To Blog or Not to Blog

Minju in various stages

2008-10-08T04:01:00.000-07:00

The almost two year-old Minju.

Minju a little more than one year!

Filipinos among the happiest in Asia

2007-11-28T19:48:00.000-08:00

While waiting for my class, I am holed inside my room to read my notes on today's lecture. I received a text from comrades in the movement to proceed to Makati because a spontaneous people's rally is swelling. Others are thinking that this might be a prelude to another People Power. I immediately scrolled to the online news to find out what is happening.

It turns out, the leader of the Oakwood Mutiny (Antonio Trillanes) together with other military personnel walked out of their court hearing in Makati and marched outside and barricaded themselves inside a hotel. Trillanes is a newly elected Senator in a decisive vote last elections. He won even though he was incarcerated the whole campaign period and was not allowed to speak to the media. Some analysis points to the dissatisfaction of the people to the government and he became a symbol of protest.

As of the moment, the Arroyo government are once again scrambling to diffuse the tension in the city. Just a few days ago, the call for Arroyo's resignation has been revived following the blasts in Congress and another spat with the House Speaker. Is this where the interesting times are leading to? Is this deliberate to sow chaos in time for the traditional workers' demonstrations tomorrow? November 30 is a holiday to commemorate the birthday of Andres Bonifacio, a plebeian revolutionary hero during the Spanish period. This day is usually for workers to march on the streets and air their demands.

Ironic to think that just yesterday, a survey came out finding that Filipinos ranks second in the happiest people in Asia (after India). This was supposed to be content of my blog but I've decided to footnote instead the on-going Makati people protest.

Interesting times

2007-11-14T18:57:00.000-08:00

These are interesting times in the Philippines. In political terms. The political weather has been full of exposes and explosions. In October, a blast shook a famous shopping mall at the heart of the business district in Makati, killing 11 people. The government and police attributed the explosion to an industrial accident but nobody really believes them. Two days ago, a bomb (this time, it was determined as a bomb) exploded at the House of Representatives killing 1 legislator from Mindanao, 2 Congress staff and injuring 10 people. Different theories as to who the culprit may be surfaced. But just like the mall blast, no conclusive explanation is offered to the public. These instances of open violence challenges the governing powers of the state.

Just in the last 3 weeks, the government was rocked with political scandals and accusations of bribery and corruption; just short of a full scale legitimacy crisis. Exposes in the form of whistle-blowers accounted the blatant influence peddling of some prominent government officials to approve a huge IT contract for a government TV network involving a Chinese company (ZTN). Due to the scandal, a high-ranking official of the government resigned. After a few days, the Malacanang (the seat of government) was pictured with governors holding paper-bags full of cash amounting to half a million pesos.

One conscientious governor divulged the information to the media because he was puzzled upon receiving such a huge amount with no corresponding receipts and too early to describe it as a christmas gift. This led to a more serious predicament for the government because no less than the President of the Republic called the breakfast meeting of all governors at the Malacanang. Issues of bribery and corruption at the highest levels were hurled by political pundits to the government. A few priests joined the fray and called for the resignation of Arroyo. However, this has not caught massive support from the masses as they gear up for the oncoming Christmas spirits.

Against this backdrop is the news of a 12 year old girl who committed suicide allegedly due to poverty according to her writings in a diary. The simple words of the girl detailing her inability to go to school for two weeks due to lack of transport fare has gnawed the public conscience on where this country is heading. A stark reality amid the beginning festivities for the December holidays. But where really is all these interesting events leading to?

In the meantime, the chronic and intractable war in Mindanao continue to rage after 14 Marines were ambushed by Muslim separatists two months ago. And the fate of the economic and trade agreement with Japan is currently being deliberated at the Senate. Some views that a political storm is coming. Others say it's but a common political life here in the country. Just the same, these are politically interesting times.

Just last night without any sign of a storm brewing, it starts to rain.

Land of the mist

2007-10-11T00:46:00.002-07:00

This is a picture from the shorelines of Lima (Peru) where I've been in the last week of September. I've been told that this is a typical day in Peru -- cold, misty and gray due to its geographical location. But the people make up for the lost colors. Their indigenous clothes are colorful and their local paintings express how they view life which is a clash of colors. Furthermore, the people are very warm and hospitable. The Filipino in me sees many similarities with the Peruvian temper and way of life. Not only that it is a developing country like the Philippines but also of our shared colonial past with Spain. However, Peru is the home of the distinguished Incas. An ancient civilization that existed before the conquistadores declared that they are the only civilized society. The lost city of the Incas located in Cuzco and Machu Picchu is voted this year as one of the wonders of the world in league with the Taj Mahal and the landmark cross of Brazil. Although I didn't get to see the famous Machu Picchu, the old part of Lima city is also quite charming. The warm enthusiasm of the people despite language barriers, communicated their friendliness to foreigners like myself.

Climactic change

2007-08-07T23:06:00.000-07:00

This is the first time I witnessed the Filipinos rejoicing when two consecutive typhoons hit the country's shores as of this writing. Named "Chedeng" and "Dodong", the two typhoons are treated like guests in this strange archipelagic nation. Considering that the Philippines have experienced the worst and tragic effects of typhoons, this is a cause to wonder. As a tropical country, the Philippines experience on average 30 typhoons a year. The rainy season usually starts on June, exactly in the middle of the year, until September if we are lucky, and December if we are really unlucky.

But this year, only 3 typhoons have entered the Philippine responsibility until the end of July. Droughts have been experienced in the north part of the country fearing unimaginable catastrophe for our agricultural crops. (In Mindanao which is the south part, this is not a problem because the region has 2 seasons: wet and very wet). Due to the unusual dry spell, water supply in the cities were announced to be rationed by mid-August. The Catholic church has called on a national day of prayer for rain! And the government has been sending feelers that it wants emergency powers to respond to the drought. (This is all hogwash because now that the rains have come, the government is still asking for emergency powers this time to address the heavy rains!). The government with its odd affectation for emergency powers (aka Martial Law powers) seem to reflect that it cannot move without additional powers.

And so, as the rains pour in droves outside as I am writing this blog, I am rejoicing. It's good to hear the rain. It's good to feel a fresh breeze from the rain. Just as we need and enjoy the sun, we also need rain and lots of it.

