Manigong 2013!!!

Para sa lahat, isang malusog, mapayapa at masaganang bagong taon!

Kailangan maka-isip ng mas mapayapa at makabuluhang paraan ng pagsalubong sa bagong taon. Makabitaw kaya ang Pinoy sa mapanirang ugali ng pagpapaputok tuwing bagong taon?

Siguro naman ay oo ang sagot dito.

Democracy and Dynasties

Building democracy is a never ending people's enterprise. As a constant work in progress, democracy is imperfect. It has flaws and vulnerabilities.

True champions of democracy work to make it better and make it as close to perfect as possible. Aspiring despots and political opportunists however take advantage of democracy's weaknesses to worm their way to or deepen their hold on power. Thus by looking at the way politicians deal with the shortcomings of democracy, we can see their true color.

One area where democracy has to be strengthened is in making it immune to political dynasties. Dynasties defeat the spirit of democracy and eventually threatens its very life that our constitution has a provision banning them. Yet despite this ban, many politicians  are shamelessly set on dynasty building. These people have an undemocratic agenda and can not be trusted.

Tagaytay Flora

I was walking somewhere along the main highway in Tagaytay City when I noticed this plant with an interesting fruit of bright red berries. I don't think they are edible but they certainly look cheery and pretty.

 This is the reason I like to get away from the madding crowd once in a while. It gives me time to stop and "observe" the flowers so to speak. I would have loved to smell them but unfortunately, they have no scent

 Other interesting plants I noticed:

At first I thought that this plant has white flowers but when I looked closer, I realized that they were just leaves.

These other flowers just caught my attention for their unusual shape and attention getting colors.

Fidelisms

It is not in being selfish, greedy and miserly but in being honest, fair, hard working and goal oriented that one becomes wealthy .

To be trusted and respected by other people is a form of wealth.

In the end, the only wealth that matters is good health and ...contentment.

"12 Jeepney" Evolution Project

There are people, including even some government officials who proclaim the jeepney as a proud Filipino achievement. For them the jeepney is a a showcase of Filipino ingenuity and creativity.

I count among those who disagree with these people. Government officials who ride on this jeepney propaganda should be made to take the jeepney everyday to work so that they will at least be consistent with what they are talking about.

As a mode of transportation, the jeepney is inconvenient, uncomfortable and inefficient. It contributes greatly to air and noise pollution. Jeepneys worsen traffic and do not help much to improve the quality of living.

I believe we Filipinos can do better and deserve a better transport alternative. The jeepney may have evolved in response to our transportation need in the past, but it is now time for us to say goodbye to the jeepney and say hello to a better, faster, cleaner and more efficient mass public transportation system like the rail based rapid transportation system.

As for the jeepney, those who want to be creative and artistic about it should be challenged to find an alternative and better purpose for it.

To start off this challenge, below is my 5 cent list of 12 ideas of what we can do with the jeepney:

1. turn the jeepney into a "jeepxi" or a jeep that functions as a taxi
2. turn the jeepney  into "jeepotel"  mobile hotels to serve distant and far flung communities that do not have adequate lodging places.
3. turn the jeepney into mobile sari sari stores or native craft stores to replace the carabao drawn craft carts
4.turn the jeepney into restojeeps or mobile restaurants
5. turn the jeepney into a mobile emergency water purifying plant
6. turn the jeepney into a school bus
7. turn the jeepney into a mobile toilet service provider
8. turn the jeepney into a family recreational camper or van
9.turn the jeepney into a mobile library and internet cafe to serve far flung areas
10. turn the jeepney into mobile government extension offices
11. turn the jeepney into an"ambujeep" or jeepney ambulance
12. turn the jeepney into a mobile clinic for use of doctors to the barrios

WIP pic to follow

Doctrine of Public Self Defense

Although I am against the death penalty, I will be a hypocrite if I deny feeling a sense of relief and satisfaction whenever I learn about  a notorious criminal who has killed or harmed other people being eliminated by the police or the public. And it does not matter if the criminal was slain in a shootout albeit under suspicious circumstances or a public lynching. What matters to me is that at least the public have one less criminal to lose sleep over.

