Rain-related news: Despite heavy rains, water supply remains a concern.Put another way, 3 days of rain cooled Metro, but still not enough. Meanwhile, Palace wants P500m released for drought. News like this aimed at justifying such requests: Dry spell impacts on poverty; cost to rice up to P1B.
On the economic front, 38 Cebu firms close, lay off 13,000 (effect of the appreciation of the Peso). Inflation rate inched up to 2.6% in July, the World Bank to double loans to RP, and our Forex reserves hit $27.9b.
The Rich getting richer faster than the poor. A ray of hope is this: Migrant philanthropy slowly transforming provinces, study shows. In his column, Tony Lopez says the auto industry is almost back to 1997 levels.
As Palace keeps hands off on ZTE deal, the buck merrily gets passed along: Ermita: Broadband deal is Mendoza’s baby.
Palace goings-on: Palace bares new gov’t appointments, including Senator Santiago’s husband joins Arroyo Cabinet. Moves include Palace replaces insurance chief. More executive tinkering: GMA transfers Toll Body to DPWH.
New DND head bares plans: speaks in tough terms about the Abu Sayaff, and says he’ll continue Nonong Cruz’s reforms. Meanwhile, Three rebels, 1 soldier dead in fighting. Read Patricio Diaz’s suggestion that there’s confusion in Basilan.
As for the continuing investigation of the massacre of the Marines: Esperon debunks ‘miscom’ report. So what happened? And now, pilots get blame for not firing a shot in Basilan.
In the Senate, Villar faces yet another sticky issue.
The Speaker soothes his erstwhile foes: Garcia, other solons assigned House committees: Cynthia Villar, for one, is officially out of the doghouse, returning as chairman of the committee (education) she’d be deprived of when she signed on to the impeachment complaints against the President.
Speaking of the Speaker, he reminds everyone that his party doesn’t intend to die (to quote Marcos): De Venecia to LP, NP: It’s romantic but get real. John Nery had pointed to an embargoed survey on who the public really considers the presidential frontrunners. The results are still embargoed, but this might be a sign of news concerning that survey, to come: Legarda leads 2010 hopefuls in survey . The Speaker may be on to something.
UNO: Impeach poll execs but Bedol offers help to reform polls. Comelec seems more interested in punishing those that exposed its goings-on: Comelec eyes electoral sabotage raps vs 2 media personalities. Much speculation who the two are. Everyone assumes Ricky Carandang is one. He says he isn’t one of those mentioned.
Newsbreak explains why the Estrada camp has lost its oomph.
Wacky news: ‘Bangungot’ linked to Asian skull shape. Not wacky, but well…. Continue with your ministry, Pope tells Rosales.
Overseas: why hasn’t the US Attorney-General not been impeached yet? Dahlia Lithwick takes a look. Roger Simon ponders the weaknesses of debating as a means of figuring out if a candidate will be a good president or not. In History Unfolding, an update and analysis of the situation in Iraq:
The experience of Anbar province suggests something very important: that an American withdrawal will not, as the Administration argues, mean the ascendancy of Al Queda, whom Iraqi tribesmen have no reason to love. But meanwhile, there has been no rapprochement between Sunnis and Shi’ites. Our strategy appears to be to try to fight the extremists among both groups while supporting the moderates, and it is angering the Shi’ite government while failing to please the Sunnis, who just withdrew their ministers. The need for some kind of partition seems to get more obvious every day, but we are not moving in that direction yet.
An interesting article: Japan’s Democracy Comes of Age:
Last week the opposition Democratic Party of Japan returned the favor, handing the LDP an historic defeat in the election for half of the House of Councilors, Japan’s senate.
To understand what has happened, it is necessary to look back to the situation that prevailed from the founding of the LDP in 1955 to the 1990s. Japan’s Diet was essentially gerrymandered to ensure that the LDP maintained a firm grip on government. Parliamentarians were chosen from large, multi-member districts. That meant that successful candidates often won with only about 10 per cent of the vote, or less. This system put a premium on local connections and pork barrel politics. Issues? Who needs issues?
In Indonesia, the public proves the pollsters wrong, by enthusiastically participating in the country’s first-ever direct gubernatorial elections. In Asia has Jeremy Gross saying the Indonesians are proving to have a strong civic sense. And, is there a Malay malaise? Rot and More Rot in Malaysia’s Judicial System. The Thais are engaged in debating the pros and cons of their new constitution: August 19 referendum: key issue is ‘legitimacy’.
