A Shining Light in the Dark – the Philippines

The Philippines has a positive economic growth! Malacañang says or predicts a 0.03 to 0.04 economic growth for the current year. Would you believe that? We have a light that stands in the dark! Every country in the world is saying that they are registering or expecting negative for the same period.

So, somebody came up with some figures showing that the Philippines has out best the world in weathering the crisis. This is interesting because earlier figures by IMF-World Bank showed negative for the Philippines. I’m no economist and I don’t know how people do or come up with their economic arithmetic. No doubt, there must be economic growth. That’s something natural. Positive growth is another thing. It’s like saying that a ship is pushing at 11 knots against a storm of 10 knots to be gaining 1 knot. Whatever is the real score, the simple man in the street does not understand any of them. Fact is, more and more Filipinos are going abroad to find work, even long before the world’s economic crisis. Fact is, the country today is one of the poorest in the region. Fact is, more and more Filipinos are going deeper into poverty and deprivation.

Let’s go about facts. Something that is seemingly conflicting always comes from one or same facts that caused conflict.  It is views and interpretations of same facts that differed or conflicted. Or, people could possibly be talking of entirely different things while appearing to be in conflict. What are the facts, because facts and truths are the same.

The Philippines is doing great. Right, one can say that. But it is a partial truth and not a total one. It is true only in so far as those who are living above poverty line. When one is beyond poverty, he has surplus earnings actually, and he is in a situation where he may become rich or richer – if he has got that ambition of course. Because we have types who will simply enjoy life when they have that opportunity, which is what life is all about for many of those above poverty. Yes, things like house, appliances, car, jewelries, vacation and the likes. We could be talking there of something like 30% of the total population, or less than that by western standards. What the world calls economic crisis is in fact, to some Filipinos, nothing but economic slowdown, or economic contraction - the latest term coined by whomever.  Filipinos have been buying more brand new cars today when the western world reported decline. That’s mostly by the Filipino business, managerial, and executive castes as usual, surfing high with every economic wave. In the western world construction workers, farmers, market baggers, ordinary people,  they all buy car. Cars are for Hacienderos here.

And we can pretend 70 percent of 90 million Filipinos  do not exist. That would leave the 27 million Filipinos, with zero poverty rate! The business climate  in the country is never been dull  is  a fact. The world recession has little impact in the Philippines. They are  all facts, yes, depending where one looks at it.

The Philippines is becoming worst. The situation seems most shaky at around the section where haves and have-nots meet. The present world economic crisis did not make many Filipinos poor. They have in fact become poorer as they were already bellow poverty line when world recession started. They never had amenities normal of people elsewhere in the world. Many Filipinos have long time ago ceased to be part of economic statistics, or factors that contributed to or affecting economic statistics. There is no considerable drop in consumerism contributed by those who have ceased to be economic factors. No wonder we have things now like “positive economic growth” amidst all negatives.

Ok, what we have there are called viewpoints, conflicting [class] viewpoints. Then what is Objectivity? Objectivity is seeing and giving recognition to the A to Z of the matter. Objectivity is impartiality. It is totality, classlessness. Other than that would be frog-in-the-well trying to tell everybody the sky is round and it’s as wide as the mouth of the well. Everybody without exception lives inside a well. That’s right, all people do. Other than that is Superman – Alpha humans. But, if one has to summarize a matter briefly, then I guess it is the main that must be given weight. 70% describes the whole better than 30% would!

But what are figures displayed to us all about? I mean, is the nation really progressing as figures would show? Say, we had P95 Mn yesterday when it is  P135 Mn today. That’s amazing growth there, right? Wrong. The figures I showed represent dressed chicken at P95.00 per kilogram then, which now sells at P135.00 per kilogram.  If production was at a million kilograms then that now is still at one million kilograms, what impressed us as monetary growth is in reality stunted economy. And, since population has surely grown bigger today than it was yesterday, the figures are, in effect and in reality, actually, quantitative and qualitative retrogression. Add to that the drop in consumerism because of the economic contraction.  Ah, I’ve been buying less for quite sometime now. So do all the families I see around me.

Sure, there has been a rise of ordinary Filipinos buying motorcycle, lately. Public transport fares have increased. With two wheels now, people save time through hectic traffic. They now ride  head high as owners of vehicles that they can also use for purposes other than  going to and from work. A progressive economic leap for them, no. Savings on bus and jeepney fares are not enough. They have to cut on many things to keep up with monthly amortization.

