Street Vendor : "bili na kayo ng relo! gold watch ito!
pag namuti, white gold!
pag huminto stopwatch!"
gf : hu hu hu hu bakit natin ginawa ito? hindi na ako
virgin at dalawang
beses pa natin ginawa!
bf : ano? isa lang ah?!
gf : bakit, hindi na ba natin uulitin mamaya?!
Couple talking:
wife : hon, paki fix naman ilaw sa labas.
husband : hello!? electrician ba ako?
wife : eh di pkigawa na lang hagdan natin.
husband : hello!? karpintero ba ako?
umalis c husband, pagbalik gawa na lahat ng sira sa bahay.
tinanong niya wife kung sino gumawa ng trabaho.
wife : kasi kanina a man saw me crying, sabi ko dami sira
dito sa bahay. so he offered to help in exhange of either sex or bake ako
ng cake.
husband : so pnag-bake mo siya ng cake?
wife : hello?! baker ba ako?!
ANG MARRIED LIFE....
May isang intsik na sa sobrang hilig sa karaoke ay inabot ng 5 am.
Dahil sa takot mabugbog ni misis, nag-text ng:
HUWAG KA BAYAD RANSOM. NAKATAKAS AKO. UWI NA KO!"
Husband: "Paratina lang tayo away! Maghiwalay na lang > tayo!"
Wife: "Sige, maghati tayo ng mga anak!"
Husband: "Akin ang mga guwapo at maganda!"
Wife: "Sus! Pinili pa yung hindi kanya!"
Sa harap ng nursery window;
Friend: Pare, pag laki ng anak mo, am sure magaling
mag-drive
Dad: Bakit, pare, malaki ba ang kamay?
Friend: Hindi. Kasi kamukha siya ng driver ninyo!
Husband came home from church, suddenly lifted his wife and
carried her.
Wife: Why? Did the Pastor tell you to be romantic like this?
Husband: No! He told me to carry my cross!
Friend: "Wow, pare, ganda ng sapatos mo, ah!"
Husband: "Oo. Surprise gift ng kumare mo!"
Friend: "Surprise? Ano occassion?"
Husband: "Wala. Nakita ko na lang sa ilalim ng kama
namin kagabi!"
Health Advisory: "Beer contains female hormones, and
can turn men into women.
After 5 pints.... men become talkative, unreasonable,
irritable, cry for nothing, and urinate while sitting!"
WIFE: I'm warning you! Parating na husband ko in 1 hour!
HANDSOME VISITOR: Wala naman akong ginawang masama ah?
WIFE: kaya nga! kung may balak ka, GAWIN MONA!!!
WIFE: Himala! aga mong umuwi ngayon.
HUSBAND: Sunod ko lang utos ng boss ko. Sabi nya "GO
TO HELL", kaya ito uwi agad ako..
Wife: Lab, may taning na ang buhay ko. Huling gabi ko na
to, let's make love.
Husband: Heh! tumigil ka nga. Maaga pa akong gigising
bukas, buti ikaw, hindi na.
HE HE HE HE !!!!
Population policies of countries:
China : Stop at 1 child.
Singapore : Stop at 2 children
Phil: STOP AT 4 A.M.!
RUSSIAN: we're 1st in space
USA : we're 1st in the moon
ERAP: we'll be the 1st in the sun
USA: you can't go there, you'll burn
ERAP: we're not stupid, we'll go there at NIGHT!
Ano kadalasan ang sinasabi kapag nautot?
American: Excuse me.
British: Pardon me.
Pinoy: NOT ME!
"SUMPA"
Hindi na makakatikim ng napakasarap na 'Sex' ang
huling bumasa nito!
Ayos safe na ako...papayag ka bang IKAW ang huling babasa
nito?
Ipagkalat mo agad ang mga joke nato!
hehehe!!!
From a forwarded e-mail
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
ROTTEN LEGACY
Source: www.lesliebocobo.blogspot.com
Since President Gloria Arroyo and her army of apologists have been talking about the legacy she intends to leave for our country, allow me to post a number of GMA's legacy then, and see for yourself if it makes you happy or angry.
1. IMPSA
2. NAIA-3
3. PEA-Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard
4. PCSO ads
5. SBMA smuggling operations
6. BCDA loss of AFP modernization funds
7. Camp John Hay rentals
8. Poro Point revenues
9. PhilHealth cards
10. Joc-Joc Bolante fertilizer scam
11. OWWA fund diversion
12. PAGCOR deals with the clergy and media
13. DPWH contracts including the road-users' tax
14. ZTE-NBN mess
15. North Rail
16. South Rail
17. DOTC contracts including RORO ports and local airports
18. Transco bidding
19. NFA rice
20. DSWD cards
21. Spratlys deal
22. 'Hello Garci' scandal
These are only some of GMA's legacy projects. Want more? Abangan ang susunod na kabanata.
Since President Gloria Arroyo and her army of apologists have been talking about the legacy she intends to leave for our country, allow me to post a number of GMA's legacy then, and see for yourself if it makes you happy or angry.
