IMPEDIMENTS TO NATIVE FILIPINO NATIONALISM...WHY WE NATIVE FILIPINOS ARE AGAINST NATIONALISM

“I have observed that the prosperity or misery of each people is in direct proportion to its liberties or its prejudices and, accordingly, to the sacrifices or the selfishness of its forefathers. -Juan Crisostomo Ibarra” ― José Rizal, Noli Me Tángere (Touch me Not ), 1887

"Upang maitindig natin ang bantayog ng ating lipunan, kailangang radikal nating baguhin hindi lamang ang ating mga institusyon kundi maging ang ating pag-iisip at pamumuhay. Kailangan ang rebolusyon, hindi lamang sa panlabas, kundi lalo na sa panloob!" --Apolinario Mabini,  La Revolucion Filipina (1898)

"To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; credible we must be truthful." - Edward R. Murrow (1908-1965)

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LET US NOT KEEP OUR HEADS IN THE SAND

"We shall be better and braver and less helpless if we think that we ought to enquire than we should have been if we indulged in the idle fancy that there was no knowing and no use in seeking to know what we do not know." --SOCRATES

Hi All,

CAVEAT: There are many among us native Filipinos who have been so miseducated to be rabid anti-communists and/or are educated ignoramuses (for lack of a better word) who instantly or blindly equate Filipino nationalism as Communism. 

I recognize the fact that it is easier to unite for communism since it has shown better organizational ability in forcing unity. But like any externally motivated unity, communism can easily collapse as demonstrated by the sudden fall of Russian/Soviet Communism and its satellite countries in Eastern Europe during the 1990s.

I recognize the possibility of nationalism with Communism (Ho Chi Minh, Fidel Castro or Mao Tse Tung), nationalism with Capitalism (Japan, South Korea, Western European countries, etc.) or nationalism with Socialism (Hugo Chavez) --but at the end of the day, in these cases, all their "isms" are subordinated to nationalism.

Since the turn of the 20th century, America has acted out from ultra-nationalism with capitalism. A country's nationalism that drives its economic and military might beyond its physical borders practices ultra-nationalism aka Imperialism of old (with its colonizing troops); or neo-imperialism/neocolonialism (without its troops but use natives as proxies). Today, American capitalism is predominantly corporate capitalism; in times of economic crises, corporate capitalism demands --via its lobbyists-politicians-- corporate welfare such as tax breaks, government subsidies, grants/loans, etc.

[ NOTE: Let us define/understand here development most simply as improvement in human well-being, not just nice/modern roads and buildings, beautiful golf courses, and resorts, etc. which are not accessible to most citizens; but more importantly, do not help the daily life of generations of the impoverished native majority. Development today means fulfilling the aspirations of most people for higher standards of living, longer and healthier lives; education for themselves and their children that leave them more in control of their lives.]

- Bert

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I call them ignoramuses because they apparently do not know that nationalism is anathema to international communism (as nationalism is similarly anathema to economic globalism/globalization aka neocolonialism/neoimperialism --note that capitalists do trade with communists then and now but will bring down or sabotage nationalists, who neocolonialists or so-called globalists -whatever they want to call themselves -- are most afraid of).

IMPEDIMENTS TO NATIVE FILIPINO NATIONALISM

To think about our native Filipino predicament is to be overwhelmed. The causes/roots and effects of existing socioeconomic and political problems in our homeland are so enormous that it is much easier to ignore and/or get away from them, i.e. emigration if possible. We all know that we individually already did, maybe able, or have the capacity to do so, but how about the multitude of fellow natives who can not? We as humans, especially Filipinos, tend to act only if we are directly affected.

Here's an attempt to identify some of our Filipino characteristics, those cultural and other hurdles we Filipinos need to acknowledge and overcome to develop a strong feeling of Filipino nationalism, the lack of which is a strong detriment to attaining true Filipino nationhood, to work for the realization of economic and political democracies in the homeland.

Nationalism is a sine qua non for a people to develop a strong desire and resolve to correct the problems brought about by governmental/technocratic decisions, military, business/elites, and foreign influences; and to rein in the strong tides of absolutely free trade (popularized after WW2 by Walt W. Rostow and "recommended" by the IMF and WB, etc. and their new vehicle for arm-twisting poor nations, i.e. the ostensibly, mutually agreed trading rules in the rich nations-controlled WTO) supposedly to help us economically catch-up. 

Together with economic globalization came the ever-present and politely described cultural globalization (aka cultural imperialism that created our damaged culture) - -which has brought only alienation from ourselves as a people; poverty and misery or punishments to our fellow Filipinos in the Philippines --and for action towards the attainment of the common good.
I venture to say that foreigners --with local and transnational economic interests-- in our homeland study and learn more about us Filipinos (than we do ourselves) to further their maximized profitability-driven enterprises.

As an aside let me say that in the past, I have touched on the following ideas among friends a few of whom felt offended and claimed that I was exposing our defects as Filipinos; that I should count my blessings, that it is being ungrateful to America/Americans and engaging in the blame game, etc. I have lost some of these friendships. 

But in retrospect and in a way, these issues have identified for me my real friends who remained despite some disagreements on the same and other more mundane issues or pursuits. As we learn in life, we do not need "fair-weather friends". Quality -not quantity- of friends matters. And life is short. Anyway...

We can begin by saying that these internal and foreign impediments/hurdles to Filipino nationalism are complex, and each one seemingly reinforces the others. These impediments may be mainly and roughly categorized as:

1. Tribal Mentality (euphemistically, Traditional Society)
2. Belief in Determinism and Immature Religion (Medieval Christianity)
3. Colonial Mentality and English as Medium of Instruction (Dislike for a National Language)
4. Lack of Social Consciousness (Selfish Individualism)
5. Existence of Private and Foreign Schools (Lack of and Inferior Public Schools)
6. Mis-education (Ignorance of History from the Viewpoint of Filipino Nationalist )
7. Educational System and Undeveloped/Lack of Critical Thinking (Educate only for jobs)
8. Absence of Common/External (Foreign) Enemy

Let us look at these impediments.


