tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post4964313054018809104..comments2023-06-10T20:22:01.348+08:00Comments on The Society of Honor by Joe America: The Tipping Point to Philippine ProsperityThe Society of Honorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02536906267332687130noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-42299404118544140132013-03-22T17:52:36.469+08:002013-03-22T17:52:36.469+08:00Yes, the characterization "brually honest&quo...Yes, the characterization "brually honest" comes to mind. Or "refreshingly brutal". One or the other.The Society of Honorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02536906267332687130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-26206515871430289182013-03-22T16:44:43.577+08:002013-03-22T16:44:43.577+08:00Thank you for the link. Hahaha, I've always f...Thank you for the link. Hahaha, I've always found Mr. Cowell fascinating. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04138643822339861384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-18395822184513781972013-03-22T13:50:50.188+08:002013-03-22T13:50:50.188+08:00Here's a link to that reaction:
https://www....Here's a link to that reaction: <br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1slCeIAruE0The Society of Honorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02536906267332687130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-2655431072468812722013-03-22T11:42:52.241+08:002013-03-22T11:42:52.241+08:00Amy,
Did I sound like the "village" idi...Amy,<br /><br />Did I sound like the "village" idiot? Ahahaha!<br /><br />Thanks. You cannot see my face, my reaction to what you wrote. But if you go to You Tube and see Simon Cowell's initial and subsequent reactions to Paul Pott's first audition, where he sang "Nessun Dorma", you will get a glimpse of it.Edgar Loreshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13363554010485644899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-88605993576046751522013-03-22T11:12:19.302+08:002013-03-22T11:12:19.302+08:00I think you know a lot more than most.
"We n...I think you know a lot more than most.<br /><br />"We need teachers, journalists, and politicians who will function as teachers, journalists, and politicians should be. And priests too, if there are any."<br /><br />And you point dead-on to the solutions, which are largely institutional and manageable.<br /><br />So I suppose that represents a small peek of optimism, too.<br /><br />There are homebodies, wanderers, and explorers. The first two rather go with the flow. The latter pursue a goal within a greater world that is not always predictable. Well, perhaps it is somewhat predictable if you stay close to the "village".The Society of Honorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02536906267332687130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-68701296147666814602013-03-22T11:00:12.643+08:002013-03-22T11:00:12.643+08:00Someone (I don’t remember who wrote it) proposed t...Someone (I don’t remember who wrote it) proposed that the EDSA revolution of 1986 was predominantly an urban phenomenon, because the endeavor didn’t really involve the provinces. I don’t know anything about this; I couldn’t possibly know. I asked one old man what it was like “here” during those times, and he said that the Marcos era was peaceful. I guess it was different then, with the scope of the media restricted as it were. It seems worse now though, with the media running amok. One would think that the advent of technology would make national issues more accessible and relevant to the lives of people here, but it wouldn’t seem to be the case. There is still a sense of “it’s happening to them not us” and vice versa. When Manila was flooded during Ondoy, media coverage painted it as though it were the apocalypse. When landslides buried people and houses left, right, and center “here”, information about what was happening was scant. <br /><br />This is not to trivialize the sufferings of the people in the capital. The point, I guess, is that Manila is not the entire Philippines – a fact that politicians remember very well come election period. It is during this time that the gods descend to earth, so to speak. Or maybe I should say aliens for the sake of consistency. <br /><br />So why the need to get out? I know a lot of people who – like me – grew up with life revolving around the same place, the same people, and the same outlook. It’s dangerous in many ways. You tend to be more detached from issues of national importance; you do not feel very confident voicing ideas or opinions; you do not aspire for anything other than to get a job or get married when you don’t have anything left to do. I can’t tell whether the adults are so far gone in what they think they know about the world. Perhaps most of them are. In any case, I’m more concerned about the youth. The younger ones I know seemed neither concerned nor aware of the state the country is in. Someone needs to push them out – something that would be unnecessary if the schools, media, and the government were functioning as they should be. Or maybe I should speak in terms of the people behind, and not of, the institutions themselves? We need teachers, journalists, and politicians who will function as teachers, journalists, and politicians should be. And priests too, if there are any. <br /><br />I’m trying hard not to come across as though I know everything, and I hope I did not, because I know close to nothing about most aspects of society. I am trying to learn, but it’s an arduous process. It’s difficult to start caring about a society and a country that seemed to have forsaken itself. It’s exhausting to listen to what people are saying; it’s frustrating to look at what people are doing. One finds more reasons not to care.