1. IMPSA
2. NAIA-3
3. PEA-Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard
4. PCSO ads
5. SBMA smuggling operations
6. BCDA loss of AFP modernization funds
7. Camp John Hay rentals
8. Poro Point revenues
9. PhilHealth cards
10. Joc-Joc Bolante fertilizer scam
11. OWWA fund diversion
12. PAGCOR deals with the clergy and media
13. DPWH contracts including the road-users' tax
14. ZTE-NBN mess
15. North Rail
16. South Rail
17. DOTC contracts including RORO ports and local airports
18. Transco bidding
19. NFA rice
20. DSWD cards
21. Spratlys deal
22. 'Hello Garci' scandal
These are only some of GMA's legacy projects. Want more? Abangan ang susunod na kabanata.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Aspiration Versus Despair
GLIMPSES
Jose Ma. Montelibano
I am at the last leg of a three-week visit to the United States, a trip that has affirmed in a big way the most optimistic view of Filipino-Americans who are on the verge of going beyond nostalgia for the home land to actually building a better one. There is no doubt that divisiveness has kept Fil-Ams from enjoying the influence of a population segment with a voice that government listens to, with an identity that draws respect, and with a character that has honor. That divisiveness has managed to make utterly useless the massive numbers of Filipinos, and to deny it is simply avoiding an honest look and assessment of ourselves.
At the same time, it is utterly refreshing to discover that second and third generation Fil-Ams are discovering a new attraction to the home land, and just in time, it seems. The first generation are slowly fading away and it seemed for some time that efforts to inculcate patriotism to their children did not bring the results they hoped for. I myself believed the bad news about divisiveness among Fil-Ams, but I had to discover for myself that the future is much brighter that what many had described.
Several personal encounters with second and third generation Fil-Ams in this trip always led to small group discussions about the situation in the motherland. Since they were born and raised in the United States, many of never witnessed poverty up close. And in their desire to help, many are frustrated by a local context which defies proven development formula. Inevitably, I am asked why many initiatives for reform or for development fail despite their being fully funded. Consistently, I have always referred to the contrast between aspiration and despair.
When a human being has aspiration as his or her foundation, there is only one direction - up. When another human being is anchored on survival, there is only one purpose - stay alive. The starting point determines the direction of life - up or just to stay alive. The first seeks to transcend, to transform the present to a higher state; the second clings to the present, which means to live, and afraid of any other future, which may only lead to death.
A now famous author says that we have purpose-driven lives. If purpose to him means a higher calling, then survival is not a purpose, only an instinct. Human beings who are forced to fight for survival are demeaned by evil superstructures who allow them only the struggle for survival instead of their divine potential. Poverty, then, is the evil superstructure that denies its victims their divine birthright.
To dismantle the grip of poverty over the Filipino people means that the poor must shift from survival to aspiration. History has shown that most of those who done so went through very violent stages of exploitation and rebellion throughout centuries. From their internal experience, they brought the same to other countries and to the world through colonialism. Among the most developed nations today, all have crossed their borders to expand territories and avail of the resources of lands and peoples they had conquered.
Conquerors had more options than the conquered, and again, history shows that conquerors took them. Their societies evolved faster as their understanding and ways refined, especially their technology. Their development, though, was aided by the exploitation of people and resources of other lands. Expansion and governance by force marked spectacular stages of growth by the more powerful, whether in internal intramurals by European countries or in their colonization of the rest of the world. Africa, the Americas, Asia and Australia were invaded and exploited to drive the development of their masters.
As conquerors aspired, the conquered tried to survive. As a few raised the quality of their lives in an atmosphere of opportunity, many struggled in environments of deprivation. Later, much, much later, a global understanding was reached among the countries of the world to level the playing field - but only after centuries of colonial experience.
In particular countries, the cycle of exploitation and deprivation has been played out in local settings, of natives doing the same to fellow natives. The lessons of colonial rule were learned - that the powerful can exploit others and develop much faster using the labor and resources of the weak. Corruption was institutionalized, first by colonialism, then from the example of colonialism. Independence from colonial rule did not immediately translate to the emergence of egalitarian societies; on the contrary, the cycle of exploitation and revolution was extended by the locals themselves.
Each people who went through the last five hundred years as a conquered race tried to play catch-up once they found freedom. Some succeeded faster than others. Others deteriorated even more with local conquerors turning out more brutal than their former foreign masters. Indeed, the temptation to exploit is a powerful one, the opportunity to grow at the expense of others a human pattern too strong to simply transcend, and the vision of equality, liberty and fraternity too refined a dream for many to quickly grasp and pursue.
It is too late for historical victims to undo their past. While many try to hold on to memories no matter how painful they may be, the challenge to the present is simply to learn and then aspire. For those who have gone ahead by exploiting others, the next centuries can be their moment of atonement, their opportunity to extend proportional generosity. Indeed, many now do so. Global philanthropy was born from societies who once exploited the most.
Exploitation will always have many expressions. It does not disappear just because colonial times are gone. The ever changing laws of nations try to curb new expressions of exploitation. The quest for higher societal ethics remains a challenge for all but especially for the most developed. And among the most developed, the United States and the millions of Fil-Ams who reside there will play a major role in the evolution of democracy in the Philippines
Fil-Ams have become quite sensitive to the ugly faces of poverty and corruption because these cause shame. At the same time, these faces can be transformed if Filipinos are truly determined to build new patterns of solidarity, integrity and diligence. Fil-Ams especially are motivated to show that Filipinos need not extend their historical shame. Solidarity for common causes is such a powerful way to begin exorcising a conditioned mindset. I believe that the moment is here, the space is here, but the ultimate battlefield is in the home land. Let us all promise to meet there and win the war.###
Jose Ma. Montelibano
I am at the last leg of a three-week visit to the United States, a trip that has affirmed in a big way the most optimistic view of Filipino-Americans who are on the verge of going beyond nostalgia for the home land to actually building a better one. There is no doubt that divisiveness has kept Fil-Ams from enjoying the influence of a population segment with a voice that government listens to, with an identity that draws respect, and with a character that has honor. That divisiveness has managed to make utterly useless the massive numbers of Filipinos, and to deny it is simply avoiding an honest look and assessment of ourselves.