1. Tribal Mentality.

It seems our deepest loyalty is limited mainly to our immediate and extended family. But this extended family is enlarged somehow through a network created by the "kumpare/kumadre system." Although this system was/is entered into for religious reasons during a child's baptism or confirmation, it is also much used by us native Filipinos for ulterior motives to get or gain socioeconomic and political influences (Fr. Vitaliano Gorospe, SJ has written about it in his 1960s pamphlet on the Filipino norm of Christian morality.) 

This tribal/narrow thinking is further applied and exhibited in our loyalty to our hometown, province, or region; thus anyone from outside our circle is virtually ignored, treated with suspicion and mistrust, and easy prey to stereotyping.

We are prone to be offended more by negative comments about our hometown, province, and region than those about our homeland. This tribal mentality may be explained by our geographical remoteness (coming from various islands), different dialects, historical animosities brought about by the divisive (divide-and-conquer) long-term influences made by our foreign masters, i.e. the Spaniards used us natives in one province to fight fellow native Filipinos in another, or Americans doing same as shown by their planting Filipino Christians in Filipino Muslim lands or establishing the Philippine Constabulary), etc. This characteristic reminds us of Jose Rizal's sad but accurate depiction of ourselves in his Reflections of a Filipino.

2. Belief in Determinism and Immature Belief System/Religion (Medieval Catholicism).

The Spanish religious legacy of Roman Catholicism has inculcated in our minds throughout the generations that whatever happens is seen as the "will of God." Thus, we have developed a fatalistic attitude as expressed in statements such as "bahala na ang Diyos", "ginusto ng Diyos", "oras na", etc. This fatalistic attitude dominates our poor countrymen and even our so-called educated elite.

We are so afraid to question such long-held beliefs since we think that it is tantamount to committing sin. We need to outgrow these childish beliefs which are destructive to ourselves and society, have to learn and understand more deeply our inherited religion and thus develop a more mature Christianity. The aggregate and adverse impact of fatalism are for a populace to throw out their hands in despair, helplessness, inaction, and to seek solace in wishful prayers which in effect only gives credence to the oft-quoted remark by Karl Marx that "religion is the opium of the people."

Furthermore, our immature religious beliefs led us to a conflicting and perverse duality, unrecognized inconsistency (hopefully at best); if recognized then hypocrisy (at worst) between professed Christianity but unChristian attitudes and behaviors, where authentic Christianity is unknown if not knowingly ignored. We have touched on this major impediment in a previous post on Filipino Christianity.

3. Colonial Mentality/English as Medium of Instruction/Dislike for a National Language

The almost 350-year Spanish rule did not militate against us in the formation of Filipino nationalism as much as the subsequent 50-year American colonization. The Spaniards for the most part kept the Filipino natives ignorant/uneducated and fearful of authority until our revolutionary forefathers fought them effectively and efficiently; actually almost completely defeated them until...

The Americans came in 1898 to fool and steal from our revolutionary forefathers their pursuit of true political independence. Thus the beginnings of the Philippine-American War (taught to us as "The Philippine Insurrection" (renamed "Philippine-American War" in 1991 by the U.S. Library of Congress)--as Americans do now in Iraq: putting up a puppet government and calling all Iraqi resistance as an insurrection). The deceit of the Katipuneros and Filipino nationalists began with the mock Battle of Manila Bay.

Under the guise of preparing and teaching us in self-government, the imposed American public education was designed to suppress nationalism in all its expressions/forms and for the Filipinos to be Americanized in their outlook; and this was greatly facilitated with the exclusive study and use of English as the only medium of instruction (all part of subtle but extremely effective cultural imperialism). During their 50-year rule, public education was given the greatest priority and was actually run as part of the US Department of the Army to ensure compliance. A practice previously used with the few survivors from the genocidal so-called "Indian Wars" against the indigenous Indian tribes.

We native Filipinos have about 150 different dialects/languages but consequently more than exhibit a preference for the English language, probably neither appreciating nor knowing the fact that true nationhood/national unity requires a national language or official language as a prerequisite to its realization (even India has over 720 recognized dialects/languages but uses an official language: Hindi. 

Years thereafter, America was able to leave peacefully since the educational system has guaranteed and continually produced "Little Brown Brothers" who, wittingly and unwittingly, thought; loyally worked and ruled for America. America did not need any more of its occupation troops in the islands for enforcement!

In addition, the American-imposed "free trade" solely between the U.S.A. and the island colonies during the colonial period. Its later post-WW2 continuation as conditionalities for the granting of so-called Philippine independence was obtained via the co-opted, "independent" native but subservient rulers; which therefore perpetuated American dominance in all significant business and industries; and embedded our taste for imported goods/culture. 

As a result practically killing any nascent native industrialization, keeping us mainly as a source of supply for agricultural products and strategic minerals, and losing our sense of national history, unity, and national identity. All these being the objectives of neocolonialism. This topic has been in previous postings such as why we did not industrialize (aka Dodds Report) and remained a traditional, agricultural country

(American occupiers could have imposed agrarian/land reform which would have fundamentally changed our society as they did consequently in Japan. But our American masters chose not to).

A critical study of American history will show that the Americans, despite their proclaimed Manifest Destiny, came not to help free the Filipinos from the Spaniards (the native Filipino revolutionaries have the latter surrounded until the Americans joined in and fooled them to stay put until their shiploads of reinforcements arrived).

The Americans came and engaged in the so-called Splendid Little War because during that moment in history, America saw that they need a fueling station for their growing navy, recognized the need to expand their sources of supply for raw materials, and new markets, e.g. China, for their excess products...

In Asia, especially the illimitable Chinese market (a few years later a show of force to forcefully open this market during the Boxer Rebellion) and saw the Philippines as the gateway for all (prior to this, Admiral Perry in 1853 forced isolationist Japan to open up to America). Of course, we can not learn these historical truths in Philippine and American schools unless one goes beyond official school textbooks and government publications.