In order to reconcile my conflicting stance about the death penalty and elimination of notorious criminals, I am toying with the idea of the right of the public to defend themselves, their lives and properties by permanently eliminating those who they catch as having committed violent and heinous crimes against them or those they caught as having deadly weapons at the time they were committing the crime.

While we have our laws and the police who are supposed to address the problem of criminality in our country, I believe that this problem will be more effectively addressed if there is greater public involvement.

If a person can justifiably kill another man to defend and protect his own life, the public too should have this right to defend itself and its peace. This is what I call the Doctrine of Public Self Defense.

Jologs Nation

According to the Urban Dictionary (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=jologs) the word "jologs" was derived from the combination of the words "daing", "tuyo" and "itlog". As these are mostly poor people's food, the word acquired a class sense referring  to anything "masa" with a pejorative tone. Thus people would call something as "jologs" anything that does not merit their esteem.

Over time, the use of the word "jologs" died out but I sort of held on to it and gave it a new sense by defining it as a failure of people to go beyond the superficial and see what is truly essential.

While biking along the Floodway somewhere in the Pasig City area sometime ago, I was struck by the disparity between the modern buildings from afar and the shanties lining the river. Some people may not find a connection or relationship between our spanking urban centers with big malls and tall buildings and the teeming mass of people living miserably in shanties and hovels but there is. At the very least, we should realize that the wealth of our country does not benefit many of our people and that we should make more effort to share it more equitably.
 
A nation whose people have come to accept poverty and  inequality as normal and do nothing about it will always be a jologs nation. We can pretend to be rich, modern and sophisticated but in the end, we only expose ourselves to be without conscience or intelligence.

Better to see the looter jailed than just the loot

 (photo taken from internet)

I agree with Department of Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez in questioning the wisdom of  putting up for public display the sequestered Imelda Marcos jewelry. Those jewels represent neither a great artistic achievement in craftsmanship nor do they have any edifying historical value.

While those jewels may serve as a reminder to the people to never again allow themselves fall under a kleptocratic dictatorship, they actually serve more as  insulting reminders of the sad failure of the Presidential Commission on Good Government to get full justice for a people robbed.

The Marcos jewels represent nothing but loot. What will be more satisfying to see is for  the looter justly punished. Punishment is the most eloquent way of saying "Never Again!". It is also the beginning of reform.

30 Bomba Atomika

Nasa birthday blowout at reunion ako ng dati kong mga ka-opisina nang dumating ang balita na may malakas na lindol na naganap sa probinsya ng Samar. 

Dahil malayo ang lindol at hindi ito namalayan  sa Manila, masayang nagtapos ang aming gabi dahil parang napakabilis lumipas ng oras sa piling ng mga mabubuting kaibigan. Sa souvenir pic namin (kaliwa pakanan) kasama ko si madam Erma, Mia, Irah, Vero at  ginoong El Cid.

Makalipas pa ang ilang araw nang dumating na ang mas kumpletong balita sa naganap sa Samar. Hindi tuloy mawala sa isip ko na kung sakaling dito sa Manila nangyari ang lindol na yon na kasing lakas daw ng tatlumpu na bomba atomika sa Hiroshima, ano kaya ang nangyari sa amin?

Naalala ko tuloy at higit na pinahalagahan ang kasabihan "Carpe Diem. Vivere senza rimpianti!". Sunggaban ang kasalukuyan at  mabuhay ng walang pagsisi.

Exotic Palawan Fruits

 

At the recently held Agriculture and Fisheries Exhibit sponsored by the Department of Agriculture last 9-12 August at the SM Megamall Trade hall, one booth that I found very interesting was the one of Palawan because it featured exotic fruiting trees which have some commercial potential.

One fruit I tried was a relative of the jackfruit and it certainly tasted like one. Apart from this fruit however, I was also able to taste other fruits with very interesting tastes and textures that I had not had before.

I do hope that our agricultural scientists manage to make something out of these local fruit trees and may they be able to benefit our people.

 

12 Napapakinabangang Origami

Noong bata ako, isa sa mga naging laruan ko ay ang mga eroplanong ako mismo at mga kalaro ko ang gumawa mula sa papel. Ito ang unang enkwentro ko sa origami bagamat hindi ko pa alam ang pangalan nito noon.

Para sa maraming mga tao, ang origami ay isa lamang nakaka aliw na libangan. Pero kung tutuusin ay may mga pagkakataon na napapakinabangan talaga ang origami.

