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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| Learning from Disasters
By Antonio C. Abaya Written on May 21, 2008 For the Standard Today, May 22 issue The numbers are numbing. In Myanmar, 78,000 dead, 55,000 still unaccounted for, and 2.5 million homeless, as a result of Cyclone (Typhoon, Hurricane) Nargis that ripped through the delta of the Irrawaddy River. In Sichuan Province in China, 41,000 dead and still counting, including some 200 rescue workers who were swallowed by a mudslide, 32,000 missing and five million homeless, as a result of an earthquake of intensity 8.0 on the Richter scale. The proportions are truly biblical. Are we seeing the beginning of the End of the World? Not yet. Wait till Dick Cheney and the Israelis start bombing Iran . When that happens, the Christian Evangelicals, the biggest single political bloc that remains loyal to George W. Bush, will rejoice because they believe that war in the Middle East is biblically ordained as prelude to the long-awaited End Days, and that the 144,000 Jews who will survive this new Holocaust will convert to Christianity. This will be the signal for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Some of TIME magazine�s writers may be closet Evangelicals. In its May 19 issue, its reporter on Myanmar wrote that �then the heavens opened and the winds lashed. The gods, it appeared, weren�t happy either with where Burma �s leaders were taking their country�.� Another TIME writer, in its May 26 issue, reported on the China earthquake that �For most of China�s long history, earthquakes and other calamities have been viewed as both portents of change and a test of the ruling government�s �mandate of heaven.���Others gloomily point to a series of other recent tragedies � destructively cold snowstorms, an outbreak of diseases that left dozens of children dead, a train accident that killed 72 � as evidence of some kind of heavenly displeasure�.� Will God or god be TIME�s Person of the Year for 2008? Don�t say I didn�t warn you. Myanmar (formerly known as Burma ) has been under military rule since 1962 when Gen. Ne Win seized power. A military junta took over in 1968 and has been running Myanmar since. The world is appalled that the junta refuses to allow foreign aid workers inside their country, while millions of cyclone victims are without sufficient food, water, medicine and housing. Myanmar will allow aid workers only from ASEAN countries. All others must drop off their proffered aid at Yangon airport and leave right away, or leave their aid with neighboring countries, e.g. Thailand , which will then transport them to Yangon . Myanmar has followed a xenophobic policy in both economics and foreign relations for decades. Until the late 1980s, even foreign tourists were not allowed to visit Myanmar . When the junta finally relented, tourists were allowed in, but only for 72 hours. The only other country that remains as xenophobic is North Korea . Under the military junta, Myanmar followed an autarkic economic policy, meaning they did not encourage imports or exports. In 2006, Myanmar �s imports amounted to only $2 billion, its exports $3.6 billion, under its national ideology called the Burmese Road to Socialism. Again, similar to the North Korean ideology of juiche or self-reliance., under which North Korea�s imports in 2006 totaled only $2.7 billion, its exports only $1.3 billion. By contrast, South Korea �s exports in 2006 totaled $326 billion. (Not surprisingly, Myanmar is a much more pathetic basket case than the Philippines , even though � listen, you na�ve and wild-eyed federalists � it has been a federal union since independence in 1947. (And don�t blame military dictatorship for Myanmar �s economic problems. South Korea , Taiwan , Indonesia and Thailand � all unitary states � achieved their fastest economic growth rates in the 1970s and 1980s under military dictatorships: South Korea under Gen. Park Chung Hee, Taiwan under Gen. Chiang Ching-kuo, Indonesia under Gen. Suharto, and Thaialnd under Gen. Prem Tinsulananda and succeeding generals. (Unitary or federal has nothing to do with economic success. Paraphrasing Bill Clinton, it�s the economic strategies and policies, stupid!) Additionally, Myanmar has a relationship with China , which supplies it with substantial military equipment and has even built a major naval base for the Myanmarese Navy at the mouth of the Irrawaddy River , with an explicit proviso giving berthing rights to the Chinese Navy. This gives China a naval anchorage in the Indian Ocean, which it needs to protect its substantial investments, trade and aid programs in Africa and the Persian Gulf . Viewing TV video footages of cyclone damage in the Irrawaddy delta, I was watching out for clips of the naval base, but I have not seen any. This may mean that the air space above the naval base is a no-fly zone which foreign pilots must observe, and which may explain the junta�s aversion to US and NATO planes flying into their territory. China , on the other hand, has been very open to foreign aid and aid workers China has deservedly gained global sympathy for suffering this tragedy and has even impressed the world community with its swift and efficient deployment of 130,000 troops and their equipment to the quake-stricken province. This would neutralize the