I have been writing reviews for a particular site since December of 2007. This month of February, the site has launched a contest on most popular or most rated article or review of the month. Of course, I inored it and simply went on with my regular reviewing articles. But without my knowledge, some people/members of the site have positively rated my work and I found it to be in the top 5 area. So I began to promote it to go up and also, to advertise my articles and my profile a little... if my name and image appears in the first page of the site. And to make the story short, I made to the top 3 and eventually to the top 2 making it indeed appear on the first page.

Yesteraday (February 23) I have thought to ask the help of my blogger friends. Among them are Anino, Coolingstar, Emotera and Gina. Actually, at that moment, I was just testing the waters. If they help me, all right, if not, still all right. However, as I wake this morning and logged to this review site I have I saw all their rpositive atings and positive comments. I was astonished. I never expected this!

Currently, I am running second. But of course, I don't loose hope although the contest is ending in five days (four days if we base on Philippine time) but I already considered myself as a winner... not winning literally but to see the support of people you asked help from, it's definitely a feeling of a champion.If you happen to read this and cast your vote, I am not hypocrite not to appreciate it! I highly appreciate it! Of course!

I did consider it a true help because it was not a simple process. Because first, I required them to sign up HERE and we are to be automatic friends in this site, and after they have completed and confirmed their memebership, I requested them to click " HERE 2 and rate my work. You may do the same at your heart's will. And in advance, I thank you.

As a gratitude, I post their respective blogs here and I will do the same to those who support my review as well. And adding an image in your profile settings if you sign up is really great. Just post a comment when you finish doing it and I would obligue to add your your link to be seen by the rest. This is arrange according to who signed and commented first. My deepest gratitude to all of YOU! Grazie a tutti! Grazzie a tutti! Maraming slamat! In simple words, THANK YOU!

Mga Hiwaga ng Kasaysayan by Anino
Coolingstar9 by Coolingstar9
EMOTERA by Emotera
THE MELIORIST by Gina

And here comes the second batch of my recognition to those who happened to read this blog and responded without hesitation:

Aller La-Bas by Weng
Korean Food by Idealpinkrose
Sheng's Simple Thoughts by Gorgeous Sheng
One Corner of My Life by Gagay Gwapa

And YOU, who read this, is very welcome to click their links and see what they offer!

Afraid to be poor? Afraid to be down? Why don't you pull your friends with you so you are not alone? Why don't you pull your neighbors down so you have companions? This is the usual understanding and explanation of a "crabness" or crab mentality. "If I cannot have it, no one must have it." When a crab doesn't want to get cooked inside a cooking pot or"kawali" or anything for cooking, they pull each other for survival or simply to get even but in the end, they all get cooked! This is the same situation in the Philippines. In short, INGGIT!

But is this really the case? The one that I see which is the biggest hindrance to the success of Filipinos is a little revision of this so called "crab mentality". It it not INGGIT per se but the "asa" thing. I do hate this concept and system in the country. I HATE IT SO MUCH! I know a lot of my readers and a lot of you may disagree but this is how I see it.

In a family where there are four children (typical of a Pinoy family), and of course, a mother and a father. The mother and father let (or force) child number 1 to study....study...study...study and make your life better. Then you will let your younger siblings study with your income. This we start with parents' irresponsibilities again. Because for me, the total welfare of the children are all the responsibilities of the parents. NOT of the other child, especially the older one.

Kuya/Ate has graduated and must spend for the other younger siblings. Also MUST give some amount to parents. While kuya/ate suffers from debts, tiredness and overtime and cannot even make even a 2% savings of her income, Nanay and Tatay are so proud of Kuya/Ate for he/she is the breadwinner now. And the younger siblings enjoy their allowance, spend here, smoke there and drink everywhere.

Kuya/Ate grow old with responsibility. At times, the younger siblings are not able to graduate because after all, kuya/ate is there to give money and provide. And kuya/ate who strived hard HAS NO WAY to improve his/her own life. Has no way to breath better, has no way to invest in his/her future. And this situation is not only one in the country...almost all. And among the four children, there is no one who becomes "better off" in life. When kuya/ate gets married, the parents feel bad. Yes, they don't have enough enjoyment of kuya/ate's remittance yet. And when Kuya/Ate starts a family, he/she must start from zero, debts, without investment and poor. And the cycle goes on and on and on and no improvement. And now we ask why majority of the Filipinos are poor? Just see at the syste, I have explained.

