No Pardon for Corruption

People who run the government conceal every bad motive in their genes. They present themselves spotless of scheme and greed. But once in position they are ready to construct shroud of lies to serve the purposes of their ingenuity. Behind the well-tailored suits is the cunning, immoral and corrupt persona of these so-called public servants.  They suffer from diarrhea of the mouth and have constipated ideas of running the populace. Power tends to pollute the minds of those who have it, the arrogant, lustful, and the hungry to feed.  Money together with power creates a negative influence to these people and misuse their authority for private gain.

They choose to ignore the needs and rights of the weak causing fear, pain and death to the people.  The people tend to reject any evidence of corruption. Some people are no longer interested in finding the truth. It is just too sad and painful to acknowledge.  We’ve been taken over by fear by those heartless, greedy and venal rulers. The disease that the government spreads is like information that we feed a hard drive which starts the corruption of files.

A line from a great movie says “With power, comes great responsibility.” But it is defined falsely by those who are in control. Now it is most likely that “With power, comes great exploitation, corruption and deception.”  We choose the leaders of our country but should we feel responsible for all this evil? On May 13, 2013 there will be 18,053 positions up for grabs for the National and Local Elections in the Philippines. Once more the Filipino people will be put to test.  Knowing the right candidate to vote for, their agenda, platforms and true intentions of running into office are the things we should think of. There’s a relative lack of understanding among the Filipinos as to how they should elect their next leaders. A general accepted standard is that we vote by name and not by character. Some are ignorant and sell their freedom to these fake political figures who impose numerous laws and continue to bury the people under taxes and fraud.  If we only accept a fraction of the responsibility in making our country a better place to live in for us and our children, that fraction can somehow in the future become a great part in reshaping our nation. 

The Philippines with its 90 million inhabitants faces difficulties on the economy, growing population, graft and corruption, natural calamities, poverty, peace and order, international debt and many others. A small Asian country with a huge number of people is being pounded by enormous problems. How can every JUAN survive? How can every JUAN change their worsening plight? The answer lies within the hands of every JUAN. Vote wisely and be vigilant enough not to fall into the wraths of these devious candidates and wanna-bes. Make a stand every JUAN and don’t be fooled by their tissue of lies.

Vote wisely. Your voice is your vote.

Richard Gordon, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Jan 23, 2010

“No pardon for anyone convicted of corruption.”

#May 2013 Election

The Dying Filipino Society

In a complex society, two things are prominent, “deviousness” and “unutterable greed”. Seeking for just and equal rule of law is far from reality as you have to face chaos and destruction in the process. We must frankly face and accept the fact that there are some with inadequate conception of power and there are those who become prey and human sacrifice. People are enslaved to a world of never-ending greed, temptation and scheme. Thus the continuing decline and death of the society is not far. Our country is like a ship slowly sinking in the dark waters. What was once rich and prosperous, is now a country plagued with poverty, violence, immorality, corruption and injustice.


With democracy we all have the government we choose and deserve.  A government ruled by the people with the sole purpose of helping and serving its citizens, building a nation that would cater to its needs. During the primeval times when simplicity and contentment is supreme, when everything else is free from selfish manifestations, when there is still self-sufficiency and freedom Filipinos have lived without any dependency or influence from the government. They live in the abundance of natural resources. They cultivate their own land. There are no constitutional laws to abide because the people treat each other with respect. But with the incessant greediness of some people, who use and abuse the weakness of their countrymen brought us and the country’s posterities into turmoil.  It is just so sad that a country like ours with its natural wealth and intellectual populace is classified as a third world country.


It is never too late to act.  Any of our actions has an impact on others. Filipinos must unite and work on a common goal to bring back our country’s dignity. The people must free itself from the influence of the government. The government has to be stopped from making selfish decisions and should start to care for its people and the country’s welfare. The Filipino people are strong and wise. The choices we make today can change not only our lives but the Philippines’ future generation.  Poverty, violence, immorality, corruption and injustice are all preventable. But it will continue if we do not do something about it. We also have our own responsibilities in making a long-term change possible and NOW is the time.

