Is prayer all that is left for us? “Pray as if everything depends on God, work as if everything depends on you.” [Many would attribute that to the Ignatian spirit.] If we still don’t believe we’re running around like a headless chicken, we can only have our head buried in the sand? Consider: ‘RevGov’ is Duterte’s bid for total power, John Nery, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 14th Nov 2017.
How about “After 50 years of Asean, why are we behind (?),” Ramon Farolan, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 13th Nov 2017? And this one: “Looking at Metro Manila from the window of a plane trying to land in daytime, one can’t help feeling disgusted. There are spots of modernity in the Makati, Bonifacio, Alabang, Ortigas and Bay Area. The rest is unmitigated urban blight.” [Urban blight, Boo Chanco, DEMAND AND SUPPLY, The Philippine Star, 13th Nov 2017]
And let’s put them in a bigger context: “Nation-states and the challenge of globalization,” Randy David, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 12th Nov 2017.
“This is the paradox we confront today. The world’s political system remains segmented into unequal nation-states. Yet, the problems the global system generates have become far too complex for any nation-state, no matter how dominant, or, for any regional organization like Asean or Apec, no matter how encompassing, to manage in any effective way. When push comes to shove, every leader tends to fall back on his or her nation’s sovereign rights.
“In most instances, behind the rhetoric of cooperation that permeates these gatherings, bilateral talks take precedence over multilateral discussions.
“Name any issue: trade and investment, migration, freedom of navigation, climate change, technical cooperation, terrorism, narcotics, human trafficking, etc. No position is conceded, no privilege is extended, and no access is given without something expected in return. In all these discussions, governments like to pretend they speak for the various interest groups in their countries as though they had full control over them.
“The reality, however, is that in almost every conceivable field, nation-state boundaries have long been breached by the global nature of transactions and communications. Today, except in totalitarian states, it is difficult to imagine how a government can dictate where its nationals may work, or study, or live, or where they may spend, invest, or keep their savings.
“A government may offer incentives, or provide strong moral or ethical reasons for its citizens to want to live and work in or even go to war for the country of their birth. But, in the modern world, where multiple affiliations abound, there is no guaranty that an individual will necessarily identify with the country in which he or she was born or raised.”
And what is the worldview of Du30? “Back in 2015, when Mayor Rodrigo Duterte was genuinely conflicted about running for president, he located part of that conflict in what he said was the lack of power of the Philippine presidency. The office, bound by rule and tradition, was simply not up to the task of running a sprawling, dysfunctional nation, he argued. If he were elected, he said in a June interview, ‘I will give myself six months to one year to do the reforms I want to do. If the system becomes obstructionist and I become inutile, I will declare a revolutionary government.’
‘I have to stop criminality and corruption. I have to fix this government. I won’t do it if you want to place me there with the solemn pledge to stick to the rules,’ he said. Then he added something truly startling: ‘The wellspring of corruption is the Constitution itself,’ meaning the limits that the post-dictatorship charter placed on the powers of the executive branch lent themselves to graft and dysfunction.
‘All money matters and budget appropriation [are limited by the Constitution],’ he said.
“In contrast, drawing the wrong lesson from his quarter-century as feared and fearless mayor, he said that in Davao City he could easily revamp an agency ‘from the head down to the janitor.’” [Nery, op. cit.]
Yet, “Philippines equity markets do not seem to be concerned about a big drop in President Rodrigo Duterte's approval rating in a recent SWS survey—from ‘very good’ 66 to ‘good’ 48.” [Panos Mourdoukoutas, Duterte's Rating Is Rising, Forbes, 10th Oct 2017]
And how do we rate Trump? “69 percent of Filipinos are confident that Trump will do the right thing when it comes to matters involving international affairs.” [Pinoys love Trump – survey, Janvic Mateo, The Philippine Star, 29th Jun 2017]
On the other hand, how do Americans rate Trump? From Gallup: Trump’s recent approval rating (Nov. 6-12, 2017) is 38%. Duterte and Trump are seeing big drops in approval but are we Pinoys still partial to Americans especially the American president? What about the Chinese and Russian presidents?