I can see that Filipinos can be caring and loving but all is priced with money. Only hypocrites do not admit this. Parents want their children to have rich spouse, or have better work...mostly because they are expecting something back. I hate the family system in my country. I have to tell. I hate the family system in Philippines. Where one relies to one in the family who has resources, where one of the family member has a chance to be better, the rich of the family is pulling him/her down. And the rest of the family become irresposnsible because the breadwinner is there. But overall, it is how the parents teach the children. The children are brainwashed and really feel that it is their responsibilty when in fact, it is the parents' responsibility. And if you/kuya/ate has little and save for herself/himself and just give out just enough, you/kuya/ate is already bad in the eyes of the public. THIS IS AN INJUSTICE THAT EVERYONE IN THE PHILIPPINES TOLERATES!




I do hope a law will be passed in the country that if a parent cannot make their child/children graduate in school of at least two years college, they will be imprisoned. In this way, population will be controlled and potential irresponsible parents wont F_CK simply to create a child without responsibility. I cannot tell how many of the parents in the country are irresponsible. But i can say AT LEAST seventy-five percent. This is my observation and you can comment what you have observed. You are welcome here.

Philippines is still the best. Not as anything else but as a home. You can see my previous posts that they are a bit negative but they are NOT negative per se but simply to awaken Filipinos. I have a lot of discontentment of our culture and practices that leads to the sufferings of much of us in the country. How I want all of us to have freedom not only on the June 12 celebration but also in our way of life and the way we feel.. We are still NOT free if I am to be asked of it. We are still opressed by multinationals and capitalists taking our situation for granted... taking for granted our poverty and for this, they pay us less but we are like hungry mongrels grabbing their offer as if it's a favor for us. The truth is, we have just no other "BETTER" choice.

What I want to say here is the Philippines is still a best home for me. Here in Europe, there is no sun. And I do miss the "sinaing" rice by now. I eat pasta as the main course daily and all beef..beef..and beef. Sometimes chicken too but I miss the native chicken taste and the "lechon" turkey of my "lolo".

To those who dream of snow, I tell you to stop! again STOP! Don't hate our hot weather for it it much better than the cold. You don't know how it is to be cold. You don't know how it is to carry/wear clothes that are so heavy beacue you need it not to be sick or get frozen/die. I cannot go out and breath the air (my nose is not patterned to it!) and I cannot go out with a wet hair. Drying my hair every after shower is a real work! grrrr! I miss my sleveless and backless clothes! Here boots is a necessity and it's so tiring to wear a pair them! I have to tell you that the cold is more tiring than our heat there. Add when it's summer here, it's really hotter than there. It's great to go and visit other countries to learn and be as a tourist but not too good to live in their weather. Yes, they are a lot more organized and with better facilities I have to admit.

What is my point? My point is, don't be fooled by TV. Caucasians look cool with their outfits in TV but it is because you don't feel the cold that they feel. I am in Italy and it is the hottest part of Europe. But still, I feel cold. I miss the sun. I MISS THE SUN! And I miss Coca cola! I drink wine at least 4 glasses a day. Coke here is more expensive! Rice here is 2 euro a kilo! Oh my God! Really Philippines is the best place to live. If you ask how, just see the number of tourists dying to be there. Wanting to be there.

But even I tell this, I still want to emphasize that simply because I like to live in Philippines I shut my mouth off for all its hypocrisy. To be deaf in all its shortcomings. NEVER! I will always have an open eye here so when I go home, my country is a little better... and I do hope I can help it to be "more" better! Bangon Pinas!


edit...

Of course I have to edit this post to add my appreciation of the award I got from a friend here, The Meliorist. Actually, I don't know nothing about this award and i feel so warm and good about this... but because the theme of my blog is not into awards, I hope it is all right with here if i post it here... I DO APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH! Click here to visit THE MELIORIST.

And now, I am passing this award to the one blogger I really noticed these past weeks. She is young at heart but have this very good mindset. I like how she thinks and I like her posts. She is a student and I like her ideas. Together with the

Meliorist, she is listed in my favorite bookmarked list here. To tell you the truth, I am very difficult to satisfy so to be in my fave list is really abig thing. So congratulations Weng. This blog of the month award I am bestowing to Weng now.

To visit her blog, just click Weng's Aller La-bas Blog.

