John F. Kennedy famously exhorted the American people in the 1960s to: "ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."
It is all very well for President Kennedy to urge his fellow Americans because the United States, then as now, is the richest nation on the face of the planet.
In the context of the Philippines, which has never tasted prosperity in its 62 years as a republic, such a call is downright laughable. Most impoverished Filipinos are simply too busy trying to survive to even bother to react. Ten million Filipinos are toiling in distant lands to give their families in the Philippines a better life and no thanks to the Philippine government for not providing the climate necessary to create job opportunities.
The English philosopher, John Locke, argued that man is endowed by God with natural rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These rights are inalienable and may not be taken away by the state. Man, however, entered into a social contract with the state to give up his natural rights in return for the protection of the latter.
In a democracy, sovereignty resides with the people and all power emanates from them. Thus, a government may exist only with the concent of the governed. When the government fails to comply with the terms and conditions of the agreement, the people, in an election, have the right to withdraw the mandate given to govern.
It is the job of the government to serve the people and not the other way around.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Monday, January 7, 2008
An Expensive Lesson
Three days after I arrived from Saudi Arabia on October 16, 2007, I went to the Handyman's in Farmers Plaza at the Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City. Since there was not enough space in my condo studio unit, I decided to buy wooden shelves for my kitchenware and a plastic shelf for my shoes.
I took the MRT bound for Pasay-Taft at the Araneta Center. The moment the door of the MRT train was closed, there was pushing and shoving among the packed passengers. Moments later, I discovered that my wallet, placed at the back pocket of my pants, was gone. When I reached Ortigas, I got off to report the loss of my ATM cards at the nearest branch of the BPI, RCBC, PNB and Equitable-PCI Bank.
I was rudely awakened. This was no longer Saudi Arabia but the Philippines. I should have been wary of pickpocketers. But being gone for two years, I tended to view life in the Philippines through a rose-colored window. Petty thieves were farthest on my mind. I felt very disappointed that this thing could still happen in my own country. It was an expensive lesson indeed.
I took the MRT bound for Pasay-Taft at the Araneta Center. The moment the door of the MRT train was closed, there was pushing and shoving among the packed passengers. Moments later, I discovered that my wallet, placed at the back pocket of my pants, was gone. When I reached Ortigas, I got off to report the loss of my ATM cards at the nearest branch of the BPI, RCBC, PNB and Equitable-PCI Bank.
I was rudely awakened. This was no longer Saudi Arabia but the Philippines. I should have been wary of pickpocketers. But being gone for two years, I tended to view life in the Philippines through a rose-colored window. Petty thieves were farthest on my mind. I felt very disappointed that this thing could still happen in my own country. It was an expensive lesson indeed.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
The Decline and Fall of the Islamic Empire
Arriving at the horseshoe arch of the famed Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain, in the summer of 1986, I felt disappointed. What is regarded as the finest example of Islamic architecture looked positively like a forbidding fortress.
I wasn't prepared though to see the stunning interior of the Hall of the Ambassadors. I gazed in wonder at the stalactite-like ceiling which simulated the vast expanse of the universe and the endless Arabic calligraphy of verses from the Qur'an on the wall. I eagerly took souvenir shots at the Court of Lions, probably the most famous courtyard in the world, and remembered the tales of the Alhambra written by Washington Irving.
The triumphant Spanish sovereigns, Ferdinand and Isabella, drove out the last sultan of Granada, Boabdil (Muhammad XI) in 1492, the year of the Reconquista and the same year Columbus discovered America for the Spanish crown. In the 10th century, the Andalucian city of Cordoba in Islamic Spain was not only the world's largest city but also the main center of learning. Muslim scholars translated and annotated for posterity the works of Socrates, Aristotle and Plato, among others, from Greek into Arabic. The Arab physician, Avicenna, was regarded as the foremost authority in medicine. Arab mathematicians introduced the numeral zero (zifr in Arabic) and pushed the frontier of science and technology.
