A Country Of Moochers
The Stupid Basketball League I was about to sleep and decided to do a last minute peek at my Facebook page from my iPad when I saw this exchange of messages from alumni of the high school I went to. You see, I finished high school at this overrated and vastly overpriced place called Don Bosco Makati and the reason why I say that is because most of its products are cretins.
The more I was reading the exchanges, the more I believed that my parents just flushed money down the toilet wasting tuition on that poor excuse of a school.
The issue started when an alumnus of this supposedly exclusive school posted a message soliciting donations for an “Inter Batch Basketball Tournament” saying that they needed help from people so the players can buy their uniforms, have food/drinks after each game and so they could pay for the “quota” needed to join the league.
One alumnus, (a rare non-bozo from Don Bosco) questioned the solicitation and said:
“Dudes, aren’t we all like, 30 years old? Why the hell do you guys not have enough money to buy a pair of shorts and a jersey?”
The replies from the bozos were:
“Bro, di lang naman uniform ang babayaran. May quota rin para makasali yung team. Common sa basketball team na may managers. The players play their hearts out pag nasa game and also risk injury. Since they are representing batch 97, louie is just asking if anyone is willing to help shoulder some of the expenses. Last year 4 ang nag donate. I wont be naming them na. And every game, may nag sponsor ng water/ gatorade or red bull. He is not forcing anyone naman. You dont know the status of all players. Malay mo the others are jobless. Games are also played on weekends so additional gas expenses pa yun.”
“I’ll answer all your questions. basketball teams pay a certain fee in basketball tournaments to cover for the payment of salaries of referees,basketball committee, use of the basketball court etc. kaya meron quota. The managers don’t get salaries as they are the ones who usually contribute funds for the team’s expenses. It’s a way for them to support the team. Games are played on weekends so addl expenses yan. Just look at the news to know if tumataas ang presyo ng petrolyo. Yung mga walang trabaho, sarado ang hr pag weekends. Not all are successful as others and are privileged enough to work abroad like you. Di ganon kadali maghanap ng trabaho. Bumalik ka dito to see for yourself.”
“And for all you ignorant people, they are actually volunteering to play for our batch. Risking injuries and all. So please, let’s not brush it off as though it is a small thing. Not only that, these are really good players who do not get to play as much because of other good players in the team. So I would strongly suggest that let’s not make a mockery of their sacrifice. I hope this makes sense for someone who does not know basketball.”
The non-bozo alumnus then replied:
“What i don’t understand is why the unemployed players risk life and limb for the game. Don’t they have responsibilities to their families? If they get injured, will the quota pay for that? Or solicit uli tayo? Referee, committee and court expenses — really? You guys need all that? You guys can’t get alumni who can volunteer their time to officiate games or man the committees? And which court do you guys need? You guys can’t play Saturday afternoons at Savio Court para libre? Or the alumni don’t have enough pull at admin to even just do that? I know gas prices are going up, but George said, “Games are also played on weekends so additional gas expenses pa yun”. So what is the connection between weekends and gas expenses? I will want to shut up (eventually) but it appears you guys are neglecting the real issues of unemployment and poverty of your batchmates, for the sake of an “ostentatious” basketball game. For what? For the glory of batch 97? We put 5 Champion trophies on our wall during our CAT days, and never solicited from any bosconian. Why? Because we were all volunteers. I suggest you guys do the same.”
“I am not here to rain on your parade guys. You have every right to have fun and select the type of fun you wish to undertake. I am not questioning your intentions of camaraderie and unity among batchmates. What I question are your priorities. I find that the expenses involved in your game are ridiculous and ostentatious for there are alternatives to pursue, to make playing basketball cheaper, if not, free. And if you’re telling me that some of our batchmates are unemployed, then they should not be volunteering/sacrificing their health and family for a physical game where they will incur avoidable healthcare expenses, should they become injured.
I am not mocking the intentions of the players’ sacrifices. In fact, I think it’s very noble. However, I question their priorities and the committee’s as well. If some players are unemployed, shouldn’t you guys just set up public service initiatives for our batchmates in need? But alas, you guys will gladly have them play basketball for your bragging rights!”
Why play when you don’t have work?
There is a saying that goes “All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy.” In The Philippines, there should be a saying that goes “All play and no work makes Juan a parasite”. The bozo from Don Bosco said and I quote again:
“Malay mo the others are jobless. Games are also played on weekends so additional gas expenses pa yun.”
In the quote above, he said that others may be jobless so they need someone to buy uniforms for them so they could play basketball. I find that kind of reasoning absurd. Recreation should be a reward for one’s successes. If you do not have a job or your career isn’t a successful one, you should spend your time learning new skills and saving your money for hard times ahead instead of playing basketball on the dime of other people.
If you can’t afford it, don’t do it. It’s that simple.
Dole-out Culture
“Just look at the news to know if tumataas ang presyo ng petrolyo. Yung mga walang trabaho, sarado ang hr pag weekends.”
The quote above pretty much tells you that the person who said it is a typical imbecile Filipino infected with what you call a “Dole-out Culture”. My parents and I once got into a discussion on how to help the Filipino people and I told them that giving bread or other material things to the “needy” is not going to do any good. That is tantamount to implementing a hardware solution to a software problem. If you have a computer that keeps crashing after a certain period of time due to viruses clogging up the memory, no matter how much RAM you add, the problem is not going to go away. You need to get your Antivirus software, reinstall your operating system and do other steps that may be necessary to remove those viruses.
Culture was once mentioned here in AP to be the “software” that enables the “hardware” (The Filipino People) to produce its output. The poor quality of output Philippine society has is due to a dysfunctional culture. One of the major dysfunctions is how the typical Filipino looks at dole-outs. For them, it is something to lavish themselves with and it is a “gift from heaven”. This attitude is rooted in laziness and a severe lack of a sense of honor. It produces a society of “Juan Tamads” waiting for the guavas to fall into their mouths. To give to these Juan Tamads makes you an enabler and you are just contributing to furthering the malaise that has infected the minds of Filipinos and weakened the society since time immemorial. The principle should be that if you cannot stand on your own two feet or provide for your own needs (unless you are disabled), then you are dishonored. You should be treated as a basket case unless you shape up and earn the money for the things you need and want.
The Philippines: A Country of Moochers
Originally Posted by reptoid
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