EDITORIAL | Hack Off!

By the end of this blog post, I am certain that my blog will be hacked by Anonymous Philippines.

Here’s why: Anonymous Philippines and its cohorts recently defaced Chinese websites—again! In its Facebook page, the group claims to have hacked and defaced 195 Chinese government and civilian websites. The group came to notoriety in 2012 after it defaced several Philippine government websites following the passage of the Anti-Cybercrime Law. The group has previously defaced Chinese websites, also in 2012, after the tense standoff between Manila and Beijing at the disputed Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal in maritime parlance) which resulted to Manila’s retreat of its frigate and Beijing asserting control over the reef.

While China’s incursion in these contested waters based on their myopic nine-dash line view is indeed deplorable, “The Philippines has very few cards to play…” as geopolitical analyst Robert Kaplan said in his new book, Asia’s Cauldron: The South China Sea and the End of a Stable Pacific. Kaplan notes how the Philippine Navy was, for a long time, in a neglected state brought on by inept and corrupt administrations which made the Philippines “a near failed state”. It would never stand a chance in countering Chinese intrusion and successfully asserting sovereignty in the Kalayaan Islands or Panatag Shoal with such weak capability. Neither can it play the economic card, since China is the Philippines’ third biggest market for Filipino exports and second biggest source of imports. Declaring war on China or halting bilateral trade relations will only obliterate the Philippines’ recent economic gains.

The Philippines used the UN card by filing a case in the United Nations’ Permanent Court of Arbitration, urging it compel China to respect the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone of claimant nations—a confusing and complex series of overlapping lines and territorial possessions. Kaplan sees this move as “the Philippines’ highest display of weakness”. Out of desperation, the Philippines would appeal not just to the UN, but also the ASEAN to support its actions in securing a conduct agreement between claimant nations. This move ultimately failed in the past meetings of the ASEAN in Cambodia (2012), Brunei (2013), and Myanmar (2014), since after all, China is one of the region’s biggest trade partners. Chinese investments in Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia, in particular are preventing the regional association from achieving a consensus on a code of conduct in the West Philippine Sea.

While the Philippines signed a security deal with staunch ally United States prior to President Barack Obama’s state visit last April, Obama fell short of categorically expressing support for the Philippines in its fight against China. The limited amount of US help through information-sharing and capability enhancement exercises only proves how indecisive the superpower is in this territorial row because of its economic interests and obligations with China. It also proves the Philippines as a pushover, willing to set aside its national interests in favor of America’s Pivot to Asia—a move which Filipinos cannot solely rely on.

There’s not much the Philippines can do. And hacking Chinese websites of little or no significance won’t do anything as well. While Anonymous Philippines had succeeded defacing the websites, it also proves how novice their hacking activities, which are limited to denial-of-service attacks and defacement. They are yet to be at par with state-sponsored cyberespionage units in China, America, Russia, or Israel, which can steal sensitive commercial and government information, and cripple important systems and networks crucial to government, military, and economic operations.

We, Filipinos, think that defacing Chinese websites or arresting few, unsuspecting Chinese fishermen are acts of heroism comparable to David vs. Goliath. However, our “ingenious boisterousness and incendiary statements” [quoting Kaplan], do little to paralyze China’s creeping invasion of the West Philippine Sea, and only serves to antagonize the Philippines even more in the eyes of the Chinese government and public, pushing us closer to the brink of regional war. It’s like slinging a tiny pebble against a goliath wearing full body armor. War mongering Filipinos have even called for the extreme—torching Chinese businesses nationwide, arresting more Chinese fishermen, and even clamping down on illegal Chinese activities elsewhere in the Philippines. Yes, these will send China the message that we are mad, that we can mess with them, but we won’t be able to stand by the image we are trying to portray. We are not capable of shoving off China militarily nor economically. At least, not this time.

These hackers should better back off and leave the job to our diplomats and the military. While defacing Chinese websites is a good exercise in sharpening cyberespionage skills, it’s better if they leave this territorial dispute out of their “trainings”. Instead of wasting their skills on passive-aggressive actions, they should turn their anger into productive endeavors such as helping the government protect our important government, military, economic, and transportation facilities from a possible retaliatory cyberattack from China.

In the end, the Philippines cannot afford to be equally belligerent like China. We could follow the example of Malaysia, which was described by Kaplan as “lying low”, or Indonesia, “which has no well-defined foreign policy on the subject”. We could support Vietnam, described by Kaplan, as “ASEAN’s fighting chance”, or restart bilateral diplomatic talks with Beijing over the subject, but both actions will neither prevent China’s continuous encroachment nor promote our national interests.

Let us tone down the rhetoric and reserve our criticism and anger on China where it is due. This is while we hold the line we’ve already used to mark our place in the West Philippine Sea by improving our military facilities in Philippine-controlled islands and reefs, spending further on military equipment and capability enhancement, expanding our efforts to tap the natural resources present in Philippine-held waters, maintaining good PH-China relations in other matters unrelated to the WPS dispute (cultural exchanges, trade relations, tourism, among others), and most importantly, working to continue the Philippines’ stellar economic performance in Asia!

If every Filipino will work for the success of these suggestions, it will be the ultimate demonstration of our strength as a nation, by enduring China’s overtures without antagonizing it at the same time. Our heroism and nationalism is in question right now, but these do not always lie at the tip of a gun, the tip of the tongue, or on hackers’ fingertips. Heroism, in these crucial times, lies in actions that promote our country’s good name and interests.    