A walking and (sometimes) talking Minju

2007-07-11T22:15:00.000-07:00

Here is Minju now. A walking and sometimes a talking 13-month old. In the picture, she looks like a cat who just swallowed the bird. Well, she was playing awhile before that with "chowming", our in-house cat. Actually, she's just showing off her new blouse sent to her by her "ninong" Shaun all the way from South Africa. A video of her oozing with "wow" can be seen on our web album.

It is now a delight to hear her say sporadic words, sometimes incoherent ones. She is starting to mimic the words we say like, "nana" for banana, "inju" for Minju, "wow for wow, and "eyes" for eyes, complete with her finger pointing at her eyes. Soon she'll be repeating our own words to her advantage. At home, we are now starting to guard our words as we know that kids tend to pick up words, even the unsavory ones, very quickly.

P.S. 'Ninong' means in tagalog to be 'godfather'.

Milestones

2007-06-28T00:37:00.001-07:00

Perhaps Minju will talk first before she can walk. I've been waiting for Minju to walk for weeks and months. After her first birthday, my waiting is characterized as a nailbiting wait. She's definitely learning to walk but she still holds our hand as she grapples with her confidence. But maybe we are the ones who can't let go because we are so afraid she would free fall, which she sometimes do.

Four months back, she could clearly say "Mama". These words from her are like bells in my ears. Until she says it to the nanny, to my sister, to my mother and our neighbors' wife. Still, I consider this a milestone. There's no better words to hear than hearing your child say her first words and they are "Mama". It means that I probably have a profound impact on her because these are her first words. At the age of one year and one month, her vocabulary is slowly increasing. But she is uttering sounds rather than words. Even though she's not a cry-baby, our house is quite noisy with her babbles.

These days, I am not anxiously waiting for her to walk by herself. It is a matter of time. She determines her pace and I am confident she will walk when she's ready. At the moment, I am just enjoying the way she looks for my fingers to be with her when she explores the grounds with her two feet. I am content just the same just by looking at her learning her first steps. Even though she's not walking yet on her own, she can surely dance her way around your heart.

Writing for your life

2007-06-19T00:44:00.000-07:00

Writing is both a curse and a gift. In some forms it is a very expressive form of art. In other instances, it is not art at all. There was once an article I read about writing which I read a long time ago; the author said that the act of writing is a lonely endeavor. There are moments when the word eludes you, there are days when they pour. There are also days you don't want to see the blank paper and be content to just stare at a blank wall. But there are also days when you can't sit quiet unless you write the noises from your head.

For some people, writing is a way of life. For others, it is their life. Writing moves people, to think, to react or to act. In some cases, writing saves lives. It saves the life of the writer from insanity or death by boredom. Written products may save the life of a nameless individual. Who knows? Whatever the case may be, I congratulate those people that struggles in the world of the written word and succeeded. They might be on the way of writing a better world.

This is my tribute to my two friends who are finishing their PhD and MA dissertations during these times. This is a highlight in their lives which I meant to recognize. Congratulations, Shaun and Lota!

Erratum

2007-05-31T00:57:00.001-07:00

We've found the digital camera after all. It was just lying hidden away in our apartment. This is probably due to the excitement and chaos ensuing in the birthday party that it was not noticed. Apologies.

A series of fortunate and unfortunate events

2007-05-29T01:25:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, 26th of May, Yana Minju celebrated her first birthday. It was also her first party! The party went well. We held it at the nearest Jollibee branch in our area which offers to organize kiddie parties as part of their business. It was a good arrangement because they probably know better what children want. There were 80 guests in all, 50 adults and 30 children. I was surprised with the turnout but it was good to have that many people to greet Minju. Like any kiddie party, there were the standard balloons, party hats, games, prizes, loot bags and as a finale, a dancing mascot in the shape of the bee. The children loved it based on their shrieks and laughter.

My mother and elder sister from Mindanao flew in to attend the party and my older brother who is now working in Saudi Arabia arrived a week earlier for the party. So it was a good showing from my family. My cousins were also there and friends from UP and Learn. Some guests arrived fashionably late probably because they're adults and 10am is such an ungodly hour for a party. My college friends also came to celebrate with me and Minju.

The party was a product of many people. My kid sister brought the cake, my older sister brought the "lechon" (roasted pig from Mindanao) and a gold bracelet (which is supposed to bring good luck), and my older brother bought her a new dress. So what did I contribute? I bought Minju's new shoes. It's a custom here to at least buy the celebrant new clothes and shoes on their birthdays. Minju received lots of gifts which are mostly toys! I can feel now that she is more of a little girl rather than a baby with the character of her gifts. No more baby stuff on the gifts.

But in every silver lining is a dark cloud. After the party, we found out that we lost my digital camera. Nobody remembered that it was not yet in the bag. My kid sister was responsible for it but she's so forgetful and in the ensuing chaos, it is so easy for others to get interested in it and snatch it. Perhaps she put it for a while on a table. The guests were mostly gone and our area in the restaurant was opened to outside people. The restaurant crew were not helpful to find it. But that area is notorious for petty theft. Somebody outside must have been able to get inside while there were many people and just snatched it.

So, I don't have pictures of the party at the moment but I will have soon. A few of my friends took some pictures with their mobile phones and I asked them to send them to me. Maybe next week, I will have a few pictures. The picture above is on the day before her birthday when we went out to eat in a restaurant with my sisters. My kid sister announced that it's Minju's birthday the next day so they sang a song for her and gave her an ice cream with one candle on top.

I only have memories right now and most of them are good.

First year

2007-05-04T00:13:00.000-07:00

Time flies. It seems like yesterday that I delivered a baby and now she's going to be a one-year old baby. On May 26th, Minju will celebrate her first birthday. Just like any other first time mom, I am enjoying the preparations. I plan to give a hassle-free children's party where both the children and adults will enjoy their time. In this fast-paced and hectic society we live in, sometimes people can't have the time to enjoy simple landmarks in life... like celebrating birthdays.

Every month, I also celebrate Minju's birth. It's my way of expressing thanksgiving that she has reached some landmarks. Today, it's a joy to see her grow daily and see her learn many things. Things that make you want to go home early every day.