Eto ang 12 sa mga origami na para sa akin ay maaring pakinabangan kapag kinailangan ng pagkakataon:

1. Tasa
2. pitaka
3. kahon
4. kwadradong bowl
5. bowl ng kendi
6. kahon na pahaba
7. basket
8. envelop
9. buslo
10. photo frame
11. lalagyan ng buto ng halaman
12. bookmark

Coix lacryma-jacobi l.

I used to think that the plant I knew as "katigbi" was just a worthless weed.

However, at the "Makina Saka Expo" of the Department of Agriculture (DA) which was held at the World Trade Center last July 4-7, 2012, I learned that katigbi - its seed- is actually edible and has even been identified by the DA as a potential crop that can help strengthen our food security.

Coix lacryma-jacobi l is the scientific name of katigbi. One of its name in english is Job's tears which is actually the meaning of  lacryma jacobi. In some areas of the country though, it is more known as "adlai".

The milled seeds of "adlai"  has a glutinous corn like taste that has a lot of potential use even in fine cuisines. In fact, people in other countries like China and Vietnam already utilize this as food. I was able to taste it steamed and I thought it was really nice.

I hope the DA succeeds in promoting the propagation and acceptance of this crop locally.

Sa Exotic Restaurant, Pakil, Laguna

Kahit maraming taon na mula nang magbukas ng pintuan ang restaurant na ang pangalan ay EXOTIC sa Pakil, Laguna,  kelan lang ako nakapunta dito.

Nakilala ang Exotic Restaurant dahil dito, ang mga customer ay maaaring sumubok ng mga "exotic" na pagkain tulad ng usa, baboy damo, bayawak, sawa at iba pa.

Pero ngayong pinangangalagaan at pinoprotektahan na rin ang mga exotic na hayop, kaunti na lang ang mga palatandaan at bakas na "exotic" ang lugar na ito.

Sa loob ng restaurant, makikita ang mga bayawak na ito na ginawa na lang dekorasyon.

Meron ding ulo ng usa. Ewan kung saang bansa galing ang mga usang ito (dalawa nakita ko)

Sa labas naman ng restaurant, meron ding ibong kalaw na ang alam ko ay sa Cagayan Valley natatagpuan.

Sa hardin ng restaurant, meron namang nakataling peacock.

Siguro ay nahuli na ako ng dalaw sa tanyag na kainan at landmark na ito sa Laguna. May ilang parte na ng restaurant na ito ang mukhang abandonado na at hindi na pinapakinabangan.

Pero sana muling mapasigla ng may ari ng lugar na ito ang kanilang restaurant.Sayang din naman ang lugar na ito. Kung wala na silang mga "wild" na pagkain na maisisilbi, pwede rin naman silang magpa uso ng ibang "putahe" gaya ng insekto at maging yong Cuy  o guinea pig na sikat na sikat sa mga bansa sa Latin America.

Ewan nga lang kung mas madaling sabihin ang naiisip ko kesa sa gawin.

Magsa ano pa man iyon, All the best sa kainang ito at sana, palayain na lang nila ang mga bilanggong ibon na alaga nila.


 

Working on the spiritrual infrastructure to overcome poverty

Karl Marx said that religion is the opiate of the masses because it makes people meekly accept their lot instead of prodding them to question a social order where most of the people are virtual slaves and servants of those who control capital and the means of production.

But what if religion itself becomes the people's tool for strengthening their spiritual infrastructure to defeat poverty?

I am not a bible toting person nor even a very religious one. But my Catholic education has made me familiar with the stories and contents of the bible from which I have drawn some reflections on how people should regard poverty and how to overcome it.

First is the story of creation in the Genesis. Here we are reminded that we are all God's creation but we were given dominion over the other resources God made. No one then has a right to monopolize the resources of this world or universe for himself alone.

Second is the Parable of the Talents. If God created the resources for our sustenance, it is for us God's children to create value and wealth from the resources we were given to sustain us and fill our needs. By so doing, we honor our Creator. It is our responsibility and obligation to work, to be productive to contribute to achieving a wealthy community.

