One of the stupidest things some Filipinos kept suggesting during the height of the disaster in Central Philippines brought about by super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) is for people to stop criticizing the Philippine government. For some bizarre reason, some equate the criticism coming from those who were concerned for the welfare of the victims as “negativity”.
Relief slow to come: Yolanda victims in Tacloban
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There is no question that everyone’s priority should be on the search and rescue operation of survivors immediately after a disaster. But when those in charge of the search and rescue operation are not doing their jobs at all, the concerned members of the public have every right to call their attention to what has to be done as soon as possible.
Some misguided Filipinos even dared ask personal questions like “have you donated money already”? And then there are those who were quick to say, “just stay quiet, be positive and support your government”. It’s like for them, those who have not donated to the victims do not have the right to demand anything from their government. Likewise, there are some who get annoyed when they see others share articles that are critical of the government on social networking sites like Facebook. One can be forgiven for thinking that the reason why some want to remain “positive” is because they cannot wait to resume sharing their selfies. They probably want everyone’s attention on them again instead of the disaster.
Members of the international media played a big role in highlighting the appalling conditions of the victims of the typhoon. If not for them, Filipinos both in the country and those living overseas would not have been aware of the suffering of their own countrymen. Most of the news and images being passed around on the Net covering the areas ravaged by the typhoon came from the international media. Local media did not even have reliable coverage of the plight of those who were suffering similar to what networks like CNN had. It’s quite strange considering foreign correspondents had to travel thousands of miles to get to the disaster zone while members of the local media are already in the country.
Concerned citizens found it odd how slow the local media were in providing updates about the status of the survivors. Local journalists were definitely outclassed by foreign journalists. The latter used their investigative skills in pointedly grilling Filipino public servants during live interviews. It’s something that our local journalists would never think of doing perhaps for fear of getting shot in the head by a motorcycle-riding hit man later. Journalists being gunned down in broad daylight are a normal occurrence in the Philippines indeed, which is why a journalist will not ask the hard questions while conducting an interview a-la Andrews Stevens with a Philippine politician.
The lack of coverage from local media certainly made some Filipinos a bit anxious to know what happened to the people in the areas directly hit by the super typhoon. There was even speculation around whether or not there was some kind of news blackout about the real situation. They left a big yawning gap, which foreign media quickly filled.
The information and in-depth analysis provided by foreign journalists covering typhoon Yolanda shocked the entire nation and the global community. Foreign journalists like CNN’s Anderson Cooper and Andrews Steven not only helped expose the incompetence and arrogance of Filipino public servants; they also put pressure on the Philippine government to move a bit quicker. There’s still a lot to be said about the government’s efforts but at least they know now that the people have put them on notice.
While a lot of Filipinos laud the actions of some members of the international media, there were some Filipinos who did not appreciate their honesty. They became defensive and even wrote an open letter to CNN asking them not to compare the Philippines to first world countries like Japan for example. Their reason is that the Philippines is a poor country with poor infrastructure and a few resources. Never mind that the a big part of the reason the Philippines is poor is because its voters keep electing leaders who mismanage the country.
Those who were offended by the straightforward assessment applied by the foreign correspondents seem to be more concerned with image. It has become apparent that they just want to project a “fun” Philippines to the international community. It’s like they do not want anyone highlighting or broadcasting the real state of the poor people and the country’s decrepit infrastructure.
In bad need of a reality check: President BS Aquino
There is no point in pretending that the country is doing great when it is not. This is something that President Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino needs to understand. During his interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, he kept reassuring her that things are under control even when reports from other people more reliable than the President of the Philippines contradict what he was saying. He just looked pathetic.
Filipinos who keep saying “stop being negative” every time a natural disaster strikes the country need to stop saying it already. People are not being negative when they state facts and describe the reality they see around them. We cannot continue pretending the country is a wonderful place to live in when more and more people are being born into poverty. These children often end up living in squatter areas that are vulnerable to extreme weather conditions like super typhoons.
Calls for unity and peace every time a tragedy occurs are beginning to look quite suspect especially when the ones calling for these are public servants. In the aftermath of Sendong, a tropical storm that killed over a thousand Filipinos in Mindanao in 2011, Malacañang Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda asked for the same thing when President BS Aquino was accused of negligence in disaster preparedness:
In Malacañang, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda asked Palatino to avoid finger-pointing at this time of tragedy.
Lacierda stressed that the government has enough funds for disaster preparedness.