At the same time, it is utterly refreshing to discover that second and third generation Fil-Ams are discovering a new attraction to the home land, and just in time, it seems. The first generation are slowly fading away and it seemed for some time that efforts to inculcate patriotism to their children did not bring the results they hoped for. I myself believed the bad news about divisiveness among Fil-Ams, but I had to discover for myself that the future is much brighter that what many had described.
Several personal encounters with second and third generation Fil-Ams in this trip always led to small group discussions about the situation in the motherland. Since they were born and raised in the United States, many of never witnessed poverty up close. And in their desire to help, many are frustrated by a local context which defies proven development formula. Inevitably, I am asked why many initiatives for reform or for development fail despite their being fully funded. Consistently, I have always referred to the contrast between aspiration and despair.
When a human being has aspiration as his or her foundation, there is only one direction - up. When another human being is anchored on survival, there is only one purpose - stay alive. The starting point determines the direction of life - up or just to stay alive. The first seeks to transcend, to transform the present to a higher state; the second clings to the present, which means to live, and afraid of any other future, which may only lead to death.
A now famous author says that we have purpose-driven lives. If purpose to him means a higher calling, then survival is not a purpose, only an instinct. Human beings who are forced to fight for survival are demeaned by evil superstructures who allow them only the struggle for survival instead of their divine potential. Poverty, then, is the evil superstructure that denies its victims their divine birthright.
To dismantle the grip of poverty over the Filipino people means that the poor must shift from survival to aspiration. History has shown that most of those who done so went through very violent stages of exploitation and rebellion throughout centuries. From their internal experience, they brought the same to other countries and to the world through colonialism. Among the most developed nations today, all have crossed their borders to expand territories and avail of the resources of lands and peoples they had conquered.
Conquerors had more options than the conquered, and again, history shows that conquerors took them. Their societies evolved faster as their understanding and ways refined, especially their technology. Their development, though, was aided by the exploitation of people and resources of other lands. Expansion and governance by force marked spectacular stages of growth by the more powerful, whether in internal intramurals by European countries or in their colonization of the rest of the world. Africa, the Americas, Asia and Australia were invaded and exploited to drive the development of their masters.
As conquerors aspired, the conquered tried to survive. As a few raised the quality of their lives in an atmosphere of opportunity, many struggled in environments of deprivation. Later, much, much later, a global understanding was reached among the countries of the world to level the playing field - but only after centuries of colonial experience.
In particular countries, the cycle of exploitation and deprivation has been played out in local settings, of natives doing the same to fellow natives. The lessons of colonial rule were learned - that the powerful can exploit others and develop much faster using the labor and resources of the weak. Corruption was institutionalized, first by colonialism, then from the example of colonialism. Independence from colonial rule did not immediately translate to the emergence of egalitarian societies; on the contrary, the cycle of exploitation and revolution was extended by the locals themselves.
Each people who went through the last five hundred years as a conquered race tried to play catch-up once they found freedom. Some succeeded faster than others. Others deteriorated even more with local conquerors turning out more brutal than their former foreign masters. Indeed, the temptation to exploit is a powerful one, the opportunity to grow at the expense of others a human pattern too strong to simply transcend, and the vision of equality, liberty and fraternity too refined a dream for many to quickly grasp and pursue.
It is too late for historical victims to undo their past. While many try to hold on to memories no matter how painful they may be, the challenge to the present is simply to learn and then aspire. For those who have gone ahead by exploiting others, the next centuries can be their moment of atonement, their opportunity to extend proportional generosity. Indeed, many now do so. Global philanthropy was born from societies who once exploited the most.
Exploitation will always have many expressions. It does not disappear just because colonial times are gone. The ever changing laws of nations try to curb new expressions of exploitation. The quest for higher societal ethics remains a challenge for all but especially for the most developed. And among the most developed, the United States and the millions of Fil-Ams who reside there will play a major role in the evolution of democracy in the Philippines
Fil-Ams have become quite sensitive to the ugly faces of poverty and corruption because these cause shame. At the same time, these faces can be transformed if Filipinos are truly determined to build new patterns of solidarity, integrity and diligence. Fil-Ams especially are motivated to show that Filipinos need not extend their historical shame. Solidarity for common causes is such a powerful way to begin exorcising a conditioned mindset. I believe that the moment is here, the space is here, but the ultimate battlefield is in the home land. Let us all promise to meet there and win the war.###
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Desperate Housewife? I Beg To Disagree
by Adolfo Paglinawan
Gloria Arroyo is really a Doctor of Economics. She is so incorrigible, first Asian economist kuno she started buying the election to circulate the currency that was not even hers but the farmers'. Second, she is so incompetent that she cannot improve the economy, so she began doctoring economic statistics to provde cosmetics for her dwindling governance.
She is not even original. When Tony Meloto started proclaiming that through Gawad Kalinga the Philippines can be a first-world country, she also said the Philippines can be a first world country in twenty years. The caveat of course is ought to be the chief executive for all the years on the road to that Utopia.
Now she is again poised to copy President Bush's stimulus package by doling out money. And do you really believe she will give all of that to the poor? Pahinog tayong lahat. This woman is inventing all kinds of transactions because she is again raising money for her retirement in Muntinglupa. She knows she will eventually be donning the orange T-shirt (sorry walang orange jumpsuit sa pinas), so nagla-last minute fundraising na siya.
At talagang plagiarist! "Ahon" was first used by the late Marilen Dinglasan who launched after 1998 the "Ahon Bata Lansangan" project to assist Gloria when she was Vice President. That "Ahon" took care of streetchildren on a community basis. It was so successful in Manila that Marilen began raising funds to export the program to Cebu and other streechildren-stricken urban areas.