<br /><br />I read blogs like this as a reminder why I should.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04138643822339861384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-39040815666563363222013-03-22T10:59:54.140+08:002013-03-22T10:59:54.140+08:00I’m sorry. I laughed at the word “village.” It m...I’m sorry. I laughed at the word “village.” It made me think of nipa huts and men in g-strings dancing around a campfire – which is practically how the mainstream media chose to portray our province. (There was even a movie about a Benguet girl who has a pig for a pet. I don’t know anyone here who keeps pigs for pets. I cannot speak for the people in the city, but as far as I know, pigs are raised for food.)<br /><br />So no, it isn’t like that. Benguet is no different from any other province or town in the lowlands. I guess people have a tendency to think of the highlands as less of an urbanized place – it is in the mountains after all. I think part of the blame goes to the media for perpetuating stereotypes, but then again, those who live here rarely speak up or venture out. There are very few who dare to do so.<br /><br />I know that I tend to speak in terms of “us” and “them” and “here” and “there”. But all things considered, there is a chasm between the city/capital and the provinces, which just goes to show how divided the Philippines really is. It’s easy to feel alienated, especially if you can’t relate to anything that’s happening “out there.” The standoff with China at Scarborough Shoals for instance, didn’t make much of an impact with the people around me. What was eventually known as the Sabah crisis was only “discovered” when Filipinos started evacuating from Sabah to the Philippines in droves. These things didn’t have anything to do with work or school or anybody’s daily life.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04138643822339861384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-58644393864119155942013-03-19T05:19:32.743+08:002013-03-19T05:19:32.743+08:00Yes, and I've gotten some Facebook looks on it...Yes, and I've gotten some Facebook looks on it. Thanks.The Society of Honorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02536906267332687130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-15235712872445348652013-03-18T23:17:03.614+08:002013-03-18T23:17:03.614+08:00And posted it in my FB page - mbAnd posted it in my FB page - mbAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-50252920709024660062013-03-18T22:23:01.590+08:002013-03-18T22:23:01.590+08:00Excellent piece, Joe. Very sober. Reachable goals ...Excellent piece, Joe. Very sober. Reachable goals based on well-grounded analysis. - mbAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-25450001683512611312013-03-18T21:30:31.189+08:002013-03-18T21:30:31.189+08:00Yes, for sure. I would very much welcome any persp...Yes, for sure. I would very much welcome any perspectives Amy would care to share. I've spent some time in small communities, but I don't think I have a good grasp of what the "real people" there think and feel about things.The Society of Honorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02536906267332687130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-36577823137778119902013-03-18T21:01:49.686+08:002013-03-18T21:01:49.686+08:00Amy, Joe,
That’s touching. You know, Amy, I woul...Amy, Joe,<br /><br />That’s touching. You know, Amy, I would love to read how life looks to you from within a Benguet village. How big is your village; how much schooling have you had; why do feel alienated from participating in elections; how does the government touch your lives, if at all. How has technology improved your lives? Or has it increased the sense of disconnectedness with what is “out there”? Why is there a need to “get out”? Doesn’t village life satisfy the potentials of human life? What are the possible solutions? Why say ‘sayang’? That is heart-breaking.