Pilipinas Kong Mahal

I wanted to share this article that I rec’d from my family mailing lists.  It was interesting to read and he made sense in what he has to say and its really up to us to STOP all this corruptions in our own government and let us help ourselves to a better life.  There are many things that the filipino are known for why not “clean house” and lets show the world what we can do!   I have cut and paste the article – see below:

Subject: FW: Pilipinas Kong Mahal
Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2008 11:03:01 +0300
From: “Nicdao, Joseph” <Joseph.Nicdao@detasad.com.sa>
Subject: Pilipinas Kong Mahal
 
H E L L
 
May you all burn in hell. But, apparently hell has various temperature zones for us all. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Ferdinand Marcos, Joseph Estrada, Juan Ponce Enrile, Jose De Venecia, Jr., and Mike Arroyo, Benjamin Abalos, the murderous members of the mercenary military, et. al. All these people will occupy more or less the same premium hot spot close to the Prince of Darkness right on courtside where the flames are hottest. They will be joined by Raul Gonzalez, Ronaldo Puno and the other lapdogs of Gloria.
 
Then again, there are people who feed on the scraps and morsels that fall from the tables of the people above. Yung mga langgam na kumakain sa mga nahulog na butil na pagkaing bawal. They occupy the bleachers of hell.
 
How often have we heard that corruption is a way of life in the Philippines .
Oligarchic and feudal. Politics of patronage. Goons, guns and gold. Arent these all just synonyms for institutional corruption?
 
But $130,000,000 in kickbacks! In the land of “rubber shoes” and “dirty ice cream,” that dollar figure is unfathomable for the average Filipino – whose concept of wealth is the ability to buy a brand new Honda Civic.
 
Yet even this is not enough to wake the Filipino up from slumber. Kibit balikat pa din. “Wala kaming pakialam diyan. Pare-pareho lang naman sila!” This is what a housewife said when interviewed on tv about the present state of the nation. Filipinos, who would wait for hours in line to see Willie Revillame, will not spend minute to rally for change.
 
Tamad tayo. We would much rather have other people fight our battles for us. Have other people take the first step. Pag sigurado ng panalo… doon tayo sasali. I guess the spirit of Andres Bonifacio and Ninoy Aquino are mere fables now.
 
Sanay na sanay na tayo sa walanghiyaan. Sinasahog na natin sa pagkain ang corruption, pandaraya, pagnanakaw, at panlalamang. We have been weened on the diet of paano naman kami? with beggar palms outstretched waiting for our taste of the pot of dishonesty. This is daily fare for Filipinos. Pakapalan na ng mukha. At bakit hindi? The family of an ousted dictator still flaunt their influence and power. Much recently, another president, found guilty of plunder by the courts, was pardoned by yet another corrupt president. Crime pays in the Philippines . Great values to inculcate in our youth. Oh, don’t worry; they will grow up to become the Marcoses, Estradas and Arroyos. No, not necessarily honorable president-material but surely aspiring plunderers in the making. A parent should be so lucky.
 
How often have we heard people say Maski magsimula kang matino sa gobyerno, kakainin ka din ng sistema. The system they speak of is the well-entrenched, institutional corruption that plagues every mini-fiefdom of every government office. It has withstood the test of time. It has grown deep roots. It has been the standard operating procedure for many generations. Every government employee takes a bribe; every official who abuses his power prolongs this legacy of rot.
 
We live in a society where Lolit Solis is veneered as a celebrity. Where moderate greed is a virtue. Where lying under oath is not a big deal. But where the Catholic church in the Philippines , the backbone for elite education in the country wants us to pray for change. During Hello Garci scandal, they appealed for sobriety. They said no to impeachment. This is the Church, I belong to. How could our point of views be so different? Your holiness, di kayang baguhin ng dasal ang demonyo.
 
But it is not just the church that is disappointing. Di mababago ang takbo ng bansa kung ang tanging martsa natin ay yung patungo sa remote control na pangbukas ng TV. Sige, murahin mo yung mga nag-rarally. Perhuwisyo sila traffic. Troublemakers and sourgrapes, you call them. Kumbinsihin mo ang sarili mo: palitan man si GMA, corrupt din ang papalit. Ganoon ba? Kung kumakain ka ba inaalis mo pa ba ang malilit na dumi sa bigas? O sinusubo mo na lang kasi parati namang may bato ang sinaing mo? Let us dream a little bigger. Aim for something better. Kung bulok pa din ang pumalit, itapon ulit at kumuha ng ulit ng kapalit. Isang araw makakahanap ka din ng matino. Pero kailangan, magsimula na tayo. Alisin ang masama ngayon. Bakit mo pagtitiyagaan ang mali ?
 
For once, forgo personal gain and do something for the country. Consider the larger picture. Go beyond the interest of your family, your clan, your school, your business. Do something for the greater good. Prove to the world, prove to the Filipino – better yet, prove to yourself that the Philippines is indeed worth saving.
 
Jun Lozada may not be the perfect hero. He also dipped his hands into the cauldron of corruption. He has always declared that he is no saint but he embodies the hope that it is never too late to redeem ourselves.
 
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