International Labor Day

2007-04-30T01:29:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the International Labor Day celebration. It is quite a solidifying moment for organized workers worldwide. But how about the unorganized? Within one year of slaving, at least workers are given one day to call their own. But Labor Day is not about a holiday, a day to bring out workers' demands, or a day for the government to announce palliative benefits to contain their restlessness.

Labor Day is more as a symbol of workers' unity. Because only on that day the organized workers feel one with the other workers around the world. It is on that day that despite the differences in culture, politics, race, gender, and experiences, there is this symbol honoring the workers' of the world. But more so, the Labor Day was meant to forge unity among workers which has not happened yet. There are still differences across boundaries, across nations and in everything else.

Well, this is just a brief salute to the workers of the world on the International Labor Day.

Great expectations

2007-04-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

On May 14, the people will vote a new set of 12 senators and more than 200 district representatives in the Lower House for the 14th Congress. This is an election that almost did not happen. As late as January, the outgoing pro-Arroyo representatives inked a midnight resolution to forgo the election and change the constitution via a Constituent Assembly. This assembly is supposed to be composed of district representatives and the Senators (if they want to), to change the Constitution and allow a parliamentary system rather than the presidential system. If they had their way, the elections next month would have been moot and academic.

Anyway, the election circus was rescued from a political hijack. But do we really want a circus? Most think that this is better than a parliamentary process which nobody knows much less believe. I say that the elections here in the Philippines is a circus because you have candidates that are ego-centric and preens like peacocks while campaigning; electoral campaigns are like shows with blaring songs and accompanied by celebrities; and electoral conflicts among candidates rival soap opera dramas. Not to mention that the affluent candidates still use goons, guns, gold and ganja (drugs) so that elections can be characterized as gory.

There may be political changes after the elections but some things stay the same. People will always want to vote, not because they think their lives would be better but because they believe it is their duty and in order to feel part of this society. In a typical Pinoy style, the Filipino still believes in the electoral process but don't have any illusions that it will change his life for the better. Perhaps this is true because the Filipinos' expectations are not that high. This seem to be a national malady. We don't expect that much from our leaders, we don't expect much from our community, from our civil servants, from our schools and most likely, we don't expect much from ourselves.

When we don't expect much from our leaders, we don't rage against injustice. When we don't expect much from our government, we don't strive for the best service. And when we don't expect much from ourselves, we don't rise above our comfort zones. This is the malady that brings us only what we deserve.

Late review: Parachutes and Kisses

2007-04-17T21:06:00.000-07:00

Erica Jong is an American poet, novelist and essayist. She is probably the 3rd generation of liberal feminists that the women's movement in the US has produced. I believe she is a brilliant writer of her times. My way of spotting a good writer is whether she/he is able to mirror the complexities, drama, conflicts and issues of her times. Erica Jong reflects the dilemmas of being an independent woman in her time, being Jewish in the American society and being a feminist.

I was introduced to this writer when I read her provocative collection of poems in the book "Half-lives" that became my bible for while as I went through a series of heartbreaks. I was totally hooked when I read the "Fear of flying", the first book in the saga of Isadora Wing. A semi-biographical account of Erica Jong's life, it was the book that invented the notion of the "zipless fuck", a guiltless sexual encounter that Isadora Wing have been searching for in her whole life. At this book, Isadora Wing was on her second marriage to a Chinese-American psychoanalyst and she embarked on a sexual affair that supposed to free her from the guilt and shackles of marriage.

The life of Isadora Wing continued in the "Parachutes and kisses". She is on her third marriage with a younger man, also a writer, who is insecure of her success as a writer and eventually divorced her. The book was about coming to terms to an end of a 'soulful' relationship. Isadora Wing is also wrestling with being a first time mother at the prime of her life -- 36 years old, and emerging from a devastating divorce.

Isadora Wing this time around is more mature, worldly and confident. She has tested her talent in writing and is dealing with being a celebrity, financially independent and a famous writer. She is also enjoying the miracles of being a mother to a 3-yr old girl but gets torn over the insecurity and immaturity of her beloved husband. Isadora Wing, the separated, went through senseless love affairs before she regained her balance while dealing with the pain of separation.

'Parachutes and Kisses' is provocatively written and conveys sensitivity at the same time. It's a book not all women can relate to much less appreciate. It reaches to particular types of women but Isadora's contemporary life experience reflects the emerging women of today. Like her heroine in her books, Erica Jong is married four times, have a daughter and a reputable woman writer.

Nanny Blues

2007-04-11T01:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, a video expose in the 6pm news broadcast shocked me into attention. It featured a nanny hitting the 2 year-old boy she is supposed to take care while the parents are out working. Like any other parent, it brings out my worst fears. As a single working parent, it's your worst nightmare. And probably among the majority of parents, I cannot afford to put these new camera gadgets around the house for surveillance.

My current nanny is my third one. Perhaps three's the charm. The first two were complete nightmares. We transported the first nanny from Mindanao, all expenses paid, to Manila while I was still 6 months pregnant. Lo and behold, she decided that she doesn't want to baby-sit after 4 weeks of giving birth. Then came the fly-by-night nanny with a "mama-san" or an informal nanny temp-agency. I paid hugely and after 3 days, the nanny left without a backward glance. I realized then that I was conned.

Then came my third and current nanny. Again, I transported her from Mindanao all expenses paid. After 3 months I increased her salary and gave her a cellphone because I was so grateful to have her for more than two months. She will be one year with me on August this year. Not bad. In all respects, she's okay but she has to be given clear instructions every time or else disaster strikes. I reckon, it's the least I could do. But going to work after 3 months, I really cannot assess how she is doing without me around. So I am resorting to calling the house twice or thrice while I am at the office.

My principle in dealing with the nanny is making her feel at home and part of the family so she will look at the baby like family. I give her all the perks that she might need such as a free-day, food supply to snack on, access to TV and radio and freedom to associate outside with her co-nannies. She is quite sociable and has accumulated a number of co-nannies in their circle of nannies within the neighborhood. She is also to rest early in the evening so that she won't be sleepy during the day when the baby is awake. She can also sleep while the baby sleeps. So far so good.