Third is the Parable of the Widow's mite tied up with the story of Judas, feigning concern for the poor and criticizing Mary Magdalene for lavishing Jesus with expensive aromatic oil. In this two stories, we are reminded that true charity comes from giving only of the self, of what we have. It is not charity if we give only what is of others. People who help others with other people's resources are actually working and not engaging in charity. Then there are other people who pretend to be concerned for the poor and disadvantaged by judging how others spend their money without themselves showing the way.

Fourth is a line in the Book of Sirach (not found in non Catholic bibles) that reminds people that it is better to live humbly in one's house than to feast lavishly in another's home. This passage for me points out where to start when trying to help the people - by giving them their own property. This may not be achievable at a personal or individual level but this must be a community or a government effort.

Fifth is the line in the Book of Isaiah about breaking the fetters of injustice so that light can shine into our lives like a new day. Finally, this line tells us that poverty is mostly man made and is the result of an unjust situation. God created all the resources that we need for survival but apathy, ignorance and greed have resulted in a few people living a very privileged existence while a great number were consigned to live a wanting and miserable existence.

Religion and the bible have been used and misused by many for all sorts of reason. I am not sure though if there is something objectionable if the bible will be used to fight poverty.

Just sharing my thoughts.

Happy Easter!

Tricking tree

Since it is April Fool's Day, I thought of writing about this interesting tree that I saw while biking up the Shotgun trail in San Mateo, Rizal.

From afar, when I looked at this tree, I thought that it was like other trees at that time which was in full flower. But when I went near the tree to see what kind of flower it bears, I realized that what I was looking at were the silvery underside of the leaves of the tree and I certainly was fooled by that tree.





The tree up close.



It is not just people but nature too can play tricks on our eyes as well. Happy April Fools Day.

Paskong Walang Katapusan

Ilang linggo na lang ay Mahal na Araw na pero para sa restaurant na ito ng isang hotel sa White Beach sa Puerto Galera, pasko pa rin. May balak kaya ang may ari ng restaurant na ito na alisin ang dekorasyon na ito? O permanenteng gayak na ito dito?

Noong huling punta ko sa Puerto Galera maraming taon na ang nakakalipas, hindi pa gaano karami ang mga tao na nagpupunta dito at wala pang malalaking gusali na nakatayo dito. Noon, sapat na ang payak na kapaligiran upang mapahanga ka sa ganda ng lugar. Hindi na kailangan ng palamuti. Ngayon, kahti anong dekorasyon ang ilagay mo sa kapaligiran, hindi nito maikukubli na wala na ang likas na ganda na nagpatanyag sa lugar na ito.

Para sa akin, hindi nakakasaya ang dekorasyong pamasko na nakita ko. Nakakalungkot pa nga.

A refuge in Antipolo

One weekday I found myself in Antipolo with plenty of time and nothing to do. Thinking of where to better spend my time, I decided to go to the Silangan Garden and Pinto Art Museum tucked somewhere in one of the hillside subdivisions in that city.




The place is indeed a pocket of tranquility in a city that is rapidly and wantonly urbanizing. Those looking for some peace and quiet can find refuge here. When I was there, I was fortunate to have a chance to talk with the caretaker/curator(?) in charge of the place and he kindly pointed out to me the value and significance of some of the plants found in the garden.

There is also an art gallery in the grounds of the garden. For me however, the beauty of nature found in the garden is enough reason for my visit.

Wasting a precious resource

The town of Lucban, Quezon is known for its Pahiyas Festival, longganisa and its pilgrimage Healing Church named Kamay ni Hesus.

However, what I find most interesting there is its water resource which simply drains through the canal. I feel very sad that this water is not being tapped and utilized in a more productive way.

Running water is a specially precious resource that does not only nourish plants and quenches thirst. Running water is a potential source of energy that can help generate wealth for those who know how to tap its power.

I am not just talking about hydro-electric power which would require a bigger amount of water and capital. What I am thinking of are simple water mills that can provide mechanical energy for small scale use. For instance water energy can run mills that can grind rice, corn, rootcrops and turn them into flour. It can pound tough fibers to make special paper. Instead of just letting the water drain through the canals, water engineers can perhaps make gravity fountains to make the town more beautiful and interesting etc.

In Europe, watermills played a great role in fostering the Industrial Revolution by boosting productivity and allowing societies to create surplus.