Weng, this is for you now. I hope you gladly accept it.





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To my fellow Filipinos, I hope this post finds you well. With more or less a hundred million of us in the country are you aware that the small thing that you do can be repeated a million times by other Filipinos? This is the law of multiplication and if one does this activity or action, for sure it will be done by others too and the effect is not as small as you or we might have thought. This is for all of us, but since I am already practising these things, it means now to be for YOU, Pinoys and Pinay!

First, is with our treatment of garbage. When you have the urge to throw a tinypiece of candy wrapper and you think that it is only a very little thing and will not impact the amount of garbage, I tell you that YOU ARE WRONG! It is not just a little garbage because if there are ten persons who thinklike you do, your ten little garbage put all together is not little anymore. And as I have said, we are around 100 million in philippines, what if all the rest think like you do? Philippines will be all garbage!


Second. For the men and boys of Philippines please refrain from pissing/urinating anywhere. You have no reason to pollute the country for free because the women are suffering the foul ammoniac on most walls and streets. Why are you so shamelss in doing so? This is just a little sacrifice for your country, for your fellow Filipinos and to the future generation. Aside from garbage, you add bad smell...and this is dirty as well! There are hundreds of thousand (if not millions) of you Filipino men/boys who do this shameful act!




Third: Be responsible! Not to others but to yourself. Don't allow anyone to corrupt you. Corruption in the country is anywhere. Even in the homes it exists when parents have to pay for a perfect score made by the child in school. Remember that if we planted garbage and wrong mindset, we will reap much more volume of garbage. Think of the future, do not just think of what is good for today. There is no "Bahala Na!" There is no "Mamaya Na!" and The saying that "Habang Buhay May Pag-asa". Why? People in comatose are alive... and not all of them have "pag-asa per se".

These three are so simple and yet if all do these, there will be a great impact in the country. Or even just one, the number one. Please let us make the Philippines a better place to live in and I hope in few years and in the next generation, it's still Filipinos owning the country and with freedom. Philippines is still opressed. No liberty, no freedom because of the poverty and abuse... well, cause by its inhabitants of course!

I have posted this Article about sex and prostitution in the Philippines and I strongly commend those who have read and commented on it. That means you (and you know who you are) are not sleeping and as I have said, not like the apathetic many. I want to say now that I welcome all comments, whether against or pro to what I think of. This is the main reason why I don't put comment moderation in my settings because I highly respect what others think. I know this world is in chaos and have difficulties (actually much difficulties) in achieving harmony because all of us do not think alike and we have our own sets of principles in life, either based on what we have learned or what we have experienced.





[A predator on its prey... just comprehend the connection in this post!]





As I write this post, there are three respondents: Gina of the Meliorist Blog, Painting Philippines and W3ng. See their verbatim comments below:

1. From Painting Philippines :
not just in the Philippines.. but in other parts of the world. it can be stopped.. if people stop talking about it giving much energy to the said industry. it can be stopped.. if one person takes a step to bring about change.. and there's still drugs and other stuffs along the way too. if one person becomes so "anti-something", you create more of that something. this is a nice way to be informed but one should not be inundated with them. that's why i pretty much shift my focus on all the good things Pinas has to offer.. and slowly... the energy all the bad stuffs in Pinas will dwindle.. because no one talks about it.

2. By Gina:
while in college, i came to learn that prostitution has been a rampant problem in the Philippines. this year, i learned that some prostis here in some areas in Southern Luzon undress their "pagkatao" FOR AS CHEAP AS P50.00. Gosh! tsk! tsk! tsk! pathetic. It seems that it is worsening and worsening because no action can be seen from the Philippine government.

3. From W3ng: :
i guess, this thing happens because people suffers from poverty... and the root-caused of this is corruption in the government... if the wealth of the state are equally distributed and are not put inside the pockets of those corrupt officials then maybe this problem will, somehow, "lessen"... i have chosen the word "lessen" because i agree with you that this problem can't be stopped (it can be lessen but it's impossible to stop it)...
and your right...and also Karl Marx ... to say that the power of the legislation is not enough to solve the problems of a state.
i also agree with 'Painting Philippines' that it's better to "shift our focus on all the good things Pinas has to offer.." saying negative things about the state would make us think that the Philippines is a hopeless case... We should not lose hope... ika nga eh, "habang buhay may pag-asa"...
anyways, ang ganda ng blog mo..! naappreciate ko xa!