So, what is the higher truth? What is the bigger fact as shown by all the facts?  We have a system here that people have always talked about – Rich-getting-richer while poor-becoming-poorer.  We have a whole that is separated, virtually drifting apart.  There is nothing new to that.  That’s  an old story, older than anybody.

Ok, we have the best managers in Malacañang. We are chugging fast forward. We have positive economic growth. Other than them are lies, deceptions and/or narrow minds.

Meantime Filipinos need foods on their tables, roofs over their heads, clothes to wear, education for their young ones, hospitalization when they get sick, etcetera, etcetera, and not words and numbers that they can hear or see in television but they cannot relate to their everyday existence. Comes 2010 whoever seats in the Palace had better be the best. I think nothing comes nearest to realism than Senator Miriam D. Santiago when it comes to the situation after 2010.

The Filipino people is very fond of self-flagellation because they celebrate presidential elections as if they have anything to look forward to, and then after only six months they begin to make a death wish for the elected president. That is so Filipino.//Excerpt,  Senator M.D. Santiago

Filipinos are hopeful and wishful people. They dream of becoming a Japan, an America, a Europe, or an Australia. But reality drifts them somewhere else. We have a system that has not worked, without indication that it will work. We have social tensions that have ever been building up. We have a State that is becoming dependent on police and military powers to counteract tensions and to prop itself up.

No, Filipinos do not want to be in a Vietnam, a Myanmar, a China or a North Korea. They are shores farther than Pakistan and the Banana republics wherein I think the country has been consistently drifting. That’s the picture I see, which must be ridiculous and impossible in a country like the Philippines.  I must be seeing warped!

Change reality to change the mechanics. Change the dynamics to change destiny. Now, who’s going to deliver all that, folks? Because Mother Nature has always been on the job, doing things by herself… her own way, people like it or not.

The Dread called A(H1N1) Swine Flu

As been reported A[H1N1] Swine Flu is Avian flu, Swine flu and Human flu all-in-one. Ok, it has the properties resembling all three. But since viruses and germs procreate by splitting and not by copulating, it must have originated through any of these: A Bird flu virus infected swine. The virus mutated as it adapted to its new environment to start a strain of [bird] Swine flu. The virus happened to infect a pig previously or later, was infected by Human flu. The bird-Swine flu virus further mutated assimilating the qualities of a Human flu virus thus becoming a bird-human-Swine flu. Or, it could be the other way around. A Human flu virus infected swine and became a [human] Swine flu, and so on.

Whatever, the newest strain that then has the property of a human flu became Zoonotic or disease organisms that are passable from animals  [pigs] to humans. And, since they are now in man, they have finally become easily transmittable  among humans [and probably passable back to swine and birds]. All that appears theoretical, or presumption by science, as nobody was there observing right when the first freaks mutated.

The whole thing is intriguing. While most people would regard the matter as entirely new, similar zoonosis must have occurred countless times already since dawn of mankind. Man, swine and all the rest have always co-existed. But I guess what made this time extra ordinary is because it’s not everyday that something virulent like this one came to pass.

Other than them could be more intriguing.  Let’s be frank about this and face it. Mutation as we know is genetic [re]engineering. It could either be natural – by the organism itself, or it could be artificial – of Genetic science – by man. By artificial it could either be intentional or it could be accidental. In fact vaccines are related matter as they are actually disease organisms that have been altered by man. They are usually modified-live viruses: virus is altered to become harmless and then propagated for medical or veterinary use. Apparently, while vaccines are beneficial, even science cannot be sure about them. Per instruction, excess amount of them after each use, are exterminated together with all paraphernalia used.

No, I’m not a Doctor of medicine, a Vet, or a scientist. I am a carpenter who, once in a while, read works of authorities and experts in their fields. You see, I have a wife, I have 7 children ages from thirteen to twenty six and I have 5 grandchildren – the eldest of whom is six years old. I’ve tried to keep up with information that greatly helped in bringing everyone through this far. What we do not know cannot hurt us, right?  Wrong.  Information is important. Right now I have actually two bulotong [chicken pox]  in the  family.

