Editor’s note: This is the editorial of the premier issue of PINOY published in February 2000. We are reprinting it on our 12th anniversary as a covenant with our readers and to the commitment for what PINOY stands for.

The decision to come out with another publication is greeted with considerable enthusiasm by people who truly believe the community deserves a press forum that truly reflects the aspirations and concerns of our growing community.

There are some who cast doubts on the long-term survival of this kind of publication. They seem to say: Embrace pocketbook journalism if you want to be around longer. Charge thousands for your stories without disclosing it properly to the reading public. (In short be pimps and prostitutes and pass yourselves as journalists?)

Is that really the smart way? If it is, why not just be pimps and prostitutes. The money is easier and better.

But then some like to play games. Power play. The fourth estate, as the press is sometimes called, has a vital role in a democracy. The press has power. Others see this as a pass to con people. They take it as a license to steal and to defraud the unsuspecting public.

PINOY takes the challenge to change things for the better. It is our great respect for the members of our community that prods us to take the risk of conducting this business the correct way. We owe it to them. The bringing of vital information should be attuned to the broader and important needs of our growing community.

PINOY believes in the ability of our people to bring out their collective excellence so their work and their involvement benefit the many, especially those still in need. PINOY takes on that added dimension of harnessing our rich cultural and religious heritage so it can be useful in building a bright future for ourselves and for our children.

The press must be a vital tool in bringing out the truth. PINOY wants to be a light that will illuminate the dark path of narrow self-interest and to make us effective people in all our involvement.

As our commitment to our readers and to the community, PINOY shares its mission statement to all of you:

PINOY subscribes to the commitment that its work of bringing the news to its readers is a public trust;

PINOY will be guided by integrity, accountability and fairness in performing its basic task which are to inform, to entertain and to advocate changes for the common good of the community.

PINOY will serve as a vehicle in the empowerment of the Filipino-American community so its members will get a fair share in the political process, economic pursuits, religious practices, cultural and educational upliftment, sporting events, and in the delivery of social services;

PINOY will seek to showcase the best in the Filipino-American community to inspire the rest of the community specifically the young and the underprivileged through a journalism that is not only interesting and engaging but also responsible;

PINOY envisions itself as a partner in the goal of building a productive and outstanding community in this nation of immigrants.

To all of these we commit ourselves.

If P-Noy is anchoring his move against Corona on his crusade against corruption, the people will support him. But if he is seen as simply using politicians against a Chief Justice, he will lose the high ground…”
Impeachment is a process provided by the Constitution to remove Presidents and Chief Justices. When an impeachment happens, there is disruption, the kind that triggers dramatic and unexpected change.  (This) situation is bringing us towards drastic change. Nothing less can reverse the endemic corruption and massive poverty afflicting the Philippines.

The impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona is a welcome development. It affirms that co-equal heads can both be vulnerable to impeachment. Even the bid to impeach P-Noy by a lawyer known to be a Marcos loyalist can remind us that there are crucial unresolved issues concerning that dictatorship and the effort to extract justice for its victims. Corona is seen as a puppet of Gloria Arroyo just as Lozano is to the Marcoses. It is good to see where lines are drawn, where Filipinos can choose to be with or against.

Even more welcome is the first show of support by judges and court employees for Corona. We have paid so much attention to the corruption in the executive and the Legislative over the decades that the corruption in the Judiciary has been put in the back burner. Yet, the view of many Filipinos, if not most, is that the justice system, meaning judges and justices, including the Supreme Court, are themselves badly tainted.

Change can now be focused on the Judiciary as well. That makes all three branches truly co-equal when change can target all of them – especially on the issue of corruption or its promotion and protection. (This) offers an opening for change that is rare.

Constitutions do not determine what is right and wrong, human conscience does. Laws cater to what people believe is right and deter what people believe is wrong. Constitutions spring from the aspirations of citizens for security, for justice, for a bright future. What is constitutional cannot veer away from the common good as expressed by the people themselves.

The weakness of the Constitution of the Philippines, all versions of it, is that the majority of Filipinos have never read it, were not party to its formation, and cannot possibly understand the letter of its provisions. The strength of a democracy, however, is not in its Constitution. It is in the value system that is most acceptable or inspiring to the people if such is reflected in the Constitution.

More than laws, it is values that are most relevant to members of a society. It is values that determine daily behavior, and values that dictate collective standards.  From these values are formed the ethics of work, the ethics of business, the ethics of professions.

What is beautiful about impeachment is that it is a political process as much, or even more, as it is a legal one as well. Being political gives Filipinos a chance to participate. If it were just legal, how can citizens get involved? I remember that an impeachment trail was going on and affected Filipinos so much that they took to the streets when they thought that numbers would be more important than what was true, what was fair. Impeachment can lead to people power if it is abused.

Corona can be removed if the impeachment process finds enough senators voting that way. But so can P-Noy.  Estrada was impeached by a Congress where he had the majority in support of him.  People power is the ultimate arbiter, not the Supreme Court. In the cases of Marcos and Estrada, the Supreme Court was not the source of change, just a bystander to it. Its greatest participation was its Chief Justice swearing in the new president.

The impeachment of Corona will focus on his character, on his integrity, on his subservience to Gloria Arroyo. In his fighting speech on (Dec 14), Corona claimed P-Noy wanted to appoint his own Chief Justice “na hawak niya sa liig.” He did not mention that the opposition to his appointment was based on law governing midnight appointments. Trying to justify why a law can be subverted to accommodate his appointment is more difficult than to accuse P-Noy of being partisan. Corona will have to do better because that glaring accommodation will be a central public focus.

It will do Corona good to prepare to justify the Supreme Court’s decision to protect one of their own who was accused of plagiarism and could not find a valid reason for such dishonesty except to claim he meant no malice. Who is more dishonest, the thief or the court which declares him innocent of theft because he meant no malice?

And Corona will have to contend with the distrust of Filipinos for Gloria Arroyo whom he is being accused of protecting more than the Constitution. Gloria Arroyo is not just unpopular; she is suspected or judged to be a liar, a thief and a cheat.  This judgment has been reflected in surveys over several years and could possibly be the strongest reason why Filipinos voted for a candidate who, in their eyes, will not lie, will not steal, will not cheat.

On the other hand, P-Noy must run to the people, to his “boss,” and not depend at all on the superior numbers of the Liberal Party and its allies in Congress. If P-Noy is anchoring his move against Corona on his crusade against corruption, the people will support him. But if he is seen as simply using politicians against a Chief Justice, he will lose the high ground and it will devolve simply to numbers more than nobility.

There is no Constitutional crisis, only a moral and ethical one. Impeachment is a purging process, and there is so much need for it. Most nations became one and strong because they went through and survived great conflict. This may be our moment.  •

TIME Magazine’s annual selection of the Person(s) of the Year is a valued journalistic tradition since it started in 1927 when 25-year old Charles Lindbergh was named its first “Man of the Year.”