One of the donors was Mark Jimenez, who later became congressman of a Manila district and also incarcerated in the for violating US laws on campaign finance related to former President Clinton. Unfortunately, the P5 million Jimenez gave never got to that "Ahon". When verified later where the money went to, the account it was deposited to belong to "Miguel Arroyo", yazzzirrrreee the First Gentleman! That was the first time we started calling the First Couple, the "First Kotong".
Anyway when Gloria became President, the check became to hot to handle because Mark Jimenez (up to now) kept the original returned check with the incriminating markings at the back, so she appointed Marilen to the MTRCB, the official film censor of the country. Marilen got so busy with that, "Ahon" virtually decelerated.
Then Marilen discovered graft and corruption at the films board but the grafters outdrew her and instead she was the one who ended up with graft charges. Despite the fact that she was clearly conned and innocent, Gloria removed her unceremoniously. Marilen and Gloria were best friends and classmates since grade one. Because of this, she went into depression that was not too good for a cancer survivor that she eventually died, heartbroken on how Gloria treated her like trash.
(The thing happened to another classmate and best friend of theirs - Bing Rodrigo, who for a time acted as Gloria's Social Secretary. But when she exposed graft involving the first Gentleman and a telecom firm, Gloria also treated her like trash and dismissed her. She also eventually died.)
This woman, Gloria surely is a viper. Sure death awaits her collaborators because she stings them before they start talking. The closer you get the more lethal the venom applies.
Of course, after the Hyatt 10 left her cabinet, all that are left are bunch of scoundrels, liars or just plain hangers on. She has sent the deadly message for those who after truly seeing what she is, leaves her. The latest is of course Secretary Neri. Ever wondered why he cannot budge? Because dead men tell no tales. Her agenda is nothing but survival. for herself and her family. Not just political survival, but first and foremost, financial.
Desperate housewife? I beg to disagree. She is laughing at all of us, on her way to the bank!
I just hope that what eventually happened to the Romanovs of Russia does not repeat with the Arroyos of the Philippines. To all of you, you do not know what that means - Czar Nicolas and her entire family's last photo opportunity was before a firing squad.
Gloria Arroyo is really a Doctor of Economics. She is so incorrigible, first Asian economist kuno she started buying the election to circulate the currency that was not even hers but the farmers'. Second, she is so incompetent that she cannot improve the economy, so she began doctoring economic statistics to provde cosmetics for her dwindling governance.
She is not even original. When Tony Meloto started proclaiming that through Gawad Kalinga the Philippines can be a first-world country, she also said the Philippines can be a first world country in twenty years. The caveat of course is ought to be the chief executive for all the years on the road to that Utopia.
Now she is again poised to copy President Bush's stimulus package by doling out money. And do you really believe she will give all of that to the poor? Pahinog tayong lahat. This woman is inventing all kinds of transactions because she is again raising money for her retirement in Muntinglupa. She knows she will eventually be donning the orange T-shirt (sorry walang orange jumpsuit sa pinas), so nagla-last minute fundraising na siya.
At talagang plagiarist! "Ahon" was first used by the late Marilen Dinglasan who launched after 1998 the "Ahon Bata Lansangan" project to assist Gloria when she was Vice President. That "Ahon" took care of streetchildren on a community basis. It was so successful in Manila that Marilen began raising funds to export the program to Cebu and other streechildren-stricken urban areas.
One of the donors was Mark Jimenez, who later became congressman of a Manila district and also incarcerated in the for violating US laws on campaign finance related to former President Clinton. Unfortunately, the P5 million Jimenez gave never got to that "Ahon". When verified later where the money went to, the account it was deposited to belong to "Miguel Arroyo", yazzzirrrreee the First Gentleman! That was the first time we started calling the First Couple, the "First Kotong".
Anyway when Gloria became President, the check became to hot to handle because Mark Jimenez (up to now) kept the original returned check with the incriminating markings at the back, so she appointed Marilen to the MTRCB, the official film censor of the country. Marilen got so busy with that, "Ahon" virtually decelerated.
Then Marilen discovered graft and corruption at the films board but the grafters outdrew her and instead she was the one who ended up with graft charges. Despite the fact that she was clearly conned and innocent, Gloria removed her unceremoniously. Marilen and Gloria were best friends and classmates since grade one. Because of this, she went into depression that was not too good for a cancer survivor that she eventually died, heartbroken on how Gloria treated her like trash.
(The thing happened to another classmate and best friend of theirs - Bing Rodrigo, who for a time acted as Gloria's Social Secretary. But when she exposed graft involving the first Gentleman and a telecom firm, Gloria also treated her like trash and dismissed her. She also eventually died.)
This woman, Gloria surely is a viper. Sure death awaits her collaborators because she stings them before they start talking. The closer you get the more lethal the venom applies.
Of course, after the Hyatt 10 left her cabinet, all that are left are bunch of scoundrels, liars or just plain hangers on. She has sent the deadly message for those who after truly seeing what she is, leaves her. The latest is of course Secretary Neri. Ever wondered why he cannot budge? Because dead men tell no tales. Her agenda is nothing but survival. for herself and her family. Not just political survival, but first and foremost, financial.
Desperate housewife? I beg to disagree. She is laughing at all of us, on her way to the bank!
I just hope that what eventually happened to the Romanovs of Russia does not repeat with the Arroyos of the Philippines. To all of you, you do not know what that means - Czar Nicolas and her entire family's last photo opportunity was before a firing squad.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
BLONDE AND BLUE EYES
When I was little, I wanted what many Filipino children all over the country wanted. I wanted to be blond, blue-eyed, and white.
I thought -- if I just wished hard enough and was good enough, I'd wake upon Christmas morning with snow outside my window and freckles across my nose!