I’ve worked as pig farm manager in the 80s. I took the job that I knew nothing about so I started with the books. I recall about keeping  the farm secured from ruminants, especially birds to include chickens. Loose chickens will be feeding with pigs and some of them could be carrier of bird-passed virulent organisms. That, farm personnel who are with flu should stay out of the premises until they are well again so they also, do not infect the stocks. [Funny, I don’t remember anything said about humans staying away from pigs that sneeze or positive of Swine flu!]  For my own safety I really had to know everything about my line of work. And sure enough I came to know about zoonoses, like Leptospirosis and anthrax, among possible hazards. I don’t remember Swine flu as a direct concern for man. I guess they were no more than a simple sneeze to him then.

But, about A[H1N1] Swine flu, or should not we now say A[H1N1] Human flu, how really dreadful is it? Going through the total number of people infected, and considering the rate of mortality to date, A[H1N1] Flu appears nothing compared to say, Dengue fever. At 6 thousands infected worldwide and at roughly 0.01 mortality, A[H1N1] Flu appears dwarf when compared to other killer diseases.  The worrisome part seems to be the fact that as reported, there is no cure yet developed for those who are stricken. Also, as reported, vaccine might not be available before December this year.

It should be noted that number of people infected and mortality referred only to cases reported. A[H1N1] Flu virus is airborne. Thus, infestation, which is easily transmitted among humans, should be assumed more widespread than we people think. The infestation must be far beyond the numbers of cases diagnosed, confirmed positive, and reported. It can safely be assumed that more are infected without people probably knowing it. Thermal sensors at travel checkpoints are therefore inadequate at controlling the spread of the viruses. To compare, Dengue is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes’ bites. Dengue cases in Metro Manila alone far exceeded world statistics of places hit by A[H1N1]. The good news about Dengue is that, like Malaria which is also mosquitoes transmitted, they are more confined to certain territories. Dengue appears more lethal though  apparently more controllable. Dengue has frog-leaped great distances so that humans are also suspect carriers, to have possibly passed them to Dengue or Dengue-like mosquitoes, to start another outbreak. Malaria exists in places not reached or saturated by eradication program until the 70s when the use of DDT was disallowed.

Meanwhile, something out of Pandora’s Box doesn’t go away by itself. They just grow old. Meaning, there is no way stopping  A[H1N1] flu from spreading worldwide. Measures at containing the outbreak appear good only in slowing down its spread. But there must be something good at retarding that impending spread. Between a trickle and a swarm of something highly lethal is a big difference. Certainly time must be of help. Let’s hope the thing will lose virulence as it progresses. Yes, the sad and also the glad news is that the most virulent of them don’t last long. They kill their hosts thus killing themselves. That’s about extinction of the unfit by Mother Nature herself. Sounds hopeful and wishful thinking by me, you might say. Surely, something real can be done about this A[H1N1] Flu , which is development of vaccine or cure against it.  And that again, indeed, is a matter called time.

I remember not too long ago a scion of a renowned media person died of Malaria in Palawan. He was there to make one documentary regarding some indigenous tribe. The place happened to be Malaria infested. Natives have lived with Malaria for generations. They eat Malaria infected animals. They drink Malaria infested water. Malaria appears nothing to many of them. Not for the young stranger. He died around 48 hours after infected stricken. What’s interesting about that?  It looks like we had a classic case of one old-primitive meeting an advanced-updated. Naturally the contest favored the superior one. Now, which was which?

It also showed that resistance to disease is something developed, genetic-hereditary, or may be something passed on. That’s about survival of the fittest by Mother Nature herself, or something called evolution.

Meanwhile, always brace yourselves against any of them tiny things, folks. Added lately is only flu, just a more advanced and more virulent form of it. But, remember any of them agents of decay can pounce and kill. Some of them are probably already in us struggling for their survival. But come another time it might not be the same, for it could be the other way around. That’s right. Under some circumstances even ordinary flu can kill… the weak. In different circumstances, the same could actually be adding to the stock of the fit, which will probably win him the race comes another round.

Well, as been said, animal kingdom has always been an endless race for dominance of this planet Earth. Cheers people, you and I have out-paced and out-raced everything else this far. But, watch out. Maybe Filipinos should listen to W.H.O. and D.O.H. once in a while instead of brushing them aside because viruses do not salute age, sex, color of skin, religion, nationality, fame and wealth, and yes, social classes. Viruses are more than real classless, folks, so watch out!

America Sent a Message!