In 1986, President Corazon C. Aquino became the first and only Filipino, so far, to be selected. It was the year she was voted by the electorate to replace Ferdinand E. Marcos who fled to Hawaii at the heel of the First People Power uprising.

This year, TIME picked “The Protesters” as its Persons of the Year. These honorees encompassed the people in various Middle Eastern countries who became street parliamentarians and demanded direct participation in selecting their leaders. It also included those who joined the “Occupy Wall Street Movement” and the “Tea Party” members who claimed to represent the 99% of the US population who demanded equity in the wealth distribution.

It was similar to the EDSA uprising of the Filipinos that ended a dictatorship 25 years ago and inspired many more countries –notably Eastern European nations under the Soviet Union–to do the same. Poland, Romania and others won their democratic struggles then as it is now in the Middle East.

Presidents Barack Obama and Benigno Aquino III during the conference for Integrity in Government in New York last year.

President Benigno C. Aquino III, son of Cory Aquino,  also made the TIME cover  if only in its Asia edition. Nonetheless, PNoy finally has taken the role of a transformative leader during the past year. He finally walked his talk of ending massive graft and corruption by starting to dismantle the pillars that held this disastrous institution that sucked the blood out of Filipinos. This problem made the Philippines the sick man of Asia.

PNoy is also courageously leading the move to pass the RH bill, an effort vigorously being opposed by feudalistic leaders of the dominant Roman Catholic Church.

On Oct. 31, 2011, the United Nations symbolically declared a Filipino baby girl born that day as the 7 billionth living person on Earth.  The Philippines reached the 94 million population level—with the majority living below poverty level –squeezed in crowded and polluted urban areas.

PNoy’s crusade for integrity in governance also got the Philippines recognition internationally.  No less than US President Obama sought PNoy to personally laud the Philippine leader’s  determination to bring in honesty and integrity in serving the people.  PNoy has spelled out his goals for the people for 2012.  There will be vigorous resistance from those who will benefit most in preserving the status quo.  But the majority of the Filipinos have opted to support their president in bringing the long-delayed reforms for their suffering country. Many marched demanding prosecution of GMA and her minions.

Our  own “Person of the Year” is Benigno C. “PNoy” Aquino III.

2012: Year of the “Save Act”?

In this column last issue, it was said that the “Save Our Industries (Garment and Textile) Act”—a bill now pending in both houses of Congress has a long shot of being passed in the current congress. A quick rejoinder from the local trade office disputed that.  But as we go to press, no less than Phl Ambassador to the US conceded that the work for the passage of this bill is a priority on PNoy’s shopping list when he visits Washington this coming Spring. (Read: The bill is dead for the current session of Congress.)
This columnist is an advocate for the passage of the Save Act.  I would have celebrated its passage in 2011. Seeking people to support it is an ardous task. With the 5,000 petition letters solicited asking US lawmakers in the Midwest to sponsor or vote for this bill, we got only three congressmen  giving their support.  Mr. Cuisia also said that PNoy is expected to bat for more benefits for the 2,500 Filipino veterans who served under the US Army during WWII.

The ambassador is right on target when he said that Filipino Americans should register and vote. Otherwise, those letter of appeals from us won’t get the result we need to pass the bill. (Lawmakers listen to Americans who can make or break them in the polling places.)

Mr. Cuisia also assures us that we have the support of President Obama.  But then,  there should be a treaty passed first by Congress. In 2012, make sure you are an American voter. It will also help in mobilizing US legislators if Manila will send in a replacement for Trade Attache, Glenn Penaranda who finished his tour of duty in Chicago last June.

Good News For Mindanao

Is there good news from Mindanao?

A week before Christmas, more than a thousand residents of Cagayan de Oro, Iligan City, Bukidnon and Zamboanga del Norte died in flash floods and mudslides brought in by an unseasonal typhoon, Sendong.  Hundreds are missing and thousands are homeless.  Refugees are crammed in evacuation centers.
The failure to warn residents or the lackadaisical attitude of many who assumed that Mindanao is not prone to typhoons is a factor on why there was a large number of casualties.

Thankfully, local organizations and individuals are however quick to respond to the call to meet the needs of the victims. I personally attest to the fact that few hours after the news is out, volunteers of the Gawad Kalinga  had passed the hat around. The following day at Elston Avenue United Methodist Church, where I was attending services, Rev. Noah Panlilio made several appeals to aid the victims.

Later in that afternoon, attendees of a Christmas reception hosted by DOT Director Vernie Morales started their early evening Christmas party with cash donations turned over to Ed Ramos, president of the Kagayanon of the Midwest. Mr. Ramos said the money was able to buy 350 blankets for refugees in Cagayan de Oro.  His group is following up with a Dec. 26th luncheon at Osaka Grill & Supreme Buffet in Bolingbrook. (Call Ed at 773-732-0683 to reserve.)

MJ Singson, a leading parishioner in St. Hubert Catholic Church in Hoffman Estates is calling his fellow alumni to donate to the Ateneans fundraising for this same purpose. National Federation of Filipino American Associations through its president, Ed Navarra, is also calling his members to assist in collecting donations. As with the appeal from the local consulate, the best donation is cash.

For those who are celebrating Simbang Gabi in the area, how about a basket on the fest tables for free-will offering to the hungry and displaced kababayans who lost all their material possessions in this latest disaster?

The Catholic Charities will surely appreciate your sharing of love and will deliver your gifts on time. . Same goes for the members of the area Couples for Christ.  CfC leader Expedito Funtera made an appeal through an email blast.  It is very heart-warming that people are helpful and supportive. So, please give generously in the spirit of the yuletide season…and because the need is truly great.

More Good Tidings for  Mindanao!

Here is to add to the good news for Mindanao…specifically for Davao which is benefitting from the generosity of people abroad. I am sharing a news release PINOY got on Dec. 15.  It is more than just a consolation for Chicago Bears fans who saw their hope for a playoff evaporated  Dec. 11 when the Denver Broncos pulled another last minute miracle and win in overtime, 13-10. •

***********

Bronco’s Tim Tebow builds a children’s hospital in Davao

By Aimee Herd

Broncos QB TIm Tebow with happy orphans in Davao during one of his many missions in that area.

