Malapit na ang Pasko, mas maganda kung magpahinga muna tayo sa pagbabatikos sa isa't-isa, at paghihila pababa sa ating kapwa Pilipino. Mas maganda kung mag-isip naman tayo ng kabutihan para magkaroon ng kapayapaan sa ating puso at sa ating bansang Pilipinas lalo na ngayong Pasko.
KAYANG KAYA BASTA SAMA SAMA, di ba?
Natanggap ko mula sa isa sa aking mga kababayan ang napakagandang email na ito, nakapagbigay ng ngiti sa akin at lalo akong naging taas noo dahil Pilipino ako!
Subject: The Other (Positive) Side of the Philippines
Dear Proactive Filipino Friends,
I felt compelled to send these positive things about our country because our local media has been harping on most things negative about our country and these, in turn, are picked by foreign media, thus, painting a scenario that is beyond hope and further aggravating the current political crisis in our country. While both the administration forces headed by PGMA and the opposition forces consisting of a mixed lot which are only united in their desire to force PGMA to resign or, if not possible, to oust her by legal or illegal means, are both equally responsible for creating an atmosphere of political instability, the media has also, to a large extent, contributed to the perception of political instability by not giving a balanced view of the situation and hyping our country's problems just to gain a wide readership, viewership, and/or listenership audience, especially knowing that the largely uneducated and therefore, impressionable and undiscerning "masa" comprises the greater number of our population.
What are some of these positive things about our country?
1. The phenomenal growth of our telecom industry which did not even exist before 1995 when the industry was deregulated. Since then, billions of dollars have been invested in both fixed line and cellular networks producing a system with over 5,000 kilometers of fiber optic backbone at a world competitive cost. From a fixed line capacity of about 900,000 in l995, we now have over seven million. Cellular phones practically didnt exist in 1995; now, we have an over ll-million capacity. Our country is undisputedly the texting capital of the world with over 3.5 million text messages sent daily. The two leading players, Smart and Globe have close to 35 million subscribers combined. Even housemaids own and use cellphones nowadays.
2. The MRT (Metro Rail Transit) along EDSA and Sta. Mesa to Pasig, many of the EDSA flyovers (including the Ayala Avenue and Buendia flyovers), the Skyway, Rockwell, Glorietta 4, the much-improved North Expressway and most of the new skyscrapers were not yet bullt in l995;
3. If you drive to the provinces, you will notice that national roads are now of good quality (international quality asphalt roads);
4. Philippine exports have increased by 600 percent over the past 8 years. My favorite fruit, the Philippine mango, can now be found in the U.S. and Europe;
5. Intel has been in the Philippines for 28 years. The Philippine plant is where Intel's most advanced products are launched including the Pentium IV. Since 2003, Intel's Philippine operation has been its biggest assembly and testing operations worldwide;
6. Texas Instruments has been operating in Baguio for over 20 years. The Baguio plant is the biggest producer of DSP chips in the world. DSP chips are the brains behind cellphones. TI's Baguio plant powers 100% of all NOKIA cellphones and 80% of Ericsson cellphones in the world;
7. Toshiba laptops are produced in Santa Rosa, Laguna;
8. If you drive a Benz, BMW, or Volvo, there is a high probability that the ABS system in your car was made in the Philippines;
9. By the end of this year, it is expected that the majority of the top ten call centers in the U.S. will have set up operations in the Philippines. This is one area in which I believe we are the best in the world in terms of value for money;
10. America Online (AOL) has 1,000 people in Clark answering 90% of AOL's global e-mail inquiries;
11. Proctor & Gamble has 400 employees in Makati with average age of 23 doing back-up office work to their Asian operations including finance, accounting, human resources, and payments processing;
12. Among other things it does for its Asian operations here in Manila, Citibank also does its global ATM programming locally;
13. This is the first year our country will be exporting cars in quantity - courtesy of Ford Philippines;
14. The government is shedding graft and corruption slowly but surely. This is the first time in our history that a former president is in jail and facing charges of plunder which is punishable by death. Despite all odds, we are still pursuing the ill-gotten wealth of Marcos now enjoyed by his unrepentant heirs.
This message is shared by those who persevere to hope and work for our country.
Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!
