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Dear Classmates,November 24, 2008It’s time to share with you some important inputs regarding the true and real analysis of what has happened in the Philippines in my own personal view and experiences.. Maybewe are now old enough and carry with ourselves enough wisdom to have a better understanding of these inputs. My inputs are relatively coming from my 23 years in theElectronics Industry, 8 years as Catholic Lay Minister, 12 years as Academician and 8years as member of different private NGO’s.The Philippines is RICH, the PEOPLE are poor. This is the statement I always receivedfrom numerous visitors, students and friends from foreign lands and eventually confirmedwhen I have had a chance to visit some countries in Europe and Asia. Filipinos below poverty line is 45% not 25% as you have read from print media, heard in the radio andseen in the television.My Ate Let from Long Beach California has invited me to join my siblings to go withthem in the U.S. in 1983 and due to personal reason I decided to stay. The reason being is because of curiosity. The curiosity that I wanted to answer is the hypothesis that the onlysolution to prosperity is to immigrate to USA. She told me that there is little poverty inUSA and the opportunity in the Philippines is very limited. But the question is why verylimited? What are the reasons?You are all aware that I grew up in Guimba, Nueva Ecija and finished my High School atPaco, Manila. In 1965, I personally observed and experienced how my elementaryclassmates were driven-off from their location. Their houses were relocated for the reasonthat they do not own the land where their houses were constructed. I felt sadness, verysad indeed in that moment. In Pandacan Manila, I also experienced to live near squattersarea and played with my friends in slum areas. Note that our house was burnt in 1966 andthe family has limited income to continue living but were able to survive through the help provided by some relatives.In Tondo, during ROTC days I was even able to have had a chance to interview some of the people living in the squatters’ area while cleaning their dirty and highly pollutionedcreeks. I also witnessed countless of gang fights in and out of Roxas High School. InMapua, joining MITSCA was an eye-opener to know how many children were born outof wedlock during a visit at Hospicio de San Jose. Without knowing, I believed theseexperiences became my social awareness and foundation of knowing what life is andwhat the Filipino society I am living with is.I started my work at Stanford Microsystems Inc. in Ugong, Pasig in 1977 and witnessedhow workers are exploited. They were given incentives but limited their employment to acasual position and deprived of right benefits under the law. Since then I have worked inseven more companies and witnessed the same exploitation of the capitalist to their workers. I know that as a manager, I should be a part of this system but the system I believed was not ethical. As a manager, I was given all the benefits that a manager shouldhave and possessed but employees and workers were not given and treated the same. The
 
gap was enormous. At Cavite Economic Zone, I have witnessed as Chairman of CAPO(Committee of Administrators and Personnel Officers) how the so- calledcontractualization and apprentice position were abused by foreign investors. Workersassignment was only for five months, laid off and rehired after two weeks. Direct Labor cost became a fixed cost. How can an efficient worker improve his life if hiscompensation is stagnant, no merit increases for that matter …forever? I pushed hard tochange this system and win only a little bit. The system is still being implemented todayand is spreading like cancer in both manufacturing and service sectors. Both urban andrural workers have very limited income resulting to limited purchasing power.How can an economy move, become more stable and progressive when there is limiteddisposable income? And worst, the system is introducing more taxation rather thanimproving the process of taxes collection and corruption on governance is everywherefrom the lowest to the highest position. Note that this was the true cause of FrenchRevolution in the 19
th
century. Poverty became more widespread for both urban and ruralareas. The dream of a farmer to have his own land to till is still a dream to come true. Theowners of the land forty years ago are still the owner of the land today. The clamor for social justice during President Quezon time is still the predominating cry of small farmersand peasant’s today. The government is working like a snail if not a turtle. This system isagainst to the sound democratic principles. This is not the essence of ethical capitalism.This system pushed the Filipino to accept the only option of going out and be a member of OCW and suffer the social consequences, for him and to his family.As a Lay Minister, I have had a chance to conduct Bible Services in some Pastoral areasin Cavite where I was assigned. I was able to confirm the effect of the system to society.Filipino economic life has not changed. Poverty and economic sufferings are all over. SM. Robinsons, Eastwoods, Alabang Town Centers, Ayala Centers, The Fort and others were just aesthetics, a camouflage of reality.The Filipino is no longer patriotic, a Catholic and Christian no more according to theKorean writer. Sorry, but I disagree.I have read some historical materials prior to the arrival of Magellan in the Philippines in1521. The Filipinos were rich in culture, they have more than enough food to eat, thetrade with Japan and China is good and the Filipinos are definitely happy. During thistime the Western countries were using mercantilism as a form of trading in order toenrich their countries. Globalization is not new. Magellan, Pizzaro, Balboa, Cortes andColumbus are prime- movers of Globalization during their time. Their only intention isGlobal expansionism making their King and Queen and their countries richer comparedwith the countries they traded in.The Philippines was a victim of Global expansionism. The Philippines was a victim of Spain, Japan and United States. They robbed and siphoned the natural resources, replacedthe culture and social traditions of the people, changed their minds to be consumers rather than producer. Everything was best especially every good and service coming from the
 
