Amidst this quarrel with Ako Mismo, the minutia of Martin Nivera’s singing, the great book blockade and the never ending trouble and scandal, I say, our nation is in the precarious position of losing the future. In my humble opinion, there is a fatal misunderstanding of what’s wrong and thus, people will apply the wrong medicine. For example, on the road to 2010, some assume that many are uninterested in the state of affairs of this nation. Perhaps they assume this because too few people join political rallies. I believe they don’t understand the Philippines.
An advertising campaign like Ako Mismo, which in its basic, most simplistic way is saying, “stop being apathetic!” doesn’t resonate much with the blog crowd. I’m sure you’ve read the vicious pieces written about this campaign.
What irked people the most is the fact that it wasn’t signed, as if the proponents of this advertising campaign were ashamed to be associated with this call for civic duty. If this advertising was a means to use the entire country as one gigantic focus group to determine what people want then I’m sorry to say, that’s a load of crap. You shouldn’t be in any position of leadership, if you don’t know what’s wrong or got the balls to lead.
Those of us in our 30s and 20s, many of us in the blogsphere and a lot of people in their homes grumbling at the nightly news or peeved when they read the Sunday paper or you, dear reader aren’t apathetic. The same goes for every barber in town. We are disgusted by the pathetic, cumbersome and selfish antics of those in power. Like addicts we can’t get enough of the drama. An example of this angry train of thought is by Martin Perez who wrote:
And this is the dangerous game being played by Ako Mismo. By promising a movement of change and what not, they play on the hopes and dreams of many. Now they will have to follow through on that. For making good on promises is what they should do. We should do. I should do.
Ako mismo, pero paano sila?
Oh, wow! BREAKING NEWS! When have people NOT promised a movement of change, and failed to follow through on both sides of the aisle, whether administration and opposition, whether civil society like the lot of Jun Lozada? Haven’t we all played a part on ruining the hopes and dreams of Our People?
That’s the naked truth isn’t it?
The feel good mantra of Ako Mismo was negatively taken because people feel that they’re already doing their part. Whether in the personal lives, in their professional lives and in the way they try to feed their families as best they could. And like a woman who has her heartbroken too many times, people get tired of trusting. Who can blame our people when the air of deceit is prevalent? Where honesty and openness can hurt you faster than a speeding bullet or blog comment. People are disgusted by the pathetic, cumbersome and selfish antics of those in power.
That said, we’re not really a very open society are we?
This whole crap about Martin Nievera singing the national anthem badly reeks of minutia. Some people like it, some people don’t. That’s art isn’t it? Music is an expression of the soul. Mr. Nievera didn’t bastardize it, didn’t he?
Set aside that our ears were hurt when Mr. Nievera sang the anthem. Is that why people rarely sing it? Because we can’t sing? Anyway, I digress, why should Martin Nievera be punished? Why are we even talking about this non-event? Because Mr. Nievera broke the law.
People are correct in saying that the law must be followed. That the law must be obeyed. I’m no lawyer but does it even matter since he wasn’t the Philippines when he sang it? Is it also important that the spirit of the law be of equal importance in this matter? Does the spirt of the law mean it in such away that our national anthem isn’t bastardized?
Imagine this: Araneta Coliseum is packed. The air is energized, almost restless in anticipation. Lights go off. The crowd starts to yell. It is all about to begin isn’t it?
Stage right: slowly blue lights come on as a cloud of smoke is popped. Stage left: red lights on and more smoke! a second later, center stage rises. An electric guitar is singing the opening to Lupang Hinirang real slow. It is quickly joined by the lead guitar, bassist and drums. Back part of the stage is lit and it is a video of the Flag in all its glory, proudly flying.
You know the words: “perlas ng silanganan, alab ng puso” and yet no words are sung, just instrumental and hmmm from the backup singers, then it goes to a crescendo— they stop for one, two seconds and Ely sings and the crowd joins: “Ang Mamatay ng Dahil, sayo!!”
Is that disrespecting the Flag, and our Anthem or is it our pride and our joy and our creative and free expression as guaranteed by the Constitution that is being celebrated? Is that not an expression of love of country?
So I have to ask: just because we have a law doesn’t mean it is right. So why aren’t people saying we should change the law rather than oppress Free Expression?
