The radio was on and i heard the anchor say that Arroyo was doing everything in her power to keep the nation afloat in this time of crisis. First off, when is it ever not a time of crisis for the Filipino? Second— that’s all we aspire for? to keep “afloat”?
At about the same time I was reading a comic book. It was a Batman comic book arc a few years ago called, “No Man’s Land“. This particular chapter that i was reading was written by Bob Gale (Back to the Future movie), and it was titled “Values“.
The story starts off with Gotham City being a victim of a plague and an earthquake. After this Katrina-level disaster, the US Government decides to close off Gotham instead of rebuilding it. Various personalities decide to stay in the City.
here’s an excerpt: (see jpg for snap of the page):
Peasant 1: No we have to give it to you. As tribute. And then you give us what we need. That’s how it works.
Batman: I don’t need tribute. I don’t want any. Don’t you understand? I got rid of your oppressors. The bad men.
Peasant 1: But they weren’t bad men. They protected us. took care of us.
Peasant 2: And Rhino’s not a bad man. He made sure no one got more than anyone else.
Peasant 3: Please, tell us what to do.
Batman thinks:
Now I realize who these people are. The destitue. Former welfare recipients. The “intellectually challenged”. the unmotivated. The people with common sense would never have tolerated Scarface’s regime. They left this neighborhood week’s ago.
Rhino: It ain’t about good guys and bad guys anymore, Batman. It’s just about survival…
Batman thinks:
Maybe Rhino’s right. Maybe Traditional good guys and bad guys aren’t part of the language.
Batman: Whatever you were told to do this morning? keep doing it. I’ll be back, Rhino.
two pages later…
Batman: You all work for me now, and these are my orders. It’s just like before. Rhino, you tell the people what to do and provide their rations— real food, not dog food. You give each lieutenant a weapon but no guns. Lieutenants, you provide the protection and collect the tribute. I get first choice of goods and supplies. You get first choice of food and drink. So already you’re doing better with me as your boss. You’ll never know when or where I’ll show up, but I’ll be around. So don’t mess up or I’ll take you out.
peasant: yes, sir.
peasant 2: whatever you say, sir.
Batman thinks:
Order. Rules. Structure. Without them, a civilized society cannot exist— freedom deteriorates into anarchy.Alfred: Tribute, sir? Like a pirate? Like a despot?
Batman: It’s like a sign of respect, Alfred. It’s the language. And one cannot succeed unless one is fluent in the language.
Alfred: Are you fluent enough to succeed sir?
Batman: Not yet. But I intend to be.
If you’ve read this far, I bring this up for various reasons.
1) How often does it sometimes “feel” (given language like “keeping things afloat/surviving”) that the Philippines is a land of the destitute?
[even when it isn't, see Jon's recent and must read post on The Real Score on Filipinos and Entrepreneurship on why it isn't.]
2) That “For the Boys” standard operating procedure is the language of the land.
3) That really part of the struggle is to transform people’s thinking “that we’re crap and can’t do anything to,” “we can do this. we are doing this.” mentality.
What are your thoughts?
Popularity: 1% [?]
On how easy it is to replace ‘keep afloat’ with a more positive-thinking type metaphor, i think it depends on which socio-economic class you belong to.
This is what I see with the Philippines, regardless of socio-economic standing. Even the average middle class schmoe, who earns enough to drive a Civic, smoke a pack and have one Starbucks drink a day, will tell you how “powerless” and “destitute” they are in this country.
This seems relevant to the discussion.
Interesting post! GMA has been playing with words every since. She’s making the masses feel that she’s doing everything to keep us “afloat.” Oh well..Sad thing though is that she can’t and won’t help the masses truly without gaining something in return. This maybe true: “It’s the language. And one cannot succeed unless one is fluent in the language.” But in GMA’s case, succeeding in terms of holding on to power while ignoring the plight of the masses.
1) Every morning right after watching Umagang Kay Ganda’s Nagbabagang Balita. I won’t be surprised if you find the majority of the viewers asking “God, what is happening to the Philippines?” Seriously, can’t they air those gory and sad stories on the nightly news instead? Would it kill their TV ratings if they stick to feel-good news and stories in their morning show? At least then, they can help me pretend the whole day that everything is ok with the world.
2) I dunno, I think the Padrino system is less and less prevalent, or at least, not as obvious. Just a few weeks ago, I’ve been to two government agencies, the POEA and the DOT, to renew my OWWA membership and my passport. I’m glad to report that there is now a semblance of efficiency and office protocols in both departments. There might be hope.