[...and remember the law of nature: the weak are easy preys...]







For all of them/you, many thanks because you have spent time reading this article on Sex in the Philippines. However, i have to reiterate some more points about this topic:

First:. Philippines is my country and I care for it. I have chosen to be vigilant and not a pretending blind and deaf.. Maybe to others, what I have posted or the report from the Manila Standard Today may only be a movie script or a fiction. To be honest, i used to believe so until I have passed by the long streets of Makati Avenue, Angeles City and have spent som time at Sababg Beach in Puerto Galera. Maybe, only maybe, if you have seen what I have witnessed, you will get scared and be shocked with the reality that uncovers before your very bulging eyes. Yes, women, both young and old in underwears singing in bands or entertaining men (mostly foreign) in those outfits or making gross acts that you can only imagine. The worst (that I have experienced so far) are in Puerto Galera (Sabang) where teens...early teens accompany old foreigners, with almost naked outfits showing their tattoed a$$3$, pierced belly buttons, colored faces, etc..etc. Yes, I sould have preferred to forget about those things but it's just not that easy seeing your fellow Filipinas (especially kids) treated this way. The more painful feeling is, I could do nothing to help!

I have grown in the rural areas, had a life of innocense (and of course ignorance) when I was a child. I have observed schools (primary and elementary) in my locality where teachers gossip during class hours, get manicure and pedicure, or sell ice candies without minding their class and pupils. I have studied in school where the library was only for display to guests and never opened for students; where books must be in shelves and never be touched. As Painting Philippines have said, we could shift our focus. Yes, I agree. I appreciate the beautiful things in the Philippines. See my page's side bar and you will see the paradise- like beaches of Cebu and the freshness of Loboc River that I like so much. I love these things in the country. And yes, better to see all the beautiful things but we have to admit and never be hypocrite that our country has lots of shortcomings and it badly needs betterment and progress. I never said there is nothing to be proud of in our country. There is so much actually and that is why we have to lessen the bad things so that we can give more emphases on the better ones and be more proud and happy about it.
Second: I have to tell, even this is a sad note, that prostitution is impossible to stop. I say IMPOSSIBLE! Why? This has been the oldest trade and have survived till this day. And why? Because in Philippines, the main reason for doing this job (and yes, i said job) is poverty. But we have to say and we MUST admit that their are lots of other reasons. White slavery (beyond the control of the women victims), sickness (nymph) and rebellion (if you have seen the movie, The General's Daughter) to name a few. Simply because the world has much prostitutes and lots of prostitution, it's not an excuse to do the same in the Philippines because we know too well how moralist and catholicised/christianized the Philippines is and how those poor prostis are treated like garbage. Yes, adding insult to injury as we may say so.

Third: Again, we cannot just close our eyes and cover our ears about the bad things around us. It's good to be in the comfort zone, all beautiful and nothing bad. But this is not the reality. We live in the real world where there is the law of survival, oprressor, the oppressed, prey and predator (if you know what I mean) How do you feel to visit the most beautiful house in the villa, carpeted, with beautiful lawns, have an artificial lake, all beautiful but when you happen to enter, you slipped and the carpet moved away showing all the dusts and dirts under it. How do you see that house and what would your impression be? That's why I always say that OUR country (the Philippines) is the BIGGEST definition of hypocrisy/hypocrite. All the bad things are kept and all the good items are displayed. I do not like this system, that is why you are reading one of my posts now.

Fourth: Never it will happen that people can keep quiet about this reality (or any reality for that matter). There is the media, there are the organized crime group to advertise it, there are foreign exploiters in the country, there are much white slavery, there are pimps and it's not only these... the list goes on. There is no way we can control what the others will say about it. That is why I simply recommend to lessen it. If you happen to search online on sexy filipinas (or something of this theme) and your safe search is off, you will see kids doing what you cannot imagine them doing at their age. If we keep our mouth shut about this, if we continue to sleep on our comfort zones, many Pinay girls and women will be opressed and abused. Awareness is the first step in solving a problem. If you have a cancer, you must discover it in the early stage for it to be curable. There is hope as we live but we have to act fast. Start little, end big. Hoping without acion is not enough. Writing and passing laws are not enough. We all know this truth and compliments to the idea of W3ng on Karl Marx's view for this.