It feels like there is a conscious effort to stifle reason and creativity. There is this negative air that wants to stay trapped in an endless cycle of mediocrity. Take this whole insane matter on books.
If this whole minutia about Martin Nievera singing irked you then this whole blockage against books speak volumes of something seriously rotten with this country and I’m not talking about just politics:
McSweeney’s, Robin Hemley wrote:
Over coffee one afternoon, a book-industry professional (whom I can’t identify) told me that for the past two months virtually no imported books had entered the country, in part because of the success of one book, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. The book, an international best seller, had apparently attracted the attention of customs officials. When an examiner named Rene Agulan opened a shipment of books, he demanded that duty be paid on it.
“Ah, you can’t be too successful in this country,” I said. “If you are, then people start demanding a cut.”
Let me be an airhead for a moment and say: that that last line of comment would be a nice tweet.
Seriously, it’s true isn’t it? It speaks volumes of how this country is. Not just the politics. Going back to the whole notion that this country is apathetic really is like fool’s gold. The dynamic of this country revolves around “The Cut”. From the smallest organ to the top. In my humble opinion, that’s an economic problem, which is caused by politics. Yet as simple as it sounds the underlying disease is far more complex.
Everyone wants their cut!
See, for all our anger and pain against say, at Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, whenever a new scandal erupts, and we want her out? It is like cutting the head of a hydra. A new one would just spring out. And just maybe it could be far worst than the devil we know.
That’s just one aspect isn’t it? That’s the national politics that irks many, especially when you’re living in Manila. But don’t get me wrong. That doesn’t mean it isn’t horrible or wrong.
When you look at Philippine politics, there are two dimensions of it. The aphorism that all politics is local holds true doesn’t it? So why are the same crowd gets voted in, say for Congressman? When the husband is done with his term, the wife or the kid steps in. And why are certain families in control of various provinces?
Why are voters going for these kinds of people? Is it because they somehow profit or benefit? One would assume that they do, right if they are buying their local official’s kool aid? Is it because nobody else is interested or can’t run for lack of any sort of organization? Is it a problem of a lack of any sort of real, stable political party?
The Baron in City Hall can’t reply. The Duchess at the Provincial Capital rarely has an answer. The Upper and Lower House of Lords are too busy taping their reality show on television. The Empress, after nearly being in power for almost a decade has little progress to show for. And when the crown is passed on, Indonesia and Vietnam are healthier than the Philippines.
That’s not really the problem isn’t it? The problem really is that Maria Clara is working hard to feed her family of four. She’s in some old person’s home in Israel. Maria is washing an ancient lady’s excretions and tucking the old lady in bed. That’s her job. Juan dela Cruz is in Binondo pulling a hand trolly filled with supplies for the neighborhood store. Day in and day out he is slaving away, and in May 2010, they’ll be asking, “Where’s my cut?”
By May 2010, Manny Villar, Manny Pacquiao and maybe the contest would also interest Manny Pangilinan. These people would be on their knees, as if humbled. “We’ll Show you the Money (your cut), if you vote for us”. Guess maybe that’s why Mar and Korina are a team. Koring is miser in English, correct? So we’d assume their future government wouldn’t be wasting too much money?
Let’s zone out, shall we? Because by fall of 2010, it doesn’t matter who wins the election, right? There will be a new season of “The Senate at Work,” which is guaranteed to be aired on all the cable news channels and all the TV stations. Hey, you can’t stop a hit! We will watch intently as Miriam Santiago is on television grilling official after official on why they’re not doing their jobs or on some scandal involving school breakfast that just broke. Do you remember that time she dared to jump off a plane and when called out, yells at the top of her voice, “I lied!?” We laugh because, well, her catch phrases are funny. We’ll hope she’ll have funnier lines in future episodes. Who said reality television is farce?
That said, we’ve never really answered the question, “where’s my cut?” Have we?
Popularity: 2% [?]
“The feel good mantra of Ako Mismo was negatively taken because people feel that they’re already doing their part. Whether in the personal lives, in their professional lives and in the way they try to feed their families as best they could. ”
this is the first time i’ve seen this argument. is this your personal opinion as well?
i suppose, my real question is: is doing your job, and caring for your family enough to make RP a better place?
Gabby, after reading all the complaints, that’s how best I could sum up people’s opinion on it.
