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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| Divine Intervention
By Antonio C. Abaya Written on Nov. 28, 2007 For the Standard Today, November 29 issue By this time, everyone in this country with an active computer � as well as hundreds of thousands of Filipinos abroad � has/have received the exhortations from the eminent Jesuit, James B. Reuter SJ, my indestructible professor in Shakespearean drama in the 1950s, to pray even harder for the deliverance of this country from the many infirmities that afflict it. I have unfortunately deleted all the dozens of copies that had been forwarded to me over the past 12 months or so, so I cannot quote Fr. Reuter directly. But you know what I mean. This is nothing new, of course. During her presidential watch (1987 to 1992) Cory Aquino perfected the art and science of Management by Prayer, but it didn�t seem to do her or the country much good. I know that when she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1988, her Prayer Brigade went into high gear, bombarding Heaven with novenas by the hundreds. But it didn�t do her much good, either. The Communist Joma Sison � whom she had freed from detention, over the objections of the military � went into self-exile in Europe and bad-mouthed her in Europe �s generally leftist media as a violator of human rights and a pillar of feudalism. The Nobel Peace Prize went instead to a Costa Rican whom very few outside Costa Rica can recall today. When the military staged its second coup attempt against her in December 1989 � the first was in August 1987 � led by then Col. Gringo Honasan and then Capt. Danilo Lim, she was nearly toppled from power, despite the supplications of her Prayer Brigade. But while opposition politicians (led by the late Blas Ople) and some businessmen (led by the late Enrique Zobel) triumphantly met in a Makati hotel to discuss the division of the spoils, two unmarked US Navy F-4 Phantom jets from Subic � then still a US naval base � over-flew Metro Manila for about an hour, driving the rebel air force from the skies, destroying their aircraft in Sangley Point, and giving time for military loyalists (led by, if memory serves, then Marine Gen. Rodolfo Biazon) to counter-attack and dislodge Capt. Lim�s Scout Rangers from buildings in the Makati business district, which they had occupied for some four or five days. It can argued, of course, that the US Navy jets were the divine intervention that her Prayer Brigade had been praying for. But it looked to me more like an act of realpolitik on the part of the Americans, who must have calculated that a surviving President Aquino offered them their best chance for renewing the bases treaty which was to expire in 1991. In the end, of course, both President Aquino and the Americans lost out when the Philippine Senate voted against renewal of the treaty. I do not know if the Americans were praying for divine intervention. Probably not. It is not their style. But it can also be argued that there was divine intervention when manna from heaven � disguised as volcanic ash � fell from the skies when Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1992, giving the Americans a deus ex machina reason for suddenly abandoning Clark Air Base on their own volition. You can�t evict us. We quit. In the present circumstances, the clamor for divine intervention is becoming deafening. There is now a movement called Pagbabago 2010 that seeks to field Evangelist Eddie Villanueva and Pampanga Governor Fr. Ed Panlilio as presidential and vice-presidential candidates in 2010. No political alliance in the Philippines can be more divine than that. A regular reader of and reactor to this space in Sacramento, California � whose letter appears in full in a future Reactions installment � argues against my position that the Philippines needs a moral alternative, a Filipino Lee Kwan Yew, to save this country from perdition. Unlike Singapore , he argues, �we are over-populated. We are not in a unique location for trade. There is always one barrio to run to. We do not have a strong moral fiber� �What I�m trying to say is no one man can save us. In order to attain good government and a strong economy we, the people, must bear his task as well. �Sp, if the people�s moral fiber remains weak and stays prone to dishonesty, even a Filipino Lee Kwan Yew will despair when asked to lead us. And all your damning will fall on deaf ears. I am inclined, at this stage, to believe only in divine intervention. Heaven help us.� I certainly agree that no one man can save us. It has to be a group effort. But someone at the top has to set the good example and that someone at the top must have the moral ascendancy to convince the rest of us to follow the goal or goals that he or she sets for us. Our problem is that the one person we have at the top has set a bad example and has lost all moral ascendancy to convince the rest of us to follow whatever goal or goals she has set or will set for us. But I disagree that only divine intervention can save us now. We should actually stop depending on divine intervention to solve our problems. We should instead learn to solve human problems with human resources and human ingenuity. Doesn�t the Bible say that God helps those who help themselves? For Filipinos, that admonition should be amended to read: God helps only those who know how to help themselves. Let us remind ourselves that three of the four East Asian countries that overtook us in economic development in the 1970s � South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore (Hong Kong was a British colony) faced similar problems that we did and still do: widespread corruption, nepotism, cronyism, weak governments, Communist militancy (even in Hong Kong). But they were able to overcome these and other problems, not by pleading for divine intervention, but by adopting correct economic strategies (principally, the export of manufactured goods) and buckling down to make those strategies work. Admittedly under strong, authoritarian leadership. As I never tire of pointing out, in 1965 the Philippines � exports (of commodities) totaled $769 million , compared to only $446 million for Taiwan , and $175 million for South Korea . In 2005, the numbers are $189.4 billion for Taiwan ; $288.2 billion for South Korea ; ($204.8 billion for Singapore ); but only $41.3 billion for the Philippines . There were and are other factors, of course, but these exports statistics really encapsulate the economic history of East Asia : how we lost the lead and fell behind one after another of our neighbors. And for these I blame our political leadership, not just the present ones, but all the top politicians and senior bureaucrats in