I am just thinking these days whether my baby will learn the tv shows better rather than the alphabet. My 10-month old baby is now capable to watch TV ads and shows with concentration, dance on cue to the music on TV and hum together with the wowowie music which is totally non-sensical with lyrics like "boom tarat tarat". But I try to ignore these things because I want the nanny to stay and the baby with a full-time sitter. Anyway, we all do everything for our babies or children. I am just hoping my baby is taken cared of everyday. Abuse from nannies to the children is any parent's nightmare because children can't defend themselves when we are not around.

What's the joke?

2007-04-09T22:34:00.000-07:00

April Fool's Day has come and gone, --- and nobody misses it. Perhaps we've run out of jokes or there's not enough laughter to bring our jokes out. In the Philippines these days, the fashionable ones are the political jokes. The April fool's day joke in Manila running around via text messages was that Pres. Arroyo died of kidney failure. These jokes are sarcastic in nature laced with pessimism, irony .... and derogatory enough to express political cynicism. Hey, these works for us that one time it has been rumored that our very own Filipino political jokes have elected a president and subsequently booted him out of office. This might be funny for a moment but it has some semblance of truth.

Not so long ago, the Erap jokes put a man on the seat of the presidency. However, not also long after that, a text-motivated people power overthrew the same president. The people power started with text jokes followed with exposes and agitation to go to the streets. The text messages spread like wildfire and culminated at the Edsa shrine calling the president to step down. His vice-president took over after the bloodless regime change, the same vice-president that was not on the scene and has not opposed the president until the last minute. The new president's actions before taking power became the premonition of things to come. At present, this president is doing everything not to follow in the footsteps of her predecessor by repressing opposition, quashing the activists, thereby also quashing any attempt of a political joke to surface. Now, there's no reason to laugh about, the political situation is dismal, economy remain hopeless and the culture of fear against authority became like an umbrella hovering above everyone's head.

It is important to still be able to make jokes. It expresses freedom, the lack of fear of any repression from anyone being the object of amusement. Like any other jokes, the punchline of this essay is the message. The importance of being able to joke is as important as being able to make political comments without fear or regret. Below are laughable, distinctly Filipino jokes sent to me by a friend. Cheers.

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SAYINGS TO LIVE BY:

1. birds of the same feathers, are the same birds

2. do not do unto others what you can't do

3. an apple a day is not an apple at night

4. when the cat is away the mouse is alone

5. if others can do it, don't help

6. tell me who your friends are and i'll tell you mine

7. early to bed and early to rise makes you sleepy in the afternoon

8. ang ilog na tahimik ay malalim, ang ilog na maingay may naglalaba

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Home version of who wants to be a millionaire:

Husband: dear puede ka ba ngayon?

Wife: di puede pagod ako!

Husband: is that final?

Wife: FINAL!!!!

Husband: ok, can i phone a friend?!?

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Pag Americano umutot: EXCUSE ME!

Pag British naman: PARDON ME!

Pag Espanol: EXCUSAR POR QUE UTUTAR!

Pag Pinoy: Di ako yun! Mamatay na ang umutot

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Warning: Children playing outside the car can

cause accident... and...

Adults playing inside the car can cause

CHILDREN!!!!

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MRS: sa palagay mo, mahal, ilang taon na ako?

MR : kung titignan kita sa buhok 18 ka lang; kung nakatalikod 16 lang, kung sa kutis 22 lang. Bale total ay 56 sweetheart.

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DUCK DICTIONARY

maliit na duck- "panduck"

tirahan ng maliit na duck- "Pandacan"

mataas na duck- "boonduck"

nagulat na duck- "nasinduck"

photogenic na duck- "kodak"

malaking duck sa Ilocos- "duck-il"

madaldal na duck- "dakdak"

pantakip sa bibig ng madaldal na duck- "duck tape"

manggagamot na duck- "ducktor"

musikero na duck- "conducktor"

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Tumatakbo si ERAP galing computer room na sinusundan ng staff:

"Sir bakit ka tumatakbo?"

Erap: Tatakas ako, sabi kasi ng computer 'press Ctrl then Escape'.

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FVR: Erap may gift ako para sa'yo galing pa sa India ! It's a 10 ft.snake.

Erap: Ows! Niloloko mo naman ako eh, 10 ft?

Hoy di ako ganon ka tanga! Ang snake walang FEET!

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Erap delivering speech at the mental hospital.

Inmates shouting: Mabuhay si ERAP!

PSG seeing one guy not cheering: Bakit di ka sumabay sa kanila?

Guy: Di ako sira ulo. Janitor ako!

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PERFECT HEAVEN: Having American salary, British home, German car, Chinese food, and Pinoy wife!

PERFECT HELL: Having Korean car, British wife, German food, American home and Pinoy salary!

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Mare 1: Naku mare, ang gaganda ng mga anak mo!

Mare 2: Talaga, mare! Hay naku kung asawa ko lang ang inasahan ko hindi sana mangyayari yan!

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Letter to OFW dad:

"Luv, tnx sa padala mo, hapi c nene kasi tobleron ang baon sa skul. ung nike suot na ni jr. next tym wag ka na padala NIVEA MILK. di nila type pait daw, ako tloy ang umubos."

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MISTER: ano ang pagkain natin?

MISIS: nasa mesa, bahala ka na pumili!

MISTER: isang pirasong tuyo?ano pagpipilian ko?

MISIS: pumili ka kung kakain ka o hindi!

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IDD call from US:

HUSBAND: hon musta ang tindahan?

WIFE: dept store na!

H: ang tuba-an?

W: KTV bar na!

H: and mga tri-ckad?

W: taxi na!

H: ang dalawa kong anak?

W: LIMA na!

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sweethearts watchin' da sky...

GUY: ano ang horoscope mo?

GIRL: anong huruskup?

GUY: yung bang kapalaran mo, katulad ko, CANCER.

GIRL: ah, sa akin ALMURANAS!

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TITSER: who can make a sentence then translate it in tagalog?

PUPIL: my titser is beautiful, isn't she?

TITSER: very good, translate it in tagalog.

PUPIL: ang guro ko ay maganda, maganda nga ba?

