MERGED: Do You Want U.S. Statehood For the Philippines?

[FK]

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Kong mo ingon ang tanan taw nga walay hope... wala jud mahitabo. Og mao nay hinongdan ngano daghan buaya naa sa gobyerno. Kay ang botante mo ingon man "A... WA BITAW AU ANG GOBYERNO, SO KONG KINSA ANG PINAKA DAKO MO HATAG MAO AKO BOTARAN."


If you were given a Math problem by your teacher... a very hard one. And for about an hour you still haven't solve it. Then there's one guy who have solve the problem. Would you let the guy solve the problem for you?

[josephdc]

The difference between optimists and pessimists is that the latter acknowledge the depressing reality and *dwell on it*, while the former acknowledge the same and *move on*. Optimists aren't being unrealistic. They too acknowledge the depressing realities, only that, unlike the pessimists, they move on.

[josephdc]

"Kong mo ingon ang tanan taw nga walay hope... wala jud mahitabo. Og mao nay hinongdan ngano daghan buaya naa sa gobyerno. Kay ang botante mo ingon man "A... WA BITAW AU ANG GOBYERNO, SO KONG KINSA ANG PINAKA DAKO MO HATAG MAO AKO BOTARAN.""

Exactly. Kana bang attitude nato nga, "Anyway wala na ma'y hope atong country, corrupt man atong mga politicians, wala nama'y ayo ang mga presidential candidates, wala na lang ko'y buhaton..." Musamut ta ka hopeless ana. Mahimu lang tang part sa problem, imbes part sa solution.

[EZRA]

LOL .... am I dwelling on it? I have acknowledged reality and has moved on. You cannot have the same mindset as I have because perhaps you, still, hasn't found a purpose in life. I, on the other hand, have much to care and worry about and I cannot afford to gamble on something that's as inevitable as a falling rock.

It's good that you have your hopes... act on it and make a difference.

[EZRA]

Anyhow.. we're straying from the topic.... my point: Unless there's any drastic makeover happening soon, I'm pro U.S. statehood.

[TieKnee]

48 years naman ni cya nga issue uy...i shared this topic to my mom...and she told me she was still in college pa daw open na ni na topic, upto now wa japon ta na 51st state...

[josephdc]

here's a nice article about hope that came out in today's inquirer.

Why I have hope for the Philippines
By Franco Varona
PDI, November 15, 2003

Editor's note: The following essay was a letter written by Franco Varona for his mother, Candy Varona. It is in reaction to a Korean student's essay about the Philippines which has been making the rounds on the Internet.

I LIVED in the Philippines for a grand total of two-and-a-half years after growing up in Vancouver for a majority of my life. I finished off high school in Manila, then went on to college there for one semester.


I left Manila in the beginning of 1999 for Syracuse, but something happened to me during my short stint in Manila -- I began referring to it as "home." My brief stay in the Philippines had affected me so deeply that I have subsequently geared the rest of my life toward helping the country out.

I took up International Relations, with a concentration in Foreign Policy, War and Conflict Resolution -- because I believed that a deep knowledge of all three of those aforementioned subjects can and will help the Philippines eventually. Before living in the Philippines, my motives were selfish and self-serving. I wanted to be a lawyer to make money, or be a journalist so I could, in my own way, shape the world through my words. But living there and getting to know the country intimately helped me develop a love for the country that can only be compared to the love I have for my family. Now, I have every intention of using that degree to its fullest potential in any way I can for the country.

Even though my birthplace is Canada and I spent my formative years in the US, the Philippines has somehow found its way to my mind and my heart. And I say "my mind" because I see the Philippines as a challenge, not as a sinking ship. And I believe there is a whole generation of young Pinoys that feel the same way as me.

The Korean essay was right in some ways -- sometimes I meet up with second-generation Filipino-Americans and they simply do not care. They don't identify with the Philippines and perceive it to be a dirty, corrupt society. Although initially annoyed when I speak to these types of people, I eventually realize that it's not their fault -- they have lived in a developed nation all their lives and know no better. I myself used to be like that before moving back.

But you know what the Korean essay didn't mention? It happens with all second- and third-generation immigrant kids living in developed countries. Although I have met many Fil-Ams who don't wish to go back home, I also have met many Korean-Americans, Japanese-Americans, even Irish-Americans who don't have any connection to home. There is love for the Philippines -- the Korean essay was just looking in the wrong places.

Do you want to know where national pride is? It's in every Pinoy's face on the streets of Manila, Cebu, Davao, or any other place in the Philippines. Life is hard for Filipinos -- I see that everytime I'm home. But there is a mutual love shared between Pinoys. They enjoy the simplest of the simple things of everyday life -- from the fishball vendor dancing outside a nightclub in the wee hours of the morning to the late night security guard that wakes up just to give you a nod and a smile. Although generally the country has come under hard times, the Pinoy has somehow found a way to survive, and do it with a smile.

