Una:  "Filipinos are famous for their love of religious icons. A visitor would have to be blind not to see the religious element in Corazon Aquino's public role. Stores sell small Cory dolls with bright yellow dresses and round-rimmed glasses. They're not exactly icons, but I've seen them displayed in homes and cars as if they were. Even when beginning to grumble about her government, many Filipinos speak of Cory's goodness, patience, and piety in tones that suggest they think of her as a secular, widowed Blessed Virgin, and as the only person with even the potential to hold the country together."   Ano ang tawag sa ganyang mga pananampalatay, hindi ba Pagano? Nawawala ang Diyos at ang sinasamba ay ang mga kapwa nila na malaon ng namayapa. Kaya hindi makapasok ang buhay na espirito sa kanilang mga puso, damdamin, at mga pag-iisip.  Kung manalangin ang mga Pinoy...karamihan sa mga malaon ng yumaong mga santong mga taong tulad nila at yun pang mga italyano at mga kastilang mahahaba ang mga ilong.   Paanong makakapag-bago ng puso, halimbawa, ng isang magnanakaw at mang-aapi ng kanyang kapwa ang isang Pinoy kung hindi makapasok sa puso niya ang banal na espiritu ng Lumalang?  Kumatok ka at bubuksan ang pinto ng kamuwangan at karunungan....pero paanong mabubuksan ang  pinto kamuwangan ng isang bahay kung giba at ang namamahay ang mga espiritu ng mga multo? 

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Sakabukiran

Pangalawa:  "The countries that surround the Philippines have become the world's most famous showcases for the impact of culture on economic development. Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore--all are short on natural resources, but all (as their officials never stop telling you) have clawed their way up through hard study and hard work. Unfortunately for its people, the Philippines illustrates the contrary: that culture can make a naturally rich country poor. There may be more miserable places to live in East Asia-- Vietnam, Cambodia--but there are few others where the culture itself, rather than a communist political system, is the main barrier to development. The culture in question is Filipino, but it has been heavily shaped by nearly a hundred years of the "Fil-Am relationship.' The result is apparently the only non-communist society in East Asia in which the average living standard is going down." 

WHAT'S THIS CULTURE JAMES FALLOWS ARE TALKING ABOUT?  I have come across one active forum participants somewhere who rants since 2000 about the "bottom dwellers" uppiest of the UPiest inglis spokening penoys.  And I think she is able to penetrate this cultural facade that educated, great wannabees of the mostests elitests of the Philippine society.  Here is one example of what she's been talking about: 

       

DAMAGED CULTURE...but how long are we going to runt about this and not do anything about it?  Or do we think that we are a damaged culture?  But the proof is as authentic as we feel them ourselves...WE ARE KULELAT maski na sa Asia.  A few sterling students of Chinese extract who are attending the best elite schools in Makati could get award in Robotonics..just lately, but that's a spurt in the ocean of dire poverty and lack of opportunity for the rest of the millions of Filipino children all over the islands.  But that one thing alone is enough to drive the few ones crazed and dazed with glory.  Madaling masiyahan sa kokonting kalualhatian dulot ng tunay na abilidad at kagitingan...sa dahilang bihirang mangyari and if it happens in the midst of unproportionately greater number of non-acheivers and lack of progress in terms of bonafide and valid acheivements na walang cheating.  Remember the anomalies about the nursing examinations...that the  US nursing board rejected because the Filipino examinees cheated?  Ang panalangin nung maraming nurses, sana daw patawarin na yung mga nandaya at tanggapin sa America na magtrabaho, sa halip na ipanalanging MAWALAN NG MGA MANDARAYA sa Pilipinas.  Ang solution ng mga damaged cultured Penoys sa kanilang mga problema hindi nakatarget sa kanilang mga pagkatao at sa tunay na dahilan kung bakit nagkaroon ng mga problema,  tulad din nung Agency na nangungulekta ng mga fees from oversea Filipino Seafarers. Ang solution niya sa problema, hindi isoli yung kinolektang excessive at gamitin daw yung pera para magtatag na naman ng kung anu-ano pang mga ahensia nanaman na tutulungan daw yung mga nangangailangan etc, etc.  pero sa totoo gusto lang nilang umitin yung mga perang siningil sa mga OFW ng lagpas sa talagang halaga ng mga Fees. Ayaw isoli at magtatatag daw ng mga panibagong ahensia.  DIYOS KO NAMAN, HARINAWANG HUWAG MAGOYO ANG MARAMING MGA PILIPINONG NAKABABASA NG MGA BALITANG ITO. Dapat na makilala natin ang mga palinghagong mga balak ng mga magnanakaw sa pamahalaan na kahit na anong panggogoyo ay nabibilad din ang mga tunay nilang mga intension: MAKA-UMIT.    

