Today is Independence Day and since i got a some sort of a chain letter via email which i really really hated. But this letter that came by a day earlier had got me wondering what it really means for me to be a Filipino living in this somewhat lets say shitty, chaotic mess of a Country we lived in and were everybody wanted to be the next fucking idiot president. Bear with me on this one and kindly read on and ponder:
AKO AY PILIPINO
Meron akong gustong ibahagi para sa ating lahat na mga PILIPINO. Simple pero parang mahirap gawin ng karamihan sa atin. Hindi ito makukuha sa puro daldalan lang or walang kabuluhang pagtatalo, kumilos tayo ngayon na.
Sa ibang bansa: Pag nagkasala ang Pinoy, pinarusahan siya ayon sa batas.
Sa PINAS: Pag nagkasala ang Pinoy, ayaw niyang maparusahan kasi sabi niya mali raw ang batas.
Sa ibang bansa: Pinag-aaralan muna ng Pinoy ang mga batas bago siya pumunta roon, kasi takot siyang magkamali.
Sa PINAS: Pag nagkamali ang Pinoy, sorry kasi hindi raw niya alam na labag sa batas iyon.
Sa ibang bansa: Kahit gaano kataas ang bilihin at tax sa USA okey lang, katuwiran natin doble kayod na lang.
Sa PINAS: mahilig ka sa last day para magbayad ng tax minsan dinadaya mo pa o kaya hindi ka nagbabayad. Rally ka kaagad kapag tumaas ang pasahe at bilihin sa halip na magsipag mas gusto natin ang nagkukwentuhan lang sa munisipyo o kahit sa alinmang tanggapan.
Sa Singapore : Kapag nahuli kang nagkalat or nagtapon ng basura sa hindi tamang lugar, magbabayad ka ng 500 Singapore dollars. Sabi ng Pinoy, okey lang kasi lumabag ako sa batas.
Sa Pinas: Kapag nagkamali ang Pinoy katulad nang ganito, Sabi ng Pinoy, ang lupit naman ni Bayani Fernando , mali naman ang pinaiiral niyang batas eh akala mo kung sino. Ayun nag-rally na ang Pinoy, gustong patalsikin si Bayani Fernando kahit na alam niyang mali siya.
Mga igan, ilan pa lang iyan baka may iba pa kayong alam.
Bakit ang PINOY, pwedeng maging "law abiding citizen sa ibang bansa ng walang angal" pero sa sarili nating bayang PILIPINAS na sinasabi ninyong mahal natin, eh hindi natin magawa, BAKIIITTTTT? ????????
ETO PA, 'Ang Pilipino NOON at NGAYON':
NOON: Wow ang sarap ng kamote
NGAYON: Ayaw ko ng kamote gusto ko French Fries (imported eh)
NOON: Wow ang sarap ng kapeng barako.
NGAYON: Ayaw ko niyan gusto kong kape sa STARBUCKS (imported coffee 100 pesos per cup)
NOON: Bili ka ng tela para magpatahi ng pantalon like maong
NGAYON: Gusto ko LEVI'S, WRANGLER, LEE (Tapos rally tayo 'GMA tuta ng KANO ') Di ba tuta ka rin naman.
NOON: Sabon na Perla OK ng pampaligo
NGAYON: Gusto mo DOVE, HENO DE PRAVIA, IVORY, etc. may matching shampoo pa
NOON: Pag naglaba ka sa batya at palopalo, ok na, minsan banlaw lang sa batis pwede na
NGAYON: Naka-washing machine ka na plus ARIEL powder soap with matching DOWNY pa para mabango. Alam ko mas marami pa ang alam ninyo tungkol dito, pero mangilan-ngilan lang iyan para bigyan ng pansin.
Mga Pilipino nga ba tayo? O baka sa salita lang at E-Mail pero wala naman sa gawa?...
My Fellow Filipinos,
When I was small, the Philippine peso was P7 to the $dollar. The president was Diosdado Macapagal. Life was simple. Life was easy. My father was a farmer. My mother kept a small sari-sari store where our neighbors bought sang-perang asin, sang-perang bagoong, sang-perang suka, sang-perang toyo at pahinging isang butil na bawang. Our backyard had kamatis, kalabasa, talong, ampalaya, upo, batao, and okra. Our silong had chicken¡ We had a pig, dog & cat. And of course, we lived on the farm. During rainy season, my father caught frogs at night which my mother made into batute (stuffed frog), or just plain fried. During the day, he caught hito and dalag from his rice paddies, which he would usually inihaw. During dry season, we relied on the chickens, vegetables, bangus, tuyo, and tinapa. Every now and then, there was pork and beef from the town market.