When I go back to the Philippines, I don't see the jaded looks of misery I see in the streets of North America. I see in every Pinoy's face a glint of hope -- that everything can only get better from here on out. National pride is also in today's college student -- today's young working Filipino. I have been lucky enough to have run into a rather large, very motivated group of young Filipinos outside of the Philippines that harbor an immense love for the country. I've seen these people in college, I've hung out with them in different cities and among these young Filipinos, there is one prevailing theme. They have goals, they have passion, and they are driven to succeed.

Sure, they may spend a few years out of the Philippines after schooling, but they will go back. And when they do, Mom, I promise you a Renaissance. These are the people that will lead our country into better times -- these are the people that will bring back with them the knowledge and the drive to motivate others. These are the people that will bridge the gap between the "masa" and the rich. These are the people that will take that glint of hope in every Pinoy's eye and create a wildfire of productivity and efficiency.

The Philippines is still, by definition, a young country. There have been mistakes made in the past, but we will learn, won't we? It's just human nature. I don't look at the Philippines as a country that "was" one of the richest in South East Asia and now is one of the poorest -- I look at the Philippines as the country that has the largest upside.

Just be patient, and watch as the younger generation moves into place. You will see a more educated, less selfish government take the seat of power. You will see plans put into effect that were formulated and perfected which were fueled by years of anger against the poverty we now see. A new Philippines will emerge soon, and soon we won't have to bear the pity of a Korean student. I can promise you that much mom, because I know I'm one of the many that will be working toward that.

[josephdc]

You cannot have the same mindset as I have because perhaps you, still, hasn't found a purpose in life.

HA?!!? maybe it's best we leave this issue for a while.. somebody's getting too personal..

I, on the other hand, have much to care and worry about and I cannot afford to gamble on something that's as inevitable as a falling rock.

fine. call it "being real" or what have you. to my mind, that's still being pessimistic. because you cannot predict the future, it's not fixed. it's not as if no possibility of change exists. "as inevitable as a falling rock"? that's only the attitude you've chosen in facing the future.

[bol-anon]

This will surely stop once the Philippines becomes a state of America!

Private sector cheating gov't of P127B yearly: study
(Inquirer News Service)

PRIVATE corporations, businessmen and professionals cheat the government of 127 billion pesos in taxes annually, according to a five-year study conducted by the National Tax Research Center (NTRC).

"Corporations, businessmen and professionals have evaded paying 348 million pesos in taxes a day over the past five years, an amount that could have built 29 kilometers of concrete road every day," said Senator Ralph Recto, chairman of the Senate ways and means committee.


The NTRC study, however, was limited to government revenues collected from income taxes and value added taxes (VAT) from 1998 to 2002, and did account for revenues lost to corrupt politicians and bureaucrats.

Recto said the estimated income tax gap from 1998 to 2002 averaged 85.4 billion pesos annually. In the case of the value-added tax, the amount of unpaid VAT for the same five-year period averaged 41.6 billion pesos annually.

Combining the income tax gap and unremitted VAT, "this brings to 127 billion pesos the combined amount of VAT and income taxes which escaped the tax net every year from 1998 to 2002," said Recto.

Based on NTRC's computation, the country could have built 10,585 kilometers of road, or five times the length of the Aparri (in Cagayan) to General Santos City highway (in Cotabato) every year from the taxes corporations and businessmen should have paid annually, Recto said.

The NTRC study noted that ordinary workers were more honest taxpayers than millionaires, according to Recto, who revealed the results of the study released in September.

As to the VAT, about 30 percent of the potential VAT was not collected.

"We can interpret the data this way: Juan Obrero paid 93 centavos for every tax peso due from him while Joe Millionaire paid only 31 centavos. Tax evasion is indeed the favorite sport of the elite," Recto said.

[EZRA]

JOSEPH.. I'm talking about raising a family.. having priorities and purpose. I wasn't being personal. You're probably still finding yourself, your purpose, etc... Like I said, you and I have a different mindset. If I was in the Philippines right now and I'm trying to support a family.. my hopes wouldn't be on the Government and its leaders. I'd rather watch paint dry. Of course, I'd still have some wishful thinking but it would be easier to skip the country and work someplace else.

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Do you think it's not as inevitable? Wake up, we're talking about Philippine Politics here. Even if I'm exaggerating, the possibility of the country wallowing in the pits is really high. Be optimistic... hey, you can even claim that a change will happen after the next Presidential election.. we can all dream, can't we? LOL

So who's running on the next Presidential election and who are you voting for?
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Another question... what's the minimum wage in the Philippines right now? Is it easy finding a job? How overworked are the workers there? Are they under-compensated?
Minimum wage in the U.S. is over 6 bucks per hour... that's flipping burgers in McDonalds. Not bad for flipping burgers, right? A nurse gets $35/hr.. how much does a nurse earn in the Philippines? How much do they get for overtime? A Computer consultant gets at least 100$/hr .. if you're good, you'd go up as high as $250/hr ... nice ain't it?
How much is the school tuition right now? For Elementary and High School? Public schools here are free... and it's not even low quality education.

That's something to ponder upon.. if you get paid for the amount of work you did in the Philippines, life wouldn't be too bad.