As the first nation in Asia-Pacific that was hailed as an emerging tiger country after WWII, the Philippines was being looked up to by its Asian neighbors including Japan. The country had seen some of the "firsts" in Asia-Pacific. Among all colonized countries in Asia, the Philippines was the first country to obtain independence from its colonial masters, the first in Asia to have a flag carrier flying commercially and the first Asian country where an entire female airline flight crew flew a commercial domestic plane. The first (and only in Asia until now) to produce rice scientists and researchers who introduced miracle rice through its International Rice Research Institute where most of the rice experts in neighboring Asian nations trained. The first to introduce "bloodless people power revolution", a popular uprising of the mass which was usually known only among nations of monarchs and autocrats that would usually result to bloody end. This political event also resulted to another first when the country produced two women presidents in two different eras backed by bloodless people power revolutions after overthrowing two powerful corrupt presidents both known for their greed for money and women. And a lot more other firsts which at hindsight would have made the country a true tiger economy and a leader in its region. But decades after WWII, the emerging tiger instead remained a toothless cob.
Though not as rich as China and not as industrialized as Japan, the Philippines has seen so much improvement in the last decade until now though much of it could be attributed to its continuous supply of highly skilled and well-educated manpower to different nations which helped the country attained its economic stability through their steady remittances. As most Filipinos are resilient and they value education highly which they also regard as their means to a better future, the people who leave the country are some of the best and finest which caused some sectors to express concern of massive brain drain particularly in the health care and engineering areas. But whether the jobs the people get outside the country meet their educational attainment or not doesn't matter to them as long as they get paid better than if they would stay in the country. The country's natural resources and remarkable beauty along with its friendly and highly-skilled English speaking people also serve as magnet to foreign investors who have come in throngs.
While the country's economy has experienced some growth, its domestic politics has remained the same old rotten way that it has always been since the former dictator Marcos was still in power. The country's politicians have remained self-absorbed, insensitive, masters of grandstanding and corrupt that they have been consistently true to their selfish agenda, disregarding the welfare of the country and of the people. The Filipinos are perhaps the only people on earth who have opted to elect notorious characters with checkered backgrounds and questionable characters such as Ping Lacson, Joseph Estrada and others. Ping Lacson was known as the Fabian Ver of the Estrada government. Ver, the loyal cousin of Marcos was so notorious he would sow terror and unprecedented fear among the enemies of the Marcos dictatorship. Massive political killings and "disappearances" became prominent during that era and were believed to have been masterminded by Ver. Unlike Ver, despite Ping Lacson's notoriety he was able to "delete" his questionable past and was able to persuade the people to believe whatever hypocritical and pretentious image he presented that he even won a senate seat; but then massive vote buying has been known to be a common practice among the poor voters which is the biggest chunk of the voting populace.
The rise of Estrada to power was also an anomaly worthy of puking but it could be attributed to his mass appeal due to his former career in showbiz. Interestingly, Estrada was able to attract some of the country's respected journalists, academicians and intellectuals despite his obvious "ala-George Bush" mental capacity and "unpresidential" character. Expectedly, Estrada proved his critics correctly, he was the only president of the country who never finished his term and was indicted after he was found guilty from scandals directly linking him to massive grafts and corruptions. Like all criminals and corrupt politicians, Estrada strongly denied all charges and just like most Philippine politicians with gargantuan egos Estrada also suffers from "messiah complex". Rising from his not so quiet "retirement" after being granted presidential pardon shortly after being indicted, the ever flimsy Estrada has explicitly declared that he will run "again" for presidency in 2010 because he is the only person who could unify the oppositions and the ONLY PERSON who could "save" the country and the people. Obviously, magnanimity is lacking in Estrada's character and no one in his normal state of mind could really comprehend the kind of braincells Estrada has, except Estrada himself and his minions. He has probably never known the true meaning of honesty and integrity. In his very brief presidency he never served a single day of honesty and hard work and only heaven knows what makes him believe he is deserving to lead "again" his country even after his indictment.
Estrada, Ping and their likes have been used to believing all their lies and who wouldn't if those bastards have been used to lying their entire adult lives. Remarkably, there are people who also believe their lies and who still support them. Precisely the reason why the country's major problems have not been addressed because of this vicious political cycle. For five decades the country has been governed by the same kind of politicians and government leaders with selfish agenda and tainted characters and the people would continuously tolerate them, then when things would go downhill they would go to the street and would resort to demonstrations, leaving the country and its economy in constant fragile state.
The Arroyo administration is also never free from similar scandals and controversies no thanks to the first gentleman and his cronies, but President Gloria Arroyo being an economist and a known workaholic has done some positive steps to propel the country's economy but not enough to totally wipe out the vast poverty in the country's impoverished areas. It is perhaps too ideal and unrealistic for any small, developing country to attain complete success in wiping out poverty particularly in this time when even the rich powerful nations are experiencing economic hardship, but it is never impossible to select leaders and politicians whose agenda are solely intended and focused to achieve progress for their country.
Come 2010 the Filipinos will again be choosing their leaders, hopefully their choices will not be based again on popularity and money but rather on integrity and sincerity. They need to put a stop electing the breed of Estrada and Lacson, it's about time the country gets a truly patriotic, unselfish leader who will put first the best interests of the nation ahead of his own selfish agenda. Perhaps another Rizal. . Enough of the moronic bastards who have lorded it over the nation for decades.