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DONYA: bilang bagong katulong, tandaan mo na ang almusal dito ay alasais empuntu!

MAID: walang problema donya. kung tulog pa ako sa oras na yun, mauna na kayong mag almusal!

The story of underdevelopment in the Philippines

2007-03-26T21:52:00.000-07:00

Forty years ago, the Philippines have been touted as the emerging industrializing country in Asia next to Japan (Scipes 1997, Balisacan 2001, Shen Hong Fang 2002). The Philippines had a moderate industrial development (Scipes 1997), higher per capita GDP from that of Thailand and Indonesia, and the best human development indicators in the early 1960s (Balisacan, et.al. 2001). At present, the Philippines is touted as the “basket case” in the Asian region full of ‘economic tigers’ and ‘emerging/industrializing economies (i.e. Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Korea).’ In Southeast Asia, the Philippines lags behind Malaysia and Thailand, a little better than Indonesia and soon to be left behind by Vietnam.

The process of underdevelopment of the Philippines in the past four decades is being assessed by various economists and political-economic scientists in the country. Three approaches came to light upon review of the available literatures. One view contends that the macroeconomic policies and in particular policies on rural development and poverty alleviation beginning in the 1960s, were protective of the landed classes and American economic/trade interests in the country (Balisacan, et.al. 2001). These policies spawned debilitating consequences on the rural development policies the Philippines has taken in the last 40 years and further widened the gap between the landed rich and working people. Balisacan contends that the Philippine economic policies have been protective of the landed interests and infant industries with connections from American investments through import substitution policies in the early 1960s until the 80s.

The second approach focused on the cyclical and unsustainable economic growth of the Philippine economy resulting from unstable macroeconomic policies in the 1960s and 1970s. These policies also resulted in limitations of the country’s growth strategy which is geared towards export-oriented liberalization in the 1980s and fluctuations in private investments and government deficit spending in the last four decades (Bautista 2003). This approach supports the view argued by Filipino economists Raul Fabella and Emmanuel De Dios, on the “boom-and-bust” cycles of Philippine economy since the 1960s and the instability of the outward-looking growth strategy in the 1980s (Bautista 2003). This view also investigated the contribution of the different sectors in the unstable cycle of economic growth in the country particularly the services sector which has grown steadily compared to the industry and agriculture sectors.

The third view posited by Kim Scipes traced the culprit of the Philippine underdevelopment to the export-oriented industrialization strategy and structural adjustment programs of the IMF/WB (International Monetary Bank/World Bank) in the early 1960s. Taken from the import-substitution industrialization (ISI) strategy in the 1950s, Scipes argued that the Philippines has gained stable but moderate industrial base during the ISI period and good economic growth indicators. However, this strategy was debunked in 1964 by the Macapagal administration through the influence of the IMF/WB to shift to export-oriented industrialization strategy (EOI) which has put the country operating in debt and overturned the gains of the ISI strategy.

The varying debates on the current underdevelopment of the Philippines continue until now with new twists on the globalization process. The discussion of this paper will try to expound on these different approaches in viewing underdevelopment in the Philippines and present the course of underdevelopment from the 1960s until the present (see Table 1).

The Philippines: then and now.

The Philippine economic model is usually approached by taking into account the unique historical background of the country and in comparison to other economies in the region. The country’s colonial history plays a significant role in influencing its economic model throughout the four decades. The Philippines was under the Spanish colonial control for more than 350 years until 1898 after which the American colonial period began until formal independence in 1946. However, the US continued to exert neo-colonial control over the country through parity rights of American industries in the Philippines (Shen Hong Fang 2002); the presence of the US Military Bases until 1991; and the IMF/WB economic conditionalities in exchange for much-needed loans.

On the entrenched influence of the American economic (as well as political) interests in the Philippines, the country’s economic model has set it apart from the other developing countries in the Southeast Asian region and the leaping economic tigers in East Asia. When the Philippine embarked on an import-substitution strategy in the 1950s, it protected the American corporations in the country from competition as well as the local ‘infant’ industrial base. The US parity rights and unequal bilateral trade treaty (Shen Hong Fang 2002) between the US and the Philippines permitted the same privileges accrued to American investments with the same rights as local investments which are mainly coming from the landed oligarchy (Balisacan, et.al. 2001). The attempt to industrialize via import substitution “marked episodes of rapid growth followed by intermittent crisis and periods of consolidation as affected by the world market” (Shen Hong Fang 2002) which only benefited the few and has left the majority mired in poverty.

Table1: Aggregate economic performance in the Philippines, 1960 to 1997 and 2003

Parameters	1961	1971	1981	1991	1996	2003
Per capita GNP (constant 1995 US$)	723	854	1174	1043	1131	1,080.0 (Atlas method current US$)
Annual GNP growth rate (%)	5.8	4.9	3.6	1.9	5.8	4.5 (GDP growth in %)
Gross domestic investment (% of GDP)	17.3	21.0	28.1	21.9	23.8	18.7
Inflation (GDP deflator)	4.9	9.6	11.6	12.5	7.1	3.7
Value added by sector (% of GDP) - Agriculture	25.6	29.8	24. 5	21.6	20.3	14.5
Value added in Industry (% of GDP)	27.7	32.4	38.9	33.8	32.1	32.3
Value added in Services (% of GDP)						53.2
Exports of goods and services (% of GDP)	12.3	20.8	22.6	28.8	42.0	48.3
Imports of goods and services (% of GDP)						50.7

Sources: World Development Indicators in Balisacan, et.al.

World Development Indicators, World Bank

In 1965, the Philippines had a higher per capita income than Thailand and Indonesia but have dipped the lowest compared to the two countries by 1997 (see Table 2). The aggregate growth in the 1960s has not induced structural transformation of the Philippine economy or altered the income disparity among the population and incidence of poverty. Poverty incidence declined somewhat from 75% in 1961 to 62% and 60% in the 1970s and 1985 respectively (Balisacan, et.al. 2001). A consistent decline in poverty incidence from 31.8% in 1997 and 33.7% in 2000 (Bautista 2003) can be noted but the number of poor people remain significant and poverty decline is still much slower than the other emerging economies in the Asian region. Poverty levels do respond to the growth indicators of the Philippine economy but the unequal distribution of income remains uncorrected and problems of unemployment or underemployment persists. The GDP per capita is an indicator of poverty and development of a country. In 1962, the Philippine GDP per capita had been ahead of every other “Southeast Asian economy except Malaysia; was ahead of South Korea, and barely behind Taiwan” (Scipes 1997). But by 1986, the Philippine GDP per capita was way behind South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand and only barely ahead of Indonesia.