embarrassment that China was subjected to only two months ago, when the Olympic Torch was deliberately made into a lightning rod by Western liberals out to humiliate Beijing for its treatment of Tibet �s biggest feudal landlords, the Buddhist monks. Shame on Richard Gere and Mia Farrow for allowing themselves to be used for a deliberate demolition job orchestrated by Anglo-American spy agencies. What can we learn from the tragedies in Myanmar and China ? President Arroyo ordered Philippine medical teams to both disaster zones. But unless we have specialized teams and specialized equipment, what can we actually contribute? Myanmar would need artesian wells and water purification tablets to provide potable water to the refugees. Myanmar would also need amphibious vehicles � similar to the US Army�s DUKW trucks and the German Wehrmacht�s Schwimmwagen (literally, �swim cars�) during World War II � to deliver food and supplies, rescue stranded refugees, and evacuate the sick and crippled in the flooded delta. If we do not have this equipment, our Red Cross and the AFP should start acquiring them because we will surely need them if and when similar disasters hit our shores. I made this suggestion in this space as early as 1988. That hundreds of school buildings collapsed in Sichuan and killed thousands of students suggests that there was shoddy construction, the result of collusion between corrupt bureaucrats and corrupt contractors..There is no doubt that when the dust literally settles down, the Chinese government will get to the bottom of this. And when guilty parties are identified, they will be publicly executed, which will be one of the most important lessons that we should learn and adopt from this disaster, if not under our hopelessly corrupt pseudo-liberal-democratic system, at least under a revolutionary government. China is so self-sufficient in everything, it is hard to imagine what we can do to help. Because of the need to bury the many dead to prevent the spread of disease, the Chinese are burying them in mass graves. However, they are taking pains to take DNA specimens from the cadavers before burial, to give relatives a chance to ascertain where their loved ones are buried after DNA matches are made in the future.. Do we have enough med-techs who know how to do DNA analysis? When Ozone Disco on Timog Avenue burned down about 10 years ago, and some of the dead had to be buried in mass graves in Marikina because they could not be identified, I suggested in this space that DNA specimens should be extracted from the burned bodies so that their relatives would know who were buried where. But no one paid any attention to me. The Chinese know better. ***** Reactions to [email protected]. More articles in www.tapatt.org and in acabaya.blogspot.com. . To subscribe, send as blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �Learning from Disasters� More Reactions to �Electoral Reforms� More Reactions to �Stray Dogs� Open Letter to the CBCP Decentralization, 8 and 9 Mr Abaya Please keep on writing. We like your articles�Maybe one day, a big miracle will happen that will wake up our government leaders�Although we are here in the US, we really still love our country. Lita Panganiban, (by email), New York , May 23, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya: Good piece, as usual. You wondered what the Chinese government actually needs in its massive earthquake relief efforts. Apropos, following is a list of items that the China Consulate General in San Francisco , CA , USA has circulated for those who wish to help with the disaster relief. The San Francisco Mayor�s Office has circulated this to all our nearly 30,000 City employees and the Mayor is likewise encouraging workers to make financial donations. 1. Tents 2. Blankets 3. Sleeping bags 4. Stretchers 5. Wheelchairs 6. Electric cutters 7. Hydraulic presses 8. (Screw) jacks 9. Small power generators 10. Small water purifiers/filters 11. Makeshift housing material 12. Compressed food Specific Items In Urgent Need I. Medical Items 1. Pharmaceuticals a) albumin (10g) b) tramadol hydrochloride injection (2ml) 2. Medical equipment a) respirators/ventilators(Brands: Tyco, Drager, Newport . Siemens) b) rechargeable bedside X-ray machines (Brands: Shimadzu, Siemens, GE) c) ECG, multi-functional cardiograph monitors (Brands: Philips, Siemens, GE, Drager) II. Search and Rescue Instruments 1. Life detecting and positioning equipment a) Electro-magnetic life detectors b) Acoustic/Seismic life detectors c) Optical life detectors d) Gas detectors 2. Rescue equipment a) Pheumatic bracings and accessories b) Hydraulic bracings and accessories c) Bipolar hydraulic bracings d) Petrol/gasoline breakers/crushers e) Mechanical circular saws and diamond rims f) Diamond chainsaws and saw blades g) Heavy-duty spreaders and cutters h) Slitters (wedge jacks) i) High-pressure lifting air cushions (11t, 24t, 30t) and air cushion accessories j) Hydraulic breaking picks k) Heavy-duty breaking/pounding hammers 3. Auxiliary Instruments a) Large water purifiers/filters for rescuers in the field 4. Telecommunications Equipments a) Inmarsat Mini-M Stations b) Inmarsat M4 Stations c) Aces phones d) Waterproof intercoms(handheld or headset) Contact telephone numbers of the Consulate General: 415-674-2948, 415-674-2949, 415-674-2950 May we never require such relief items