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Sakabukiran

Pangatlo:  Fallows said:   "Most of the time I spent in the Philippines, I walked around feeling angry--angry at myself when I brushed off the latest platoon of child beggars, angry at the beggars when I did give in, angry at the rich Filipinos for living behind high walls and guardhouses in the fortified Makati compounds euphemistically called villages, angry as I picked my way among piles of human *** left by homeless families living near the Philippine Navy headquarters on Roxas Boulevard, angry at a society that had degenerated into a war of every man against every man."

And there are plenty of reasons why.  Some of the reasons Fallows had already discussed prior to this paragraph:  Keptocracy of Marcos and his cronies, the ineptness of Cory Aquino and the limited vision she had for herself as a leader of the country, the dismal situation of education, access to factual and unbiased news from the media (and we have already discussed sometime, somewhere how many members of the news media are bought and sold to the highest bidders and thus ensure the entrenchments of the oligarchs in the political and economic stranglement of the country, and the paganistic-like religious practices of many that prevent Pinoys to really face up to the question of over-population and their mga pagkatao.) and the effect of these all to the quality of elections that go on in the country...dayaan while those hungry and wannabees, selling their votes to the highest bidder.  HOW CAN GOODNESS EVER HAVE ANY CHANCE TO SURFACE AND WIN? 

Yeah!! that's a plenty of damage indeed...culturally.  And I say, it is centering in our PAGKATAO, our sense of value, morality, and the lack of dignity and integrity usually displayed by people who enjoyed total freedom as human beings.   

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Sakabukiran

Pang-apat:  "For more than a hundred years certain traits have turned up in domestic descriptions and foreign observations of Philippine society. The tradition of political corruption and cronyism, the extremes of wealth and poverty, the tribal fragmentation, the local elite's willingness to make a separate profitable peace with colonial powers--all reflect a feeble sense of nationalism and a contempt for the public good. Practically everything that is public in the Philippines seems neglected or abused. On many street corners in downtown Manila an unwary step can mean a broken leg. Holes two feet square and five feet deep lurk just beyond the curb; they are supposed to be covered by metal grates, but scavengers have taken the grates to sell for scrap."

I have heard the same sentiment before, from a teacher I used to go as she was training me with my vocalization.  She was a music teacher.  In between our lessons, she would stop and rant about how Filipinos neglect every inch outside their homes while spend a lifetime dusting, sweeping, cleaning, and beautifying the inside of their homes, which they apparently distinguished from the outside as their own, their castle while the street outside their house is just that.."outside" and do not belong to them hence, they don't care.  It is of a similar parameter they allow with their emotional attachment for their very own flesh and blood yet of so much indifference for those who they do not consider as part of their family, their relatives, their clan.  The love of the living God does not penetrate their hearts so as to include all children's God, relative or not.  Kadalasan, even within their own clan, there are favorites.  Yung mga mahihirap lalung hindi tinutulungan at minamata pa at siyang nagiging alila nung iba nilang mga kamag-anak na may mas kaya at mas mapuputi at mukang mestisa.  That's the Philippines' scenario.... a fight between in-laws, the haves and the have-nots  and the ugly and the prettier of the families.   And the poorest kind of Pinoys would be those who are not affiliated with any richer relatives.  Here the church fellowship provides an outlet, but there is a catch.  They must be believer and beholden to the rules and doctrines of their churches, a new wave of fences that will separate them from others of different religious order.  And with the failure of the school to educated children of the true meaning of nationalism, which is an extended version of the love they already have of their familty...out to those who belongs to their communities, their towns, their province, and then the nation, 'democracy,' for them,  would be difficult to understand, a way of living according to the golden rule, the valueing of individuals as co-equal, worthy of themselves, "loving their kababayans as they love themselves." 

Cultural indeed.  And we have not even touched the question of language, the lack of it coming from the heart that hinders the Filipinos from developing their love for their countrymen and their country's legacy.  

Me kasunod pa ito...siguro bukas, kaya, itutuloy.   Salamat kay Palahubug99.  Siya ang umungkat ng tungkol sa mga sinasabi ni Fallows regarding damaged culture ng mga Pilipino. 

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Sakabukiran

It is so easy to hurl criticisms at our country but it is so seldom to hear of foreign observers offering suggestions how we can cure our social ills.

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How to pay your Apartment by making money online

philprovince:

It is so easy to hurl criticisms at our country but it is so seldom to hear of foreign observers offering suggestions how we can cure our social ills.