The 1960s until the 1970s was characterized as a growth period punctuated by infusion of capital from IMF/WB loans which propped the Marcos administration beginning in 1966 and later the dictatorial regime from 1972-1986. As early as 1969, the export-oriented industrialization (EOI) economic strategy has been introduced upon the conditions for IMF/WB loans (Scipes 1997). But these policies were implemented fully at the onset of the Martial Law in 1972 fueled by foreign loans. The strategy did result in growth and primed the economy towards industrialization through the institution of export-processing zones.

The growth period however, abruptly ended in 1982 when the economy was plunged into a crisis precipitated by the political crisis and debt-driven macroeconomic policies by the dictatorship (Balisacan 2001, Bautista 2003). The economic crisis deepened in 1983 when a key symbol of political opposition to the dictatorship was assassinated (Benigno C. Aquino) and economic depression sets in 1984-1985 despite stabilization measures such as currency devaluation, monetary contraction and increase in interest rates. By 1986, the dictatorship fell and a new administration began stabilizing the economy by controlling inflation and rebuilding business confidence in the Philippine economy. This period after 1986 became another growth period when balance of payments became positive and a moderate growth rate of 2.5% assisted in reviving the fledging economy.

Table2: Per Capita GDP and agricultural share in the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia

	Real Per Capita GDP (1995 PPP Dollars)		Agricultural share of GDP (percent)
Country	1965	1995	1960	1980	1997
Thailand	1,570	6,723	40	23	11
Indonesia	817	3,346	54	24	16
Philippines	1,736	2,475	26	25	20
Source: Ahuja, et.al (1997) in Balisacan, et.al. (2000)

After the political and economic crisis period from 1983-1985, the period onwards signaled the shift from a deregulatory economic framework to a macro-economic policy which is geared towards liberalization facilitating the entry of foreign capital and encouraging export-oriented industries (Bautista 2003). The structural adjustment programs of the IMF/WB in the early 1980s such as the Tariff Reform Program and Import Liberalization Program were further implemented in exchange for more loans. The subsequent governments after the dictatorship were saddled with a ballooning foreign debt and non-performing public loans proving the growth period in the late 1980s as shortlived. The economy stagnated once again in 1991-1993 with a negative per capita GNP growth resulting in another round of macro-stabilization policies through tight fiscal policies and currency devaluations.

Table 3: 2003 Per Capita Income in Selected Countries in Asia (Atlas method in US$)

Country	2003
South Korea	12,020 $
Thailand	2,190 $
Malaysia	3,780 $
Philippines	1,080 $
Indonesia	810 $
Vietnam	480 $
Source: http://www.worldbank.org/data/databytopic/GNIPC.pdf

Era of Liberalization

Though 1994 is said to be another cycle towards economic recovery, the previous crises in the 1980s and early 1990s severely crippled the Philippine economy. Industrialization seems to stop in the 1980s (Balisacan, et.al. 2001) while the agriculture sector remained uncompetitive in the international market. The value added of the industry sector in the GDP has declined from 39% in 1981 to 32% in 1996 while the value added of agriculture in the GDP “remained stable” with a slight decline from 24% in the late 1980s to 22% in the early 1990s (Balisacan, et.al. 2001). By 1996, agriculture still account for 20% in the GDP but its share of employment is declining from 52% in 1981 to 46% in 1991. The service sector on the other hand, maintained stable growth throughout the period from 1967 to 2002 (Bautista 2003). Only in 1984, 1985 and 1991 did the service sector posted negative growth since the 1960s and is now leading the economy’s growth until the present.

As the country opened up more and more to the international market, structural transformations in exports were noted in certain sectors of the economy. While food exports declined from 34% (1980s) to 11% (1990s), the share of manufacturing exports from 23% to 57% in those periods (Balisacan et.al. 2001). However, these manufactured exports focused on garments and electronics which are characterized as “low local value-added”. Notable as well is the decline of comparative advantage in agriculture trade as manifested in its slow growth compared to other countries in the region and the significant increase of agricultural imports vis-à-vis exports, 32% to 152% in the 1960s to 1990s respectively.

One indicator of industrialization would be the significant reduction of agriculture share in the GDP. Between 1960 and 1997, the Philippines posted the lowest reductions (26% to 20%) compared to other countries in the region – “Malaysia (37% to 13%), Thailand (40% to 11%) and Indonesia (54% to 16%)” (Balisacan, et.al. 2001). The “slow drop” of employment share in Philippine agriculture which the industrial sector is unable to absorb means that the economy is not generating employment thereby expanding the informal economy in agriculture and services sectors. The lack of employment is also being heightened by the increasing number of overseas Filipino workers abroad and expanding self-employed in the informal sector. Still, improvement in per capita GDP has risen in 1994 pulled by a moderate economic growth ending in 5.7% by 1997.

However, the Asian financial crisis in 1997 plunged the annual economic growth of the Philippines in 1998 to .05%. Compared to other countries in the region such as Indonesia, and Thailand which posted negative double-digit growth rates in 1998, the Philippines was perceived as relatively less affected from the experience. However, it did not mean that the Philippine economy was better off. It was explained that the Philippine economy just did not have major financial exposure to the international market compared to Thailand and other countries. The Asian financial crisis did have debilitating and negative distributional effects on the Philippine society which hit the poorest group of the people the hardest.