3) You know the saying, “give a man a fish, you feed him a day, teach him how to fish, you feed him a lifetime”. It’s not enough. We also need to teach them WHERE to fish.
If you want to really understand the current psyche of the Pinoy masses, look at what the masses found entertaining; a nationwide noontime TV show showing impoverished folks shed copious tears to get dole-outs from generous people in the audience.
And we’re surprised the President did the same route of providing dole-outs to the poor? Add to that, how many folks availed the dole-outs?
The masses deserve her presidency.
Well, I think what I wrote in my Time to become the big bad wolf piece is our apparent unwillingness as a people to see beyond the problem and find solutions to wrap around it. Instead we sugarcoat the box we imprison ourselves with using colourful wallpaper.
Bottom line is we are a self-limiting people. Kind of like how we imprison our minds with our own continued beholdenness to Tagalog — our so-called “national language”. Going beyond language, our own collective philosophical framework seems to be designed to hold hostage our ability to dream and ASPIRE beyond that pwede-na-yan matra we keep assuring ourselves with.
When i look at the people in my Barangay all i see is the teenagers standing around doing nothing, they Never help their parents to support the family, only sit under a tree using the drugs or getting drunk.then smash the empty gin bottles on the road The parents are sitting in a standby kubo gambling and doing nothing to improve their life.
night time brings out the standby once again this time to cause problems to the neighbors, throwing rocks on the roofs of those they dont like or anyone else for that matter.Cutting the trees down for firewood, even fences and just being generally bad.
The barangay Tanod do nothing, walk around with their eyes closed to everything, or want “Lagay” to do something.
Now thats the “Language” they speak !!
And yes i can see the future here………..
how many others are the same?????
Yah, she’s keeping us afloat…with utang!hehehe. We’re being kept afloat due to the high windyness of Gloria’s pronouncements. It’s all air. That’s why we’re afloat.
cvj. see, i know the reality is that there are class distinctions and each strata got their own issues /but/ i also know that there shouldn’t be.
re the link you posted. see, matter of free will to choose to read things like this. i also believe if people are ever motivated, or inspired by anything like this is also a matter of free will. by the response i’m getting, it struck /some/ cord in /some/ people. what they do with this post, and the comments here and others like it is a matter of their own discernment, insight and well, free will.
jon: yep i know. i also know that it is inspiring to always hear ordinary Filipinos doing their own little bit, their own little share. what you and your wife are doing for example is one such example. you are building a business for you and your family of course but as it grows and grows you get to hire more and more people then you’re helping them. however indirectly, i believe your can do attitude adds up.
Lee Angelo, she holds on because there is no alternative.
Mikey_Liling, i used that give a man a fish quote in my last post here. i linked to jon’s post and it shows that a lot of Filipinos who are entrepreneurial. in my mind they are doing their bit. so i think, we don’t need to tell people where, just give ‘em the opportunity to thrive. people find ways to make a life. i also happen to think that’s the beauty of free enterprise.
as to your second point: life is slowly changing, certainly. you can taste that pull for change in the way people do things just as there are a lot more people i know who still use influence especially with regard to government bureaucracy.
on the other hand, business in the upper echelons of power got a language of their own. One has got to play the game to know it.
a few years ago, i’ve sat across many captains of local industry. one of the most startling remarks re graft that i’ve heard is that there should be a law that allows for “for the boys”. in other words, make it all a commission and above board and thus, taxable. personally, i wouldn’t mind people profiting from their hard work, but what i do mind is that what should be for the people must be given to them.
benign0 i would agree with you— but i’m starting to think that’s the obvious answer.
there is a lot of people like what Alan described and who you are thinking of. they are feeling hopelessness. in however way they can dig themselves out of the mess— i hope they find a way to help others out of the hole.
i also think that the counterweight is that there are people like Jon and the statistic he raised in his post who are working in the background to better their lives in a can do way. i think that’s a good way of building a country.
Alan, i think the Filipino ideal that kids should “help” their parents isn’t “right”. it isn’t about duty, nor it is about expectation. if kids want to give something back to their parents, it should be because of love, not duty nor expectation. parents raise kids because they love them and want them to be greater than their own not ever to profit or to be of service to them.
Patricio— LMAO! Seriously now: 10 years on the job and the best we got is “afloat”, isn’t inspiring at all, you know? her recent policies on subsidies got the thumbprint of a politician and not a statesman.