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MABUHAY PRRD!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

WHAT'S RIZAL FOR TO KOR?

I wonder what's Rizal and all his teachings, ideals and values to them if they only pay "lip service" to his name and honor for their own personal self-aggrandizement?

If they pretend to be "knights" and be called "sirs" or "ladies", then I could be "Queen Elizabeth" in person, nicht wahr? Que barbaridad!

I doubt strongly if by telling it would wake them up from their "fantasy world of empty chivalry" so that they'd realize in the end how they're making an ass of themselves by living on "worthless titles adorned with colorful sashes and trinkets". LMAO!



Wednesday, October 29, 2008

LAGDAMEO: ARROYO CORRUPT, PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY


Strongest condemnation yet by bishops


Lagdameo: Arroyo corrupt, people are hungry
By Dona Pazzibugan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:43:00 10/29/2008


MANILA, Philippines-The president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has disputed the Arroyo administration's claim of economic progress and condemned corruption in government.

"Twenty million hungry Filipinos will disagree with the proclaimed "ramdam ang kaunlaran (progress is felt)" with their own experience: "Ramdam ang kahirapan, ramdam ang gutom (Poverty is felt, hunger is felt)," Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said Tuesday.

"The benefits of the much-proclaimed economic growth are not felt by the masses," the CBCP president said in a statement which he issued jointly with three other bishops and vocal administration critic, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz.

Asked by reporters later if he thought that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was corrupt, Lagdameo unhesitatingly said "yes."

Asked if the President deserved to be removed from power, he said "the answer should come from the people who see what's happening in our country."

Lagdameo told a press conference that the statement, which called for "immediate reforms," was the product of "communal discernment" with Cruz, Masbate Bishop Joel Baylon, Banga-Bataan Bishop Socrates Villegas and Legazpi Bishop Emeritus Jose Sorra.

Social and moral cancer

"In the past few years up to today, we have watched how corruption has become endemic, massive, systemic and rampant in our politics. Corruption is a social and moral cancer," said Lagdameo, who clarified that he was making the statement as the archbishop of Jaro and not as the CBCP president.

"In response to the global economic crisis and the pitiful state of our country, the time to rebuild our country economically, socially, politically is now," Lagdameo said.

New government

"The time to start radical reforms is now. The time for moral regeneration is now. The time to conquer complacency, cynicism and apathy and to prove that we have matured from our political disappointments is now.

"The time to prepare a new government is now," he said.

Villegas stressed that they were not calling for another mass revolt.

"We are making this statement because we believe that if we had been less corrupt we would be better prepared to face the impending global crisis. The problem of the Philippines is not population, the problem is corruption," Villegas said.

Soul troublemakers

"We are not social troublemakers, we are soul troublemakers. We want to disturb consciences. then the change that we want in government and society will really come from within us," he said.

Cruz said it was the "strongest statement" that Lagdameo had made so far during his incumbency, "the most straight language written, as straight as it could be."

The CBCP has been divided over directly challenging Ms Arroyo over allegations of corruption.

In February at the height of the scandal over the aborted $329-million National Broadband Network deal with China's ZTE Corp., the CBCP called a special plenary meeting but did not ask for the President's resignation.

The CBCP instead "strongly condemned the culture of corruption from the top to the bottom of our social and political order."

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

THE TRUTH HURTS. A MUST READ FOR ALL FILIPINOS


'The Philippines is a nation of starstruck ignoramuses'
by Dero Pedero
Philippine Star

Last July 23, I wrote about Nasty (short for Anastacio), a balikbayan from Los Angeles , who, while vacationing in Manila , had nothing to say but negative comments about the Philippines and the Filipinos. The article elicited a deluge of comments from our readers. Though some agreed with his curt observations, most were enraged at the repulsive way he acted and whined.

For me, he was the classic epitome of the 'crow perched on a carabao,' thinking and acting nauseatingly superior just because he has become an American citizen, inequitably comparing everything here to how they are in the first world.20I was particularly irked by his repulsive 'know it all' attitude and peeved no end by his irritating Waray-American twang.

Those who have not read that article may access philstar.com and click archives, then select July 23 and click Lifestyle. The article is entitled 'Little Brown Americans.'