I think the message is positive, however simplistic it is. My personal opinion is that it is good to be asking people to do what they can. Like i’ve mentioned in my previous posts, doing what you can is only half of the equation. And I think people are already doing their part of the bargain. the other half is— our leaders aren’t fulfilling their end of the bargain. And that since no one is interested in taking responsibility then it falls on the guys on top to shape up.
Edit: Oh one more thing. I know those guys on top won’t change. I mean, why challenge the status quo. That’s just it. Chicken and Egg problem.
for us at FV though Cocoy, I think the challenge of AKO MISMO is this: Why did it take a PLDT/Smart to do such a simple thing? The look and feel is Plurk, but the immediacy and brevity are Twitter, all with the potential of sosyalan of a Facebook.
I think the concept is brilliant, but again, why didn’t we do it?
Because we are too busy running in and judging beauty contests!
My impression is that this wasn’t a Smart move or at least the people i’m listening to aren’t higher enough up the food chain to be in the loop.
Point well taken DJB re: beauty contest.
lol, naunahan lang Dean, formal launch of Advocacy section at FV was set to be in June.. but hey, the more the merrier, it’s great to get more people involved..
I just realized something else about AKO MISMO…if they ever hook the whole shebang up to the PLDT/Smart Network of mobile phones…LOOK OUT! Consider too that they have just purchased a newspaper and its associated AM/FM radio stations. Once PlDT buys into ABSCBN, the transformation could be complete. This thing could be the beginning of the Juggernaut of Convergence we have all been talking about.
PLDT authored the bait and there are fish biting it – hook, line and sinker?
It’s probably because, PSDT (SD – for short distance telephoning) when you failed to pay in full owns the ponds where the fish are. We are being kept hostage. This idea invites discussion and I repeat, we are being held hostage.
i’ve long been trying to get people to realized that: http://filipinovoices.com/the-game-changing-power-of-ubiquitous-creation
Maybe it’s simpler than that Primer. What makes 70,000 people sign up to a website, just like that?
I think it is the inherent ease of use. Compared to a blog like FV or any of our political blogs, it really takes too many steps to participate fully and one really does have to be techie to maintain and modify one’s own blog.
So the thing that suggests itself to me, is that virtually anybody who runs their own blog now, and certainly FV, could do a similar thing. However, we have to get the interface right, which represents a subtle but persistent challenge to developers and site webmasters.
It’s almost as if websites are real buildings, so “architecture” is all important, even if subliminal in its effects. AKO MISMO is an inviting, open place. The dogtags are a great gimmick that actually re-enforces the idea of an “army of hope.” In comparison our blog is a fortress and an armed camp, where the army’s batallions are also battling each other tooth and nail…over the soul and substance of the weblog. It gets personal because there are too few of us to “operationalize” the wisdom of crowds, and it’s easier to let loose an invective than to think of why one disagrees and to take the time and effort to express it well, knowing a lot of voices would raise a ruckus over the things we commonly live with now, like posting comments whose entire content is actually some monosyllable, or answering comments to one post by posting another on the main column. Among those 70,000 who’ve joined AKO MISMO are our future recruits. Which means we will have to be BETTER than AKO MISMO now to get them!
Which means we will have to be BETTER than AKO MISMO now to get them!
WWWWWWHAAATTTTTTTTTT? Para sumamba sa madre superiora?
Don’t get THEM. Get YOUR OWN!
BongV,
“WWWWWWHAAATTTTTTTTTT?”
You are starting to repeat letters. Soon you will be repeating and all-capping words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs and posts. Before long you will be repeating yourself. That would be entertaining to the audience, but tragic for you. Join the conversation in earnest, not umbrage.
Care to try again? (It helps to read the title first, then the post and preceeding comments, before jumping in.)
Yes mother superior.
Ako Mismo is one of other recipes but because of the ‘celebrity flavor’ added to it, not few want to try the exotic dish.
Like most exotic dishes, it attracts interest on sight but proves disappointing to the taste.
FV doesn’t not have to pool from from 70,000 showbiz-adoring recruits since we may have less need of them. Nor must it replaced Ako Mismo with “Kami Mismo”, as there just might be no need to undertake a political jumping board into the unknown.
Ako Mismo, from the outline, to me embraced the oblique – BIG BAD PEOPLE must help a BIG GOOD GOVERNMENT. I take the reverse.