My column for today is Sandbagged opposition (unedifying headlines like this don’t help: Cayetano-Lacson feud erupts over Blue Ribbon). The move by Francis Pangilinan to block Adel Tamano’s designation as counsel for the Blue Ribbon committee’s reported here: Tamano blocked in Senate, tapped for PLM presidency. Incidentally, this makes for interesting reading: Senators of 13th Congress: Far too many hearings, very few reports. I agree that at the very least, the public is owed a report after hearings have been concluded.
An interesting column by Emil Jurado on “Operation Big Bird.” Jurado refers to a recent interview on Ricky Carandang’s show: the original’s disappeared, but the interview’s been cached. Fascinating reading:
Carandang: And how many accounts did you manage to release?
Almonte: I think at that time initial I think eight or ten with a total of 213 million US dollars.
Carandang: Was there more?
Almonte: Yes.
Carandang: How do you know?
Almonte: Because at that time there were already so much cooperation from the people there. I hope I’ll just say it this way because I don’t want to jeopardize them.
Carandang: So you had informants in the Swiss banking system?
Almonte: Of course and they are the ones who know.
Carandang: So they were feeding you this information?
Almonte: Yes.
Carandang: And in effect, the Swiss government was confirming it by releasing the money.
Almonte: yes. They release it if they confirmed that what we are saying is in their document.
Carandang: So why did you stop at $213 million?
Almonte: We did not stop, that was the initial release. After that, because we have to present the other accounts that we like to release, we have to present it when we already have the complete documentation. Now we don’t have the documentation of all the accounts. That is why after this $213 million what came in later was about $3.8 billion and this we have the documentation.
Carandang: So you had the knowledge of an additional $3.8 billion in the Swiss bank accounts.
Almonte: Yes after the $213 million…and after that we had more information and our people there were working on another $4 billion. That is why by that time we had about all in all 3.8 plus 4 plus 3 we had about 8 billion immediately although of course the 4 billion is identification is being… The documentation it means is being worked on.
Carandang: But this whole time Marcos and Mrs. Marcos still thought that the money was being transferred to another account of theirs?
Almonte: Ah no more. By this time I cannot recall anymore. But I think it was July, it’s in the records. But the following day, because I think it was Friday. Saturday…Sunday…Monday is supposed to be the release of the $213 million nothing happen, Ordoñez disappeared. We cannot locate him. Later we’re able to confirm that he left Manila by himself.
Carandang: This was before you actually had the money released?
Almonte: No, after the money was released, the 213 million was released by the Swiss government but they transfer actually to export is what we were waiting for. Before they transfer there, Ordoñez disappeared and he is the only one according to the arrangement and the Swiss law as a constitutional officer who can receive this money in behalf of the Philippine government not me or anybody else.
Carandang: So without Ordoñez’ signature the money could be transferred out of Marcoses account but could not be transferred to the Philippine government.
Almonte: Without the signature of Ordoñez.
Carandang: And Ordoñez signed for the $213 million but he disappeared after that.
Almonte: No he did not sign yet. He just left without receiving the $213 million because what happened was this, when the$213 million must release and this is in the record, Ordoñez and of course Salvione and for Salonga that this going to be released, in fact we didn’t know because they kept it from us already. Anyway what happened is when Ordoñez disappeared we came home. I decided to leave immediately for manila.
Carandang: And what the money was left in an escrow account?
Almonte: Not yet. The money was.. You know the order was there but there is no execution. There was a decision but the actual execution of the decision was held.
Carandang: Pending the signature…
Almonte: Well pending the receipt…because what happened was this, Salvione and Salonga approved it and this in the annex, in the document… That he believed, Salvione, this money will be lost to the Philippine government. The implication is that Mike and myself will run away with the money, that’s the implication.
So he was telling Salonga that they should not be transferred to the export financier’s bank but it should remain in Credit Suisse and the fellow who suppose to take care of this…ironically was the man of Marcos but anyway it’s under their control. Now because of this the Credit Suisse informed Marcos that they have…they are helpless that this money, his money in the bank will be returned to the Philippine government. Because of his authority to de Guzman to withdraw his money…
Carandang: And that is when Marcos knew that he had been scammed.