References: 

• Louis Bacani (20 May 2014). Pinoys hack 200 Chinese websites amid sea disputes. The Philippine Star. Retrieved on 24 May 2014. 
• Carmela Fonbuena (20 May 2014). If China can break off Vietnam, they've won South China Sea. Rappler. Retrieved on 24 May 2014.
• Teresa Cerojano (30 March 2014). Philippines files evidence against China's claims. The Philippine Star. Retrieved on 24 May 2014.
• Michelle V. Remo (20 February 2014). PH-China economic relations seen to remain unaffected by territorial disputes. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved on 24 May 2014.
• BBC News – Asia (13 July 2012). Asean nations fail to reach agreement on South China Sea. Retrieved on 24 May 2014.
• Steve Herman (10 October 2013). ASEAN: No Breakthrough on South China Sea Issue. Voice of America. Retrieved on 24 May 2014.
• Dario Agnote and Puy Kea (10 May 2014). ASEAN foreign ministers fail to censure China over row with Vietnam. Kyodo News. Retrieved on 24 May 2014.
• Erlinda Basilio (19 July 2012). Why there is no ASEAN joint communiqué. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved on 24 May 2014.
• Boo Chanco (14 May 2014). “ASEAN will stand up to China?” in Demand and Supply. The Philippine Star. Retrieved on 24 May 2014.
• Shannon Tiezzi (26 February 2014). Why China Isn't Interested in a South China Sea Code of Conduct. The Diplomat. Retrieved on 24 May 2014.
• Mark Felsenthal and Matt Spetalnick (29 April 2014). Obama says U.S. commitment to defend Philippines 'ironclad'. Reuters. Retrieved on 24 May 2014.
• Julie Pace (28 April 2014). Obama Visits Philippines As Deal Signed To Give U.S. Military Greater Access To Area Bases. The Huffington Post. Retrieved on 24 May 2014.
• Alexis Romero (4 June 2013). PHL growth vulnerable to cyber attacks. The Philippine Star. Retrieved on 24 May 2014.

A WORLD WITHOUT END: 2012 IN REVIEW

Civil wars, killing sprees, raging mobs, and a Korean invasion, topped with a scoop of freak weather events and soon enough we all believed the world would meet its end.

But it didn't; and here we are to relive the events that had captured our heart and mind this 2012. Shocking events, tear-jerking moments, and amazing scenes that almost passed as a good Roland Emmerich or Michael Bay film. I've laid out the carpet, prepped up the projector and screen, just bring the popcorn and join me as we look back at a dirty dozen of events that made up 2012.

12. Achievements in Space

A good end of the world film won’t be complete without astronauts and spaceships. But humankind’s space feats this year weren't suicide missions to deflect an asteroid or comet; these feats were a continuation of the Space Race which went on a long pause and then restarted. The United States was unseated as the leader of this race with its retirement of the Space Shuttle Program. It chose to focus instead in expanding its exploration of the Red Planet through its Curiosity rover mission which successfully touched down in Mars in August. However, the true trailblazer in space exploration this year is China, having successfully launched its Shenzhou 9 spacecraft in June for its first manned space docking mission which included its first woman in space. Another breakthrough in space exploration came from the private sector, with the first private space launch by SpaceX in October. With these new breakthroughs, humankind has breathed new life to the space race.

The proliferation of human conflict has always been an omen signifying the end of the world both in the Bible and other non-biblical sources. But since Neanderthal times, human conflict has been a daily occurrence that already lost its prophetic significance. Hence, this year marked a series of conflicts in the Middle East and East Asia brought about by the ripples of last year’s Arab Spring and China’s increasing military presence in the region.

11. Gaza under Siege

In March and November this year, Israel launched a series of attacks against Hamas-controlled Gaza. The attack, which was a targeted killing of suspected militants planning rocket attacks against Israel, created more harm to civilians and resulted in even more rocket attacks from Gaza. The thing with Israel is that it’s always been paranoid about its internal security that even the slightest hint of an attack from Gaza would prompt it to strike back (and always with a slightly greater force compared to the one exerted by its counterpart). On the other hand, the thing with Gaza is its myopic view that Israel is and will always be an enemy of Islam. It cannot move on from the hardships and struggles of the past, unlike its counterpart, the West Bank, which had successfully transitioned from a militant to a democratic government and received recognition (as the State of Palestine) from the UN General Assembly in November.

10. Rage over Anti-Islam Film

The Arab Spring spawned a new generation of young, idealistic, technologically-empowered Muslims ready to defend their faith to the death. Thus, when a group of twisted, spoiled Christians came out with a YouTube video mocking Islam and the prophet Muhammad, it was Arab Spring once more. But this time, the Islamic world came for blood resulting in attacks against various Western embassies and culminating in the much-hyped US Embassy Attacks in Benghazi, Libya throughout September this year.

9. China vs. Neighbors

With China’s increasing economic, political, and military might in East Asia, tensions between the Red Dragon and its neighbors also heightened. It began in April with an incursion by Chinese fishermen in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal which resulted in a standoff between the Philippine Navy and Chinese Marine Surveillance ships. This was eventually followed by anti-China protests in the Philippines and Vietnam which the Chinese retaliated by conducting cyberattacks against Philippine government websites, resulting in a trade of cyberattacks. In July, China raised the status of all its territories in the South China Sea into a prefecture-level city called Sansha, angering Vietnam and the Philippines even more. In August, another front in the conflict was reopened when Chinese activists forced their way into Senkaku Islands, a territory claimed by China, Taiwan, and Japan. These events resulted in tensions between China and ASEAN member nations during the 21^st ASEAN Summit in Cambodia in November.

