By Lester Cavestany, Contributor
INQUIRER.net
FILIPINO patriots went for a swim Monday morning, the 21st of April, to cool down and relax in the crystal clear waters of Manila Bay. Well, not exactly! They dived into the swim-at-your-own-risk waters of Manila Bay to protest against the ratification of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). Pro-JPEPA senators will be feeling the heat from Filipinos who believe that the government has once again outdone itself when it comes to pimping our motherland to other countries.
According to the swimmers who braved the waters of Manila Bay, the treaty will allow large and high-tech Japanese fishing vessels to sweep our waters and get all the fish they want. But the government says that we don’t have to worry about any shortage in fish supply. Keep in mind that this is the same government who’s also telling us not to worry about the shortage in rice supply. So I guess it’s okay for Japan to catch all the fish they want because our government says it’s alright.
Greenpeace has also protested against JPEPA saying that it will allow Japan to ship toxic waste to the Philippines. “It’s okay,” the Philippine government says, “we don’t have to revise the treaty because ‘notes’ have already been exchanged between Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo and Japan Foreign Minister Taro Aso.” They now have a “gentleman’s agreement” that toxic waste will not be dumped in our country. I would like to believe the foreign ministers and I am sure they are men of their words. But the thing is, I can’t forget what happened in August 1999 when toxic waste from Japan was found in 92 (yes, 92!) 40-foot container vans. They were marked as recyclables but they contained used diapers, used syringes, incinerator ash, radioactive waste, and other disgusting things we should never speak of again.
If you still insist that it’s okay to be the trash can of a rich country because they will help our economy by providing jobs and by allowing our exports to enter their country with no tax, then you may join the ranks of our Politicos In Mama Pilipina, PIMPs for short! Join them as they try to convince the nation that JPEPA is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Join them as they say: “Let’s take in all of Japan’s toxic waste and let’s give all our fish to Japan so that they will give us jobs and economic aid.”
O Inang Bayan, patawarin mo po kami.
Also posted in www.lestercavestany.com
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June 20th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
We have seen lots of mistakes and wrong doings in our government officials, We always critisized them of their incapabilities and immoralities, are we not the one who casted our votes on them? And here we are again on the blame game, pointing fingers to others, change should always start on ourselves, if we say thats wrong in our opinion, then we tell the right way, I’ve read good comments but were are those alternatives that may help making your criticism constructive, if we dont want blue, white would be an alternative. We always seen the bad side of our government and the politicians who run the show, as popularly known that we human being loved to see others deffects, but before casting stones on them we should leap on our own first, you cant take others burden while your heavily loaded.
If we want change in our government, lets start in ourselves.
June 13th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Jang-jang
Tama ka, suwapang talaga ang gobyerno natin. Una, nilason na tayo dahil sa pagbukas ng maraming “mining”, tapos eto nanaman tayo, inaprobahan an JPEPA.
Wala na talaga akong “bilib” sa mga mambabatas natin. Hindi naman lahat, kundi, karamihan.
Ang hirap kasi sa mga mambabatas, puro mayayaman, at may “vested interest” ang mga yan.
Alam ko, matalino at magaling manalumpati ang mga hinayupak na ito, kaya lang walang moralidad.
Isipin mo sumama ke PGMA, nagliwaliw sa ibang bansa, akala mo, sarili nilang pera ang ginagamit.
Bastusan na ang mga nagigiral sa mga mambabatas. Kaya hindi na impeach si PGMA kahit na lantarang dayaan noong election dahil sa mga alipores nito sa Batasan.
May 18th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
We have high regards for foreigners, especially if they are rich. In these agreement with Japan, the Phil Govt focuses on the MONEY that Japan will bring in.
It is very Filipino, From our President to her cabinet secretaries to the Senators to the Congressmen and even the Judiciary down to the the Filipino businessmen, managers, employees and futher to the illegal settlers or squatters.
We tend took at the wallet first before telling them what we can do or share.
May 5th, 2008 at 8:05 am
The only trash I know is squatting in Malacanyang Palace, Alone with her corrupt croonies……
May 4th, 2008 at 2:00 am
While the forest is burning, the monkeys are playing cheapipay in the banana trees. But doesn’t anyone disturb them with another jeep pee pie, for it is I, not the fire who will consume them.