In the midst of the nation’s current “Tebow-fever” over the Denver Broncos’ quarterback who has repeatedly come through with miraculous wins in the final minutes (sometimes seconds) of the game, what seems to dazzle the most about Tim Tebow is his genuine humility.
As in the past, the son of Christian missionaries to the Philippines (Bob and Pam Tebow), is again helping orphans in Davao City, this time with a children’s hospital.
“I’m excited to be a part of this hospital that will bring healing to thousands of children who would not otherwise have access to care,” says the celebrated quarterback.
Cutting through all of the commentary and hype is this young man’s unwavering faith in God, and his graciousness—even in the face of cheap shots and ruthless critics.(The latest of which was a tasteless skit on Saturday Night Live.)
Though Tim Tebow is unashamed to proclaim his love for the Lord Jesus and the Gospel, his actions speak even louder than his words, which reminds us of the saying often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi: “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”
Another thing that has shone through the fog of media is Tebow’s passion, which—as he has stated in more than one interview—is more important than playing football in the NFL, or even than winning a Super Bowl ring; the children’s hospital the Tim Tebow Foundation and CURE are partnering together to build in the Philippines.
This endeavor is highlighted in a recent article by Mark Ellis on his blog, God Reports. According to Ellis, the hospital building project is set to break ground in Davao City in Mindanao in January of 2012.
“I was born in the Philippines and my parents have been missionaries to that area since 1985,” says Tebow. “The Philippines have always had a special place in my heart. I’m excited to be a part of this hospital that will bring healing to thousands of children who would not otherwise have access to care.”
Scott Worrall, vice president of CURE notes that the hospitals built by the organization are a place of both physical and spiritual healing.
“We see what we do as an extension of Jesus’ healing ministry,” adds Worrell.
Another aspect of the hospital in the Philippines will be “Timmy’s Playroom,” a space (named after Tebow) where “kids can be kids.” The new facility will have 30 beds and will concentrate mostly on orthopedics.
CURE has 12 hospitals around the world, and according to Ellis’ report, their focus on bringing healing to developing nations has resulted in more than 1.5 million patient visits and over 121,000 surgeries to correct physically disabling conditions. CURE has also trained more than 2,400 medical professionals, raising the standard of care in the countries where it operates.•

(Source: Mark Ellis – God Reports)

By Mariano Santos

In 2012, we will be surely back on square one—doing the hard stuffs we did this year. The challenges will be much more—next year being an election year.

I am referring to the “Save Our Apparel and Textile Industries” a trade act bill pending in both houses of the US Congress.  The current session on Capitol Hill is just about done for the year.  It is a long shot for this bill to pass.

The report filed in by Jon Melegrito, our correspondent in Washington, DC, just about summarizes what action was taken lately on this initiative which was banded around as the “savior” to revive the industries lost to a global economic change.  Up to 300,000 jobs are projected to be restored.  It will also save the couple of hundred thousands of what are left today from these distressed industries.

Unfortunately, more will be lost because the trade act will most likely not pass this year. This will be its second year of trying to get voted on but like last year,  it did not even go beyond committee work.

Here in Illinois, after all the petition writing campaign to US legislators we only got two Republican congresspersons who gave firm support for the bill.  Chicago area’s Michael Quigley is the only Democratic congressman who expressed support—a conditional one– for the bill during our visit to his north side office in early November.

US Congressman Michael Quigley (D-Chi) was visited at his Chicago near north office Nov. 9 by ConGen Leo H. Lim (R) and PINOY Editor/Publisher and Save Act Volunteer Mariano (Anong) Santos (L) to solicit his vote for the Save Our Industry Act. Rep. Quigley gave his conditional support for the bill. He said he will ask for an amendment that will specifically mention China being prevented from using the trade treaty as a means to dump cheap goods to the US via the Philippines. Two other US congresspersons from Illinois expressed support for the bill. They are Republicans Randy Hultgren and Judy Biggert.

Quigley wanted an amendment barring China from using the trade pact as loophole to continue dumping its apparel products via the Philippines.  It was a reasonable demand considering that the representative of various apparel industry federations back home emphatically accused, during their visit here late Spring in Chicago, the Chinese of unfair trade practices specifically on these industries.

Aside from what is essentially discussed in the accompanying “Letter from Washington” in this page— and being an active volunteer for the  “Save Act”– I could add that the difficulties in successfully passing this bill in Congress lies on the lack of will on the part of the Philippine government to do its job in this area.

Paid lobbyists are kept on a shoe-string budget.  Community volunteers find it hard to coordinate the work with salaried bureaucrats.  While volunteers are being pushed to raise the nationalistic and moral pitch of helping the poor workers, the work of getting support from legislators is for most part uncoordinated and unfocused.

The only saving grace for the efforts is marginal gain of making the community aware of the importance of being in touch with their elected US officials— of making their voices heard.  That is a good antidote for Filipino Americans who are fast gaining the bad reputation of being indifferent to their civic duties like going to the polls.

When Rep. Jan Schakowsky replied to her more than 600 constituents who sent her petition letters for this bill that she could not support the bill because of the dismal record of the Philippines on human rights violations—the prevalent reactions among her constituents is outright pledge on themselves that they are not going to vote for her reelection.

It is not that the Filipino Americans believe that human rights are not important.  It is just that for them,  creating or saving jobs for the workers is a positive move in promoting human rights.  Schakowsky’s constituents further pointed out that Third World countries like Haiti or Dominican Republic that had gotten similar trade arrangement  with the US are NOT necessarily models of human rights. Why then should Schakowsky be so hard on the Philippines—a long time ally of the US?

In short, those who took time to sign petitions gain some positive political consciousness—an involvement in democratic processes and how it affects their economic and social lives. For the many Christian church congregations that took time to participate in the campaign—it is a great lesson in making their Christian faith alive with good deeds for their fellowmen.

Additionally for me, as a member of the Order of Knights of Rizal, I would like to see my involvement as consistent to the ideals of Dr. Jose Rizal whose 150th birthday is being celebrated this year. Being informed by the Department of Trade and Industry representatives in Chicago that over 30 per cent of the petition letters submitted to them were attributed to this writer—that is a priceless feeling of fulfillment. It is a valuable gift that could have been appreciated by our National Hero for his sesquicentennial  birthday.

If only for these reasons, the campaign for the “Save Act” was not all in vain.  •

Editor/Publisher

There was a time in the early ’80s when, having lived through a decade of authoritarian rule, Filipinos began to accept the possibility of remaining under the Marcos dictatorship for a long time. Many liked the sense of security that a controlled environment offered. Others who understood the system and felt violated by it fled abroad or went underground. Those who, for a variety of reasons, chose to stay yet opposed the system waged a struggle not only against the dictatorship but also against pessimism and helplessness.

In 1983, the brazen assassination of Ninoy Aquino rekindled the fire that freedom-loving Filipinos thought they had lost.  Ninoy’s funeral gave them the opportunity to come together and quietly manifest their outrage. They drew courage from each other’s presence, not quite knowing where their anger would take them, or how it would end. But, there was no doubt in their minds that from that day on, they were no longer isolated individuals deterred by fear but citizens of a nation creating its own destiny.  This is how Edsa people power was born.

In the beginning there was neither a unified command nor a coherent vision that could pull the diverse elements together to form a stable and enduring protest organization. Social movements were something new. The language of party formations defined the horizon of revolutionary politics.  The sudden explosion of popular zeal energized the Left and what remained of the political parties, and their first instinct was to appropriate this amorphous force and give it an agenda before it fizzled out. They could not. Movements have their own reason for being, and the best way to disable them is to instrumentalize them by harnessing their power to an existing program of action.

