A VOICE FROM AMERICA
By Ernie D. Delfin
THE PHILIPPINE
LEADERS MUST HAVE A SERVANT-LEADERSHIP MENTALITY
Today is America’s Memorial Day 2003. It’s
exactly a week since President
George “Dubya” Bush gave a State Dinner
to Phil. Pres. Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo in the White House,
the third state dinner that he ever hosted since he became president. With the lavish praise and recognition
accorded the Philippine president in the White House, the Filipinos in America as well as in the
Philippines were again euphoric. This
is somewhat reminiscent of the euphoria that the Filipino
people felt during People Power Revolution of 1986, popularly
called as EDSA I, that kicked Dictator
Marcos out of Malacanang, that was
repeated in January 2000 when the EDSA II uprising forced the actor Erap Estrada turned President out
of Malacanang. Fiesta-like activities
like the State Dinner hosted by the
most powerful person in the world,
President Bush with all his key
cabinet members and many VIPs in the United States have put Pres Arroyo in a pedestal, and
made her the “Darling of the
Month” among the coalition of the willing.
To quote STAR publisher Max V. Soliven during last Saturday (May 24th)
dinner reception hosted by this columnist in Los Angeles, “The White House accolades are
too lavish that Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo does not truly deserve
because of her “urong-sulong” (ambivalent)
commitment to the so-called Coalition of Willing in Iraq.” (Max Soliven was the only non-governmental official who was
included in Pres. Arroyo’s official
party--Editor) His description probably sums up many Filipino
Americans’ feelings about Pres. Arroyo’s state visit that has overshadowed the serious bombings in Mindanao and ephemerally buried
the political drama surrounding the
Con-Ass or Con-Con maneuverings
in Manila.
Now, President Arroyo, with his official as well as unofficial
entourage, is back in the Philippines
------ after a week of extravagant media coverage of her US visit
that started in Los Angeles where she met Cardinal Roger Mahony in the new multi-million cathedral that stand truly
magnificent amidst the background of a poverty stricken East Los Angles,
to Washington D.C. where she was made
to stand on a pedestal ( pun intended)
and to San Francisco where she met a chosen group of 50 people that
caused some intrigues and jealousy among
the Filipinos in the Bay Area --- to work harder to make the Philippines a stronger republic
which she promised in her SONA last July.
Many of her opponents, however, would say that the Philippines has
become a weaker republic as the socio-economic
and the peace and order situation in the Philippines, especially in
Mindanao has worsened. The peso continues
to depreciate, a barometer how the nation’s economy is measured against other
countries. Without the billions of
remittances of the Overseas Filipino Workers and immigrants, euphemistically
called as the Modern Day Heroes, the Philippine government would gave become
bankrupt.
President Arroyo has another year as
the president. She faces insurmountable challenge to implement programs to
fulfill his SONA promise to make the Philippines a stronger republic especially
in the areas of the economy and the peace and order. With the forthcoming May
2004 election, unfortunately, her
decisions and acts of commission or omission (supported by her
“body language”) will again be interpreted by politics-loving
Filipinos as plain “politicking” to regain her popularity as more people are convinced that she will reconsider her December 30, 2002
decision NOT to run for re-election. Bouyed by President Bush’s unequivocal support through military and
economic and financial help to resuscitate the Philippines economy, coupled with the fact that there is no strong
contender in her Lakas Party to succeed her,
she might easily be persuaded to change her mind . This writer joins other Filipino writers
who fearlessly predict that she will run for reelection, either under
the l987 Constitution or a new one that will convert the Philippine government
into a Parliamentary form of government where the number one deal maker Joe De
Venecia will be her prime minister. In
our macho society, Filipinos still
give women ample
allowances for changing their
minds because of their nature,
especially during their monthly mood swings.
Furthermore, Filipinos have short
memories… we have forgotten the plunder that was caused by the Marcoses. Almost everybody has forgotten that they were
accused of massive looting but now they are all in the corridors of power from
the Governor’s mansion in Ilocos Norte to the Halls of Congress.
This early, the Filipino people are now
beginning to enjoy their number one hobby, which is politics that is at par with Filipinos love for “sabung” (cockfighting)! Forget that we have 100l cancerous problems that have afflicted millions of our people --- poverty of values,
poverty of good education, poverty of basic necessities, poverty of moral and upright leaders, poverty
of good governance amidst the
gargantuan material opulence of the very
few who really do not care about our
people! A lot of these so-called
business or government leaders who are leading the Philippines to hell have
stashed some of their unexplained wealth to other countries, like Canada,
United States or Europe where they can
jump ship and immigrate anytime.