In the Philippines, we still have to learn how to utilize our resources more efficiently instead of just letting it go down the drain... err canal.

Concertina Wire Country

In our minds, we Filipinos like to believe that we are a friendly and hospitable people capable of great things and achievements.

But what does it tell about us when just by looking around, we see that barbed wires are a common sight used to protect property and even just the plants along the sidewalks?

What kind of people are we or what kind of society do we have that we have accepted the unfriendly and hostile sight of barbed wires as a normal part of our environment?

Barbed wires in the city give an impression that we are a people living under occupation. But then if we think about the great and still growing disparity of wealth between the mass of people who are poor in our country and the few rich who own virtually the entire country if not its best parts, we could well be living in a virtual occupation regime of elites who impose a system of unjust social order on us.

At any rate, barbed wires remind us of a negligent government incapable of creating a kind and gentle city or maybe a people who have come to accept social inequity as a way of life... until maybe their seething resentment reaches a critical mass. And then they explode.

PNoy is Naked!

Although I support President Noynoy Aquino especially in his determined drive to hold accountable those who pillaged and caused injury to our country, there are some things which I hope he will take a second look at because they only make him like the emperor who walked around in a supposedly magic new clothes.

First is his campaign slogan "Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap". While this may have struck a chord with the voting public, this is an erroneous thinking that does not do much to solve neither corruption nor poverty.

Corruption may exacerbate the effects of poverty but it is not poverty's main creating mechanism. Poverty is the absence of wealth and there are two reasons how this can be so. One is that the capacity of people, for whatever reason, to generate wealth is low. The other is that the wealth that people generate is unjustly denied or inequitably shared among them. By harping on the notion that corruption causes poverty - and not for other reasons like low productivity, ignorance, contractualization, capital flight etc., the President fails to squarely face the problem of poverty and do something concrete about it.

On the other hand, the President's idea of fighting corruption is limited to procedural tightening and running after those who have committed such a crime. Again, while this effort is laudable, it does not look into the roots of corruption which is the mentality of rent and entitlement. This mentality is so deeply rooted and so widespread that it afflicts almost all Filipinos. Those who are afflicted with the rent and entitlement mentality have no understanding of how wealth is made and have a shaky moral foundation with regards to obtaining money.

Second item that I hope the President reconsiders is his campaign promise of "transformational change". For me this phrase is bull. By itself, change alone, for as long as it is positive is already enough. Why try to sound more profound with a redundancy? I hope the President realizes that those who foisted to him this phrase are merely performing verbal shamanism on him and taking him for a ride. What can these people really achieve that can not simply be called change? But of course they get to hold good jobs and a Rasputinian influence.

Last item that I hope that the President will revisit is the claim he once made that our Department of Science and Technology had virtually conquered dengue with their mosquito ovitrap invention. While he was made to make glowing claims about this in several public occasions, I have talked to some people in places where this device was tried and who said that they could not really tell if they work. Proof that the claim may be hollow is that the use of these contraption have not become widespread. The DOST is one government agency that really needs to be changed ... or transformed.

I do not know if the President will see things my way, but from where I stand, looking at the President's three "robes", I can see that he is naked.

Quezon Food Find

Whenever I get a chance to travel around the country I try to look for something uniquely special in the place I visit. Most of the time however, I go home empty handed and disappointed.

On a trip to Lucban, Quezon however, I bought a pack of uraro cookies that was truly good and which I think can represent the best of Philippine food. It is not just a savory snack item but something we can proudly offer as gift or pasalubong to other people.


At first I just bought a pack of these cookies thinking it was like all the other uraro cookies in the market. But when I tasted it, I was converted. I don't know if my words can give justice to how good it was but let me just say that it was very very good and I was very happy to have encountered it. The brand name of the cookies is JR's and it is made in Catanauan, Quezon.

Another food item that I found interesting in Tayabas, Quezon was this "pilipit" snack supposedly made from squash. It is a good desert but best consumed immediately.

In Tayabas, Quezon is a restaurant where customers can eat on floating huts. Many people rave about this place and this is also our restaurant of choice whenever we happen to be around that area. However, I believe it will not hurt if the owners or management of this restaurant will strive to constantly upgrade their service and offering. The last time we were there, we just felt that we simply had a meal to satisfy our hunger buIt not a treat worth traveling to Quezon for.