From the mid-1980s onwards the liberalization path of the Philippine economy has been secured through a series of legislations and ratification of free trade agreements at the regional and international levels. Additional to the radical tariff reform in 1982, the Philippines has fully integrated its economy to the international market by instituting the following liberal policies:

“ratification of the 1986 Uruguay Round Agreement of the GATT and membership in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the ASEAN Free Trade Area (1993-96), the latter two expressly pursued for accession to various multilateral trade agreements;
liberalization of telecommunications in 1993, banking and insurance services in 1994, and air transport services and domestic shipping in 1995;
deregulation of international satellite communications and securities and banking regulation reform in 2000;
promulgation of RA 8366 (1997) and RA 8556 (1998), amending the 1991 Foreign Investment Act to grant greater foreign equity participation in investment houses and financial companies, and the Retail Trade Liberalization Act of 2000, giving foreign investors open access to particular areas of the retail trade;
passage of the Agricultural Tariffication Act of 1996, lifting quantitative restrictions and providing Minimum Access Volume to enable producers to import agricultural products at lower tariff rates” (Bautista, 2003).

Conclusion: Poverty, unemployment and prospects

These policies are indicative of the framework and direction of the Philippine economic strategy in the coming years. Despite the heavy debates on this direction, the successive governments after the dictatorship deemed this to be most appropriate in generating wealth through economic growth. Among the heavy criticism on the liberalization path points to reliance on the conditionalities of the IMF/WB and that neo-liberal policies has wreaked disaster on the Philippine economy since the early 1960s resulting in massive poverty and unemployment (Scipes, 1997).

From the cyclical growth approach, the effects of the ‘boom-and-bust’ economic cycles on the poverty incidence and employment should be stabilized through institutional economic reforms. Decline of poverty incidence is slow and job creation lag behind the growth of the labor force (Bautista, 2003). The services sector remains the main generator of employment in the economy. Unemployment rate in 2002 rose from 2001 at 11.4% reminiscent of the unemployment levels in crisis years such as in 1985 and 1991. Poverty also has a gender dimension. Absorbing the unemployment shocks during crisis years, women are increasingly integrated in the labor market (i.e. increase in labor force participation rate), integration into the informal sector and overseas labor market (Bautista 2003).

Various economists have tried to explain the process of underdevelopment in the Philippines in the last four decades. The most common of which is to compare the country’s economic performance with that of other countries and investigate economic development policies in a given period. One difference of the Philippine development strategy compared to Thailand was the development of Thai agriculture as the “backbone of its industrialization” unlike the Philippines which relied on import-substitution industrialization (Shen Hong Fang, 2002). While Thailand has immensely developed its agriculture in the past four decades, the Philippines is struggling with low productivity in agriculture and with less comparative advantage in agricultural trade. This focus however, does take into consideration the “government failure” in achieving its national goals concerning its socio-economic plans which were sometimes more radical than that of Thailand (Shen Hong Fang 2002).

Balisacan seconded the notion that the economic policies of the Philippines in the past decades have been biased against agricultural and rural development. However, this economist comes from a different premise stating that the import-substitution strategy of the Philippines unduly protected ‘infant industries’ much longer than necessary which hampered productivity and competitiveness in the agriculture sector. The absence of ‘effective allocative mechanism’ in the Philippine economic policies has stunted the development of emerging industries and distorted the development of rural agriculture. These policies concentrated instead in protecting large-scale manufacturing industries located in the city centers (i.e. Manila) thereby neglecting rural development and resolving rural poverty (Balisacan, 2001). Protection of industries from the 1950s to the early part 1960s was the result of the strong ‘landed oligarchy’ and the weak state bureaucracy which generated strong business interests supporting the ISI economic strategy (Hutchcroft in Balisacan, 2001). The slow abolition of the ISI strategy was also accrued to the strength of the landed oligarchy with no alternative force being developed to challenge such policies and slowed down the process of land reform.

Contrary to this view and from an internationalist perspective, the process of underdevelopment of the Philippines is blamed on the export-oriented industrialization (EOI) and intervention of the United States via the IMF/WB in setting the development growth of the country (Scipes, 1997). The Philippines has been integrated to the international market early on due to its colonial ties with the US. For example, the garment and textile industry in the Philippines was created due to the direct US investments in this industry since the 1920s (IBON Foundation, 2001). American firms however, gained in the protective policies of the import-substitution strategy in the 1950s and through bilateral trade agreements in the industry. The Philippines is the source of cheap local materials for US companies and cheap labor in the assembly-line productions such as garments, for export to the US market. The entry of the Philippines in the international garment market has also developed its place in the international division of labor in the regional garment industry.

In this time and age however, the Philippine economy is rapidly reaping the negative implications of trade liberalization. Its inefficient industries after being protected for so long are suddenly caught up in the intense competition of the global market. The cutthroat competition envisaged in the regional and international free trade agreements meant the struggle for higher productivity of Philippine industries. However, some industries are succumbing to competition such as the Philippine garment industry which will be affected by the phasing out of the Multi-Fiber Agreement and the Philippine cement industry which is now fully owned by multinational companies, competing against cement imports from Taiwan. The Philippine garment and cement industries are just two of the examples of what are called “sunset industries” in the age of liberalization. It remains to be seen if the Philippine economy can withstand the competitive requirements of the neo-liberal globalization. Amidst these economic challenges however, remains the challenge of securing a sustainable development framework for the poorest sections of the Philippine society.

Bibliography:

Balisacan, A., Fuwa, N. and Debuque M., 2001. The Political Economy of Philippine Rural Development since the 1960s. Social Science Research Network Electronic Library (online on December 13, 2001). Available from: www.h.chiba-u.ac.jp/mkt/Philippines.pdf [Accessed on 14 November 2004]

Bautista, G., 2003. An Assessment of the Philippine Economy [Online] Available from: http://kyotoreview.cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp/issue/issue3/article_313.html [Accessed on 15 November 2004]

Creech, A. and Russell, S., 2000. Historical Development of the Philippine Economy [Online]. Available from: www.niu.edu/cseas/outreach/philecon.htm [Accessed on 15 November 2004]

Nasution, A. 2002. Recent Issues in the Management of Macroeconomic Policies in the Philippines [Online]. Available from: http://www.adb.org/Documents/Books/Rising_to_the_Challenge/Philippines/1-philmac.pdf [Accessed on 15 November 2004]

Shen Hong Fang, 2002. The Asian Financial Crisis: A Catalyst in the Transition of East Asian Economic Development Models? (Case Studies of Thailand and the Philippines) [Online] Available from: www.asianscholarship.org/publications/papers/ Shen%20Hongfang%20-%20The%20Asian%20Financial%20Crisis.doc [Accessed on 14 November 2004]