As a backgrounder, here is an excerpt:

The next day, I took them on a little city tour and accompanied them to do extra shopping at the duty-free shop. They were to leave two days later for their respective provinces (Randy is from Pampanga, Nasty, from Samar ).

'God, ang dilem-dilem naman ditow (it is so dark here)!' screamed Nasty in his characteristic Taglish slang, 'At ang inet-inet pa (and so warm)! * * *

All throughout the day, Nasty complained about everything. He griped that all Filipinos he encountered were dense and inefficient (I hope that didn't include me!); that the traffic was horrendous and drivers 'drove like they were late for their funerals'; that the pollution from the smoke-belching vehicles was irritating his dainty, surgically-pinched nose. He was disgusted that water closets didn't work; horrified that there was no toilet paper in public toilets ('God, how do you people do it?' he bewailed); petrified by street children begging while soaking wet in the rain ('Where are the parents of these kids?' he nagged).

He moaned about the proliferation of slums, people crossing the superhighways ('There should be underground or overhead walkways for pedestrians!" he demanded), the potholes on the streets, the disgusting garbage and filth all over the city, and the annoying floods! And all these he observed in just one day!

Weeks after the publication of the article, I took Nasty's silence to mean that of contempt and anger. I must admit that I didn't care because I was really turned off by his arrogance. The good news is, Nasty has finally decided to break his20silence and give us his side, loaded with a big piece of his mind. The bad news is, he hits more sensitive chords and it stings.

Nasty's E-Mail :
Dear Dero,

My Zen master says, 'Never fight fire with fire.' So, I sat in a lotusposition, imbibed the ethereal qualities of cool mountain water and stoically resisted the temptation of answering back to defend myself in rebuttal of your article. I kept quiet while you and your readers had a charlatan holiday, dissecting and fanning sarcasm on my every comment about your country and your people.

I am not mad at you for writing that piece. I was never upset at any point, even after your readers from all over the world e-mailed in their two-cents' worth. In fact, I found it rather amusing and carnival-like. I even felt happy that people still came to the defense of your Philippines !

If you noticed, I now refer to the Philippines and Filipinos as your country and your people. Every time I went back there for vacation, my Filipino-ness always took the better of me (blame those damn green mangoes smothered with bagoong!) and made me forget that I am, in all reality, what you aptly called a 'Little Bro wn American.' I have come to terms with my own identity- I am, after all, an American citizen carrying an American passport!

What precipitated my quick decision to sever my ties with your country (aside from your ***** of an article) were the Abu Sayyaf abductions (que barbaridad!), the Payatas-like downslide of the peso (eat your hearts out, I earn sweet American dollars!), the 'devoid of conscience' graft and corruption in your government (this has gone on for the longest time-how shameful!), and lately, the stupid 'Juetengate' and juicy but enraging 'Boracay' mansion gossips. With all these, who would be proud to be a Filipino? Besides, to tell you frankly, those Erap jokes are no longer funny- they are passe and leave a bad taste in the mouth and heart.

No Apology
If I sounded brash and insensitive with the way I threw my comments, well, I cannot do any-thing about that because that is the way I am, and I offer no apology. Here, in America , you have to tell it like it is or you'll never be taken seriously. I have learned to drop my 'Pinoy sugarcoating' because out here, you get nothing done if you are meek and sweet and pa-api. Hindi puwede mag-Anita Linda dito!

When I commented about your pollution, street children mendicants, slums,potholes, toilets that don't work, garbage, floods, and most of all, the Pinoys' chronic lack of discipline, I was merely putting into words what I saw. I can't blame your being blind about your country's situation. My Zen master says, 'One cannot easily see the dirt in one's eye.'

I am sure though that you are aware of those sordid details, but have grown accustomed to them (like most Manilenos have). All the complaints I aired may have hurt your pride but what I wanted you to realize is this: The things I pointed out are all symptoms of a failing, falling nation!

Suffering A National Karma?
Could yours be a country cursed with a huge national karmic debt? It could be payback time, you know. Look back into your history, look deep inside your hearts-what could you have done as a nation to deserve this fiasco you are in today?