Life was so peaceful, so quiet, no electricity, no TV. Just the radio for Tia Dely, Roman Rapido, Tawag ng Tanghalan and Tang-tarang- tang.. And who can forget Leila Benitez on Darigold Jamboree? On weekends, I played with my neighbours (who were all my cousins). Tumbang-preso, taguan, piko, luksong lubid, patintero, at iba pa. I don't know about you, but I miss those days.
These days, we face the TV, Internet, e-mail, newspaper, magazine, grocery catalog, or drive around. The peso is a staggering and incredible P47 to the $dollar. Most people can't have fun anymore. Life has become a battle. We live to work. Work to live. Life is not easy. I was in Saudi Arabia in 1983... It was lonely, difficult, & scary. It didn't matter if you were a man or a woman. You were a target for rape. The salary was cheap & the vacation far between. If the boss didn't want you to go on holiday, you didn't. They had your passport. Oh, and the agency charged you almost 4 months of your salary (which, if you had to borrow on a '20% per month arrangement' meant your first year's pay was all gone before you even earned it).
The Philippines used to be one of the most important countries in Asia. Before & during my college days, many students from neighboring Asian countries like Malaysia , Indonesia , Japan and China went to the Philippines to get their diplomas. Until 1972, like President Macapagal, President Marcos was one of the most admired presidents of the world. The Peso had kept its value of P7 to the $dollar until I finished college.
Today, the Philippines is famous as the 'housemaid' capital of the world. It ranks very high as the 'cheapest labor' capital of the world, too. We have maids in Hong Kong, laborers in Saudi Arabia , dancers in Japan , migrants and TNTs in Australia and the US , and all sorts of other 'tricky' jobs in other parts of the globe.
Quo Vadis, Pinoy? Is that a wonder or a worry? Are you proud to be a Filipino, or does it even matter anymore? When you see the Filipino flag and hear the Pambansang Awit, do you feel a sense of pride or a sense of defeat & uncertainty?
This article caught my attention too and I want to share this with you all please kindly read this too:
Andres Bonifacio: The Betrayal of a Hero
by Alixander Haban Escote
Andres Bonifacio y de Castro, the father of Philippine Revolution and Philippine Democracy, was executed by firing squad by Gen Lazaro Makapagal and four other soldiers at Mount Nagpatong, Maragondon, Cavite on May 10, 1897. Who ordered the execution? Read the article and find out.
According to Teodoro A Agoncillo and Milagros C Guerrero in the “History of the Filipino People,” the katipuneros gathered around a flickering table lamp, performed the ancient blood compact, and signed their membership papers with their own blood. They vowed to liberate the Philippines from the tyranny of Spanish friars and civil guards through force of arms.
Under Bonifacio's leadership, the Katipunan had three objectives: civic, moral, and political. The civic aim revolved around the principle of self-help and the defense of the poor and the oppressed. The moral goal was for hygiene, good morals, good manners, and attacking obscurantism and religious fanaticism. The political objective was separation from Spain through force of arms.
On August 23, 1896, at the yard of Juan Ramos y Aquino, the son of Melchora Ramos y Aquino, also known as Tandang Sora and considered as the Mother of the Katipunan, in Pugadlawin, Balintawak, now Quezon City, Bonifacio asked his fellow katipuneros whether they were prepared to fight to the bitter end. Despite the objection of Teodoro Plata, his brother in law, all katipuneros agreed to fight for freedom until their last breath. He then led his men in tearing their cedulas as a symbol of their determination to take up arms and to defy the Spanish colonial government. As the men torn their cedulas, they shouted, “Long live the Philippines!”
On August 30, 1896, Bonifacio and his men, fought the first battle of the Philippine Revolution. Leading 800 katipuneros, Bonifacio attacked a gunpowder storehouse in San Juan del Monte, now Pinaglabanan in the City of San Juan. The storehouse was an important military post of the Spanish army, but it was only defended by a hundred men. Outnumbered, the Spaniards retreated to El Deposito, the place where they stored water supply for Intramuros in Manila. Encouraged by the retreat of the Spaniards, Bonifacio and his men advanced toward Manila where they met an army of Spanish soldiers sent by Governor General Ramon Blanco. Bonifacio and his men were driven to Mandaluyong where more than 150 katipuneros died and another 200 others were captured.