More than four centuries under western domination does that to you. I have sixteen cousins. In a couple of years, there will just be five of us left in the Philippines, the rest will have gone abroad in search of "greener pastures." It's not just an anomaly; it's a trend; the Filipino Diaspora. Today, about eight million Filipinos are scattered around the world.
There are those who disapprove of Filipinos who choose to leave. I used to. Maybe this is a natural reaction of someone who was left behind, smiling for family pictures that get emptier with each succeeding year. Desertion, I called it. My country is a land that has perpetually fought for the freedom to be itself. Our heroes offered their lives in the struggle against the Spanish, the Japanese, the Americans. To pack up and deny that identity is tantamount to spitting on that sacrifice.
Or is it? I don't think so, not anymore. True, there is no denying this phenomenon, aided by the fact that what was once the other side of the world is now a twelve-hour plane ride away. But this is a borderless world, where no individual can claim to be purely from where he is now. My mother is of Chinese descent, my father is a quarter Spanish, and I call myself a pure Filipino-a hybrid of sorts resulting from a combination of cultures.
Each square mile anywhere in the world is made up of people of different ethnicities, with national identities and individual personalities. Because of this, each square mile is already a microcosm of the world. In as much as this blessed spot that is England is the world, so is my neighborhood back home.
Seen this way, the Filipino Diaspora, or any sort of dispersal of populations, is not as ominous as so many claim. It must be understood. I come from a Third World country, one that is still trying mightily to get back on its feet after many years of dictatorship. But we shall make it, given more time. Especially now, when we have thousands of eager young minds who graduate from college every year. They have skills. They need jobs. We cannot absorb them all.
A borderless world presents a bigger opportunity, yet one that is not so much abandonment but an extension of identity . Even as we take, we give back. We are the 40,000 skilled nurses who support the UK's National Health Service. We are the quarter-of-a-million seafarers manning most of the world's commercial ships. We are your software engineers in Ireland, your construction workers in the Middle East, your doctors and caregivers in North America, and, your musical artists in London's West End.
Nationalism isn't bound by time or place. People from other nations migrate to create new nations, yet still remain essentially who they are. British society is itself an example of a multi-cultural nation, a melting pot of races, religions, arts and cultures. We are indeed, in a borderless world!
Leaving sometimes isn't a matter of choice. It's coming back that is. The Hobbits of the shire travelled all over Middle-Earth, but they chose to come home, richer in every sense of the word. We call people like these balikbayans or the returnees' -- those who followed their dream, yet chose to return and share their mature talents and good fortune.
In a few years, I may take advantage of whatever opportunities come my way. But I will come home. A borderless world doesn't preclude the idea of a home. I'm a Filipino, and I'll always be one. It isn't about just geography; it isn't about boundaries. It's about giving back to the country that shaped me.
And that's going to be more important to me than seeing snow outside my windows on a bright Christmas morning.
Mabuhay and Thank you.
So, be proud, you are a Filipino,...
From a forwarded e-mail
I thought -- if I just wished hard enough and was good enough, I'd wake upon Christmas morning with snow outside my window and freckles across my nose!
More than four centuries under western domination does that to you. I have sixteen cousins. In a couple of years, there will just be five of us left in the Philippines, the rest will have gone abroad in search of "greener pastures." It's not just an anomaly; it's a trend; the Filipino Diaspora. Today, about eight million Filipinos are scattered around the world.
There are those who disapprove of Filipinos who choose to leave. I used to. Maybe this is a natural reaction of someone who was left behind, smiling for family pictures that get emptier with each succeeding year. Desertion, I called it. My country is a land that has perpetually fought for the freedom to be itself. Our heroes offered their lives in the struggle against the Spanish, the Japanese, the Americans. To pack up and deny that identity is tantamount to spitting on that sacrifice.
Or is it? I don't think so, not anymore. True, there is no denying this phenomenon, aided by the fact that what was once the other side of the world is now a twelve-hour plane ride away. But this is a borderless world, where no individual can claim to be purely from where he is now. My mother is of Chinese descent, my father is a quarter Spanish, and I call myself a pure Filipino-a hybrid of sorts resulting from a combination of cultures.
Each square mile anywhere in the world is made up of people of different ethnicities, with national identities and individual personalities. Because of this, each square mile is already a microcosm of the world. In as much as this blessed spot that is England is the world, so is my neighborhood back home.
Seen this way, the Filipino Diaspora, or any sort of dispersal of populations, is not as ominous as so many claim. It must be understood. I come from a Third World country, one that is still trying mightily to get back on its feet after many years of dictatorship. But we shall make it, given more time. Especially now, when we have thousands of eager young minds who graduate from college every year. They have skills. They need jobs. We cannot absorb them all.
A borderless world presents a bigger opportunity, yet one that is not so much abandonment but an extension of identity . Even as we take, we give back. We are the 40,000 skilled nurses who support the UK's National Health Service. We are the quarter-of-a-million seafarers manning most of the world's commercial ships. We are your software engineers in Ireland, your construction workers in the Middle East, your doctors and caregivers in North America, and, your musical artists in London's West End.
Nationalism isn't bound by time or place. People from other nations migrate to create new nations, yet still remain essentially who they are. British society is itself an example of a multi-cultural nation, a melting pot of races, religions, arts and cultures. We are indeed, in a borderless world!
Leaving sometimes isn't a matter of choice. It's coming back that is. The Hobbits of the shire travelled all over Middle-Earth, but they chose to come home, richer in every sense of the word. We call people like these balikbayans or the returnees' -- those who followed their dream, yet chose to return and share their mature talents and good fortune.
In a few years, I may take advantage of whatever opportunities come my way. But I will come home. A borderless world doesn't preclude the idea of a home. I'm a Filipino, and I'll always be one. It isn't about just geography; it isn't about boundaries. It's about giving back to the country that shaped me.