Their strength precisely lies in their open-endedness, in their ability to invent new models of action, in their capacity for self-reflection.  Their audacity rests in the knowledge that they have nothing to lose, and no momentum to sustain. If interest wanes, someone else is bound to come up with something different at the right moment. That is why movements are seldom grim, they are usually festive, and the people who join them have a lot of fun fighting the enemy.

These thoughts have come rushing back to me as I ponder the novel series of protest actions that have rocked the United States for a month now. Collectively referred to as the “Occupy Wall Street” movement, these marches and sit-ins lay the blame for America’s economic woes on the government’s abdication of its regulatory responsibilities to Wall Street’s FIRE—in Michael Hudson’s words, the bosses of Finance, Insurance and Real Estate. These highly paid moguls, says the movement, have destroyed America because of their greed.  They took advantage of the growth-inducing deregulation programs that were put in place in the 1980s, maneuvering through the loopholes to create new ways of making money, and preying upon the unexamined needs and consumerist instincts of the average American.  When these robbers in pinstripe suits found themselves in trouble, it was the government itself that bailed them out, arguing that to allow them to fail would spell a bigger systemic disaster.

In contrast, the government stood by almost passively as ordinary Americans saw their lifetime savings evaporate before their eyes at the onset of the financial crisis in 2008. Many lost their homes because even as their take-home pay stagnated, their mortgage payments rose beyond imagination. Unable to comprehend the workings of a financial system that seemed to have a life of its own, they were made to think they had only themselves to blame for their misfortunes. Now they’re learning there is another side to that story that has to be told. Clearly, the movement has tapped into a vast reservoir of public discontent and resentment that has been searching for a narrative.  More important, Wall Street’s warriors are making Americans think that their country has to undergo a fundamental structural shift if it is to get out of the rut.

As expected, “Occupy Wall Street” is being criticized for having no clear purpose and for offering no plausible solutions to the problems and policies it is attacking. But, if that is a weakness, how come the movement is growing and spreading globally? America’s political and economic elites were initially dismissive of the movement’s prospects. But, seeing how it was producing echoes everywhere, they began to mock it. Now they’re desperately trying to engage it on issues in such a way that the debate is technocratized and effectively taken out of the realm of public discourse.

But, at the level of the average American, the questions are quite simple. First, what led to this crisis and who should be held accountable? Second, what is to be done, and is the government doing enough to arrest the worsening unemployment and the looming inflation that is expected with the rapid loss in value of the US dollar?  As the debate unfolds, Americans find themselves going through different levels of self-examination. I’m in the United States as I write this, learning immensely from long conversations with Filipinos who came to this country to partake of the American dream.

My hunch is that the American dream began to fail when the US political system became so mesmerized by the financial system’s limitless capacity to create wealth that it felt unworthy to restrain it. Washington had foolishly allowed itself to be annexed by Wall Street. Now, Americans want their government back.•

By Mariano A. Santos

And now in November, it is right to recall the many blessings showered upon us this year.  While it surely is another challenging year, this should not get into the way of the spirit of Thanksgiving.

True, unemployment is at 9.5 per cent of the work force or about 14 million workers. But, let us be grateful for unemployment insurance.  For this year alone, $134 billion is allotted to help those laid off from their jobs. Along with Social Security, this program was hatched during the Great Depression when unemployment was at 25 per cent.

True, massive housing problem is taking its toll on millions of Americans. But thankfully, President Obama announced last month that up to 11 million home loans guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that are underwater can be refinanced at current low rates—reducing the possibilities of foreclosures.

It must be noted, $245 billion was lent to distressed banks in 2008.  There was a cry then that the US is going the path of socialism—nationalizing private firms. Thankfully, that is not the case.

UNICEF photo of a child scavenger. UN puts the Earth population at nine billion as of last halloween.

Depression Averted
Let us be grateful for Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke who learned the lessons of the 1930s when banks were left to fail causing panic.  Remember the bank ran in that Christmas favorite, “It’s a Wonderful Life”?  Bank of America, J.P. Morgan Chase and Citicorp survived because of the bridge loans engineered by the courageous Fed Chairman.

But for 10 per cent of that Fed loan, banks had paid back to the government what they owed.  The treasury department said that the government earned $12 billion to $15 billion profit from the bailout. Not bad for the deficit relief.  Thank God, depression was averted.
Remember, General Motors and Chrysler also received $17.4 billion loan in 2009. They are now rehiring thousands of workers. GM had emerged from bankruptcy ahead of schedule. Fear in 2009 was that the government was going to car business. That did not happen.  Ford and GM are competitive again in the world auto market.

US Troops returning from Iraq: 4,500 did not come home alive.(File Photo)

Coming Home
On October 21, President Obama announced that American troops deployed in Iraq will be home by the end of the year. Families of the 40,000 soldiers will be reunited to celebrate the New Year. The announcement effectively ends the US involvement in that Middle East country.

US casualties in the eight and a half-year war are already at 4,500 with another 32,000 wounded. Fifty percent of those who died are 25 years old and younger. The British Medical Journal, “Lancet,” estimates the Iraqis suffered 655,000 casualties.

As of the end of last month, the Iraqi War has cost the American tax-payers $800 billion. (The Afghan War costs $467 billion). Ongoing medical and disability claims and treatment of US veterans will boost the costs of the Iraq war even more.

The Christian Science Monitor reported:
“Throw in the replacement of vehicles, weapons, equipment, etc., and the eventual tab for the United States could reach $4 trillion to $6 trillion, according to University of Columbia economist Joseph Stiglitz and Harvard University budget expert Linda Bilmes. Those are big numbers.“They would be on par with the $4.6 trillion the US spent on the recent financial bailouts, according to Barry Ritholtz, CEO of Wall Street research firm Fusion IQ and author of the popular blog The Big Picture. (Another estimate puts the bailout cost at $8.7 trillion.)The sum spent on the Iraq war could pay for a good chunk of Obamacare, professor Bilnes estimates. It’s more than the $3.6 trillion the US spent to fight World War II, even after adjusting for inflation, Mr. Ritholtz estimates.”

The same report noted that when President George W. Bush convinced the US Congress that Sadam Hussein was harboring weapons of mass destruction, he estimated that the US invasion of Iraq would cost between $40 billion to $50 billion. That did not stop him from cutting taxes in 2001 and 2003.  The War was not financed by revenues but by borrowed money.  The deficit ballooned.

Further, the Al Qaeda spent $500,000 to destroy the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Small investment for the death, fear and terror they spawned. Oh, if we can only quantify the cost of being safe nowadays—with all those equipment at the airports and all the extra guards and precautions—these certainly taken a toll on productivity.

President Obama projects that the US should be out of Afghanistan by 2014.

Meanwhile, let us be thankful that we are putting an end to one costly war. Peace has its dividends.  Imagine, how many jobs will be created if the equivalent cost of these wars is invested into industries and agricultural production.