What you are faced with didn't just happen overnight-it developed and grew into a monster in the course of time. Deeply imbedded in the psyche of the Filipino is the amalgamation of the characters and events that have impacted your lives - Dona Victorina, Dona Concepcion, poor Sisa as well the other hilarious and tragic characters of Dr. Jose Rizal...

Stonehill... the notorious gangsters immortalized by your Filipino movies like Asiong Salonga (hmmm!), et al... the killers in your (I thought they'd never end!) massacre movies... those cheap, appalling _title_s of your movies... those staged 'religious miracles' that your naive masses believed... family men with pushy queridas (mistresses) ...your crooked politicians, undependable police officers and greedy customs collectors... your bribe-hungry court judges... Imeldific, gloriously smiling and crying at the same time, bejeweled. (How very Fellini!)

What you are is the sum total of your history, your heritage and culture,your education, the crap that your press sensationalizes, the bad icons that your movies glorify, the artificial values your advertising extols, the bad examples your leaders and role models project. What you feed your country's mind is what it becomes. You have become the ugly monster that you've created. You are now crying all the tears your sickeningly sentimental movies wailed out for years and years!

Your Biggest Fault
If there i s one thing that comes to mind, I think your biggest fault would be your individual greed. 'Ako muna!' seems to be the national mantra. The trouble is, very few people think for the common good in a deplorable 'to each his own kurakot' festival. Coupled by your crab mentality of pushing down others, this can be fatal. You think barangay, not national. Hello, everybody else around the world is thinking global! Europe is unshackling her national boundaries while you are building fences around your nipa huts.

Do yourselves a favor and look at your nation as a ship. All of you are in it and it is sinking! Realize your oneness-what hurts your brother hurts you, too. Think about the future of your children and the succeeding generations, and do something about it quick before your poor little banca plunges forever into the irretrievable depths of despair.

Star-Struck Nation
You are a nation of star-struck ignoramuses. You are easily awed by your movie stars who are usually nothing but uneducated, aquiline-nosed and light-skinned ******** picked up from some gutter somewhere. I have seen what these artistas illusionadas can get away with. They just flash their capped-tooth smiles and policemen let them get away with traffic violations; they bat their false eyelashes and customs officers impose no duty on their suspicious balik bayan boxes.

Worst of all, with the Filipino movie industry taking a nosedive, hordes of actors and show personalities went into politics. It is, as they say, the next best 'racket'-there is more money to be made in the politicking business than in show business! (And what is this I hear that in the coming elections, more are jumping into the arena? Mag-hara-kiri na kayo!) How can you expect these comedians and actors, who only know how to take directions from their directors, to direct your nation? For them,politics will just be an 'act'. No big surprise here, for they are mere actors with no original scripts to speak, no original visions to share. So what can you expect but a government thatis a comedy of errors. Serves you and your star- struck nation right!

My Zen master says, 'Give unto Caesar what is due to Caesar, but keep Charlie Chaplin on the silver screen to make us laugh.' To survive, you must teach your citizenry to say no to three things - no to drugs, no to stealing and graft and corruption, and no to artistas in politics. I hope you've learned your lesson by now. (Yours is the only country where Mexican soap stars are received like royalty in the presidential palace. How shoddy! God forbid Fernando Carrillo might end up being your next president. At least he has great abs and doesn't wobble like a penguin when he walks!)

For those artistas who honestly believe that they can make a positive difference in the Filipino masses' life, they must first study law, business and public administration, and immerse themselves in the life and passion of Mother Teresa. Politics is not an art for dilettante artistas to dabble in. It is called 'Political Science,' hello?!

Educate Your Masses
Educate the masses - especially your electorate. What you need is an intelligent vote aside from, of course, intelligent candidates. The University of San Carlos in Cebu City , founded in 1595, and the University of Santo Tomas in Manila , established in 1611, are the oldest universities in Asia , and are even older than Harvard. But the standard of Pinoy education has deteriorated so much that the Philippines ranks among the poorest in the education al hierarchy of Asia . Education, education, education – that's what you need in this age of information, information, information.

If all your social, religious and political sectors don't sit down now and decide to take the Right Way , the Philippines and your children's children will be grand losers in the worldwide rush to the future. Education is one sure way to salvation. Teach what is right, good, beautiful and beneficial. Downplay all negativity if you cannot eliminate it altogether .