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:46 am
Free trade agreements, like JPEPA, is a modern day war for economic supremacy and subjugation. The weak and corrupt countries being targeted as resource (human, food, minerals, petroleum) with the latter (Phil) integrated to serve the highly industrialized country (Japan). China and Japan are both racing in capturing these Phil resources with China under Asean China FTA while Japan employed two pronged approach, which is through an EPA (economic partnership agreement) with individual Asean country and also through Asean Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership. If you think that Phils will become an industrialized country in the next 20 years, as peddled by gma, forget about it. The truth is that most of Phil manufacturing sectors are slowly dying due to global trade. Our local producers cant compete with other countries because of high power costs (second highest in Asia), poor infrastructure, corruption costs (from barangay to malacanang), etc.
Going back to EPA with Japan, our neighboring countries has properly protected their local economy with Malaysia reserving their Bhumiputra policy (local Malay first) in all business areas that Japan is interested to invest; Indonesia imposed also so many performance requirements (compliance with local laws); etc. Because our local negotiators when they went to Japan during jpepa negotiations were doing sightseeing and shopping (courtesy of Japanese) and left the drafting of jpepa to Japanese; they failed to include the limitations under the Phil 1987 Constitution, fishery laws, mining laws, labor laws, etc.
I’m sure the next big business will be brokering for Japanese investors in these sensitive areas, the last and remaining resources of the Phils. These faggots will certainly make a lot of money from jpepa and other trade or cooperation agreements with other countries.
The next five years will be extremely rough and bumpy ride for all Pinoys (and other countries as well) – food crisis, fuel crisis (? US$300/barrel), higher prices of commodities (grains, cement, steel, etc.). Our govt do have a long-term foresight and preparation for these events? God bless us and our country.
May 1st, 2008 at 10:29 am
Imagine, giving the Japanese the right to fish in our economic zone! We are running out of fish and yet, we give rights for other countries to fish what remains in our water?…..wonderwoman
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That’s the legacy of colonialism spanish style. They used the swords and the cross to subjugate and once free people and the cross had proven to be more potent than the swords in rendering the succeeding generations of Filipinos worse than the worst case of mental retardation. They think of heaven day and night yet they can only sense the outer image, the concrete visual image of
God. They could master as far as the concreteness of their successes but could not connect them with their conscience and moral values. They do things for show wishing them noses to be broader and their skin to be fairer. In short, dignity and integrity they could not comprehend nor appreciate.
May 1st, 2008 at 10:18 am
The reason why our government is not so sensitive to the needs and welfare of its people is that 95% of people occupying the very sensitive positions and decision making in our government being dominate by ethnic chinese, or Psuedo Filipinos. They don’t mind if the ethnic Filipinos suffer. They are not move if they hear that a seven year old kid eats sugar and rice for his suffer, because the parents is too poor to buy the right kind of food. As long was these PARASITES are in our government, we don’t expect any benifit to our countrymen…Wonderwoman said.
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BUT Not really. The Philippine government is dominated by morons. Not Chinese or what not. That’s an old worn-out excuse by the likes of you who try to simplify the problems that started when the first rajas and datus willingly allow themselves to be converted into Catholism. This religion’s hold on the Filipinos were so complete there are nothing more any foreigners need to do to repeatedly fool them. The Filipinos do what is right, not because it is right, but because they wanted to go to heaven. The Chinese do what is right because they are Chinese and HIYA. They do not want to shame their ancestors. The Chinese who have been Filipinized and got converted into Catholism are the ones dominating the power houses of the Philippines, not because they are Chinese, but because they have been contaminated with the slave mentality, which is the legacy of this religion. Catholics must do right not because they are right but because they have been made to believe that obedience will get them to heaven. No question asked. Even their prayers for centuries have been memorized and are repeatedly recited without connection to their brain, heart, and conscience.
April 29th, 2008 at 8:14 am
As you mentioned pimps I’ll add Sluts to that. Meanwhile Malacanang has gone into bread business.
Government in this bakery business - progressive or counter progressive?
But most Juan dela Cruzes from the observer standpoint have their own question, too - “Ano na namang pautot ito?” The man in the street has not read historical Materialism, but the principle is very much practiced by him. Indeed, what kind of superficial gimmick is this bread business by Malacanañg?
If I may synthesize them: So, Malacanañg is selling cheaper and bigger bread than that my baker-neighbor is selling. And they come in more expensive packing as shown in TV. They must have cost higher than what my baker-neighbor is producing. This must be good business for government supplier or suppliers, presumably big bakery businesses, which is nothing wrong per se and in some aspect is, in fact, progressive.