Unlamented Death
Americans should also be grateful that this year was a banner year in eliminating terrorists. The unlamented death of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan last May 1st and the killing of Moammar Gadhafi last month at the hands of Libyan freedom-fighters certainly brought here a more than a sigh of relief.

Osama bin Laden became synonymous with terror and the 9/11 attack. Gadhafi, meanwhile, ruled his country for 42 years and caused the death of thousands of his own people and destruction to other peoples of the world.

Gadhafi cuddled up violent militants from Mindanao and other parts of the world.  He financed terrorism with glee. The explosion of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland killing 270 people—mostly Americans—was later traced to operatives employed by Gadhafi.

Let us not forget that the so-called Arab Spring also brought down the oppressive rules of Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and the killing of two top Al Qaeda leaders recently.

Libya is home to the world’s biggest reserve of sweet crude most sought for by oil refiners.  With the passing of its dictator, Libya is expected to more than double its present output of oil and that translate to about 15 cents reduction for every gallon of gas you pay for at the pump.

That checks inflationary trends and that leaves more money for other basic necessities. More importantly, peoples in the Middle East are enjoying more freedom. Those are big blessings, indeed.

7,000,000,000
Bad News: The Reproductive Health Bill supported by President Aquino has been shelved by senators early last month.
Good News: More than 60 per cent of Filipinos polled about this bill support the passage of the RH and they also understood it as not about abortion but a holistic health care program that helps primarily poor families and especially women.
Meanwhile here is another news report:

World’s population to hit 7 billion by Halloween
NEW YORK – The United Nations is set to release its UN Population Fund report that highlights the population numbers on our planet. The report suggests that the Earth’s population will hit seven billion by Oct. 31.

Global population levels have been a serious issue for many. With depleting resources, an increase in poverty numbers and a high demand for commodities, some are putting forth population control ideas.

According to demographers, the world population first hit one billion in the year 1804. 123 years later, the global number of human inhabitants reached two billion. By 1959, the number hit three billion, four billion in 1974, five billion 13 years later and then six billion just 11 years later.

Furthermore, the report projects that we will hit eight billion by 2025 and 10 billion by 2083.

“Overall, this is not a cause for alarm — the world has absorbed big gains since 1950,” said vice president of the New York-based Population Council, John Bongaarts, in an interview with the Associated Press. “For the rich, it’s totally manageable. It’s the poor, everywhere, who will be hurt the most.”

Former Nigerian health minister and executive director of the UN Population Fund, Babatunde Osotimehin, told the London Telegraph in an interview that these numbers should be a wakeup call for everyone across the globe.

“It’s an opportunity to bring the issues of population, women’s rights and family planning back to center stage,” said Osotimehin. “There are 215 million women worldwide who need family planning and don’t get it. If we can change that, and these women can take charge of their lives, we’ll have a better world.”

95,000,000 Filipinos
In related news, it was reported by the Manila Bulletin that Asia remains home to 60 percent of the world’s people, the 2011 State of the World Population report by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The report retains the Philippines as the 12th most populous country in the world with 94.9-million people while China continues to be the most populous nation at 1.35 billion, followed by India at 1.24 billion.

However, the population division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs estimates that India will overtake China with 1.46-billion people in 2025 against China’s 1.39 billion on the same year.

Meanwhile, the “Save Our Industries Act” introduced in the US Congress to help the moribund Philippine apparel and US textile industries is not given a good chance of being passed this year which means for those volunteers who worked hard to solicit petition letters to their legislators—it would be back to square one next year—2012—an election year.  Estimated jobs to be eliminated: 100,000.

Still, there is something to be thankful for …President Obama also announced last month that $1 billion worth of Philippine goods will be allowed to be exported next year to the US—tax free.

There you are…Happy Thanksgiving!

————————

Erratum:
In last month’s review of the musical, “Sweet Stranger,” it was mentioned that the costumes were loaned from University of Notre Dame, Circa-Pintig and Sama-Sama which co-produced the play. It has been made clear that only a few were in fact brought in by the director, Anton Juan.  Most of the cast members actually brought in their own costumes.

Publisher/Editor

President Aquino was somewhat lionized by US President Obama when the two met on Sept. 19 in New York for the summit of heads of states who attended the Open Government Partnership. The purpose of this conference is for world leaders to get committed to a covenant to promote transparency, accountability and integrity in governing their respective constituents.

The absence of such commitment leads to massive corruption, militarism and eventual poverty for many nations including the Philippines.  President Aquino got the spotlight because of his much repeated pledge to eradicate corruption.

PNoy got a lot of good press including a front page color photo on the Wall Street Journal.  In fact the Philippines was pretty much in the news last month but not really because of PNoy.  It was “Lolong” who hogged the news.

“Lolong” is the name given by the fishermen in Agusan del Sur ( named after a legendary crocodile hunter) to the “biggest crocodile” ever captured on Sept. 3. (See page 14 for related story.) Even representatives from the Guinness Book of Record and the National Geographic Magazine are joining those who are paying to see “Lolong”—this crocodile really got it made.

But unfortunately for Lolong, “buwayas” like him have been stigmatized by Filipinos who associated them with the greed and graft that their government officials are known for.  It is of course unfair for the real reptiles because they only swallow what they can chew. The “buwayas” in Philippine government have insatiable appetite.

They cheat, they murder, and they perpetuate themselves in power and morph into bloody dynasties. A combination of the “folk Catholicism” and American liberal democracy allowed these politicians to become today’s feudal warlords.  How many Arroyos, Estradas, Cojuangcos, Angaras, Marcoses, Escuderos or even Aquinos—to name only a few– in the seats of power back home?

“Kamaganaks, Inc.” is well and alive and is doing great in politics, in businesses and other institutions. The same can’t be said about the other 99 percent of the Philippine population. Those who are in power will dictate the culture of the present, will write their version of history and will try to own the future.

Open Government Partnership should also entail a truthful retelling of the past. Trite as it may sound now, Santayana’s admonition  is relevant as ever. To paraphrase, let us learn the lessons of history so we do not repeat the tragic mistakes of the past.

This is the third year that Filipino Americans are celebrating October as their History Month. This event provides a forum where we can interpret our history in the light of the struggle waged by our people in the past to achieve dignity for Filipinos as they find their noble place in the family of free nations.

Let’s open the history book on the pages of Philippine and US relations. Revisionist historians revisited the early encounter of the Filipino leaders with representatives of the US government at the turn of the 19th century.

In April of 1898, The US Consul General in Singapore, Spencer Pratt, had convinced Gen Emilio Aguinaldo and his fellow exiles to return to Manila aboard the USS Olympia, the flag ship of Commodore George Dewey’s fleet, anchored then in Hong Kong.  Pratt and Dewey convinced the exiled leaders of the Philippine Revolution to buy American weapons and to resume their armed revolt against the Spaniards.

They assured Aguinaldo that the US was not to colonize the Philippines and that they would support their struggle for independence.  The Brain of the Revolution, Apolonario Mabini, was not trustful of the Americans, telling Aguinaldo that the Americans had every good reason to take over their  country from Spain.  Aguinaldo prevailed because of the assurances of Consul Pratt that the US did not take over Cuba from Spain despite Cuba’s proximity to the US mainland.

Americans like Henry Cabot Lodge, Teddy Roosevelt  and publisher Randolph Hearst wanted the Philippines as a jumping stone to the rich market of Asia. Later,  a US commission reported that the country was rich with natural resources needed for the US factories.  The US President of that time, William McKinley, was also convinced by his fellow Methodists that the pagan Filipinos were ripe for evangelization.

The Filipino Revolutionaries defeated the Spaniards but on the eve of their march to claim their victory in Manila, the American troops stopped them.  Soon the Filipinos were at war with the Americans. A conservative estimate of the Filipino casualties of that unknown war was put at 350,000 but other historians included civilians who died in the strategic hamletting and came out with a larger estimate–600,000.

(John Sayles’ film “Amigo” was set in this turbulent period of Philippine-American History.)

In March of 1902, Aguinaldo was captured.  The Americanization of the Filipinos formally began. The economic backwardness of the Philippines was traced for its failure to develop a stage of industrialization.  Philippines was a dumping ground for excess US goods.  Its cultural identity got bastardized and unity among the people became elusive. The dictum that each nation’s foreign policy is to first look after its own interests escaped the minds of the Filipino leaders.

Open Government Partnership should include an initiative to allow developing nations to truly maintain their sovereignty and their cultural, economic and political independence.  History is a rich learning ground to achieve that. •

The revolt inspired by Rizal's writings is choreographed in a scene worthy of a Broadway production. The ensemble, which are actors from Circa-Pintig, Sama-Sama Project and talents who auditioned--all delivered strong performances. (Photo by Rudy Garcia)

PINOY Publisher/Editor

Commemorative events for the 150th birthday of the Philippine National Hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal just keep on coming. Undoubtedly, some think the more the better.  Sadly, that was not achieved.  Worthy events like the Rizal lectures at the Chicago Public Library and the Newberry Library got dismal attendance.

Some, like the inane “Alamat” at Casa Cervantes, got a big audience but watching that show could have prompted Rizal to run for the exit.

Indeed there were so many cultural events put up for the sesquiscentennial that left one wondering on what are all these about? There were various art exhibitions, film showings, book launching, ethnic dance presentations—yes, what are all these about?  The relevance of Jose Rizal is still crying to be defined clearly for the present day Philippines.  It is even difficult for the diasporic Filipinos to grasp the meaning of all these events without carefully putting them into a discernable context.

There are tributes and there is The Tribute.

Then, there’s the musical, “Rizal’s Sweet Stranger—the Untold Stories of Josephine Bracken.” Now, that is all The Tribute we all need here. It was an event that could have elicited an enthusiastic thumbs-up from Rizal himself.

Why so?

Renowned diva Lani Misalucha leads the ensemble in a rousing musical number. Lani's rendition of the patriotic song, "Ang Bayan Kong Pilipinas" drew a loud applause in all three performances. (Photo by Rudy Garcia)

Like a miracle

This cultural presentation is a collaborative effort of many talents that were successfully put together by a maestro who knew exactly what he wanted to accomplished. We salute Anton Juan for his ambitious concept that did not fall short of a top-notch celebration of an important milestone –that of Rizal’s 150 birth anniversary. Dr. Juan had put together a collage that jelled into a solid work that was dynamic, exciting and inventive.

Just to get it over with, the play was not perfect.  The dialogue in Pilipino was a treat for those who speak and understand the language but it was surely a challenge for those who do not speak Tagalog.  Having said that, we could not discount the fact that Chicago was endowed immeasurably to have the premiere taken place here, Sept. 23 to 24.

“Sweet Stranger” came like a miracle breathing life into the often cold monument that we have trapped Rizal into. Through the musicale, the voice of Rizal came back to passionately plea for his cause to liberate our Motherland. True, the Spaniards are gone but oppression set forth by religious ignorance, feudalism, corruption, and militarism continue to shackle the country that he loved so much.

Suddenly, through the musical play, Rizal’s dreams and ideals are pulsating with life again—just like when they were inspiration to the anxious masses led by Andres Bonifacio, Apolonario Mabini and Emilio Jacinto. Now, Rizal is leading them again to free the motherland from Spanish oppression. The humorous juxtaposition of scenes culled from the scandalous headlines of the present, history is made relevant as it should be. The message effectively came across.

Dead right
Adapted from the original plays and book by celebrated authors Arnil Tiatco and Isagani Cruz, Anton Juan boldly added contemporary lines to make the text more incendiary and urgent. Gloria’s graft and the Ampatuan’s impunity are seen through a history that is not moldy—revisionist yet fresh and truthful.

Cleofe Guangko-Casambre’s romantic yet haunting musical score is dead right for the play. Her piano instrumental in the prelude is inviting, then engaging. Her music for the Ultimo Adios deserves to be the standard background music whenever Rizal’s enduring final masterpiece is recited. Dr. Casambre’s inspired opus fits well into the musicale.

Dr. Juan surely extracted blood out of his acting talents. The ensemble had the familiar favorites from the Circa-Pintig and Sama-Sama Project—two groups that co-produced the play. Their performances were near flawless.  There were actors and actresses that auditioned and just harmoniously gave outstanding performances.

The child actors were real troupers but never used their age-advantage. They blended well with their elders.  Antoinette Gomez surely can act and sing and gave justice playing the main role. Her understudy, Elizabeth Tuazon delighted the matinee audience. I saw both their performances and found them both satisfying.

“I like his being short”
Ariel Dayanghirang has a clear powerful voice that leaves you wondering if Rizal had possessed that commanding delivery—this is not to say that this tenor is ill-suited for the role. Like Tuazon, he performed during the matinee which I considered a bonus. In the main event,  Chip Payos took on the role of Rizal. His built and height reflects the vulnerable physique one would associate with Rizal when one looks at the old photos of our hero. Gomez’s Josephine wistfully added the line “I like his being short.” or words to that effort. A line that was rightfully missing in the matinee.

These four actors surely were lucky to have the ensemble that Dr. Juan was able to put together.  The cast matches those that played, say, “Les Miserables” on Broadway. The choreography of Philippine ethnic dances enhanced the drama and was in context in the overall message of the work. (Cutting short the dance sequence that greeted Josephine’s arrival in Dapitan would save it from redundancy.)

The popular diva, Lani Misalucha, refreshingly in an ethnic minority costume playing “Inang Filipina,” added more to the underlying message that when Filipinos work together for a common cause, the best in us is manifested. Speaking of costumes, Dr. Juan clearly is a master of resourcefulness.  These costumes were borrowed from University of Notre Dame where he is a tenured professor. Those colorful outfits added grandeur to the production.

“Unhappy Josephine”

Lou Maningas (2nd fr. L) of the Sama Sama Project plays along with the enthusiastic thumbs up of PINOY publisher/editor Anong Santos, Berth Salvador and ConGen Leo H. Lim after the matinee performance Sept. 24 at the St. Scholastica Auditorium in Chicago. (Photo by Rudy Garcia)

History was made that September weekend when so many artistic talents were pulling together to honor Rizal through a play creatively devoted to his star-crossed wife, Josephine. (The souvenir program thoughtfully enumerated everyone who contributed and it is a heartwarming experience that the community cooperated in making such challenging undertaking possible.)
History tells us that Rizal, at the threshold of death, was worried for his “unhappy Josephine.”  He was aware about his mother’s lack of affection to this orphaned foreigner who just came into their lives from nowhere.  Josephine’s adopted father is aged and blind.  Rizal’s properties were to be confiscated by the Spanish rulers.  But a stanza from “La Ultima Adios” would lift her as a part of this immortal poem. (“…Dulce estrangera…”)

Untold Story
Josephine fell into the crevices of history which could sometimes be hurtful and unkind. Rizal risked his heroic legacy in his effort to legitimize her.  In Dapitan, Rizal was not able to convince the local priest to marry them.  Being a Mason, Rizal was excommunicated. It was on the eve of his martyrdom that it was told that a Jesuit priest married Rizal and Josephine.  That too is still disputed because of the alleged trade-off involved in the controversial bargain—Rizal renouncing all that he stood for.

One untold story was that Josephine was actively involved in the armed struggle of the Katipunan under the Bonifacio (Magdiwang) faction.  That was an account of the anti-American Gen. Artemio Ricarte. What most of us knew was that she remarried a Katipunan supporter in HongKong and that Rizal’s wife died poor and abandoned.

For this musical to revolve around the life of Rizal’s widow could be dauntingly difficult.  There was not much written about this displaced Irish immigrant. But the “Sweet Stranger” delivered.  Dr. Juan spun a web and a colorful tapestry on Josephine and Rizal emerged. The play has written all over it a compelling message about our past that can bring salvation to the Philippine condition of the present.

As mentioned earlier, in this sesquiscentennial year of the birth of the First Filipino, this is one community endeavor that our Hero could have approved of wholeheartedly. It is a work of art that urgently warns us to learn fast from our past.  It is the bright future of the Filipino at stake.

A photo of Rizal's wife, Josephine Bracken.

Bravo! •

*****
Filipino American History Month
It should be noted that this year’s celebration of the Filipino American History Month in October was ushered in with the Chicago premiere of the “Sweet Stranger.”  Discussions about the play should create a groundswell of interest on the work and will give those who missed the play enough incentive to demand for an encore presentation.  It is a great way to end the year of Rizal’s sesquiscentennial. It will also be a good measure of the success of this year’s marking of the Filipino American History Month.

PINOY Editor/Publisher

Physicians, nurses, medical technicians and therapists… these are the professionals who composed the bulk of the second wave of Filipino immigrants to the United States.  There was a time when the mainstream population practically saluted our community because of the quality of caring they received from our medical professionals.

Then came the few unethical doctors who flaunted their ill-gotten wealth even when they were being written-up by the media as fraudulent billers who sucked up funds intended for public medical programs that were designed to provide equitable and quality health care to the public.

These abuses were committed by an unscrupulous few whose greed not only contaminated the water but forced government regulators to practically dry up the source of funding for these public health programs. These made it difficult later for every medical practitioner to eke out a decent medical practice. Suddenly, it became tough to make a living as a doctor.

It is just plain common sense for those involved then to do what is right to earn a respectable income commiserates to the services rendered.  But greed trumped up ethics. The bad elements barbecued the proverbial goose that laid the golden eggs to satisfy their appetite to get rich overnight.

It was not too long ago that this dark phenomenon happened. Yet, true enough most of us have both short memory and seem to be incapable of learning from past mistakes. The present home health care industry, which is said to be majority-controlled by Filipino Americans, is fast gaining unsavory reputations.

Raids are being conducted by federal authorities and names of Filipino Americans are making the blacklist. It was reported that close to $30 billion are lost to fraud in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. It is a great shame to report that some Filipino Americans are implicated in these dark schemes.

While the underlying goals of the government in these public medical program is to provide equitable and affordable health services to the public, these noble goals are dashed out by the public outrage caused by reports of corruption and abuses by some of those who tapped into the system.

For the people get sick, get old and need more medical attention, this made home health care a lucrative alternative to hospital care.  What was designed to cut cost is now getting to be more expensive because of illegal practices by many in the business.

There are plentiful reports of kickbacks and bribery used to win more patients in their respective pipeline. There are reports of widespread over-billing and unnecessary treatments.  There are incidents of unlicensed and unauthorized personnel doing the works of licensed professionals.

It is not surprising to hear then that many home health care offices are closing because owners are facing criminal charges and are being told to refund the government  money which they illegally claimed as payment for services.

While generally we should encourage members of the community to be entrepreneurial and to create employment by putting up businesses—we also strongly encourage ethical and professional practices that bring good business sense, pride and honor to all of us in the community.

It is not uncommon to see some home health owners showing-off ill-gotten wealth and living it up with suburban McMansions and driving around luxurious European cars. These unfortunate displays might elicit momentary wows but is it worth it if the long-term cost is an ignominious time in prison or a shameful deportation?

It is good that owners of home health care businesses have now organized into an association.  Many of them are doing their work efficiently and ethically that won them numerous and worthy accolades from recognized watch groups of your industry.

These upright owners should impart their laudable business practices to fellow members of their professional group. They are needed as models if everyone in their group should benefit the long-term gain of staying in business.

Members of the greater community—who are beyond our ethnic group—will welcome such development. We are challenged by a tight economy which cries for quality but affordable health care. The demand for such services grows everyday due to the aging baby boomers.  The health care industry can remain lucrative and viable.  It is all up to those presently engaged in this industry to make it so by doing things correctly.

This can be achieved by taking the initiative in investing in continuing education—of learning the rules and regulations and also by tightly monitoring the care that your nurses, therapists, CNAs and other professionals provide to your patients.

Another serious consequence of an abused Medicare and Medicaid system is giving a potent ammunition for the conservative elements of the political body to severely limit the if not totally eliminate these programs which are designed to help the marginalized US residents who are struggling to get decent health care.

Thus, a healthy industry such as yours will sustain you and our community for a much longer time than if you do things haphazardly and fraudulently. •

In this 1991 Philippine Free Press editorial cartoon, the heroic stand of the senators led by Senate president Jovito R. Salonga was rendered for future historians by artist Esmeraldo Izon.

Anniversaries and commemorations—there are just plenty of them nowadays.
Some sectors in the community just could not get enough activities to mark the 150th birthday anniversary of our National hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.
Last July, the centennial year of the death of Rizal’s mother, Dona Teodora Alonzo, generated a lot of cultural events at her hometown of Binan, Laguna. That’s more Rizal for us.
The 400th year anniversary of the founding of the University of Santo Tomas started last January and won’t wind up until next year on that same month. Oh well, Rizal was an alumnus.

