A Dysfunctional Culture

This is something I want to point out about my old home country. Let’s all get rid of this epidemic.

Modern Philippines

Culture is a difficult concept for most of us to understand and relate to.  Culture is deep inside us and does functions unnoticed for most of us. It is a set of underlying basic assumptions, values and concepts that functions similar to an operating system. All groups of people develop over time such a model of assumptions and values that have been proven to be effective in dealing with the internal (within the group) and external  environment. The culture is thus the basic underlying programming that has served the group well over time and allowed them to survive and prosper.

A culture is built up over many centuries and evolves only slow and is not easy to influence or adapt. There are many well documented so called culture shocks of groups that have been living in a stable environment which is suddenly disturbed by a sudden climatic change or a…

View original post 529 more words

Why The Philippines Shouldn’t Try to Be Singapore

Now, I know I might get some flack here because I know how many filipinos with supposedly progressive mindsets, really admire Singapore. I know that I used to look up to this little country, but lately, I’ve read and discovered how not all is ever bright and rosy over there. For one, I have a friend who had lived there for several years before coming here to Melbourne in 2010. Although she told me that there are cool stuff over there (with the high technology, clean environs and the tough educational system), she had many not-so-good experiences with the locals. Another thing to note that the majority of the locals are made up of Chinese, followed by other ethnic groups, Malay and Indian. And really, it’s just so sad that a supposedly progressive Southeast Asian nation, people there still practice this “casual” racism among other minorities and immigrants alike. Perhaps because my friend carries that ethnic card “filipino” says it all. There are maids who work there and because of this I guess they, too, don’t look at the rest of us as their equal. Gee, I don’t know why we Asians never band together? It’s like we’re always in the race on who’s better than who. It’s sickening. It has hurt Philippines badly, and it has also divided countries like Malaysia- because not one of us ever wants to humble down to listen and help each other.

Anyway back to my friend. She had been looked down on on many occasions by these supposedly “highly-educated” sort. I don’t remember exactly what she had told me many months back (or was that a year ago?), but what I could recall was that even the Chinese-filipino living there (yes, some privileged kid who thinks the rest of the locals in the Phils are backward) would often give her these scoffing, subtly contemptuous attitude whenever she’s around or whenever she made mention of being a filipino. Well, I just talked about conyos from my previous entries, but believe it or not the whole buncha locals over there embody these despicable attitudes greatly.  And my friend is not the only one who tells me these things about the country. I have read several websites about their politics and society. Wow! I am so surprised about how a lot of things there mirror ours in perhaps indirect ways. For one, again, they have this crab mentality where they are always constantly made to compete with each other. It doesn’t help that even the foreigners were given the impressions that they’re rude and impolite. That was shocking when I read this type of information in several surveys. And the sad thing is that it has been consistent about the nature of the society over there. And the most that my friend emphasised about that place is that people there are too materialistic. They care so much for money and have little regard in relating with people of ALL ethnicities living among them. And I thought only my third-world nation, Philippines, embody these ugly colonial traits. I even thought that with a population that are highly educated, they’d learn to be more open-minded and have better social awareness. It is just mystifying that they turned out to be like this.

Now, I’ve warned this before, I do not want to pit down anyone I’ve mentioned in this post. I’m just discussing over my observations from what I’ve heard and seen. If there are those out there who believe that they are not what I described them out to be – don’t fret about it. This is definitely not you. But just like how I see my country, the Philippines, Singapore, too, has its many downsides with their own society. Apparently, men and women over there don’t even bear much children because of the high stress of work. Wow, what do they live for, anyway? You don’t live to get stressed. Even in the country I am currently living in, people here are quite laid back. There needs to be a radical culture change over there in order for Singapore to become a truly developed state. And as for Philippines, stop measuring yourself with other countries you supposedly think is better than yours. What you need, too, is a cultural overhaul. You have to dump the stupidity running the nation for too long. Stop practicing your hate for one another. Each one of us must be open to constructive criticism and actually DO THE RIGHT THING. Stop blaming others for the predicaments. We have only ourselves and our choices that can turn things around. And even though Singapore is the cleanest country in the world, its cleanliness doesn’t mean it is a fully developed state. Their government should let people there think freely for themselves and at least gear towards more equality in terms of how they should treat each other.