Honestly, I apologise to my fellow Filipinos for this is the only thing I can do so far (after and aside from not throwing garbage anywhere). I have no machineries and capacity to do big for the meantime. But I will be back in the Philippines when I am ready. When I am ready to help but I have to help myself first.

Fifth (and my last view for the meantime), simple advocacy is not enough. And being "Anti-something" is really not enough because again, these can be only the pretense of those who have ulterior motives. I won't say anything on this but I quote here the specific example I have taken from the same report of Manila Standard Today:

"On Jan. 14 to 21, more than 3,000 foreign participants went to Davao for the ATF Forum, the largest tourism event in the region that has tackled different issues related to tourism including sex tourism. So successful was the event that the city had to turn away more than 100 Korean participants who could not be accommodated in the city’s fully occupied hotels, one Mindanao-based economist says. During the forum, participants committed to address the problem of sex tourism and child exploitation in Asia.

One driver, however, claims that some male foreign participants in the forum went out at night and found their way to the city’s nightspots. Bar girls confirm this. Many ATF participants were treated to a night of fun at one KTV, one source says. Almost all nightspots, particularly those near hotels such as Marco Polo and Apo View, had foreign guests. Even pick up girls and call girls had foreign customers in January, a friend of these girls claims.

Tour operators also confirm this, although they say this was not a part of the participants’ official itinerary. “We do not encourage tourists to go to these spots, although we have no choice but to bring them to the legitimate bars, when they ask for it,” a tour operator says.

Just to discuss all, this post is not enough and will be too long if I do so. Just watch out for more views and updates. Don't expect all these are bad for I have planned to post how beautiful Bohol is but I have to post this as inspired by the three comments to my Sex in the Philippines post as I have mentioned above.
For related posts and other posts on Philippine Issues (as I see it) you may read on some below:

Sex in the Philippines

How Philippines Can Progress if Its Male Inhabitants Piss Like Dogs?

On Estrada's God is Punishing the Country (Philippines)

Another Big Pinoy Hypocrisy :The Half a Million Abortion!

With the growing popularity of Philippine tourism, it has proven to be helpful to sex workers in the country. There are at least 100, 000 women in the country, both young and a bit older trying their luck to have a fair share of income in the tourism industry of the Philippines. In the country (Philippines) sex is priced more or less at Php 2,500 an hour. Not really bad considering the minimum wage is too less! Who does not want to earn this amount in an hour anyway? It is more wage than the salary of some CEO's!


You might be thinking how this can happen in a purely Christianized country. And yes, you are again assured that this is one of the Filipino hypocrisies. I have a lot of evidence to show how Pinoys try to be blind and deaf on the happenings around them. There are laws against this, against that but these laws are never working nor implemented! Although illegal in the Philippines, prostitution is still a very good industry. It is being boosted by dollars brought in by foreign tourists, who are most likely to be male, aged 38 years or older and in the country for pleasure. The government actually has enough laws against prostitution, I have to mention again.
Among these Anti-prostituion laws is Republic Act 9208, otherwise known as the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, which seeks to save women and children from falling into prostitution, pornography, sexual exploitation, forced labor, slavery, involuntary servitude or debt bondage. Unfortunately, the law does not save them from poverty and lack of livelihood opportunities, which force thousands of women to prostitution. The fact that some Filipinos are very rich and others are very poor breeds the exploitation and abuse of poor women. As I may tell you, there can be no other law more beautifully phrased than Philippine laws... really! But all these, are all drops of ink and nothing more. I don't even think most law-makes are aware that they have passed these laws!


In 2005, some 2.6 million foreign tourists infused about $2.4 billion into the country, the highest in history. This year, the Department of Tourism (DoT) expects between $2.8 and $2.9 billion from the influx of about three million visitors. Another 3.4 million visitors are expected in 2007, 3.88 million by 2008, 4.42 million by 2009 and five million by 2010. And of course, the tourism industry has computed it in the premise that there are always be prostitutions to help foreigners to come by.




The truth is, this prostitution is so rampant in the country. There is no way to stop it. It is everywhere! Why don't the government make something about it? Not to make laws againts it because again, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE to stop it considering the Filipino's Ningas Cugon mindset, where laws are hot when newly passed but will be eventually forgotten as the time goes by. For me, it is better to legalize prostitution, put it in a secluded part of the country or certain province, generate revenue from it. The revenue would then help poor children to go to dchool, develop industries, provide a good paying work. In this manner, it is possible to decrease the number of potential prostutes because others have source of livelihood. As Macchiavelli said, the means justifies the end. And after all, there is no difference, this prostitution industry will exist and continue to exist whether the Philippine government likes it or not.