Here’s something I found interesting. Running through the article and through half the comments gave me the impression that American people voted for a President that they never liked. I guess I must be seeing more of hawks and war mongers in there and less of the majority who made the President.

The world has been watching President Obama carefully in the weeks leading to this current North Korean crisis and in the weak response that has followed it. . . .The message Japan and other countries who depend on the U.S. — like Israel and Taiwan, have received is clear: You are on your own. The U.S. lacks the resolve and iron-will to defend you and stare down your enemies.

As an outsider-observer I think President Barack Obama is right. If North Korea is bullying the world, then let the world deal with her. America can always stand beside the United Nations, which is the policeman of the world, than take the matter personally upon herself.

Fact is, peace always comes from third party intervention and never from any of the antagonists that Uncle Sam has already projected himself. By one of any contenders, one must be down and  or dead for peace to finally prevail in that situation, if you call that desirable way for peace.

There must be a final end to the long cold war that should end nicely for the American People.

America should wake up to reality

Half the Americans should wake up to reality. Fact is, Uncle Sam has already isolated himself much more after the Iraq invasion. We all went in there to save mankind. Finding no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq is unspeakable for those who were led into participating in there. If we did not go in there to save mankind, then what was it? The sad truth is that Uncle Sam today is on his own if it’s not for the handful of friends who will stand by him right and wrong. Surely, many will still go with Uncle Sam but only as far there is right. Americans should realize that.

“The U.S. lacks the resolve and iron-will to defend you and stare down your enemies”.

I think it is one hawkish interpretation. Maybe dovish will put it this way: “Ok, folks, Uncle Sam is tired of playing foolish politics, fancying himself as the policeman of the world. Go, see the police if anybody has complaint against anyone else. And everybody stand behind the policeman, please.”

[And I think the world should vote into key positions in the U.N. persons other than those from countries  that are involved in conflicts.]

Maybe there are matters that U.S.A. should stop worrying about. I remembered when North Korea was faced by poor harvest and hunger, U.S. impressed me like it was its obligation to feed the Koreans. Like Nokor will go amok if they’ll go hungry? And Uncle Sam was serving him right by acting like scared of him. So what if the world go hungry by their own fault or because of stupidity by their leaders!

Stuck in the obsolete world of Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Napoleon?

Nokor has impressed me as some sort of a world brat obsessed for big toys that it can swagger at other kids. If Pyongyang is threatening its neighbors, or the whole world itself, great! If he invades the South as it did once, then fine. I don’t think they can even handle populations that are socially, economically and politically advanced than them.

In the other hand he could actually be a cower ruled by paranoids who suspect everyone as interested to grab their territory. I don’t see anybody, not the Philippines. Maybe they are seeing Uncle Sam as the bully. Or, they must be seeing their own shadow and got scared of it. Does not Pyongyang too scared why he wants to arm himself to the teeth? Why else must people spend a great deal of their resources for missiles and bombs when they ought to be spending more for the betterment of their hungry masses? One report said 60% of Nokor’s young population have been malnourished. I’d say, fine, let them make nuke bombs and hide them under their own bed if they think it’s a greater idea! Filipinos have already removed theirs at Subic.

Maybe Americans should stop believing in their myth that mankind will end without them. Fact is, seeking a better life is one universal nature of mankind. I think Mother Nature can be trusted on that. Americans should stop taking upon their shoulders all kinds of burden more than they ought to.

I buy the observation that American economy [industries] has revolved around war – i.e. people catered because there was war, then people mongered so they can cater. I bet nobody can change things overnight. And, I think, that’s what President Barack Obama is apt to – steer in a different direction. Sure enough, half the Americans do not like him for that. A gradual change always started with the first freak. Is not President Barack Obama that right kind of freak? Beside, The glory that was Rome is history.

The world must shape up and stand on their own. You are on your own. I think that is one good message to the world especially from the American people who are being looked up to by many. It’s much better than probably, one way or another, propping up plutocracy and tyranny in some parts of the world, which Uncle Sam may be unable to see of himself because of his blind spots.  He needs to win back respect and not to blemish himself further.

Maybe we all need mirror.

Sending In the Saints When Cats are Nowhere?

World Bank’s intervention in what ought to be obligation and duty of Philippine government stirred the nation lately. WB blacklisted some contractors engaged by Department of Public Works and Hi-ways [DPWH] for road projects that WB is funding.