<br /><br />If Amy can lend her voice, Joe, that would give us a perspective of how life is like in the countryside. That would give us a deeper understanding of the problems confronting the country.Edgar Loreshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13363554010485644899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-31702813622033565052013-03-18T17:25:24.201+08:002013-03-18T17:25:24.201+08:00Amy, and I am insanely happy that you stopped by a...Amy, and I am insanely happy that you stopped by and dropped off your eloquent comment. You may live in a Group A community, but you are decidedly Group B in conceptual process. <br /><br />"People are getting more stupid by the generation." Perhaps the Philippines is trying too hard to follow in America's footsteps.<br /><br />The internet bears watching, for sure. It can be like a horrid cancer spreading ill will across the landscape. It is heartening to me that "normal people" like you see what is going on. That's Group B, too. Awareness. Flexibility. Able to commit to principles that matter.The Society of Honorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02536906267332687130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-2227633737729575792013-03-18T16:14:10.601+08:002013-03-18T16:14:10.601+08:00I am from a small town in Benguet. I grew up here...I am from a small town in Benguet. I grew up here, went to school here, and got a job here. “Here” is everything I know. “Here” is so far removed from “out there” that it might as well have been a different planet. Things like “national elections” do not matter much to me. These people called “senatoriables” might as well be alien creatures. I haven’t voted since GMA won the presidential elections. An overwhelming number of people here are like me. We are group A.<br /><br />It was an outsider – someone who lived in Manila and came to work in the province – who told me later on that I was ‘sayang’, that I was wasting my degree, my expertise, and my brain cells by not being more involved with what is happening around me. <br /><br />This same outsider told me that the quality of people has declined. Once upon a happier time, the senate and the congress were filled with individuals who could competently engage in logical debate and a news program would actually contain news, not prejudiced opinions. People, she opined, are getting more stupid by the generation.<br /><br />I have come to agree with this person.<br /><br />It is both saddening and frustrating that most Filipinos belong in group A. But what frustrates me the most in this scenario are those young people from the provinces who are consigned to this group solely because they lacked the opportunity to get out and consequently break free of an outdated and apathetic mindset. I agree with your opinion of the media – they aren’t helping at all. (I still couldn’t believe that NDC was the former VP.) Schools aren’t of much use either. The internet (yahoo.com in particular) makes things worse. <br /><br />That said, I found this blog extremely illuminating. I have just read a disgusting array of comments under an article in yahoo.com about Aquino’s address to the PMA graduates, and I’m insanely happy to have read a different point of view. <br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04138643822339861384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-12562996601262908202013-03-18T15:47:48.106+08:002013-03-18T15:47:48.106+08:00Cha, thanks.
I know 2 candidates who will be endo...Cha, thanks.<br /><br />I know 2 candidates who will be endorsed (A and P) and 2 who will not be (two E's). I hope the other 2 who will be endorsed were once featured in a blog that had something something about respect in its title. A pretty lady and an aging gentlemen.Edgar Loreshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13363554010485644899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-10605935676248474742013-03-18T13:59:40.924+08:002013-03-18T13:59:40.924+08:00Ah, interesting point. Kaya Natin is an example of...Ah, interesting point. Kaya Natin is an example of a group of "B leaders" getting together to formalize their work in the Public interest. It is an example of the "B rising" that would do wonders for the Philippines if it grows. I also appreciate seeing more public representation by certain attorneys in the courts, doing battle on Cybercrime and other issues where the public needs a voice outside the Legislature, which seems to have its mind in a bipartisan hole sometimes.The Society of Honorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02536906267332687130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-61679112258546065512013-03-18T13:51:29.604+08:002013-03-18T13:51:29.604+08:00Re: voters education (3.1)