power over the last 30 years. And our neighbors overtook us without pleading for divine intervention. South Korea , Taiwan , Singapore , Hong Kong, as well as Thailand and the large (28%) Chinese population of Malaysia are predominantly Buddhist. Buddhists do not believe in a personal God who intervenes in the affairs of men and women. What they have is a personal philosophy, an ethical way of life, that says that their station in the next life depends on how they live the present life. Those who live their present life honorably, through hard work, good deeds and meditation, have a good karma and will resurrect to a higher level in the next life. Conversely, those who live a dishonorable life in the here and now have a bad karma and will resurrect to a lower life form - a donkey, a frog, a snake � in the next life. It does not mean that there are no deviants, criminals, evil-doers etc among Buddhists. Far from it. But it does mean that the motivation to live an honorable life is internally generated because Buddhists do not depend on an external personal God to reward them when they do good, or to punish them when they do evil. At a higher metaphysical plane, Buddhism and Christianity do converge. But on the level of the average believer, Christians � especially Roman Catholics of the Hispanic variety, of which we Filipinos are a subset � do have a marked dependence on an external personal God, whom we constantly implore to intervene in our affairs. Such dependence cannot but dull the ability, or even the readiness, to solve human problems using human resources and human ingenuity. ***** Reactions to [email protected]. Other articles in www.tapatt,org and in acabaya.blogspot.com. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �Divine Intervention� Nov. 28, 2007 If, by prayer, Reuter means that all Filipinos should accept that there is a higher power, regardless of deity, that compels us to accept that we are part of a greater whole and that prayer itself is a symbol of a unified expression of the search for peace and justice, then I agree that prayer is PART of the answer. But if you mean the mindless mumblings that happen in the context of religious activities in the hope that some miracle of unexplainable origin will occur and lead us to miraculous enlightenment and uninvolved salvation, then Ill probably pass. Since Reuter brought up secular proof then we have to remind him that aside from the religious resurgence of the Catholic Church in Korea ( Ill take his word for it), the Koreans already proved why their economy is so resilient. During the times that Korea was in dire financial straights, Koreans of ALL RELIGIONS offered their gold jewelry as offering to the state to shore up the country�s gold reserves. Their unity as a country is their key to economic survival. As for that English Reformation, and maybe Reuter and I are talking about two reformations, this was inspired by Henry the 8th getting into trouble with the Roman Catholic Church over the concept of annulment. Henry wanted it and the Church didn�t allow it. So Henry decides to kill his wives instead and forms his own religious movement. Im being facetious but Im sure that, from a secular point of view, prayer was not the prime reason for the resurgence of the England as a world power. And Americas rise to power? Lets not even talk about that unless you accept that the second world war and the invention of the birth control pill are manifestations of God and approved by the catholic church. Prayer has the power to unite, that is true. But in this unification people should ACT accordingly. To ask for prayer and not to ask for action brings to mind the image of Juan Tamad lying underneath a tree, praying for the fruit to fall. Except in the catholic version, if the fruit falls it becomes a miracle of god feeding his people and if the tree rots on the branch because Juan doesn�t want to stand up and pick it himself, then it was god�s will that Juan Tamad go hungry. This isn�t the Catholicism I signed up for. Jaime Garchitorena, (by email), Nov. 29, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony! Actually, the saying that God helps those who help themselves is not found in any part of the Bible! Rina Filart, (by email), Paranaque City , Nov. 29, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, DEUS EX MACHINA, for our endless misery ? Sounds like a cop-out to me. Whatever happened to the Pinoy indomitable spirit ? Whatever trials and tribulations thrown at us, we will not just roll over and die. We can take it and we shall overcome. All we need is a good rational, moral and steadfast leadership. I wonder if Bayani Fernando or Duterte of Davao are available for national posts. I see in them some shade of Lee Kwan Yew. The wannabees for 2010 are just re-threads of trapo politics, although I could be wrong. What do you think ? Sincerely, Auggie Surtida, (by email),Tigbauan, Iloilo , Nov. 29, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Our prayer should be that we become better people so we can govern ourselves with a stronger sense of service, justice, honesty and integrity. Remedios Marmoleno, (by email), Nov. 29, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, I agree with you that we don�t need divine intervention to solve our economic and political stagnancy. I also believe that our Asian neighbors were able to turn around their economic problem through strong discipline and authoritarian leadership. The fact is China and Vietnam is a good example of COMMUNIST AND AUTHORITARIAN GOVERNMENTs which have thread the road of capitalism and a simulated �free enterprise. In our case, since our race is of an Asian temperament, we can find solution to our economic and political woes in the same vein as our neighbors. A revolutionary government led by an �Andres Bonificaio� type of leader who believes both in the free enterprise liberalism and an egalitarian form of socialism which is katipunan and bayanicracy (in the words of former Sen. Salvador Araneta).. It is easy to theorized but to put them into flesh and adoptable to our Filipino way of thinking is hard. I therefore, would like to propose to our �armchair revolutionist� to support a revolutionary government which can accommodate leaders from the ultra legal left who can serve as the balancing force for a dedicated road to participative and nationalistic democracy, independent from the economic aprons of the economic giants and world plutocrats. We have also to address the role of �Christianity� and the apparatus of the Catholic CHURCH as an impediment to the economic and political progress of our people as distinct Catholic country. If, as stated by you, Filipino Christians is markedly dependent on the external personal