I’ve been a civil construction worker. Project costs estimate is an exact science and not guesswork. Let’s take a simple house for example. In structural work, the total volume of concrete – cement, sand and gravel, can be approximated; likewise, the volume of all the steels needed for reinforcement. In electrical, there would be the quantities of wires, switches, circuit outlets, lighting units, breakers and panels, etc. And then there are the aspects of Plumbing and what more else provided with plans and details. With the lists of material completed, figures in money can be supplied in easy. Items like labor, consumables, rentals, insurance, social security, documentations, depreciation of equipments, profit, taxes, etc. are added to complete the total estimate.

There are other tested methods employed, shortcuts in costs’ estimation. But normally, they all come up to more or less the same. Now we can take the biggest and tallest building instead of the simple house – from ground, basement, up to tower… or, let’s take a stretch of road to be constructed. Nobody just snatch figures from nowhere! [Except a crook in cohort with another crook like I once knew.]

It is elementary for a contractor to know how much it will cost, especially the bottom line of a project, before it will negotiate. It is also assumed that the owner or developer has its own Costs estimate as they are usually the origin of the approved plans where contractors base their independent estimates. Otherwise, project owners do not know if they are paying right and not being robbed. They needed an estimate before they have  even decided to look for a contractor.

In this case, it would be stupid to think that World Bank does not have its own people engaged in cost management, scrutinizing the same plans that all the parties are furnished. Thus it does not take intrigue or proof for them to determine that something is smelly, out of norms, or that needed a deeper look. That a contract for a certain road project in Basay, Negros, for example, is ridiculous!

Estimates of some items may be based on percentage, cost-on-material. Labor could be at minimum 40%, for example.  Then, a 30% profit on top of everything could be considered  high in this part of the world. Sometimes the winning bidder will arranged with sub-contractors, sharing his profit with them. General contractor  in that situation opts for less but sure profit free of any possible overrun, and free of sweat.  For sub-contractors, profit can sometimes be squeezed out of some items. You don’t want to know them.

But a 300% profit, or a 65% value-added on what possibly is a lucrative proposal, for example, would be absurd and a big cause for alarm especially when we are talking here of hundreds of millions and billions of pesos. Such is highly improbable where fair, free, healthy competition is in place wherein bidders would be trying to out-edge  and out-bid everyone else. No, there is no law governing profit.  There is only freedom of competition to follow. Something that cost a centavo that sold for a peso would be great! But a centavo that is fraudulent is a one-centavo-fraud that is  a fraud.

World Bank, by its act of blacklisting the contractors, is in effect saying that there is monopoly and cartel involving Philippine Public works. In that case, then the situation can be complicated than we think. 1. The contractors have agreed to play by orchestration. 2. For reward, they get guaranteed employment in a project to be assigned or shared by all of them. 3. They get what is due them for their share of work, perhaps better than if there will be free, tough competition. 4. They might not have robbed Juan dela Cruz but they are party to conspiracy by playing exactly as directed. 5. The contractors are just one side to it. We have masterminds to hunt, or does WB already know them?  Just a theory?

There Is No Fail Safe Measure against Corruption

The World Bank itself has already identified the following administrative remedies:

• An independent permanent assessment and technical audit that strengthens transparency of the bidding process.

• Enhanced processes for procurement, financial management, internal controls, and audit of the road management agencies.

• Inclusion of a new and innovative coalition of citizen and road users group, called “Road Watch” in the project management setup.

I think bullets one and two, in principles, are nothing new. They are in places everywhere. Perhaps they are matters that need renewed or more focus, or needed to be strengthened. Sometimes a crook can penetrate a system. In that case owner-developer then sees right when it should be seeing wrong in his contract. His system is corrupted and rendered futile by virus!

Bullet three I think is something new. [In fact this is the manner by which World Bank  intervened, something I don't remember it did before.]  It calls for formation of a watch group to watch the watch group, forming a second line of defense against crooks. The remedies must be in a manner and makeup so that it will be hard by crooks to hack thus disabling the system. And, it should be free of partisan politics or else it will be another futile thing itself.