4. Lack of Social Consciousness/ Selfish Individualism

The tribal mentality has resulted in this Filipino character. It is also the product of a mixture of the historical, perennial, and current abandonment by the centralized national government, the Filipino rich and powerful. The resultant deprivation has molded us and explains much of our characteristic behavior of just "looking out for ourselves," i.e. family and extended relatives at best. The aristocrats whose Spanish ancestors were granted lands taken from the native inhabitants tend to continue their disgust and lack of concern for the poor. 

The recent others who gained wealth, through legal and/or illegal means, and have risen above pure subsistence level by merit or emigration similarly take care only of their circle of family, friends, and relatives. Our emulation of the extreme individualism of the American Way reinforces our selfish individuality; given that Americanism highly stresses individualism in the sole "pursuit of happiness," e.g. individual effort, self-help, self-interest, ad nauseam. Thus, we Filipinos in terms of the pursuit of happiness through material success are unconsciously a "good fit" in America.

Numerous kababayans who emigrated to America easily co-opted to the American way of insatiable "conspicuous consumption." We were either previously deprived; or knowing nothing better to do or attend to, surround ourselves with material possessions since our consciousness and thinking never rose above "wants," and have practically equated "wants" with "needs." 

We seem not to know how to spend leisure time than to go shopping or perform some other material pursuits. Our "hierarchy of needs" gets stunted at the material level.

We are amazed that the more fortunate and truly rich Filipinos do not become as generous to their fellow countrymen as some similarly successful Americans are (here's one quality I admire about "white" Americans, even the "average" American). The cliche "the rich only get richer or the poor want to only get rich" rings true. Forget the saying "it is more difficult for a rich man to enter heaven...." Oh well, who believes that crap.

5. Existence of Private/Foreign schools/Inferior Public Schools

The existence of the exclusively private and/or foreign schools is a powerful contributory and extreme detriment to Filipino nationalism. This existence creates a divisive effect on national unity and Philippine society. The exclusive, private schools, i.e. Catholic colleges and/or universities, etc., for the most part, create an elitist or class-conscious group devoid of deep empathy for the impoverished public since the students are essentially insulated from the day-to-day realities of the truly poor. One can feel and see these attitudes and behaviors from a significant number of graduates from these schools/universities. Of course, there are exceptions.

The exclusively foreign schools, i.e. Chinese, American, Korean, etc. are similarly so, they see native/Malayan Filipinos as a different race (which is true of course), stereotyped as inferior, and as different, superior people. Their students whose loyalty to the Philippines may be questionable or suspect at worst, and who knows what they teach their students? We can only hope that the aloofness and racial differences that we witness would disappear.

There is a dire and urgent need to improve own public schools but this is impossible given the priorities of the government officials, i.e. more money for the military and/or enriching themselves via government coffers rather than more funding for education. Our politicians and bureaucrats have instead led into the dumbing down of the native majority.

6. Miseducation and Ignorance of Filipino Nationalist History

One of the pernicious long-run effects of the American intervention, occupation, and colonization of our homeland is the miseducation of generations of Filipinos then and now. This process of miseducation was mainly through the establishment of a free public educational system by the American occupiers. 

This educational system (together with uncontrolled American imports and mass media (including advertisements) efficiently and effectively influenced generations of Filipinos to unquestioningly believe, love, adopt and follow America and anything American. 

We uncritically copy the American way of life, its materialist obsessions, its pop culture, teachings and economic models, its foreign policies, etc. The miseducation and resultant ignorance about Filipino nationalist history made us forget our forefathers and their quest for true nationhood, to attain the objectives of their hijacked, thus unfinished revolution.

We learned to ignore our ethnic minorities. Remember our honored "American Boy" General/Ambassador Carlos Romulo, labeling the "Negritos" as not Filipinos? We are truly Americanized -if not trying harder than an American!-- without being truly Americans (how can we be, when we historically are seen as "niggers" too?). That is why other Asian neighbors, who have maintained their national identity, national pride, and culture (I do not mean just their equivalents to our "tinikling" dance), do not respect us. What a shame. Or do we not care about that too?

7. Educational System/Critical Thinking

Overall, our existing educational system seems to have failed and continues to fail to develop critical thinking ability in us, especially as it applies to humanity, i.e. socio-economic and political issues, which in the short and long run define and affect the lives of our people and future generations. 

Aside from a few schools/universities such as the University of the Philippines (UP), the graduates lack appreciation of what is described as "liberal education," that is, the humanities or social sciences. We seem to have countless bright minds who turn out to become successful engineers, doctors, lawyers, accountants, etc. but ignorant, if not very ignorant, of critical analysis beyond their professional expertise; more specifically to societal analysis.

Furthermore, during the Marcos dictatorship --and continued under subsequent regimes-- the IMF/World Bank, using our humongous foreign debt as leverage, dictated how and where the Philippine educational system has to be directed, i.e. serve foreign investors/transnational interests. Thus, we see a lot of us quite naive, ignorant, and distant about the predicament of the Filipinos in the Philippines. 

At best, we mouth or think based on what we have heard or seen in the popular media. Or at worst, who cares (the “since I am ok, I do not care if they're not ok” mentality) which we have encountered among many fellow Filipinos.


8. Absence of Common/Foreign Enemy

In the history of nation-states, almost every nation has gained national identity, unification, and sovereignty through battles and wars against a foreign enemy. Our Filipino forefathers rose against the Spaniards, our 340-year foreign occupiers. However, their revolution was hijacked by the cunning Americans whom they also fought but failed to defeat. The Americans left us with their local substitutes: mis-educated (highly Americanized) fellow Filipinos, who knowingly or unknowingly, govern, think, teach and work for American interests. 

Our fathers united against the Japanese invaders during WW2; and then post-war, these natives, Americanized politicians came back to remove from elected office the handful of nationalist fellow countrymen who were labeled and saw (thanks to our miseducation by the Americans) as only plain "communists"; never mind their years of suffering and struggles for more humane treatment by their absentee landlords and for the homeland.