This is my suggestion and if you have other thoughts, and I know that you have your own set of thoughts on this, so do not hesitate to comment or post your insigts here. It is highly appreciated and welcomed. Also, you will be more enlightened if you read the full report from the " Manila Standard Today.

With my travels so far, only Filipino men I have seen are without shame pissing everywhere they feel like pissing! I don't really know where this habit have originated and how the country have tolerated this. To be honest, this is not only happening in the Metro manila area, nor solely in the cities but everywhere in the country.



When I was still a kid and was walking my way to school, friends and schoolmates just pee around like this is the most correct action ever! Until high school, college, university, work and until now, this pissing scene is still very active and growing!. Indeed the government has a big role in providing public toilets for everyone but this is not an alibi. Why women do not urinate just anywhere? It means that it is really the fault of men (Pinoys). If women can contain their urge to pee, why men cannot? And why are they excused to pollute the surroundings? Such a schifo!




Filipino men do not understand the meaning of respect and urbanity! I feel sad when they just blame the government for all the negative things in their lives but they do not look at the mirror and see how wrong they are even in the smallest of acts. They don't understand that with this kind of habit and attitude, they should be ashamed to ask anything from the government or from anyone. They don't even respect their own surroundins, their own country, and above all, no respect for each and every one. No respect for themselves as well because they are the ones who dirtied themeselves. If this is the case that the Filipinos don't have respect for their own race and nation, who else can respect Filipinos? NO ONE!



Aside from the polluton and garbage problems that are very rampant in the country, Filipino men's piss is another big problem. If this habit persists, there will come a time that there is no single square meter in the Philippines that does not smell of piss... Yuckkk... a real yuckkkky! Even with this sole habit, I don't think the country deserves to be better! It's people don't even respect it by pissing like dogs! Maleducated! Ignorant and a dirty act done by so many Pinoys! Have a little SHAME on yourself, MAN!



If you want to see another pissful article, see "this. You will see that I got the photos' links " here.

I have read a lot of comments on the note of the deposed President Estrada that God is punishing the country. I have seen that many commented on this issue and others go to the extent of addressing him as a crazy man. I have read the full report on this issue why Erap has said so about the country when I was browsing at the "" Inquirer Online.



As I have read, and as I was still in the Philippines when this 2001 ousting for Erap happened, I have a view of what was going on in the country. It was my first year in college back then and I have seen how his cabinet members resigned one by one. And yes, I have seen how the Catholic church have participated. I cannot blame Erap for musing his bitterness for he has point. Actually, it is not only now that the country is being punished... it has been since a long time ago! Yes, way back from the time of Marcos and so on.

I was still an unplanned child during the time of Marcos and I have never felt what the opressed Filipinos have felt back then. But yes, it was a punishment to the people and I do not understand what they have done to have it. During the time of Corazon Aquino, I was still a child all but I do not remember anything in progress for the nation that happened during her time, only her refusal of setting the Philippine debt to zero. Seeing the interest rates and interest amount of the country's debt today, Filipinos would understand how they are punished.. when the large cut from the national budget only go to he payment of the country's debt. And during the time of Ramos, yes, you are right that I was still a child but that time the only thing I can remember is his unlimited state visits! It seems to me that he used his presidency as an all time vacation and a world tour!




And during the time of Erap? This time I have a little understanding but I saw how the masses appreciated him, and I have also learned that it is not very advisable to be too close to the poor for the business (and rich) group in the country do not like this! Also, it was a punishment to have a president full of advisors who later on turned out to be advising against his power! I felt so bad for Erap how dirtied his name was and how things went on during that time on the country... how both opposing sides took people to rally for a certain cause paying them money and just look how low life poor are treated.. and yes, it was for both sides, either against or pro Erap... I felt so bad for I have felt there was no on who was PRO Philippines

And during Arroyo's time (this runs up to now), I am not anymore a child. I see the same things again. People asking her to do this to do that because it was this group of people who put her on power, these groups have supported her, this group have helped oust Erap, etc. etc! There are just unlimited wants and requests from a lot of Filipinos. Again, protest rallies are everywhere! There is no ending of all clamours and discontentment. I am not defending Arroyo because I too have seen how many scandals are going around her family and administration and I have a share of discontentment. But to complain all the time on the street without giving any solution is not my style of making my life better.