Almonte: Yes that was the time. Soon after they decide to release this money, so Marcos claimed that “I don’t know of any de Guzman,” “I did not give anybody authority to withdraw the money” and he did not have any account in Switzerland this is Marcos letter to the Swiss. However if there is a money under his name and there is such I think as de Guzman who is withdrawing on his authority, he is revoking all of that.
Carandang: In other words Marcos was trying to tell the banks that he had revoke the authority of Mike de Guzman to withdraw the money but he is also trying to say that you cannot claim that I own the money.
Almonte: That’s what he’s trying to say.
Carandang: In other words Mike can’t withdraw but I don’t own it.
Almonte: Yes, that’s what his trying to say. “I don’t have anything but in the event there is something there in my name I am in control, Mike has no authority.”
Carandang ends by pointing out Almonte & Co. managed to get $213 million which was duly given to the government. By 2001, the money had grown to $680 million:
Under the law, all money recovered from the Marcos family is to be spent on agrarian reform.
In September 2005, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism reported that a portion of that $680 million was diverted to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s 2004 presidential campaign.
In March 2006, a Joint Senate Committee concluded that President Arroyo “be held accountable in the mismanagement of the fertilizer fund.”
Former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante, who authorized the release of the fertilizer funds, is seeking political asylum in the United States.
(Brief backgrounder on Operation Big Bird, courtesy of the Manila Times). See Juan Mercado’s column today, which places the efforts of the Marcoses to recover their assets, in perspective.
In Inquirer Current, John Nery “impeaches” Francis Escudero. Gets a swarm of replies!
Words of wisdom, as he reminds us in a recent blog entry, from David Llorito, circa 2005:
All those who want to reform the Philippine politics and economy should therefore strive to remove the nexus between politics and the economy. This policy reform objective could be achieved through measures including low and neutral tariff rates (to discourage smuggling as well as the incentive to make deals with Customs officials), the removal of the pork barrel system, opening up entry and exit of all businesses including utilities and telecommunications without having to acquire franchise from Congress, and lowering of corporate taxes coupled with the removal of fiscal incentives, among many others. The central idea is to prevent political motivations to encroach in people’s economic decisions, subject to certain limited criteria such as environmental regulations and national security.
We should adopt the concept that doing business or engaging in entrepreneurship is an inalienable right on par with our freedom of assembly and speech as well as of pursuit of happiness. That way mayors, governors, and bureaucrats will not have any power to put barriers against people’s entrepreneurial energies. You remove political intervention in economic decisions and you can see that “public service” will only attract two types of persons, either statesmen or masochists, and that will be for the good of the country.
Agree? Disagree?
Technorati Tags: Blogging, constitution, elections, House of Representatives, military, philippines, politics, president, Senate, Thailand, Washington DC
which are you? i’m just a mouse…
“In any case, to deny that an individual can be the catalyst for the making or unmaking of society hasn’t studied enough history”
Precisely my point, cvj dude. You come from a school of thought where PEOPLE — their posturings, their agendas, etc. — are considered to be the drivers of change. Which is why you can’t seem to rise above discussing PEOPLE and understand the IDEAS that gave such people their power.
What REALLY drives change is IDEAS. The idea, for example, that the German people (1) deserved better than to be subject to the financial ruin resulting from their reparation obligations and (2) are racially superior was what gave Hitler the opportunity and, eventually, the power over German minds and later influence them to do or tolerate the terrible things they did.
The idea that organised religion such as the Catholic Church is the primary intercession channel between man and god is what gives organised religion their power over the “faithful”, and their ability to propagate ridiculous doctrine (such as the “infallibility” of popes, holy wars, etc.) for centuries.
People don’t follow people. They follow the IDEAS that these people espouse.
Interestingly enough, this is just a repeat of a conversation I had with the eminent Patricio Abinales in the PCIJ blog here:
http://www.getrealphilippines.com/rant/rant00006.html
So we might observe that you, cvj, and Abinales have similarly-sized minds. 😉
“People don’t follow people. They follow the IDEAS that these people espouse”
From here we can further conclude that Pinoys are beholden to the idea that skillful ocho-ocho dancers and jailed mutineers are people worth following. 😉
Benign0, i consider your comparing me with Abinales as a compliment 🙂 I think we are more or less in agreement with your formulation that people “follow the IDEAS that these people espouse” so no need to make it look like i’m opposing you there.