Fast forward today, we are enjoined to see and label the Filipino NPA and Muslim rebels as "terrorists," forgetting the basis for Muslim struggle, thanks to the recent foreign policy dictates of America. We see our Philippine Constitution and sovereignty ignored and will be seeing more US troops, via the Visiting Forces Agreements (VFA) directly hunting not just the Abu Sayyaf but the MILFs/MNLFs and NPAs anywhere in our homeland soon, and same troops practically immune from the local jurisdiction in case of locally committed crimes, i.e. our now practically forgotten Subic Rape Case (updated) --and many previous ones when the Subic and Clark Bases were operational. We do not have an identifiable foreign enemy because our enemy today is not foreigners garbed in uniform roaming our homeland. The physical absence of a foreign enemy makes common, nationalist causes more difficult to discern. 

Our difficulties to the attainment of national unity, our past, present, and future dangers/threats to nationhood and common good are brought about by our own people in business and government, i.e. government bureaucrats and technocrats who are serving foreign interests by continually proselytizing neocolonialism via the so-called economic and cultural globalization through the WTO: as characterized by the privatization of our state utility companies unrestricted importation that led to the demise of both our national agriculture/nascent industries and paucity of decent job opportunities, the greater rise of mercantilism dominated by the Chinese then and now, land speculations, foreign-owned export industries, and export of cheap labor/OFW (and its accompanying social costs ignored by all).

These foreign and local business partners, with their westernized allies/technocrats in academia and government agencies, essentially imply: Damn the native, Malay Filipino majority in the Philippines (did you hear them charge "we breed like rabbits"?). We have to maximize and repatriate profits, maximize our shareholders' equity, to hell with Filipino nationalism -which to them is obsolete, a business constraint that needs to be demolished and not necessary in these times of globalization via WTO. To the foreign investors/corporations (mainly American, Australian, local Chinese, Japanese, Koreans) and their local partners, the bottom-line is maximized profitability through perpetual dominance over the uninformed Filipinos.

Inasmuch as THE ENEMY IS US for allowing such conditions, the task is much, much more difficult, but not insurmountable. And it may be too late for us in the present generation; but not for our children and their children. Let us think to understand, to decide, to act, and to fight for the next generations of native, Malay Filipinos.

That is what Filipino nationalism is all about.

Or else the foreigners: Americans, Chinese, Japanese, Australians, Koreans will completely take over our homeland, our children's and their children's' patrimony, which these foreigners through their local partners --in business, government, and military-- have already begun.

#Filipino_Nationalism

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A Young Korean Comments on Corruption in the Philippines
- Jaeyoun Kim, a young Korean student

Filipinos always complain about the corruption in the Philippines. Do you really think corruption is the problem of the Philippines? I do not think so. I strongly believe that the problem is the lack of love for the Philippines. Let me first talk about my country, Korea. It might help you understand my point.



After the Korean War, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. Koreans had to start from scratch because the entire country was destroyed after the Korean War, and we had no natural resources. Koreans used to talk about the Philippines, for Filipinos were very rich in Asia. We envy Filipinos. Koreans really wanted to be well off like Filipinos. Many Koreans died of famine. My father's brother also died because of famine. Korean government was very corrupt and is still very corrupt beyond your imagination, but Korea was able to develop dramatically because Koreans really did their best for the common good with their heart burning with patriotism. Koreans did not work just for themselves but also for their neighborhood and country.


Education inspired young men with the spirit of patriotism.

40 years ago, President Park took over the government to reform Korea. He tried to borrow money from other countries, but it was not possible to get a loan and attract a foreign investment because the economy situation of South Korea was so bad. Korea had only three factories. So, President Park sent many mine workers and nurses to Germany so that they could send money to Korea to build a factory. They had to go through a horrible experience. In 1964, President Park visited Germany to borrow money. Hundred of Koreans in Germany came to the airport to welcome him and cried there as they saw the President Park. They asked to him, "President, when can we be well off?" That was the only question everyone asked to him.



President Park cried with them and promised them that Korea would be well off if everyone works hard for Korea, and the President of Germany got the strong impression on them and lent money to Korea. So, President Park was able to build many factories in Korea. He always asked Koreans to love their country from their heart. Many Korean scientists and engineers in the USA came back to Korea to help developing country because they wanted their country to be well off. Though they received very small salary, they did their best for Korea. They always hoped that their children would live in well off country.My parents always brought me to the places where poor and physically handicapped people live. They wanted me to understand their life and help them. I also worked for Catholic Church when I was in the army. The only thing I learned from Catholic Church was that we have to love our neighborhood. And, I have loved my neighborhood.



Have you cried for the Philippines? I have cried for my country several times. I also cried for the Philippines because of so many poor people. I have been to the New Bilibid prison. What made me sad in the prison were the prisoners who do not have any love for their country. They go to mass and work for Church. They pray everyday. However, they do not love the Philippines. I talked to two prisoners at the maximum-security compound, and both of them said that they would leave the Philippines right after they are released from the prison. They said that they would start a new life in other countries and never come back to the Philippines.



Many Koreans have a great love for Korea so that we were able to share our wealth with our neighborhood. The owners of factory and company were distributed their profit to their employees fairly so that employees could buy what they needed and saved money for the future and their children. When I was in Korea, I had a very strong faith and wanted to be a priest. However, when I came to the Philippines, I completely lost my faith.I was very confused when I saw many unbelievable situations in thePhilippines. Street kids always make me sad, and I see them everyday. The Philippines is the only Catholic country in Asia, but there are too many poor people here. People go to church every Sunday to pray, but nothing has been changed.My parents came to the Philippines last week and saw this situation. They told me that Korea was much poorer than the present Philippines when they were young.



They are so sorry that there are so many beggars and street kids. When we went to Pasangjan, I forced my parents to take a boat because it would fun. However, they were not happy after taking a boat. They said that they would not take the boat again because they were sympathized the boatmen, for the boatmen were very poor and had a small frame. Most of people just took a boat and enjoyed it. But, my parents did not enjoy it because of love for them.My mother who has been working for Catholic Church since I was very young told me that if we just go to mass without changing ourselves, we are not Catholic indeed.


Faith should come with action.

She added that I have to love Filipinos and do good things for them because all of us are same and have received a great love from God. I want Filipinos to love their neighborhood and country as much as they love God so that the Philippines will be well off. I am sure that love is the keyword, which Filipinos should remember. We cannot change the sinful structure at once. It should start from person. Love must start in everybody, in a small scale and have to grow. A lot of things happen if we open up to love. Let's put away our prejudices and look at our worries with our new eyes. I discover that every person is worthy to be loved.