The Ideal President
I've got news for you. (As if you didn't already know.) No matter whom you put up there as your leader or president, it will be the same banana. Even a holy man can turn into another J.E. (Judas Escariot) for a few pieces of silver. Kumpares, alalays, relatives and cronies will encrust like flies and maggots on his cordon sanitaire. And it will be the same despicable 'Sa amin na 'to!' hullabaloo all over again.

Take an advice from Aling Epang: 'Pumili ng matanda, mayaman, mabait, at madaling mamatay.' Get a president who is old - so that he is full of wisdom, rich - so he won't need to steal more money, goodhearted - so he will render heartfelt service to his people, and is in the sunset of his life - so that he will think of nothing but gaining good points to present when he meets his Creator. And may I add: At iisa lang ang pamilya! This is, of course, asking for the moon. Just pray fervently for an intelligent leader with a pure heart who genuinely loves the common tao!

Magpakatotoo Kayo! Wake up and look at the real you. Enough with looking at your reflection in glorious, self-embellishing mirrors. The tropical sun can play tricks, you know. Do not wait for darkness to fall before you take that much-needed long, hard look at your real situation. Magpakatotoo kayo, ano? This isn't a wake-up call - it is the final alarm!

Save the ship while yo u still can. Don't wait till your people have no more dreams left to hang on to, no more hope to sustain their broken spirits. I came home, spent my penny-pinched savings so that even in the minutest way I could help your bruised economy. Your politicians sit on their fat, farting butts and get balatos (kuno!) in the millions. Receivers are as guilty as the givers. Now, tell me, who is really nasty?

I Have Made My Decision; So Should You.
My Zen master says, 'Life is all about decisions, not choices.' I have made a decision which I know will be very hard for me to keep- You will never hear from me again (not in this vein) and I will not even think of visiting or buwisiting your Manila ever. This is my way of letting you know that I have given up on you. Bahala na kayo! Only you can help yourselves because at the stage you are in, nobody would want to help you. My Zen master says, 'You have to fall to learn to rise again.'

How much lower do you want to go?
Anyway, regarding the Philippines as a tourist destination, you have a lot of cleaning up and face-lifting to do before foreigners would dare go to your islands again. The Abu Sayyaf episode has done your tourism industry more damage than you could ever imagine, and it will take a long time before the world forgets. (By the way, your tourism projects are lusterless and have no global impact. If you want real business, spruce up your infrastructure and do aggressive marketing on the World Wide Web!)

Of course, I would gladly reverse my decision if someone offered me exclusive lordship over lotto, bingo, jueteng, pintakasi and the jai alai.Think about it: this will be to your advantage because I never give tong or blood commission to anyone! (If only your president used the millions he received from those gambling lords to build homes for the masses, you wouldn't have any more squatters. Huling hirit: defrost those Marcos billions, pay off some debt, place the rest in high-yield investments, feed your hungry, and spread bounty and joy to every Filipi no! Are you stupid or what? - That's your money sucked from the blood of your people!)

I have made my decision, now make yours. I would hate for the day to come when I'd have to say, 'I told you so!' Good luck! (You need it.)

An ex-Filipino
J. Anastasio 'Nasty'

P. S. My Zen master says, 'Vox populi is not always the voice of God.'

P. P. S. Come over to L.A and I'll show you a great time!

P. P. P. S. Our friend Randy says20hello! We will be going to Vancouver to feast our eyes on the colors of autumn. Wish you could join us.

P. P. P. P. S. The new Miss America, Angela Perez Baraquio, is of Filipino ancestry. Dero, her parents hail from Pangasinan just like you! But keep in mind that she is an American (in case some wise fools over there claim her to be Filipino like they always do whenever someone becomes successful). Wait for the girl to say it- don't put words in her mouth!

P. P. P. P. P. S. Mabuhay kayo ( SANA )!

P. P. P. P. P. P. S. Sa totoo lang, MAGDUSA KAYONG LAHAT! (Don't you
just love my Waray-Kano accent?) He-he-he!

- Same

My Short Reply :
Dear Nasty,

Thanks for your e-mail. I swear you sort of stole the words from right under my tongue. Now, I am utterly speechless.