Ako Mismo, from the outline, to me embraced the oblique – BIG BAD PEOPLE must help a BIG GOOD GOVERNMENT. I take the reverse.
the opposite to personal responsibility is irresponsibility.
you are correct and you are very consistent. :)
bong,
Take it easy. Undertake to refrain from putting words into somebody else’s mouth. I am just too cautious to even speak about responsibility.
Besides, it might be more correct to say that the opposite of personal responsibility is that responsibility external to it and this let me coin as “government responsibility”.
Primer:
I have already commented previously that I agree that government needs to be held accountable and that government needs to exercise responsibility.
But the buck does not stop there.
When the government continuously and consistently does not exhibit “government responsbiity” then the people need to exercise “personal responsibility” to shape a government that exercises “government responsbility”.
Clear enough?
Nope. Move back to trace your own tracks. You think you already walk your talk, not yet.
Nothing’s the hurry here. Think deeply, speak clearly.
just a question. wasn’t the hydra, in mythology, killed? or was it allowed to live a long and hydratastic life because, anyway, it would keep sprouting heads?
from the open source reference:
The weakness of the Hydra was that only one of its heads was immortal.
The details of the struggle are explicit in Apollodorus (2.5.2): realising that he could not defeat the Hydra in this way, Heracles called on his nephew Iolaus for help.
His nephew then came upon the idea (possibly inspired by Athena) of using a burning firebrand to scorch the neck stumps after each decapitation.
Heracles cut off each head and Iolaus cauterized the open stumps.
Its one immortal head Heracles placed under a great rock on the sacred way between Lerna and Elaius (Kerenyi 1959:144), and dipped his arrows in the Hydra’s poisonous blood, and so his second task was complete.
The alternative to this is that after cutting off one head he dipped his sword in it and used its venom to burn each head so it couldn’t grow back.
The Great Book Blockade or The Great Tax Evasion by Private Commercial Enterprises
Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific and Cultural Materials, with Annexes A to E and Protocol annexed 1950
Florence, 17 June 1950
-Protocol, Nairobi, 26 November 1976
Article I
1. The contracting States undertake not to apply customs duties or other charges on, or in connection with, the importation of:
(a) Books, publications and documents, listed in Annex A to this Agreement;
(b) Educational, scientific and cultural materials, listed in Annexes B, C, D and E to this Agreement; which are the products of another contracting State, subject to the conditions laid down in those annexes.
2. The provisions of paragraph 1 of this article shall not prevent any contracting State from levying on imported materials :
(a) Internal taxes or any other internal charges of any kind, imposed at the time of importation or subsequently, not exceeding those applied directly or indirectly to like domestic products;
(b) Fees and charges, other than customs duties, imposed by governmental authorities on, or in connection with, importation, limited in amount to the approximate cost of the services rendered, and representing neither an indirect protection to domestic products nor a taxation of imports for revenue purposes.
Article II
1. The contracting States undertake to grant the necessary licences and/or foreign exchange for the importation of the following articles:
(a) Books and publications consigned to public libraries and collections and
to the libraries and collections of public, educational, research or cultural institutions ;
(b) Official government publications, that is, official, parliamentary and ad-ministrative documents published in their country of origin;
(c) Books and publications of the United Nations or any of its Specialized Agencies ;
(d) Books and publications received by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and distributed free of charge by it or under its supervision;
(e) Articles for the blind:
(i) Books, publications and documents of all -kinds in raised characters for the blind;
(ii) Other articles specially designed for the educational, scientific or cultural advancement of the blind, which are imported directly by institutions or organizations concerned with the welfare of the blind, approved by the competent authorities of the importing country for the purpose of duty-free entry of these types of articles.
2. The contracting States which at any-time apply quantitative restrictions and exchange control measures undertake to grant, as far as possible, foreign exchange and licences necessary for the importation of other educational, scientific or cultural materials, and particularly the materials referred to in the annexes to this Agreement.
Annexes
Annex A
Books, publications and documents
(i) Printed books.
(ii) Newspapers and periodicals.
(iii) Books and documents produced by duplicating processes other than printing.
(iv) Official government publications, that is, official, parliamentary and administrative documents published in their country of origin.
(v) Travel posters and travel literature (pamphlets, guides, time-tables, leaflets and similar publications), whether illustrated or not, including those published by private commercial enterprises, whose purpose is to stimulate travel outside the country of importation.