God, such that it has blocked his capacity to effect human solution to human problems, then I blame the fault of the church for inculcating false moral behaviour and espousing religious dogma detrimental to the physical and mental health of the society as whole. A true Christian must practice his faith so that whether he is bureaucrat, government leader or civilian citizen, his focus on personal salvation must be consistent with the salvation of the society he belongs. That�s why we hear of such �kanya-kanya� or tayo-tayo� mentality in dispensation of government services. Jojie Umali, (by email), Riyadh , Saudi Arabia , Nov. 29, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, What you say about prayer and praying Filipinos are so true. Allow me to add the following comment: Prayer is Useless If patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel, then I dare say that prayer is the first refuge of the moron! We have prayer meetings, prayer rallies, prayer breakfasts, prayer here and prayer there, but nothing to show that prayer is ever answered. If it were, our country, which prides itself as the only Christian nation in Asia , should be the most prosperous, the most peaceful, the most content country in the world. The glaring fact is that nothing fails like prayer. At most, its success rate is no better than that of chance: 50/50. Christians say that prayers and faith can move mountains, but I have yet to meet a Christian who can point out to me the mountain that prayer and faith have moved. Prayer cannot even cure a simple case of acne! But then, one Christian friend had reminded me of Lourdes and the pile of crutches at its chapel, supposedly proof of the efficacy of prayer and the healing powers of the miraculous waters of Lourdes . The late Bernard Shaw, observing the pile of crutches in Lourdes , is reported to have said that he would be more inclined to believe in the power of prayer and of the reality of the miracles of Lourdes if he would see, not crutches, but just one wooden leg or just one set of false teeth. He would even settle for just one toupee! We should listen to the admonition of Mark Twain who wrote that before we pray for rain, it would be best to call the weather bureau first. To pray, after all, as Ambrose Bierce once observed, �is to ask the laws of the universe be annulled in behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy.� So enough of prayer. Let us roll up our sleeves, use our brains, apply the discoveries of science and modern medicine, and work! Carlos Esteban, Jr., (by email), Nov. 29, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww One of your best pieces. Like we say in the Navy-"Bravo Zulu" Ben Lim, (by email), Makati City , Nov. 29, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww A society's success it is not about political leadership, it is about the ones who have it pulling up to their level with those who do not. The human spirit is only able to soar when its owner sheds the useless baggage that anchors it down to the ground. It is not about what political leaders can do for us but what each one of us can do, in our own little ways, to help our fellow travelers' spirits soar alongside ours. Look within our own spirits to make that difference. A man's spirit can only soar as high as his heavy baggage of possessions will allow it to. What the Filipino society sorely needs is the direct intervention by the rich to lift the poor out of their misery. Goodness and willingness to share with those in need require no legislation from political leaders. The rich can do it on their own, without help from politicians. Bobby Manasan, (by email), Burke , Virginia , Nov. 29, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I was just reading your latest email when the news broke. If God is guiding Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, he does indeed "move in mysterious ways his wonders to perform" ! D. Adams, (by email), United Kingdom , Nov. 29, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony: I believe Cory Aquino and the US did not lost-out on the base treaty. As soon as Cory became the President of the Philippines , she made a statement here in the Boston area that "if she becomes the President of the Philippines , she will close the US military bases in the Philippines ." This statement haunted her during the Philippine economic conference held at the Tuft's University Fletcher School of Government when she was asked by the media why she now comes to the US for help, after saying that she was going to close the bases. Unfortunately, I can't recall the exact response, but I do know she said it. It was one of the things we from the Boston area felt embarrassed. As a result, many of us Fil-Am US servicemen started having negative feelings against her and her "Aquino Foundation." I believe the senators (six senators????) who supported her on the closing the bases were defeated in the next election. At the conference, the Philippine was promoting agrarian reform. The media asked her if her Luisita property would be included in this agrarian reform. Her response was (and I can remember very well): "I'll take that under advisement.� Rudy Hermosa, (by email), Boston , Massachusetts . Nov. 29, 2007 (President Aquino assumed a neutral position during the bases debate in the Senate until the very last weeks when she led a pro-bases march and rally in Luneta. But by that time, it was already too late. Public opinion, stoked by the Communist movement and the complicit media, had turned against the Americans, and the US lost their bases. That is my basis for saying that President Aquino and the US lost out. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Mr. Abaya I agree on your column today! Like Boy Montelibano... keep writing your insightful columns! More power to you! and Mabuhay ang Pilipinas.. by a SERVANT LEADERSHIP PARTY OF THE PHIL.... Let us form one.. and count me IN. Ernie Delfin, (by email), Nov. 29, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Frankly, I do believe that God, in all his omniscience, does not meddle or intervene in the temporal affairs of man to include politics. To illustrate my point, I do not think that God Almighty would interfere and take sides in a basketball game or a beauty contest. Although politics is a more serious activity than say, a game of chess, it is much too petty for God to take interest in. God gave us free will to decide on these matters - although gravely significant for us mortals - God gave us full autonomy to do as we please with our earthly affairs. This is just my humble opinion and I am not even a theologian nor do I pretend to be a philosopher. But I do believe in divine intervention - God is all too powerful that at any time or for any reason in His most profound wisdom will intercede, indulge or lay His hand in the affairs of man. I just have a feeling that God, in all His might and glory, does not intervene too much - especially in politics. More power to you! Gerry Eusebio, (by email), Nov. 29, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Sir, Mount.Pinatubo eruption happened in 1991, not 1992. FYI. Jun Valenzuela. (by email), Naga City , Nov. 