Pilipinas Kong Mahal
		
		Aking minamahal, sintang Inang Bayan
		Tanging paraiso, Lupang Sinilangan
		Kayumangging kulay, hangad ng Dayuhan
		Di ipagpapalit sa libo mang yaman.
	
		  Ang tanging panambit nitong mga araw
		  Maraming kapatid landas nangaligaw
		  Sa pilak at ginto ano't nangasilaw
		  Nawaglit sa isip, magdurusa'y Ikaw.
	
		Subali at gayon ako ma'y nagkulang
		Sa sariling mundo nalulong ang tanaw
		Ay nang mapaghulo't mapagtantong tunay
		Sa hirap ay lugmok Bayang minamahal

		  Datapwa at gahol damdami'y nagising
		  Bayang minamahal kailangan ang pansin
		  Anak mang nalihis walang di gagawin
		  Maibalik lamang langit mo't bituin.
	
		Kaya huwag lumuha aking Inang Bayan
		Mga kinapatid aking aawitan
		Aking 'paglilimos kung iyong kailangan
		Ang puri mo't dangal muli lang makamtan.

			WELCOME TO OUR DREAM
				click to ENTER
11 April 2001

My Fellow Filipinos,

When I was small, the Philippine Peso was P4 to 
the $dollar (corrected from previous print of
P7/$1, thanks to some readers). The president 
was Diosdado Macapagal. Life was simple. 
Life was easy.

My father was a farmer. My mother kept a small 
sari-sari store where our neighbors bought sang-perang 
asin, sang-perang bagoong, sang-perang suka, sang-perang 
toyo at pahinging isang butil na bawang. Our backyard had 
kamatis, kalabasa, talong, ampalaya, upo, batao and okra. 
our silong had chicken and we had a pig, a dog and a cat. 
of course, we lived on the farm. 

During rainy season, my father caught frogs at night, 
which my mother made into batute (stuffed frog), or 
just plain fried. During the day, he caught hito and 
dalag from his rice paddocks, which he usually inihaw.

During dry season, we relied on the chickens, vegetables, 
bangus, tuyo and tinapa. Every now and then, there was 
pork and beef from the town market.

Life was so peaceful, so quiet. No electricity, no TV, 
just the radio for Tia Dely, Roman Rapido, Tawag ng 
Tanghalan and Tang-tarang-tang. Most of the day on 
weekends, I played with my neighbors (who were all my 
cousins). Tumbang-preso, taguan-pung, piko, luksong-lubid, 
at iba pa. 

I don't know about you, but I miss those days. These days,
we face the TV, the Internet, Email, newspaper, magazine, 
grocery catalog, or drive around.

The peso is a staggering and an incredible P49 to the $dollar.

Most people can't have fun anymore. Life has become a 
battle. We live to work. We work to live. Life is not 
easy.

I was in Saudi Arabia in 1983. It was lonely, difficult and 
scary. It didn't matter if you were a man or a woman, you 
were target for rape. The salary was cheap and the vacation 
far between. If the boss didn't want you to go on holiday, 
you won't. They had your passport. Oh, and the agency charged 
you almost 4 months of your salary, which if you had to borrow 
on a 20% per month meant your first year pay was all gone before 
you earned it.

The Philippines used to be one of the most important countries 
in Asia. Before and during my college days, many students from 
neighboring Asian countries, e.g. Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan 
and China went to the Philippines to get their diplomas. Until 
1972, like President Macapagal, President Marcos was one of 
the most admired presidents of the world. And the Peso had 
kept its value, P7 to the $dollar until I finished college.

Today, the Philippines is famous as the "Housemaid" capital of 
the world. It ranks very high as the "Cheapest Labor" capital 
of the world, too. We have maids in Hong Kong, laborers in 
Saudi Arabia, dancers in Japan, migrants and TNTs in Australia, 
and USA, and all sorts of other tricky jobs in other parts of 
the globe.

Quo Vadis Pinoy? Is that a wonder or a worry?

Are you proud to be a Filipino, or does it matter anymore? 
When you see the Filipino Flag and hear the Pambansang Awit, 
do you still feel a sense of pride, or a sense of defeat and 
uncertainty. If only things could change for the better...

Hang on, this is a job for Superman. Or who do you call, 
Ghostbusters. Joke. Right?

This is one of our problems. We say, I love the Philippines. 
I am proud to be a Filipino. I send you a joke, you send it 
to the whole of your address list if it kills the Internet. 
But I send you a note how to save our country and ask you to 
forward it, what do you do? Chuck it in the bin.

I want to help the housemaids in Hong Kong. I want to help 
the laborers in Saudi Arabia. I want to help the dancers in 
Japan. I want to help the TNTs in America and Australia. I 
want to save the people of the Philippines. But I cannot do 
it alone. I need your help and everyone else's. 

------------------------------------------------
So please, forward this email to your friends 
and visit the website:  

  http://www.geocities.com/PilipinasKongMahal
------------------------------------------------

If you say you love the Philippines, don't just say it, 
do it.

And if you don't agree with me, say something anyway. 
Indifference is a crime all its own.

Sincerely
PKM.

		WELCOME TO OUR DREAM
			click to ENTER