And that's going to be more important to me than seeing snow outside my windows on a bright Christmas morning.
Mabuhay and Thank you.
So, be proud, you are a Filipino,...
From a forwarded e-mail
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Is History Repeating Itself in China?
PerryScope
by Perry Diaz
In 1402, when Zhu Di became the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, China embarked on an ambitious mission to extend its empire around the world. Zhu Di, who became to be known as Emperor Yong Le (or Yung Lo) -- "Perpetually Jubilant" -- built an armada of more than 3,500 ships including 250 humongous nine-masted "treasure ships," each measuring 400 feet long and 150 feet wide. By comparison, Columbus' Santa Maria only measured 90 feet long and 30 feet wide.
Yong Le divided his armada into several fleets and sent them in different directions around the world in an attempt to control the trade routes which at that time were dominated by the Arabs, Persians, and Indians. The most popular of these fleets was commanded by Admiral Zheng He who led seven expeditions into the Indian Ocean by way of the South China Sea through the Strait of Malacca. Beginning in 1405, Zheng He's expeditions went as far as India, Madagascar, and southward along the east coast of Africa. He returned from his last expedition in 1423.
Yong Le's goal was to chart the world and enforce China's "tribute system" among the countries of the world. In other words, Yong le wanted China to become the world's first superpower. In return for paying tribute to China, China would extend trading privileges and protect its trading partners from their enemies. Through these "bilateral trade agreements," China would also provide "soft loans"; thus, making its trading partners perpetually indebted to China.
It is interesting to note that China's tribute system was also extended to several regions in the Philippines including Luzon and the Sultanate of Sulu. In 1405, Yong Le claimed the island of Luzon -- they called it "Lusong" from the Chinese characters "Lui Sung" -- and placed it under the protection of his empire. The biggest settlement of Chinese was in Lingayen in Pangasinan. Lingayen became the seat of the Chinese colonial government in Luzon. When Yung Lo died in 1424, the Chinese colonial government was dissolved. However, the Chinese settlers -- known as "sangleys" -- remained and prospered.
On Chinese New Year's Day, February 2, 1421, a spectacular event -- never seen anywhere in the world before -- was held in Beijing, the new capital of Yong Le's empire. More than 28 heads of state and their ambassadors from all over Asia, Africa, Arabia, and the Indian Ocean assembled to pay homage to Emperor Yong Le and to celebrate the inauguration of his empire's seat of power, the Forbidden City. Indeed, China had finally reached the apex of world primacy. Yong Le was on top of the world.
Three months later, on May 9, 1421, the Forbidden City was struck by a thunderbolt. The newly constructed palace took a direct hit and Yong Le's throne was razed to the ground and a deadly conflagration followed. Meanwhile, an epidemic of unknown disease that had been raging in southern China for two years spread and killed several hundred thousand people. Yong Le believed that the catastrophe was an omen telling him that the gods were angry at him. He then temporarily handed the throne to his son, Zhu Gaozhi. On August 12, 1424, Yong Le died a broken man. Upon ascension to the throne, Zhu Gaozhi issued a decree stopping all voyages of the treasure ships. All foreign ambassadors were sent home and all Chinese officials who were abroad were ordered to come home.
Zhu Gaozhi ruled for only a year. His son, Zhu Zhanji succeeded him in 1425 and ruled for the next 10 years. After Zhu Zhanji's death, his successor issued edicts banning all foreign trade and travel. China closed it doors. Piracy and smuggling -- criminal offenses punishable by death -- were the only means of trade. For more than 100 years, China isolated itself from the outside world. It was during this time that the pirate Limahong ruled the South China Sea.
Today, after more than five centuries of self-isolation, China is once again emerging as a superpower. Its trade with the outside world has taken a new level of intensity and aggressiveness. State-owned Chinese companies have established trade and other commercial activities in every continent. It is predicted that China would be the number one economic power within 20 years; however, some economic experts say five to 10 years.
In August of this year, China will host the Summer Olympics in Beijing. It will be one of the biggest -- if not the biggest -- events in China since the inauguration of the Forbidden City in 1421. Leaders from countries around the world are expected to attend in what is billed as the most spectacular Olympic Games opening ceremonies in history.
Last May 12, 2008, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake hit central China killing almost 70,000 people and left more than 15 million homeless. Aftershocks continue to take their toll in human lives and property. Internal politics as well as external conflicts -- including the Tibet issue -- were placed in the back burner. Right now, the number priority is to deal with the devastation caused by the earthquake.
China's communist leaders might see the earthquake and the devastation that followed as an ominous sign similar to the thunderbolt and conflagration that occurred in 1421. The Chinese people are very superstitious and I won't be surprised if China would back track once again in its quest for global economic dominance like it did in 1421. But would they forego the notion that by doing so, their 600-year dream of world primacy would once again fade into oblivion.
(PerryDiaz@gmail.com)
by Perry Diaz
In 1402, when Zhu Di became the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, China embarked on an ambitious mission to extend its empire around the world. Zhu Di, who became to be known as Emperor Yong Le (or Yung Lo) -- "Perpetually Jubilant" -- built an armada of more than 3,500 ships including 250 humongous nine-masted "treasure ships," each measuring 400 feet long and 150 feet wide. By comparison, Columbus' Santa Maria only measured 90 feet long and 30 feet wide.
Yong Le divided his armada into several fleets and sent them in different directions around the world in an attempt to control the trade routes which at that time were dominated by the Arabs, Persians, and Indians. The most popular of these fleets was commanded by Admiral Zheng He who led seven expeditions into the Indian Ocean by way of the South China Sea through the Strait of Malacca. Beginning in 1405, Zheng He's expeditions went as far as India, Madagascar, and southward along the east coast of Africa. He returned from his last expedition in 1423.