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww You are so right. Appeals to a divine power will not pull us out of the hole decades of bad governance has dug for us. I cannot understand how Filipinos could be so spiritual (just look at all those pious invocations in our major dailies) and be so corrupt at the same time. It is no good saying that only the people at the top are corrupt. I think corruption in the Philippines is so pervasive even bishops take bribes. (When a priest cannot tell a bribe when it is handed to him, as apparently was the case with Gov. Panlilio, we are in really deep doo-doo.) And much of the blame for this sorry situation lies squarely with our moral leaders They have encouraged a passive attitude that achieves nothing but apathy. The Filipino people should wake up to the fact that prayer and patience , as counseled by our bishops, are a prescription for stasis. When the Filipino people decide to take matters into their own hands, that will be the only time meaningful change will happen. Alex Menez, (by email), Nov. 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, This does not mean that when you pray fervently to God, you rely on Him solely to solve our problems, particularly the problems of the Philippines today. God gave us the Wisdom to do what we have to do, in order to solve our human problems. Reliance on God is on a spiritual plane. When all people will have the fruit of the Holy Spirit, each one will be able to gradually change. As one parable read, if only each man will change his own self, perhaps he can change his family, then his neighborhood, then society and the whole world, but it will be a gradual change. Therefore, there's a need for each man to change. But change should start from the will of each one. If only each Filipino will change and not have the Bahala Na attitude, perhaps we can move on. I suggest a very good book to read, Bo Sanchez's 8 Secrets to the Truly Rich. Ely Lerio, (by email), Nov. 30, 2007 We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.(Rom. 8:28) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Lost in Translation A provocative book entitled �The Dignity of the State� (2005) by the mathematician Masahiko Fujiwara touched a nerve in Japan as well as in the West when he argued that the Western liberal democratic construct does not fit well with the Japanese or Asian character. Instead, he called for a �special path� for the future of the Japanese people based on ancient Japanese virtues such as the heroic virtues of the Samurai. What particularly struck me about his reasoning is its parallelism with the Philippine condition in terms of our current democratic construct. I call our Philippine democracy a �democratic subculture.� It is a culture within a culture, a fragment of the main, and a representation. In other words, it is a copy. As a copy, it provides a cautionary tale that it is not just a copy but a poor copy of the original. In fact, its currency is so dubious that only a complete moron would likely take its import at its face value, quite literally. It is not difficult to explain why this is so. The rendition of our democratic version is at least four-times removed from its source---the �American Democratic Experiment� whom Alexis Tocqueville characterized as uniquely favored by four kinds of conditions: the structure of its government, geographical accidents, historical accidents, and the culture of its people. As things now stand, we are lost in translation! We do not have America�s federal system aimed at promoting a serious local autonomy; we do not have the virtually empty continent of North America to expand; we do not have America�s general equality of wealth before its democratic government was established; and we do not have the strong hold of Protestantism in America which provided a model of democratic self-government. In contrast, we have a �cacique� government which normalizes dependence and mendicancy; we have an archipelago stripped of its resources and subjected to a never-ending agrarian conflict; we have a structure of social inequality where the rich and poor coexist side-by-side only separated by a lattice of 10-foot concrete walls; and we have a dominant medieval Catholicism which exacts a hierarchical obedience and conformity to outmoded beliefs and practices. In the absence of those conditions, picture how far our image is removed from our reality. How then do we make sense of it? Why do we still make sense of it? Or can we really make sense of it? Like you, I have mulled over these questions and our country's prospect for a long time. When I left the Philippines almost 20 years ago to teach at a public university in California , there is no moment that I can remember of that I have not seriously and deeply contemplated about our country. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, I was fortunate enough to have conversed regularly with our two elders who also lived here (Prof. Cesar Adib Majul and Prof. N.V.M. Gonzalez) when they were still alive about our condition. I have kept myself connected by visiting and doing pro bono city planning consultancies in Visayas and Mindanao almost every year (during my two-month summer quarter break). I have also kept myself informed teaching and researching about models of urban development, human societies, and population. So you see, I have not left. As Prof. Gonzalez used to say: "our presence in the new world is nothing but a concession to geography." Caelum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt/they who cross the sea change their sky but not their feelings. After all these years of mulling over those questions, I have come to a disturbing observation that our current democratic subculture is an inherited disorder which is structurally dysfunctional, culturally mismatched, psychically crippling, and neurotically fated to fail since its inception. That is why for me, every report I hear of symptoms from our sickness (i.e., kidnappings, killings, kickbacks, etc.) is simply a d�j� vu! And talking of d�j� vu, Katherine Mayo�s 1920 Isles of Fear; Prof. Cesar Adib Majul�s 1978 Principales, Ilustrados, Intellectuals and the Original Concept of a Filipino National Community; and Benedict Anderson�s 1988 Cacique Democracy in the Philippines: Origins and Dreams; are highly instructive. Just imagine the incrimination---From Quezon, Roxas, Osme�a,�Marcos, Aquino, Estrada, Arroyo. Nothing is new! So, what is the alternative? First, our country must be re-crafted as a maritime society of territorial and functional city-states (provincial, regional, or island-based vs. national). The existing notion of a nationally-based democratic subculture is a notion of dysthropic sovereignty. Given the global imperative, the incongruence is obvious: our realpolitik is still national; our sectoral development is regional; and our commerce is global. Metaphorically speaking, if the imagined nation-state �chain� is only as strong as its links, this means the relative de-emphasis and emaciation of the nation-state in favor of the city-state. I am looking forward to a day when we will no longer be politically insulted by a national posse of clueless, officious, and most of all, shady ignoramuses in position of power. In the words of my Ilonga mother: �Mga wala huya kag wala patugsiling!� Second, what sets this societal model apart from what we have now is the re-rooting of our political experience to the origins of city-state democracy which the classical Greeks talked about. In fact, the success of Greece , Italy , or Singapore can be traced to the application of the city-state model of development. Such development also entails the making of maritime trade and tertiary and quaternary economies rather than cultivation of our limited land resources as our chief economic activity. In fact, the latter is the main reason why our people has been (and still is) being fatigued by a never-ending agrarian conflict. And yet, land is not our main resource! Third, our city-states must be designed as a geothermal-based societies (we sit on the ring of fire traversing the globe). The provision of a more reliable source and cheaper supply of electricity is crucial to the competitiveness and development of planned port cities with its modern harbors, piers, containerships, export and industrial processing zones, and most of all, planned modern or postmodern communities. I�d rather see some of our selected shorelines peppered with high-rises rather than coconut trees. Finally, these twin processes of societal development cannot be pursued with an �urong-sulong� mind. We can craft and design a medium-range or a long-range territorial, functional, and programmatic master plans for our selected city-states. This is easy and can be done. And yet, the crux of the matter is the implementation. And not just implementation, but a single-minded and non-distracted implementation! And who can do this, except an authoritarian mind? I am advocating a temporary authoritarian transition to save our people. I am even willing to bet our prospect to the temporary leadership of an elderly military junta. Particularly, an ethical, tested, experienced, and most of all, a respected, elderly military mind who in the sunset of his life is more concerned of his legacy to our children and our children�s children? A military mind who can say in all honesty and without reservation, �mission accomplished!� This is no Marcosism! Efren N. Padilla, Ph.D., (by email), Hayward , CA , Nov. 30, 2007 Professor, Urban Planning and Sociology, California State University at East Bay (You want a military junta led by, say, Gen. Fidel Ramos [age 80] and Gen. Fortunato Abat [age 82]? What would be the actuarial chances of this junta surviving one year, or long enough to make meaningful changes? ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi, Tony. The problem is not that we, Filipinos, are Catholics. The problem is that we are only nominal Catholics but do not live Christian values. These true Christian values include among other things, faith in oneself, faith in hard work as a way to financial success, honesty, love of neighbor, love of country, willing to sacrifice and delayed gratification. Instead what we have is, low self-esteem, faith in superstition, gambling, smuggling as a way to financial success, corruption and cheating, love of oneself, a desire to become rich without sacrifice, and spending beyond our means. Our role model Jesus was a hard worker and worked passionately to achieve his mission in life. We should imitate His passion for work. Our neighboring countries may not believe in God, but they cherish the traditional values of their religion. If we would only and truly live Christian values as a nation and as a people, then we would find peace and abundant blessings. Cheers! Bobby Tordesillas, (by email), Nov. 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, Your article reminds me of Sen. Jovito Salonga's speech in Toronto years ago. He said "In the beginning Filipinos had the land and the wealth. Spaniards came with the cross and taught us how to pray. Because we were always looking up to heaven for answers to our problems, the Spaniards took away our wealth and our land and we were left with the Cross." I think we were also crucified in it. We never learned from history. We want to experience the pain of failure. You are right again by saying no one man can save us. Even Jesus Christ will be nailed again in the cross if he becomes our leader. The good guys, the moneyed with conscience and the bright guys among us must map out a strategy to kick out the few bad guys who are ruining the country. I see the OFWs and expatriates with their billions of dollars supporting the good leaders, the Church, military and organizations in the country with the support of the still daring and principled youth, NGOs and civil society getting together to reform society as the hope again. I still believe that majority of our people are still good, but they are now so indifferent because the changes in leaders did not mean changes in the economy and society. During the 1st Quarter Storm, we organized the 60,000 U.E. students to rally against the Marcos dictatorship that ended at the 1st Battle of Mendiola. The youth can learn from that experience. But I am afraid the students will be used again by other interest groups to take over and abuse the system. But the system has to change. If we do not qualify candidates and the people sell their votes, only the politicians with money can win an election. And they have to get back their investment plus profit without caring for the poor. Rodel J. Ramos, (by email) Nov. 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony: YOU ARE INDEED GREAT! YOUR COLUMN IS MY "DAILY BREAD". KEEP WRITING AS I ALWAYS KEEP PRAYING THAT THE GOOD LORD WILL KEEP YOU AND YOUR FAMILY SAFE, HEALTHY, AND HAPPY. Norma B. Regidor, (by email), South San Francisco , CA , Nov. 