It is obvious that the Senate probe of the World Bank blacklisted contractors will have little legislative value, because it has been overtaken by events. Pres. Arroyo has already ordered the Department of Trade and Industry to investigate the subject. The Ombudsman is already conducting preliminary investigation of the criminal cases, and she is scheduled to release the results in February.//excerpt, Senator Miriam D. Santiago, The Contractors, 26 January 09 archives

Now you see them, then you don’t. This is the Philippines. There is no effective measure against graft and corruption really in place or seriously tried yet. The issues involving Public work contracts are not new as far as I can remember which would be since the time of President Marcos. Filipinos simply became tired of them. Nothing usually came out of them, and there seemed nothing could be done about the problem. Or, maybe you have not heard about the corrupt being hard to persecute because of corruption.  Abangan na lang natin.

I grew up in a town where our house used to be at the gate of District engineering, Ministry of Public Works, or DPWH today. We had a canteen where everybody used to hang out. The place used to be a sort of a second office to some. A majong den by some of them lazy bureaucrats, sometimes. I’m familiar with them from managers, equipment operators, to ordinary laborers and local contractors. Yeah, [local] corruption down the grass roots that everybody is talking about was there like they’re nothing! [Even the night watchmen were not outdone!]

Graft and corruption could be from the top [bureaucracy] or it could be from below [the contractors]. It could be anywhere of the system. It could be the janitor generating it all and acting as go-between, which explains his life style was at par with the managers. Which also explains why sacking the manager or the contractor did not work! Sure, there were always good people around. I guess they shut their mouths most of the time if you call that good! But we are talking there about bread crumbs  at some lower level.

Talk with people long enough in the construction world. Public works is no place for a contractor who has no guts for corruption of any form. That’s been the playing field ever since. It could also be suicide for a whistle blower. They will tell you that.

Corruption does not always involve cash payola, by the way. A “damaged culture” as one foreign observer once summarized the nation that drew indignation from Filipinos like the chap Chip Chow now is reaping. [Mr. Chip is wrong for being not factual. The Philippines is not a nation of servants as he  said.  Factual is, The Philippines is a nation that is the top exporter of servants!]

Corruption as one “normal” way of life is not acceptable to the Filipino people. They have seen other nations that have managed theirs at very low level.  And I think  Philippine government must shape up while it has time.

Moral Renewal for Filipinos

There have come out louder calls for moral renewal or moral uplifting for Filipinos lately. I absolutely agree with that! Filipinos appear to be at the mercy of corruption. We seem to be in a situation wherein change can only come from the corrupt or corrupted themselves by their own free will!

With the election fever on the rise, we have heard names like Among Ed [Father Ed Panlilio], Bro Mike Villarde, Bro Ed Villanueva – heavyweights in religion, being pushed forward for President this 2010. Any of them to bring end to corruption? I think we can send all the Saints after them but I doubt very much if it will work. There are no devils to exorcise in the first place. There are only crooks to send to jail or better still – hang for all to see. Maybe then, and only then, will everybody make that change within them.

But, execution of heinous criminals is not the way of the religious as we know. In fact it was the Church that had influenced the abolition of death penalty in the country. Bro Ed Villanueva, claiming seven million followers, lost Presidential election in 2004. I guess he had failed to explain to three quarters of his flock how exactly he could make this nation great again, something many Filipinos could not quite imagine of him. But who knows if he won… or if they will win.

Well, since there was mention about virus and viral infestastion Take no action, Repair, Move to chest, Delete file… System restore… they are all the options.  Sometimes infection is serious that Security center and Virus protection, to include System restore were disabled.  That would leave no option. No more option except one recourse… Reformat of the system. And that’s a fact. Which of the situations, or which way now, folks?

Daniel Smith and Bin Laden Won’t Do this Country Good

Like I’ve said, it is not often that I take a look inside American politics, not unless I find the headline interesting. Interesting is where might be relevant information or matters that could affect Filipinos and the Philippines.

Latest interesting in American politics is the increase of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Possibility is that the Americans might find themselves bled further in there. Then, probability is that they will be drawn in there for long like what happened to them in Vietnam. They’re none of our business, right.

Relevance is that U.S.A. happened to be a friend of the Philippines accorded special Visiting Forces Agreement [VFA] which is not usual treatment, not usually accorded with all other friends and neighbors. Real cosy, people will say of Philippine – U.S.A. relation.

Politics is not always facts and reality. Sometimes it’s all impressions and perceptions. I remember former Senator Barack Obama during the preliminary with Ms Hillary Clinton. He impressed me as one who will pull out immediately all American troops in foreign soils if elected President. Now that he is President, the U.S. continuing acts of troop build up in Afghanistan have straightened that misimpression out. No, I did not find the reality any surprising.