I am hoping that soon, there would be some cultural revolution happening among the Asian nations just like how it did to the West in the 1960s , but not as in erm the sexual revolution or was it what it mainly was? Whatever. I just am into the sort where we have more freedom of information, but not make it as an excuse to hate on anybody’s beliefs. I am always optimistic that my generation will be the one to drive these ideas forward. Cheers.

Despicable Elites: My Favourite Banal Subject

Hey you all, happy people…

I’ve just got to say – filipino oligarchs/ elites disgust me! I’ve just had a run through on our own history by looking briefly at the Philippine-American War and – oh boy! I’m astounded as to how far people get so low as to even sell your soul for money (think about Aguinaldo for a sec!). Admittedly, I’ve always been a Rizal and Bonifacio fan, and after all these years, my emotions for them still go strong. These men inspire me so much, and give me hope that there would be, one day, a leader to fill in their shoes and eventually turn things around for the better. Goodness me, what is it with us killing off all the potentially great leaders for our nation? And then installing guys in power who are shameless kleptomaniacs (seriously, ALL the TRAPOS should be rehabilitated from this disease).

I am passionate and full of empathy for the filipinos over there. Even though I am here living abroad, I still am concerned about the plight of the poor there. They are blatantly ripped off and bought off, raped-trust, whatever. My blood boils every time I read about congressmen(women) and all the others from this present administration for always dodging the change in removing the pork barrel system. They are the bane to my country. Often times, I would throw some mental fit every time I read up about the oligarchs’ excuses for keeping this disgusting monetary system alive and well. If only there are enough sensible filipinos out there to oust them- completely…

I may not be keen on politics, but I do know what is so obnoxious about it. Our leaders all through history have always been run by landed elites. Now, I am NOT a commie, mkay? But I am for justice and egalitarianism. All for fair go (as Aussies here would quip). I have a heavy working class background- makes sense now, eh? My dad was a lawyer and then a uni teacher, and my mum was (and still is) an R.E. teacher. In the Philippines, teachers don’t get the same respect as, say, in Australia for example. Being a teacher there is for those who can’t make the cut in science/medicine, finance/business maths, or the arts. Well, most of the time. NOT everyone fits the description I’ve just mentioned.

There is just so much to improve on the nation. There are so many of us out there who are talented and hardworking. C’mon filipinos, where are your guts to stand up for your rights? Yeah, I get it. We’ve always been clamouring for them- but there’s no actual movement happening! It’s as if, that’s it. That is just it. Nothing more than just hollow whines and clamours. To go beyond that, it takes a lot more hard campaigning and involves a lot of money. Sheesh. Everything is just about generating a profit. Just about everyone everywhere thinks like this way now. But, Philippines has always been, for endless of eons, think this way.

Sigh. Elites will always be elites. And they’ll always be ripping you off left and right, until they’re in hell…I always hope (please forgive me for all my harsh judgments). I used to study in a sort-of school for well-offs. Too much class consciousness – and it stifles! People there really want division as they are too closed off in their own cozy worlds. I just hope that one day, their bubbles burst and they start to talk and think and act sensible- NOT!

They never change. They NEVER want it, anyway. And it’s all the more despicable that they declare to themselves that they are Christians! They’re staining the image of Jesus Christ, by doing so and it doesn’t help if they remain in power and holding onto what’s left in their inherited wealth. Again, they’ll never heed. Even if the whole world starts to crumble, they will always be stuck in that malicious mindset.

Grrr…I still am feeling the frustration because I can’t be able to do something there to help people out. It is now up to those out there who still got brains and balls to keep the good fight towards real liberty and justice.

Nogs.