Erap is right. God is punishing the country. Because it is the country's action that made it what is it now. If it is suffering, it is because the people are corruptible. And yes, there would be no corrupt officicals if no one allows to be corrupted. Just think about it!


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Grab This Freebie!

Philippines Abortion Rate is Among the World’s Highest in 2007

A fetus was found dumped inside Malacañang comfort room, and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a stern supporter (some would say puppet) of the powerful Catholic Church, expressed sadness. It is interesting to note that she’s not surprised. That is because Arroyo knew all along that this dumping of fetus at her palace is not a special case. In a country where abortion is illegal, dumped fetus is common. Abortion in the Philippines is a national secret, widely practiced, seldom discussed.

Indeed, the above is very true. When I was still in my province in the Philippines. there was no week that there was no report about a dumped fetus. Others were even found to be alive, dumped in garbage places and trash cans or floating in the river and found in the shoreline. These dead or alive fetuses were placed inside plastic bags or boxed in small cartons. Yeah, like a gift! I wonder why the dumper did not send it to the country's cardinal for prayer on the fetus' soul. Yes, everytime there are talks on abortion or even contaceptive the church gets in!

Yes, for the church, it is better to let the mother die than the fetus. And yes, it does not question reason at all, just let the fetus be a child and make it beg for its food when it becomes a human someday or make it's way to live someday as a robber because the parents cannot provide anything so it has to survive! I don't know what's with the church! Indeed there is so much hypocrisy in the Philippines and I do find it very difficult to live in this kind of environment though I love my country and my fellow Filipinos. But with the wrong and unreasonable things happening around, no one can expect me to close my eyes and be quiet about it! A lot of change is needed!




Philippines Secret: How Many?

Because abortion is illegal in the Philippines, the exact statistics on how many Filipina has had an abortion is hard to estimate, but studies reveals how widespread the practice is.

A 2006 study done by Josefina Cabigon of the University of the Philippines Population Institute together with the Guttmacher Institute reveals:

…six in 10 Filipino women had an unintended pregnancy at some point in their lives because of lack of access to and knowledge of modern contraceptives. That fraction, says the study, translates to some 1.43 million unintended pregnancies each year, a third of which end in abortion (roughly 450,000).

Experts at the Alan Guttmacher Institute, an international NGO said in 2005 that almost half a million induced abortions occur each year in the Philippines:
Based on medium estimates, 400,500 women nationwide had an induced abortion in 1994; this number increased to 473,400 in 2000.

Population Reference Bureau has a table of comparison that includes the Philippines:

Women have abortions regardless of whether the procedure is legal in the country in which they reside. Evidence shows that laws that restrict abortion don’t guarantee low induced abortion rates: Nearly one-half of all abortions worldwide are performed in countries that allow abortions only in very limited circumstances.

According to recent column of The Economist, which cites a United Nations Report, restrictive laws do not reduce abortion:

The risk of dying in a botched abortion is only part of a broader problem of maternal health in poor countries. Of all the inequalities of development, this is arguably the worst. According to a report published by Population Action International, a Washington-based lobby group, women in poor countries are 250 times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth than women in rich ones. Of the 535,000 women who died in childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications in 2005, 99% were in developing countries, according to another report by a group of UN agencies.

Indeed the number is very big and I know this is not a lie! Women resort to illegal abortion (since it cannot be legal) in the country (Philippines). And yes, this is opression of the poor and women because those who have money can afford to go out of the country and seek professional abortion where it is legal. And the poor and ignorants are left behind in danger: they are those who go to abortionists practising without study and only taking the fetus out by a clip or letting the pregnant woman take something (to drink or eat) incomprehensible to let the fetus die!

I hope that the church in the Philippines stop this hypocrisy and let it be over. I know this is not the only problem because government funding is also needed to educate parents and let the health centers be prepared if ever abortion be allowed. But if this happens in the country, I see that this is one big leap against the clutch of the unreasonable church.