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony: Divine intervention? In a universe composed of innumerable (meaning trillions upon trillions) of solar systems and galaxies, the Christian God must be assumed to have his hands and his mind full all of the time (meaning planet earth time): 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 30-31 days a month, 12 months a year, and 100 years a century. It should be a safe assumption that this Christian God has very little time at all, perhaps just a milli-fraction of a second, to attend to planet earth's troubles, let alone to the troubles of a small country like the Philippines --if at all! He must have bigger and better things to do. Realistically, therefore, I daresay that to expect divine intervention for help in the solution of the insuperably difficult problems which have afflicted Filipinos for all of six decades now is to engage in wishful thinking. Wishful thinking simply doesn't work. Mariano Patalinjug, (by email), Yonkers , NY , Nov. 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Copy furnished) I am happy to hear that, Bobby, and that's what I thought you meant too. Regarding Tony Abaya's heading in his last posting, "Direct Intervention" (actually, Divine Intervention. ACA), it suddenly struck me that what can be more Direct Intervention than homo sapiens taking responsibility for his/her own existence by organizing the society in a way that benefits everybody? As a Post Scriptum to my reply to you, I can also add that our "system" (our favorite word for society) is more complex than the legislated welfare state only. In addition to the means given through the state budget as well as the commune budgets, the traditional volontary interest / social / support organizations (pioneers through the last 100 - 150 years), f.ex. for handicapped people, and funded by donations from the public, still have their raison d'etre in our society as an extra pillar to assist groups who have the need for it, regarding rights, socially, juridically, plus supporting medical research. Kari and Ola Norwegian are not only paying a fairly high (progressive) personal tax plus 25% V.A.T. on consumer goods and services, but are often donating to the social interest organizations. But we have our "big guys" too, who have donated millions for common benefits, regarding environment, research and education and more. We shall also have in mind that it lasted almost 70 years since the labour organizations' first requests for disability pension during the late 1890'ies, until we could afford and establish a full "Folketrygd" (National Insurance covering sick pay, retirement, disability, unemployment) was established in 1967, before we even knew anything about the existence of the North Sea oil. It was all based on the taxation, for both employees and employers. Cheers, Rolf V. Olsen, (by email), Norway , Nov. 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Thanks for sharing me your nice article! When the American bases such as Clark Air Field and Subic Naval Base were in the Philippines, I knew not only how the Americans discriminated the Filipinos in the local areas but also known to have committed some atrocities that they never become accountable. I believed at the time that the only way we could kick the Americans out of the bases was for Divine intervention. There were earthquakes prior to the eruption of Mount Pinatubo (June 1991) that led to the complete evacuation of the Americans. Both of those bases now that were dilapidated are looking good and bringing employment to the local Filipinos. I could not think of any solutions to change the political system in the Philippines other than for the selected and brave expatriates from U.S. and Canada to come to the Philippines and run for the positions in the government from president to barangay captain. Roman de Guzman, (by email), Edmonton , Canada , Nov. 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, I am in accord with you by saying, "God helps those who help themselves." To postulate that The Great Almighty has "limited" interest or concern over mundane intricacies, however, is doing away with the very metaphysical existence of our Divine Savior; what He is to us and what is us to Him. Allow me to say that I am far from pious nor am I thinking along the lines of "holier than though", but there are just things in this wild earthly world that we, mortals, can barely appreciate, much more comprehend. ' Pres. Cory Aquino surely was not able to prevent the staging of coups against her government through prayers, but prayers might have very well fended off any attempt to dislodge her administration. Thank you. Eulogio "Amang" R. Magsaysay, (by email), Nov. 30, 2007 AVE Partylist wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Like you, I've always believed that what the Philippines needs is a Lee Kuan Yew. In other words, the answer to our woes and deterioration is a good dictator who can rescue our country from this mire. A purposive act of purging the government of crooks will reverberate through the citizenry because an honest and dedicated leader is someone people will follow and emulate. Alas, I cannot name a single official worthy of filling that seat. Can you name one? Of course, we need prayers too. It is said that if all else fails, pray. Best, Yett Montalvan, (by email), Nov. 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Terrific insight on the Power of Prayers! Rick Ramos, (by email), Santa Rosa , Laguna, Nov. 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Antonio C. Abaya: The root cause of the problems in the Philippines is that there are so many people and too little to share, and this makes competition more intense. These problems of unemployment, health care, education, corruption, etc., are just the effects of overpopulation. The Catholic Church, which has a stranglehold on the religious practices of the Filipinos, I believe, has done a grave disservice to the Filipino nation; it has condemned the use of artificial birth control. And consequently has made the mitigation of poverty in the Philippines impossible. For centuries, the Catholic Church has made the Filipinos to believe that they couldn�t help themselves, that their effort was not good enough, and that they should seek DIVINE INTERVENTION. This contributed to the Filipino sense of dependency on the supernatural rather than their natural ability as a people. The Filipino people are responsible for what they are or will become. No foreign power, prayer, priest or pontiff will save them from poverty. They have to save themselves. And if the Filipino people would not control their population explosion, the alternative is Nature would do it for them,--brutally. Gil C. Fernandez, (by email), Springfield , Illinois , Nov. 