That has been, all along, the operating principle, for example, in the case of opposition to Gloria Arroyo which little to do with personal hatred, and has more to do with the wrongness of cheating during electoral exercises. Similarly, those who support the status quo don’t necessarily like her personally but believe that cheating is excusable under certain circumstances.
Even in the corporate world, we cannot survive on ideas alone. Quality of execution matters and for that, you have to consider people (or groups of people).
BTW, i find your ocho-ocho fetish curious. Why the morbid fascination when most of us have moved on? 😕
cvj,
Yup, you can consider that a compliment if you’re the type who’s validates one’s self on the basis of one’s affiliations or associations and not based on his/her own personal convictions. 😉
btw, i never said that we can survive on ideas alone. What I assert is that it is ULTIMATELLY ideas that drive change.
People come and go (how many popes, for example has there been). But certain ideas endure, the same way that Filipino and entire generations come and go but certain cultural traits continue to undermine a any effort to build a prosperous Pinoy society.
What’s so “morbid” about ocho-ocho? Isn’t that our national folk dance?
your national folk dance. 😉
When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it–always.
Mahatma Gandhi
Is the idea that Ideas drive change superior to the idea that Influential People drive change? Or the idea that Ideas of Influential People drive change more superior? For example, was Jose Rizal or was it his ideas that drove change in his time? Isn’t it more accurate to say that Jose Rizal and his ideas drove change? For how can there be ideas if there were no people behind them, and how can ideas flourish without people supporting them?
I find it childish when somebody tries to force somebody else to accept as fact arguments in this line of reasoning. It’s like the classic egg-chicken argument.
Since people have been starting to psychoanalyze our pal benign0 (I wonder why), maybe you could all take this little test for Asperger’s syndrome. You too, benny. I would peg you as a classic case, but Im no psychologist. 😉
Link: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html
“A seed has to die in order for a plant to grow!”
That’s what Jose Rizal and Ninoy Aquino had to do for our country.
or baka naman a seed has to be sown in order for a plant to grow, cebu.
that’s what the Bible said..
a person with great ideas should take the test to see these ideas to fruitation. that separates the messenger to the message sender, the doer…
as to a good example of a little man with big ideas and work 40 years to see those came to fruitations check this out:
http://www.cbc.ca/greatest/top_ten/nominee/douglas-tommy-know.html
Ooops. Something wrong with the results page of the previous link on Asperger’s. Try this one: http://www.piepalace.ca/blog/asperger-test-aq-test/
Tama si tagakotta de cebu. The seed must cease to exist as a seed (die) for the plant to come into being.
The seed of Rizal had to die at Bagumbayan for the plant of the 1898 Revolution to grow. The seed of Ninoy had to die to give birth to the plant of the 1986 Revolution.
Palagay ko itong si bencard e laging ginagago ng mga kano. Halimbawa, kung may news na di kanais-nais tungkol sa pinoy, tinutukso itong si bencard. Sabi siguro ng kano, hey bencard you wanabe look at what your fellow pinoys have done! You are all a bunch of small tinkers, to which bencard replies, you are right sir, sorry sir, sabay mura pag talikod nung kano. Walanghiya talaga itong pinangalingan ko, pinapahamak ako, ika ni bencard. bakit ako hindi naging kano o british man lang, sabi niya. Hehehe.
Okay bencard, hinde eloquent yang salaysay na yan tulad ng mga nabasa na kinokopya mo, pero posibleng mas may kinalaman yan sa attitude mo towards your own pinoys.
One compliment to give to Tagakotta de Cebu is that he is a walking encyclopedia.
For almost every situation, he has a song to sing to you or a quote to share,and that is not easy.
Alam ko madami satin medyo ganyan din pero sa timing and quickness,I salute you tagakotta.
What’s so “morbid†about ocho-ocho? Isn’t that our national folk dance? – Benign0
your national folk dance.- CVJ
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Like it or not, this dance is really very popular. I have never attended a pinoy party or gathering here without singing/dancing ocho-ocho….(instead of the national dance tinikling and other folkdance 😉 )
And look at our most popular TV shows, Eat bulaga, wowowee. And we even have no qualms of showing it to the whole world via TFC.. Put that side by side the popular shows in the US like CSI, Grey Anatomy, Desperate Housewive, Lost etc. Di ba nakapanliliit?