What are your suggestions for curing our social ills?

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Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It's the courage to continue that counts.

philprovince:

It is so easy to hurl criticisms at our country but it is so seldom to hear of foreign observers offering suggestions how we can cure our social ills.

It's OUR social ills. It's us, who should know how to cure. Foreigners live in different horizons of living, so how are they suppose to know the cure of OUR social ills!  

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Joseph Henry:

philprovince:

It is so easy to hurl criticisms at our country but it is so seldom to hear of foreign observers offering suggestions how we can cure our social ills.

It's OUR social ills. It's us, who should know how to cure. Foreigners live in different horizons of living, so how are they suppose to know the cure of OUR social ills!  

What are your suggestions for curing our social ills? Inquiring minds want to know.

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Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It's the courage to continue that counts.

The observations of Fallows are very true..but they are the results of our long history of being influenced by foreign cultures that have come into our country as traders, colonizers, invaders, smugglers, pirates to name a few. To top it all, when we gained our “Independence” corrupt, greedy and incompetent politicians took over!!

 

As I mentioned before “History plays a major role in the formation of a nation’s cultural character” So we cannot really compare the Philippines to other countries because we have our own unique history.

From that mould, we have now shaped into a unique socio-economic form called “ Organised Chaos”. A blend of the corrupt and the corruptors existing side by side. SOP na.

 

I believe it is not right to put the blame on the existing “Social Ills” that is currently permeating our society to the people. There is no quick fix to it, it will take years and generations before we can see a change for the better. Our concerns and awareness of the problems as seen by your writings will act as the foundation for the change that we hope for, by passing on those concerns to our youth who will be our leaders of the future.   

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A journey always starts with the first step.

Lazzaluv:

The observations of Fallows are very true..but they are the results of our long history of being influenced by foreign cultures that have come into our country as traders, colonizers, invaders, smugglers, pirates to name a few. To top it all, when we gained our “Independence” corrupt, greedy and incompetent politicians took over!!

 

As I mentioned before “History plays a major role in the formation of a nation’s cultural character” So we cannot really compare the Philippines to other countries because we have our own unique history.  From that mould, we have now shaped into a unique socio-economic form called “ Organised Chaos”. A blend of the corrupt and the corruptors existing side by side. SOP na.

 

I believe it is not right to put the blame on the existing “Social Ills” that is currently permeating our society to the people. There is no quick fix to it, it will take years and generations before we can see a change for the better. Our concerns and awareness of the problems as seen by your writings will act as the foundation for the change that we hope for, by passing on those concerns to our youth who will be our leaders of the future.   

MARAMING SALAMAT SA PAGLAHOK NINYO SA TEMANG ITO.  NGUNI'T ANG MGA SAGOT NINYO SA TANONG NI PALAHUBOG NA

"What are your suggestions for curing our social ills?"

AY HINDI TINUTUMBOK ANG DIWA NG KANYANG TANONG.  I STILL SENSE, AS USUAL, AN ATTEMPT TO OBSCURE THE ISSUE WITH FATALISTIC ATTITUDE; OF HOPELESSNESS AND RESIGNATION.  TO SUM UP, YOU ARE SAYING THAT NOTHING CAN BE DONE BECAUSE WE ARE ONLY OURSELVES, DISEMPOWERED BY EXCUSES THAT HAVE GONE IRRELEVANT IN OUR PRESENT TIME FRAME, THE 21ST CENTURY.  WE ARE STILL BLAMING THE FOREIGN COLONIZERS AND OTHERS AND THUS ABSOLVING OUR SELVES FROM RESPONSIBILITIES AND BLAME.  WE ARE DISREGARDING THE FACT THAT WE ALONE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR OWN DECISIONS NOT WHAT TRANSPIRED BEFORE US.   

SOCIAL ILLS ARE LIKE DESEASE…THAT WITH GLORIA ARROYO IN THE GOVERNMENT ...IS MISASTISIZING TO A CRITICAL MASS THAT IF WE DO NOT TAKE ACTION WILL RENDER OURSELVES AS SLAVES AND DISEMPOWERED AS A PEOPLE.  THERE IS ONE ANSWER THAT WE CAN START TO DO:  TO REFUSE TO BE LED BY LIARS AND CHEATERS.  THAT IS ALL THERE IS TO IT.  JOIN THE VOICES OF FILIPINOS WHO ARE BRAVING THE HARRASSMENTS, THE INTIMIDATION, THE WATER HOSES, MISAPPLICATION OF THE CONSTITUTION,  THE POLICE AND MILITARY KIDNAPPINGS, TORTURE, AND FINALLY THE KILLINGS OF THEIR LOVE ONES.  THESE ARE HAPPENING IN OUR MIDST AND BECAUSE WE ARE IN DENIAL WE LOOK AT THEM AS THEY ARE NOT US.  