Names like Dewey Dee, Atong Ang or Ricarforte and many others come to mind as living proofs that the Philippines still
produce many millionaires despite the deplorable economic ruins of the country. What a country!
** * *
Can faith, hope and love survive
decades of terror and hellish problems
of the Philippines? That is the challenge posed by the recently
published book of Gracia Burnham,
“In the Presence of my Enemies”,
a poignant story detailing the torturous conditions that she
and her (deceased) husband Martin and l8
others suffered under the Abu Sayyafs
when they were kidnapped in May
2001 (Memorial Day Weekend exactly two
years ago today, which we have almost forgotten due to the state dinner,
Con-ASS or Con-Con factors among others).
The lives Martin Burnham,
Guillermo Sobero, Nurse Deborah
Yap, Sonny Dacquer and Armando
Bayona were just wasted by these Abu Sayyaf terrorists. Most of the hostages survived the ordeal
and are now presumably trying to go on their lives after their
traumatic experiences in the jungles of Mindanao.
Unfortunately, the problems that
gave rise to these kidnappings and ransom cottage industry continue to worsen and can still explode anytime.
While GMA was in the White House,
for instance, a bombing in
Koronadal City exploded where dozens were killed. Why?
I am no expert as the problems of Mindanao are very complex that existed
as long as centuries ago. But, I believe that the solution will not only be the show of
military force but also massive work to alleviate the conditions of the
residents in the areas of education, employment, integration and socio economic conditions of
all the people. A culture that idolizes
guns and superiority of naked force is hard to change. But the Abu Sayyaf’s recruitment of young
people will be much more difficult if the young become more educated, have good sources of
livelihood and have other options in their lives. The road to his ideal destination will very long and difficult but each journey always starts with the first
step.
Mrs. Gracia Burnham (and her
deceased husband Martin) were active
missionaries of the New Tribes Mission based in Kansas City lived in the Philippines for over 15
years. They liked the Philippines
and have learned to love the Filipinos
as happy and spiritual her people despite the many ills of her government, a fact
that can be gleaned from her book.
Understandably, the book is also
brutally honest in her portrayal of her
stay in the Philippines, which centered around her captivity by the Abu
Sayyaf that lasted exactly one year and
eleven days. As American missionaries
who worked long hours without the obvious compensation of material
success, this Kansas City couple during
their once-in-a lifetime wedding anniversary at an exotic Dos Palmas Resort in
Palawan started a series of mental, as
well as physical and spiritual challenges that an average human being will
never experience. The
mental scenarios caused by the uncertainties of each day is quite tormenting; it is a test of the resiliency or
indomitability of the human spirit.
Not only did they face near
starvation, constant physical exhaustion, frequent gun battles, and
cold-blooded murders around them but they also faced extra-ordinary test of
their faith and love in a God that has
seemingly abandoned them. The book is filled with human real-life drama
narrated in gripping first person
experiences. The reader like me is touched by this ultimate triumph of faith
and enduring love of an ordinary American couple who by God’s
hands were thrown into an extra-ordinary difficult circumstances
l5,000 miles away from their Kansas City
home. As active members of their New
Tribes Mission Church, they were sent as missionaries to help enhance the lives
of others in a third world country which
they learned to love but were made a
sacrificial lambs of the cruelty of
man’s politics against his own government.
Despite, all these tragic experiences, Mrs. Burnham was not bitter and remains steadfast in her faith in God and
the innate goodness of the Filipino people amidst the presence of her many
enemies.
To quote USA Today “ the issue … is
not why an all-powerful God might choose to subject a man to evil, but how a
man, with God’s help, responds to evil.” Lastly, the book gives a powerful
encouragement and everlasting hope amidst the many struggles in life in a very
honestly woven story of an ordinary woman who is poor in material possessions but
very rich in a commodity called LOVE which the world needs most during these
troubled times… The book is a good read,
I give it a nine-and-a-half.
* * * *
In our cyberspace forum called
ProgressiveTimes, someone circulated
some specific but disturbing examples of
some corrupt BIR government officials who have amassed great wealth that are
can never be supported by their salaries
that they “legally” make, complete with names and pictures and addresses of their mansions, expensive cars and all
their properties. Hard working people
especially the Overseas Filipino workers were not only enraged but became sick
just reading these exposes. As the
creator of ProgressiveTimes, I have
suggested that we start a “Fund to put
these Corrupt People in the Government in Jail” and the responses all over the
world is beyond my dreams. From my initial $200.00 pledge, we possibly
have over $5,000 pledges now in just a week!