Things I am picking up from the Corona Impeachment Trial

(picture taken from internet)



1. Impeached Chief Justice Corona defends himself not by exposing the lies of his accusers but by stifling the truth and trying to prevent it from emerging by all means.

2. It is easier for a rich man to enter the eye of a needle and the gate of heaven than for the poor to get a fair trial and justice in our country.

3. Lawyers place more value in victory by all means than justice above all.

4. Some lawyers deserve to be run out of the country - lawyers who dedicate their supposed brilliance not in the service of country but in defense of their richly paying crooked clients.

5. The judiciary can be a refuge of scoundrels ... for as long as the people allow it.

6. The impartiality of senator judges is fictional and an exercise in make believe.

7. Criminals and plunderers in the country can safely hide their loot through foreign currency deposits.

8. If we have laws favorable to thieves, it may be because we have elected thieves to make our laws.

9. The ouster of Chief Justice Corona should not be equated to reforming the Supreme Court and the Judicial Branch of government. But if charges against him can be revealed and reasonably proven, then it is a good start.

Capital Flight and the Continuing Poverty in our Country

(I owe this post and article to a Filipino friend who is now based in Canada. I did not post it immediately because I was hoping that local media would pick this up and reprint it. I don't know if media did pick it up and I missed their issue or maybe media decided that it was not worthy of print space at all. But I agree with my friend who is still very much concerned about what is happening in our country. Capital flight is a serious matter that perpetuates poverty and must be resolutely addressed and curtailed. I think President Aquino should rethink his slogan "Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap". It is not just corruption that causes poverty but greed and legalized economic injustice as well.)

Corporate tax evasion undermines Philippines remittances

Money headed for international tax havens almost cancels out the $23 billion overseas workers contribute

Jonathan Manthorpe, Vancouver Sun

Published: Monday, December 19, 2011

The Philippines' army of 10 million overseas workers is renowned for the sup-port it gives the country's economy with remittances sent home and expected by the World Bank to reach $23 billion this year.

But a new report suggests that support is being substantially undermined by the illegal and illicit export of close to $15 billion a year by the Philippines' wealthiest corporate leaders.

This outflow, says the Washington-based research and advocacy organization Global Financial Integrity (GFI), is seriously affecting the Philip-pines capacity to develop its economy and infrastructure, and sustaining one of the worst disparities in Asia between the rich and the bulk of the population.

The GFI report published on Thursday looked at the decade from 2000 to 2009 and calculated that about $142 billion left the Philippines during that period.

"The study found that the majority of the illicit out-flow, $113.7 billion, is due to the mispricing of imported and exported goods," says the report.

Corporations and individuals have been smuggling money out of the country, usually to avoid taxes, by manipulating the price and quantity of exported goods.

The aim is to send more money abroad than is reported to government and then park the money in tax havens or overseas investments.

"This means that while the Philippines has seen significant outflows from corruption, bribery, and kickbacks, their biggest priority when addressing illicit capital flight should be to tackle trade-related tax evasion," says the report.

"We believe that the very real cost in human suffering and loss of life from tax evasion in the Philippines and elsewhere throughout the developing world, is massive."

If the GFI analysis is any-where near accurate the irony is profound.

The Philippines has enormous potential, but suffers from a political system and succession of administrations still steeped in the quasi-feudal culture of the Spanish colonial period.

At the same time, the Philippines has among the most literate and highly educated populations in Asia. But millions of Filipinos find it impossible to use their skills at home and are driven to find work abroad in order to support their families. This compulsion has led to the creation of an extraordinary sup-port network for the 10 million or more Filipinos working over-seas as domestic helpers and caregivers throughout North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. And at sea Filipinos are dominate members of the crews of merchant ships worldwide.

A World bank report at the beginning of this month estimated the overseas Filipinos will send home $23 billion this year. This is higher than the Philippines government estimates of $20.1 billion and, despite the global economic stagnation and uncertainty, seven per cent up on last year.

But while this army of Filipinos is supporting the home economy, the GFI report says this effort to spur prosperity and development is being undermined by the export of money by corporate leaders.

While the Philippines has seen substantial economic growth over the past decade, much of these gains have gone to relatively few people.

Income inequality has risen since 2000 and is among the worst in the region.