What caused the decline and fall of the Islamic Empire? Harvard University Professor David Landes, in his book, "The Wealth and Poverty of Nations," argued that the cause was mainly due to the failure of Muslim rulers to foster an inquiring mind among their subjects. The state apparatus was dedicated solely to preserving the ruler's hold on power. Harun ar-Rashid, the celebrated caliph of Baghdad in the "Arabian Nights," asserting that the truth had been revealed in the Qur'an, decreed that all books be thrown into the Tigris River.
According to Professor Landes, history has demonstrated that the only way forward is to keep an open mind and avoid dogma. Mankind needed the Renaissance or the Age of Enlightenment to finally leave the Dark Ages and ignorance behind.
I wasn't prepared though to see the stunning interior of the Hall of the Ambassadors. I gazed in wonder at the stalactite-like ceiling which simulated the vast expanse of the universe and the endless Arabic calligraphy of verses from the Qur'an on the wall. I eagerly took souvenir shots at the Court of Lions, probably the most famous courtyard in the world, and remembered the tales of the Alhambra written by Washington Irving.
The triumphant Spanish sovereigns, Ferdinand and Isabella, drove out the last sultan of Granada, Boabdil (Muhammad XI) in 1492, the year of the Reconquista and the same year Columbus discovered America for the Spanish crown. In the 10th century, the Andalucian city of Cordoba in Islamic Spain was not only the world's largest city but also the main center of learning. Muslim scholars translated and annotated for posterity the works of Socrates, Aristotle and Plato, among others, from Greek into Arabic. The Arab physician, Avicenna, was regarded as the foremost authority in medicine. Arab mathematicians introduced the numeral zero (zifr in Arabic) and pushed the frontier of science and technology.
What caused the decline and fall of the Islamic Empire? Harvard University Professor David Landes, in his book, "The Wealth and Poverty of Nations," argued that the cause was mainly due to the failure of Muslim rulers to foster an inquiring mind among their subjects. The state apparatus was dedicated solely to preserving the ruler's hold on power. Harun ar-Rashid, the celebrated caliph of Baghdad in the "Arabian Nights," asserting that the truth had been revealed in the Qur'an, decreed that all books be thrown into the Tigris River.
According to Professor Landes, history has demonstrated that the only way forward is to keep an open mind and avoid dogma. Mankind needed the Renaissance or the Age of Enlightenment to finally leave the Dark Ages and ignorance behind.
"Tribu"
Shown at the UP Film Center on December 8, 2007, the winner of Cinemanila 2007 Best Picture Award, "Tribu," is a disturbing film about gangs in Tondo, Manila. Megged by Jim Libiran, this film is a rare glimpse of Manila's low-life. The ensemble acting was superb. One would think they were seasoned actors. In fact, they were gang members themselves enamored of hip hop and rap with no formal training in acting.
The climactic scene of a gang war during a wake, where scores of gang members were killed, was too gory to be credible. Perhaps these large-scale killings have escaped the attention of tabloids like Abante and People's Journal? And where was Manila's finest, the police, when it was needed most? Those omnipresent "barangay tanods" were sleeping on the job? In such a crowded neighborhood, nobody was awakened by the gunfire to call the police to restore peace and order?
A film must not only present a slice of life, however nihilistic, but it must be imbued with verisimilitude to become a truly great film.
The climactic scene of a gang war during a wake, where scores of gang members were killed, was too gory to be credible. Perhaps these large-scale killings have escaped the attention of tabloids like Abante and People's Journal? And where was Manila's finest, the police, when it was needed most? Those omnipresent "barangay tanods" were sleeping on the job? In such a crowded neighborhood, nobody was awakened by the gunfire to call the police to restore peace and order?
A film must not only present a slice of life, however nihilistic, but it must be imbued with verisimilitude to become a truly great film.
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