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City of Pines
I was born there and I knew
it when it was pristine and really lived up to its name “City of Pines”. It’s a
shame the way it is now.
Oteyza, Omar
Omar.Oteyza@associates.dhs.gov
June 20, 2006
♦♦♦
Commending Teresa
Thank you for
your article on Maria Teresa Pangilinan,
Please pass
on to Ms. Pangilinan:
I am a U.S. Citizen working
on HR issues in the Philippines and friend of martyred church leaders. I would
personally like to commend you, Ms. Pangilianan. She demonstrates what we all
need to do – speak out, speak loud. Thank you Ms. Pangilianan.
Kaelene Arvidson-Hicks
kaelene@communityactiondul
June 20, 2006
♦♦♦
Independence Day and the Rape
of Nicole...
Good day to you and your
readers.
Let me say that your
analysis on Independence Day and the rape of "Nicole" is way off and quite
misleading.
If you have studied
Philippine history, you will see that we were under the oppressive rule of the
Imperial Japanese when the Americans came to liberate us. After defeating the
Japanese, they then gave back the Philippines to the Filipino people. Hence, we
gained our Independence.
The Filipinos (particularly
our women) were being raped and abused during the occupation of the Imperialist
Japanese Army. Not to mention the slaughter of Filipino men. Do you remember the
"Death March"? Do you remember the Filipino "Comfort Women"? There were no
records of these "comfort women" during the liberation and under the rule of the
Americans. There were no "Death Marches" under the rule of the Americans. This
is Philippine History.
In the case of "Nicole", we
must always put a proper perspective on things. And not let our personal biases
influence our judgment.
If it was you on the accused
chair, wouldn't you want to be given that benefit of a doubt? But the way you
have written your analysis, you have presumed the accused guilty, until they are
proven innocent. Why? By virtue of their race and color? Or because of their
nationality, so they MUST be guilty? This is racism in reverse.
When "Nicole" was allegedly
raped, many of our countrymen have jumped in on the bandwagon with their own
personal agenda. Is it not as immoral to use someone elses (sic) misery for the
propagation of their own personal agenda and biases?
You accuse the US of being
abusive. And the US Military for interfering with Philippine affairs. Do you
remember the Sipadan kidnappings? The video taped beheading of Antonio Sobero by
the Abu Sayyaf? The systematic rape and torture of the hostages? Are these not a
worst form of crimes against humanity and a gross violation of human rights? So
if you are against the US and accuse them of abuse, where do you stand against
these kinds of people, the Abu Sayyaf?
I come from Southern
Philippines. And I have done my part in the fight against terrorism. I have seen
with my own eyes the death and distruction (sic) this fight has brought. But one
must chose a side and make a stand on those principles you believe in.
Lastly, let me just ask that
you not only be thoroughly accurate in you information and to be fair in you
opinion. Thank you.
Phillip Nery Bejerano
bejerano_pnn@yahoo.com
Zamboanga City, Philippines
15 June 2006
♦♦♦
Dr.
Bienvenido Lumbera: An Authentic National Artist
If Lumbera truly is a
NATIONAL Artist, how come many of US do not know about him? Ask a simple
fisherman in Samar, a sakada in Negros, an elementary school teacher in San Jose
de Buan, etc if s/he knew LUmbera? They would say, "No." definitely.
A true national artist must
capture the imagination of the people. S/he must be a part of the poeple's
"imagined community." How many of us know his works?
Lumbera,perhaps, is a
national artist to the Tagalog/Filipino nation. Yes. However, he is not a
national artist of the Cebuano nation, the Waray nation, the Ilonggo, Ivatan,
Cuyonon, Bikolano, Ilocano, etc. These nations have there own "imagined
communities." And Lumbera is not part of it.Definitely.
There is no FILIPINO nation. If there is,
it is engineered. The Philippines is an assembly of NATIONS. The "FILIPINO
nation" is fake. Made by the colonizers. On the other hand, the non-Tagalog
nations have been here prior to the arrival of the Whites. THese are God-made
nations. FILIPINO is man-made. How can there be true FILIPINO NATIONAL artist,
when the "Filipino nation" is fake, in the first place?
Nagmalitong Yawa
juan_bahag@yahoo.com
13 J
♦♦♦
Magandang araw po sa staff ng
Bulatlat.
Labis akong natutuwa sa services na ibinibigay ninyo. Ako
po ay nasa ibang bansa at malaking bagay na nababasa ko ang mga nangyayari diyan
through Bulatlat...it keeps me well informed and reminds me that I have
to keep my feet on the ground.
Malaki rin ang improvement ng Bulatlat pero
suggestion lang po...mas maganda rin may forums and discussion on a certain
topic every month or every week, this is in a way, show different views on
certain topic and interaction sa readers. Also, maganda rin siguro mayroong
economic, political analysis sa mga nangyayari sa ating bansa.
Maraming salamat at mabuhay kayong lahat!
CHENEY CORTES|
canverra@yahoo.com
♦♦♦
Where
Survival Is More Important than Studying
Ako po ay agree sa nabasa kong
article. Sa aking sampung taon na pagtira sa probinsya ng aking tatay, nakita
ko kung paano ang mga bata ay napipilitan na huminto ng pag-aaral para lang
makakain. Sapat na sa mga magulang ang makapagbasa at makasulat.