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hello Mr. Tony, I hope you don�t mean to say that prayer is outmoded or obsolete. But I still believe in prayers, being a Christian. But I also believe that prayers alone will not help. Prayers and doing something about the problem helps. My present prayer is for Gloria to change her ways and do the right thing. She is already there, and we might as well ask God to let her see her errors, most specially about the Comelec. Comelec is our last bulwark for real democracy. Without honest elections, we are doomed forever. We always pray for reforms and changes, but they cannot come from below. They can only come from the powers-that-be. So we must pray that the powers-that-be come to their senses and do right by the people. When I say we must also do something, it's not revolt or people power. We should also change our ways and not violate laws of the land. We should police ourselves and practice self-discipline. Just because nobody is looking doesn�t give us permission to violate the laws. If readers say this is impossible to do, who am to refute them? Jobo Elizes, (by email), Nov. 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Mr. Abaya, AMEN! Asa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa! The Philippine Catholic Church has habitually chosen to look at the national fate from the point of view of habitual losers. To them, the Philippines is a country made up of thieves, thugs, whiners, and losers. National life is always viewed negatively. However, it is the Church who teach, encourage, and nurture Filipinos� �Bahala na ang Diyos!� mentality. Filipinos are religious captives! The Church�s intrusion in nearly every aspect of Filipino family life has nurtured this fatalistic mentality and cultivated our superficial religiosity, resulting in our sense of being powerless to chart our own destiny. For just about every problem, even man-made conditions, we�ve been taught over and over to seek divine intervention. Compare the Philippines with its more affluent neighbors ( Taiwan , Singapore , Malaysia , Thailand , and South Korea ). These countries do not have the equivalent of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). The CBCP has used its immense influence to stand in the way of charter change, the deregulation of the oil industry, the modernization of the country�s taxation system (by shifting from income to consumption taxes through the VAT system), the development of the nation�s minerals industry to its full potential, and the proper management of our population growth. The Philippine Catholic bishops see themselves a partner in governance with expertise in every area of policy. Lately, some members of the clergy are so arrogant to demand the ouster of GMA through extra-constitutional means, as if the clergy themselves have the moral ascendancy and the right to do just so. We, Filipinos, often wonder in anger why the once shining and promising Philippine economy became the laggard in East Asia Every time the country is besieged with a major crisis, what is the Catholic Church�s response? The bishops call for a prayer rally! Filipinos are trapped in the Church�s purgatory of pessimism. Aloha, Misael Balayan, (by email), Mililani , Hawaii , Dec. 01, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Divine intervention? There goes the hitch.....it could have worked if we prayed for Divine GUIDANCE for all government people. Maybe others understand Divine Intervention with a sit tight and wait for God to act attitude? Nah ah, we WORK and pray for God's Guidance in every decision we make. Mylene Keane, (by email), Dec. 01, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I believe in divine intervention. But we have to do our parts first. Translating the bible, "nasa tao ang gawa, nasa Dios ang awa". I always say, and I firmly believe so: let her finish until 2010 and gather all the evidences and charge her and the rest of the corruptibles after 2010. Anything we do now will be financially harmful to our country. In the meantime, let us seek the moral leader we will all campaign for. We need to "cleanse" ourselves from the immoral mind, body and soul that the Marcos administration (and cohorts) destroyed us with. Start with Imelda, Lacson, etc and disturb Ver in his grave. I have been looking at Gov Panlilio too. It is time to groom for presidency somebody from his mold. I voted for Eddie Villanueva but I would like to know how his elected children are doing. (I also voted for de Villa, but he didn�t seem to have a strong conviction after he lost). I probably will opt for the reverse of what people are suggesting: Panlilio for president and Villanueva for Vice-president instead of the other way around. When we have assessed, dissected and finally chosen "the candidates" then we have to go full swing in campaigning for them through the internet. We do our job, then wait for Divine assistance. No sense ending her reign now and create chaos. Just review who those aiming for presidency in 2010 are: Lacson? Loren? Villar (after he has joined the Estrada camp?)? Roxas? Are they morally capable of leading? Anyone who tries to grab power now and talk about "temporary" country care-takers will just cause in-fighting among his group. Greed, dishonesty, pride and self aggrandizement are the fibers of their very core. We must act now to decide who to groom and work for come 2010. I might just come out from my hibernation from political angst and be politically involved, in my own quiet ways, once more. As for the moment I feel politically numb, in spite of the many inciting comments and revelations from you, Mr. Abaya. But thank you because all those comments are mined underneath and might just surface when the right time comes. I did not rush to Manila Pen when they called for support. What for? Trillanes' Machiavellian ways does not make him a moral leader. Pura Flor Isleta, (by email), Dec. 02, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Mr. Abaya, I disagree with your statement that GOD helps only those who help themselves. On the contrary, I believe that when all human strength fails, then GOD�s grace begins. Throughout history, GOD has always come through for the helpless and the hopeless. On the other hand, I strongly agree with the concept of WORK as well. We should take full responsibility of the results of our actions and never point an accusing finger to anyone or anything. We cannot go on living selfishly and carelessly and when things don't turn out well, we blame it on divine intervention or the lack of it. We should always have a balance of FAITH and GOOD or HARD WORK and always humbly acknowledge GODs hand working in our lives. With this, I believe that we as a people and as a country will