The idea is catching fire although we still do not have the mechanics how to home front
in the Philippines will implement this peaceful revolution of the OFWs against
the corrupt, bad and ugly government officials.
Paging OFWNet Foundation, under Dr. Eddie “Ka Edong”
del Rosario and Dr. Chee Garcia, Plunder
Watch, Sen. Jovy Salonga’s Bantay
Katarungan and the Center for
Investigative Journalism. You guys in
the Philippines must form an alliance to
do this and let us, hard-working Filipinos outside the Philippines, be a part by contributing some of our hard earned dollars or dinars or
pounds to see a corrupt government official in BIR,
Customs, SSS or Malacanang go to jail.
We, the OFWs probably can even
hire unemployed people to become the guards of these jails that are soon
filled with corrupt government officials to manifest to the entire world that the
ordinary Filipino is sick and tired of these plunderers who
are worse than “pulgas del tierra” (fleece of the earth). This is one peaceful way that the OFW can invest in the social
engineering to bring back the moral
values that our grand fathers used to live by.
The possibilities of this revolutionary movement is great, like that of Mahatma Gandhi’s protest against the British that started
with the symbol of salt.
My dream is that 7,000,000 OFW just contributing $10.00 a year is enough
to prosecute a lot of corrupt people in ALL branches of our government that will also employ young idealistic lawyers to put these
plunderers in jail. We then need construction workers to build more
jails, unemployed police academy
graduates to be security guards,
restaurant caterers to feed and prisoners, realtors to sell the sequestered assets, writers and journalists to publish a national magazine to profile
these economic plunderers and inculcate
the right values among our young
people….The possibilities are endless.
Once we the OFWs and our families can see that poetic justice
(putting the corrupt in jail) is possible it will motivate us do more
projects proactively. Just dream that we
if we put 50% of all corrupt people to jail, the government revenue collections
will also increase dramatically. Everybody wins except the corrupt, the bad
and the ugly government officials!
It can be done! We need more people to be pro-active. Join us
by subscribing our ProgressiveTimes towards a more Progressive Philippines!
--- 3 0
-----
E-mail this writer at: erdelusa@hotmail.com
or drbannatiran@yahoo.com
Join us
at: ProgressiveTimes-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Visit our
websites: www.progressivetimes.org and www.katipunan-usa.org
* * * *
On
the Philippine front, let me also profile another unsung hero and silent employer who I met during my recent visit to the Philippines Manila
decades back. Naido, a fellow GI (genuine Ilocano), who like many industrious Ilocanos ventured
in the Promised Land called Mindanao . Married a beautiful Davaoenia, Tong, Naido
ventured into some thriving businesses from shipping,
overseas placement and recruitment and to operating bangus and catfish fish
pens in Samal Island America
and Europe .
After early retirement from the Philippine Navy as a Captain, he found Mindanao the perfect place for him to raise his family
and grow his diversified businesses.
A soft spoken businessman, Naido, the
CEO-Founder of ND Shipping Group of Companies in Davao
City and Manila Davao
and Samal Island America
On the eve of Valentines Day 2006, two Rotarian friends of mine, Jess Cifra and
Litay Ferrera Brunner, past presidents of the Loyola Heights
In these competitive days of globalization
and information society, our Philippine society needs more of the tribes of
Naido. The country needs doers and not
just talkers. The politicians, the so-called national leaders, are often the cause
of problems as evidenced by so many unconscionable, extravagant, stupid government projects like mothballed
Westinghouse project of yesteryears, the overdue NAIA 3 airport and the alleged
“fertilizer scam” that apparently did
not produce more crops to eat or export but suspiciously purchased votes for some
incumbent politicians. Cumulatively these kinds of government officials’ shenanigans
and stupid ways of doing government
projects are adding tons of baggage that
have prevented the economic airplane of the Philippines from taking off!
The Philippines
certainly needs more people who walk the talk and really help, like our silent and modern day heroes of
Davao City
Naido and Tong, I am fortunate that our
paths crossed; thank you for that
memorable trip to Davao and Samal Island
----- 3 0 -----
Email: erdelusa@hotmail.com or ernie.delfin@gmail.com
Visit: www.katipunan-usa.org
and www.ptag.or
No comments:
Post a Comment