away. But if all these ideologies die, then how will we even start to strive for our ideals? Siguro nga tama ka, mamatay na nga silang kumakapit pa sa prinsipyo at ideolohiya. Mamatay na tayong lahat.We have different ways of fighting for what we believe in, different ways of contributing. Some of us take to the streets, some of us stand quietly by but in our hearts we protest the injustices that surround us and in our own ways, we do what we can. But I say, better do something than nothing at all. To give up now will do nothing but assure our doom. The present political crisis is more than just political. True, this needs to be resolved and at the soonest possible time. But however which way this plays out… what we need to assure is that we do not let this happen again. Like I said, tayo ang kawawa. Buti sana if the effects of these political upheavals are contained only amongst those people who keep on playing musical chairs with the seats of power. Pero hindi eh. Lahat tayo, apektado. From ordinary office workers to the jobless man with five mouths to feed waiting at home, tamad man o hindi, we are the ones who suffer. These political maneuverings have translated into decades of poverty for so many and that makes me sick and livid with anger. It makes my heart break. And we are all accountable for that. Yes, all of us. And merely paying our taxes does not make us blameless.We are accountable in so many ways that may seem innocuous but are just as dangerous nonetheless. We are accountable when we vote for a person because of nothing else than kababayan natin siya, or tatay siya ng kaklase natin sa elementary, o nakikita natin siya sa pelikula, o gwapo siya o maganda. We are accountable when we go to the LTO and bribe the employees there so we don’t have to spend two hours in line. We are accountable when we solicit favors from politicians and public servants and contribute to the prevalence of patronage politics. We are accountable when we allow our friends or relatives to solicit (or grant!) those favors. We are accountable when we engage in business practices that deprive laborers of their fair and just wages just so we could keep our profit levels as high as we possibly can with nary a thought of how we owe to our employees not just to give them wages but to raise their quality of life. We are accountable when, in the name of job and investm! ent generation, we develop industries and technologies that wreak havoc on the environment and the health of local communities thereby effectively pushing them once and for all into a place of irrevocable poverty and true disenfranchisement.More so we are accountable when we sit by and say nothing or do nothing to register our dissent and make things change. We are our own worst enemies. But, we could also be our own best friends.I say this to you in fellowship and with respect for the great love you have for our country, which is obvious in spite of your disillusion and decision to give up. Go. Be the proverbial rat who abandons the sinking ship. Save yourself and pursue the life you want. You have a right to it. Iwan mo kaming bayan ng mga jologs. Like I said, I respect your opinion. Hindi kita inaaway, and if I sound like it, I apologize. Actually, ito naman talaga ang punto ko: Hindi tayo ang magkaaway dito, just as much as I believe na hindi yung mga aktibista sa kalye o mahihirap na hindi makapagbayad ng buwis and kaaway mo. I cannot accept that they should deserve this kind of ire. And I find it counterproductive, to say the least, to put the impoverished majority of this country on the other side of the fence. You are angry, which is how most of us feel, but your anger is somewhat misdirected. Para sa akin, nakakatakot kung ganyan ngang mag-isip talaga ang lahat ng "middle-class." Rage against the corrupt and greedy people in power and I will rage with you. Rage against those who resort to murder and terrorism to get what they want. But please, spare the rest of us who just like you, flawed as we are, are just victims here. And herein lies the crux: we may be victims here, but we are not helpless. We have to fight together. We must exercise discernment and distinguish propaganda from truth. Now is not the time to point fingers at each other and call each other names and wish each other one-way trips to hell. We must identify who and what the real enemies are; and in my heart of hearts, I know that I will not find them in the shantytowns of Manila. There is so much that ails our country. There is something so terribly wrong when you live in a society where some people can afford 700,000 peso TV sets while just a few feet away there are children dying of malnutrition. The fact that even people with the greatest love for this country give up and leave, is the saddest commentary of all. As urgent as the need to change the people who govern us, is the need to change so many of the intrinsic things that make our systems and institutions so vulnerable to manipulation by the few. Not the least of these things is our own individual tolerance. There is much work to be done. And it must start, now.You’re right. What we need is radical change. A revolution is in order. A real one. One that will go beyond changing the names of the people we empower to abuse us. Take that statement however which way you want. Take it to the streets, if you will. But my real prayer is that you take it to your heart. Evaluate. Discern. Participate. Change. Sacrifice. Hope. Act. And yes, leave if you must. I wish you the best of luck, too. And one day, I hope that you will come back to a Philippines that we, the jologs, will have rebuilt to make you proud.