Scipes, K., 1997. Beware World Bank advice: Reality is different than claims. New York Times, Opinions [Online]. Available from: http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/54a/138.html [Accessed on 15 November 2004]

World Bank Indicators, 2003. Philippine Data and Statistics [Online] Available from: http://devdata.worldbank.org/external/CPProfile.asp?SelectedCountry=PHL&CCODE=PHL&CNAME=Philippines&PTYPE=CP [Accessed on 10 December 2004]

The bane of trade liberalization

2007-03-25T22:13:00.000-07:00

In the last few days of the week, I have been attending a variety of fora and symposia on trade -- the pros and cons of liberalization, its role in development and its relation to the current agreements among countries and regions on trade. As of the moment, the Philippines belong to the free trade area within the Asean, a broader Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, and signatory to the free trade agreements in the WTO.

While there is a difference between a free trade agreement and economic partnership agreement (EPA), the goal is somewhat similar. The FTA aims to liberalize trade, deregulate economic policies or regulations to trade and push for less government intervention in trade. The EPA encompass these goals with additional policy changes on investments, services, IPR and government procurement. These are in simplified form however, because we know that the FTAs, EPAs and RTAs (regional trade agreements) are worded in technical and legal terms.

I have come across a study that demystifies the wonders of trade liberalization. It is said that in the last 20 years of trade liberalization, there are no significant benefits it added in the development of countries. There are losers and winners however in this liberal policy. For industrialized countries, no losses are experienced but the benefits are not that substantial. For developing countries that switched to liberalization, these countries have losses such as job loss, income loss and higher inequality. Only a few developing countries benefited from trade liberalization and these are the countries that had high and strong export content such as South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. These countries cannot be counted nowadays as developing but as newly-industrialized countries. Their exports sectors are strong but they were still affected by the 1997 financial meltdown in Asia. This can be explained by rapid finance liberalization and exposure to unstable investment portfolios.

As for the other developing countries in Asia, trade liberalization has only added to its mis-development and increasing poverty.

Hunger: its front and back

2007-03-24T02:09:00.000-07:00

In recent surveys on hunger, hunger incidence in the Philippines has increased. This became the rallying cry of the opposition against the government. Politicking aside, hunger incidence in the country is a serious matter. It is obscene to be talking about hunger in the 21st century when a man already walked in the moon, the world have more food to feed all the people and humans have mastered the earth.

But in this part of the world, almost 20% of the population still experience hunger. More than 40% are within the poverty threshold and majority of the people live in wretched circumstances. It is obscene alright to acknowledge that people cannot take care of their own. It is more obscene as well that the small 10% of the population in the country have more than the wealth and food they need. It is much more obscene to witness hunger and desperation on the one side and filthy wealth and privilege on the other.

More obscene was the response of the government in the news about the increasing hunger in the Philippines. First the government accused the survey was rigged and false. Then, the president said that she misses food as well in the last 3 months. But it's the choices, stupid! The poor did not choose to be hungry while she can eat or miss the food provided for her. I think this is the height of stupidity and idiocy of the people that were supposed to take care of the people in this country.

On the other hand, we probably get what we deserve. Until we remain stupid in choosing the people that govern us, we will remain in this hell hole.

Life in the slow lane or so it seems....

2007-03-23T00:03:00.000-07:00

Being in front of the computer or TV seems to convey a life on a slow lane. Perhaps unlike in an assembly line, where you can measure output in relation to time. Sometimes it is called "time-in-motion". But in a writing job, output is measured according to the number of words on a paper. Time still figure into it as well because "deadlines" are invented. For one who writes, the number of words become an element in reaching a goal. Still, the content of the words and how they are written remain the yardstick of a good written piece.

There are no illusions in my blogs to attain a particular goal at the moment. I am still trying out this blogging process as part of my thought process. I am all support to all types of thought processes and I am inclined to believe that blogging is just one kind of thought process. For me, it's one of the most difficult probably because it is related to my writing. And when I am writing, I get the urge to run away before I finish a complete sentence.

Working part-time and the other part taking care of my baby, this seems a life in the slow lane for me. I am a single mom so I am entitled to flexible work arrangements and part-time schedule. Well, compared to my past life of working 50 hours a week and finishing masters in one year while working part-time --- this is definitely the slow lane. However, the outputs would still be the same. I churn out the same amount of reports as before and the monthly accomplishments with a baby is the same as producing good people from seminars.

So perhaps the life's lane, whether slow or fast is but a matter of perspective? Like everything, it's all a matter of perspective. The cup is either half-full or half-empty.

To start a blog

2007-03-19T23:50:00.000-07:00

My idea of blogging for sometime now has been to send emails (long and reflective ones) to my friends. It was my way of opening up my mind and getting in touch with them at the same time. But as the age of information technology progresses, time becomes a valuable commodity. Reading long emails get in the way of work. Everyone has to scramble for time to meet deadlines. I understand that it would be difficult for my friends to stay too long on my winding personal email. So perhaps, this blog can somehow take the pressure. Instead of sending long emails to my friends I can just vent my need to write in the blog.

Of course I have other reasons to blog. One is to flex my writing muscles every now and then. Being in a profession where writing is an essential skill, I need to practice as much as I can. Second, writing is my adrenalin rush. It's only fitting that I take it seriously or taking it to the unserious side. Another reason is to put my excess energies (read: extra time) not taken up by my vocation. Incidentally, I am only doing part-time work in an NGO of my cause. To write in this blog would hopefully re-energize my gray cells that can rot in no time if not stimulated. Finally, I am just like anybody else, self-centered enough with a lot of opinions. Perhaps if I write my thoughts and reflections, they can germinate eventually into opinions.

With these reasons, it would be evident what would be the expected contents of my blog from time to time. It would contain my thoughts about my 9-month old daughter who is growing splendidly and beautifully. My blogs would also contain my reflections on my work, my interaction with other individuals and my personal life. As much as I want to write political treatises on political-economy, my academic orientation, I probably cannot. I will just try to append my political opinions in the blogs relating to my work.

So, there it is. My first input in this blog universe.