And yet most of us are denying and reacting violently on Benignos assertions on Pinoy character defects/faults.
Rego, unlike you i haven’t danced the ocho-ocho. Kung nakapanliliit, why not just say ‘no’ instead of obliging your hosts/guests? Maybe you can suggest the tinikling instead.
Jeg, thanks for the pointer! I got 20. I find it interesting that the person who designed the test is Borat’s first cousin.
“People don’t follow people. They follow the IDEAS that these people espouse.”
I wonder. I hope you are not again generalizing. There will always be exceptions, and in this case, the opposite might just even be EQUALLY true. consider
JESUS. did people follow His ideas, or Him specifically? i do not have any memorized texts from the Bible (and I am too lazy to search for a specific verse) but here’s what I remember He said: Only through me will you gain salvation… leave everything, and follow me…there will be those who will deny me, and there will be those who will die for me. for those who will (die for Him) I assure you, I am always with you.
SYCOPHANTS. ahh. the perfect example of an exception to Benigno’s “grand theory.” these people don’t follow ideas. they stick to people they deem strong enough to protect them like gum on hair. championing ideas is something foreign to these people. id like to digress more on this, but i think Michael Tan has it down to a science. here:
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view_article.php?article_id=75927
in sum, there are people who will follow ideas, some who will only follow people regardless of their ideas espoused, some who will follow people bec of their ideas, some who will follow ideas bec they are espoused by certain people, and some who will neither follow people nor ideas. i for one, will not follow some idea blindly like it will get me anywhere no matter how much that idea appeals to me. i may fight for it, die for it, argue for it, but i won’t follow it. what am i, a dog w/o a mind of my own following a glimmer of a bone? i follow only myself. as for people, i’ll only follow those who can show to me they are worth following or that they can better accomplish what i want to accomplish. and then, not even much.
cvj, you must understand Rego and friends (the ocho2 fetish club). Ocho-ocho is the symbolic pinnacle of their belief in the smallness of the Filipino mind. it is the crown jewel among their hoard of comparisons. in their belief, you only have to watch the pinoy dance the ocho-ocho and you will surely be struck with the revelation: my goodness, look Peping, how small the minds of Pinoy! let us away from these poor folks and immerse ourself among crowds with bigger brains. oh look! there’s the team of engineers who developed America’s “smart” bombs. come let us commune with them. i gather they’ll have something to say about bigger minds having better ideas. come to think of it, we must measure our brains soon to get an idea of how big a mind we have. it must be pretty big.
Peping: sir what abt our hearts?
Sir: what abt it?
Peping: will we measure it also?
Sir: whatever for my dear Peping? we already have big brains to solve everything else.
Peping: (looks dejectedly at his pathetic heart)
Sir: come now, throw that garbage away. great minds have no use for it.
Filipinos have always been conquered because of their small minds and weakness just like these people here who keep contradicting benign0. You don’t think to improve yourselves and choose to remain pathetic. Ocho-ocho is a symptom of Pinoy weakness. So is Wowowee. Culture molds a person and Pinoy culture molds weaklings and people easy to fool! God willing our noble Moro race would be dissociated from you pathetic Filipinos.
Devils, i noticed that the ocho2 fetish club crosses faith lines.
“Some of the bloggers here are also grammatically challenged!What a pain to read their comments!” – tagakotta, wrong grammar pains me as well. but more often than not, i am bound to forgive them for it. after all, i have my own slips sometimes. (and it is not for lack of grammatical knowledge, but more for lack of good editing) speeling mistakes are even more forgivable, for they do not automatically translate into bad spellers. (and yes, I did that to sound humorous. forgive me if my attempt fell flat) And please KG, tagakotta is hardly a walking encyclopedia. His attempts are getting annoying, and I am tempted to tell him that I am nearing Song and Quote hell. It is well and good to quote lyrics and famous people’s words when it suits the topic being discussed, but to quote almost the entire song (instead of just naming the song’s title! or linking to its lyrics) or words of famous people by the by (in tagalog, basta-basta na lang) without even a word of your own, or an exposition of your stand, is really grating on one’s nerves. not to mention one’s forgiving attitude towards grammatically challenged individuals and bad, really bad spellers.
and he likes to repeat them too. have mercy.