One thing is clear Folks. both authors have good points, and also lots of time to write.

In the Eve of Political Turmoil

Coming from P.I.A on my way back to Intramuros i pass thru the Quezon Boulevard, there in San Domingo Church I saw various Militants, basically those that were identified with the deposed President Estrada, and some groups that also joined the recent EDSA movement. it seems they are building up their forces for the upcoming movement this coming saturday, among them are the media and some students... one will be able to notice those familiar banners and makeshift placards calling for the resignation of the president...
a couple of blocks from san Domingo church, in the Welcome rotonda, there i saw another groups building up, but unlike the militants statoned at the San Domingo church, these groups are in small numbers but rich with banners saying "Shut Up""Trabaho hindi Gulo" and "no to Destabilization", common sense will say that these group are pro administration.
If one would be able to observe, unlike the militants building up in the San domingo church, the banners and streamers of the people holding the Welcome Rotonda are using tarpaulin made banners and framed placards in full colors. i have been engage in producing the same materials in my ojt and quite experience in how much these things cost... by looking at those materials, it seems that it could be roughly be amounting to 30-40,000 already. excluding the food packs that the people in Welcome Rotonda seems to be enjoying. comparing the two groups, it seems other than the number of people joing the movement, the people in welcome rotonda is abundant in everything to stage a political rally.
another thing one could observe would be the vicinity of what seems to be a pro-administration rallyist to t he Police/military personnel stationed near the University of Sto. Tomas.
Now, many would say that those police units are there to prevent troubles, and that is what it seems. but looking closely, why is it that they let the pro-administration establish a staging point very near to the group calling for the ouster of the incumbent.? if ever havoc would be brought out, the question would be who started it first,a dn if the police is really there to provent troubles, why not pose there selves between the two groups with comflicting political view?
is it staged?
and regarding the materials and resources used by the those stationed in Welcome Rotonda, who is this generous enough to finance something just to express their support to the incumbent?
looking at the people in the welcome rotonda, their faces is quite similar to those same faces one would see if his been in slump areas rampant here in the city -
one can observe that there are no enthusiasm in their face, as if they are there not because of something they believe in...
The same face one would see during the same times when the country is in political turmoil -

The Fire is Out, the Passion is gone
I Guess were tired
So it seems that even if there will be a real "hard" evidence against the regime of Macapagal Arroyo, people would hardly care.
Even if all the Jueteng Lords in this country admit it that Arroyo have been receiving Payola from this illegal games, the people would hardly care
whether its because they know that
-her removal would not change their socio-economic status
-her resignation would give way to a Puppet of the Elite
-the change would only mean a new guy would be recieiving the same damn payolas
or
- her admission would not really help the country nor eliminate the scourge of this illegal number game.
The Truth doesnt matter anymore, a friend told me, who cares really if those confessed bagman-turned-state-witness are telling the truth or being used by the opposition to grab the power once more.
Who cares if FPJ is really telling the truth that his been cheated in the previous election
Who cares if the COMELEC is nothing but a puppet of the Ramos-Aquino-Arroyo reign to hold this country untill it crumbles.
Who cares if the dollar end up amounting P100.00/$
It will all be the same, in the eyes of the poor...
the only difference is, we will be much greater in number than before.
there will be no more Edsa, no more cry that the Truth have been murdered, no more College students walking the streets of Quezon City and Manila to express their seemingly disgust tot he current administration. No congressman walking out of the Senate Hall because a lousy envelope were refused to be open, no more murders in the Airport, no more tanks to be stop by the nuns and priest, no more spitting of Politicians, or creating hundreds of websites dedicated to the removal of the president. No more cheap publications designed to the ouster of the president.
All of them are monkeys in a clown suite in the peoples eyes, makes one wonder how come we keep seeing the same entertainers in our Senate Halls and Presidential Palace.
If only we become tierd immediately after the 1st one :)

Short Sighted

I was talking to a collegue, about how some people tend to collect things that seem to be insignificant for our daily lives...like toys or comic books. He said that many Americans have these tendency, maybe because they are really fanatics of just plain lucky to have some extra cash. But one needs to understand why people collect things, is it plain hobby or something else.