 

IF WE  FOLLOW THE HAPPENINGS IN THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL WORLD, WE WILL RECOGNIZE THE SHAM AND FRAUD OF GLORIA’S ECONOMIC POLICIES.  THE HARM THAT GLORIA IS DOING TO OUR COUNTRY WILL DWARF THE HARM DONE BY HER PREDECESSORS.  YOU MAY NOT FEEL IT YET...BECAUSE YOU ARE STILL EATING ON TIME.  BUT FOR HOW LONG?  GLORIA IS NOT THE LESSER EVIL.  LEARN TO READ AND DISCERN THE WRITINGS ON THE WALL. 

 

AY HINDI TINUTUMBOK ANG DIWA NG KANYANG TANONG.  I STILL SENSE, AS USUAL, AN ATTEMPT TO OBSCURE THE ISSUE WITH FATALISTIC ATTITUDE; OF HOPELESSNESS AND RESIGNATION.  TO SUM UP, YOU ARE SAYING THAT NOTHING CAN BE DONE BECAUSE WE ARE ONLY OURSELVES, DISEMPOWERED BY EXCUSES THAT HAVE GONE IRRELEVANT IN OUR PRESENT TIME FRAME, THE 21ST CENTURY.  WE ARE STILL BLAMING THE FOREIGN COLONIZERS AND OTHERS AND THUS ABSOLVING OUR SELVES FROM RESPONSIBILITIES AND BLAME.  WE ARE DISREGARDING THE FACT THAT WE ALONE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR OWN DECISIONS NOT WHAT TRANSPIRED BEFORE US.   

SOCIAL ILLS ARE LIKE DESEASE…THAT WITH GLORIA ARROYO IN THE GOVERNMENT ...IS MISASTISIZING TO A CRITICAL MASS THAT IF WE DO NOT TAKE ACTION WILL RENDER OURSELVES AS SLAVES AND DISEMPOWERED AS A PEOPLE.  THERE IS ONE ANSWER THAT WE CAN START TO DO:  TO REFUSE TO BE LED BY LIARS AND CHEATERS.  THAT IS ALL THERE IS TO IT.  JOIN THE VOICES OF FILIPINOS WHO ARE BRAVING THE HARRASSMENTS, THE INTIMIDATION, THE WATER HOSES, MISAPPLICATION OF THE CONSTITUTION,  THE POLICE AND MILITARY KIDNAPPINGS, TORTURE, AND FINALLY THE KILLINGS OF THEIR LOVE ONES.  THESE ARE HAPPENING IN OUR MIDST AND BECAUSE WE ARE IN DENIAL WE LOOK AT THEM AS THEY ARE NOT US.  

 

IF WE  FOLLOW THE HAPPENINGS IN THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL WORLD, WE WILL RECOGNIZE THE SHAM AND FRAUD OF GLORIA’S ECONOMIC POLICIES.  THE HARM THAT GLORIA IS DOING TO OUR COUNTRY WILL DWARF THE HARM DONE BY HER PREDECESSORS.  YOU MAY NOT FEEL IT YET...BECAUSE YOU ARE STILL EATING ON TIME.  BUT FOR HOW LONG?  GLORIA IS NOT THE LESSER EVIL.  LEARN TO READ AND DISCERN THE WRITINGS ON THE WALL. 

 

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Sakabukiran

Maraming salamat din sa iyo, Sakabukiran…

 

I have tried to address the current situation with a neutral approach, but you seem to be injecting politics into our exchange of thoughts.

 

I am talking about facts that have influenced our current society, you cannot run away from historical facts, we must be made aware of it so as to better understand the Why, and from it will arise from the people a more objective attitude towards the future. Understanding one’s self will make for clearer decisions.

 

It’s all about facts and not about some castles in the air.  

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A journey always starts with the first step.

one cannot just cure our social ills, not an average filipino nor a super genius or even political groups, not through this posts or forums, hindi tau nag papatalinuhan dito pero kung isusuma total, ang kailangan ng bansa natin ay isang political leader na me puso at konsensya, walang paghahangad sa makamundong yaman, isang political savior kumbaga na kayang controlin ang bansa ituwid ang mga maling systema, kaso sa panahon ngaun ang mga ganiton tao ay maagang pinapatay. walang mangyayari sa pinas kung walang gagabay at magdadala sa atin na lider patungo sa kapayapaan at kaunlaran. 

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You can imprison my body but my Spirit is free