“Rego, unlike you i haven’t danced the ocho-ocho. Kung nakapanliliit, why not just say ‘no’ instead of obliging your hosts/guests? Maybe you can suggest the tinikling instead.”
——————————————————–
Oh gee, cvj, what going on? Don’t you think you’re reacting?
I was just commenting on the popularity of the dance that supports benigno’s assertion that this dance has became a national dance. And not only his national dance.
If you dont dance ocho ocho or you dont like it at all,thats fine! I dont dance it either and just politely refuse when asked to. I dont have fetish for it. And we dont teach the kids at hoem to dance it either. But what ever and however we fell about the dance , that doesn’t invalidate benignos assertion at all.
You just cannot deny that the dance is very popular that even small kids as young as 3 years can easilly dance with it. And im very sure, these kids doesn’t have any idea at all what is our national dance.
Do I think ocho ocho is is such a morbid dance? No. It is something related to teh Filipino small ness of mind. The dance per se is not. Heck you dance it just for fun. But if we do it over and over again including the politicians campaigning for an important position. To me it just inappropriate.
“Devils, i noticed that the ocho2 fetish club crosses faith lines.” – cvj, wahaha. noted.
“Culture molds a person and Pinoy culture molds weaklings and people easy to fool! ”
Thanks God, culture overlook me. I was molded more by my experiences and the large number of books I read.
“God willing our noble Moro race would be dissociated from you pathetic Filipinos.”
God willing, bigots and hate-mongerers should someday disappear from the face of the earth. I swore, I’ll never rise to flame-baiting, really. Let me just indulge in this instance a couple of “grrs” and “magtimpi ka DA, magtimpi ka!”
And sorry Jon if I missed your post, but my sentiments as well, though not exactly like that, but well, more or less it follows your line of thought. And KG, my essay was not exactly about Filipino’s being “undisciplined” but about us being TOO accepting that that is exactly the sad truth. if there’s a line separating me from the naysayers of “Benigno’s” assertions, it is this: I have been way past step 1 of AA. You yourself said it quite beautifully. “Ganyan talga pag puroo flaws nag hanhanapin natin,you can easily smell stink and be bitter about it,without finding a solution like taking a bath.”
Too much time being spent on bitterness. I’ve accepted it, and I’ve lived whole. Sometimes I get bouts of hopelessness, but it passes. As Manolo said, I love my country, and I take all its flaws and imperfections along with all the good in it, and still hope, that somehow, someday, my countrymen would also realize this, and have as much love as this, to move past blaming everyone else (but themselves) and work for a country that our kids will someday, really love. Not just puppy love.
and oh, Abe, how do you do that? (I mean, make your name a link to your blog?) I’d like to employ that “marketing” strategy as well! And nice article, Abe. Also, your site gave me a nice surprise. I didn’t imagine you’d be quite old. Well, old only in the sense of my age. Though I do have the impression Manolo’s regulars are older than me. though newer arrivals seem to be getting younger and younger. (i wonder if that is a case of Manolo having broken into “mainstream” by having his own show in ANC…) And I’m only saying this bec online anonymity really breeds a lot of false impressions. just as an example, i was really (personally) embarrassed when I learned that the DJB i was disrespectfully arguing with, was the eminent Dean Jorge Bocobo. sometimes, I wonder abt the identities of some of the others here as well. like how I imagine hvrds will somehow turn out to be Walden Bello, or cvj, that guy that used to be my co-worker. idk. i guess it’s a habit of mine to put faces to people i meet online. there’s even this character i’m always at odds with in another forum that strike me as too similar to Bencard. (except that Bencard somehow makes me like him w/o liking his ideas that i disagree with) But that char was a she, so trash that idea. also, staying here, and then wandering at another “popular” blog woke me to something i’ll eternally be grateful for. never resent dissenting opinions or opposing views. they may just be the kind you need to keep you from being that obnoxious bigot you so damn hate. Michael Tan’s article (which I linked) gave a good picture of it. Sulsuleros and Sycophants distort their master’s views so much, that sometimes, they get trapped in their (s&s’) vicious grasps, that no further arguments will be able to save them, and they’ll go down the same path other bigots did before them. intolerance. so thank you folks. im a much better person now bec of you.
Devils, currently your name is also already linked to your blog.