10th year of 9/11

The tenth anniversary of the tragic events of 9/11 is ushering in a lot of tributes, special reports and documentaries.  You can be sure there will be a lot.
The jet planes that were hijacked and crashed in New York’s Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, in the Pentagon in Washington DC and in a farm in Pennsylvania on that morning of Sept. 11, 2001 had changed not only how we managed our travel but how it affected our economy and the way we live.
True, it has become more expensive and cumbersome to fly since then with all the added cost in security.  The burden of the Iraqi and Afghanistan Wars has taken its toll in human lives and its enormous share in the US budget deficit.
After 9/11, the trust among peoples was breached.  While the mastermind of that terrorist attack, Osama bin Laden, had been killed and buried at sea early last May, the war on terror remains his bloody legacy.
The Abu Sayaff in the Philippines, which has established links with the international network of the Al Qaeda, continues to drain human and financial resources of the government back home.  It forced the leaders back home to renew mutual defense alliance with the United States despite the historic ending of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the two countries on Sept.  16, 1991.
That was twenty years ago. Now that is one anniversary that is worthy of a commemoration.

***

Coaling Stations

When the Philippine Senate went to a session to vote on whether The US-Philippines Military Bases Treaty would be extended or not, the international attention was focused on the decision of the 23 senators who by provision of the Philippine Constitution had the power to ratify or reject treaties for the nation.
Their decision is now a milestone in the history of the Filipino people.  First, here is a backgrounder.
When Undersecretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt cabled Admiral George Dewey, whose fleet was docked in Hong Kong, to proceed to Manila Bay in late April of 1898, the US started its imperial presence in Asia. On May 1, 1898, Dewey declared victory after a mock naval battle with the moribund Spanish armada.
The US found Manila and Subic Bay as ideal coaling stations in their entry into the teeming Asian market. When a US commission reported that the archipelago was rich with natural resources, the imperialists prevailed upon President William McKinley to take not only the Manila and its adjoining harbors but the whole country as well.
First Philippine Republic President Emilio Aguinaldo, who was used by Dewey to defeat the Spanish colonizers, would later be tagged as an insurgent leader and would be pursued like a bandit until he was captured in 1902.  The Philippines got another colonial master—Uncle Sam. The use of Subic Bay, Clark Field plus 34 other military installations all over the land became important rationale of the US to maintain its control of Philippine leaders.

Tacit Approval

On July 4, 1946, after the US granted political independence to the Philippines, the onerous Parity Act and the US Bases Treaty made it possible for the US to maintain its influence of the political and economic lives of the Filipinos.  The two treaties sailed smoothly through the Philippine legislature in 1947 in exchange for US war reparation dollars to help the war-torn country to rebuild from the devastation created by General McArthur’s liberation army. (Manila was the most devastated city second only to Warsaw after WWII.)
It was said that no post-war Philippine President was ever elected without the blessing of the policy makers in Washington DC.  That was particularly true for President Ferdinand E. Marcos. In exchange for President Lyndon Johnson’s support, Marcos sent an army contingent to Vietnam.  Marcos was one of the few heads of state to support the US in this unfortunate war.
When Marcos declared martial law on Sept. 21, 1972 (Then goes another historical anniversary for this month!), he had the tacit approval of President Nixon.  The American Chamber of Commerce in Manila was the first one which hailed the decision of Marcos to become a dictator.
President Ronald Reagan’s fondness for the conjugal dictators–Ferdie and Meldy—was common knowledge.  Even President Jimmy Carter’s human rights crusade did not apply to Marcos –all because of the US bases in the Philippines.  Now that is one foreign policy that Filipino leaders can’t master—watch for your own butt. Protect one’s interest, that is.
When the Filipino people had regained their courage to fight back against the Marcos dictatorship, opposition leaders like Jose Diokno, Jovito Salonga, Lorenzo Tanada and even the widow of the martyred Ninoy, Cory Aquino, signed a conveners pact in 1984, to agree on not extending the lease of the US military bases which was seen as a root cause of the US support of the Marcos Dictatorship.
Cory Aquino became the symbol of a unified opposition in the fight to restore democratic rights in the Philippines. In February of 1986, a People Power uprising made Cory Aquino the first woman president of the Philippines after Marcos and his family fled to Hawaii—thanks to his friend, President Reagan.

Cultish Homage

Cory Aquino, for all the cultish homage being accorded her, had her missteps as president. One of them was her giving in to the demands of US leaders to extend the US Bases lease. That was against her position with the 1984 convener’s agreement. Due to US pressure, President Cory became the most outspoken advocate to retain the bases.  Her somersault  divided the people longing to free themselves from the shackles of neo-colonialism.
In September of 1991, backed by her pro-American secretary of defense Fidel Ramos and secretary of foreign affairs Raul Manglapus, Cory lobbied on the members of the senate to ratify a new bases treaty.  She got only 11 senators to go along with her but 12 cast their historic votes to end the US bases Treaty—until then–a painful symbol of the US domination of Philippine affairs.
The President of that Senate, Jovito R. Salonga broke the 11-11 tie and voted along the 11 members who wanted to take back the complete sovereignty of the land and end the colonial ties with the US. Those who voted for the ending of the military presence included  Agapito Aquino,  Joseph Estrada, Teofisto Guingona, Sotero Laurel, Juan Ponce Enrile, Ernesto Maceda, Orlando Mercado, Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Rene Saguisag, Wigberto Tanada and Victor Ziga.  Some grateful citizens memorialized them in a statue at Subic Base compound in Zambales. They were often referred to as the “Magnificent 12.”

Heroic Event

Out of spite, Cory endorsed Fidel Ramos as her candidate to succeed her in 1992. She vented out her anger on Sen. Salonga who was the standard bearer of her late husband’s Liberal Party in that year’s presidential elections.  Salonga was also Ninoy’s defense lawyer during his nine years of incarceration under the Marcos dictatorship. Cory and her US backers targeted him for defeat. Salonga lost the election big time—behind Imelda Marcos who was on fourth place.
Ninoy’s  jailer was Marcos cousin and head of his army, Fidel Ramos. (Ramos along with Enrile joined the anti-Marcos forces in 1986.) Ramos became president with about 23 per cent of the votes cast in that multi-sided elections.
The former Senate President JovitoSalonga who topped the winners in three senatorial elections, is now fondly called as the “best president the Philippines never had.”
The Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base, the biggest of the 36 military installations that were leased by the US for 45 years are now hubs of economic activities and tourism—generating more than the rent money that the Philippines earned from the US. They created decent jobs far better from the marginal jobs created by bars and speakeasies when the bases were around.
The pride of the Filipino people whose access to these places was off limits for a long time to them is, of course, priceless.  It has been 20 years since the courage of those Philippine leaders was witnessed by a nation looking for genuine heroes. It was, indeed, a heroic event well-worth remembering. •