Trust in love, because it makes changes possible. Love changes you and me. It changes people, contexts and relationships.It changes the world. Please love your neighborhood and country. Jesus Christ said that Whatever we do to others we do to Him. In the Philippines, there is God for people who are abused and abandoned. There is God who is crying for love. If you have a child, teach them how to love the Philippines. Teach them why they have to love their neighborhood and country. You already know that God also will be very happy if you love others.That's all I really want to ask you Filipinos.

See also: http://thefilipinomind.blogspot.com/2005/05/corruption-in-our-homeland.html
http://thefilipinomind.blogspot.com/2005/05/corruption-and-good-governance-by.html


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The above commentary has been a floating chain letter for some time in the net. Since I received it for the 4th time, I might as well comment on it.

Jaeyoun's observations are good. One can distill some useful thoughts, which though obvious to any thinking and concerned Filipino are virtually ignored by the many, for one reason or another.



WHAT WE FILIPINOS SHOULD KNOW: We Filipinos should remind ourselves that: Corruption is just a symptom, not the disease.

· On Korean Nationalism. The Korean people have a long and unified history of nation-building or forming of national identity going back 2000 years, where they had kingdoms, faced Chinese and Japanese invasions and occupations; and developed/adopted Confucian and Buddhist thoughts and beliefs. Jumping to modern history, the Koreans were annexed and colonized by the Japanese sometime in 1905 (remember the Russo-Japanese War which the Japanese won, the first time whites were defeated by nonwhites and thus bolstering Japanese pride and nationalism). In 1919 during the Japanese occupation, 31 Korean patriots demonstrated against the Japanese colonial government and proclaimed a Declaration of Independence that touched off a nationwide independence movement that was violently crushed with the death of thousands of Koreans.

Just like any colonized country, Korea was exploited by Japan (same way that America exploited the Philippines’ natural resources, trade, etc). Thus, at the end of WW2, Korea was poor but its people were united. They had again suffered and were split during the 1950s Korean War. But with the help of the UN and the USA (because of its geo-economic and political concern about the spread of communism) plus the leadership of a nationalist and strongman/dictator Park Chung-Hee, the already nationalistic South Koreans worked hard and suffered for their country to attain full industrialization and modernity as seen today. They are now working to hopefully unify the country with the North Koreans which seems still difficult right now.

· On Filipinos' Lack of Nationalism. We Filipinos and the Philippines do not have much known history before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores in 1521. Its physical geography explains much about the tribal mentality of its present people. The many islands created many dialects, animosities between “datus”/tribal leaders and tribes, etc. and these differences were used by the Spanish colonists to further maintain and divide the people by pitting them against each other – these for the most part explain our dislike and mistrust for others belonging to another town, province, region, etc. with the resultant lack of national identity/unity.

The subsequent arrival of and occupation by the Americans, who hijacked the Filipinos’ nationalist revolution against Spain; and the later short occupation in WW2 by the Japanese did not help to further develop the spread of nationalism. The Spaniards left us with shallow Catholicism, racist arrogance and lazy attitudes, the Americans with mis-education and heightened colonial mentality; and the Japanese with much painful memories of their brutality. All those times, these foreign occupiers only developed and reinforced the collaborationist, ruling class of Spanish and Chinese mestizos who have no sincere concern for the welfare of the indios/Malay natives. http://thefilipinomind.blogspot.com/2005/05/what-is-filipino-nationalism-mrs.html, http://thefilipinomind.blogspot.com/2005/05/impediments-to-filipino-nationalism-to.html

· On Filipinos’ Superficial Christianity. The young Korean Jaeyoun apparently is Catholic and knows about what being a Christian is: talking about love of neighbors/country. We Filipinos would tend to smile when we talk about loving our neighbors, we are so good at trivializing things. But seriously, many Christian Filipinos are practicing what a Jesuit priest in the 1960s wrote about as compartmentalized or "split-level Christianity” http://thefilipinomind.blogspot.com/2005/07/filipino-norm-of-morality-vitaliano-r.html, http://thefilipinomind.blogspot.com/2005/05/when-our-religion-becomes-evil-our.html



Christian Filipinos go to the usual routine of Catholic rites: Sunday Mass (men go outside the church to smoke and bullshit during the sermon), go to Confession, receive Communion, pray their rosaries, light candles to Mary and their saints, etc. but when it comes to dealing with their fellow men, they are so un-Christian. There is obviously a failure to integrate the Christian teachings, especially those that deal about caring and helping other people, especially the impoverished. http://thefilipinomind.blogspot.com/2005/05/use-of-religion-for-desperate-times-we.html

The leaders of business, government, military and the rich, all/most of whom are professed Catholic Christians and can do something about correcting the Filipino predicament, do not seek nor plan to provide the basic necessities of the majority, who are in poverty. Maybe the failure of integration of Christianity among so-called Christian Filipinos is partly due to some bad history made by some churchmen, during the Spanish times and now, wherein these live icons of Jesus Christ were and are more concerned about material things and the church as an institution than as models and teachers of Christian living. I include the aloof and so-called “Praise The Lord”, Bible-toting Protestant fundamentalists whose belief and main drive is personal “salvation” to heavenly rewards --supposedly attained only by direct line to God-- that good works do not buy salvation and thus withdraw from active social concern and involvement, as originally taught by Protestant Reformers such as Martin Luther and John Calvin in the 1500s.

· On What WE Filipinos Ought To Do: Corruption indicates the absence of national unity. Filipinos in the Philippines need to put their efforts to re-learn and understand their nationalist history, their hijacked and unfinished nationalistic revolution, therefrom unite and fight for true and nationalistic independence i.e. economic and political. Our nationalist history that has become more remote and meaningless in the minds of the new, younger and globalized (Americanized) generations of Filipinos in the homeland.



Corruption also indicates a distorted christianity. Christian Filipinos should do away with much of their childish Catholicism and put more emphasis on being authentic Christians, i.e. living Christ’s teachings on altruism (especially by those who have satisfied their essential human needs and thus able to attend and improve the lot of their poor neighbors).



The impoverishment and predicament of the Filipinos in the Philippines --with its resultant degradation and prostitution of Filipino women and children at home and abroad, the early death of the young, the sickness and diseases of many, the export of its workers, the mortgaging of its future generations-- will remain perennial and endless unless so-called christians work on present realities than for a supposed hereafter.

"I either want less corruption, or more chance to participate in it." - Ashleigh Brilliant, 1933

"The accomplish to the crime of corruption is frequently our own indifference." - Bess Myerson, 1924-present

"In all institutions from which the cold wind of open criticism is excluded, an innocent corruption begins to grow like a mushroom - for example, in senates and learned societies." - Friedrich Nietzsche, 1844-1900

"Corruption is worse than prostitution. The latter might endanger the morals of an individual; the former invariably endangers the morals of the entire country." - Karl Kraus, 1874-1936.

‘I helped the poor and they called me a saint, I asked why they were poor and they called me a Communist’ – Brazilian Bishop Helder Camara

“There is no higher RELIGION than human service. To work for the common good is the greatest creed.'' - Albert Schweitzer, 1875-1965, German Born Medical Missionary, Theologian, Musician, and Philosopher




“Nations whose NATIONALISM is destroyed are subject to ruin.” - Colonel Muhammar Qaddafi, 1942-, Libyan Political and Military Leader

Mga Koreyano Naman ang Nagdadatingan

Nakakagulat ang balita tungkol sa mga bagong dayuhan na nananatili sa ating inang bayan, gaya nang mga Koreano: 60,000 -legal at illegal. Sinusino pa kaya ang hindi natin natutuklasan?

Ang ating bayan ay ginawang hardin, bakasyunan, palengke, hacienda at bahay putahan ng mga dayuhan alay ng ating mga pinunong bayan. Nuong ako'y bata pa mga Amerikano, Intsik at kaunting Indyan (Bumbay) lamang ang marami nating nakikita; ngayon marami pang Amerikano, Intsik, Hapon at Koreano. Sa mga ito, yung mga Bumbay lamang ang mukhang okey.

Sino pa kayang mga dayuhan ang magisgisnan ng mga bagong sinilang, ng ating kabataan, sino pa kayang mga dayuhan ang magtatamasa ng ating naturang kayamanan?

Ang nakakamuhi at nakagagalit na gawain mulat mula pa ng ating mga tinatawag na mamumuno ay ang pagkawalang pagmamahal (nasyonalismo) sa sariling bayan at kababayan. Mulat mula pa nang dumating ang mga Amerikano, nagtaksil na ang ibang pinuno. Ngayon wala ng naghaharing mga sundalong dayuhan Amerikano, tuloy pa rin ang mga pinuno sa pagtataksil sa inang bayan, sa mga kapwa kababayan.

Nagsimulang pahirapin ng mga pinuno ang buhay ng ordinaryong kababayan ng umupo si Dadong Makapagal, ama ni Gloria Arroyo. Inalis ni Dadong ang "Filipino First Policy" na sinimulan ng Pangulong Carlos Garcia. Tinulungan ng Amerika na matalo si Garcia ni Macapagal. Nang nawala ang "Filipino First Policy", inilabas ng Amerikano ang kanilang mga dolyar patungoong Amerika, umutang si Dadong sa IMF at gawa nito, ibinaba ang halaga ng ating pera, mula P2=$1 tungo sa P4=$1. Kung iisipin, magaan pa ang buhay noon para sa mga tao sa Maynila at mga edukado.

Nang dumating si Ferdinand Marcos, na ang akala ng karamihan ay magaling at makabayan dahil hindi daw siya magpapadala ng sundalo sa Vietnam sa pakiusap ng mga Kano. Ngunit ng natalo si Dadong, bumaligtad si Marcos at nagpadala ng sundalo. Alam natin ang mga sumunod na nagyari, matalino nga si Marcos ngunit hindi makabayan, at dumagsa ang ikinukulong o namamatay na kabataang aktibista. Nakipagkaibigan sa Hapon, ibinukas ang bayan sa dating malupit na kaaway, at nagpayaman ng husto, kasama ang mga kamag-anak, mga heneral, mga kaibigan, mga kumare at kumpare.

Sa pagpapayaman, ginamit ni Marcos at mga alagad ang mga inutang (para daw sa bayan) na bilyones na dolyar, na nagpasimula ng mabigat, at pabigat ng pabigat na paghihirap at kalbaryo ng mga Pilipino sa inang bayan. Nagbago na rin ang Pilipino, nagsimulang mabawasan ang mabuting ugali at pagkatao dahil sa nakitang kasamaan sa gobyerno.

Nawala si Marcos, dumating si Corazon Aquino, Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada, at ngayon si Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Mula sa matalino, naging relihiyosa, isang heneral (tuta ni Marcos), artista, at ngayon (matalino ba?) professor-economist daw, kolehiyala. Ano pa kayang klaseng pamumuno ang matitikman ng mga kababayan? Habang nagyayari ang pagiiba ng mga mukha ng mga pinuno, walang mabuting pagbabago ang nagyari o nangyayari sa buhay ng ordinaryong Pilipino. Hindi ko na tatalakayin ang mga ibang posisyon sa gobyerno, baka hindi ako matapos.

Isa sa mga unang pumirma si Fidel Ramos sa WTO nuong 1995, kaya sa agrikultura, ibinukas natin ang bansa para makapasok ang mga importadong bunga mula sa iba-ibang bansa, na pumatay at pumapatay sa mga taniman at bunga ng ating mga magsasaka. Sa industriya, dahil sa mga importado rin, nawala na ang mga kaunting pabrika. Nawala o nawawala na ang ating agrikultutra at industriya, nawawala at nawala na rin ang mga trabaho sa bansa. Ang kapalit: mga "golf course" at "resorts" para sa mga dayuhan, mga tahanan para sa dayuhan, murang pagkain para sa dayuhan, mga ariarian para sa dayuhan (binibili ang bayan dahil mababa ang halaga ng piso), at iba pa. Dahil dito, paghihirap lamang ang napunta sa ating mga kababayan sa bansa.

Sa madaling salita, nadama na ng buong bayan ang maraming klaseng pamumuno, at parepareho din ang kinahinatnan: bumaba nang bumaba ang halaga ng piso -ngayon mga P56=$1, pawala nang pawalan ang disenteng trabaho o kabuhayan, patuloy na paghihihirap, pahirap nang pahirap, ng ordinaryong Pilipino. Nagiging utusan o puta (ibat ibang tawag ang iniimbento para hindi diretso kuno) ang maraming kababaihan, kalalakihan at kabataan.

Ang mga namumuno mula pa sa panahon ni Marcos sa ngayon ay gusto itong ating mga OFWs: dahil kumikita ng dolyar pambayad sa utang (habang tuloy ang pagnanakaw nila), kumikita kahit naghihirap ang mga OFWs (at mga pamilya nito) at nababawasan ang mga taong maaring maging aktibista sa kalye dahil walang makitang trabaho.

Habang ang mga naghaharing uri: mga dating pamilya ng mga napakayayaman, lalong yumayaman at naghahari; mga dayuhang Intsik, na walang pakiramdam sa mga kababayan at lalo na sa mga kababayang dukha, ay dumadagsa at lalong yumayaman at naghahari din; ngayon iba pang mga dayuhan ang nagdadatingan at nagpapakasasa sa ating inang bayan. Mga iba at bagong dating na mga dayuhan na walang pakikiramay gaya nang mga Intsik.

Habang walang tigil na nagdadatingan, nagpapayaman at nagpapakasasa ang mga dayuhan; walang magawa ang taong-bayan. Tanga ba tayong mga Pilipino? Maligaya ba tayo at kontento sa sarili natin kaya pasensiya na lang kayong mga naiwan sa inang bayan? Nag-iintay ba tayo nang isang kabalyerong nakakabayong puti na sasaklolo? O makiusap sa Diyos na mahabagin. Wala kaya talagang magagawa?

O takot lang. Tayong mga Pilipino ay matatakutin. Walang bayag ika nga kung tungkol sa sariling bayan na kinagisnan. Takot tayo kahit nakatira sa ibang bansa. Takot maski wala namang sinasabi o ginagawa para sa pinanggalingan bayan. Gusto natin ang pagbabago tungo sa kabutihan nang wala tayong gagawin. Magic. Kaya sabi ni Renato Constantino nuong buhay pa (hindi eksaktong salita) : " Mabuti at wala na dito ang mga ayaw o walang pakialam sa paghihirap ng bayan." Siyempre, kasama tayo dito.

Ang hindi lamang matatakutin ay ang mga mga magsasaka, trabahador at iba pang nagsasalita at nagproprotesta sa kalye, sa Hacienda Luisita ng pamilyang Aquino-Cojuangco; ang hindi matatakutin ay ang mga miyembro ng Bayan Muna party-lists, at iba pang may parehong layuning mabuti para sa kinabukasan ng karamihang Pilipino at ng kabataan; lalo na ang nasa bundok, ika nga. NPA o MILF. Iyan ang mga tunay na matatapang at bayani ngayon para sa bayan. Saka na lang pagusapan kung lumalaban sila dahil gusto nilang maging kumunista ang bayan (NPA) o nais nilang matulungan ang mga kababayang naghihirap,mapanatili ang sariling bayan at kulturang kinagisnan (NPA/MILF). Ang pakikibaka at pagiisip ng mga kababayan ang maglilinaw nito.

Kaya't kailangan gunitain, matutunan, matandaan -lalo na ng mga kabataan ngayon na naiwan- ang ating mga tunay na bayani at nagmahal sa bayan. Mula kay Lapu-Lapu, Rizal, Bonifacio, Mabini, Claro M. Recto, Lorenzo Tanada, Jose Diokno, Voltaire Garcia, Renato Constantino at marami pang iba upang tangkilikin at ipaglaban ang ating bayang sinilangan at ang mga susunod na kabataan/kababayan.

(My apologies if you find this posting not well-written. As in lovemaking, there is always a first time. Will try to do better next time.)

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THE KOREAN WAVE
By Mylah Reyes Roque, Newsbreak Contributing Writer, May 09, 2005

AFTER a year in the Philippines, “Mrs. Pung” doesn’t need to go to a Korean store to make traditional kimchi. She uses ingredients from the local market: Baguio cabbage, garlic, siling labuyo, ginger, and her special discovery, patis (fish sauce). A mother who takes care of two children and six other young relatives, she lives in a spacious three-bedroom condominium unit in an upscale Metro Manila neighborhood, just a breath away from life’s necessities: school, supermarket, and shopping mall.

It’s a bonus that a golf course is a few minutes’ drive from home.Mrs. Pung’s husband is a pilot in South Korea, but they brought their kids here to study. “I visit him regularly because he is only three and a half hours away,” she says. The children are having a grand time here. They keep to their own group, enjoy the local cuisine like sisig, tocino, bulalo, adobo, patronize local fashion, and look forward to trips to Boracay. On weekends, they organize trips to Pagsanjan or Tagaytay.

Mrs. Pung is only one of the 46,000 Koreans who are in the country at any given time, according to Myung-Hwan Yu, South Korea’s ambassador to Manila. “Thirty-nine thousand Koreans came to the Philippines in 2004,” he told NEWSBREAK. If one counts those who are illegally staying here, the number could reach 60,000, says Dong Won Choi, secretary-general of the United Korean Community Association.

The Philippines hosts the biggest community of Koreans in Southeast Asia. They could be students enrolled in a regular course, student-tourists combining a holiday with a short-term English-language course, honeymooners, Christian missionaries, or businessmen. A few are representatives of international organizations or investors based in the export-processing zones.

University of the Philippines (UP) Asian Center Professor Lily Anne Polo has been studying the Koreans in the Philippines. “They are the third largest foreign presence here now after the Americans and Japanese,” she notes. “They are smaller in number, but they make sure that their presence is felt.”Countries like Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia are going through a “Korean Wave” inspired by Korean artists, pop music, and the Korean telenovela, according to Polo. Just where lies the attraction to the Philippines? “

For them, the Philippines is the most inexpensive place to learn English before going elsewhere for studies in preparation for working in Korea’s chaebols (industrial giants),” she explains. “They are nationalistic. They will return to Korea.” Learning English Koreans find the Philippines “cosmopolitan,”

Polo adds. “We are more open to foreigners [unlike other countries] and we offer amenities of global standards” such as golf courses, comfortable condominiums, good schools.Koreans are here not just for language studies but also for high school or college education. Aside from the attraction of cheaper tuition, Koreans think that they have better chances of finishing college here than in Korea, where education is becoming “hard and difficult” for most students, according to Chul Kyou Kim, head of the Koreans’ community association in Makati.Many Koreans like Kim prefer to take up medicine courses here. A student of medicine in the Philippines would spend roughly US$5,500 or P300,000 a year while a year’s medical study in Korea would cost $10,000 or P550,000 annually.

And, of course, the Korean won can buy a lot here, thus the growth of many Korean businesses. Byung Koog Jo, a farmer in Korea who is now the community director of the Korean community association in Quezon City, came here eight years ago with his wife and two kids. Now, his Filipino is even better than his English. After he bungled a business with a relative here, he put up his own restaurant near the main station of GMA-7 TV in Quezon City. Two years ago, he sold the restaurant, thinking it wouldn’t earn. He has since regretted the move because Korean restaurants have turned out to be profitable.Now, Jo runs a grocery that sells produce from his farms in Batangas, Laguna, and Baguio. If he were in Korea, he would need at least P8 million to put up that kind of grocery; here, he needed only P3 million. “Foreigners like me are prohibited to own land, so my properties are owned by a corporation owned by five Filipinos. I just supply the Korean seeds to the land owners and farmers,” he says.

Like Mushrooms

The Korean community is growing so fast that its Makati-based association has formed seven branches in the country, each one representing a community with a designated leader. The biggest outside Metro Manila is Cebu, followed by Baguio. In the past few years, communities have also sprung up in Boracay, Angeles, Subic, Bataan, and Davao.In Metro Manila, the biggest numbers of Koreans live in Makati, Quezon City, Manila, and Parañaque. Most of their communities are self-contained.

What’s common to them is the presence of English-language schools that are usually owned by the Koreans themselves. In Quezon City, for example, Jo’s Korean grocery is on the ground floor of the Kalayaan Plaza Bldg., which houses apartments leased by Koreans, a small wet market, laundry, Korean video shop, English language center, barbershop, restaurant, and the Philippine Korean Church. Koreans have seven to eight churches in Quezon City, four groceries, four video shops, and five travel agencies, according to Jo. In Makati, most Korean establishments are located near Makati Avenue and Burgos Street. Many shops catering to Korean tourists are also in Parañaque, which is close to the airport.

The phenomenon of Korean communities in the Philippines has also given birth to the rise of Korean-speaking agents who run a profitable business arranging deals between Koreans and Filipinos. They are not just in travel and tourism but even in education. They assemble groups of students in Korea and offer them to schools here usually for a fee equivalent to 10 to 15 percent of the tuition. The same agent would make a similar profit from boarding homes, restaurants, even transport and laundry services.The community associations regulate themselves and provide a support system to newcomers. This has apparently been effective in ensuring peace in the communities.

Immigration officials say that, in general, Koreans respect local laws and are not involved in criminal syndicates to the same extent that some other nationalities are. Cases filed against them usually involve petty violations.Outside their communities, however, Koreans find themselves in a culture clash with their Filipino hosts. This has caused what Polo calls “irritants, cultural-related issues that need to be ironed out” between Koreans and Filipinos. “Because of their geographic location and bitter history of occupation by Japan, Koreans distrust foreigners and keep to their groups.” Polo believes that Koreans, in general, are condescending to Filipinos because “they feel superior, and it doesn’t help that they are richer and have fairer skin.” Nadia, a Filipino coffee-shop barista, finds many Koreans abrasive and ill-tempered.Kim says that the cultural gap has brought him countless times to police stations, where Koreans have been detained because Filipinos thought they were shouting at them and picking a fight.

“I explain to Korean newcomers that the culture here is different. We should not raise our voice. We also can’t drink or carry beer bottles in public.” Kim, 47, who has finished dentistry, now runs a clinic with his Filipino classmates in Bel-Air.

Overstaying, Too

Filipino girls who work for Korean businesswomen in tiangges find them generally distrustful as employers. Choi acknowledges this, saying, “It is generally hard for us to trust Filipinos.” Among members of the association, there are stories of Korean businessmen being betrayed by Filipino managers or secretaries where it would hurt most: by reporting them to the Bureau of Immigration (BI) if they are staying illegally.

Because of their number, Koreans have been classified by the BI as “restricted aliens” along with Chinese and Indians. This gives them a harder time extending a visa and renewing it. As tourists, Koreans can stay here for 59 days. Beyond that, they can apply for an extension every month for a maximum of six months. Choi said this system exposes Koreans to extortion. Choi himself admits that probably 20 percent of Koreans living here don’t have permits.Despite all this, Korean communities seem to be here for the long run. And even if Mrs. Pung doesn’t have the time to make kimchi at home, she can always run to a nearby restaurant or hotel that certainly will have a Korean dish on its menu.

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“Nations whose NATIONALISM is destroyed are subject to ruin.” - Colonel Muhammar Qaddafi, 1942-, Libyan Political and Military Leader

"We shall be better and braver and less helpless if we think that we ought to enquire, than we should have been if we indulged in the idle fancy that there was no knowing and no use in seeking to know what we do not know..." - SOCRATES

"Upang maitindig natin ang bantayog ng ating lipunan, kailangang radikal nating baguhin hindi lamang ang ating mga institusyon kundi maging ang ating pag-iisip at pamumuhay. Kailangan ang rebolusyon, hindi lamang sa panlabas, kundi lalo na sa panloob!" -- Apolinario Mabini La Revolucion Filipina (1898)