Yes, the far horizon is right there in the Philippines if we can all learn to live simply and appreciate our own environment.
When I was back there in 1996-97 teaching, I could live for less than 500 pesos a week. I bought only local products and supported local producers. I had a suki in Quiapo for Batangas coffee, ate a lot of alugbati, ampalaya, mongo, kesong puti, and fish like tuyo, tinapa, bangus, hito, etc.
I was born and raised in the town of Las Piñas. The Manila Bay was not too far from where we lived, and as a young boy, we went clam digging and gathered seaweeds. I used to make gulaman or agar-agar from scratch, and of course my Nanay recycled everything.
Many Filipinos associate eating vegetables and consuming locally made products with being poor, and some would use the almost derogatory term ‘native.’ (I think Filipinos should refrain from using ‘native’ in that sense because they end up sounding like the Americans during the American colonial administration.)
But what’s wrong with being in tune with your native ecology, with having an organic relationship with your land? Isn’t culture all about how you respond to your given environment? For example, the roof of our house was nipa, and what could be a more appropriate roofing material in a tropical humid climate than nipa? My parents ran a karinderia, and we had a man from Hagonoy who came regularly to replenish our big container of suka. Our nipa roof was redone every ten years, also by a man from Bulakan. Now that skill (mag-aatip) is practically gone, and we’re not even encouraging others to learn that craft. I could go on and on.
You certainly got me excited with that article. I think it’s not too late to unlearn a lot of things, or de-colonize our minds of oppressive values and attitudes, and start with recovering or rediscovering our un-colonized selves. Now that would be very liberating.
Mabuhay ka, Felix Rodriguez Seattle, Washington
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‘Right Tone’
Madam Sylvia, I wish many would be able to read your column, especially the OFW. You had the right tone. Congratulations.
I would like to give an emphasis on the last paragraph to patronize our very own local products. This would be a help to lift-up our economy, as far as I remember that during my college studies, local production is one way to have a good economy.
Maybe it is timely for you to write a column to encourage OFWs to extend value to being a “hero” and stop forwarding expensive appliances from here; instead they have to purchase those items in our country.
God Bless You and More Power.
Cris Oliva Alimonsurin Jeddah 21426, KSA
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In Afterglow over Barack Obama
Elated but still watchful
Great column: "Mabuhay, America! Gising Pilipinas!”
Skillfully written, peppered with great poetical words, so that while I was intently perusing the insights that you wrote on Barack's historic Presidential election victory in the US, I imagined I was sitting on top of clouds. I was elated at the way you delineated Barack's successful presidential campaign like a Messiah who descended from Heaven.
Like many Filipinos in the U.S., I was likewise jubilant over Barack Hussein Obama's winning the election, despite all odds.
Now I no longer worry at being a minority in the US because the newly elected President is an African American. I am fully represented by Barack Obama in the highest office of the land. I prayerfully hope that he would hear the voices of the minorities, and not forget us now that he is in office, as has usually happened with many politicians after getting elected. I am sincerely proud of the achievements that he has accomplished. He is unique!
But I am not satisfied yet. Barack has not proven anything yet, so that we can say this young black President deserves our sincere wide of applause.
I religiously followed Barack Obama's presidential aspirations starting from the primary election down to the general elections in Nov. 4, 2008. He is a gifted public speaker so renowned for his oratorical prowess, that even the stones in the mountains roll down and the rivers stop running just to listen his rhetoric.
But according to Sen. Hillary Clinton, his closest rival in the Democral primary elections, he is "good in speech but not in actions". Even as a US Senator he has not accomplished any major legislations in his three years of stint in the upper house to tell to the world he is proud of.
Why did he win the elections if he is not a good candidate? That's a good question that deserves to be answered. My simple answer is this: the economy is bad under the Republican President George W. Bush. Sen. John McCain, who is the Presidential standard bearer of the Republican Party, was the recipient of the unpopularity of the party. Barack won not because he was much better candidate than McCain. He won because the people are furious about the economic debacle as result of the Bush administrations mismanagement of the economy.
Thousands of people have lost their jobs. Several have lost their savings in the bank and stocks and bonds. So on election day, as a show of disgust to the world, the people went to the polling places to reject the candidacies of the Republican candidacies of John Mccain and Gov. Sarah Palin.