My collegue share to me that when he was working at McDonalds at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia... his co-workers wonders why he spend 200 dollars for a bunch of Snoopy Figurines (the Character in the comic Peanuts). He said that even though it seems stupid now, one ould not deny the value this things could hold several decades from now, these things are collectors items, specially now that the author of that world famous comic book-Mr. Charles M. Schulz - have died.Sooner or later, other hobbyist would be looking for these items to add for their collections, thus such investments could actually paid off.

Now, what that teach us?

Ever wonder howcome we have a huge problems with traffic, or with overpopulation and political leadership. Because most of our countrymen have a hard time looking farther than tommorow (some are even sooo short sighted, they can even look beyond NOW).

Traffic

If our leaders just stop think before they start creating something, they might realized that some roads/bridges or infrastructure should be made trice of the original necessity of the present times. It's just like one of those stories shared by Sen. Juan Flavier in his book "Back to the Barrios" He narrate that some barrio folks thought that the contrcution of the bridge have been excessive for it now can hold five carabaos walking side by side, but ten years after, that same bridge have proven to be obsolete. Same with the widening project of the NLEX 8 years ago, after adding another lane from Malinta tollgate to Balintawak, 4 years after, they undergo a much larger contruction, wasting the contruction of that same lanes 4 years earlier. some might say that making something excessive for the current use is expensive... but looking at homw much it gonna cost now, and the cost and hassle it will bring a few years after, i guess its very much justifiable.

Leadership and Population

As long as we as a country failed to look farther to the horizon, we could never expect progress in our country, Why do people keep voting and installing the same leaders that we know are corrupt and have vested interest. Why are we so willing to sell our vote thinking that whoever we place there could never help us in our effort to have a better life. why are we so stuborn to always worry things when they are alreay here and never plan ahead, How come so many marriage and childbirth seems to be aproduct of an accident rather than a well place plan.

We cry for change, we thirst for progress, yet we refuse to lif our head and look beyond the horizon

Destroying Reality


According to webster dictionary, "Reality" means a state of being real, a Fact...I guess everybody knows that. Just a couple of weeks ago, PDI have a headline story stating that the country is the 2nd most Corrupt Country in the World, others are saying is not true, and we should be hailed as number one (the No.1 Most Corrupt is our Neighbor Archiepelago - Indonesia). Ever since this Generations manage to realize whats happening to the world, they have been oriented that things could not work in this country if you dont have the resources (like money or connections) to make it work your way. To get justice from this existing System, you need those magic M&C (money and connections), to get your papers to be process immediately, you need those MC's, to get someone out of a shit situations, yep guess it right...you have to have those MC's...(IMO, even the Salvation of your soul seems to be in need of those MC's).

I have nice chat with my kumpare the other month, as usual, his relating to me how hard it is now to work in the government, and not just financially speaking bu also morally...

Why?

well me kumpare is one of those very very rare people that still have a sense of morality working in the Government Agency, (My kumpare works at DPWH) so no hold bars, the DPWH and just like any other Government owned institutions is riddled with corrupt people, from high and low. (everybody knows that) But even if most of his co workers and those that he deals with in his works treat stealing/corruption as a livelihood, he still manage to stay clean...(for how long, time will only tell) Anyway, my frined relate to me how some people in the Media treat corruption as the reality of todays business, if you want your news to go rounds, you need to attach money on it, if you dont want bad news or gossip go on spreading to the people, just attach several envelopes on your press release, and you'll come clean.

Many of my country men have accepted corruption as the harsh reality of the peolpe in posistion, in the course of 20 years after the late strongman Ferdie Marcos was over-thrown... they have accepted that those with moeny can make things happen their way, and those that are in need or plain greedy will always be used by those same people.

How can we stop it?

I have to admit, in a society that has a less and less belief in a divine being, and has more and more luxury in their life...i guess we can't. As i stated... it i the reality of the Philippine Society.

Yet, i refuse to admit in myself the defeat that many of my countrymen have accepted. (do you really think that giving money to those policemen, or paying for your son to pass the ROTC is not an example of corruption).

Our problems is made non other but us, and no divine being is needed or a bloody revolution for us to see that continue doing this will ultimately bring down our country. is Corruption is our reality, then let us strive to break the Myth that Filipinos could not follow a simple rule or doesnt have the moral capability to look up to themselves.