(vi) Publications whose purpose is to stimulate study outside the country of importation.
(vii) Manuscripts, including typescripts.
(viii) Catalogues of books and publications, being books and publications offered for sale by publishers or booksellers established outside the country of importation.
(ix) Catalogues of films, recordings or other visual and auditory material of an educational, scientific or cultural character, being catalogues issued by or on behalf of the United Nations or any of its Specialized Agencies.
(x) Music in manuscript or printed form, or reproduced by duplicating processes other than printing.
(xi) Geographical, hydrographical or astronomical maps and charts.
(xii) Architectural, industrial or engineering plans- and designs, and reproductions thereof, intended for study in scientific establishments or educational institutions approved by the competent authorities of the importing country for the purpose of duty-free admission of these types of articles.
(The exemptions provided by Annex A shall not apply to:
(a) Stationery;
(b) Books, publications and documents (except catalogues, travel posters and travel literature referred to above) published by or for a private commercial enterprise, essentially for advertising purposes;
(c) Newspapers and periodicals in which the advertising matter is in excess of 70 per cent by space;
(d) All other items (except catalogues referred to above) in which the advertising matter is in excess of 25 per cent by space. In the case of travel posters and literature, this percentage shall apply only to private commercial advertising matter.)
Why it that the Exclusion of this agreement was not is discussed? Annex A(b), stated that “ The exemption SHALL NOT APPLY to a PRIVATE COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISES”. Then who violates this UNESCO Florence Agreement? The importers (Private Commercial Enterprises) who hides under this blanket agreement or the government who follow this?
The Great Book Blockade or The Great Tax Evasion by Private Commercial Enterprises
Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific and Cultural Materials, with Annexes A to E and Protocol annexed 1950
Florence, 17 June 1950
-Protocol, Nairobi, 26 November 1976
Annexes
Annex A
Books, publications and documents
(i) Printed books.
(ii) Newspapers and periodicals.
(iii) Books and documents produced by duplicating processes other than printing.
(iv) Official government publications, that is, official, parliamentary and administrative documents published in their country of origin.
(v) Travel posters and travel literature (pamphlets, guides, time-tables, leaflets and similar publications), whether illustrated or not, including those published by private commercial enterprises, whose purpose is to stimulate travel outside the country of importation.
(vi) Publications whose purpose is to stimulate study outside the country of importation.
(vii) Manuscripts, including typescripts.
(viii) Catalogues of books and publications, being books and publications offered for sale by publishers or booksellers established outside the country of importation.
(ix) Catalogues of films, recordings or other visual and auditory material of an educational, scientific or cultural character, being catalogues issued by or on behalf of the United Nations or any of its Specialized Agencies.
(x) Music in manuscript or printed form, or reproduced by duplicating processes other than printing.
(xi) Geographical, hydrographical or astronomical maps and charts.
(xii) Architectural, industrial or engineering plans- and designs, and reproductions thereof, intended for study in scientific establishments or educational institutions approved by the competent authorities of the importing country for the purpose of duty-free admission of these types of articles.
(The exemptions provided by Annex A shall not apply to:
(a) Stationery;
(b) Books, publications and documents (except catalogues, travel posters and travel literature referred to above) published by or for a private commercial enterprise, essentially for advertising purposes;
(c) Newspapers and periodicals in which the advertising matter is in excess of 70 per cent by space;
(d) All other items (except catalogues referred to above) in which the advertising matter is in excess of 25 per cent by space. In the case of travel posters and literature, this percentage shall apply only to private commercial advertising matter.)
Why it that the Exclusion of this agreement was not is discussed? Annex A(b), stated that “ The exemption SHALL NOT APPLY to a PRIVATE COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISES”. Then who violates this UNESCO Florence Agreement? The importers (Private Commercial Enterprises) who hides under this blanket agreement or the government who follow this?
Did these private commercial enterprises help our educational system while they are enjoying this duty and tax exempt priviledge for more than 50 yrs. Or this is a big make money takin’ care of business in the long view by tax evasion? What I know is, educational institutions (schools) are still enjoying this priviledge under UNESCO Florence Agreement.
By all means, press the issue matthew until tomato juice comes out. I have serious reservations with their self-congratulatory victory because I had meaningful stint in revenue collection work, at least.