for disasters of such magnitude in our own homeland. As ever, Jose G. Caedo, (by email), San Francisco , CA , May 23, 2008 Mayor's Office On Disability, 401 Van Ness Ave. Ste. 300 San Francisco , CA 94102 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, You are so very right in telling that political systems have nothing to do with the economy. Of course, they can affect the economy through their representatives and laws but this is not depending on the one or other system. It only depends on the leadership. Extreme dictatorial or extreme democratic, both systems can bring the economy up or down. Where RP is not really at the upswing, no matter how much the Peso is pushed up. Myanmar and China have both dictatorial governments, by military or by the ruling political party, but still both are going a very different way. Why Myanmar accepts the risk that maybe hundreds of thousands people could become sick or even die, is hard to imagine. Probably they do not want to show how poor is people and how rich and luxury the leadership, even it is well known anyway. I have been surprised that you know about the "Schwimmwagen" of the former German Wehrmacht. It was a special kind of an open, VW based car, very useful but not much used in fighting because it was very helpless while swimming slowly and the open chassis was not shootproof and protecting. Regards, Kurt. Setschen, (by email), Switzerland , May 23, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Preparedness is key. Unity is key. Honesty (with foreign aid) is key. The Philippine archipelago lies with Indonesia , an earthqake/tsunami country (remember Krakatoa?) and I will not be surprised if there will be tragedies in other parts of Pinas, like Palawan , Bicol area and others. But because of prayers, we were spared from the SARS, meningo and other health tragedies other countries had to deal with. Still, the mentality of the government should be PREPARED. However, I wist to point out a word you mentioned. I don�t think that Evangilicals will "rejoice" or "encourage" US attacks at any Middle East country. It short in saying that Christians would love only Christians and hate other beliefs. I dont think so. Mga corny Christians siguro. Thanks Tony! Mike Delgado, (by email), May 23, 2008 (The word is Evangelicals. You can google their websites and the speeches of their leaders: the late Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, the present John Hagee. There is nothing corny about them. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Yes, but what can we do with a cyclone whipping more than 200km/hr or an earthquake of a 7.8 magnitude? Even US and Japan would reel on these. Just the same, the prayerful Pinoys are luckier in terms of casualties. But of course if these kind of calamities would befall the known thieves, cheats, and liars, then federal or whatever form of government that would rise from the ashes will hopefully turn things around. As of the moment, I do not think that a scuba-diving symbol of leadership amidst chaos and mayhem would lag behind those disasters in Myanmar and China . We're living the worst potential disaster that would burst any moment. Courtesy of an explosive, gravelly-sounding, full-of-tricks midget whose luck is holding painfully so. Haven't we learned anything yet? We have but, well, just keep on swinging that mighty pen of yours. Harv Maglalang, (by email), Boondocks of Arayat, Pampanga, May 23, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony: Actually Ne Win staged his takeover from U Nu in 1964. The late Tony Escoda personally went into Burma then while I covered it from Bangkok , while we were both working as correspondents for the Associated Press. And Ne Win's socialist martial law regime immediately confiscated all foreign banks and establishments, renamed all the foreign banks (British, French and American) as Bank No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, etc. and barred selected foreigners and all foreign investments. Ne Win's reason: the foreign culture is "detrimental to Burma 's culture and progress." Tony and I, and other newspersons were allowed to stay for 72 hours only. So we left on the 72nd hour of our stay, on the planes going to Dacca , stayed there for one day, and returned to Rangoon the next day for another 72-hour coverage before heading back to our base in Bangkok . The Burmese got wise to this and barred us for at least four months. So we settled to interview Burmese travelers and refugees in the Thai side of the Burma-Thailand border--and got better stories too. Myanmar 's refusal to allow foreign aid workers is fired by the Junta's selfishness to preserve its iron-grip on the country. The Junta does not want foreigners in because these foreign aid workers will be compassionate (this will be easily obvious) to the cyclone victims. And that might stir real hatred towards the Junta and may even reinforce the separatists in Wa and Shan. Cheers Gil Santos, (by email), May 23, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww When I was a freshman in UP Diliman in 1963, I had around 8 female dorm-mates who were Burmese foreign students. What do you think happened to them? Rue R. Ramas, (by email), Gen. Santos City, May 23, 2008 (I have absolutely no idea. I�m not God. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww The ending is a kind of a letdown. The obvious is you know better, the Chinese happen to know too!! The question to ask is: what have we actually learned from disasters? My answer: if it is time to go, we become part of statistics. However this statistical data may go on different directions or interpretation, depending on what particular interest the analyzer would like to show to the world. We are lucky if we become exceptional data worth citing for the reading/listening survivors of disasters. It is sad, but who cares, if we are just lumped into one sweeping data as the countless dead. Felix Zamar, (by email), May 24, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Thanks, Tony. May I share a note to my friends who passed on to me the Triangle of Life article: According to Dir. Renato Solidum, head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, when he was guest in our radio program, Kalikasan, Kaunlaran! (DZRH, Weds., 7:30 to 8:30 PM--don't forget to tune in), do NOT follow the Triangle of Life. He and his staff and other experts on seismology, he said, had investigated it and found out that it is a hoax. He also explained that it does not make sense because some objects could fall on you directly. When you are not protected by a sturdy fixture or furniture, you could die immediately. Furniture could also move during an earthquake. If you are beside one you might be pushed to a wall and also die. Earthquake preparedness in our country can be greatly improved. Earthquake drills, where we spend much effort on in our "preparedness" program, unfortunately, won't do much good if the building that we are in didn't follow the building code on proper site analysis and construction, or if there is a big pipeline running under the building that could burst and create massive flooding or fire, depending on what flows through the pipeline. We have developed a model, ERCAM--ecological and risk communication, assessment and management. I presented an earlier version of it, which did not include yet the E part, at the first US-Japan conference on Risk Analysis years back. The editor of the refereed International Journal of the Society for Risk Analysis, which is based in the US , was in the audience and asked me afterwards to submit a short article on it. The Journal published it after as an editorial. Apparently, even in developed countries, such as the US , risk analysis experts (at that time) would have "assessment (A)" and "management (M)" in their model for their analytical work, with "communication (C)" as an afterthought. In our model, C envelopes the A and M processes because the first step is to bring parties together to a common ground that will allow for effective A and M to take place. C must be there all the time, especially during a disaster. We often jump to management, even before doing proper communication and assessment. Earthquake drill is one of the management measures that could come after we have conducted an assessment of the risks within and around our buildings. Since I came back to the Philippines after my PhD studies (focused on risk analysis) I have been talking and writing about this topic, most recently at the conference of the Insurance Industry where I served as one of three speakers. Since I am getting old talking and writing, I decided after the China earthquake that I will just do an IEC program on it in three pilot areas even with a small amount of money. I hope to involve the residents in mapping the ecological and risk profile of their areas. The problem is not many seem to give priority to disaster preparedness in planning. Then when there is a disaster, people listen to and believe even texts like the one that went around recently after the earthquake in China . It predicted that an earthquake of 6.8 magnitude, or something fixed like that, would happen. The truth is no one yet, except God, could predict an earthquake that way--with a magnitude and day and time of occurrence! Cora Claudio, (by email), May 24, 2008 Corazon PB. Claudio, Ph.D. President, EARTH Institute Asia, Inc. Director/Host, Kalikasan, Kaunlaran! DZRH-AM Radio wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Reactions to �Electoral Reforms� (May 20, 2008) Dear Kuya Tony C. Abaya, May I contribute the following suggestions: 1. There is not much to re-write our present Constitution. Just remove those not good for us. What is 'much-wrong' are those in government. 2. Electing senators by region may be good, but would it not be much better to elect 2 senators per province? Luzon or other big regional areas may have more senators than others. So to be more equally democratic, 2 senators for each province is the best idea. (Just like the U.S.A. , each State has 2 elected senators, as a compromise to the lenghty debate of their proposed constitution at the time.) 3. Jury, grand or petite, may be good for our judicial system, but jury qualifications should be college graduates first of all, etc. No citizen-person who never studied much should be qualified for jury service. Another thing, there should be no 'Double Jeopardy" in acquittals at the trial courts, but the government should be allowed to pursue "appeals in criminal cases up to the highest court in certain heinous crimes." We have learned many guilty persons got away in acquittals at the trial courts. Pity the victims or the government or the people. 