I just read an article posted on CNN about the elections going on right now, here is the link:
In Philippines, clans and guns still rule - CNN.com
What caught my attention was not the article but one of the comments posted below it. It was written by a person with username bobschoos, who claims to have lived in the Philippines for quite some time. This is what he wrote:
"There is a great misconception about the Philippines where I have lived for many years. Contrary to what one might think after meeting a Filipino overseas (there are nearly 10 million of them), the country is a basket case, It is populated by a very primitive society whose numbers have grown at one of the fastest pace in the world; a society that has all the expectations of modern societies but incapable of running its own affairs, and corruption is only part of the problems. On the surface, people here are nice and friendly, and always looking for a good time. But when it comes to possessing the attributes of a modern society, the gap is evident. One has to look at the very elements that make up culture (education, religion, family values, behavior, etc,) to determine that there is no hope for this country. For example, there are more colleges per capita in the Philippines than in most countries in the world but the learning, when there is any at all, is strictly by rote with the result that Filipinos are hopelessly incompetent when it comes to using higher mental skills, like thinking, reasoning, or creating. Teachers are hopelessly incompetent and plagiarism up to MBA and PHD programs are not rampant, it is the rule. the primary function of a school is to keep young people off the road. It has a social more than a learning function. Family values simply perpetuate a disastrous situation when it comes to passing on knowledge to the next generation or to finding employment. Nepotism is also the absolute rule. There is no such world as meritocracy here, whether it be in the economy, in politics or in any kind of human endeavors, The only hope of making ends meet for those who were not fortunate enough to be born in the right family is to expatriate themselves and seek employment overseas, as about ten million are doing right now. But if there are huge numbers of Filipinos who have worked overseas, they desire and ability to change things then they return is null, Ninety persons of the people who vote have no idea what they are voting for. It is essentially the candidate who has the largest numbers of vehicles with the greatest sound volume on the road, meaning also the greatest financial resources to bribe the influential members of the local communities who tell his flock how to vote, that wins. If an individual has a different idea on candidate than his co-workers or those in the same trade, he won't dare voting for his own candidate because of fears of retaliation or expulsion. A last word on religion in the Philippines. Catholicism occupies the place it had in Medieval Europe, over 500 years ago. Filipinos are god fearing people in the most primitive sense, and every politician must get approval from the leader of the church before he has a chance to get anything done. The role played by the Renaissance in Western Europe, which often amounted to getting the church out of people's daily lives, was key to evolution and modernization. No such thing in the Philippines. In summary, if you wish to have fun, the Philippines is a good place. But if you wish to deal in anything serious that involves transparency, honesty, responsibility, accountability, with only a few expectation of ever exchanging elevating thoughts about any subject (it's part of culture) then stay home. And if you do come, don't come during election time!"
What you think? Comments please.
A comment posted on CNN
Reply With Quote
Posting Permissions