If I have to be asked if I am infavor of abortion, of course I would say yes. That does not mean that I do it. That means for those who need it! I know I am not the one who needs it because I am knowledgeable enough and educated enough not to have abortion or unwanted pregnancy be on my way. And that is because I have learned a lot from university and have practised my profession as well. But how about to those fellow Filipinas who cannot even eat three times a day and a baby is on the way? How about those who discoveed that the baby will only be abnormal and sick all its life? How about those fetus with STD's from parents? There are a lot of things to consider and I hope the church's council opens its mind. The church that have always brag about being the only Catholic country in Asia; A church bragging to be in a country of (legal) abortion free (because illegal counts up to half a million!) but it is the same church that close its eyes and ears without seeing the circumstances and consequences of the situations. I hope the church helps for progress and not only wish to have lots of churchgoers to ask the donation! I do hope hypocrisies be stopped! I do hope Philippines improve its abortion rate to a minimal number with proper education. I do hope that the overall situation in the country be improved for the better. I have lots of hopes and I do hope many are with me. I do hope... and i love Philippines! And YOU?

Italized texts are sourced from my READINGS.

I have read this newly posted article about the Filipino Diaspora at the Philippine Daily Inquirer today. It has a part more on defending the Filipinos for the blatant attack at the Desperate Housewives series. I am not defending any side on this story. First, I am a Filipino and on the other hand, I am not a fanatic of the show and I also don't think the remark was correct. But let us put it this way, simply to be a little aware of the reality.

Whose fault is it if the people around the world look at our (Filipino's) nurses in this manner as the conversation was delivered? Who in the first place have put dirt in the name of Filipino nurses? We all know the answer that it has something to do with the leak from Philippine Board of Nursing and the people related to the profession themselves, and yes, you are right, the it's the dirty who have put dirt on themselves. Of course, it is not a generalization and yes, it is painful to think that the whole profession was jeopardized due to the action of the few. It was really a BIG DIRTY SCANDAL!

It is a call for us Filipinos to change the "Easy Way"mindset where we want all to be achieved easily. As I have observed, most of us in the coutry have this "Isang Kahig, Isang Tuka" mentality (not to be understood literally as being the description for the poor) where we want the good things to be in the instant; where the future is risked for the sake of the present. It is evident in the way we choose our leaders where thos who gave out 500 pesos today is voted for at least three years offic; in the fact that our rivers are full of garbage without thinking that it clogs the drainage, causes foul odor, makes the surrounding dirty, causes diseases and very obvious, the floods; in bribing our officials today so we have our needed document or favor immediately giving a little start to the big whole nation of corrupts and corrupted. We can say that what each one of us does is only a little thing but if all do the same, it is as big as the whole nation. So please, let the change IT starts with YOU!


See this related note:

To the producers of “Desperate Housewives” and ABC:

We are writing to express concern and hurt about a racially-discriminatory comment made in an episode of Desperate Housewives on 9/30/07. In a scene in which Susan was told by her gynecologist that she might be hitting menopause, she replied, “Can I just check those diplomas because I just want to make sure that they are not from some med school in the Philippines.”

As members and allies of the Filipino American community, we are writing to inform know that this type of derogatory remark was discriminatory and hurtful, and such a comment was not necessary to maintain any humor in the show. Additionally, a statement that devalues Filipinos in healthcare is extremely unfounded, considering the overwhelming presence of Filipinos and Filipino Americans in the medical field. Filipinos are the second largest immigrant population in the United States, with many entering the U.S. (and successfully passing their U.S. licensing boards!) as doctors, nurses, and medical technicians. In fact, the Philippines produces more U.S. nurses than any other country in the world. So, to belittle the education, experience, or value of Filipino Americans in health care is extremely disrespectful and plain and simply ignorant. Many of the hospitals in major metropolitan areas of the U.S. (and the world) would not be able to operate without its Filipino and Filipino American staff members.

As Filipino Americans and allies, we band together to ensure that this type of hateful message should not be allowed to continue on our television and radio airwaves. Given the recent amounts of media attention that has been given to Michael Richards (against African Americans), Isaiah Washington (against gays), and Rosie O’Donnell (against Asian/ Chinese Americans), it is ridiculous that this type of hateful speech made it through various screenwriters, the show’s producers, the show’s actors, and ABC itself.

We demand a public apology to the Filipino American community, and we demand the episode be edited to remove the ignorant and racist remark. We will not allow hateful messages against our community (or any other oppressed community) to continue.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned