Mr. Montelibano, your article in today’s Inquirer put this country’s history and forward direction into perspective, and may I add a brief reply to it.
What expert would have predicted a year ago that the world would be going through such a wringer experience, brought on by the double whammy of food and fuel? Certainly the “First World” (and “Second” like Canada and Australia) had no inkling, and although Australia has had a long acquaintance with drought, it was manageable as long as inflation was. But certainly it’s in countries like Philippines where the worst of the brunt is being felt right now.
It seems that it’s noticeable even here in Cagayan de Oro, with traffic thinning and the air clearing occasionally.
The only true riches this nation has are its people and the faith they have in their own future. Sweden was in a similar position in the late ’50s, yet they somehow re-invented themselves successfully.
Wasn’t it Thomas Paine who said, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” We are being tested as never before in our past, and we owe it to our future ancestors to get it right, to invest in our own future, and not just everyone else’s.
Paul Komarnicki, Kauswagan, Cagayan de Oro City (via e-mail)
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August 18th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
“the mind is like a parachute, it works best when it is opened”
July 21st, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Sky high oil prices from the world market are not the caused by Philippines but its negative impact as far as our economy is concerned can be felt by the entire population. The effect is a chain reaction to all basic necessities whose prices go up together with the prices of fuel and oil.
Corrective actions by world’s powerful nations to counter the never ending oil price increases are now being initiated like production of hybrid cars, etc. that will reduce fuel consumption significantly. This will take quite sometime to reverse the present trend of oil consumption in the world but in the long term, this will be the way of life.
At present, the entire nation should seriously consider finding ways to save energy in our everyday life by reducing the fuel consumption significantly. Everybody should share the burden and not only keep on blaming GMA for woos that we have. This is considered global phenomenon. One case of example is a single monetary bill in Zimbabwe for one billion dollars that is not even capable of buying a piece of loaf bread.
The government is doing its share to counter the negative impact of high fuel prices that brought difficulties in our everyday life. Let’s be responsible enough to help the government by doing our share.
July 21st, 2008 at 11:11 am
@mang godo
maybe you are right, the philippines may still be a lucky country. however, an argument that is based on headlines in american news is completely flawed. what they show you in those news channels have hidden political motives. they breed fear so people like you who cannot discern things clearly will buy guns, join the army and support a war that should never have been waged. as a result, weapon manufacturers and oil companies get huge profits, while the ordinary citizens return home as “heroes”.
July 20th, 2008 at 12:33 am
Harder times are indeed here for the Philippines and everywere. Hence it is time for us Filipinos to analyze our problem, discern the cause and come together for the solution.
To me, with all due respect to others who thnk otherwise, we are fortunate to have a President who is an economist-doer, not a talker. This differentiates her from previous presidents who may have committed, like her, some sins that breeds out of national politics and constitutional defects.
We are unfortunate to have news anchors, like ANC’s Ricky Carandang, who after reporting the news as he should, proceeds to editorialize it with his pejorative surmises and speculations; we are unfortunate to have perennial whiners and operatives who are given media mileage to emphasize the negative and brainwash the people to make the President more unpopular.
Now is the time to foster unity among Filipinos. If media practitioners deny photo ops to political detractors, if print & tv media leave their political persuasions at home, if they accentuate on the economic measures the incumbent President have been doing for the general welfare, those will be the right steps to achieve the desirable unity we need to solve current problems.
July 19th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
“Harder times for the Philippines…
But certainly it’s in countries like Philippines where the worst of the brunt is being felt right now.”
I beg to disagree.
I subscribe to LA times ever since, scan the yahoo news and available reading tools and yet never i read the Philippines in the headline news when it comes to poverty or economic woos except of course occassional story about Manny Pacquiao.
To be noticed in America must be catastrophic news. what is always headlined are countries like Dar fur, China,Iraq,Somalia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan where life is too hard for the people to take because of drought, famine, war, smog.
The Philippines is a lucky country.
We have only few politicians to worry. In totality our country is blessed because of fine climate far from pollution because of archipelagic geography that helps clean the air with winds coming from pacific, indian ocean and china sea.
We have abundant rainfall that water and fertile our land for planting.
War is sectional and under control. We have high rate of literacy, that’s why we are preferred as overseas workers.
In totality, we’re still in the best situation where worst is far from coming.