We The People

A collection of essays that intends to present insights and amplify awareness on local issues in the Philippines

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The views expressed in the essays appearing in this website are attributed only to the identified author/s, and do not represent the views of the entire group, the class, the course instructor, nor the university to which the student belongs.

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Citizenship consists in the service of the country.

Jawaharlal Nehru

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Hoping for True Nationwide Resilience Against Natural Disasters

By Aerdna Wamilah

(Source of photo: Manila Today)

Eight years ago, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake upheaved the Bohol grounds whereas a super typhoon called Yolanda hurtled through the Leyte area (World Health Organization [WHO], 2017; Madarang, 2021). These events differed in form, but they had destruction and death as their common denominator. The Bohol earthquake resulted in 222 unfortunate casualties, 976 wounded victims, and 79,000 ruined properties including homes (WHO, 2017). Due to the Super Typhoon Yolanda, 6,300 people perished and damages worth $ 2.02 billion were incurred (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 2017). Such are the aftermath of a natural phenomenon when the country weathering it is unprepared. Thus, it is no longer a natural phenomenon; it has become a disaster (Mactal, 2018).

Notwithstanding, “Every cloud has a silver lining.” In a bid to uplift the Filipino spirit, the media would publish articles, pictures, and videos (Love and Light Channel, 2020) showcasing how victims would carry out “bayanihan” and help one another survive. However, this has promoted an overoptimistic narrative called Filipino resiliency (Rabino, 2020), wherein victim endurance is glamorized despite the glaring lack of government response. Just last year with the Typhoon Ulysses, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque released a statement that lauded Filipino resilience after a time when 39 people already died and victims were clamoring for help from the government: 

Kahit papaano po, binabati pa po rin natin ang ating mga mamamayan, ang ating local government units, kapulisan, kasundaluhan, dahil sa ating bayanihan, nabawasan po natin ang casualty (We still like to congratulate the people, the LGUs, and the military because of our unity, we lessened the number of casualties). (Geducos, 2020)

The fact of the matter is, no one if not very few would have died, got injured, or lost their home if there were adequate disaster preparedness and response. Since the Philippines is situated along the Pacific Typhoon Belt and Ring of Fire, storms and earthquakes would constantly befall the country (Asian Reduction Disaster Center, n.d.; Mactal, 2018). In my perspective, the only way to prevent natural disasters is for the country to develop resilience against them with the government at the helm. With the government possessing the decision-making power for the State, the former has the responsibility to actually protect the latter from harm (in this case, natural disasters). Hence, I would like to see the following changes. First, the government must actualize projects that can reduce hazards and risks in areas vulnerable to natural phenomenon. For instance, flood walls and dams may be built and reinforced to mitigate flooding; ensuring houses and buildings are away from fault lines and secured to withstand earthquakes (Mactal, 2018). To increase disaster preparedness, the government must have readied ample personnel and equipment to be utilized to ensure the victims’ survival as well as sufficient provision of supplies and relief goods for the victims. In terms of disaster response, the government must act on it fast (Mactal, 2018) and not be absent as the disaster is happening. Also, enough money should be allocated properly to this. The government must use the funds given to them by the citizens for counteracting these disasters, not being ignorant and leaving it to the citizens for financial donations.   

As a citizen, I have the duty of contributing to the achievement of these changes. Alongside others on social media, I will demand for the government to create and implement plans for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. It is crucial to make a loud noise online to awaken the government into action and compel them to see these disasters as dire concerns. Second, I will participate in the elections and choose the right leaders who would definitely prioritize the citizens’ security and well-being above all. For the upcoming 2022 National Elections, I will vote for the candidates whose track records are clean and have been known to provide assistance or passed policies to aid victims of natural disasters. I will also look into their plans for continuing rehabilitation plans for the affected areas that were previously hit by natural disasters. This is especially vital for a lot of Yolanda victims have not yet gotten back their home (Abrematea, 2021), and so, would be likely to suffer a greater deal if another disaster would come to their area (i.e., Typhoon Odette in Leyte). 

On the whole, I hope to upturn the resiliency narrative: Filipinos should not be forced into enduring abject suffering. Instead, the resiliency should be anchored to the government’s proactiveness in bolstering emergency responses. It is high time to call out the government on their inadequacies that have resulted in every natural phenomenon transforming into a disaster. The government should start being proactive rather than reactive lest a bigger disaster like the anticipated Big One or another super typhoon would come at everyone’s peril.  

DISCLAIMER: “The views expressed in the essays appearing in this website are attributed only to the identified author/s, and do not represent the views of the entire group, the class, the course instructor, nor the university to which the student belongs.”

References

Abrematea, N. L. (2021, November 8). Leyte, Samar mark 8th year of Super Typhoon 'Yolanda'. The Manila Times. https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/11/08/news/regions/leyte-samar-mark-8th-year-of-super-typhoon-yolanda/1821393

Asian Reduction Disaster Center. (n.d.). Information on Disaster Risk Reduction of the Member Countries: Philippines. https://www.adrc.asia/nationinformation.php?NationCode=608&Lang=en

Geducos, A. C. (2020, November 13). Palace extols Pinoys for preparation, resilience during onslaught of typhoon ‘Ulysses’. Manila Bulletin. https://mb.com.ph/2020/11/13/palace-extols-pinoys-for-preparation-resilience-during-onslaught-of-typhoon-ulysses-2/

Love and Light Channel. (2020, November 13). Philippines Flooding - Filipinos' Spirit and Resilience Unshaken [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bkUyylVIP8

Mactal, R. B. (2018). Padayon 10 (Mga Kontemporaneong Isyu) [Padayon 10: Contemporary Issues]. Phoenix Publishing House, Inc. 

Madarang, C. R. S. (2021, November 8). On ‘Yolanda’ anniv, calls for climate justice, mourning for lost loved ones flood social media. Interaksyon. https://interaksyon.philstar.com/trends-spotlights/2021/11/08/204025/on-yolanda-anniv-calls-for-climate-justice-mourning-for-lost-loved-ones-flood-social-media/

Rabino, A. H. (2020, November 13). Calls for accountability, to not romanticize Filipino resiliency resurface after 4 strong typhoons. Manila Today. https://manilatoday.net/calls-for-accountability-to-not-romanticize-filipino-resiliency-resurface-after-4-strong-typhoons/

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). (2017, March 31). Philippines: Destructive Tropical Cyclones from 2006 to 2016. Relief Web. https://reliefweb.int/map/philippines/philippines-destructive-tropical-cyclones-2006-2016

World Health Organization. (2017, July 12). Bohol Earthquake: One year on. https://www.who.int/philippines/news/feature-stories/detail/bohol-earthquake-one-year-on#:~:text=The%20earthquake%20affected%20over%201.2,in%20over%20340%2C000%20displaced%20people.

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Starvation: Not an Ephemeral Consequence of Corruption

Filipino resilience is everything but a solution to catastrophes.

by EAMV 18

Courtesy of  @antoniojulio_

The COVID-19 pandemic has been presenting tons of socio-economic and socio-political issues across the globe. Developing countries are in a difficult position but the poor and vulnerable are the ones suffering the most—all because of the systemic political corruption. To better assimilate the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, this paper will highlight the most evident issue that is yet to be addressed: starvation.

According to THE ASEAN POST (2020), the most disturbing and devastating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is the interference with the fulfillment of one of the intents of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): to alleviate or perhaps, completely erode hunger. On the survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) in July 2020, the starvation rate in the Philippines is at 20.9 percent, which means that roughly 5.2 millions of Filipinos are experiencing hunger. In September 2020, the National Mobile Phone Survey administered by the SWS revealed that 9.5 million Filipinos frequently and repeatedly experience starvation. This shows that hunger and poverty are very much apparent amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

As claimed by Apostol and Go (2020) in their research, the government allocated P199.975 billion to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the hosting sector of Social Amelioration Program (SAP). The aforementioned program aims to financially aid the marginalized groups of the Philippine society, most notably, the low-income families. A lot of Local Government Units (LGUs) have documented problems concerning the distribution of cash subsidies as well as the listing of the qualified beneficiaries. As mentioned in the documentary entitled, “COVID-19 In Philippines: The Starving Urban Poor. What Went Wrong? | Insight | Poverty in Asia,” a lot of Filipinos have not yet received their cash subsidies, some are even not listed as beneficiaries notwithstanding their eligibility. This is because the government officials choose to prioritize their own relatives and friends; government officials are not really concerned with the welfare of their subordinates, they put their own interests above the public good. Withal, the Philippine government has been using the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretense for their deep- rooted desires. Behind the millions of funds that are said to be allocated for the less fortunate is their self-serving decisions and actions. This is why Filipinos remain helpless and starving albeit “allotting” budgets to address the issue with regards to poverty and hunger in the country.

Despite the threat of COVID-19 to the health, Filipinos have no other choice but to face and tackle intricate situations to fill their stomachs and somehow make the ends meet. The less fortunate would rather be infected by the coronavirus than let hunger be the cause of their passing. Desperation combined with self-preservation is what keeps the urban poor going—not the SAP, not the DSWD, and certainly, not this government. The survival instinct and resilience of the Filipinos help them get by but this does not really help alleviate the adverse impacts of COVID-19, the resilience of Filipinos must not be used as an excuse to cover-up the incompetence of the leaders and divert the attention of the dissenters.

As citizens, it is our duty to protect and support our fellow Filipinos; it is my duty as an individual to acknowledge this pressing issue instead of turning a blind eye. Now, we do not really have all the resources nor the power to eradicate corruption and its adverse effects, but we can do the bare minimum—to keep our eyes open and to speak up. Just by educating the younger ones and encouraging our peers to assess the situation and refuse to tolerate the incompetence and dishonesty of the officials, we would all have great contributions as citizens. If we would all use our voices to resolve this issue, then maybe Filipinos would have a better life, and the Philippines would be a better country to live. Perhaps, if we would all just put ourselves into the shoes of the less fortunate, then no one would be starving—no one would be left behind.

It pains me how my fellow Filipinos are being disregarded and deprived of their rights. We deserve better than this—Filipinos deserve better than this. It is our duty, as the stronger and more advantaged individuals, to help the poor and vulnerable, and we can all do this, by amplifying voices and fighting against the systemic corruption.

References:

Apostol, V., & Go, L. (2020, August 9). Ameliorating the Social Amelioration Program. BusinessWorld Online. https://www.bworldonline.com/ameliorating-the-social-amelioration-program/

The ASEAN Post. (2020, October 25). More Filipinos Starving Amid The Pandemic. https://theaseanpost.com/article/more-filipinos-starving-amid-pandemic

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disinformNATION

By Eagles Eye

DISINFORMATION - "Philippines will impose two months heavy lockdown in response to COVID-19 - ctto" or "Efren Bata Reyes, Dies at the age of 65". Have you seen some of these headlines circulating online? If yes, you may already be susceptible to fake news and disinformation. 

According to Alba (2018), people are usually being seduced and lured to be captive audiences. After this, we are manipulated to see only what people with a vested interest, motives in power, and domination want us to see. A statement like this became a nightmare for the Philippines almost six years ago after a strongman hailed from Davao maximized all resources in disparaging mainstream media's reputation resulting in distrust in traditional journalism. With this, they have overpowered the control of news by vloggers and blog sites that release false information. The rise of globalization further reinforced this; with information dissemination becoming more accessible and faster, the prevalence of disinformation at the same time became a growing problem for many countries. 

On a more personal level, the free use of social media bothers me because people can easily create one or even have multiple accounts. This trend of making accounts, especially with fake names, makes it accessible for people to spread disinformation and hate toward others. As a citizen, I firmly believe that the rise of these so-called troll farms is a form of sabotage and abuse to our democracy. As we all know, The Philippines was ranked lowest in reading comprehension among 79 countries (Juan, 2019) which currently were abused by people with a vested interest. With our education sector lagging compared to other countries, we can't blame people, especially the masses, who do not have enough time and resources to check the accuracy of published malicious content. 

As we progress as one nation, I hope to see a more united Philippines wherein citizens do not let people in power abuse their authority while at the same time knowing how to demand accountability. A country wherein fake news peddlers are being given just punishment for their wrongdoings. Lastly, a country where people live a harmonious life away from hate and online violence. People can freely share content and not be harassed by these “troll farms” every time we share factual information.  In this way, we can all move forward to a better country without forgetting our past experiences that shaped our nation. 

As a responsible citizen, I always do my part in achieving this goal because I believe this is highly attainable if we start it within ourselves. To begin with, I always check the accuracy of the content I am consuming. With this, I always do fact-checks to avoid being a victim of malicious content. Do counter-checking with only trusted and reliable sources. After this, we combat those spreading fake news, especially content regarding public health and safety, by correcting it. We can't blame our citizens who fall under this trap, with the growing numbers of outright liars online. We should also act collectively and amplify our voices. Alongside our simple actions, We should encourage the government to instill rules and regulations in partnership with social media platforms and demonetizing accounts that spread fake news. Speed up and require registration of mobile numbers and regulate the use of social media to instill a responsibility among users without jeopardizing our rights. At the end of the day, we are the ones who will benefit from this. Additionally, we can avoid divisiveness and destruction of family relationships just because of differences in opinion. This is why I am one with the nation in building a country wherein truth prevails, and hate does not foster.

The views expressed in the essays appearing in this website are attributed only to the identified author/s, and do not represent the views of the entire group, the class, the course instructor, nor the university to which the student belongs

References:

ABS CBN News. (2021, January 16). 'Buhay na Buhay': Efren Bata Reyes, Pinabulaanan Ang Fake ... Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/01/16/21/buhay-na-buhay-efren-bata-reyes-pinabulaanan-ang-fake-news-na-pumanaw-na-siya

Alba, D. (2018, September 4). How duterte used Facebook to fuel the Philippine Drug War. BuzzFeed News. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://www.buzzfeednews.com/amphtml/daveyalba/facebook-philippines-dutertes-drug-war

Esguerra, D. J. (2020, March 12). Public warned vs viral 'fake news' as coronavirus cases in ph swell. Inquirer News. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1240181/public-warned-vs-fake-news-on-social-media-as-covid-19-cases-in-ph-swells/amp

Juan, R. S. (2019, December 3). Philippines lowest in reading comprehension among 79 countries. Philstar.com. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/12/03/1974002/philippines-lowest-reading-comprehension-among-79-countries/amp/

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Finding National Identity

by Luke Stanton

Courtesy of Meah Ang Lee (2018)

The Filipino people seem to only care about individual and family success, rather than success for the nation and its people (Mulder, 2013). It is as if we are ashamed of being Filipino and struggle to find our national identity. So, what I hope for people to see, is the bigger picture and expand their perspective with the ever evolving world. As our people are not willing to change and even adapt or only give a little effort, making it difficult for the nation to move on or evolve. I do have hope that we can change, and benefit from the change as well as having a sense of national identity.

There is the pertinent idea that I share the same concern with Nick Joaquin who wrote a blog entitled, “A Heritage of Smallness”, he talks about how the Filipino citizens fear bigness, and we fall back to our small societies or communities of which we feel comfortable with. He explained that the risks and any results that could lead to total failure will make us feel scared. So topics that are harder to grasp or hard to reach are ignored or again put little effort into achieving them because of the mindset of incapability of achieving and the fear of loss. So it is difficult to connect as a nation. (Joaquin, 2011)

A problem observed is that, we as citizens have small views or desires and that we believe that putting in more effort would benefit us but unfortunately the effort given by so many for so little (Joaquin, 2011). I am aware that not everyone has the privilege of just not working or putting in little effort and gain at the same time. That is what I hope to achieve, people giving opportunities that are equal and not biased judgments. Where employers and anyone in that matter give appropriate labor to skill arrangement. This is to help the future generations to get the mindset that working more for something so little is not worth it and to not settle for small returns.

As a citizen, I plan to raise awareness and promote the importance of respect and not fearing new and unfamiliar territory. I want to change mindsets, or at least have citizens see my end of the perspective and influence them to help in their end. It can be as simple as throwing trash in appropriate places, using social media appropriately and with respect, and overall becoming a more considerate individual.

The things we can learn when we observe and act on situations will help us move further towards respecting ourselves and our country. Especially in today's era, where we need to understand that as a nation and citizen that we are not together but separated. Changing the cycle that has been going on for so many years by jumping forward, taking risks and knowing our worth. As well as finding our national identity through respecting the nation and its people. This time moving forward we will be exerting effort to come together as a nation and be proud of it.

“The views expressed in the essays appearing in this website are attributed only to the identified author/s, and do not represent the views of the entire group, the class, the course instructor, nor the university to which the student belongs.”

References:

Joaquin, N. (2011). A Heritage of Smallness by Nick Joaquin. Noble and Ever Loyal City. https://theurbanhistorian.tumblr.com/post/5966825494/a-heritage-of-smallness-by-nick-joaquin

Meah Ang See. (2018). Why Do We Have to Defend Ourselves Against Racism in the First Place? Esquiremag.ph. https://www.esquiremag.ph/politics/opinion/chinese-filipino-winnie-monsod-a2270-20181204?ref=article_next_featured

Mulder, N. (2013). Filipino Identity: The Haunting Question. Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 32(1), 55–80. https://doi.org/10.1177/186810341303200103

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Paglaom: Strengthening Inclusivity for the Philippine Indigenous Communities

By Cantadora

Photo courtesy of Carlos Manalansan of Bulatlat

Paglaom (n) - Cebuano translation of hope

There is hatred in the global climate inflicting discord against harmony within the diversity. It is a relentless phenomenon manifested through confining our distinctions into separate categories; where, segregation highlights which groups convene the majority and not. This unpleasant discrimination is immensely relevant during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, despite its proliferation, the present generation should create a safe and inclusive environment for the upcoming generations- fostering thoughtful, productive, and engaged citizens in ameliorating the challenges experienced by the indigenous people. 

The indigenous people (IP) have abundant natural resources with intellectual assets and cultural property, yet overlooking the alarming disenfranchisement threatens the population's welfare (First Peoples Organization, 2005). With over 7,600 islands in the Philippines, a vast cultural heritage and tribes exist within the archipelago (Valdeavilla, 2018). However, the aforementioned global challenge is also prevalent within the Philippines' locality. Two years ago, agitating news provoked protests when the Department of Education (DepEd) ordered the suspension of the 55 Lumad schools. The National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. accused the tribe of deviating DepEd guidelines and disseminating alleged anti-government propaganda (Reysio-Cruz, 2019). It stripped off the right to education- which should be integral in mobilizing sustainable development (United Nations, n.d.). Furthermore, the violations of rights did not just stop there, as members became victims of red-tagging and even exiled from their territories- with no inkling of when to return (Rina Chandran, Thomson Reuters Foundation, 2018). These are only a portion of the harassment experienced by our minorities from authorities militarizing their lands- aggravated under the tyranny of the current government. 

Nevertheless, the fight to abolish the incessant discrimination must remain alive, for hope will not dwindle in amplifying the plight of our people. According to Prakash-Mani (2018), in her article, assembling a collective action that recognizes the common purpose of our individuality will resolve contentious issues- where everyone possesses the compassion to empathize with the circumstances faced by our indigenous people to demand sustainable solutions. Indigenous people's role in the country as stewards of their territories is salient in securing 80% of the world's biodiversity. Although, the majority only recognized a few of their environmental initiatives. Despite garnering only 5% of the population, they have a purpose of upholding the maintenance of our biodiversity (Ijjas-Vasquez et al., 2017). 

Human rights are indigenous people's rights. It is an entitlement that protects the values and welfare of our individuality (Legodesk, n.d.). Empowering these rights should eliminate the omission of the minorities- that everyone may participate in the discussion on societal development. 

Today's world is in dire need of recovery, but this healing will be promulgated if we set aside our differences in pursuing a safe community. It identifies the unrecognized problems in constructing a sanctuary for the most vulnerable communities. They might hold a small demographic in the global population, but they have a role to accomplish in this world. Hope activates when we begin to promote and acknowledge the value of lives and motivate the improvement of the present conditions; to quote George Dei, "inclusion is not bringing people into what already exists, it is making a new space, a better space for everyone."

The views expressed in the essays appearing in this website are attributed only to the identified author/s, and do not represent the views of the entire group, the class, the course instructor, nor the university to which the student belongs.

References

First Peoples Organization. (2005). The Challenges We Face. First Peoples Organization. http://www.firstpeoples.org/the-challenges-we-face.htm

Ijjas-Vasquez, E., Gill, M., & Duchicela, L. F. (2017, August 9). Three reasons why we should all care about Indigenous Peoples. World Bank Blogs. Retrieved December 14, 2021, from https://blogs.worldbank.org/voices/three-reasons-why-we-should-all-care-about-indigenous-peoples#:~:text=Third%2C%20Indigenous%20Peoples%20help%20protect,of%20the%20world's%20remaining%20biodiversity.

Legodesk. (n.d.). What Are Human Rights & Why Are They Important? LEGO DESK. Retrieved December 14, 2021, from https://legodesk.com/legopedia/human-rights/

Prakash-Mani, K. (2018, July 12). The importance of collective action. Medium. Retrieved December 14, 2021, from https://wwf.medium.com/the-importance-of-collective-action-61c928da15f7

Reysio-Cruz, M. (2019, July 18). UN help sought in probe of ‘lumad’ schools closure. Inquirer.

Rina Chandran, Thomson Reuters Foundation. (2018, April 19). Driven from home, Philippine indigenous people long for their land. Reuters. Retrieved December 12, 2021, from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-landrights-crime-idUSKBN1HQ034

United Nations. (n.d.). Goal 4: Quality Education. Global Centre for Technology, Innovation, and Sustainable Development in Singapore. Retrieved December 12, 2021, from https://www1.undp.org/content/singapore-global-centre/en/home/sustainable-development-goals/goal-4-quality-education.html?utm_source=EN&utm_medium=GSR&utm_content=US_UNDP_PaidSearch_Brand_English&utm_campaign=CENTRAL&c_src=CENTRAL&c_src2=GSR&gclid=Cj0KCQiA

Valdeavilla, R. (2018, April 25). A Guide to the Indigenous Tribes of the Philippines. Culture Trip. Retrieved December 12, 2021, from https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/a-guide-to-the-indigenous-tribes-of-the-philippines/

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Every good citizen adds to the strength of a nation.

Gordon B. Hinckley

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What Bothers Me? Political Dynasties

By Aerdna Wamilah

(Source of photo: Bloomberg)

Villar-Aguilar. Marcos. Estrada. Singson. Duterte. In the Philippines, these surnames are familiar because we see them on campaign posters and voting ballots. It is also not just one candidate or official flaunting their surname, for they belong to one family—a political dynasty. According to Mactal (2018), a political dynasty exists if members from one family hold one elective position consecutively from one generation to the next or assume many positions at once to retain political power (pp. 266-267). From how I see it, what drives these families to conquer the political arena is greed for money and power, both of which they easily obtain when the people continue to vote for them. 

With the 2022 national elections coming up, I am perturbed that almost all the available national and local positions have been applied to by aspirants with the same surnames. I highly doubt the sincerity of their reasons for running; I can never forget what some of those candidates said on air when asked about their decision to run together as a family. For instance, Cavite Representative Alex Advincula asserted, “Nag-usap na kami for peace, para sa bayan.” (We have agreed [on who will run for certain positions] for peace, for the country) (ABS-CBN News, 2021, 53:48). Meanwhile, Mayor Arlene Arcillas in Santa Rosa, Laguna commented, “Dapat nga po mas- mas magka-pamilya dahil iisa po ang puso namin in service.” (It’s just right for there to be a family [political dynasty] since we are united in service) (ABS-CBN News, 2021, 55:04). Despite their assurances, they might have meant there would be no one else outside their family conflicting their manner of rule and political agenda when they spoke of peace and unity. Hence, having too many of their family members possibly occupying all their district’s positions in one term inevitably poses a threat to our country’s democratic processes.

 I have known democracy as a political system by which the state is ultimately governed by its people. Therefore, the people can exercise the military, economic, and communicative powers possessed by the state. Due to impracticality, we instead implement a representative system wherein elections are regularly held, so that particular candidates are chosen to make up our government. That government is then obligated to execute decisions that are in the best interest of the state. Mainly, the elected officials ought to listen to the needs and demands of the people and respond to them by making apt decisions and laws. In reality, however, such is unlikely to happen with political dynasties freely setting their own political agenda and priorities. For example, the Eusebios in Pasig made it seem that constructing elevated walkways was one of the most pressing concerns of the city, so they allocated an estimate of 100 million worth of public funds toward it, when in fact, it was the opposite as implied by Vico Sotto (ABS-CBN News Channel, 2019). With this, citizens (as well as civil society movements) may have fewer chances of interacting and influencing the decisions of their dynasty-ruled government in accordance with their interests.

Second, a lack of high-ranking officials not belonging to the political dynasty in the same district would mean an absence of adequate checks and balances against the latter’s collective power. This means more opportunities for the political dynasty to amass power and private wealth. In my city, Las Piñas, Camille Villar, who is our current congresswoman, implemented “May Bahay sa Bakuna” program where the vaccinated citizens can have a chance of winning a house and lot, motorcycles, or groceries. But, the raffle tickets have to be dropped at barangay halls or All Day stores, the latter being one of the Villar family’s businesses. It seemed to me that the people are unwittingly manipulated through marketing and political tactics. Villar attains brand recognition for their business and simultaenously a better image as a selfless ruler in preparation for the elections next year. Perhaps, the fact that some political dynasties put up this compassionate persona and display their power to enact programs like Villar’s is the reason why people are discouraged from running against them. In fact, no one else is contending against Villar for district representative in my city alone (Rappler.com, 2021).  

Overall, what bothers me the most is the invariable existence of political dynasties in the Philippines. Their propensity for corruption stands in the way of creating a good society for the state. After all, a family that politicizes together stays together, even if that means forsaking their people’s interests to serve their own. Thus, we citizens ought to push for free, fair, and competitive elections, if not actively hold them accountable for every decision they make, so that we can have leaders who would always prioritize our well-being and uphold the common good.

DISCLAIMER: “The views expressed in the essays appearing in this website are attributed only to the identified author/s, and do not represent the views of the entire group, the class, the course instructor, nor the university to which the student belongs.”

References

ABS-CBN News. (2021, October 6). TV Patrol livestream | October 6, 2021 Full Episode Replay [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3qSWHOM1Hk

ABS-CBN News Channel [@ANCALERTS]. (2019, April 3). Pasig mayoral bet Vico Sotto plans to allocate almost a quarter of the city's P10.7 billion budget to localized healthcare [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/ANCALERTS/status/1113261523659567105

Mactal, R. B. (2018). Padayon 10 (Mga Kontemporaneong Isyu) [Padayon 10: Contemporary Issues]. Phoenix Publishing House, Inc. 

 Rappler.com. (2021, September 12). LIST: Who is running in Metro Manila in the 2022 Philippine elections? Retrieved November 3, 2021 from https://www.rappler.com/nation/elections/names-candidates-metro-manila-philippines-2022

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The Wrath of the Tyrants

EAMV18

Image by The Varsitarian via https://varsitarian.net/editorial/20181009/duterte-will-meet-marcos-fate

The former Philippine president Ferdinand E. Marcos declared Martial Law on September 21, 1972. It is a law that appertains to the temporary replacement of civil rule by military rule. Martial Law is a must-not for it suppresses liberty, and establishes the supremacy of the head and military, in addition, both are blinded by the absolute power that urged them to exercise heinous crimes against humanity. Intending to discuss sentiments with regards to Martial Law and the Marcos Government, this paper will tackle the following points: 1) the influence of Martial Law to the current democratic situation in the Philippines; 2) the comprehensive state of the country before, and during Martial Law.