Nakakalungkot isipin na hindi ito na-aadress ng ating
gubyerno. Sa katunayan, sinasadya na talaga ng ating gubyerno na magkaganito,
dahil ang mga kabataan ay nananatiling mangmang.
Ang mamamayang gutom at walang edukasyon ay madaling
takutin at lokohin. Kaya naman nagagawa ng pulitiko ang kanilang ninanais para
sa kanilang sariling interes.
Nakakalungkot minsan ang katotohanan subalit may pag-asa
pang baguhin. May kasabihan lahat ay posible, ang imposible nga lang ay matagal
gawin. Nawa ay magpatuloy ang kamuklatan....
Ngayon na ako po ay nandito na sa ibayong dagat, mas
nakikita ko ang malaking kakulangan ng ating pamahalaan sa pamamalakad....nakakalungkot
talaga.
CHENEY CORTES
canverra@yahoo.com
♦♦♦
Two-shift
Classroom Scheme Does Not Solve Education Crisis
I agree with you! The
President trying to hide her government's inadequate resources ("money" to build
more classrooms and to hire more qualified teachers) made meager by unabated
corruption and mis-guided budget priorities (budget for Defense much bigger
than for Education), by the simplistic act of remediating the real problem
through statistical figures. Thus, the quality of our children's education
suffer and the Nation's future less certain.
My wish: a snap election in
2007 coupled with a radical change in the COMELEC lineup in 2006. This is a tall
order of coures.
H
Manzano
jmanzano@pldtdsl.net
♦♦♦
Experts Say
Lafayette Compliance All for Show
Thanks for getting back - it
would be good if you can check (& correct if necessary) as it doesn't seem very
plausible & it is annoying if the very good arguments around Rapu Rapu are
undermined by the company being able to attack / ridicule 'poor science' in its
critics.
I think the reference to
'creeks maintained a ph higher than 10' in talk of AMD must be a typo, as this
would make them highly alkali, which is not far off the alkali level of
ammonia. However I don't think it could be a PH of 1 or 0 either as this would
put it in the ph level of battery acid!! you would expect an AMD water body to
have a PH of around 4.5 as opposed to 6-7. You might want to check with the
journalist or contributor as errors like this might reflect badly on the
scientific rigour in the article.
Otherwise keep up the good
work...
Best wishes,
Andy Whitmore
Communications and Research, PIPLinks
73 Thrayle House, Benedict Road, London, SW9 OXU
Ph: 020 7095 1555 Mob: 0775 439 5597
comms@piplinks.org
Web: www.piplinks.org
♦♦♦
Analysis:
RP Economy: On the Road to Success or Perdition?
I disagree with your
observation that "It is, however, almost impossible for the country to compete
and succeed with its current state and orientation…”
Venezuela, Cuba and Bolivia
are not progressive countries and they do not seem on the way to be one.
Japan, South Korea and
Taiwan are progressive and all of them became progressive because they all took
advantage of their economic ties with the United States. They all sold
manufactured products to the United States and made a lot of money that way.
Perhaps the Philippines should do the same thing. Perhaps the Philippines
should take advantage of its economic ties with the United States and sell
manufactured products that give the Philippines better return than the ones it
is selling now.
Although the balance of
trade of the Philippines is unfavorable, the balance of payments is not. The
deficit in the balance of payments is offset by the money sent by the OFW's
which is now over $10 billion a year. The biggest portion of that money
repatriated to the Philippines is from Filipinos who work in the United States.
Although the overall balance
of trade of the Philippines is unfavorable, the balance of trade with the United
States is actually in favor of the Philippines. Please see the latest report on
External Trade Performance of the Philippines - March 2006 at www.census.gov.ph
. The report shows a trade surplus for the Philippines in its two-way trade
with the United States.
I think it would be terribly
wrong economically for the Philippines to break its economic ties with the U.S.,
the source of much of its income. What the Philippines needs is to sell
products that give better returns that the ones it is selling now.
Paraguya, Samson S.
Samson.Paraguya@fairfaxcounty.gov
♦♦♦
This
Retired Navy Officer Has No Place to Go
If you are
retired from any military (all over the world), you have to get out from the
housing provided for the ACTIVE DUTY ONLY. Everybody knows that. Come on,
people, find a job outside. Where do you want the active duty members of the
military go? Forget yourself and open the doors for the young military
members. Pack your things and go out. The government should charge you for
rent.
Few years before
my husband retired from the US Navy, we talked about looking for a job outside
the military because we know that our housing allowance will be gone and the
monthly pension would not be enough for the family of five. We talked about
looking for a house because as a retiree, under the law, we are no longer
entitled to live in any housing provided by the military. I never heard of a
retiree wanting to live in any military housing after retirement. It is
ridiculous! Only in the Philippines. What a shame! How about those poor
enlisted retirees? Do we have enlisted retirees who did not want to leave the
housing after the retirement? Mostly officers or maybe all were officers of the
military. Give me a break. Get a job!
Ertmike@aol.com |
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