Though not as rich as China and not as industrialized as Japan, the Philippines has seen so much improvement in the last decade until now though much of it could be attributed to its continuous supply of highly skilled and well-educated manpower to different nations which helped the country attained its economic stability through their steady remittances. As most Filipinos are resilient and they value education highly which they also regard as their means to a better future, the people who leave the country are some of the best and finest which caused some sectors to express concern of massive brain drain particularly in the health care and engineering areas. But whether the jobs the people get outside the country meet their educational attainment or not doesn't matter to them as long as they get paid better than if they would stay in the country. The country's natural resources and remarkable beauty along with its friendly and highly-skilled English speaking people also serve as magnet to foreign investors who have come in throngs.
While the country's economy has experienced some growth, its domestic politics has remained the same old rotten way that it has always been since the former dictator Marcos was still in power. The country's politicians have remained self-absorbed, insensitive, masters of grandstanding and corrupt that they have been consistently true to their selfish agenda, disregarding the welfare of the country and of the people. The Filipinos are perhaps the only people on earth who have opted to elect notorious characters with checkered backgrounds and questionable characters such as Ping Lacson, Joseph Estrada and others. Ping Lacson was known as the Fabian Ver of the Estrada government. Ver, the loyal cousin of Marcos was so notorious he would sow terror and unprecedented fear among the enemies of the Marcos dictatorship. Massive political killings and "disappearances" became prominent during that era and were believed to have been masterminded by Ver. Unlike Ver, despite Ping Lacson's notoriety he was able to "delete" his questionable past and was able to persuade the people to believe whatever hypocritical and pretentious image he presented that he even won a senate seat; but then massive vote buying has been known to be a common practice among the poor voters which is the biggest chunk of the voting populace.
The rise of Estrada to power was also an anomaly worthy of puking but it could be attributed to his mass appeal due to his former career in showbiz. Interestingly, Estrada was able to attract some of the country's respected journalists, academicians and intellectuals despite his obvious "ala-George Bush" mental capacity and "unpresidential" character. Expectedly, Estrada proved his critics correctly, he was the only president of the country who never finished his term and was indicted after he was found guilty from scandals directly linking him to massive grafts and corruptions. Like all criminals and corrupt politicians, Estrada strongly denied all charges and just like most Philippine politicians with gargantuan egos Estrada also suffers from "messiah complex". Rising from his not so quiet "retirement" after being granted presidential pardon shortly after being indicted, the ever flimsy Estrada has explicitly declared that he will run "again" for presidency in 2010 because he is the only person who could unify the oppositions and the ONLY PERSON who could "save" the country and the people. Obviously, magnanimity is lacking in Estrada's character and no one in his normal state of mind could really comprehend the kind of braincells Estrada has, except Estrada himself and his minions. He has probably never known the true meaning of honesty and integrity. In his very brief presidency he never served a single day of honesty and hard work and only heaven knows what makes him believe he is deserving to lead "again" his country even after his indictment.
Estrada, Ping and their likes have been used to believing all their lies and who wouldn't if those bastards have been used to lying their entire adult lives. Remarkably, there are people who also believe their lies and who still support them. Precisely the reason why the country's major problems have not been addressed because of this vicious political cycle. For five decades the country has been governed by the same kind of politicians and government leaders with selfish agenda and tainted characters and the people would continuously tolerate them, then when things would go downhill they would go to the street and would resort to demonstrations, leaving the country and its economy in constant fragile state.
The Arroyo administration is also never free from similar scandals and controversies no thanks to the first gentleman and his cronies, but President Gloria Arroyo being an economist and a known workaholic has done some positive steps to propel the country's economy but not enough to totally wipe out the vast poverty in the country's impoverished areas. It is perhaps too ideal and unrealistic for any small, developing country to attain complete success in wiping out poverty particularly in this time when even the rich powerful nations are experiencing economic hardship, but it is never impossible to select leaders and politicians whose agenda are solely intended and focused to achieve progress for their country.
Come 2010 the Filipinos will again be choosing their leaders, hopefully their choices will not be based again on popularity and money but rather on integrity and sincerity. They need to put a stop electing the breed of Estrada and Lacson, it's about time the country gets a truly patriotic, unselfish leader who will put first the best interests of the nation ahead of his own selfish agenda. Perhaps another Rizal. . Enough of the moronic bastards who have lorded it over the nation for decades.
3 comments:
agreed...i really think that it because of the "lame and rusty" government here why the Philippines could not attain once again the status that our country had way back in 1960's-1980's. i mean, during those years, the Philippines is one of the richest countries in Asia, 2nd to Japan. and also one of the richest countries in the world...but that had been reverted when Marcos declared that our country would be under his "abracadabra", the Martial Law. well, during the first years of his regime, Marcos really did such a good job as a president. he even was able to do the "P1 vs. $1' thing. but Marcos was blinded by the sparkles of desire for power so he declared Martial Law to extend his term. and then, kaboom! our country sank. the Marcos administration really destroyed our country's economic disposition and that was passed to the next administrations. i think that if it took 2 decades for Marcos to convert our country from one of the richest to one of the poorest, we must have not just a good but a "miraculous" leader to reign for 2 decades to regain or even surpass the status of the Philippines during the "golden era" of our country.
nama.saya.ialah_tujuh, I'm throwing my high five to you and giving a sweet wink.
At least there are thinking, smart peeps like you who really see the truth about Philippine politics and the state of the nation out there.
Hopefully the Pinoys will vote intelligently come 2010 and will think once and for all about the welfare of the nation. Hopefully.
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