Image via Google

Atake sa Kalye

Nowadays, just who among us haven't seen walls, streets and properties without colorful graffiti and stickers on them? Even if there are clear signs imposed by the government prohibiting such acts, you can still see a rash of vandalism everywhere. They say sticker art and vandalism defaces or destroys public or private property and there's severe punishment for it. But for artists, these pieces of street art mean more than just that. Some of these artists or shall we say "vandalists" explore their potential and creativity through this medium. They will mark and stick on almost anything to make a name for themselves and spread their message to the people through art.

Providing message by the use of adhesives and spray paints is an exhibition in the street. They may rant on sociopolitical issues or can also be an art campaign. But for whatever reason, you can see all the contradictions of the society through these exhibitions. Sticker art and graffiti emphasizes the desire to elect the road as their own personal "gallery of reference". Sticker becomes an aesthetic medium for everyone, exchangeable and reproducible, immediate and anti-commercial. Graffiti, tells us to look and discover the surprises hidden with the signs, alphabets and images that run through the infinite.

 The Filipino youth nowadays have different ways of expressing themselves. It can be by mouth through democratic rallies or by hand as seen through artistic manifestations. Some refrain from speech and choose to express their unfavorable disapproval by means of art. It is again a question of social attitude. Art does not get much support from the government. Why do these artists showcase their talents on the streets anyway? Because there are not enough galleries and museums where they can display their works and taking up a course in the arts costs a lot.  Fine art is limited to only few and those who have the innate ability and skills are rather trashed. These artists are left alone to do their own marketing that is why they settle on the street level imagery.

If art is not your cup of tea then you might just consider these creative stickers and graffiti as mere vandals and property damage. But if you appreciate it just like I do then it's high time that we promote awareness, acceptance and support of artists in public.

Photo credit: www.facebook.com/mhelen.shimmy/photos

http://newshopper.sulekha.com

Sacrifice

My first blog entry published last March 11, 2012 on Definitely Filipino-The Blog for Online Filipinos

http://definitelyfilipino.com/blog/2012/03/11/sacrifice/

Around 11 million is the estimated count of Filipinos worldwide. More than 3000 of our kababayans leave the country every day to seek a better lifestyle for their families. The past few years have been very tough. With our country’s economy, unstable government and growing population who would not think of migrating? The Ninoy Aquino International Airport has always been witness to heartbreaking goodbyes, stories of hope and optimism and of tragedies and misfortunes.  A father leaving his wife and kids and unsure of when he’s coming back. A single mother, full of dreams seeing a bleak future for her child choose to work far away. Filipinos, who among many others became unfortunate with their experiences in foreign land. Some lost their jobs, get harassed and even killed. Regardless of the risk they still opt to leave in pursuit of a greener pasture. With these, many questions are raised. Is leaving the country the only way to escape from the nation’s crisis? Do our children have to grow up far away from their parents? Will the government take actions on its current dilemmas or will the Filipinos carry the burden of its nation’s chaos?

Filipinos migrate for different reasons.  Working abroad is not all about the money. It’s all about dreams to fulfill and a life to improve.  It is never wrong to seek for betterment. But we must all be conscious of what is at stake.  What are the things that really matter to us?

Many of us dream to have a better life. A beautiful house, a car and money in the bank are some of the things we aspire. But are these still within reach or for us to have them realized that means a life far away from our loved ones?  Family comes first for us Filipinos and we do a lot of sacrifices for their sake. How many among us have missed their son or daughter’s birthday? Or was not able to attend their kid’s graduation? Or is the only person missing during reunions? Were you there to attend the funeral of your relatives who passed away? At the end of the day you might want to ask yourself are these sacrifices all worth it? We are all given with choices on how to live our lives.  But we must always know how good do we have to be and how much is enough.

Each one of us struggle to attain our dreams and with the decision of leaving the country, did we really make a good choice or are we losing the most important thing worth all the money in the world which is FAMILY. We earn money but we lose TIME with family and LOVE from family. We have seen the benefits of working overseas but we never really thought of what we have given up.