“Let’s not politicize the issue. We have specific funds for disaster preparedness. We have always maintained that we need to clear the esteros and waterways of people there and that’s the danger zone that we have always been emphasizing and that’s the reason why we’re also providing for housing for people in those areas,” he said.
“And, like I said, specific agencies have funds for that so we can address those situations. So I would like to ask Congressman Palatino, now is not the time to point fingers. Now is the time to help out in the tragic incident in Mindanao,” he added.
Obviously, some people like Lacierda just want people to stay “positive” because they do not want to highlight the fact that they failed in their duties to protect the Filipino people. So for the sake of the country, the Filipino people should start being “negative” and continue criticizing their government in times of crisis. Otherwise, public servants will always think they are doing a great job.
There are countless tragedies that happen in the Philippines as a result of natural calamities. Since the foreign correspondents do not go to each one of those disaster areas when tragedy occurs, it can only mean that the victims suffered the same ordeal but did not get the same attention as the victims of super typhoon Yolanda.
[Photo of Yolanda victims courtesy NYDailyNews.com.]
In life, things are not always what they seem.
With media around who are not in awe of him. It is hard for B.S. Aquino to live up to his initials. As for critics (like GRP) if we were truly insignificant, there would be no need to release the trolls, I mean hounds.
The hounds that malacanang releases are more of mewling quims than dogs though.
Some of them might not even be trolls. I think most rabid PNoy supporters really believe PNoy is honest.
Democracy works best when we ask hard questions of our leaders and hold them accountable. We should be informed citizens not flag waving cheerleaders.
My friends in Leyte claim Tacloban is like a ghost town. Most of the displaced have relocated to familes and friends in Cebu City or Manila. There is still no power and no communications there.
@Sea Bee
I can understand that rebuilding of areas badly affected by the super typhoon will take a while. However, it should NOT have taken the rescue team more than a week before providing food water to the survivors.
I have a sneaking suspicion that even the recent ruling of the SC on pork barrel was hastened by the exposure our gov’t has been getting through the international media.
Kung hindi pa pahihiyain etong gobyerno natin, hindi talaga kikilos ng mabilis at diretso.
“Tuwid na daan” patungo sa bulsa ng mga alipores ni Aquino!
@Felipe
If that is the case, then even the judges are on to him.
Thanks again, Ilda, for telling it like it is. If there weren’t people like you and the rest of the people behind GRP who take our leaders to task, God knows what would happen to this country. The Philippines is what it is now largely because many Filipinos sweep “unpleasant things” under the rug and always want to be “positive.” It’s like there’s an elephant in the room and no one wants to talk about it. It’s one of our traits we need to do away with if we want to move up as a country.
Yes and it is a huge elephant as well.
@Chrissie
Thanks for reading!
Some of my own friends think I am being “negative” all the time. They hate it when someone highlights the realities in the Philippines.
Spot on!
Thanks!
You nailed it. I shared the same argument to FB friends who advised me to refrain from complaining and stay positive. So, to make it clear that I’m not complaining when sharing facts and news about aftermath of Yolanda, I have to state, “This is just news/facts and not a complaint”. My reply to such images with the phrase ‘Keep quiet and tumulong ka na lang’ was “Paano yan, I help the victims of Yolanda by talking and sharing their real plight”. Well, I don’t mind losing some FB friends as long as I’m able to help by speaking the truth as I perceive it.
@Owniche
You shouldn’t really have to explain anything since when you share stuff in your own timeline. I mean, I doubt if you complain when you see someone posting her/his selfie for the third time in one day.
There is a good American saying: ” The wheel that squeaks the loudest, gets oiled”. The only problem is: Our leaders play being dumb. So, they need more than the squeaks. They need a kick on their rears. In order to move.
Mr. Lacierda, is ordered by Mr. Aquino and Mr. Roxas, to lie for them. To sanitize the news. Because , their images are affected. They wanted to be pictured to the international media as: directing traffics and carrying bags of onion on their shoulders. To show how much they care.
Because, of the Information Technology. Their photo opportunity tactics never work anymore. Foreign correspondent cannot be told to question only the prepared questions. As Mr. Aquino and Mr. Roxas ,coerced local journalists to do what they want. Who would like a bullet in his head, after a question-and-answer session with these idiots.
It is good that Filipinos are now skeptical; when their leaders release a sanitized Press release of the situation of their country.
Filipino elections are like voting for high school prom queen: no political party platforms and no candidates revealing their stand on issues like immigration, health care, tax code, etc. The next election would be much more successful if Filipinos would follow five simple rules:
1) Do note vote for anyone who has held political office before.
2) Do not vote for the husband, wife, son, daughter, brother, sister or cousin of anyone who has held office before.
3) Do not vote for anyone who is wealthy or related to anyone wealthy.
4) Do not vote for a media celebrity, beauty queen, or athlete.
5) Do not sell your vote.
If everyone currently in office was thrown out, it would send a message to porkers throughout the government.
Thanks for a good piece Ilda, exactly my line of thought when this issue broke out in FB. I actually unfriended some people for patronizing the “shut up and help” propaganda. They don’t know that criticism can be taken as positive or negative motivation. In this case, without the international media focus on the BS Aquino government, I don’t think rescue efforts had been given promptly (or at least the traction it’s getting now) knowing the big “red tape” patched on the government’s forehead.
@Jeijeijei
Thanks for reading!
This article was well written. As stated in a previous article it only exposes people for avoiding reality : the image conscious (misguided) individuals.
@J Guerzon
Thank you!
“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.”
Winston Churchill
In my early career i worked for traditional bosses – unavailable to staff, unwilling to listen, take credit for work by others, quick to cover their ar$es, time-serving, demotivational, uninspiring.
Needless to say these companies lost the best staff and ultimately went out of business/taken over.
My latter career with other companies – particularly high tech corporations in US and europe reflected the new principles of manager as leader and mentor, open door and open mind. The pursuit of excellence succeded from the ground up, generating ideas, questioning/criticising, and constantly striving to improve.
The principles and values a government embody reflects whether it will achieve, progress, or simply fighting fires.
No prizes for guessing which category non manager and trapo pnoy aquino falls into
and the fact that so many filipinos shy away from criticism( giving or receiving) also suggests that the state of manager employee relations is stuck in a time warp and there must be little home grown innovation.
@libertas
The balat-sibuyas will always be averse to criticism.
Filipinos are offended when you criticize the government because they treat Philippine politics like basketball, or football or a cockfight. They get easily offended when you say something against their “manok”. This mentality has got to go. I really don’t get it why they have to treat politics as some kind of brand loyalty and that they are somehow indebted to a particular political figure. It should be instilled in the mind of the filipinos that the government should be accountable to it’s people. It is this idiotic attitude of the the filipino in which useless government officials get elected and stay in office for generations without progress.
Fraternity Brothers personally went to Leyete with relief packages. They were authorized also to help distribute relief in Local warehouse. The warehouse was packed with relief food that was rotting and the ‘Big man’. Refused to allow them to distribute what had been there for days. He told them to rest awhile. Nothing happened. Hours later They walked away so angry,
Maybe it would be better if they named the “big man”. So we can call the attention of the bigger man and then the biggest man, expose them for what they really are, good-for-nothing, flea bitten vermin, dim wit, self serving ninkompoops.
@L johnson
That’s disgusting. Shame on those people. They are just worried about looking good.
What’s really funny are the Young People or Filipinos who goes on picket lines everyday in front of the U.S Embassy, their motive is to over throw the U.S. government presence in the Philippines, where we’re they during the Yolanda,? first on Scene to support were my fellow U.S. Military landing with their Ospreys, where were the Philippine Military & it’s personnel, it is just to prove, the Philippine Government and it’s military are way far from modernisation
..
criticism is a magnifying glass which exposes the corrupt and/or incompetent.
why did pnoy aquino cancel the 1 billion peso budget for disaster preparation. ( was it spent on 2013 elections).
more blood on aquino’s hands.
no preparation, risk management – obvious outcome
no wonder they try to divert attention/blame.
the incompetents screwed up yet again.
The dictator BS Aquino wanted to control everything. The lower house and the senate is still controlled by him. His style of blame games, scheming, scapegoating, black propaganda destruction of his enemies and even bribery were duly noted by those who know. What he did and what he failed to do is also known. Criticism is a universal right to those who are badly governed. Filipino politicians used people in times of the great crisis. Their evil ways were criticized by many. Grandstanding, epal, photo ops, lack of empathy and their incompetence are known to the people. No amount of yellow trolling can correct the image portrayed by the present high school student council of BS Aquino. As I said before… the worst is yet to come! BS Aquino and his people have only themselves to blame for incompetence, ineptitude, lack of planning, organization, directing and controlling. They brought the criticism among themselves.
I share the same concern, when I tried to give out criticisms with their response, I was labeled as “negative” too. When in fact, it just so happen that I’m concerned enough too realize that they can do better than what they are actually performing.
Criticisms will always come, being in the position, they should have realize that they ill never ran out of it since there are Filipinos who are critical enough to see if they are really doing their tasks.
There are times when being “positive” isn’t right. An analogy I use is that a magnet works with both negative and positive There is really a role for the negative in our society. Just look up my article on cybernetics.
ILda, kudos to pointing out the dangers the local media face…. some people often accuse them of being paid hacks…. then again K. Sanchez is a diff matter
Thanks, Joseph.
It’s a dangerous life for Philippine journalists.
Kung gusto mo ng pagbabago, simulan mo sa sarili mo.
_ I agree with the post above, from our president and to the people kailangan natin ng pagbabago, sa simpleng paraan lang na pagtatapon ng basura, ipakita natin ang makakaya natin tungo sa kaunlaran.. alam ko matagal pa, pero kailan pa natin sisimulang magbago ng attitude?
I watched a news conference given by Mar Roxas. It, of course, was filled with the usual bullshit responses to questions as has been the case since this band of idiots have taken office. However, what really caught my attention was his (Roxas) explanation of the “body count” and the reason for the difference in “totals”. To make his long, torrid and completely ridiculous explanation of this simple (I’ll paraphrase here);
‘Human remains are NOT considered or counted in the “death toll” tally until they have been through a process which, prior to internment or a return to surviving family member, ends with positive identification of said remains.’
It’s sort of a twisted view of “Schrödinger’s cat”. This theory (or experiment) is an interpretation of Quantum Mechanics. You place a cat in a box. The box contains some sort of device, like a hammer attached to a pulley which is controlled from the boxes exterior, which will kill the cat. The box lid is closed and the device is activated; SPLAT! According to this theory, the cat is not alive or dead until we open the box and actually SEE its condition. Some studies have even taken this a step further to suggest that the cat does not even exist in the Physical World until we view it. So what’s the connection? Roxas and the NDRRMC would like us to believe that all those bodies on the streets and especially those who have yet to be discovered are NOT dead until they have been positively identified and, their deaths may not have been caused by the actual Super Typhoon so their inclusion to the “Death Toll” is not a certainty. As Roxas said; “they might have died from a heart attack”. This sums up his explanation of the differing figures insofar as the “Death Toll” is concerned.
And then it hit me! How can Aquino, Roxas, Soliman and the rest of the “Student Government” sit there with a straight face and say the idiotic things they say? How can they expect people to believe these things? No one in their right mind would even… And that’s the exact moment it hit me! Aquino is not just stupid and idiotic; he’s physiologically challenged! To make matters worse, he has somehow managed to place people in his cabinet who suffer from the same condition! This is NOT a joke! I am being VERY SERIOUS here! There is something SERIOUSLY WRONG with these people! It would be a waste of time to go through the list of examples point-by-point. Everyone who reads this blog on a regular basis already knows it by heart. This country is being run by, pardon the term, “retards”! I remember posting a humorous comment (probably on one of Ben Kritz’s articles) saying people who defend Aquino (and his Cabinet) are like those who defend “special children” who had to take “the short bus” to school… I’m not laughing anymore. CNN, BBC, Al-Jazeera (etc) send REAL journalists here who investigate, ask the tough questions and then point out the failures of this Government. In response, the Government says they’re wrong. International Aid Agencies pointed out the many reasons why relief has been taking so long to reach people who need it. In response, the Government says they’re wrong. The freaking United Nations, the UNITED NATIONS, criticizes the Government for their continued failures. In response, the Government says they’re wrong… Clearly, the ENTIRE International Community can see what is REALLY happening here and yet, this Government of fools sticks to their guns and, instead of doing things to improve the situation, they come up with more stupid ideas which make the matter worse (I didn’t think that was even possible). Now, they’re talking about an “investigation to uncover the reasons why so many people died”! What’s the line used by that Columnist? “Santa Banana”! I just assume the Face-Palm Position and say out loud; “WHISKY-TANGO-FOXTROT”! This is beyond funny! This is way beyond anything I have ever witnessed before… The Philippines is being run by a bunch of clowns who have no idea that the entire Circus is on fire! Keep CRITICIZING! The Student Government will NOT hear you (nor will they care) but maybe, just maybe, people out there will hear you and finally decide to change the disastrous course the Philippines is now on.