A President shapes a nation; a Nation shapes a President

George Bush, Bill Clinton, down all U.S. Presidents, or what everyone was in their time, were each product of American politics and economics, the result or the summary of all interactions by all social forces in American society. A nation exerts on an individual. It will take the strongest will by any President to make any marked deviation from the past by ignoring all the pulls and pressures around him. Personal and party interests might have to be set aside by one to do what he believes is right than follow what he feels is a wrong dictate. Such deviation would be surprising. It would not be unprecedented. But, OK, right and wrong there is matter between the American people and their President.

Marked deviation may be some forms of rectification or they can be revolutionary. One attempt at making a big difference was Ferdinand E. Marcos. He called his visions Today’s Revolution–Democracy [National Democratic Revolution from the Top]. He found himself resisted left and right – by forces who wanted revolutionary change by themselves, and from established political-economic powers that he dismantled and or tried to rein-in and regulate. It was one situation that must have been foreseen and anticipated. President Marcos had Martial law declared at an opportunity as the means. And, with Congress abolished, programs were easily implemented through decrees.  There were big flaws with FM’s rule, however, that finally caught up with him in EDSA I.

But, back to Uncle Sam as affecting others, what has Uncle Sam been trying to show the world in Iraq and Afghanistan? I don’t think they’re good ideas applicable in my neighborhood here in Payatas, or for anybody to apply in any neighborhood. I don’t buy and I won’t sell what I’ve seen in there. Like, I don’t think I have rights to barge in any of my neighbors, take side in their internal conflicts and beat up anyone there. Or, just barge in anywhere in the neighborhood and beat up anybody that I dislike or I’m at odds with.

We simply have to wait and see. I hope that President Obama will not be as hostile to international law as President Bush was. President Bush was a swaggering cowboy. I do not know if he had any academic qualifications for the post because he can’t seem to understand international law. The United States cannot act unilaterally unless it has the support of a Security Council resolution. It cannot be the policeman of the world.

By contrast, President Obama has already announced that he has a timetable for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq . That is a good sign because Iraq is the Vietnam of our days. That is going to be a deep hole that the Americans has dug for themselves, and unless President Obama seizes the initiative, they might stay in that hole for a long time.// excerpt Senator Miriam D. Santiago, 21 January 09 archives

By the way, maybe you have noticed that I don’t usually insert images with my posts and pages. I like pictures actually. Pictures speak more than all words put together about them. But a picture slows down loading of page especially for connections that use low kbps rate transfer, that’s why. [My Media says 33 images in there but except for one, they’re all inserted as links.] The one and only picture you’ll find posted in here is that of President Barack Obama. First, because I think he is one extra-ordinary historical figure who deserves it. Also, I saw the background of the picture to be quite interesting.

I guess, it’s not President Barack Obama’s fault why America has got enemies. And why Uncle Sam has got enemies is Uncle Sam’s business. Maybe Uncle Sam has got rights to pursue his enemies anytime. Maybe he’s got all rights. But, again it’s his business. It is the business of the American people.

Meanwhile, taking Uncle Sam for what he is, I think VFA needs rethinking by the Filipinos. The Philippines has problem with home grown insurgencies and terrorism already. But as shown by history, Government has very well handled its problem of security. And as always, Jemaah Islamiah, Al Qaeda, et al have no business in the Philippines. Therefore, they, to include all other illegal aliens, are off-limits, too. Our laws have always been adequate against illegal aliens. Our front door has always been wide open to foreigners. The Filipino people can stand or should stand on their own feet. What I’m also up to is, that last thing Filipinos want is when the country becomes a battle ground by all kinds of visiting forces!

Throwing everybody out never meant considering them as enemies. They don’t mean the start of the end of co-operations between and among neighbors and friends. Fact is, we also have our own national interests to protect. We are not at war with any of our neighbors. We have none of them for an enemy. Nor do we have any intention of seeking some.

What is good with US–RP Visiting Forces Agreement for the Filipinos, anyway? There is the rape case of Corporal Daniel Smith for one. And I think the issue is beyond the question of custody of him and his likes. I mean, maybe Corporal Smith and Mr Laden can meet somewhere else but never in Philippine soil. And, Filipinos have already their hands full at domestic war to be playing proxies in some international conflicts.

Don’t you think VFA needs some re-thinking, folks?