Send my regards to Randy. Wishing you the best!

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

A FABRICATED BAIL OUT THAT WILL BENEFIT THE SAME CROOKED PEOPLE


I just want to say thanks to all the weasel Republicans who voted in fear …………………..

Why does everyone think it's a good idea to borrow $700,000,000,000 from foreigners at high interest rates so we can lend it to banks at low interest to lend to the people at high interest rates? I am slowly being convinced that this "economic crisis" isn't a crisis at all. You want to know why... because as I had a chance to read the bill that ballooned from 3 pages to over 450 pages I can see that idiots in Congress who have been telling us it's a crisis are just going about like business as normal. Case in point... loading down this bailout bill with-tons of earmarks.

The stock markets around the world seem to know it is a manufactured crisis.... they are falling like rocks over a cliff. This whole scam was manufactured in Congress, where the socialists and radicals can do what they do and royally screw the country. It was these slugs who further exacerbated by the media to use this so-called crisis to screw over the American taxpayer yet again. This is nothing more than a theft and a destruction of our free enterprise system. In the end it will fix nothing. The same laws and procedures that mandate and/or allowed the financial malfeasance are still in force... and not a damn thing was done to those who perpetrated it. The very same elected officials who cheated and covered things up are still in office. Every crook who benefited will still benefit by this mess continuing, just with more money available now from us.

Want to send your message of enough is enough... everyone of those that voted for this almost at gun point robbery of the American taxpayer is up for re-election in November... if "we the people" don't un-elect every God damn one of those "incumbents" then we fully deserve whatever the bastards bring upon us. Even though voting in replacements will only buy us a little time... until they are bought and paid for... it will help somewhat to delay a far worse situation. It is US who ,must make the decision on the future... vote like your life depends on it... it does.


D. Weckering
Ultimate International, Inc
561 347 1531 FAX 561 347 1533
dw@ultimatelabs.com
daniel_weckering@hotmail.com
Honduras: 504 979 7508

Monday, October 6, 2008

RIZAL ON HONESTY

Honesty was a hallmark of Rizal's life. Honesty was shown, for example, in his relationship with the flagship propaganda organ La Solidaridad. His moral compass led him to insist that the "propaganda" be as factual and free of bias as was possible. He encouraged the writers to stop using pen names but their own so that people could judge their writings with a real and not imagined author. After he left the newspaper he became incensed with an article by Lete which Rizal interpreted to be about him.

The article attacked those whose words and life did not match, they did not "walk the talk" as we might say today. Rizal wrote letter after letter of indignation regarding what he believed to be an attack on his integrity. My own belief was that his decision to leave exile and go back to the Philippines and attempt to found the La Liga was due to his reaction to this article. His "arguments" (if they can be called that) with the practices and belief structures of the Catholicism of his day had as much to do with an attempt to be honest in his beliefs as anything else. His scientific studies were marked by the attempt to be as objective and honest in his findings as he could muster.

Dr. Frank C. Laubach, in his biography of Rizal, Rizal: Man and Martyr, says in his last chapter (chapter 18):

"The greatest tribute to his honesty was paid by his enemies. They received him with their `trap,' and then permitted him, though a prisoner, to wander alone during four years along the coast of Mindanao. Sometimes officials even hinted that he might escape if he wished. But he had promised not to violate his parole, and José Rizal in all his life never broke a promise! No man on earth could persuade him to do what he considered dishonorable. `Not even the least connivance at a rescue would taint his word, not even by allowing other men to entertain the thought that his faith could be tainted, and not even in dealing with a government that had dealt perfidiously with him.'"

Source: http://joserizal.info/Biography/man_and_martyr/chapter18. htm

As he wrote the two novels he was attempting to unmask the cancer that prevailed in his beloved homeland. The novel attacks not only the friar control over the land and the vices that came with it but some rather brutally honest depictions of the lives of average Filipinos. Examples of this would be the depictions of the excessive nature of the town fiestas, the addiction to cock fighting by most males, the tendency to "copy" the fashions of the colonial Spaniards and the like. The idealism of Elias is contrasted with the crassness of Simoun.

By Dr. Robert L. Yoder

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

WHY LEARN FILIPINO?