United States. The Thomasites as an instrument of United States were very successful ininculcating this idea to the mind of a Filipino. It was even enhanced by not allowing anyFilipino to handle the Philippine Education Department from 1902 to 1946. The best isAmerican, the movies, MTV’s, Popeye, and Three Stooges, including GeorgeWashington, and Abraham Lincoln as heroes. Everything from the Philippines wasinferior. The Philippne Constitution was copied from American Constitution. This ismaybe one reason why even the enacted bills and legislations are copied from U.S.Senate and House of Congress.The Philippines is smaller in size compared to California, and yet the population isalmost one-third the population of the whole United States. This means, the Philippineswas one a good destination of U.S. exports and surpluses. I noticed that Philippine Duty-free shops have a lot of American products that are not well known brands. I call these products surpluses. Products that cannot be bought in the United States or low in demandare being thrown in the third world countries including the Philippines. I have not seenthese products in Sweden, Germany and Estonia.Colonies will always have all the products of colonizer. It’s only fortunate today thatChina is competing with the United States in dominating the goods and services in theworld today. It is only in the Military Hardware that other countries cannot compete withUnited States. This is one reason why United States was always in war with other countries. War is a good promoting tool.I cannot understand why a Filipino needs to pay 100 dollars in applying a U.S.visa for aninterview with an American consul while American citizen do not pay a single penny invisiting the Philippines. In 2006 Philippine U. S. Embassy has generated 650 Million pesos for this system. The United States who is supposed to be the richest country in theworld is siphoning money using this process to a poor country like the Philippines.Cannot they think any other method, mechanism and control to prevent massiveimmigration which they started by attracting Americanism in the Filipino in the first place?The Philippine is RICH, the PEOPLE are poor! When a country like the Philippines issubjected to neo-colonialism and the resources is continuously depleted by externalforces and internal policies are controlled and manipulated to answer a consequentialgovernment loans and international financing, the Filipino people would always be thesacrificial lamb and shock- absorber. The Filipino is having a hard time in going out fromthe quicksand of exploitation, and abuses. This was even further aggravated by corruption by greedy officers; both public and private. These are the reasons why a Filipino is still poor today. The playing field is not labeled. Greedy Capitalism today has not changedand improved at all. I call this system as feudalism in modern society.As long as there is greed and envy in the hearts of Filipino leaders, as long as there is aFilipino who does not know the meaning of empathy, as long as there is a Filipino whoare just watching and observing and without action and commitment, then there willalways be poverty and sufferings in our country.
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Alexander Velasquez

Dear Mr Ped, Perhaps the Philippines should undergo a true Revolution that China or even the US have undergone in their History....it's the only way to have a Change rather than those offered by self serving politicians,religions...and others.....

reply03 / 29 / 2012
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