Bobby Sumulong
19 comments:
I agree with the 'positive' things enumerated by your friend, Teacher Sol.....BUT, I still think the Filipino can do better. If you notice, a great deal of the "positive side" he mentioned --- from #5 onwards --- are foreign companies using the Filipino workforce to produce goods for them. 'Nothing wrong about that, of course. But wouldn't it be better, if we have OUR OWN FILIPINO companies producing OUR OWN technology products? Wouldn't it be great to have a FILIPINO laptop, a true FILIPINO-engineered car, a FILIPINO-owned CPU chip selling abroad? The thing is, for the last 19 years since EDSA 1, we are still no more than workers making international product goods for foreign companies. Sure, there is the Philippine mango, but what happened to Philippine rice? We use to export that, too. Also, I do not agree with his #14. I can talk to you personally over coffee about my encounters with graft and corruption. Not everyone in government is corrupt --- yes --- but the corrupt still outnumber the decent ones.
Don't get me wrong. I am all for positive thinking. But in the State University, many professors especially those in the College of Business Administration and College of Engineering lament the sad fact of WHY, up to now, we do not have the means to stand up on our own and excel in manufacturing. Sure, there's Jollibee and probably SM that's going overseas. But the call of the moment are what your friend mentioned --- technology, computers, chips, cars, etc. We still do not have the independence to produce all of these solely on our own. We continue to be mere workers and employees of foreign companies who can. Call centers? Sure, there's big money there. But I guess those who work there have pretty mangled sleep rhythms. They wouldn't work unholy hours if there were a better choice. We must all work to achieve that BETTER CHOICE for the next generation. Para wala nang aalis gaano dito sa atin. Malungkot pag nagkakahiwalay ang mga pamilya.
Let me thank you for the kind congratulatory remarks you wrote in my blog. You have a great blog here, yourself. I particularly like your header logo. It has an excellent design and layout. Congratulations to you too, for winning Pinoy Blogger of the Year.
PS. You have a familiar face. I must've seen you in UP when I was there.
Hi Doc Emer,
An honor for me to be visited by the the Most Informative Blogger of the Year, haha.
I miss having good exchange of thoughts here in my blog, I always wanted this site to be as interactive as it used to before I got really busy, and it will be again as long as I keep posting controversial topics like this one, right? *wink
Doc Emer, there's nothing wrong with a healthy dialogue, don't worry :D as long as our exchanges don't go below the belt, let's just focus on our entries.
Like you I've been hoping for those things that you mentioned. Nasa wish list ko na yata kay Santa Claus ang mga yan mula pa pagkabata...naka-ilang presidente na tayo pero di pa rin natutupad na maging primary manufacturers tayo ng mga technology goods na ito...from cars to laptops. It would really be good kung maging katulad tayo ng Japan, China or Singapore na halos lahat na yata ng makita kong products for sale dito sa kinaroroonan ko galing sa 3 bansang yan sa Asia. If and only if we can be like them in a few years time...
Kaya ba? Maganda nga kung kakayanin natin di ba? Para nga masuportahan na ng ekonomiya natin ang pagpapasweldo sa mga OCWs at di na kami naghihirap pa dito na mamura ng aming mga estudyante at magsakripisyo na mawalay sa aming mga pamilya at mga kaibigan. Nakaka-miss din ang Paskong Pinoy sa Pilipinas, walang kasing saya!
Siguro bunga na nga ng ating Unibersidad na pinanggalingan, katulad mo napaka-idealist ko. But i've been hurt, disillusioned and frustrated a lot of times because of being an idealist. I've learned my lessons, sabi nga, "if you can't beat them, join them"...ops! Not join the bad ones ha. I decided to join the proactive ones. Kesa naman iasa nang iasa pa sa gobyerno na wala namang nangyayari dahil bukod sa kanilang mga personal na problema marami pa silang burdens on their shoulders na kasing laki ng isang buong bansa.
Gawin nalang natin ang mga positibong magagawa natin, maliit man o malaki. May mga responsibilidad din tayo being citizens of the Philippines. Hindi naman nakakatulong ang mga pagrereklamong ginagawa natin, bagkus, nakakapalaki ng problema.
Ipagpasalamat nalang natin na isa pa rin ang bansa natin sa pinaka-importanteng bansa sa buong mundo.