Under Martial Law, the entire country was in a tremendously adverse situation. The executives were conferred with preeminent power to subdue various activities and institutions including the press. On account of the censorship and media manipulation, a lot of Filipinos, even the ones who were of proper age that period remain naively maneuvered by the myth that the Marcos regime was a golden era; adhering to the belief that the Marcoses are innocuous. Marcos and the current Philippine president Rodrigo Roa Duterte are perceived to have kindred coercive tactics in regards to the demobilization of opposition by means of police/military force. According to Carmel V. Gabao in her article (2018) Is Rodrigo Duterte a Resurrected Ferdinand Marcos? “Similar developments have taken place: (i) while Duterte has not abolished Congress, he has captured the legislature through a ‘supermajority’ in the House of Representatives and the removal and/or weakening of opponents in the Senate, (ii) Duterte has also tried to “shutter” the media institutions such as Rappler, ABS-CBN and Inquirer, (iii) Senator de Lima has been in jail for one and a half years and Senator Trillianes’ arrest now seems forthcoming, and (iv) Duterte’s intervention in the Judiciary has also been revealed in the ouster of Chief Justice Sereno through a quo warranto. Moreover, just like Marcos, Duterte has been looking to the military and the police as a base of support.” Marcos and Duterte may not necessarily have the same exact style of dictatorship but both of them caused the same detriments to the political development, economic potential, and societal structure of the Philippines. Due to the comparability of the present administration to Marcos', a lot of ignorant are tolerating or worse, patronizing the current president notwithstanding his false competency, blatant obscenity, etc., mistakenly taking forceful dominion or dictatorship as an efficient and ethical strategy to have a refined government. Furthermore, the student-activists most notably, Bobby Dela Paz and Edgardo Gil Mirasol Jopson were killed, tortured, and incarcerated. As Atty. Saguisag said, "We lost an entire generation who would've been natural leaders." The Philippines is currently under a democratic situation yet due to the corrupt and inept "leaders," the said state arguably functions otherwise, as human rights are still violated; the poor are still oppressed; the rich are still receiving special treatment; the economy is still stagnated. Our government in the present is still corrupt, incompetent, anti-poor, vicious and remorseless. If the socio-political advocates were not grievously killed during the Marcos Regimen, we would've had promising leaders—and we wouldn’t even have to settle with the presidential candidates for the 2022 Philippine Election most specifically, Bong-bong Marcos, Isko Moreno, and even Manny Pacquiao. Hence, the Filipinos and the country per se are struggling up until the contemporary era—all because of the Marcoses.

A minuscule hint of "economic growth" unveiled throughout President Marcos' first term of presidency but these "prosperities" were all inaugurated by "debt-driven development," they cleverly used architecture as a pretense for their deep-rooted desire to create an impression that their governance made significant contributions to the Philippine economy. The overall external debt of the country exponentially increased from $8.2 billion to $24.4 billion in just a span of five years. Borrowing funds may escalate the chances of the economy to boom however, the said regime did not successfully fulfill its obligations (Mandrilla, 2016). Moving on to the next point, as previously mentioned, the military gained absolute power—leading to prejudicial executions. Withal, the president assumed capabilities beyond the expected limit; having the ability of suspending the writ of habeas corpus, thus having the public to be holistically vulnerable and unguarded from arbitrary powers of the executive. With that being said, illegal detention and imprisonment became extremely rampant. In deference to the Conference Paper uploaded by Alfred McCoy (2001), there were more than 3,000 extrajudicial killings, about 34,000 were tortured, and 70,000 were imprisoned and/or detained.

Martial Law, in all spheres, is absurd and grotesque for it is both a driver and enabler of serious crimes committed by the supposed leaders and protectors—violating human rights and human dignity. Although Duterte has his own ways of dictating, we still cannot deny that the President is so much more like Ferdinand Marcos when it comes to human lives and human rights; and the resemblance of the Philippine democracy under this administration and the Philippines when it was still under the Martial Law is undeniably uncanny. Martial Law gave rise to innumerable adversities and mishaps, namely, the persistent economic disruption because of Marcos' debts, the physical insecurity of the Filipinos back then, the death of potentially deserving leaders that could have helped our country prosper, Marcos' political opponents and other activists were slaughtered because of the politicized military; thousands were tortured; and thousands were unlawfully detained. A country does not need to be under martial law or other system/law of such to flourish. We need a sincere, competent, compassionate, and a people-person leader that refuses to be blinded and manipulated by power and greed. People must stop romanticizing the dictatorship that happened during the Marcos Regime, and stop looking back with "sentimental longing" as if the aforesaid administration did not scorn the public security, and play havoc with the peace and order in our country. Aside from this, there should be no seat for Marcos’ immediate family in the government. Besides, celebrating Marcos, his family, and his ruling is tantamount to disdaining the sacrifices, struggles, despair, pain, and death of thousands of Filipinos. Ergo, Martial Law is neither beneficial nor promising to the country and the majority of Filipinos, instead, it led to copious misconduct to which only the rich and powerful are in advantage.

References:

Abao, C. (2018, October 9). Is RodrigoDuterte a resurrected Ferdinand Marcos? –Blueboard by Carmel V. Abao. Ateneo deManila University. http://www.ateneo.edu/ls/soss/political-science/news/research/rodrigo-duterteresurrected-ferdinand-marcos-blueboard

Mandrilla, K. (2016, March 5). Marcos years marked “golden age” of PH economy? Look at the data. Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/voices/imho/marcos-economy- golden-age-philippines

McCoy, A. (2001, January). Dark Legacy: Human Rights under the Marcos Regime. Research Gate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311984856_Dark_Legacy_Human_Right s_under_the_Marcos_Regime

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Deception

by Luke Stanton

Courtesy: Bloomberg Businessweek, Dec. 11, 2017.‌

Are the words of honor and truth important for people running for power in office, or is it considered a marketing strategy now? Can we still trust the government even though when we try to speak and express our frustration and opinions we could have our lives ruined or even lost? Filipino citizens, may they be impecunious, wealthy or in the working class, are blinded by the words of these people. Who present themselves as a messiah for the Filipino people and yet deliver so little and occasionally lie in our faces. It has slightly felt as if we have been losing our right to be a citizen in this country. When our own citizens’ benefits turn into government officials' playthings that they show as their success and achievements while other Filipinos are dying, starving, frightened, and face poverty. Is it still possible to fix the way our democracy is administered so the ones who can truly benefit are its people and country? So why do these things bother me?

Lies! It is the most frequent issue I have seen throughout my life, looking at these people who lead our country and some of their twisted followers (trolls). Fake news is still evident today and a recent example is Bongbong Marcos reportedly graduating from the University of Oxford, a prestigious university but through fact checking by Filipinos and clarification with Oxford he did not finish any Bachelor’s degree. Marcos has only received a special diploma that does not mean any completion or graduation from the University (Rappler 2021). There are people who are not aware of the fake news and will fall into the trap of which we may not be able to return, regret.

What also bothers me is the government’s efforts to manipulate social media through trolling and fake accounts. President Duterte himself in a press conference in 2017 admitted that he had in fact hired online commenters during the election. In a University of Oxford study, pro-Duterte trolls were engaged in flooding social media with pro-government comments while harassing and trolling social media users with contrary opinions by using fake accounts and bots (Ranada, 2017)

I am also disturbed by the amount of hypocrisy we witness and experience not only from our current president but of our presidential candidates. When President Duterte had a speech in the U.N. on September 22 of this year, he stated that these rich nations hoard the Covid-19 vaccines when there is an accusation surrounding his team. That the Philippine government has been smuggling the funds and goods for his cronies and high-ranking officials. Which is corruption, which unfortunately the government has promised to avoid at all costs and have conducted many investigations of accused government personnel (Palatino, 2021). This is what also bothers me, the Philippines still enforcing lockdowns because handling it was not important before, not until the rise of Covid-19 cases. To be fair a part of this is the fault of the people because some believe that it is a hoax or non-lethal. It still does not take away the fact that the government protocols of being in a pandemic are not effective and slow to say the least.

In conclusion the situations that bother me are centered around the actions of the people in power. Those people who have exploited power and money for their own self-interest and leaving their fellow countrymen on the ground to rot. Lies, hypocrisy, and exploitation are subject matters that make our citizens fall into traps into following these men and/or women who have power jeopardizing our future as a nation and its people.

Sources Cited

Palatino, M. (2021, September 29). The Hypocrisy of President Duterte’s UN Speech. Thediplomat.com. https://thediplomat.com/2021/09/the-hypocrisy-of-president-dutertes-un-speech/

Ranada, P. (2017, July 25). Duterte says online defenders, trolls hired only during campaign. Rappler; Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/nation/duterte-online-defenders-trolls-hired-campaign

Rappler.com. (2021, October 28). MISSING CONTEXT: Bongbong Marcos featured as University of Oxford notable alumnus. Rappler; Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/bongbong-marcos-featured-notable-alumnus-university-oxford-edurank

Etter, L. (2017, December 7). What Happens When the Government Uses Facebook as a Weapon? Bloomberg.com; Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-12-07/how-rodrigo-duterte-turned-facebook-into-a-weapon-with-a-little-help-from-facebook

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plUNDER THE TABLE

by Eagles Eye

Courtesy: Corruption Patrol [10/08/14]

CORRUPTION - Have you ever seen a vampire sucking blood from a person? Maybe not, but that is how corruption works, the money is the blood while the person is the nation that slowly dies due to the circumstance. However, What is corruption? What are its long-term effects on a nation? Aside from this, what are the ways to stop its continuous growth?

Imagine living in a country without corruption. Students have access to free education. Citizens have a good healthcare system. Only a few people are living below poverty and people in the government are held accountable. Sadly, that is not a reality for the Philippines for now. As the country dropped from rank 95 in 2015 to 115 in 2020 in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) of Transparency International. With its 2020 score only reaching 34/100, which is far from the global average of 43/100.

With this instance, public trust in government institutions slowly declines. This continuous problem of corruption in the country is what bothers most people including me. As we face a health crisis that affects the world, attaining a higher score in the CPI becomes more difficult. This comes with the procurement of COVID-19 equipment not going through auditing by the Commission of Audit. In a report by CNN Philippines, a whistleblower claims PHP 15 Billion was stolen by PhilHealth executives using a fraud scheme (Jalea, 2020). In another report by Rappler, state auditors mentioned that the poor use of the PHP 67 Billion funds led to missed opportunities for DOH to strengthen its health system. These are just some of the reported cases of graft and plunder during the pandemic. How much more the things they do under the table that our eyes won't be able to see? I do not know how these people in government have been able to withstand the massive corruption. According to Deputy Ombudsman Cyril Ramos, the Philippines is losing an average of PHP 700 Billion yearly or around 20% of the yearly appropriation. Corruption comes in so many forms that sometimes you won't be able to recognize that it is corruption. Starting from the simple things like bribery when doing government transactions, to putting relatives or friends that are not fit for the job, or having a cut in the government projects. At some point, all of us may be a part of the corrupt system but still, it bothers me since government money should be spent more on social services such as healthcare, food security, education, livelihood, and housing but instead, it is being spent on the luxury living of a lot of politicians with them living like kings and queens in their respective territories. This breaks my heart knowing that it greatly widens the gap between the rich and the poor. Unfortunately, it is the poor that suffers the most because the money that politicians lavishly spend should be used for community development. On a personal level, It bothers me because some of our family friends who contracted COVID-19 had to go to Manila to seek better healthcare because corruption deprived our province of having facilities that will ensure the safety of the people. Aside from this, Imagine the number of people we can feed or give a decent home from that significant amount of money.

More than the weakening of government institutions, corruption also hinders the participation of citizens in nation-building. In the Philippines, rampant vote-buying occurs every election season. These may come in the forms of money, grocery items, construction materials, liquor, and many more. Even sometimes it already became a joke for others to say “how much is your vote?” Unfortunately, it is already embedded in the minds of most Filipinos to ask for something during elections due to the reason that politicians will only appear again next election. Aside from this, some politicians capitalize on Filipinos' innate culture of “ Utang na Loob '' to make people vote for them during elections. It is a concerning matter because these people continuously use our money to lure people to sustain their power. The sad reality is that we know who are corrupt but they can easily bend the justice system into their favor.

Overall, corruption deprived us of several years of development. Aside from this, We were left with trillions of pesos to pay as the national debt grew bigger. This is the time, Filipinos should increase participation in government and hold politicians accountable if there are corrupt practices. Aside from this, the Filipino people should learn from the mistakes of the past. We should be more critical of the leaders we elect. Always check their background regarding integrity, humility, empathy, resilience, vision, etc. Lastly, we should always be vigilant and always think critically as fake news is all over. These are just some ways of slowly eradicating corruption in the system. Even though corruption may not be gone in our lifetime due to the corrupted justice system of this country, at the very least we can say that we did our part in eradicating it.

REFERENCES:

Gagalac, R. (2019, August 15). P700 billion lost yearly due to corruption ... - ABS-CBN news. ABS CBN News. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/15/19/p700-billion-lost-yearly-due-to-corruption-says-official.

Jalea, G., & Peralta, J. (2020, August 4). Whistleblower claims ₱15 billion stolen by Philhealth Execs in fraud schemes. cnn. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/8/4/PhilHealth-P15-billion-stolen-mafia-execs.html.

Magsambol, B. (2021, August 11). Doh's poor use of P67 billion COVID-19 funds led to 'missed opportunities' – auditors. Rappler. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://www.rappler.com/nation/coa-says-poor-use-billions-covid-19-funds-led-missed-opportunities.

The views expressed in the essays appearing in this website are attributed only to the identified author/s, and do not represent the views of the entire group, the class, the course instructor, nor the university to which the student belongs.

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The Coveted Chair

by Cantadora

The picture above is a sole representation of the related tweets online.

The Miss Universe Philippines season pressed clamor on social media as netizens bombarded a mixture of reactions across the platform. However, the recent pageantry did not remain in its realm of parading the representatives of different localities. It transcends the physical attributes and delves into the zeal of their advocacies. An interesting takeaway from this event is the juxtaposition of the coronation with the upcoming elections.

"Who will be crowned as the next Miss Universe?"

"Who will be seated as the next President?"

A crown and a chair- as the most coveted possession of the different disciplines. It is interesting to uncover a column of tweets sharing the same sentiments of contrasting the level of scrutinizing beauty pageant candidates and the laxity in selecting government candidates, where relative merits were received from this discussion. It boils down to the inquiry on the requirements of aspiring politicians to secure their names on the ballot.

The 1987 Philippine Constitution relays the qualifications for the presidency on Article VII, Section 2, stating:

"No person may be elected President unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, a registered voter, able to read and write, at least forty years of age on the day of the election, and a resident of the Philippines for at least ten years immediately preceding such election."

Every Filipino citizen is qualified to run a position they desire but is grounds for disqualification if complying with the conditions in Section 12 of Article I- General Provisions of the Omnibus Election Code (1985). The forbearing requirements may signify the lack of discrimination towards the leadership capabilities of the applicant, but it can impose a weakness on the merits of the constitution. Perhaps, it is due to the date of the establishment- paying homage to the ideals different from today. Should there be a need to amend the constitution on the revision of government positions' candidacy?

Able to read and write

With advanced technologies brewing around the corners, there will be more complexities on the concepts to surface. A study from Kirsch and Junglebut (1986) emphasized the necessity of introducing and strengthening other forms of literacy in pursuit of progress (Bui, 2017). The reality of the world today demands more than just being able to read and write. There are certain intricacies to be understood in reforming the implementations to improve the livelihood of the constituents.

at least forty years of age on the day of the election

Questions always creep every time this statement appears. If age was the basis for maturity, shouldn't formerly convicted felonies in their adulthood be well informed about their motivation and decision in a commitment of misdemeanor? It alarms an arbitrary standard on evaluating relevant skills. When in fact, several studies and articles dismissed the notion of defining maturity in adjacent to age.

The concerns are only a portion of the grounds for consideration. A journalist from Detroit Free Press, Riley (2017), raises questions on the deliberation for the candidates. It includes assessment on mental competency, financial review, and moral behavior are subject to analysis that deems their eligibility in service for the nation. Indeed, it is high time to demand changes to the constitution to preserve the sanctity of the election system.

It might be laborious to hope for such ambition, but modern ideals won't be subservient to tradition's beliefs.

Suppose the people were keen on scrutinizing the women in pageants to represent our country vying for the crown. Why aren't we holding our candidates accountable for their credibility in coveting the chair to represent a 'better country' too?

References:

Bui, N. H. (2017). The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy and Perceptions of Different Literacy Types Among College Students. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 47(1), 45–57. https://doi.org/10.1080/10790195.2016.1218808

Omnibus Election Code- Article 1, General Provisions, 1 (1985) (testimony of Commission on Elections). https://comelec.gov.ph/index.html?r=References/RelatedLaws/OmnibusElectionCode/OECArt1

The Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines - Article VII, Section 2, (1987) (testimony of Constitutional Commission of 1986). https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/constitutions/the-1987-constitution-of-the-republic-of-the-philippines/the-1987-constitution-of-the-republic-of-the-philippines-article-vii/

Kirsch, I. S., & Jungeblut, A. (1986). Literacy: Profiles of America’s Young Adults. Final Report.

Riley, R. (2017, July 8). Should it be harder to run for president? Detroit Free Press.

The views expressed in the essays appearing in this website are attributed only to the identified author/s, and do not represent the views of the entire group, the class, the course instructor, nor the university to which the student belongs.