8. Good and Bad Times for Democracy

2012 has been a great year for democracy beginning with the democratic transition in Myanmar following Aung San Suu Kyi’s release in 2010 and the first free elections held in over 20 years in April. Nations across the globe touted Myanmar’s democratic transition as a miracle and prompted an improvement of relations between the country and Western powers. Also in April, blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng escaped from house arrest in China and fled to the US Embassy in Beijing. Eventually, he was granted a visa to travel to the US to study and continue his campaign for a democratic transition in China. Nevertheless, there were setbacks to our democratic way of life as well, especially on the Internet. Efforts by the US government to pass the SOPA and PIPA bills in Congress resulted in widespread Internet and street protests in January. A similar law, the Anti-Cybercrime Law, was passed in the Philippine Congress and signed by President Benigno Aquino III in October, prompting similar protests and a series of cyberattacks on government websites.

7. Global Economic Recession

An end of the world scenario won’t be complete without an economic crash. In 2012, the world economy still hasn’t recuperated from the downturn it went through in 2011. The PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Spain) all saw continuous street protests due to austerity measures adopted by their governments in order to pay sovereign debt as well as bailout measures to save big business.  In the United States, while strides were made to create more jobs and protect ordinary people from predatory market practices, many people were still out of jobs. US companies have begun to shift their operations back to the mainland to benefit their own people but threatening to put out of work millions of migrant workers in the US and outsourced workers in Asia. Meanwhile, China, one of the fastest growing economies in the past decade has shown signs of slowing its GDP for the first time, while countries like the Philippines and Indonesia have shown promising economic gains.

6. The London Olympics

We almost forgot that the world was about to end when London marveled us with an Olympic event like no other. From opening to closing, the 2012 London Olympics gave us a glimpse of British culture and history with its artsy, star-studded performances. We all got a new reason to smile at the camaraderie, teamwork, and athletic spirit shown by delegates from around the world, from Serena Williams in tennis to Usain Bolt in athletics. It was a festive, joyous sporting event to top off a series of milestones beginning with last year’s Royal Wedding and Queen Elizabeth II’s Jubilee this year.

5. US Shootings

But if there is a nation writhing in pain right now, it’s the United States of America. This nation is starting to feel the effects the Great Recession has had on its people. In just a year, 16 fatal shootings occurred in the US resulting in 88 people dead. Of these shootings, two of the most highly publicized occurred in Colorado and Connecticut. In July, deranged graduate student James Holmes (dressed in a Batman costume), opened fire at viewers inside a theater in Aurora, Colorado, where The Dark Knight Rises was being shown. On December 14, just a few days before Christmas, Adam Lanza, a 20-year old with a history of autism and personality disorder, killed his mother at their home and shot 26 students and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. These shootings brought a nation to even more grief even as they’re still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Sandy and the Great Recession.

4. Wild, Wild Weather!

Killing sprees have been going on since the time of Cain and Abel so it’s less likely the world would end in such a way. But the likelihood of freak weather phenomena bringing an end to our species is something worth looking into. This year, various parts of the globe continued to experience its own piece of weird weather. In March up to August, North America suffered its worst drought in decades resulting in massive crop failures, wildfires, and heat strokes. In November, Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc in the East Coast destroying much of the states of New Jersey and New York and exposing modern New Yorkers to the horrors of flooding, blackouts, and mass evacuation for the first time. In the Philippines, history repeated itself with round-the-clock monsoon rains triggering metro-wide floods in August much like what happened in 2009 during Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy). This December, supertyphoon Bopha (Pablo) caused devastation in the island of Mindanao, beating the destruction and loss of life caused by last year’s Typhoon Washi (Sendong).

3. Syrian Civil War

As the rest of the Arab Spring nations bask in their successful transition to their new governments, the success of the revolution has been very much delayed in Syria. Throughout the early to the middle part of 2012, it looked as if this conflict would turn out to be a war of attrition wherein both sides would each claim victory and without much shift in the territories they hold. However, as the West began to increase more pressure on President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime through neighbors Turkey and Jordan, and by providing some calculated support to the rebels, it looks like the tide is turning in favor of the revolution. Just this December, Russia has admitted that its ally might be on the losing end of the war. This conflict has gone on too long and the only peace the Syrian people can get right now is for the rebels to finally declare victory and start the long and arduous transition to democracy.

2. Gangnam Style

Who says the end of the world shouldn't have comic characters?

In 2012, we saw the rise of Korean pop singer Psy and his YouTube video “Gangnam Style”, the first ever YouTube video to reach a billion views. While we barely understand a word from his song, the catchy melody and dance steps has captivated viewers from around the world and created a fever both in an out of the World Wide Web. It is perhaps the climactic episode in this Korean Wave that has swept the world, giving us a bittersweet experience of Korean culture, history, and art. As we do the goofy, horse-riding step in this dance craze, we are given a temporary escape from all conflicts and problems we all faced this year. And it seemed as if maybe, just maybe, the world won’t come to an end.

1. Four More Years: The US Presidential Elections

The US Presidential Elections is the cherry to top this dozen of events that shook the world in 2012. After all, it was the most trending and most followed news event not just in the US but around the world. We followed the debates on TV, we tweeted and made status updates about our opinions and views about the candidates, and created memes about each contender before and after the vote. We all cringed in our seats when Clint Eastwood went talking to an empty chair. We braced ourselves as the votes came in one state at a time on November 6. We all went mushy during that historic moment when Barack hugged Michelle on national TV and thanked her for being with him throughout the campaign. It was the election that exposed the divisions in American society ever more so, but it was the victory that united it as well. We may never admit it, but as a de facto US state, we Filipinos have been moved by all of it even so.

A world without end: this is what we should realize after what had transpired throughout 2012. It just keeps going and going, fueled by the perpetual force of change. As long as we keep on believing that our world has no end, humankind will never have a shortage of metaphors to live by each day. No matter what happens in years to come—whether fire or ice, war and peace, right or wrong—if we all remain strong and stick together as one community united by our common good values, humankind will always wake up to another day ready to face future that lies before them. TSS

“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world the master calls a butterfly.”