Mula sa maliit na bagay, kakayanin nating gumawa ng malalaking bagay. Doc Emer, pag na-realize ito ng mga kababayan natin, baka ang nasa wish list mo dito, hindi magtagal ay magkatotoo. Let's join hand to achieve something great and noble for our country. KAYANG KAYA BASTA SAMA SAMA, di ba?
Ang haba ng sagot ko, sumakit ang kamay ko sa pag-type nito ah, haha :D
dear sis,
I read your encouraging notes regarding our country
and am impressed sana nga magkatotoo, pero wala na rin
Tol kac andito kami sa Mindanao and sirang sira na ang
image ng leadership ni GMA, baka kung magbago ang ihip
ng hangin dito sa atin at magbago na ang mga tao sa
values nila, maging simply lang at mabawasbawasan ang
corruption and pagbabangayan.
Thanks.
sis bai bing
cotabato city
philippines
this is indeed a very uplifting article. i forwarded it to some friends.
Merry Christmas po! i'll send you my itinerary in a separate mail.
Congratulations.
Let me add to the list. Did you know that Intel and other IT companies have been tapping for years the raw talents and ideas of our students in UP and other big universities especially in robotics and microprocessors.
Merry Christmas.
Thank you.
its time siguro na kalimutan na natin muna ang sobrang politika at isipin na lang natin kung ano ang magagawa natin sa ating bansa. katulad dito sa blogging world sana sa halip na hidwaan batikusan at intrigahan sana magkaisa tayo para sa kapakanan nang ating bayan. magtulungan tayo sapagkat iisa ang ating bansa saan mang dayuhang bansa tayo naroroon o nasa loob man ng ating bayan. wala ng sasarap pang mamuhay sa sariling bayan at panahon na siguro upang gumawa tayo ng paraan sa maliit man nating kakayanan upang matulungan nating maiaangat ang ating bansa hindi lamang sa pamamagitan ng pinansiyal at materyal na bagay na ating pinararating sa pamamagitan ng ating mga remittance at balikbayan boxes kundi maging sa ating mga kaisipang at opinyong makabayan, makatao at na naglalayon ng pag-gising at pagpukaw ng diwa ng pagkakaisa at pagtutulungan para sa kapakanan ng ating Inang Bayan.
Sis Bai Bing Wala nang pag-asa ang Pilipinas kung iaasa pa natin na maiangat ni PGMA ang kinasusudlukan ng bansa. Sana gumawa nalang tayo ng positibo at hayaan nalang natin ang mga gumagawa ng masama. Pasko naman ngayon, walang masama kung gagawa tayo ng kabutihan, di ba?
Owen FV Thanks a lot for being a proactive blogger too. I will wait for you here in washington DC, call me or email me, k? *wink
Myepinoy I guess it's about time to update my list too, delete the inactive ones and include my new blogger friends in my circle *wink. I just hope that after training these students in the newest about technology and innovation, they would stay and help uplift the present situation of our country
Atoy Tama ka dyan, sana naman dahil iisa ang kulay ng mga balat natin sana'y magkaisa tayong lahat... "hindi lamang sa pamamagitan ng pinansiyal at materyal na bagay ... kundi maging sa ating mga kaisipang at opinyong makabayan, makatao at na naglalayon ng pag-gising at pagpukaw ng diwa ng pagkakaisa at pagtutulungan para sa kapakanan ng ating Inang Bayan.
May kwento ako sa kulay ng balat na yan, hehe :D Yung anak ko tinanong ako: "Mommy, what's the color of our skin, black or white?" Parang tinatanong nya kung African American kami o Caucasian, ang sagot ko "Sweetie, our skin is brown, we're Filipinos. Sabi nya, No, Mommy, there's only Black or White"
Kawawa naman ang anak ko, nagkakaroon ng identity crisis, napakabata pa. Buti nalang nagiging active na kami sa Filipino Community dito, at least nakakasalamuha na nya ang mga kalahi nya di ba?
They say that one silver lining in our economic horizon is the proposed government backing of medical tourism. this means that patients from all over the world who want mammoplasty, rhinoplasty, sexchange will make a beeline for the RP embassy. although it's not exactly as significant in the annals of Healthcare as finding a cure for HIV, Cancer, or ethical solution to the stem-cell research conundrum, it does have potential for putting food on the table so most Filipinos, here, could eat 3x a day.