Yong Le's goal was to chart the world and enforce China's "tribute system" among the countries of the world. In other words, Yong le wanted China to become the world's first superpower. In return for paying tribute to China, China would extend trading privileges and protect its trading partners from their enemies. Through these "bilateral trade agreements," China would also provide "soft loans"; thus, making its trading partners perpetually indebted to China.
It is interesting to note that China's tribute system was also extended to several regions in the Philippines including Luzon and the Sultanate of Sulu. In 1405, Yong Le claimed the island of Luzon -- they called it "Lusong" from the Chinese characters "Lui Sung" -- and placed it under the protection of his empire. The biggest settlement of Chinese was in Lingayen in Pangasinan. Lingayen became the seat of the Chinese colonial government in Luzon. When Yung Lo died in 1424, the Chinese colonial government was dissolved. However, the Chinese settlers -- known as "sangleys" -- remained and prospered.
On Chinese New Year's Day, February 2, 1421, a spectacular event -- never seen anywhere in the world before -- was held in Beijing, the new capital of Yong Le's empire. More than 28 heads of state and their ambassadors from all over Asia, Africa, Arabia, and the Indian Ocean assembled to pay homage to Emperor Yong Le and to celebrate the inauguration of his empire's seat of power, the Forbidden City. Indeed, China had finally reached the apex of world primacy. Yong Le was on top of the world.
Three months later, on May 9, 1421, the Forbidden City was struck by a thunderbolt. The newly constructed palace took a direct hit and Yong Le's throne was razed to the ground and a deadly conflagration followed. Meanwhile, an epidemic of unknown disease that had been raging in southern China for two years spread and killed several hundred thousand people. Yong Le believed that the catastrophe was an omen telling him that the gods were angry at him. He then temporarily handed the throne to his son, Zhu Gaozhi. On August 12, 1424, Yong Le died a broken man. Upon ascension to the throne, Zhu Gaozhi issued a decree stopping all voyages of the treasure ships. All foreign ambassadors were sent home and all Chinese officials who were abroad were ordered to come home.
Zhu Gaozhi ruled for only a year. His son, Zhu Zhanji succeeded him in 1425 and ruled for the next 10 years. After Zhu Zhanji's death, his successor issued edicts banning all foreign trade and travel. China closed it doors. Piracy and smuggling -- criminal offenses punishable by death -- were the only means of trade. For more than 100 years, China isolated itself from the outside world. It was during this time that the pirate Limahong ruled the South China Sea.
Today, after more than five centuries of self-isolation, China is once again emerging as a superpower. Its trade with the outside world has taken a new level of intensity and aggressiveness. State-owned Chinese companies have established trade and other commercial activities in every continent. It is predicted that China would be the number one economic power within 20 years; however, some economic experts say five to 10 years.
In August of this year, China will host the Summer Olympics in Beijing. It will be one of the biggest -- if not the biggest -- events in China since the inauguration of the Forbidden City in 1421. Leaders from countries around the world are expected to attend in what is billed as the most spectacular Olympic Games opening ceremonies in history.
Last May 12, 2008, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake hit central China killing almost 70,000 people and left more than 15 million homeless. Aftershocks continue to take their toll in human lives and property. Internal politics as well as external conflicts -- including the Tibet issue -- were placed in the back burner. Right now, the number priority is to deal with the devastation caused by the earthquake.
China's communist leaders might see the earthquake and the devastation that followed as an ominous sign similar to the thunderbolt and conflagration that occurred in 1421. The Chinese people are very superstitious and I won't be surprised if China would back track once again in its quest for global economic dominance like it did in 1421. But would they forego the notion that by doing so, their 600-year dream of world primacy would once again fade into oblivion.
(PerryDiaz@gmail.com)
Monday, June 2, 2008
Arroyo's spending spree: Travel, 'donations' top Palace expenses
In 2007, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's presidency spent a total of P249.5 million to pay the salaries and wages of its regular employees, and P10.7 million to pay casual and contractual employees.
Combined, that means P260.2 million to pay the rank and file of the Office of the President and 58 other executive offices, agencies, commissions, and committees under Mrs. Arroyo.
But in the same year, Mrs. Arroyo spent more than double that amount for her foreign and domestic travels, which totaled P588.5 million and P34.1 million, respectively, according to the Commission on Audit's report on the 2007 financial transactions of Malacañang.
In fact, she spent much more – P618.6 million – in "donations" to yet unknown beneficiaries, the COA report revealed.
Malacañang, the COA report showed, spent similarly big amounts for broad, discretionary, and seemingly identical accounts, including:
• "Confidential expenses," P149 million;
• "Consultancy services," P59.6 million;
• "Representation expenses," P56.8 million;
• "Representation allowance," P14.5 million;
• "Other bonuses and allowance," P28.8 million;
• "Transportation allowance," P10.3 million;
• "Advertising expenses," P6.9 million;
• "Additional compensation (ADCOM)," P24.8 million;
• "Extraordinary expenses," P6.64 million;
• "Miscellaneous expenses," P5.4 million;
• "Other personnel benefits," P119.8 million; and
• "Subsidy to Regional Offices/Staff Bureaus/Branch Offices," P46.6 million.
The COA report showed that apart from these amounts, the Office of the President had paid out in 2007 P21 million in "yearend bonus," P7.1 million in "cash gift," and P651,000 in "honoraria."
