Brown Soul

This article is my comment (response) to Cathy's post "Buy Pilipino".

(An excerpt) by F. Sionil Jose's Why are Filipinos So Poor.

In the ’50s and ’60s, the Philippines was the most envied country in Southeast Asia. What happened?

What did South Korea look like after the Korean War in 1953? Battered, poor - but look at Korea now. In the Fifties, the traffic in Taipei was composed of bicycles and army trucks, the streets flanked by tile-roofed low buildings. Jakarta was a giant village and Kuala Lumpur a small village surrounded by jungle and rubber plantations. Bangkok was criss-crossed with canals, the tallest structure was the Wat Arun, the Temple of the Sun, and it dominated the city’s skyline. Ricefields all the way from Don Muang airport — then a huddle of galvanized iron-roofed bodegas, to the Victory monument.Visit these cities today and weep — for they are more beautiful, cleaner and prosperous than Manila..In the Fifties and Sixties [the Philippines] was the most envied country in Southeast Asia. Remember when Indonesia got its independence in 1949 it had only 114 university graduates compared with the hundreds of Ph.D.'s that were already in our universities. Why then were we left behind?The economic explanation is simple. We did not produce cheaper and better products.

The basic question really is why we did not modernize fast enough and thereby doomed our people to poverty. This is the harsh truth about us today. Just consider these: some 15 years ago a survey showed that half of all grade school pupils dropped out after grade 5 because they had no money to continue schooling.Thousands of young adults today are therefore unable to find jobs. Our natural resources have been ravaged and they are not renewable. Our tremendous population increase eats up all of our economic gains. There is hunger in this country now; our poorest eat only once a day.But this physical poverty is really not as serious as the greater poverty that afflicts us and this is the poverty of the spirit.

Why then are we poor? More than ten years ago, James Fallows, editor of the Atlantic Monthly, came to the Philippines and wrote about our damaged culture which, he asserted, impeded our development. Many disagreed with him but I do find a great deal of truth in his analysis.

This is not to say that I blame our social and moral malaise on colonialism alone. But we did inherit from Spain a social system and elite that, on purpose, exploited the masses. Then, too, in the Iberian peninsula, to work with one's hands is frowned upon and we inherited that vice as well. Colonialism by foreigners may no longer be what it was, but we are now a colony of our own elite.

We are poor because we are poor -- this is not a tautology. The culture of poverty is self-perpetuating. We are poor because our people are lazy. I pass by a slum area every morning - dozens of adults do nothing but idle, gossip and drink. We do not save. Look at the Japanese and how they save in spite of the fact that the interest given them by their banks is so little. They work very hard too.

We are great show-offs. Look at our women, how overdressed, over-coiffed they are, and Imelda epitomizes that extravagance. Look at our men, their manicured nails, their personal jewelry, their diamond rings. Yabang - that is what we are, and all that money expended on status symbols, on yabang. How much better if it were channeled into production.

We are poor because our nationalism is inward looking. Under its guise we protect inefficient industries and monopolies.

And finally, we are poor because we have lost our ethical moorings. We condone cronyism and corruption and we don't ostracize or punish the crooks in our midst. Both cronyism and corruption are wasteful but we allow their practice because our loyalty is to family or friend, not to the larger good.

I am not looking for a foreign power for us to challenge. But we have a real and insidious enemy that we must vanquish, and this enemy is worse than the intransigence of any foreign power. WE ARE OUR OWN ENEMY. And we must have the courage, the will, to change ourselves.

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A bus carrying only ugly people crashes into an oncoming truck, and everyone inside dies.

They then get to meet their maker, and because of the grief they have experienced; he decides to grant them one wish each, before they enter Paradise

They're all lined up, and God asks the first one what the wish is. "I want to be gorgeous," and so God snaps His fingers, and it is done.
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I’m not a pessimist but while reading this article I’m beginning to ask the intention of the writer (I mean the real intention) I’m crossing my fingers that the intention of the article is to really elevate “may kababayan”, not to “sell” them considering the site is all about “DATING”

We need to consider how other nationalities look at us so that we can really understand the reason of writing about our women.

Please don’t get me wrong; we need to ask the right question in finding the right answer!

Here’s the article:

As a man married to a Filipina I have been asked many times if it is true that Filipino women make the best wives in the world. Don’t get me wrong now, I will not start bragging about my own wife nor I will dissuade you from dating a Filipina girl. I am just going to tackle some of the statements you hear or read about Filipino women so you can better distinguish the myths from the facts.

“Filipino women are very well educated” – FACT College education has always been of a great importance for the Filipinas. Pride in accomplishment at school is instilled in Filipinas since their early childhood and the statistics shows that female college enrollment even exceeds that of the male.

“Filipino women are religious.” – FACT Being the only Christian nation in the Far East (the Philippines is 83% Roman Catholic), it is common amongst Philippine families to raise their children in the church. Your perspective Filipina bride would most likely dream of a church wedding and it is likely that her family even forbid her to get married without one.

“All Filipinas are submissive and obedient.” – MYTH Generally Filipino women would never engage in a loud quarrel but their patient, non-confrontational and understanding nature should not be mistaken for submissive. All their life Filipinas have been taught to act like a real Lady – to be refined in both tastes and manners and always speak politely, with a gentle tone of voice. Arguing, along with public criticism, is just not acceptable and even if you are off your rocker your Filipina will not confront you just to save you from embarrassment.

“Filipina’s only purpose in life is to fulfill their husband’s wildest dreams and never lose his attention.” – MYTH As already mentioned, in reality most Filipinas have advanced degrees of education and professional lives. It could hardly be presumed that they live only to fulfill some man’s wild desires. And yet, nobody can deny the warmth, loyalty and faithfulness of Filipina wives. Since there is no divorce laws in the Philippines, Filipinas have always paid high regard for the sanctity of marriage and make every endeavour to preserve the love in their family.

“Money is always secondary to the stability of a loving marriage.” – FACT Living in a society that finds divorce unacceptable, Filipino women will always put the stability of their marriage first, before money and they will always be more willing to sacrifice career than a family.

“Filipina women don’t believe in divorce.” – MYTH Raised with high values of honesty and fidelity, Filipino women are very patient and willing to stand by their husbands during hard times. This is not unconditional, however, so don’t equalize the illegality of divorce in the Philippines with unwillingness of Filipinas to divorce if they could. A Filipino woman in an honest and loving relationship will never consider divorce as an option but if her husband abuses her verbally or physically she will resort to it if given the opportunity.

“Filipinas are excellent home keepers.” – FACT Filipino women are very focused on family needs and are exceptional mothers. Their home is a great source of pride for them and they do their best to create a warm and loving environment for their family. For the Filipina even yelling at home would mean de-facing her home so you will probably never find a Filipina woman screaming or breaking dishes.

“Filipina women prefer men who are many years their senior.” – FACT Filipinas are, at a minimum, tolerant of much older husbands. This fact is confirmed by the statistics – with 80% men older than their Filipina wives by at least a year, more than 40% are at least 10 years older and about 15% are more than 20 years older. What makes them desirable despite the significant age gap is that Filipinas perceive older men as more mature, less promiscuous, and financially stable.

“Filipinas seek Western men for marriage because there are twice as many females as males in the Philippines.” – MYTH The population difference is about 700,000 (age 15-65) in a country with a population of about 73,000,000 – that is a difference of less than 1% which proves that such a statement is just inconsistent. Filipino women seek Western men for a husband for many of the same reasons Western men want them for a wife – for a stable, loving and lasting relationship.

The writer Jonas P. is a retired American living in the Philippines. He and his Filipina wife have made a Filipino Dating site about Filipina women, their culture and the famous Filipina personality.

You can check the original article here:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jonas_Patterson

So, what do you think about the article?

Btw, i'm 9 years older than my wife and we literally go to church every sunday. again i'm not a pessimist i'm just trying to ask the right question.
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In southern Alabama is the town of Enterprise, in Coffee County. There they have erected a monument to an insect, honoring the Mexican boll weevil. In 1895 the boll weevil began to destroy the major crop of the county, cotton. In desperation to survive the farmers had to diversify, and by 1919 the county’s peanut crop was many times what cotton had been at its height. In that year of prosperity a fountain and monument were built.

The inscription reads: “In profound appreciation of the boll weevil and what it has done as the herald of prosperity this monument was erected by the citizens of Enterprise, Coffee County, Alabama.” Out of a time of struggle and crisis had come new growth and success. Out of adversity had come blessing.

In the language of China there is hardly a more suggestive or challenging word that crisis. It is made up of two characters, way gee. Each of these is half a word, the first being danger and the second opportunity. Hence a “crisis” is literally a “dangerous opportunity.”

Friends, don't give up! Continue...

I cant help my self but to have hope every time I visited a blog or a site of a Filipino working or studying abroad but yet still proud of her country! Like “Cat’s Walks” who’s living and working in Switzerland.

How many Filipinos will say the same thing:

“I have embraced European culture without losing and being ashamed of my own …I will always be proud of being Filipino and I will always promote the Philippines and our culture. I hope that someday more Filipinos will do the same.”

Check the original source here: www.catswalk.com

I’m suppose to post this article next week but I can’t help my self but to post it now as my way of appreciation and gratitude to her for loving our country kahit nasa lugar sya ng mga banyaga!

What is so special about Beijing Olympic? What is so special about the Bird’s Nest? America has at least 7 stadiums that are as big as or bigger than the Bird’s Nest.

Like what they’re saying,

What makes Bird’s Nest so unique is not the size but its Chinese identity. It is not European, it is not American… It is Chinese! Bird’s Nest is a Chinese soup delicacy, which costs at least $30 a cup. It is created by a certain species of bird that creates a nest with its saliva. What is amazing is HOW FAR and HOW GRAND the Chinese can attach meaning to something as ordinary as soup. It’s like creating a stadium and then call it “Sapin-sapin” or “Burong Talangka.” But no brilliant Pinoy architect has ever risen to promote our indigenous culture and express it NOT with “barriotic-ness,” but with a jaw-dropping, state-of-the-art facility like the Bird’s Nest.

The names of our stadiums are bereft of meaning and creativity: ULTRA, AMORANTO, ARANETA… Our theatres, convention centers are also meaningless: CCP, MERALCO, METROPOLITAN, FOLK ARTS, PICC. There is one theatre named in Tagalog, Lisa Makuha’s ALIW theatre. But just the same, no national identity. Just cute names.

Singapore’s Esplanade whose design was taken from a popular fruit among the Singaporeans—with the best varieties in fact, being grown in the Philippines (Davao): the odorous Durian. In the Philippines, Durian is considered the king of the fruits (Arancillo and Native are the best! How about Durian coffee? I love the taste) But to Singapore, Durian is an icon of culture, progress, civilization. Same with Bird’s Nest, it is so symbolic of Chinese culture.

F. Sionil Jose was right: “We are poor because we are poor.” There is a greater poverty that inflicts us, and it is the poverty of the soul.
Let’s not be surprised if the Oxford Greek Dictionary today defines the word “Filipina” as “domestic helper.” As Jose Rizal sharply pointed: “There are no tyrants where there are no slaves.” We cannot find the Dragon in us, because we think like slaves and therefore we are treated as one. Sikat tayo kapag halukikip tayo ng puti. Hindi tayo makatayo sa sarili nating mga paa—lagi na lang tayong nakasabit sa laylayan ng mga banyaga. We cannot have the will to empire because we are contented with dole-outs and free-loads. Mahirap makahanap ng dragon sa Pilipinas. Continue...

Im browsing my old friendster account and found this article. actually i posted it Dec. 15, 2005. and i don't even remember the original source, sorry for that!i want to share it with you.

The Blog before the Blogs

One problem I have is that here I AM outside of time, and these web pages automatically put a date on the entry. I could override that—I AM God. But I think you readers are sharp enough to know that if I said “Today I surprised Moses and made a bush burn in front of him without burning up,” the day I’M talking about would be a long time ago to you…even though the entry might read August 21, 2005.

Part of the problem I have with communicating with humans is this whole “time” thing. Today I AM chatting with Moses and today I AM speaking to James McDaniel who was born in 2021 and is praying for his mother right now.

That’s why I called Myself I AM. I was even watching some of you read this…before it was typed.

I know that whole concept throws some of you off balance. If you need to feel more comfortable, just imagine you are in a Hitchcock movie, The Twilight Zone, The Matrix, or maybe even Shadows in Time. (If you’re reading this before the year 2008, then you don’t know of that last film yet.)

The fact is, I started and finished all of these blogs before the word blog existed. I just had to wait till you had the word and the concept before I put them in the brain of someone in your century and had him put them into words.

Basically I’M entering into your blogdom because somehow the rumor got started that I was kind of boring.

For those of you who bought into that craziness, you should know that I’M the one who created all the stuff you love…all the stuff that makes life exciting.