Great information. I'm continuing to learn more about you and the Philippines.
those were positive insights but sometimes we have to be realists. we should consider the present situations as benchmark in doing positive things. how many of the remarkable accomplishments outdo the disappointing failure to govern the country, and vice versa? working on a common ground will require great effort, i believe. though we work out things together, we still need sensible leaders. up to now, they are still missing. or we don't need them at all?
Hey, that is nice. I didn't know some of those things!
I vaguely remember some stuff I studied in school about Levi's having a manufacturing plant here in the Philippines where they make each pair for around 500 pesos each. They refuse to sell any of those at a price close to that. Instead, they export it to the US for the labeling and then import it back here and sell it for no lower than around 2K a pair. There ya go!
Apir great teacher sol!
It's only some 60 years that we had independence and no one expects a miracle but our report card shows that we could have done better and I wholeheartedlly agree.
At the end of the day, what really matters is that every Filipino lives a dignified life, self-sufficient and is able to provide 3 square meals a day for each and every member of his family.
As individuals we are as good as anyone on planet earth but collectively as a people, we seem unable to shape our own destiny as a nation. Perhaps this is not entirely our fault. It is only been 60 years that we have been allowed to think for ourselves.
It's very interesting to see from the comments here how people have different ways of perceiving or country *wink. I belive in Murhy's law: "What can go wrong will go wrong".
I agree with BW's standpoint. Our country is still very young compared to the most powerful countries in the world. At least we haven't a civil war yet, and hopefully not.
It doesn't matter whether the government is doing or not doing anything about the present situation of the country. But the thing is, we as citizens of the Philippines, we still have our obligations to help uplift our country's plight. Are we doing our part then?
hi teacher sol,
this is a good and intelligent discussion....
alhtough I disagree in some points, in general, there are positive things pa rin tayong makikita sa Pilipinas.
There is nothing wrong in being an eternal optimist and feed on the positive only to feel better and get motivated but on the other hand one has to get a realistic assessment of the situation to understand what needs to be done. If we all do our due diligence and darnest best does it guarantee that we get over the hump? Perhaps our perception of what society
should look or be doesn’t entirely fit the ideal formula of what society MUST be.
If we paint a picture of a prosperous, middle class family – how should it look like? Husband
and/or wife gainfully employed, a nice house in a middle class subdivision, a car or a van , two
young kids going to private school, a kusinera, a yaya, labandera ? How many yayas
and katulongs do we need in the country if we all become prosperous? What about the yayas ,
katulongs, labanderas – don’t they deserve the right to be prosperous too?
The poor in our country must exist to serve the rich or even the moderately well off and we wonder
why they’re always around and the country cannot seem take off. This kind of thinking - a class or caste
system , whatever you may want to call it, is a product of our colonial past , that the poor is sort of a commodity that needs to exist to serve the well to do. In short, our vision of what a society should look like is skewed and unconsciously we would be designing all our developmental endeavors with elitism in mind , that society is always composed of the haves and have nots. We will create better schools for the haves, fenced subdivisions for the haves, restaurants for the haves – in fact we would all want to jump into the fence and be among the haves at all cost, even if it means blowing our government apart to attain the objective. Many of us cross the fence but many more are neglected and left behind to languish with the have nots.
Unless the picture of a prosperous family is devoid of yayas, katulongs and labanderas I believe
that prosperity for the country as a whole cannot be attained. It is only been 60 years and unless we recognize and shake off the curses of our colonial past we will never make any headway!
Sana nga tuluy tuloy na yan... Imagine kung walang power grabbing!? Eh baka in 10 years pa kamo! Hehehe...
But, it just so happen lang siguro talaga na maraming pumasok na dolyar sa bansa natin dahil sa magpapasko...
But then again, sana nga tumaas na ng todo a value ng Peso...
Hey Teacher Sol,
While Dr.Emer recognized a sad reality, I agree that being optimistic overcomes so many barriers. We should remain true to principles and celebrate our small glories no matter what they be. Congratulations on your award. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
i agree teacher! kaya naman there's no place like home, dont want to settle somewhere else but our beloved hometown, i really wanna go home tuloy...
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