“Slightly more than half of Filipinos also expressed confidence in Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Chinese leaders’ global trust median is at 28 percent. Xi got significant support from the Philippines, where he obtained a trust rating of 53 percent as Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte tries to improve the once-frosty relationship with the world’s second largest economy.
“More than half of Filipinos are confident that Putin will do the right thing on the global stage. The Russian president, in contrast, got a median trust of only 27 percent.” [Pew survey: Filipinos trust Trump, Xi, Putin in world affairs, Audrey Morallo, philstar.com, 28th Jun 2017]
Is the bottom line simply that we Pinoys look up to leaders more than others do? Recall the blog has repeated called out our way of life. That we are parochial and insular; defer to hierarchy and expect paternalism in return; value and rely on political patronage and dynasties … and oligarchy.
Unsurprisingly, we read this coming from a supposed pillar of Philippine business and industry if not economy, “Countries with best infrastructure are dictatorships – Razon,” Roy Stephen C. Canivel, Inquirer Business, 13th Nov 2017.
What else is new?
“A three-day non-working holiday for Metro Manila and outlying affected areas was declared. Government offices and schools were closed … Clark airport in Pampanga was used as the arrival option for most of the arriving heads of state and traffic managers condoned an ASEAN lane to assure quick passage to Manila, while throttling traffic for the general public.
“A grand tsunami of disturbance was the inevitable consequence … The measures taken to impose discipline on the country’s traffic – probably inescapable and required because of our traffic gridlock – were severe. They resulted in momentary loss of business, work disruptions for ordinary workers and of essential government services that are already wanting.
“According to current estimates, traffic congestions cost the nation P3 billion per day. These include costs to worker efficiencies and the rise in the cost of goods and services. Disruptions such as work holidays drive those costs higher. Hence the country becomes less efficient.
“The expansion and modernization of the country’s transport infrastructure is a long-term cure. The bottlenecks in the transport grid, the lack of new capacity, the need for an efficiently run and extended mass transportation system for people to move efficiently is the need of the hour.” [The ASEAN Summit, logistical nightmares, and the Phl regional lag, Gerardo P. Sicat, CROSSROADS, The Philippine Star, 15th Nov 2017]
Do we realize how far behind we are given the context referenced above re nation-states and the challenge of globalization? Yet a tycoon’s response is dictatorship? We all know which side of the bread has butter. But when will we ever learn community and the common good?
Does Mr. Razon know about the Soviet empire? [As some would know, the writer has called Eastern Europe his second home and they still are in pain whenever they recall communist rule. They see it no different from fascism.] Or other empires for that matter? And closer to home, what about Marcos? Did Marcos do a Lee or a Mahathir or a Deng? What Pinoy model can Mr. Razon point to? But we love tyranny?
Is prayer all that is left for us to do? What about pursuing community and the common good as if everything depends on us?
“Why independence, if the slaves of today will be the tyrants of tomorrow? And that they will be such is not to be doubted, for he who submits to tyranny loves it.” [We are ruled by Rizal’s ‘tyrants of tomorrow,’ Editorial, The Manila Times, 29th Dec 2015]
“Now I know why Paul dared to speak of ‘the curse of the law’ (Galatians 3:13). Law reigns and discernment is unnecessary, which means there is little growth or change in such people. When you do not grow, you remain an infant.” [Faith and Science, Open to Change, Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditation, 23rd Oct 2017]
“As a major component for the education and reorientation of our people, mainstream media – their reporters, writers, photographers, columnists and editors – have an obligation to this country . . .” [Era of documented irrelevance: Mainstream media, critics and protesters, Homobono A. Adaza, The Manila Times, 25th Nov 2015]
“National prosperity is created, not inherited. It does not grow out of a country’s natural endowments, its labor pool, its interest rates, or its currency’s value, as classical economics insists . . . A nation’s competitiveness depends on the capacity of its industry to innovate and upgrade.” [The Competitive Advantage of Nations, Michael E. Porter, Harvard Business Review, March–April 1990]
“Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.” [William Pollard, 1911-1989, physicist-priest, Manhattan Project]
“Development [is informed by a people’s] worldview, cognitive capacity, values, moral development, self-identity, spirituality, and leadership . . .” [Frederic Laloux, Reinventing organizations, Nelson Parker, 2014]
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