Months later, the Katipunan was divided into two revolutionary groups: the Magdiwangs, which was headed by Bonifacio and the Magdalos, which was headed by Gen Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy. To resolve the issue whether the Katipunan should be superseded by another government, a revolutionary assembly was conducted in Barrio Tejeros, San Francisco de Malabon, now General Trias, Cavite on March 22, 1897. With Bonifacio as chairman, the assembly agreed that a central revolutionary government should be established to replace the Katipunan. He then reluctantly presided over the election and secured the unanimous decision of the assembly to abide by the decision of the majority. General Aguinaldo was elected president although he was absent because he was at the military front in Pasong Santol, now Barangay Anabu II, in Imus, Cavite. The Magdiwangs who were supposed to support Bonifacio did not even vote for him for president or vice president. Instead, Bonifacio was elected director of the interior.
However, Daniel Tirona, General Aguinaldo patron, challenged Bonifacio's election, saying that Bonifacio's position must not be occupied by a non-lawyer and that he was incapable of performing the duties and responsibilities of his position. Tirona nominated lawyer Jose del Rosario of Cavite to fill up the position.
Bonifacio furiously said, "We agreed to abide by the majority vote and accept its choice no matter what the station in life of the person elected. And because of this, I demand from you, Mr Daniel Tirona, an apology. You must restore to the voters and the one they elected the honor you have only now besmirched.” He then pulled out his revolver and took aim to Tirona.
Instead of replying, Tirona slid away and got lost in the crowd. Disorder ensued as Artemio Ricarte, the convention secretary, tried to disarm Bonifacio. Deeply hurt and insulted, Bonifacio declared: “I, as [the] chairman of this assembly and as [the] President of the Supreme Council of the Katipunan, as all of you do not deny, declare this assembly dissolved, and I annul all that has been approved and resolved."
The following day, Bonifacio and his men met again in Barrio Tejeros, San Francisco de Malabon and drafted the Acta de Tejeros where they expressed their reasons for invalidating the results of the Tejeros Convention. They believed that the Magdalos manipulated the election though all officers elected, except General Aguinaldo, were Magdiwang members.
From Tejeros, Bonifacio and his men moved to Naic, Cavite as far as possible from the Magdalos. President Aguinaldo sent him a letter requesting him to cooperate with the new revolutionary government. Bonifacio denied Aguinaldo's request and refused to collaborate with him. The purposes of Bonifacio reached Aguinaldo, and on April 15, 1897, he ordered the arrest of Bonifacio for alleged treason and sedition.
On April 20, 1897, Bonifacio repudiated President Aguinaldo's revolutionary government through the Naic Military Agreement that reasserted his leadership of the Katipunan and that drafted a revolutionary army and government independent from President Aguinaldo. Among the 41 signatories were Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Artemio Ricarte, Gen Mariano Noriel, and Gen Pio del Pilar as commander in chief. Later, General Noriel and General Del Pilar switched to General Aguinaldo's side.
Bonifacio and his men left Naic for Barrio Limbon in the nearby town of Indang in Cavite. On April 26, 1897, Bonifacio was arrested by Col Agapito Bonson and Maj Jose Ignacio Paua, two loyal officers of President Aguinaldo, the latter being his brother in law. Bonifacio and his men fought back, and Ciriaco, one of his two brothers, was killed. Bonifacio himself was shot in his left arm. Major Paua jumped at Bonifacio and stabbed the left side of his neck with a dagger. From Indang, a wounded and half-starved Bonifacio was carried by hammock to Naic, where President Aguinaldo established his headquarters.
Tried by the Council of War, which was presided by General Noriel, in Maragondon, Cavite, Bonifacio and his brother were found “guilty” of the crimes of treason and sedition, of attempting a counter-revolution, and of trying to overthrow President Aguinaldo and his revolutionary government. On May 8, 1897, Bonifacio and his brother were sentenced to death by execution though they were not given a fair trial to defend themselves. President Aguinaldo changed the sentence from execution to banishment, but General Noriel pressured him to revoke his order and to proceed with the execution. Noriel explained that if Bonifacio and his brother would live, they would disrupt the unity of the revolutionary government.
On May 10, 1897, Gen Lazaro Makapagal and four other soldiers moved Bonifacio and his brother from a jail in Maragondon upon the order of General Noriel who him a sealed letter with strict order to read it only after reaching Mount Nagpatong in Maragondon, Cavite. When the five soldiers and the Bonifacio brothers reached Mount Nagpatong, General Makapagal read the sealed letter, ordering him to execute the two brothers by firing squad. Makapagal complied with General Noriel's command, and the two brothers were shot to death. Using their bolos and bayonets, the soldiers dug a shallow grave, and after covering the corpses with twigs and weeds, they hurriedly left to escape the Spanish troops who were then patrolling nearby.
NOW ARE YOU STILL PROUD TO BE A FILIPINO?
This article can be found at this link:
http://www.quazen.com/Reference/Biography/Andres-Bonifacio-The-Betrayal-of-a-Hero.111603