The President was also revealed to have kept a high-maintenance household, which may be in keeping with her role as chief executive and fount of power in the land. Yet the COA report showed that what Malacañang spends on the usual costs like food, communication, utilities, office and other supplies, gasoline, security, among others, could cause taxpayers sleepless nights.
For her 2007 foreign travel alone, Arroyo spent an average of P49.04 million per month. In addition, she spent P2.84 million on local travel per month. Combined, that means a monthly bill of P51.8 million for the peripatetic president.
By most expense entries enrolled in the COA report, Arroyo's official household is hardly a pauper's palace. Malacañang spends like it is a real profligate's paradise. In 2007, the presidency billed the following expenses to taxpayers:
• Food supplies expenses, P55.7 million or P4.6 million a month;
• Electricity, P54.5 million or an average of P4.5 million a month;
• Gasoline, oil and lubricants, P27.9 million or P2.3 million a month;
• Water, P25.4 million or P2.1 million a month;
• Security services, P13 million or P1.08 million a month;
• Janitorial services, P4.8 million or P400,000 a month;
• Telephone, landline, P13.5 million or P1.1 million a month;
• Telephone, mobile, P9.07 million or P755,000 a month;
• Office supplies, P13.5 million or P1.1 million a month;
• "Other supplies," P19.4 million or P1.6 million a month;
• Subscription expenses, P1.04 million or P86,000 a month;
• Cooking gas, P892,000 or P74,000 a month
• Internet, P332,597 or P27,716 a month; and
• Cable, satellite, telegraph and radio, P300,955 or P25,079 a month.
Arroyo's household disbursed more millions for "repair and maintenance" expenses, including P94.89 million for aircraft and aircraft ground equipment; P7.1 million for motor vehicles; P4.2 million for furniture and fixtures; P1.02 million for office equipment; and P1.09 million for other machinery and equipment.
In contrast to the millions splurged on these expenses, the presidency scrimped on other seemingly important expense items.
For instance, it disbursed only P433,915 for the whole of 2007 in "training expenses," and reported zero spending on "textbooks and instructional materials," "storage expenses," "military and police supplies," "medical, dental and laboratory supplies," "awards and indemnities," and "hazard pay." – Malou Mangahas, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.
Combined, that means P260.2 million to pay the rank and file of the Office of the President and 58 other executive offices, agencies, commissions, and committees under Mrs. Arroyo.
But in the same year, Mrs. Arroyo spent more than double that amount for her foreign and domestic travels, which totaled P588.5 million and P34.1 million, respectively, according to the Commission on Audit's report on the 2007 financial transactions of Malacañang.
In fact, she spent much more – P618.6 million – in "donations" to yet unknown beneficiaries, the COA report revealed.
Malacañang, the COA report showed, spent similarly big amounts for broad, discretionary, and seemingly identical accounts, including:
• "Confidential expenses," P149 million;
• "Consultancy services," P59.6 million;
• "Representation expenses," P56.8 million;
• "Representation allowance," P14.5 million;
• "Other bonuses and allowance," P28.8 million;
• "Transportation allowance," P10.3 million;
• "Advertising expenses," P6.9 million;
• "Additional compensation (ADCOM)," P24.8 million;
• "Extraordinary expenses," P6.64 million;
• "Miscellaneous expenses," P5.4 million;
• "Other personnel benefits," P119.8 million; and
• "Subsidy to Regional Offices/Staff Bureaus/Branch Offices," P46.6 million.
The COA report showed that apart from these amounts, the Office of the President had paid out in 2007 P21 million in "yearend bonus," P7.1 million in "cash gift," and P651,000 in "honoraria."
The President was also revealed to have kept a high-maintenance household, which may be in keeping with her role as chief executive and fount of power in the land. Yet the COA report showed that what Malacañang spends on the usual costs like food, communication, utilities, office and other supplies, gasoline, security, among others, could cause taxpayers sleepless nights.
For her 2007 foreign travel alone, Arroyo spent an average of P49.04 million per month. In addition, she spent P2.84 million on local travel per month. Combined, that means a monthly bill of P51.8 million for the peripatetic president.
By most expense entries enrolled in the COA report, Arroyo's official household is hardly a pauper's palace. Malacañang spends like it is a real profligate's paradise. In 2007, the presidency billed the following expenses to taxpayers:
• Food supplies expenses, P55.7 million or P4.6 million a month;
• Electricity, P54.5 million or an average of P4.5 million a month;
• Gasoline, oil and lubricants, P27.9 million or P2.3 million a month;
• Water, P25.4 million or P2.1 million a month;
• Security services, P13 million or P1.08 million a month;
• Janitorial services, P4.8 million or P400,000 a month;
• Telephone, landline, P13.5 million or P1.1 million a month;
• Telephone, mobile, P9.07 million or P755,000 a month;
• Office supplies, P13.5 million or P1.1 million a month;
• "Other supplies," P19.4 million or P1.6 million a month;
• Subscription expenses, P1.04 million or P86,000 a month;
• Cooking gas, P892,000 or P74,000 a month
• Internet, P332,597 or P27,716 a month; and
• Cable, satellite, telegraph and radio, P300,955 or P25,079 a month.
Arroyo's household disbursed more millions for "repair and maintenance" expenses, including P94.89 million for aircraft and aircraft ground equipment; P7.1 million for motor vehicles; P4.2 million for furniture and fixtures; P1.02 million for office equipment; and P1.09 million for other machinery and equipment.
In contrast to the millions splurged on these expenses, the presidency scrimped on other seemingly important expense items.
For instance, it disbursed only P433,915 for the whole of 2007 in "training expenses," and reported zero spending on "textbooks and instructional materials," "storage expenses," "military and police supplies," "medical, dental and laboratory supplies," "awards and indemnities," and "hazard pay." – Malou Mangahas, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.
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