The movement of money out of the country by the wealthy "helps explain why despite economic growth, tax revenue as a percentage of gross domes-tic product has been declining since 1990," says the GFI report.

The report says the Philip-pines cannot solve its tax evasion problems by itself. The shadowy system of tax havens and loose accounting systems used by corporations and individuals to hide money abroad is international in nature.

"The international community, namely the G20 countries, needs to support new transparency measures such as country-by-country reporting so that multinational corporations will report revenues and costs for their network of subsidiaries in each individual country," says the report.

jmanthorpe@vancouversun.com

The C-6 Dike Road and the wounded lake

The C-6 Dike road is a straight and flat seven kilometer stretch that runs parallel to the newly built C-6 hi-way. What makes it special is that it hugs the Laguna de Bai Lake giving passersby - promenaders, joggers, bikers etc., a great view of the lake and its surroundings.

Its length makes it one of the longest and largest public open spaces in Metro Manila.


The north side entry is at Brgy. Napindan, at the foot of the Taytay-Taguig bridge which is the easternmost bridge spanning the Pasig River.

(Although the C-6 hi way is a relatively newly built road, it immediately fell into a bad state of disrepair after being opened to the public that it has become an ordeal for motorists to pass through it. Who could be responsible for this and why does it take the authorities such a long time to have this road repaired? )


(The end of the Pasig as seen from the Taytay-Taguig C-6 Bridge. I don't know if they have named this bridge in honor of somebody yet. On the other side of the bridge is the Laguna de Bai Lake)

(The south side ends in Bicutan.)



The interesting thing about going through the dike road is that one encounters different sights and environment all throughout its length.


A portion of the dike road - ang matuwid pero lubak lubak na daan.


A talahib lined portion of the road giving the passerby a feeling of suddenly losing the city and being transported to some far away place.



One time, I even came across this strange bubble that blocked my path. On examination, I learned that it came from the pumping station as a by product of some water treatment activity.


But of course, what I like most about the place is the view of the lake, its immediate surroundings and the various activities it has spawned.
A duck farm that sprang on the shore side as the lake water receded.



a view of the expansive lake


a portion of the lake over run with water lilies



a path cleared for boats



more boats waiting for imaginative use - think gondolas, think tourism. 'Will it not be more fun?


This is not just a house but a restaurant. The house specialty is lugaw.

But the view is not all pretty though. Sadly, in spite of the lake's great beauty and potential to enrich our lives, I see its slow dying from the hands of the people who stand to benefit most from its preservation.


a part of the trail turned into a garbage dump. According to the LLDA website, the Laguna de Bai Lake is now being tapped as water source by Manila Water and Maynilad. If this is so, how can we allow this to happen?


a part of the lake being reclaimed. This is like killing the goose that lays the golden egg.

It is really very sad to see this happen and be able to do nothing. It is for this reason that I am proposing to our government that this place be recognized as a protected area and turned into a national park.

This park can be named the Liwasang Matuwid na Daan and be maintained through public support. What government has to do is to mobilize and maintain this support.

I am hoping that people who will read this post will support this proposal and do what they can to achieve this.

We have a chance to turn the C-6 dike road into a treasure that can be a source of pride for all our people. Or we can remain indifferent and do nothing as our precious lake degrades and dies before our eyes.

If this happens, this will be truly a tragedy. And we the people will be the victims and at the same time the villains.

Welcome to the Philifuns

I have no doubt that the Department of Tourism had very carefully thought about this new slogan.

But I have just one question:

If it is really more fun in the Philippines, why do Filipinos want to leave their country in droves?

Can rape be ok? I blame the media

I don't think I am a judgmental person and I even thought I had a wide tolerance for ideas that do not coincide with mine. But the other night I almost stormed out of a conversation I was having with a driver of an FX vehicle while on the way to Ortigas.

At first the driver was just complaining about life's difficulties. To be polite, I nodded in agreement and even expressed my fear of future increases in the prices of basic goods and services. Encouraged by my response, he then went on to express his unsolicited views of things which made me wonder where he got his information and ideas.

First he blamed former President Cory Aquino and her supporters for being responsible for the high cost of electricity today because she "gave" back MERALCO to the Lopezes. For him it was only right that then President Marcos confiscated MERALCO from the Lopezes because according to him the latter owed the former dictator a huge amount that they could not pay back.

I knew right then that our conversation was going nowhere so I cut back on my chit chat and simply grunted an interjection of "is that so?" from time to time.

From there he proceeded to tell me of his time in Kuwait working as a waiter in a Japanese military base. He told me of the time when Iraq invaded Kuwait and the atrocities he witnessed committed by the invading Iraqi soldiers.

Among the things he witnessed was the rape of Kuwait women done openly on the streets and which he watched with his companions from their place of hiding.

My mistake was to ask if he knew of Filipinas having been raped. He said he did not personally witness any but he was sure there had been such rapes that happened in other cities.

What jolted me though was his comment that Filipinas who were raped were "lucky" because they were amply compensated by the Kuwait government for their ordeal and they became rich. He also said that those Filipinas probably did not mind what happened to them as what they experienced might have satisfied their natural urges as well.

I could not believe what I was hearing. I told him that rape is a horrible ordeal and that I don't think there is any amount that can compensate for it. There were other women passengers in the FX and I felt ashamed that I was in that kind of conversation with the driver. I just shut up and thought of just getting off the vehicle and walk the rest of my way to my destination. As I was late for my appointment though, I just decided to sit it out and tried to change our topic.

Reflecting on this incident, I was reminded that he was not the only man on the street that I had talked to with very strange ideas although his was especially repugnant. I once witnessed two people debating whether clouds can be higher than the moon. I also talked to a former seaman who believed that in the old days, trees can bear different kinds of fruits and that there were islands with caves that open and close which are used by sea pirates to hide their ships and loot.

The question in my mind was how many people think like these trio of crackpots(?) and how can adult Filipinos get to have such kind of thinking?

As I try to answer this question, I can only blame media for their failure to help upgrade and develop the quality of our minds. The big three broadcast media use the news to pursue profit and not to properly inform and educate the viewers. Thus in their attempt to attract viewership that will translate into ad revenues, they draw no line between items of public interest and showbiz entertainment. They focus on the sensational instead of the intellectual. They do not distinguish fact from fiction such as when they feature seers and fortune tellers speaking as authorities in their supernatural field.

In their greedy pursuit of profit, media has seriously damaged our mental infrastructure. We should not let them go on with this anymore.

Firecracker injuries

(Poisoning the air we breath as a way to celebrate the New Year? photo taken from internet)


Every year the government through the Department of Health never fails to remind people to be careful in using firecrackers especially the prohibited ones- but always to no avail.

Given the number of injured, maimed or killed every year plus the untold harm to the environment caused by the release of toxic and noxious gases from exploding firecrackers, it is time that the Department of Health and even the Department of Natural Resources call for a total ban in the use of all pyrotechnics.

What government should do is not just to warn people about the dangers of firecrackers but to educate the people on why firecrackers should go.

Part of the task of weaning people from this deeply entrenched practice is to explore alternatives or to create new rituals to greet the New Year. There are already areas in the country that have done this such as in Davao or in some barangays where people have opted for a communal Noche Buena.

All those opposed to the use of firecrackers such as members of environmental or animal welfare organizations should help the government in this effort.

And the time to act is now, not only towards the end of the year.

On a related matter, I find it outrageous that most of the time when news reporters feature people injured by firecrackers, especially the illegal ones, they focus on the pain and financial difficulty of the victims but not on how they came in contact with the illegal fireworks and whether anything was done to apprehend the culprits who sold or used them that led to their accident.

This year, more than twenty people were reported killed by stray bullets. Those who fire their guns in the air to celebrate anything are criminals and have no place in a free society. I hope government does its best to apprehend these people.

That which has happened...

(Sendong aftermath, photo taken from internet)

The New Year is a time to hope. It gives us a chance to make a new beginning and a chance to do things right.

It was indeed a great tragedy that typhoon Sendong visited our country towards the end of this year and wrought so much death and destruction. But it was not Sendong who cut the logs that angrily wiped out communities. It was not Sendong who ignored the warning of scientists about the danger of living on geohazard areas.

While we have no way of escaping from the fury of Mother Nature, we certainly can temper her destructive wrath. That is if we learn our lessons and do the right things.

That which has happened is a warning. To forget it is guilt. (Karl Jaspers, German philosopher)