Kaya Natin, the Moveme...Re: voters education (3.1)<br /><br />Kaya Natin, the Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership co-founded by the late Jesse Robredo has a program targetting the younger voters, age 18-30. <br /><br />I know this because I subscribe to their Facebook page and get regular updates on their activities. <br /><br />They started their Voters' Education Caravans late last year. They first phase of the campaign was to get young people to register and take part in the elections. They held free Voter's Education Concerts, with performances from some youth bands to entice people to come and then talked to them about the importance of their vote in between.<br /><br />Together with the Friedrich Nauman Foundation, they have also developed and are distributing to schools and civic and non-government organizations a primer called GOV 101: A New Voters' Guide to the Philippine Government. <br /><br />Gov 101 is basically a manual that explains how the Philippine government works, the roles and responsibilities of government officials and agencies. The assumption is that "by knowing what to expect from our leaders, we can choose the right leaders." The primer is supposed to be made available online but have yet to get my hands on it.<br /><br />They are also involved with the Anti-Vote Buying Campaign (joint effort with the Ateneo School of Government and the TRansparency and Accountability Network). They've been, again, going around asking candidates this time to sign an anti-vote buying covenant. They are also partnering in this effort with various Catholic Parishes by holding Anti-vote Buying Masses and Covenant Signing. Just yesterday Mar 17, they would have been at St Peter's Parish in Commonwealth Ave, QC<br /><br />And just a couple of hours ago, they have posted an announcement that come Mar 20, they will be endorsing 4 Senatoriables "who exemplify the leadership qualities of the late Jesse Robredo". Am waiting to find out who those 4 might be. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br />Chanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-69309468997538004842013-03-18T12:24:18.828+08:002013-03-18T12:24:18.828+08:00Well, it's good to know that Mr. Rodis is inte...Well, it's good to know that Mr. Rodis is interested in improving OFW conditions. He'd be more successful with wings. You, on the other hand, can merely wear a hat, and you're good to go . . .The Society of Honorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02536906267332687130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-5743769915170709652013-03-18T12:19:43.146+08:002013-03-18T12:19:43.146+08:00Yes, a little too much generalization on the OFW&#...Yes, a little too much generalization on the OFW's, but that was not really the purpose of the article, to assess the OFW condition. It was to report on negative journalism and draw the distiction between people who act without thinking, or emotionally, versus those who think thigs through.<br /><br />You are right as well, managers are a part of B, and an important, growing part (e.g., call centers are international in style).<br /><br />And, of course you are correct, you find A everywhere. And indeed, the US is in a rush to become a Group A nation, it would seem. But for the Philippines to get past its coup-mongering past it needs to develop broader ways at looking at things. More positive ways.<br /><br />My grandparents and parents had "applied Christian values", study hard, work hard, and be nice. "Study hard" allowed their kids to become Group B.The Society of Honorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02536906267332687130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-66321934886690477182013-03-18T12:13:13.149+08:002013-03-18T12:13:13.149+08:00Startling observation, that the Church belongs to ...Startling observation, that the Church belongs to Group A. It makes clear that ignorance can come from lack of education or a narrowness of view that holds important information and perspectives out. Rather like US conservative Republicans. A failure to comprehend that not everyone "thinks as I do". From that failure to consider others, a failure to respect different views, and a failure to adapt.<br /><br />1. Agree.<br /><br />2. You should give them to a wayward cousin to publish. Hostility is one of the righteous checks and balances when coming across Group A ignorance of the walled variety.<br /><br />3.1 Yes, the in-depth reports are letting us know how many are showing up at rallys. But I also do see some platform style messages coming out from a few of the candidates. I can't say which in the interest of neutrality. So maybe we are getting a peek into something more.<br /><br />The Society of Honorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02536906267332687130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-27823097302550675322013-03-18T11:25:35.129+08:002013-03-18T11:25:35.129+08:00Cha & Joe,
Impeccable research, as usual. Mr...Cha & Joe,<br /><br />Impeccable research, as usual. Mr Rodis is an expatriate who, like us, is concerned about his native land. Unlike me, he is very active in the expatriate community and publishes opinion pieces in PDI. So many plus points for him. There are many expatriates - like you but unlike me - who sponsor scholarships, donate computers and books, and spread blessings on their annual pilgrimage to their native town fiesta. Mr Rodis is a good doer who sometimes oversteps the boundaries and becomes a do gooder. (BTW, a good doer is a “an animal that with normal care produces or develops especially well’ - but you know what I mean!) I think he tends to throw his weight around and he is a proven grouser. So some minus points for him. Overall, I would put him on the side of the angels who haven’t earned their baby wings, much less their full wings. (As for me, there are growing knobs on my forehead.)Edgar Loreshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13363554010485644899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-12167173221501458722013-03-18T09:58:42.105+08:002013-03-18T09:58:42.105+08:00A few comments, not to criticize but to voice my o...A few comments, not to criticize but to voice my own uncertainties.<br /><br />Isn’t it dangerous to speak in this context of OFW’s. There are 3 types of OFW’s, 1/3 has a bachelor degree or higher, 1/3 are skilled labourers and 1/3 helpers and the like. On top there is a large group of Filipino immigrants: second and third generation Filipinos, new immigrants from wealthy families and spouses in mixed marriages but I don’t have numbers. All these groups have different political interests and commitments.<br /><br />I missed in your group B the managers, supervisors, even operators in factories with “international management styles” I met them in economic zones in Laguna and Batangas. Also a large group of really motivated (lower level)civil servants as I met in DAR, genuinely trying to help Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries. <br /><br />Manny attitudes you described are observed everywhere, read the blog sites in my native country, overwhelmed by group A people to a level I quit reading, stand alone participating, it became their safe anonymous universe of their Fox-like rightfulness. Also Fox-like TV programs seem to do well, simple as in we are right and they are stupid, similar to quit some newspaper comments here. <br /><br />Where are the values of our grandparents? <br />JosephIvonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-77890770548599867372013-03-18T09:54:27.918+08:002013-03-18T09:54:27.918+08:00As a sloth, do you 2 toes or 3 toes? We Overseas ...As a sloth, do you 2 toes or 3 toes? We Overseas Australian Sloths have 2 toes on the front foot and 3 toes on the rear foot. :-)Edgar Loreshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13363554010485644899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-19329593556916545072013-03-18T09:47:42.779+08:002013-03-18T09:47:42.779+08:001. The article by Rodel Rodis should have been pub...1. The article by Rodel Rodis should have been published as an opinion piece not a news item. Still the headline was inaccurate and misleading. (Mr Rodis, if it is the same person, groused that he lost an election to a college board in the San Francisco bay area because Filipinos were more interested in gambling then supporting a fellow expatriate.)<br /><br />2. I dumped most of my original comments on this essay because they were too negative. <br /><br />2.1 Example: “Do Filipinos think? We know Filipinos exist – and how! – but do they think? Even if one reverses the Descartian Cogito proposition, I have serious doubts.”<br /><br />3. To me a test of Filipino maturity will be revealed in the coming elections particularly in the Senate: That is whether the progeny of discredited politicians will gain office. <br /><br />3.1 I still do not see any concerted effort to educate the voting public, although there are initiatives in Rappler and an anti-dynasty movement.<br /><br />4. There is possibly a fourth force that can do immediate and immense good: the much-maligned Church - if it can solve the internal and external problems that beset it:<br /><br />4.1 Such as the internal hierarchical structure or the prodigal bishops problem. Make bishops adhere to discipline and make them more accountable. A word from either Pope Francis or Cardinal Tagle should suffice to curb the excesses of the bishops. <br /><br />4.2 Such as the external problems of sexual misconduct, the financial imbroglio, the relationship with other religions, and the extraordinary excursions into politics. Pope Francis is on a press offensive and has shown humility and a sense of humor. So far, so good. If he can clean house and install measures – like the turning over of the names and persons of abusive clerics to the law and, say, the discontinuation of doctrinal celibacy – then the clergy might regain respect and prospective members of Team Tatay do not have to hang their heads (and other parts of their body) in shame. <br /><br />4.3 Currently the Church belongs to Group A. (Read your description of Group A and see how uncannily and accurately it describes the Church.) Does she have what it takes to jump to Group B?Edgar Loreshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13363554010485644899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855856123871700301.post-74362940623648950752013-03-18T09:31:33.588+08:002013-03-18T09:31:33.588+08:00Good point, and I hope that is the case, that it w...Good point, and I hope that is the case, that it was one guy's upside down view of things.The Society of Honorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02536906267332687130noreply@blogger.com