I invented funny,
and laughter.

I created ADVENTURE
and Romance.

I even came up with the concept of c o m m u n i c a t i o n .

I can communicate across the world in nanoseconds (without intel inside).

I know your soul, and what makes you happy and sad.

So, I plan on dispelling some of the misconceptions about who I AM…and painting a new picture of Me…just for you.

And maybe I’ll paint a new picture of you…(one that you haven’t seen before).

Some of My blogs will make some of you laugh, and others of you will think I’M weird.

I AM.

Some of you laughed at that. Some of you would laugh if I said you had to get the blog out of your own eye before you can remove the spec from someone else’s.

Some of you have no idea what I’M talking about.

I continue to speak through lots of people and circumstances, but this will be a unique way to show some who think I’M old and outdated that I AM still relevant.

Because… hey… I’M a blogger. Continue...

18 -total number of call centers, big and small, now operating in Davao City,according to Eriberto Baringa Jr., vice president for external affairs of ICT (Information, Communication, and Technology) Davao, Inc.

Php 11,000- plus average starting salary of a call center agent in davao City, according to Ms. Nanette O Del Monte, liaison officer of the Business Process Out Sourcing Association of Davao,Inc. (BPOADI). the amount is competitive, considering that call centers in other locations outside Manila, offer lower starting pay.

93- percentage of reduction of traffic accidents in intersections since the start of Davao City's traffic signalization program, according to Celso "Popo" Gempesaw of the Traffic Management Center.

1,000- number of vehicles including public utility vehicles, registered by the Land Transportation Office every month in Davao City. the number covers only vehicles registered for the first time, not renewed registration.

source:
Edge Davao Continue...

Why Infant Stimulation is Important

Recent advances in brain-imaging techniques have proven what researchers have said for over twenty years: an infant's environment has a dramatic affect on brain development.

In the first years of your baby's life, the brain is busy building its wiring system. Activity in the brain creates tiny electrical connections called synapses. The amount of stimulation your baby receives has a direct affect on how many synapses are formed. Repetitive stimulation strengthens these connections and makes them permanent , whereas young connections that don't get used eventually die out.

These first years are a very important and pivotal time for a developing young brain. This intense period of brain growth and network building happens only once in a lifetime. We as parents have a brief but golden opportunity to help our babies stimulate the formation of brain circuitry.

Here are some fascinating facts that researchers have discovered:
• Babies have a biological need and desire to learn
• The foundational networking of the brain's synapses is nearly complete after the rapid brain development of the first 3 years.
• The more stimulating experiences you can give your baby means the more circuitry that is built for enhanced learning in the future.
• Babies have a definite preference for high contrast images.
• The amount of connections in the brain can increase or decrease by 25 percent depending on the environment and stimulation.
• Visual stimulation can produce developmental advantages including enhanced curiosity, attentiveness and concentration.
• Your baby's best toy is you! Interact with your baby as much as possible!

Things you can do to stimulate your baby:
• Love. First of all, remember love and affection are very real needs. Your baby is never trying to manipulate or control you, she simply has a biological need for your love...never deny her your tender affection. This unconditional love also creates a strong self-esteem and increased development of brain circuitry.
• Talk to your baby often with a kind voice, a wide range of vocabulary, and a lot of expression. Your voice is her favorite sound (she has heard it since before she was born).
• Respond to your babies requests (interpreted cries) without hesitation. This teaches her that she can communicate with other people and gives her a strong sense of trust and emotional stability.
• Touch your baby. Researchers discovered that premature infants that were massaged grew faster, cried less, and were released earlier from the hospital than those who weren't.
• Encourage imitation. Your baby is constantly analyzing you and figuring out ways to mimic your voice and facial expressions.
• Let your baby experience different surroundings: go for walks, take her places, show her the sites!
• Let your baby explore different textures and temperatures (not too extreme, of course). Provide a safe environment for your baby to explore. She also needs time to discover things for herself.
• Read books: even though your baby can't follow the story, she loves the pictures and the sound of your voice.
• Play music for your baby (Mozart's music has been found to stimulate the same neurons in the brain that are later used for mathematics).
• When you get frustrated because your baby keeps dropping objects or pours the box of cereal on the floor, remember, she is trying to figure out how the world operates

Btw, don’t forget to pray for your kids! Continue...