But, is this bread business by government sustainable or is it another of those pains in the ass of Juan dela Cruz in the long run? And, is the State ready to assume the role of those it displaced? And looking at the already high un-employment problem, what happens to those who will be displaced?
Why does not, or cannot government just simply bring in or affect cheaper flour (LPG and electricity, too) for all Filipinos? Looking at the situations, I don’t think that this bread program can even be pushed Metro Manila-wide. Yes it will make some sections of Metro Manila happy. This ought to be done country-wide. Malacanañg has reportedly appropriated P5 billion pesos for dole out to Filipinos reduced to beggars out there. But as we all know, Juan dela Cruz who is shouldering all these, is not that rich.
Juan dela Cruz appears to be right – it looks like another pautot to prop Malacanañg hopefully until 2010. Everybody does that in his or her term - let the next administration pick up the bills later, ha-ha-ha?
April 29th, 2008 at 4:45 am
May you rest in God’s kingdom, we will all miss you.
April 28th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Another ass-hatery by GMA & Company. =(((
Is there a petition we can sign to stop this idiocy?
April 28th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
The reason why our government is not so sensitive to the needs and welfare of its people is that 95% of people occupying the very sensitive positions and decision making in our government being dominate by ethnic chinese, or Psuedo Filipinos. They don’t mind if the ethnic Filipinos suffer. They are not move if they hear that a seven year old kid eats sugar and rice for his suffer, because the parents is too poor to buy the right kind of food. As long was these PARASITES are in our government, we don’t expect any benifit to our countrymen.
April 28th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
First of all, we have for a long time, a stupid governemt. If it does not sell the Philippines to the Chinese, our government will sell it to other bidders. This government has done so many blunders, so many list of blunders, that it would not be surprising the state we are in right now.
Imagine, giving the Japanese the right to fish in our economic zone! We are running out of fish and yet, we give rights for other countries to fish what remains in our water?
When it cames to fishing, we have shot our toe beyond healing. First, we convert our mongroves into fish pond. The consequence?
The fish catch from visayan sea and mindanao sea is fast dwindling. Not to over fishing but the practice of using small fishnets, almost to the size of mosquitoe net.
Why catch the fishermen who uses these nets. Why not confiscate and close the hardwares which is the source of this nets.
Is it not a shame to see that inspite of the Philippines being surrounded by China and Pacific Ocean, we are running out of fish?
There are also the pouchers, such as Koreans, Chinese (mainland @ Taiwanist), and Japanese. No body respect our bounderies anymore because we have a paper tiger military. We have a symbolic Airforce, a pony Navy, and half starving infantry.
Sometime in our past, the only survailance plane we had, was deliverately over-shot to the north end of Laoag Airport. That Airforce Pilot who have flown that aircraft is an economic sabutour. He landed the F-27 Aircraft on the last one fourth of the runway. And under investigation by the Fokker Company Accident Investigation, there was not even a tire mark to signify that the aircraft attempted to stop.
That was a deliverate crush landing. And the aircraft, the only survailance aircraft we had landed nose first, in to the Laoag River.
Believe me, we have to many “Judas” in our government who will sell the national entegrity of our country in exchange for gold.
1
April 28th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
On whose watch was JPEPA signed? Who were the morons who benefited?
Oh well, let’s ask the president, Gloria Maca-Pidal to intercede in our behalf. But then again, she’s got so many scandals up her sleeve. And with a dubious reputation such as she has, how could one trust her?
Hello Garci?
April 28th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
you nailed it man! economic aid??? Our country has been receiving this so called economic aid since time immemorial but can you see any progress in our economy, in our country? these aids only goes to the pocket of charlatan politicians and doesn’t trickle down to the poor people.
April 27th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
In any deal , it’s the bigger and stronger that gets the better end. We have to remember the only prime export we have is educated and trainable labor but Japan won’t accept unlimited labor export to their country. The best deal should be patterned after the European Community in which cheap labor countries like poland etc can basically go to work in countries like Germany or Italy .
April 26th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Hi Lester,
Let me first thank you for this wonderful article. Our sincerest thanks for calling us patriots against Jpepa. Yes, our group Pamalakaya together with No Deal Jpepa sponsored that swim protest against Jpepa. Our position is non-negotiable and we call for the outright rejection of this one-sided and exploitative economic agreement.
Jpepa is not an agreement. In reality it is an imposition of an imperial power, specifically Japan, the world’s no.2 economic power and the second largest exploiting nation across the globe.
Under Jpepa everything is served in silver platter to Japanese transnational corporations, further reducing this country into a perpetual modern-day slaves of super powers like the US, Japan and the European Union.