“and oh, Abe, how do you do that? (I mean, make your name a link to your blog?) I’d like to employ that “marketing†strategy as well! from Devil adv”
Vanity is so secure in the heart of man that everyone wants to be admired: even I who write this, and you who read this. ~Blaise Pascal
Mabuhay ang Pilipino!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooGtSV7UafI
“I find it childish when somebody tries to force somebody else to accept as fact arguments in this line of reasoning. It’s like the classic egg-chicken argument”
Nobody’s “focing” anyone here, dude. Just laying ideas on the table. If there is any childish behaviour going on here it’s in people who are unable to critique said ideas purely on the basis of (or lack of — if they can demonstrate so) their logical merit and, instead, undertake what amounts to nouting more than ad hominems and conjecture about the personal circumstances of the messenger. 😉
Here’s an example: “Palagay ko itong si bencard e laging ginagago ng mga kano. Halimbawa, kung may news na di kanais-nais tungkol sa pinoy, tinutukso itong si bencard”. Palagay mo nga ba, Mr. Realist? 😉
“Rego, unlike you i haven’t danced the ocho-ocho. Kung nakapanliliit, why not just say ‘no’ instead of obliging your hosts/guests? Maybe you can suggest the tinikling instead”
Well unlike a few people here, I haven’t danced the tinikling. But this quaint tribal dance is still considered to be a “national” folk dance.
“God willing, bigots and hate-mongerers should someday disappear from the face of the earth”
God willing ba? A lot of prayers have been said that “God willing” the Philippines will prosper “someday” (whenever THAT may be). By the looks of our track record in achieving said prosperity in the Philippines God doesn’t seem to be inclined to will it. 😉
It takes a bit more than the “will of God” to get things going. Maybe that’s something Pinoys need to realise.
Hope only works when it is substantiated by a clear roadmap to whatever is hoped for.
Pride is only sustainable when it is substantiated by concrete ACHIEVEMENT.
Benigno,Sir!
Matagal na po ang kasibihan sa pinoy na nasa diyos ang awa nasa tao ang gawa.
If those concrete achievement of Pinoys are too small for you,then let me quote or paraphrase Rego.
Let them think big of themselves,na instead of sabihin na katulong lang po ako eh, sabihin na Ang trabaho ko po ay katiwala ni nina sir ganito. O yung sampol nya nya instead of driver labng ako eh ay. Driver ako.
There is a factor in any job that you do whatever it may be,which is DIGNITY. Kahit na CEO ka e araw araw almusal mo sa chairman ay sermon,sasaya kaba sa ganun na trabaho.
Most of them left this country,too,not due to small mindedness of course,not to inferiority complex but due to a complex phenomenom,which I was expecting to get from you but as of now,the mystery to the madness has not been solved yet..
Me napansin ako sa pinoy pride..re:boxing
dati pag naglalaban si Morales o Barrera vs Paquiao.
sigaw ng mexican fans..Viva el Mehico!
sigaw ng Filipino fans:Manny,Manny!
Ngayon,dahil siguro world cup Philippes vs. Mexico na
ang sigaw na ng pinoy:Philippines!Philippines!
Always look at the bright side and I see this an improvement of being proud to be Pinoy!
If that is not concrete achievement from the common pinoy to you guys…..
what more do you want from the common pinoy!
(I was referring to pinoy pride and support,not to our winning over Mexico,which itself was a big achievement in its own!)
“Most of them left this country,too,not due to small mindedness of course,not to inferiority complex but due to a complex phenomenom”
I beg to differ.
There is really nothing complex about the reason Pinoys leave the islands.
It is quite simple.
People go to wherever the return is higher on the skills, effort, and thinking that they invest in whatever endeavour they pursue.
“I was referring to pinoy pride and support”
Pinoy pride and support? Hmmmm… Hindi yata nakaka-busog yan a.
And it certainly can’t pay for all those cheap celphone trinkets we love to import from China. I think we’d rather pay for those with OFW remittances. 😉
“Me napansin ako sa pinoy pride..re:boxing
dati pag naglalaban si Morales o Barrera vs Paquiao.
sigaw ng mexican fans..Viva el Mehico!
sigaw ng Filipino fans:Manny,Manny!
Ngayon,dahil siguro world cup Philippes vs. Mexico na
ang sigaw na ng pinoy:Philippines!Philippines!
Always look at the bright side and I see this an improvement of being proud to be Pinoy!
from KARL!”
very inspiring! you just made my day! thanks!!!