Even if Moses, the prophet of the Bible, ran with the Republican ticket in the present situation, he still would not be able to win against Barack Hussein Obama. Not because Barack is a better leader than Moses, but because the issue of the economic crisis was auspiciously on the side of Obama, and considered to be the Achilles heel of John McCains candidacy. Even a dog as a candidate would still have won against any Republican candidate.
There are issues that you and I should be concerned when Barack assumes office on January 20, 2009: the issue of abortions and gay marriages. Barack is the most liberal Senator in the US Senate. He is pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage. And last but not least, he is soft in his stance against terrorism issues. During his presidential debates with John McCain, Barack articulated that he wants to negotiate with leaders of the Islamic countries like Iran, who are out to destroy Western democratic freedom nations, without pre-condition. That's dangerous national security policy.
Mark my words, during Barack inauguration day on Jan. 20, 2009, thousands of Muslims all over the world including our country, the Philippines will throng to the streets to dance with glee to welcome their Messiah, Barack Obama, according to Lois Farrakhan, a well known Muslim leader, who resides near Barack house in the City of Chicago.
Thank you, Sylvia. Have a great day. God bless the Philippines. Keep up the good work.
Avid reader, Warlie Villasencio Washington State. USA
More opportunities for minorities
Congrats and thanks for your superb written observation/analyses of President elect Barrack Obama and of the historic presidential election that will positively impact the lives of many in our global community of nations, for sure.
Prayerfully, Obama's election could also help mitigate the air of mistrust and misunderstanding between Christians and Muslims and eventually lead to a lasting peace on earth.
For sure it will help level the playing field and open a lot more opportunities to minorities. The usual 'matapobres' in our society may be encouraged to change their ways for the better.
Being a doting grandparent, I look forward to seeing my granddaughters, or any colored young girls for that matter, unashamed, happy and proud to have and to carry colored dolls in their arms.
Happy Veterans and Thanksgiving Day!
George Gange San Francisco, California
Barracked for Obama
Your article says it all!!
We here in Australia barracked for Obama (@3 of 4 wanted him elected). I even encouraged friends in the U.S.A. to vote for him and most of them responded. Too bad I was not able to convince my daughter and son-in-law in Arlington, TX (they are Repubs like most of the state).
Keep it up. Hoping that Obama will change America for the best!!
Calixto Atayan
Didn’t vote for Barack, but…
What a lyrical, poetic op-ed you wrote in the Inquirer. As an inveterate Hillary Clinton supporter here in New York City, I was among the millions who did not overreact, nay, go gaga over this Obama thing. I still cannot forgive him for doing nothing to rein in his crazy pundits and sycophants who savaged Senator Clinton every step of the way. Even the celebrated black poet, Maya Angelou, also a Clinton die-hard, did not kowtow to Oprah and Obama, in the rush to his coronation.
Obama won primarily because of the black vote (which this time was monolithic) plus Hillary and Bill Clinton's endorsement and support. Senator Clinton asked us to support Obama, but I did not lift a finger for him. So I cannot claim him as my own. I think I am savvy enough to know that he is going to be an unmitigated disaster.
Obama's minions are so crazed about him in the magnitude of the Pied Piper, that they are now raising money to finance the carving of his visage on Mr. Rushmore. All I can say about that is: Oh, My God!
Thanks and God bless,
Benito B. Maray Brooklyn, NY 11221
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Suspected as Much
I suspected that most Filipinos in the Philippines favored McCain. Now you have confirmed it by reporting the poll results in Luzon and the Visayas. Why not extend your poll to the Filipinos-Americans in the USA who will be voting come November 4? I am inclined to say that Filipino-Americans in the USA are also for McCain. Colored peoples seem to be more prejudiced than the White Anglos.
Rogelio Pena Montebello, California
Columnist’s reply:
It wasn’t our poll but Gallup’s. Why not try writing them or getting a US-based organization to do one?
SLM
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Congrats on such a well-written and powerful piece! Keep that pen sharp! (Forget who the readership is…whether it's arcane to them or not.) It's what counts! It's what they ought to learn; ought to think; ought to be hungry for. If I can ask a favor, remind all to pray that this unwinding paradigm shift happens orderly...
The world will not survive if evil rears its ugly head in the process and capitalizes on anger and protectionism.