~ Richard Bach 

Happy New Year Everyone!

OWNING PANATAG SHOAL

We, the Filipino people, own Panatag Shoal. Or at least, some of us believe.

The rest of this nation of almost 100 million is still divided on this issue. While some of us have joined mass protests today in various Chinese embassies and consulates worldwide, most of us are still weighing the consequences of such actions towards our relationship with our commie neighbour. And as such reservations continue to divide this nation rather than create a sold stand on the issue, the Chinese are continuing its united, armed incursion in Panatag Shoal.

United is the key word here. What makes China ever more confident about taking claim over Panatag Shoal is not just the fact that they have the largest military in the world, but also the fact that majority of Chinese society are behind the Communist Party and the Armed Forces in this endeavour. You can see it in the way they respond in Internet forums or in interviews on Chinese media: how ordinary Chinese netizens, with their substandard English, would bash and threaten Filipinos in forums; or how Chinese hackers have the audacity to attack and maim our websites. Even as their claims lack substantial proof, Chinese society has shown that unique fervour that Panatag Shoal and the rest of the disputed islands in the West Philippine Sea are theirs. They are aware of their strength and capability as a people. Hence, with the people’s mandate, the Chinese government has the guts to draw out the big gun and threaten us in our own waters, and dictate the course of this crisis.

THE POOR MUST FACE REALITY TOO!

Photo courtesy of AP/Bullit Marquez.

This is sort of a follow up to my previous post: "Putting Our Best Foot Forward" last May 2, 2012.

"The government should face reality. If they don't, how will they know the problem, how will they solve the problem," said Renato Reyes, secretary general of the left-wing group Bayan, regarding a recent effort by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to cover up slums on the side of a river which runs through the route of the delegates attending the 45th Asian Development Bank Summit this week.

“The government should face reality." It's funny he could say that without realizing the relativity of the concept.

Who should face reality here? Is it the government, who spends billions on a Conditional Cash Transfer program to help the poorest of the poor, arise from their destitute condition? Who works with financial institutions such as the Asian Development Bank (among others) to curb rampant poverty and deprivation in this country? Oh, we’ve seen reality alright. We see it every day, and I think the ADB sees it too throughout their years of being headquartered behind their walled compound in Ortigas Center. In fact, we are already saturated by images of this reality on our TV channels because they made an industry out of documenting about such reality. Hence, I think it would be unreasonable to say that the government is not facing reality. In fact, it is a belated statement, one that was made when some solutions have already been implemented and are still being implemented today. It must be outrageous to think that poverty would disappear in the days leading to the ADB summit, right Mr. Reyes?

Back to my earlier question. If it isn’t the government, who then should face the reality? Is it the upper class who has invested heavily on our country’s economy, provided jobs for the majority, and are taxed heavily? Is it the middle class, who has toiled to get and finish a degree in order to contribute brains, sweat and time to the progress of family and Motherland so that it may not live in indigence? Or is it the poor, who are very much aware of the reality they are stuck with and yet have acted little in the face of such poverty?

Take the case of that community under the bridge, whose view from the street was covered by sheets of galvanized iron by the MMDA. Have they faced the reality that by living on those banks, they are endangering themselves to floods and diseases, as well as contributing to pollution because of the lack of proper sewage system for their homes? I don’t think so. Have they faced the reality that by moving from the province to this already crowded city they would live worse than their subsistence existence in the province? I came from a tiny island in the Visayas whose people have relied on farming and fishing for years and yet were able to send their children to school and improve their lives. That is how we faced reality there. I wonder how these poor people could simply look at reality in the eye and do nothing.

The problem lies on the fact that the poor think that it’s not their choice to be poor. Such belief is not just passé, but also a huge moral flaw on their part. Exchanging a content and sufficient agricultural life in the province is their choice. Getting in to marriage without any plans early in life is their choice. Having sex without protection, having too much sex and kids in the process – it’s all a choice. The government, the upper class, and the middle class were not conspiratorial to all these choices. And even if they are at some point, the choice is still theirs. Do I want to be stuck in such reality for the rest of their lives or am I going to exhaust all possible means to get ahead and rise from the ladder? Such belief statements in life have to be let go by the poor if they are to elevate themselves from the reality of poverty.

The odds are in favor of those who dare. For decades, we, as a people have supported our brethren who  dared to rise out of poverty. Whether people in government, the upper class, the middle class -- we have made steps to assist and support those who are willing to face the reality and solve it. But this doesn’t mean the end is on sight. While ironic, Mr. Reyes’ words do serve as a wake up call. There are still a lot of things to be done aside from covering the blemishes. But the truth remains: those who saved themselves rather than waiting to be saved have been rewarded well. Those who are eager to be saved have been given a helping hand.

I wonder where Mr. Reyes was when all of that was happening.

In another reality, I suppose. After all, they are other group here who’s not facing reality (or rather, facing a different reality – a rather violent and fast-paced one). Those in the left-wing are well aware of such reality and yet what part have they done in order to solve the problem? Have they organized fundraisers or charities for the construction of homes for informal settlers? Have they worked with our system of governance in order to put to justice elements in our society that maligns the poor? Have they been kind to our benefactors in the fight against poverty and deprivation? Are they merely spotlighting the cons instead of highlight what is good in what we’ve done as a nation too?

The left movement should face reality. It’s time that they contribute to nation-building instead of nation-tearing. It’s not that that they should turn 180 degrees on their beliefs. All I’m saying is that they should try meeting the rest of the nation halfway. After all, we only have one common goal in mind, to convince the rest of the world that "It's More Fun [to live] in the Philippines!" TSS

PUTTING OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD

Photo courtesy of Sec. Cesar Purisima's Facebook page.

We've got visitors this week.

You can tell by the way the landscape is being refreshed in major thoroughfares like EDSA and Roxas Boulevard -- palm trees earth-balled and replanted in the center island -- making it look like Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Sidewalks, flyovers, overpasses, even urinals -- all have been repainted. Corrugated sheets of aluminium were put up on the sides of bridges to cover the smelly, dirty mess of the estuary and the informal settlers below. The usual truck ban just became unusual as it was expanded to a total day time ban. These are just few of the things the Philippines is doing to put its best foot forward to the 45th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank from 2-5 May 2012.

There’s nothing wrong with all these preparations. It’s common sense for any country to do some housekeeping in anticipation of visitors, especially foreign ones. We can say that our country is like a good homeowner, who makes his house clean and tidy in time for fiesta season. S/he will put her/his best foot forward to make sure that there won’t be any inconvenience to the visitor within their stay. This kind of attitude is also reflected in the way we attend meetings, conferences or even weekly worship service – we come in our best clothes, making sure we look clean and tidy in the presence of others. Thus, it is excusable if the government spends tax money, time and effort for this event. Failing to prepare for this event will do more damage to our pride and reputation as a nation, compared to the inconvenience of a total truck ban or sheets of galvanized iron to temporarily cover squatter shanties.

Consequently, it is unreasonable for trucking companies or informal settlers (or anyone else for that matter) to complain how they are being affected by these preparations. Their actions are tantamount to a child complaining about having to keep his/her toys in the toy box because Uncle Sam or John Bull is coming to visit. Much like in the household, all stakeholders in this nation must understand the need for these arrangements. For a country trying to convince the world that “It’s More Fun in the Philippines”, cooperation, not obstruction, is ever more important right now. Regardless of what ever issue we have over the Asian Development Bank (especially over loaning practices and influence over national economic policies), in keeping with being a good host putting her/his best foot forward, we must avoid acts that could set a negative impression such as unrest, illegal rallies and demonstrations, and the likes. (This is one call I am directing most specifically to our friends in the Left Movement out there.) After all, despite what they have to hurl against ADB, we cannot deny that it is one of the country’s biggest benefactors in the fight against poverty in the country.

Nevertheless, even as we exceed in this task of hospitality and generosity towards our foreign visitors, we must keep in mind the principle of Occam’s Razor: “It is vain to do with more, what can be done with less.” We can be welcoming and cordial, without having to pompous and extravagant. It doesn’t have to take beyond the capacity of our meagre resources just to appease our guests to the highest level. Our target is simply to make their stay secure and comfortable, and their mission, successful and fulfilling. And if we are to extend that best foot forward, I sure hope we could continue extending it after the visitors have come and gone. After all, a host who is kind to the guest, but is cruel to waiters and servants is NOT a great host. If we can be a good host to our neighbours, then we must be good host to our own people, who expect the most from our hosts, as well.

The 45th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank will be from 2-5 May 2012 at the Philippine International Convention Center, CCP Complex, Pasay City. TSS

A DAY OF HATE

Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press.

Tomorrow will be another Labor Day, or as critics of the Left Movement say -- "Araw ng Pag-ngawa" (Day of Whining).

Expect the usual. Rallies in Plaza Mendiola, or Liwasang Bonifacio, leftist politicians vociferously launching tirades against the government, describing it as a puppet of the United States, as enemies of the poor, as opponents of the working class. There will be calls for the passage of the P125 across the board wage hike. They will ridicule the administration’s latest round of wage increases as “cheap” or “loose change”. We won’t hear anything we haven’t heard in the past Labor Day demonstrations.

As usual, a lot of people will be attracted to these rallies: college students wanting to become rebels without a cause, urban poor citizens from private lands they’ve squatted, rural farmers disenfranchised by decades of feudal landlordism. I wonder if after all these years of attending rallies, they will finally get what they really seek from it. They way I see it, they are being exploited by leftist politicians in their “12 hours of Hate”, their own version of Two Minutes Hate from Orwell’s “1984”. These politicians will convincingly try to develop to the mindset of these people that they are oppressed by a certain “ruling class” that the system of things in this country has to be overthrown and overturned in order to shift the balance of power in favor of the oppressed. This illusion has been set in the minds of the attendees for past Labor Days, an illusion they still dream of becoming a reality in this democratic country.

What these people don’t realize is that by attending these demonstration, they are oppressing themselves even further, as they are missing out their chance of uplifting themselves out of poverty and misery. If the unemployed, who will come to bash the government’s labor policy, will instead flock to the DOLE’s Job Fairs tomorrow, then they will have a greater chance at finding employment, whether temporary or permanent. After all, better to have a temporary job than no job at all. If these misguided youths would instead apply for a summer job in order to save up money for their tuition fees come June, then it wouldn’t be harder for them despite the increase in matriculation this year. Indeed, there are better things people could do instead of being part of this conspiracy of hate against our democratic way of life.

If only the Left Movement could do something different this year. Something more positive and pro-active, perhaps public opinion won’t be against their favor (at least for this year). In the past Labor Days, we haven’t seen leaders of the Left organize a job fair in cooperation with the DOLE, or launch a campaign that would help government agencies crackdown on employers violating wage laws. We don’t see the Left Movement organizing fundraisers for the purchase of lands people have squatted, or for the construction of housing complexes meant for the relocation of informal settlers. “Any action committed in anger, is bound to be doomed”, as Paolo Coelho once said. Definitely, any action committed by the Left tomorrow out of anger for our way of life, will just plant seeds of oppression, depression and desperation on the part of the poor. They will simply supplant an already deep-seated seed of illusion which they call in their language, “revolution”.

Enough with hate, Reds! It’s time that mass actions on future Labor Days be geared towards the achievement of positive and proactive solutions to the long-standing problems plaguing the plight of the ordinary working class, poor Filipino. TSS

HAPPY 1st ANNIVERSARY!!!

A year ago, December 20, 2010, The Social Scientist first went online.

I could barely remember the specific circumstances which led me to start this blog. All I know is that all of a sudden, I have a huge surplus of time and an oozing energy to write. I wanted to write about the implications of every major issue confronting Filipino society at this day and age. Thus, our journey through 40 posts in a year started.

We started writing at the opportune moment: the Arab Spring was just starting in Tunisia and would soon spread around the globe, Hubert Webb and the rest of the accused in the Vizconde Massacre case were acquitted by the Corona Court, and the next generation Philippine currency has just been released by the BSP. Our first post dealt with Filipino society's reaction to the purported flaws in its design and implications of our society's reaction.

Since then, we've covered many of the major events which occurred throughout 2011, not only here in The Social Scientist but also in its sister blog, Pilipinas 360. We wrote a feature on the dawn of the 24-hour all news channels in the Philippines and gave live blog updates on the March 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and the succeeding nuclear disaster it brought. We delved into the implications of the Egyptian and Libyan Uprising to Filipino society, as well as, linked to the Filipino consciousness the death of Osama bin Laden, the Royal Wedding and the beatification of Pope John Paul II. We were part of commemorating Dr. Jose Rizal's 150th birth anniversary, and reacted to recent actions of the Aquino administrations against the corrupt practice of the previous regime and its tentacles. Morever, we gave an in-depth look at the status of the Philippine Navy, our mental health, the education sector and even our penchant for pang-ookray.

With these posts, we were able to do something which other bloggers have not been doing -- to link the Filipino psyche and behavior to major political and socio-economic issues every Filipino is experiencing. Our posts made sense of the whys behind every major Filipino reaction to what's happening in the world today. It led us to a better understanding of our society -- its good points and great flaws -- its humanity! We delivered this consciousness to reach even other platforms within the blogosphere, by publishing our entries in other blog sites such as Definitely Filipino and Networked Blogs, and by creating our own Facebook page, so that more people can make sense of our content.

There is no other way than this. While we could have done it better, of course, the odds are not always in our favor. There were times that we cannot post for more than a month, and there are times that we are not being read, but in the end, there is no other way that this. If given a chance to relive this experience, we would have done the same thing. Expect us to make things even better in this coming year.

We would like to thank all our readers throughout a year of joining us through our journey inside the Filipino consciousness, to fellow bloggers who shared their ideas and expertise with us, to our friends and loved ones who always encouraged us to keep on writing despite the competitive nature of blogging. We would not have made it this big without you. We owe our existence to your constant demand for what we write.

This is not the end -- this is just the beginning of an even wonderful saga. There are still uncharted waters to sail through. While we wait for good winds to bring us there, let us hold hands and brace ourselves, for the journey is about to get more exciting.

Happy 1st Anniversary THE SOCIAL SCIENTIST!

MAD SEASON

MAD TIMES: September and October 2011 was rocked by news of murders and suicides nationwide as seen in these newspaper and news sites' headlines.

As you can see in the headlines above, we are indeed living in mad times.

Throughout last month and this month, our evening news programs and newspapers were filled with headlines about various murders, suicides (and some, murder-suicides) and other crimes of passion. Although for some, these events are just common place and are no longer shocking, for many, it still strikes a delicate nerve, to think that back in 2009 the Philippines ranked 14th among the happiest countries in the world. Filipinos are known to smile and relax despite the onset of various personal or national calamities. And yet, we still have these gruesome deaths going on everyday.

I made me wonder though: What could be running on these people's minds to commit such dreadful acts?. And with all the psychologists and psychology students we have in this country, what is the state of our society's mental health?

My curiosity led me to search for statistics regarding the status of our society's mental health during the last decade as well as the status of our mental health services and facilities. I've stumbled upon the following results:

1. The National Statistics Office’s  Disability Survey in 2000 ranked mental illness as the third most common form of morbidity, or type of disease, after visual and hearing impairments among Filipinos. The same survey showed that 88 Filipinos out of every 100,000 population with mental problems.

2. In 2004, a DOH-commissioned Social Weather Stations survey found that 0.7 percent of total Filipino households have a family member who has a psychological disorder such as depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy, and substance abuse.

3. A 2006 DOH study showed that 36% of government employees reported to have experienced mental health problems at least once.

4. In a 2007 study by the World Health Organization (WHO), 9 out of 100,000 general population have been diagnosed with schizophrenia. The same survey also showed that there are only 3 mental health workers for every 100,000 population, and that only 0.02% of the health budget is being used for mental health.

Furthermore, I also found out that there is no law on mental health that has been enacted (or pending enactment) in Philippine Congress (probably because they are all schizophrenic as well). With this condition of our country's mental health and mental health services/facilities, it really is no surprise why crimes of passion are becoming a trend these days.

Which leads my curiosity to another question: "Who should be responsible for making sure that most Filipinos will have access to quality mental health services?"

The incapability of the public sector only means that other sectors of society, most especially the private sector, must be put in the equation to provide at least basic mental health service to our people. But this does not mean that the public sector won't strive to provide the same services. By applying the current public-private partnership scheme, this could be done. The government could allow private psychiatric firms to operate as part of public hospitals in order to make such service more accessible to the public (but of course, with consideration to the impoverished when it comes to service fees). However, if we really want to strike the issue of mental health from its roots, basic mental health services must also be made available not just in the mental health sector but also in the education and business sectors.

Mental health services must begin in schools through quality guidance and counseling services to students, since it is in these ages where individuals begin to make sense of their mental and emotional conditions. Students face a great deal of stress through bullying, academic pressure, peer pressure and other factors. An an early age, they should made well aware on how to manage their thoughts and emotions given these circumstances. However, not all public and private schools have a working and decent guidance and counseling department. 

Also, all private (if not public) companies and firms, whether local or multinational, must have some form of psychiatric service embedded within its human resource department. This is to ensure that the mental health condition of Filipino employees can be monitored and responded to if the need arises. It may be an additional cost for companies, but it will ensure them that their workers are always motivated to work and have high productivity rates. 

If legislation about mental health would be enacted, it should contain sections which requires the mental health services I described above. In that way, there will be an across-the-board response to this persistent need for mental health. In the end, this will not just pave the way for better working or living conditions, it could also pave the way for a more just and humane society of Filipinos in the future. TSS

SAVAGES

NO MERCY. Gadhafi, seen here, bloodied after his capture and death.
Photo courtesy of Agence France-Presse.

Before news of his death came out, I already expected Muammar Gadhafi to die.

But not in the way I saw it happened.

All along, I thought he was going to be captured alive. Then sent to prison and treated with accordance to law. I thought he will be put to trial for his crimes to humanity. Chances are, he's going to be hanged or shot for his crimes. My thoughts were somehow reminiscent of Saddam Hussein's death back in 2003. But soon, it dawned on me why that idea was did not happen -- Iraq was occupied by the Americans at that time, majority of Iraqis are Sunnis just like Saddam who looked up at him throughout his regime.

Libya is different. What we have there are a group of oppressed and defiant revolutionaries who will risk everything and will resort to anything just to get their freedom back. Unlike the Americans, they won't think twice about killing the famed despot on the spot upon arrest. And that is what exactly happened.

I am appalled by the savagery of the rebels who captured Gadhafi -- how they took him out of that sewer pipe and dragged him by the hair to a waiting truck, how they displayed his still alive body to the multitude of bystanders with their cellphone cameras, how they shouted in celebration and brandished their weapons insensitive to the needs of the dying man. It makes me cringe and think twice about the type of people replacing  the long-time and long-hated tyrant. Sooner or later, the same savage people will find their selves fighting for influence, power and resources. Given the still murky future which awaits Libya, it is still likely that it will revert to being an isolated state once these savage rebels take the reins of government. From here starts a never ending cycle of savagery unless someone more civilized takes over.

But even the more civilized can become savage too, and we've already seen it earlier this year. You see, Gadhafi is not the only madman killed this year -- Osama bin Laden was also killed back in May. And while you might think that the Americans will breathe a calm, sigh of relief, the celebrations that followed were no different to what the rebels in Libya are now doing. Nor are they different from hooligans whose football team just won a championship.

Which leads me to question: Why do we celebrate the death of a person, let alone an evil one?

Despite the cruelty of Gadhafi to his own kind, the Libyan rebels still owe a lot to his existence. Without Gadhafi's 42 years of dictatorship, they won't realize and aspire for what true freedom really means. I believe that only when a people is chained and enslaved that they will truly know what liberty is. Thus, the savagery that these rebels have shown is not what Gadhafi deserves. This acts only justifies his own tyrannical deeds and tramples on the very essence of freedom. If a person values freedom, that person must value life, for no one can live without freedom and no one can be free without life.

I am one with the Libyan people in their achievement of the liberation they have sought for so long. But I will never be one with savages, whether tyrants or freedom fighters. TSS

Deja Vu: How Ondo Perez could be another Rolando Mendoza

Manobo clan leader Ondo Perez/AP

The Aquino government hasn't even reached its first anniversary in office and yet it is being taken hostage once more, this time by a group of armed Manobo tribesmen. On Friday, the group abducted 14 people including two minors in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur. The group is demanding the release of their leader, Ondo Perez, who himself was involved in the hostage-taking of another 79 people back in November 2009.

This fresh hostage-taking incident is a test case in the Aquino government's response to such crisis. One wrong move and this could end up like the fatal Quirino Grandstand incident which killed 8 Hong Kong nationals and strained Filipino-Chinese relations. The action which I am most concerned about is the government's reliance on the same group of negotiators who mediated the November 2009 hostage-taking incident. Negotiators didn't keep their promise by arresting Perez and his followers after they freed the hostages. With the same group of crooks mediating this crisis, we could expect more trouble than solutions.

What I hope the Aquino government could look into is a genuine, long-term and sustainable response to the demands of the hostage-takers. Obviously, the hostage-taking in 2009 and now stemmed from the rivalry between Perez's clan and that of Joel Tubay, another Manabo tribal leader, over ownership of ancestral lands reported to be rich in wood and mineral resources. I think both tribes are being pitted against each other thereby benefiting mining and logging companies who have interests in the area. A sincere approach to this crisis would be to ensure that the Perez and Tubay clans as well as other stakeholders are represented well in talks about a possible land distribution deal. Once each clan is given its fair share of land, full pledge assistance should be given to these families so that they can make a profitable and sustainable livelihood out of these lands. Their interest should not be given up for the sake of scrupulous mining and logging companies and the dynasties which support them.

In the end, I hope for the safe release of the hostages who are mostly teachers like me. It sickens me to hear that teachers, with simple lives and meager salaries are being used once more as bargaining chips in this kind of gunpoint diplomacy. I hope the hostages could reason their way out of this crisis and use the law to their advantage instead of putting it in their own hands. I hope the negotiators would have the heart to reach out genuinely to these poor, afflicted people.

Nothing is resolved through the barrel of a gun.