There are 10 million Filipinos abroad and their remittances keep the Philippine economy afloat. In their host countries, these overseas Filipinos use mostly English as their medium of communication with the local peoples. Clearly, Filipinos must excel in English and we must push for excellence in this language in the Philippines.

In the movie, Forest Gump took to running and many people suddenly saw great meaning in the act. They started running with him to find meaning in their lives. Suddenly Forest Gump (Tom Hanks) lost interest in running, and the people were left hanging and lost.

Rizal believed that he who forgets his native tongue is like rotten fish. Many people in this site take this statement seriously. But, meanwhile Rizal was living life most fully in Europe without his native tongue. Even his Last Farewell was purely in foreign words. Yet we would fully understand Rizal whether in Russian or Chinese.

It is not true that we become rotten fish by forgetting a native tongue. Rizal was likely in a rotten mood when he made this rotten offhand remark that today's Rizalists must discard like rotten fish. Rizal was not infallible.

But, it is true that people in any locality will communicate in their native tongue. No matter how hard English, Tagalog, or Taglish will be pushed, the people in Bicol will still talk to one another in Bicolano while those in Ilocandia will do so in Ilocano. Yet, English is the needed medium for survival of Filipinos as a nation and economy in the modern world.

Thus, as a matter of practical economics, it is best to promote English as the medium of instruction in the Philippines while also teaching grammar in the the local dialect in elementary school.

First economics jutification for this proposal: English language materials are readily available to teach, including used textbooks as hand-me-downs from America--if we organize this process.

Second economics reason is my belief is that excellence in local grammar will be most easy to acquire, and that strong knowledge of the local grammar sructure will facilitate the teaching and mastery of English and its grammatical idiosyncracies.

Imagine the fun kids will have comparing the local grammatical rules with English rules. Their brains will become more sophisticated, more analytical faster, understanding distinctions and differences and comparisons and contrasts earlier in their lives than now.

And we need those sophisticated, globalized brains in the Philippines for our economic survival.

The distinctions we learn early at the structure of languages can be used in math and science as we differentiate the structures of algebra versus calculus, or the structures of DNA vs. RNA, or the structures of Tiger economies versus Third World,or the structures of organic carbon compounds versus crystalline compounds, or the structures of classical music versus rock.

Everything is a matter of differences in structure. Since a child age 2 to 5 is bombarded early by TV and radio in various languages--English, Tagalog and the local language--nothing could be more interesting for a child to learn than the differences in structure among these languages. So, let us get on with shaping their minds early at structures, starting with languages during elementary school.

Summary Proposal #1 (3-Part Proposal): let the educational system be what it was during the 1930s, 50s, 60s but with this change:

1. Teach the local language and grammar to kids all through elementary school!

2. Start teaching English and Tagalog in 3rd grade all through elementary school.

3. Let Tagalog, English and the local language become electives starting in high school. Each student must choose one language track to run on for the rest of high school. My suspicion is that English will get most chosen.

Summary Proposal #2

Stop this discussion on language. Start discussing how we may use Rizal's life in Dapitan as an enginner, global trader, farmer, teacher, school builder as the foundation for building a Philippine Tiger economy to earn the funds to implement the Summary Propsal #1 above.

We must start thinking and writing and investing productively within RP-Rizal.

Everyone here is just a woodpecker pecking at their keyboards but acheving nothing meaningful.

Meanwhile the hordes of Genghis Khan, Bill Gates, Deng Xiao Ping, Warren Buffet, Li Kashing and Lee Kwan Yu are running away with all the global prizes at engineering, scholastic excellence, business, biotech, surgery, medicine, philosophy, music, military power, space power, etc. We are stagnating at this Rizal site not grappling with the modern world in the way that Rizal likely would, if alive today. He would be a Rizal in Dapitan, not the writer of Noli Me Tangere or El Filibusterismo or the author of rotten fish bagoong remarks.

Let 10,000 flower bloom. Let 10,000 competing proposals for faster Filipino Rizalist progress be aired in this yahoo site. Let us find the actions ways to the future (investments, etc.) most efficiently, guided by Rizal's actions in Dapitan.

Norman Madrid
Proud to be a Filipino Tiger in New York