In the fisheries sector, Jpepa will allow the entry of Japanese factory ships. A 3,000 single ton factory ship, according to industry standard is capable of harvesting 150 metric tons of tuna per day or 50,000 metric tons of tuna per year.
A single factory ship could earn as much as $ 200 million in year operation. If they employ 10 factory ships per year, that would be tantamount to 500,000 metric tons of tuna and other fish species or roughly $ 2 billion US in total windfall.
In exchange for this whopping profit, is the massive depletion of tuna stocks in the country and the all-out destruction of Philippine marine environment.
We hope to hear more people like you to add their voice to counter the all-out propaganda of the government and Jpepa apologists and rally the people and defend the country’s sovereignty and patrimony.
April 24th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Its easy to dismiss the JPEPA once you hear of stories of how Japan would dump toxic wastes anew in our country and siphon off all our fishes using their hi tech vessels. It really hurts our pride as a nation and its so easy to get emotional over it.
But rather than totally junk it, i feel that as ordinary citizen like me should really know the provisions fair and square–about what the government has done recently to amend some of the loopholes (they supposedly did right?). I hope somebody would release those to the public and educate the rest of us, about the pros and cons. Then people like me who wish to know more can judge better.
Baka kasi mamaya, magsisi nanaman tayo in the future. Kaya tayo naiiwan dito sa region na ‘to kasi lahat na lang may kumokontra, then debates and arguements ensue and some politicians and even activists just use this to get into the limelight, then what normally happens is it just drags until what could have been a fairly good deal slips out of our hands.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:57 am
Thats ok. It will solve our spatial attrition due to population growth. Hopefully many will die young. That will also give us more job opportunity to scavenge waste material. The fish? We cant catch them all anyway. We dont know how except by explosives. We are dregs and we only deserve the dregs of the world.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:34 am
The JPEPA is basically a trade and economic bilateral agreement. At a glance, the issues raised by the writer appear valid except they are given with apprehension impacting only on the negative aspects of the proposed treaty but to be fair, the writer should have also disclosed the positive aspects too so that the readers will have a better understanding of the pros and cons of the issues.
The same trade agreement has been done by Japan with Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. It is not being fair if nothing is said about the measures in place that will protect the country from abuses and excesses in the implementation of the treaty. Case in point is the toxic waste shipped from Japan in 1992 which the writer noted. Innocently marked as recyclables, the shipment was inspected on arrival and found to be toxic in violation of the previous agreement, and immediately the container was shipped back to Japan. The fact that this happened shows the authorities are doing their job in preventing its repetition.
The Senate has determined and laid down all the conditions that will safeguard the country’s interests against dumping of toxic waste and the depletion of the country’s resources and marine ecosystem etc., to insure the country will not be in the losing end of the agreement. This is enough protective measures that will prevent the country from dangerous exploitation. The JPEPA should be ratified.
April 24th, 2008 at 6:42 am
Now we‘re talking trash. But look who’s talking? We are talking not foul language but real trash, rubbish, garbage.
When our neighbor throws trash or about to throw in our backyard, we got mad, we got angry. But look at our backyard; it is not only garbage but mountain of trash that’s why it is called mountain, smoke of mountain trash. Anyway, as they say, there is cash in trash. And it helped Fidel to be president.
We complain that our neighbor Japan will dump their waste on us, we cry foul.
But Japan is a modern, high tech, hygienic country to be called garbage thrower.
Unlike us where people and trash co exists, where people, river and sea are living together as one. Where thousands squat on river banks and sea shore that makes water filthy?
I think Japan would give us the best health and sanitation advice when it comes to trash. So let’s not crush whatever trash agreement we have with Japan.
Now we talk of fish. Not the fish of Cory which is galunggong, her campaign cry all the way to Malacanang; not the poor galunggong. No class, as they say fish for the poor. But the fish which the Japanese will catch in PhilJap agreement to fish in our waters.
How could there be over fishing by Japanese, where we have already depleted our fish by barangay, a long fishnet with mosquito net like hole, where even a dilis or bunggan has no chance to escape; where dynamite killed our papakol, samaral and even tulingan. How could there be over fishing by the Japanese where there is no more fish to catch except asuhos and mamaltak.
The point is… let’s first clean our backyard. As they say, the fish is caught in the mouth.
I don’t talk trash. But I go to Mcdo to eat junk food as they say.
See junk is good but to junk JPEPA is no good.