achieve our dreams, ideals, aspirations and DESTINY! We are destined to be a great nation and a great people, not sour-graping, complaining, whining, cry babies who are wallowing in self doubt, self pity and mediocrity. Lets continue to be patient and resilient and at the same time do our best for our country and I know that in time we will taste sweet victory! KEEP THE FAITH, Miko Magsaysay, (by email), Dec. 02, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww With regards to Divine intervention, this is only needed rather "over-used" style of our fellow countrymen who's belief in themselves, waned. In this confusing state, bankrupted minds start finding and causes of their faults and failures to somebody else, their neighbors, the community, government, but not of course themselves. When there's nothing anymore to blamed of, feeling their alternatives had gone zero, then people start praying. Prayers sure do miracles, that is if you double your effort. As the saying goes... "NASA DIYOS ANG AWA , NASA TAO ANG GAWA"! I'm sure of it. WHY? It works with me!. THREE TIMES, NOT ONCE MY BUSINESS CLOSED, AND ALL MY PROPERTY INCLUDING MY HOUSE, FORECLOSED BY PNB. BUT I KEEP ON WORKING FINDING WAYS. NOW I'M IN BUSINESS AGAIN AND WAS ABLED TO PAY MY DEBTS, AND REGAIN MY HOUSE. Now I am active again with Activism, a new kind of activism, that is positive activism, setting myself a role model, teaching people specially the rural folks, to keep on working, earn a little and "SAVE ONE PESO A DAY" If only the 50 Million Filipinos will save ONE PESO A DAY, you don't need this lousy and corrupted government nor Divine intervention! Rodolfo Cada, (by email), Dec. 02, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony: I agree with you that only we citizens guided by some good leaders can build the nation and bring about good governance, solve our problems, and achieve progress. When we do what we must do, divine help will come along. I also believe that our leaders are mainly responsible for our worsening problems since the mid-1960s, but our dysfunctional institutions are also partly to blame. This is why I advocate charter change. . Jose Abueva, (by email), Dec. 02, 2007 President, Kalayaan College , Marikina Former president, University of the Philippines , Diliman wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Copy furnished) Dear Tata, Thank you for sending me Mr. Abaya's and Dr. Abueva's comment on it. Very interesting indeed! But we are not Singapore , Hong Kong , South Korea nor Taiwan . All these countries (except Hong Kong) were once colonized by Japan , the 2nd largest economy in the world. Japan has instituted strong institutions on these countries as opposed to the institutions imposed on us by the Spaniards and the Americans, based on the "divide and conquer", "divide the spoils among allies" variety Other factors include the geography of the Philippines which is archipelagic versus the contiguity of the countries mentioned. Another is the diversity of the Filipinos itself, We speak several languages and espouse different beliefs which were exploited by our colonizers to subjugate us. Then of course our leaders, most famous of course is Quezon who wanted to lead this country like hell, and he was right, it was and is run like hell! We have a population whom Rizal during his time despaired about, explaining the Filipinos' sloth to the climate! Indeed! I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Abaya. He has raised good points for discussion in the class. What can we do about it? This is what I always emphasize to my students that it is good to know what ails our country, but we must do our share and try to help and find ways to remedy what ails us. This is our job as teachers in this country. Let us try to help by educating students what are their obligations as citizens of this country and try to help. I really don't think rebellions at this point in time is productive at all. Whoever sits in the presidency will still be subject to the same attacks and charges and no one person can solve all our problems. It is a gargantuan task and it takes all of us to do our share. As for charter change, I am all for it but, I don't think a parliamentary system fits the Philippines as we don't have a strong political party system that underpins successful parliaments. But federalism, yes, I think we are suited for it. But, how are we going to divide the country into regions? Dr. Abueva has some suggestions but these were also criticized. Are we ever going to find a common ground? Also, we must resolve the fear of some sectors in our society that if we change the charter now, it opens the door for foreigners to own properties in the Philippines which I think is the crux of all protests against charter change. Personally, this is not a problem because I believe that all human beings, not just Filipinos, have a right to own property anywhere in the world. After all, we are all creations of God, aren't we? I think at one point in time, Dr. Abueva mentioned something about Federal-presidential instead of Federal-parliamentary. Please correct me if I'm wrong but I remember reading about it. At any rate, whatever the combination of the political systems we adopt, it is important that we accept it and that we work together for its success. Best regards, Zenaida Ligan, (by email), Cebu City , Dec. 03, 2007 Asst. Professor, Political Science Program, UP Cebu wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya: Under normal circumstances, I truly believe in Divine Intervention via: Power of Prayers! It was probably by intent that Mr. Neri didn't ask for Divine Intervention in strengthening his resolve much like Ms. Clarissa Ocampo(?) A classic example of Good vs. evil and Right vs. wrong! As a noted economist, by design, he must have a long-term personal outlook in exchange for short-term demotion/humiliation. We were then left to wonder.... Was it fear of reprisal? Or what if there exists a plan, monetary or otherwise, foreign and domestic, far greater than the alleged tender offer submitted by the disgraced Chairman of a bygone era? Given that we are involuntarily required to live under absurd circumstances with our basic rights emasculated, I truly believe, in the strongest term possible, the country needs an intervention -- a tragedy of "epic" proportion to befall exclusively upon the greed/graft-driven "known" public officials from the top down so that cleansing, civility and morality can take hold. If near-death experiences were treated as mere hiccups along the way, Mr. Abaya, do you really think there is room for change? Vigilante justice probably? Respectfully, J. Cruz, (by email), Dec. 08, 2007 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |