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

[mAlD|tO]

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hey guys i just want to share this short essay...


My Short Essay about the Philippines
(You can forward my essay to your friends.)

Filipinos always complain about the corruption in the Philippines. Do you really think the corruption is the problem of the Philippines? I do not think so. I strongly believe that the problem is the lack of love for the Philippines.

Let me first talk about my country, Korea. It might help you understand my point. After the Korean War, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. Koreans had to start from scratch because entire country was destroyed completely after the Korean War, and we had no natural resources.

Koreans used to talk about the Philippines, for Filipinos were very rich in Asia. We envy Filipinos. Koreans really wanted to be well off like Filipinos. Many Koreans died of famine. My father¡¯s brother also died because of famine.

Korean government was awfully corrupt and is still very corrupt beyond your imagination, but Korea was able to develop dramatically because Koreans really did their best for the common good with their heart burning with patriotism. Koreans did not work just for themselves but also for their neighborhood and country. Education inspired young men with the spirit of patriotism.

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

That was the only question everyone asked to him. President Park cried with them and promised them that Korea would be well off if everyone works hard for Korea, and the President of Germany got the strong impression on them and lent money to Korea. So, President Park was able to build many factories in Korea.

He always asked Koreans to love their country from their heart. Many Korean scientists and engineers in the USA came back to Korea to help developing country because they wanted their country to be well off. Though they received very small salary, they did their best for Korea. They always hoped that their children would live in well off country.

My parents always brought me to the places where poor and physically handicapped people live. They wanted me to understand their life and help them. I also worked for Catholic Church when I was in the army. The only thing I learned from Catholic Church was that we have to love our neighborhood. And I have loved my neighborhood.

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

Many Koreans have a great love for Korea so that we were able to share our wealth with our neighborhood. The owners of factory and company were distributed their profit to their employees fairly so that employees could buy what they needed and saved money for the future and their children.

When I was in Korea, I had a very strong faith and wanted to be a priest. However, when I came to the Philippines, I completely lost my faith. I was very confused when I saw many unbelievable situations in the Philippines. Street kids always make me sad, and I see them everyday. The Philippines is the only Catholic country in Asia, but there are too many poor people here. People go to church every Sunday to pray, but nothing has been changed.

My parents came to the Philippines last week and saw this situation. They told me that Korea was much poorer than the present Philippines when they were young. They are so sorry that there so many beggars and street kids. When we went to Pagsangjan, I forced my parents to take a boat because it would fun. However, they were not happy after taking a boat. They said that they would not take the boat again because they were sympathized the boat men, for the boat men were very poor and had a small frame. Most of people just took a boat and enjoyed it. But my parents did not enjoy it because of love for them.

My mother who has been working for Catholic Church since I was very young told me that if we just go to mass without changing ourselves, we are not Catholic indeed. Faith should come with action. She added that I have to love Filipinos and do good things for them because all of us are same and have received a great love from God.

I want Filipinos love their neighborhood and country as much as they love God so that the Philippines will be well off. I am sure that love is the keyword which Filipinos should remember. We cannot change the sinful structure at once. It should start from person. Love must start in everybody in a small scale and have to grow. A lot of things happen if we open up to love. Let's put away our prejudices and look at our worries with our new eyes. I discover that every person is worthy to be loved. Trust in love, because it makes changes possible. Love changes you and me. It changes people, contexts and relationships. It changes the world.

Please love your neighborhood and country. Jesus Christ said that whatever we do to others we do to Him. In the Philippines, there is God who are abused and abandoned. There is God who is crying for love.

If you have a child, teach them how to love the Philippines. Teach them why they have to love their neighborhood and country.

You already know that God also will be very happy if you love others. That's all I really want to ask you Filipinos.

Jaeyoun Kim
September, 2003
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"Knowledge is the eye of desire and can become the pilot of the soul..."

"Have i not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrfied; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God, will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9

[Visual C#]

That was what I was talking about!!! Bravo!

[FK]

hehehe... i have also posted this article.

[EZRA]

MALDITO... again, only in a perfect world... if that was the case, hey.. world peace could be achieved in no time. BUT!! This reality.. GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO is not PRESIDENT PARK.... our Government officials are as Honorable as snakes!! That's reality!

[FK]

GMA is not PARK... Park loves Korea, Gloria loves herself.

[bol-anon]

So, the only solution...STATEHOOD!

Kung laoman nato ang mga namunoan karon, wa juy klaro ang Pinas.

For the sake of our children's future, highly and only recommended ang
STATEHOOD.

Philippines needs the U.S.!

[gareb]

Philippines needs the U.S.!

i beg to disagree. we do not.

[EZRA]

The Philippines doesn't NEED the US ... the Philippines needs honorable leaders!

[FK]

pareho-pareho ra man og policy ang Philippines og U.S. Maau onta kong ma U.S. state ta... pamutlan og ulo ang mga masakpang mangurakot.

[josephdc]

EZRA: Mao lagi sad na ako pasabot. Kung tan-awn nato ang politics sa government, local or national, discouraging lagi kaayo. Like you said, "tuyok-tuyok" ra ang mga personalities, murag mga dynasties. -- So, unsa man? Ato na lang pasagdan nga ingun-ana? Giving up isn't really a choice, if we're really interested in seeing changes around us. I don't think it's a matter of living in a "perfect world" or not, but about being optimistic (despite the reality), which I think is really the only choice we have if we want to change the country, or being pessimistic and cynical and therefore effectively handing over the power to steer the course of the country's "destiny" to the hands of the corrupt politicians.

Spaceman: Bitaw Spaceman: Hayahay kaayo ang imong situation sa kinabuhi. Maayo ka kay maka-afford ka mag-party2x. Kadaghanan sa mga Pinoys/ Cebuanos maglisud pamalit ug mga basic needs.

FK: Hehehe! Kataw-anan kaayo imo gihatag nga example. Counterstrike? Bitaw sad. Makita sab jud nato ang cause sa problema sa atong nasud sa mga gagmay lang nga butang in our day-to-day lives. Pareha bitaw anang naa ka sa traffic. I just came home from a horrendous traffic in San Fernando town (mga 3 hours me na stuck-up). Ang cause sa traffic kay naay natumba nga trailer nga naka-ali sa karsada. Nganong natumba ang truck? Kay ang karsada pwerteng bati-a, lapuk kaayo, daghan lubak2x, ug daghan sab kinawtan nga mga bangag courtesy of DPWH (I've heard project kuno ni sa Aboitiz, or sa Gorones contractors). Now, akong pangutana, nganong karun ra man ni gibuhat sa government sa San Fernando ug sa Naga? Nganong gidungan2x man nila ug kawt tanan karsada? I suspect this has something to do with the coming May elections. Basin siguro tungod kay hapit na ang elections ila na gihimu ila mga projects. Para siguro by May naa na sila'y mapakita nga project sa katawhan. The same in Talisay. Grabe sad didto. Grabe, gi-dungan2x nila ug guba ang karsada. Kung ila pa ni gi-anam2x ug renovate ang karsada dili unta mapwerwisyo ang mga motorists. Pero pareha na sa ako gisulti, I suspect nga this has something to do with the coming elections. Ila na lang gidungan2x ang projects para makaabot sa May. So kana nga quality sa ato mga government officials, puro ra election ang gihuna-huna, dili jud ta muasesyo ana. Another thing, about traffic lang gihapon. Kanang heavy ang traffic, unya naay mga vehicles nga mu-overtake nimo unya musugata sa pikas nga lane, nga maka-stuck up sa traffic, maglagot jud ko magtan-aw ana. Common sense ra man intawn ang kinahanglan ana uy, nga makasabot ka nga kung sugatun nimo ang traffic gikan sa opposite direction ma-stuck up ang tanan vehicles. Pero sad to say, common kaayo na every time naay traffic (especially diri sa South). It's really true what they say, nga we Filipinos daw have a "grade 4" mentality. Mugawas jud na basta traffic. Wala tay self-discipline. It's the same in the other areas of our day-to-day lives, so that we can say nga the situation we see during traffic jams is only a microcosm of the situation we see in the whole country. Kining atong tendency nga ganahan ta maka-una at the expense sa uban taw (pareha sa situation sa traffic), kining atong lack of patience and self-discipline, mao jud ni siya'y maka-stagnate sa development sa ato country: Everyone wants to get ahead of everyone else at the expense of everyone else (In Tagalog, we are "makasarili"), we lack patience and self-discipline, so our lives never improve.

Maldito: That was a very beautiful article you shared with us. I really think that one of the major causes, if not *the* major cause, for our backwardness is our lack of love for our country. We manifest this lack of love in many ways, but mainly: First, the fact that 1/5 of our population want to leave the country. That's why nursing, as a course, is very popular among our students. I know a lot of people, friends and classmates, who took up nursing after graduating from college. Some of them opted for caregiving courses. In all of them I could really feel this sense of hopelessness. It's a very sad phenomenon. Second, the fact that people don't care about their environment. That's why we have piles of garbage everywhere. That's why our surroundings are so filthy. Because we don't love our surroundings, we carelessly throw garbage anywhere, we carelessly pollute our rivers and seas, we carelessly pollute our air with noxious fumes from our vehicles. Third, the fact that we continue to have corruption in government. Because we don't love our country, we don't care if politicians continue to rob the country of its wealth. We condemn corruption publicly, but praise them in private. In private, we admire the wealth public officials flaunt, their mansions and luxury cars, although in public we scorn them. If we loved our country, we would all be strongly condemning our public officials for robbing the country's coffers, we would all be indignant about it. But we are apathetic, all we do is look at it with sarcasm and cynicism. Fourth, the fact the some of us want to become a state of another country. If we truly loved our country, perhaps we would realize that loving her doesn't just mean being willing to die for her (such as when we were called to defend democracy during the EDSA I revolution), but also, and maybe more importantly, being willing to *live* for her (such as when we are called everyday to exercise our responsibilities as citizens: to always be informed on issues that concern all of society, to participate in the policy-making of government, etc.). I think *living* for our country is a harder task since it's a responsibility which we have to exercise everyday.

The way I see it, this lack of love for our country can be rooted from our lack of national identity. We don't have a sense of being a nation, of being one people binded by similar ideals and aspirations. We are fragmented by selfish interests, not only in society itself wherein we compete with each other usually at the expense of each other, but also and more glaringly in the country's political arena, wherein different political parties fight for power and influence. Finally, I think this lack of a sense of national identity can be rooted in our ignorance of our history. Or, to put it more simply, we have no sense of the past. We not only know our history, of the important events that happened in our past and the people who played a part in these events, we also do not have a grasp of the significance of these events. I think that history is very important in the life of any nation. Look at those other countries in Asia: Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, to name only a few. They have prospered because they have a sense of their past, and therefore they have a grasp of their future, of where they want to go. This is the important function that history plays in the life of a nation: it serves as its memory. It's the same in an individual, for example. Imagine if you suddenly meet an accident (Pwera gaba lang!), and you suddenly lose your memory, meaning na-amnesia ka. What would that be like? Wouldn't you be confused, disoriented, etc? You wouldn't know what to think, what to do, where to go, etc. The same goes for a nation. A nation without a sense of its past, a nation without a memory, would be confused and disoriented also. It wouldn't know what to do or where to go. I think that's the reason why our country today seem not to know where it wants to do. It has no direction, no sense of purpose. Political interests are pulling it from all directions.

One thing that also sets us apart from our Asian neighbors is our subservience to foreign powers. We are so subservient to America. This tilt towards dependency on America will not help us at all. We will never learn to work hard on our own, we will never learn to stand up on our own two feet, we will never progress economically. Other Asian countries never allow foreign countries to meddle in their country's affairs, much less allow foreign troops in their land, which we are doing also.