4. Elective officials, from president down to the barangay should all be at least college graduates, and higher qualifications for higher offices. So too for all cabinete positions, assistant secretaries,department heads and those dealing with the public service. 5. Pardon powers should be restricted. Those convicted to serve life sentences/reclusion perpetua penalty or higher cannot be paroled while serving sentence or pardoned without the unanimous consent of the highest court of the land. 6. No elected government official including the president has power to distribute government/public funds without Congress appropriations. 7. Do away with 'party-list representation' in congress. This is just a duplication of representation, too many legislators. 8. Taxation. All persons, citizens, and entities whether religious or whatever should be subject to tax. Government employees, below certain salary ranks should have a different lower tax-graduation schemes. This is do away too much salary-adjustments every 5 years, etc., and to help them get more of what they earn for rendering public service. 9. Remove the provisions on police or army being the protector of the State. Make such police or army service as just a public trust also and not something to 'capitalize-on' to whatever incidents, including political events, etc. 10. There should only be one-body for legislation. Either, senate body or assembly. There is no truth to 'checks and balances' by having 2 branches in congress. Our experience on this tell us already. One body is good enough. These are only some suggestions. I know there are many more good proposals from others. I hope when our people amend our present constitution, we can all contribute what is good for us and not what is good for politicians and dynasties ( the latter should be clearly eliminated, with effectiveness.) Thanks you Kuya Tony. More power to your work! God bless you. Leona Guerra, (by email), Australia , May 27, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww There must be an economic reform muna before you can have your dream political and electoral reform... Mahirap bumoto kung gutom... Rudy Galang, (by email), May 27, 2008 (Electoral reforms, since they concern mostly procedures, can be implemented and take effect at once. Economic reforms would take years before they solve the problems of poverty and hunger. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hello, Let me put a cents idea to reform our election system. Observing the manner of elections and the way politicians are making use of the "poor" and the scheming character of the Filipino voters, how about a two-tiered election whereby the voters or electorate are to be divided in electing local and national officials. 1) For the national elections - that is electing the president, senators, and governors all registered voters may participate in the elections 2) For local elections - that is barangay council, municipal officials and, district representatives only those bonafide residents (owners of houses and lots in the locality, legitimate business owners and dwellers on legitimate apartment in the locality) will be allowed to vote. The idea is still raw and needs to be polished, yet, looking at the character of our local officials and the way they manipulate squatters, to their best interest. And the way these squatters are holding these elected officials to the detriment of legal owners of properties they occupy, this idea would stop the proliferation of squatters and probably give way to the election of local officials who will truly serve the best interest of people who needs their protection. These may in the long run help us to finally educate the people and elect responsible officials. This will also make local officials not beholden to national officials as they cannot make or unmake the elections by the use of flying voters and squatters. Raul Loreto, (by email), May 27, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony: Thanks for the updates. Totally agree with the RX. Totally doable. Political viability of being passed seems virtually nil though. For the reason that there's not enough numbers to generate momentum that will get the propositions passed. IMHO, any Rx is doomed as long as Juan de la Cruz fails to recognize that he, too, is part of the problem. The choices made by the electorate are driven by their values, attitudes, and lifestyles. My perception is that a large number of the electorate values honesty. Yet this same substantial segment succumbs to peer pressure to vote along populist lines. This same segment of the electorate becomes a stamping pad for launching Rasputinesque characters into public office. As an axiom in systems analysis and development goes - garbage in, garbage out. Or an alternate view, the associative law (addition or multiplication) in algebra goes - numbers may be regrouped within the same sequential order and the results of the operation will remain the same. As long as the a large number of the electorate's choice of "public servants" are the same crop of garbage (dynasties, kleptocracies, etc) - any system implemented in the Philippines , be it parliamentary, unitary, or federal - will be doomed to implode. Keep on slugging anyways - the more raw nerves you hit, the better. Roy V, [email protected], May 27, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww There should only be two parties. Come 2010, if we maintain the same system there will be many candidates and the situation will only splinter the chances of every opposition candidate against a GMA anointed presidential candidate. First of all, the opposition parties must agree on a candidate that they will all support. The problem is that there are almost half a dozen of them wanting and believing that they stand a good chance against the ruling party. They should probably go back to the basics of election mathematics. There should therefore be only two parties, two presidential candidates. We need not go as far as changing into a federal form of government. The existing one can work. We simply haven't made it work as good as expected. Victor Manalac, (by email), May 29, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Mr Abaya, Salamat po sa mga emailed ninyo na mga sinulat ninyo at mga reactions ng mga readers.M marami po akong natutuhan dito. (An aside, before I forget this: if you believe in the idea that we must know our "enemies," or at least, in a principled debate on any issue, you can try requesting for Sen. A. Pimentel jr's email copy of his parliamentary system proposal power point presentation. He's, it's my feeling, giving it for free to anybody interested. then, please enlighten us on your input/s about it. Thanks.) But am surprised really why six of your email matters wound up in my SPAM side. These include: Combatting Smuggling; Electoral Reforms; RX to Prelude to 2010, etc. Seems to me there'll be no let up in the proliferation of almost unsolvable, "titanic" problems for a tiny nation like our country, the Philippines, be these about the form of government; smuggling; political abnormalities; large-scale, perennial corruption; fascism, a lying, cheating, stealing, incompetent government; a stupid, divided, opportunistic self-deluded, egomaniacal "opposition"; thinning ranks of authentic, do-gooder critics and crusading journalists; and a hapless citizenry. Many Filipinos take pride in having been part of the social uprising that ousted a dictator during the 1986 people power revolution. but a quarter of a century later, the author of the People Power philosophical construct himself says that "practically nothing has changed for the better in our socio-politico economic system since then." The same old, disgusting, wretched iniquities exist, fascism is ever strong, firmly gripping the land and its people under the talons of its ruthless 'executioners' who do the bidding of their killer masters with so much gusto. No one calls--for few are able to identify it--the devil by its name insofar as the powers-that-be's mode of political governance is concerned; and the people's wretched poverty remains as shackling and debasing as ever. Few Filipinos remember that we've come full circle in our grinding poverty. in the early 1960s, with Diosdado Macapagal in Malacanang as president, Metro Manila folks lined up before sacks-filled government trucks just to buy their daily rations of government-sold "corn rice" (because rice from palay was scarce, and money to buy it more so). Almost half a century later, with his daughter forcing her way to Malacanang Palace as de facto president, cheap rice is still hard to come by, and when some NFA rice supplies are available, people still have to queue up to be able to buy one or two kilos for their hungry families. People don�t know what hit the country in January 2001, when Gloria stole the presidency from the duly elected president, After Fidel Ramos, Cory Aquijno, Cardinal Sin, a few leftists, Judas-like military/police top brass and the Makati Business elite (who bankrolled the ousting movement) stage their coup, which they thought was a reprise of the 1986 "people power" uprising. This is the root of all of our problems, Mr Abaya--the inability of our people and their supposed opposition leaders to size up the predicament from Cory's time till today. Cory botched two great opportunities presented her way, and for that, she's one those principally to be blamed for the mess we're now into. One, she failed, in a word, to "revolutionize" Philippine society w/ithradical moves during that time her government was self-declared "revolutionary." During that time, no right-thinking Filipinos would have objected to sensible, albeit radical, 'operation' of our governance systems. and two, she mothered a "monster," a la Dr. Frankenstein. Up to now, this monster has mutated, and Gloria is only one of its ramifications.Iit is this monster and its tentacles which has engulfed--for fifteen years now, and still counting (what Gloria calls the predominance in the Philippine political life of "our party," the Lakas-MCD-Kampi")--our country into a seemingly inescapable labyrinthine prison. Unfortunately, the so-called "opposition" is so myopic they fail to recognize this at all. Worse, they are so enamored of "elections" as a way to change Gloria and wrest power from her camp--but only for these opportunistic oppositionists' (sic) own self-aggrandizement. I wish I could continue with my exposition, Mr Abaya, but my vision is now clouded by copious tears welling in my eyes. I could hardly control my sadness over the suffering of our people and the sad state (of decomposition) this country has sunk into. Were it not for our OFWs, our unsung heroes, this country would have long ago broken apart in a Jacobin revolution. If I had my way, such a road would be worth pursuing, if only to cleanse this society of so much vile and toxins, if only to excise from our body politic this greedy, lecherous, ruthlessly fascistic "monsters." I wish we could do it in my lifetime. Jennifer Potenciano, (by email), May 30, 2008 (I agree with most of your points, Jennifer, including that one about a Jacobin revolution. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Reactions to �Stray Dogs� (May 15, 2008) Sir, I'd like to ask if you have any favorite Filipino movies, directors, actors and actresses? Do you have any Filipino films in your collections? I'm just curious, sir. Thanks Jun Valenzuela, (by email), Naga City , May 27, 2008 (In the past 30 years, I have watched about seven or eight Filipino films. None of them has impressed me as being world class. I have a DVD copy of �Paradiso,� produced by Gawad Kalinga. I found it rather awful. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Forwarded to Tapatt by Auggie Surtida) My project The Cinema of Manuel Conde hardbound coffeetable book will finally be printed (at UST Press) this coming June in time for the Cinemalaya Festival at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in July. The 280 pages (matte art 100) will be printed in duotone (16 pages are in full color). The book will have more than 300 vintage photographs (many never been published before) which also include the movie ads of Conde. A lot of photographs are from the scanned original negatives of different sizes: 8x10, 5x7, 2x2, and 35mm. The book was written by Nicanor Tiongson (UP professor and Manunuri ng Pelikulng Pilipino) with me as the photo editor, book designer, and project director. (Also as researcher). Conde's Genghis Khan was the first Filipino film ever to compete in an international competition at Venice in 1952. Together with his other films like Sigfredo and 7 Infantes de Lara, all were bought by the United Artists in Hollywood during that time. He started making films at LVN in 1940 and worked closely with Production Designer Carlos V. Francisco iun many of his films. Conde made the political satire, a series on Juan Tamad (starring himself) which could be very timely now because it tackled cheating, lying, graft and corruption in the government which is very rampant in the Gloria Arroyo administration. Did you see films like Juan Tamad Goes to Congress (1959) at State Theater, Juan Tamad Goes to Society (1960) at Galaxy, and Juan Tamad at Juan Masipag sa Pulitikang Walang Hanggan (1963)? Sad to say, films don't exist anymore. Sayang talaga! Conde's super big hits include the LVN Pictures' Eastman color -- the Nida Blanca-Nestor de Villa musical starrers: Ikaw Kasi (1955), Bahala Na (1956), and Tingnan natin (1957), all shown on Christmas day. If you know of anyone interested in getting the Conde book, please tell me. The price may be steeper because UST as of now will be printing only 1,000 copies. I'm working out on pre-selling to companies who my be interested in buying by the bulk so that unit price will be lowered and be affordable even to students. Cesar Hernando, May 25, 2008 (Auggie: My website www.tapatt.org, suddenly re-appeared on May 30, after being blocked since May 11 by person or persons unknown. So you can see my write-ups of about 300 films that I consider �The Best Films Ever Made.� Re Manuel Conde, I recall his Genghis Khan film from the 1950s, but I do not recall if it was historically accurate. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Decentralization, Part 8 A million thanks to Ed Aurelio 'Dng' Reyes, for bringing up one very important point � the Local Government Code is not being fully implemented. PGMA withholds LGU�s IRA share; its release is supposed to be automatic. Congress all but ignored the Code; they are mandated to visit it every five years to keep it dynamic. I also agree with the examples he cited. I think though that most of his proposals are covered by the Code.. I would like federalists to answer this question, �How could we be expected to cope with such a complex system as federalism when we can�t even implement simple provisions of law?� I went over the arguments for federalism, and did not find a single claim that cannot be achieved thru local autonomy! I will not discount the possibility that I may have overlooked some points. But would these be able to justify the cost of maintaining 70 Senators, 350 Congressmen and thousands of regional officials and employees? I hope federalists will give me answers. If the debate on federalism is between pros and cons, I think the pros may still have some chances of winning some adherents. But if it is between federalization and decentralization, it would be a no contest in favor of the latter. It is still possible for Senator Pimentel to regain his senses and offer to be my champion. Eustaquio Joven, (by email), May 25, 2008 (But can you make his son Koko win his electoral protest against Migz Zubiri? Notice that Pimentel wants the change to federalism to happen BEFORE the end of President Arroyo�s term in 2010. The tit for tat is very obvious. Nene is the chief carpenter for GMA�s Trojan Horse. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Decentralization, Part 9 It�s not just Senator Pimentel. Jose de Venecia has also come into the fray. They, basically, have neglected local autonomy during all their years in Congress. Now they want it buried altogether through federalism. There must be a way to stop this folly. What is in federalism that�s not in local autonomy? Nothing, except added expenditures and unwieldiness! Local autonomy would directly strengthen local governments units (provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays); federalism would do it through the regional subdivisions it would create! Now LGU�s have to contend only with Imperial Manila. With federalism each of them will have their own Imperial Regions, with each province trying to outdo each other for attention.. I don�t think even the Bicol and Ilocos, which are long established regions, would be spared of inter- and intraregional bickering. The 70-30 sharing they propose can be done now, if Congress wants to. Why wait for a cha-cha? LGU�s are mature structures; regions are artificial ones. LGU�s have existing financial and accounting rules and regulations; how about regions? Now we can barely finance the LGU�s; how would it be with the added burden of regional offices? If it�s any consolation though, there wouldn�t be much left for the provinces to quarrel about after the regions have had their fill. Eustaquio Joven, (by email), May 30, 2008 (Both Pimentel and De Venecia are motivated by their failed ambitions. They both wanted to be presidents of the Philippines ; JdV tried (in 1998) but failed; Pimentel never even got to first base. GMA chose Tito Guingona over Pimentel in 2001 as her VP. Both JdV and Pimentel supported parliamentarism; JdV hoping that he would be interim prime minister from 2007 to 2010 under the �life-saving� plan proposed by Fidel Ramos. But the FVR plan bombed out, and JdV subsequently lost his speakership. Pimentel did not even get to first base, again. Federalism is the �final solution� for JdV because this will be his last hurrah: to be president/premier/datu/rajah of the proposed North Luzon state, his higher ambitions having failed. The same for Pimentel: it will be his last hurrah to be president/premier/rajah/datu of the North Mindanao state, everything else having failed. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, We in Lay Forum Philippines sent an Open Letter to the CBCP re. the peace negotiations. I would appreciate very much if you could comment on the content of this letter in your column. Thanks very much in advance, Arnold van Vugt , (by email), Cagayan de Oro City Open Letter to the CBCP Lay Forum Philippines has held its 6th National Lay Gathering in General Santos on May 19-24, 2008. More than 380 delegates from all over the Philippines have reflected on the theme: �The Laity�s Involvement in the Mission of the Church; a continuing challenge in journeying with the People�s Struggle towards Church Renewal and Social Transformation.� The experience of the delegates was like a New Pentecost. �Your old men shall dream dreams and your young men shall see a vision� (Joel 21: 28). Our dream is that there be peace again in our war-torn country; our vision, that the Church will assume its God-given role to make peace. We have reflected on the problems of the insurgency in our country and the numerous innocent victims it has caused in our GKKs all over the country. The 903 extrajudicial killings, 193 enforced disappearances and the forced evacuations in our GKKs are a direct consequence of the unholy war. We believe that the peace negotiations should be taken out of the hands of the military, in particular of the newly appointed presidential peace adviser Gen. Hermogenes Esperon and out of the hands also of the government, in particular of national security adviser Norberto Gonzales. We believe that the Church must assume the responsibility for the resumption and continuation of the peace negotiations with MILF/MNLF and the NDF. The Church is no longer justified to just sit back and allow the peace negotiations to fail again under the present leadership. The negotiations should be conducted directly by and with the Filipino people themselves. We urge the CBCP to assume the task of initiating and facilitating this peace process, by selecting and appointing a group of committed and qualified Filipino citizens, whom should be given the full authority and power to negotiate for a honorable settlement of the armed conflict and a permanent peace for the Filipino nation. We suggest that the Filipino Bishops follow the example set by the Catholic Bishops of Colombia, who have successfully negotiated a peace settlement with the armed insurgents of that country. Furthermore, we suggest that the NDF negotiating panel will be invited over to the Philippines to continue the negotiations, on condition that the panel will be provided with full protection and security by the joint religious Orders and Congregations (AMRSP), like security has been given to Jun Lozada by the Religious Sisters in Manila. As one of the delegates and in behalf of the other delegates of the National Lay Gathering in General Santos , I sign here below this Open Letter to the CBCP. General Santos City, May 26, 2008 (sgd) Arnold van Vugt O.Carm.Assoc., delegate wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Reactions to [email protected] To subscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. |