The Lost Filipino

Geopoet writes the realism of the political spectrum of the Philippines from the ground of the Filipino masses. It portrays the realistic views of the small people who felt they are wrought of mass poverty as a result of so much political squabbles and bickering both from the top and lowest echelon of their own government. This is their story...our own story and it starts now...

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Thursday, January 06, 2005

TSUNAMI STRIKE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA LEFT PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD WONDERING ITS VICIOUS ONSLAUGHT AND ITS AFTERMATH IS THE WHOLE TSUNAMI OF GREED

The year 2004 was a dramatic year for all the people in the world that even from the farthest corner of the earth, simple people are wondering what does the tsunami event is all about. Some thought that it is the awaited doomsday sign giving signal for a change in nations, peoples, cultures, religious beliefs and attitudes. It has tremendously shocked the very core of human weaknesses when they saw such event of destruction, survival, pain and remorse, the ache of heart soothe the inner portion of envelopment where the hiatus of disbeliefs and agony silently glide the mode of tsunami’s viciousness and onslaughts.

As I can see the footages in a local TV news reports and even in the local internet cafe’s the horrifying experiences of the people of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India, even up to the farther Kenya where the wind and waves shredded the lying fishing boats, I could feel the aching pain and sorriness on them. I have also observed other countries like the US where flashfloods dominate the streets in Philadelphia brought about by Storm Jeanne.

Meantime, the Philippines was largely visited by three-on-row typhoons that wrought havoc both in the Middlewestern, Northeastern and Southeastern part of the country leaving destroyed houses and farms about to be harvested, coconut trees due for cropping, fishing boats submerge and shredded by strong winds, school houses with no roofs, and more destructive was the landslide in Real and Infanta towns in Quezon where thousands of logging residents thereat suffered the grief of their own foolishness --- cutting trees for money! It was as if Tsunami enveloped their own foolish shots at earning a living or so at the expense of nature’s ecological balance.

There are other events happened in the year 2004. Iraq was pre-occupied by Allied Forces of the US to bring back the long-suffering Iraqui people from the demonic rule of Saddam Hussein. It was discovered that there has been thousands and thousands of Iraqui minorities who were slaughtered by Hussein. Such unveiling moment in the human history also engrief the whole human nations of the world. But, in spite of this tremendous accomplishments, the US has been in question! And even the UN was left aghast by the turn of events. Overall the reactions was positively taken by the observing hosts of nations.

I’ve had a lot of observations in the year 2004. Local markets of stocks in the beginning was plugging down but in the middle of the year it has picked up it upturn. Oil companies on the other hand have been silently maneuvering the local market to their favor while riding on the national issues on government policies and programs on the importation of goods and services. It has also drawn in their favor the international oil markets and shaved a high profile income generations in the sideline.

The submissive people in the Philippines have been affected with these turn of events and at even time launched their own silent revolt and eventually a nationwide transport strike was edged up to wake up the sleepy heads of the passive people. Local populace have their own version of shaving--- a silent cry and a hush!... “Life goes on...” said one on whose shoulder lies the hope of a family of 10. “We can’t do otherwise... whoever is seating in the Malacanan trench holds the power... but we expect action nonetheless,” he continued.

At the threshhold also is the dying ember of hope for some small entrepreneurs whose business sustained the underground economy who decided neither to pay or even refuse to pay taxes to local government. Of course this would include those high officials in the local government who, in one way or another, silently evade paying the right taxes. While they’ve been encouraging their local populace to pay their real property taxes and business taxes, the rest of their minions collect the other way around.

I don’t know more of their modus operandi, but I believe that what ordinary people have been talking about is largely realistic and indeed at the hilt of events. Local “jueteng” still step up its operations with both the local authorities and local government officials are allegedly receiving large some of money silently as “payola”. Even ordinary policeman bet on this long-time game number in the community. It seems as though the tsunami of events weirdfully influenced the whole dying rural populace who is most-willing to gamble their last peso expecting that the same will turn out to their favor and gain a large amount to at least sustain their own self needs or family needs whichever is preferable to his/her whims.

The year 2004 was largely a commercialistic venture for every business invented. If you will observe the commercials in all TV stations with soft opera shows, it would take even 15 to 20 minutes advertisement spree!... In the process, the caught eyes of the viewers tremendously lost their own patience of waiting. The more that a soft opera is being viewed by the whole country, a line-up of commercials overdue its purposes. Of course, radio stations likewise come into their own stronghold. As much as possible, the writers must have a clique on their own to compete with the TV shows, but in the end, many radio broadcast drama writers are in the sideline when collection comes. While their drama was picking up high in listenership, their big bosses is gaining the whole lot of it! What a “tsunami of greed is it?!”... Well, the whole bunch of industries is more concentrated in money-making ventures for their own gain.

Recently, a Tsunami Conference of Asean countries which was participated in by the UN and US brought hope to the victims of such an staggering wave hype. Many countries have pledged their assistance to the affected countries. But UN Koffi Annan urged the pledges to pay it in money for immediate purchase of those things needed to be delivered to those ravaged countries. I hope that it come to realistic. (wink....)

On the other hand, the Philippines participation in this conference I believe is figuratively sly as pledges was not even clear for any commitment for undertaking because I believe there are more problems being encountered by a lot of Filipinos here and abroad than to actively participate the worldwide initiative being undertaken by the UN and the US. Philippine Congress on the other hand signified its own intention to participate in terms of legislations as a deterrent shock-up to prevent the same event to happen here in the country. It was indeed holistic to view such act of congress in sympathizing the victims of the tsunami, but they failed to view the same strata of domestic problems that plagued the whole nation for a long period of time--- the giving way of the poor and voiceles people at their midst and listen their harsh voice of complaints. I don’t know how it will be, but I hope that this would give a venue of change in the eyes of too many people. Of course, the 2004 Philippine Elections was marred with alleged cheating and counterfeit ballots that are reportedly counted in order to sledge up the winning candidates. But the blame is not for only one to blame about, but for every citizen who have been abusing their rights of suffrage at the expense of the future. Leadership indeed in the Philippines streams from how much does it cost a leader in terms of money and food. (Sighhhhh....)

Anyway, at this point in time, this lost Filipino is still heaping his own afflictions and even in this writing, the outrage remained unfeigned. But, I believe there is hope... always to hope... that one day, everyone who are in and outside this country be able to realize the agony of defeat from their own foolishness... indeed... indeed... what a tsunami of events has it been... (sighhhh....)

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