“Filipinos are generally happier than other people, according to statistical expert Dr. Romulo Virola.
Virola, the National Statistical Coordination Board secretary-general, said Philippine suicide rates, as recorded by the World Health Organization, showed 2.5 male and 1.7 female Filipino suicides in every 100,000 cases, among the lowest in the world.
In his online column “Statistically Speaking†titled “Measuring Progress of Societies: Would You Rather Be Rich Or Would You Rather Be Happy?â€Â, Virola said that from a scale of zero to 10, Filipinos’ happiness rating according to the World Database of Happiness was at 6.4, tying at the 40th to 43rd place with Czechoslovakia, Greece and Nigeria.”
cvj, yeah. jz discovered that. i didn’t know putting a URL at the website box would do that. i thought it was jz a verification method (to find out if the email you typed in was valid…)
Natutuwa naman ako Tagakotta,na inspire kita. BTW that compliment about your wit was very very sincere!
That small observation in boxing meant a lot me as well,because nainggit ako sa mga Mehikano na kahit talo ang manok nila ay proud pa rin na ibandera ang bandila nila. Tayo nuon sa tingin ko ang tunog ng Manny ay money!(balato)
“cvj, yeah. jz discovered that. i didn’t know putting a URL at the website box would do that. i thought it was jz a verification method (to find out if the email you typed in was valid…)” from Devil adv.
The point of Ecclesiastes is “Everything under the sun is vanity!”
benign0: If there is any childish behaviour going on here it’s in people who are unable to critique said ideas purely on the basis of (or lack of  if they can demonstrate so) their logical merit…
But benny, my good man, where are the ideas from you we’re supposed to critique? You havent presented any yet. And we’re still waiting.
Tagakotta: Virola said that from a scale of zero to 10, Filipinos’ happiness rating according to the World Database of Happiness was at 6.4, tying at the 40th to 43rd place with Czechoslovakia, Greece and Nigeria.â€Â
A study I read – forgot the URL – offered a correlation between happiness and social capital. We still have a lot of it among the rural folk and to some extent with the urban poor communities. Among the middle class, social capital is at an ebb. They have this sort of siege mentality where they dont trust their neighbors.
Ok Mr. Benigno
if it is that simple,then let us leave it as that a simple phenomenom called the higher the return ,the better.
Alright,sir!
“Why is the Filipino called Juan de la Cruz?”
Wow, patuloy ang bakbakan! Banat mga kapatid. Sana may makumbinsi sa bakbakan. Napansin niyo na siguro na yang three stooges e mga gloria fanatics.
Si gloria ba e pinoy? Alam natin na small siya, db?, Ok short, para kay bencard, short na pinay. Ano kaya big sa kanya, kung meron?
Tagakotta,Kimosabe:
He was simply asking how to link his website to his name.
BTW:trivia yung dating blog ko me description na anything under the sun,if that is vanity…then I don’t wanna die coz as the song says”Vanity Kills”.
But look what it did to Belo and the likes,it made them rich,me iba sumabit at namatay na pasyente sa maling procedure pero mga peke daw sila..
Jeg, if you hadn’t noticed yet, here is the core idea behind the assertions I make in this particular thread:
Pinoys are devoid of imagination.
I broke that concept up further into a few quotes from some references in response to Manuel Buencamino’s challenge “No buddy. You prove your assertion, you present concrete examples and convincing arguments because you are the one making the claim” here:
http://www.quezon.ph/?p=1468#comment-559201
So wait no more, dude. It’s all in the table for everyone’s viewing pleasure. 😉
Pinoys are devoid of imagination.
But that isnt an idea. That is a problem. (Yes Im aware you mean pinoys in general.) The idea we’re waiting for are those which propose to solve it.
Frankly, I dont think pinoys are devoid of imagination in a greater degree than their neighbors. It’s just that pinoy ideas are unappreciated by their fellow pinoys. I believe that is the problem we ought to be solving and not the one you posted.
Now even Benign0 believes and lives his own ideas. He’s Pinoy, so he’s devoid of imagination. He’s standing on his self-made assertion even if he can’t prove it or support it with facts.
The fact is, there are Pinoys who are devoid of imagination. How do you count them and get the percentage against the overall population? There are Hong Kongers, Americans, Europeans, etc. who are also devoid of imagination. How do you count them too and get the percentage compared to their population?