Sources: The Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Daily Tribune and GMA News Online

ODYSSEY DAWN: NATO forces begin attacks on Libya

UPDATED (March 20, 2011 -- 8:00 AM Manila Time) -- In a move done almost in the nick of time, NATO Coalition Forces finally attacked Libyan air defenses of Saturday to enforce a No-Fly Zone resolution established by the United Nations Security Council on Friday. NATO members France, United Kingdom, Italy, Canada and the United States gathered its forces in an operation dubbed as Odyssey Dawn and launched aircraft and missile attacks against Libyan air defenses in the cities of Tripoli and Misrata. At least 20 aircraft from UK and France are involved in the operation, while the US provided ship support through the use of 2 destroyers, 2 amphibious assault ships, a command-and-control ship and a submarine. Canada provided surveillance for the operation while Italy allowed its air bases in Sicily to be the forward base of the operation.

The strikes are meant to clear the area for ground troops from NATO and Arab League members to enter the country and create a buffer zone between forces of the Libyan opposition and Col. Muammar Gadhafi's military. On Thursday, Gadhafi forces came at around 160 miles from the rebel stronghold city of Benghazi after a week of offensives which greatly crushed the rebel's numbers and morale. France, fearing that civilians in Benghazi will be the target of Gadhafi's wrath, urged the UN Security Council to finally vote on a much anticipated No-Fly Zone resolution over Libya. 10 UNSC members voted in favor of the resolution while Russia, China, India, Brazil and Germany chose to abstain. The UNSC resolution orders all its members to provide "all necessary means" to protect the citizens of Libya against Col. Gadhafi's forces.

THE TWO FACES OF THE LIBYAN CIVIL WAR. On the left, Libyan opposition supporters celebrate in Benghazi on Friday after the declaration of a No-Fly Zone. On the right, Gadhafi loyalists in a rally in Tripoli on Thursday. (AP)

Libyans in Benghazi celebrated on Friday night with fireworks and street parties upon hearing news of the UN resolution. Col. Gadhafi meanwhile remains defiant in the face of imminent backlash from Western coalition forces, stating that in a radio message that "Libyans will fight back against undeserved naked agression", and called on "all people of the Islamic nations and Africa, and Latin America and Asia, stand with the Libyan people in its fight against this aggression". Gadhafi has declared a ceasefire Friday night in response to the UN resolution by eyewitnesses on the ground say that his forces continued to advance on Saturday, pommeling Benghazi with mortar fire.

ARMED AND READY. French Rafale fighter jets prep up in Sicily, Italy for Operation Odyssey Dawn (left) while an opposition jet fighter is shot down and crashes in Benghazi (right)/Courtesy: AP

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton commented on Gadhafi's defiance in the face of world condemnation. "The Gadhafi regime has lost all of its legitimacy," she stated from Paris after a meeting between leaders of the coalition forces. The United States is cautious about its participation in Odyssey Dawn as it tries to distance itself from getting deeply involved in another Muslim country just like it did in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hence, it allowed for more participation from UK, France and other NATO members and has included at least two Arab League members to participate to give the operation a distinct Arabic signature. Odyssey Dawn came almost late as Libyans were anticipating a Western intervention earlier in its civil war against Gadhafi forces.

Sources: The Associated Press and CNN.

OPENING A CAN OF WORMS (Part 1 of 2)

TO NUKE OR NOT TO NUKE?

Nuclear energy is a form of energy created when atoms of two particles bombard each other and produces a chemical reaction. For the past 80 years, humanity has found ways to harness this form of energy to power its many activities --- electric power generation, vehicle propulsion and even as weapons of mass destruction.

There is no question as to how nuclear energy has benefited humanity. A lot of countries nowadays rely on this source of energy at a time when the prices of oil commodities are hiking up due to conflict in the Arab region. As compared to oil, nuclear energy can be produced in great quantities with just a small amount of fuel such is uranium or plutonium. For countries who have a plentiful supply of this element, either through natural supply or importation, they have managed to produce a steady and cheap supply of energy to power their countries economic growth. Nations such as the United States, Russia, China, Japan, United Kingdom and many more are having a nuclear renaissance.

Why can't the Philippines?

The first person to actually ask that question is former dictator President Ferdinand Marcos. In the wake of rising oil prices in the 70s due to the rise of Pan-Arabism and international terrorist networks as well as the Arab-Israeli Wars, President Marcos decided that its high time the country ventures into using nuclear energy for power generation. And thus, at Morong, Bataan, the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) was born. Worth $2.2 billon, the plant was built by American company Westinghouse and was completed in 1983. However, President Marcos' overthrow during the EDSA People Power Revolution in 1986 has stalled the plant's opening and operation. It was eventually mothballed after the 1987 Constitution instituted a ban on nuclear technology in the country both for military or peaceful purposes, motivated by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the USSR a year earlier. Since then, the plant is under the care and maintenance of the Napocor for a cost of Php 40 million a year, aside from its debt of Php 21.2 billion in loans which was fully paid in April 2007.

Now that oil and gas prices are going up once more, triggering a domino effect of prices hikes in transportation fares and basic commodities, is it high time that we reconsider the option of nuclear energy for electric power generation? Former Congressman Mark Cojuangco believe so. In 1998, he set forward a bill in the House of Representatives calling on Congress to rehabilitate the mothballed plant so that it can pay on its own for the costs of its construction. He also reasoned that the plant could end the country's reliance on expensive and unclean fossil fuels to power our electric grids and lessen the consumers' burden of paying high electricity rates. He wants Congress to allocate the necessary funds to rehabilitate the plant ($800 million according to the Department of Energy in 2008). However, even after his term ended, the bill didn't push through. Nevertheless, Cojuangco is still adamant that the proposal will be considered in the future.

In the wake of an impending nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan, the debate is getting hot once more like exposed fuel roads in a nuclear reactor. Should we go nuclear or not? What are the benefits and the disadvantages? Are the benefits greater than the disadvantages or otherwise? (To be continued)