I applaud you and totally agree with everything you said. I am disgusted and mortified by the attitude of these clown!
Keep your comments coming!
you said it right..am really with you,how many Filipinos I argue with the abnormalities of the phil. gov’t…they are really retards because the president is an abnoy.(abnormal) and they are making all the citizenry abnormal also, but they can’t the people now are awake of their wrongdoings…
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your comment, Jetlag807, and I share all the points you mentioned. Really, what else can I say? Words escape me whenever I’m faced with what our student government is doing and saying. It’s very surreal; sometimes I have to pinch myself to know that they’re really saying or doing that….
you are perfectly right. congratulations
I totally agree with you, we as a country is being govern by a bunch of idiots and incompetent individuals. Who have no idea what they are saying and doing.
Oh wait, aren’t we hitting rock bottom? I guess we are….
tsk tsk tsk…
Thanks guys… I’ll tell you all something. My presence on this Blog (GRP), much like the birth of my “alternate” Facebook page, started out as therapy. A chance to “vent” and let off steam which builds up watching these idiots in government run around like fools trying justify their own insanity. Now, I can no longer joke about this stuff. Shit’s gotten real and people are dying for no good reason. They can breast-beat and claim “Philippines is the best…” but the TRUTH is out and the whole world sees it. This place a freaking basket case.
THE REAL CLOWNS ARE THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR THEM…. AND REGARDING THIS ARTICLE DEFENDING THE GOVERNMENT FOR ASKING PEOPLE TO STOP CRITICIZING, COME ON!!! ITS EITHER YOUR NOT FROM THE PHILIPPINES OR HAVE NOT BEEN HERE TOO LONG…. PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF HEARING COMPLAINTS FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY DOING NOTHING TO CHANGE OUR COUNTRY… LESS TALK LESS MISTAKE, AND FROM THE WORDS OF ONE OF THE GREATEST PERSON WHO HAD LIVED ” ASK NOT, WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU, BUT, WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY…- JFK” IF ONLY THIS WOULD BE EVERYBODY’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS EVERYTHING, I GUESS THINGS WOULD HAVE NOT TURN OUT THIS WAY… (MY OWN THOUGHT’S AS A PERSON WHO TRIED TO DO SOMETHING… BUT FAILED, AT LEAST IT MATTERED AT THAT MOMENT IN TIME)
@ Ron
What are you gonna do, Caps Lock us to death?
You imbecile, how idiotic is it for you to even assume, that people who are complaining are not doing (have not done) anything?
Change the country? How? Specify please. Ang gagaling niyo magsalita, “doing nothing to change to the country ha” Do you even know each and every person who complain and say that they have not done anything concrete?
The taxpayers have done enough for the government, and this government is running this country to the ground, gusto mo tumahimik ako? So gusto mo quote?
@Ron
Well, I’m not from the Philippines but I’ve been here well over 10 years (excluding deployments to Iraq, Central & Southern Africa and other fun places). In addition to that I am a US Taxpayer so either way, I not only have the RIGHT to speak on this subject but also the first hand experience to back it up (the last 3 Typhoons, the rain storm which flooded the Metro for days, the HK hostage fiasco, etc). As for actually “doing something”; well I can tick that box also but, unlike the Politicians in this country, I do not feel the need to advertize that fact.
Oh! By the way… John F. Kennedy was a (US) President who actually accomplished things. The same can NOT be said about P-Nut, can it? No! Aquino has FAILED miserably at everything since he took office. In my opinion that equals “Loser” and what you fail to realize is that THIS is not a game! A President MUST be ready, willing and able to accomplish the task at hand especially if said task means life or death for your countrymen… Marinate on that a while.
@Jetlag807
It’s one thing for the Philippine government to deny their incompetence but it is another thing for some Filipinos to actually believe them. It’s like we are all seeing the same things but they interpret it differently. It’s quite bizarre, really.
@Ilda
Absolutely! The aftermath of STY-Haiyan (Yolanda) presented a unique opportunity for Filipinos here and abroad to see what is really going. All they need do is watch the reporting by CNN (and others) and compare that to local reporting… I don’t know what to make of it. Its like they don’t want to see it. I guess they would rather bury their heads in the sand and hope things get better.
Paki kalat nmn sa facebook ang comment mo.
Like, like, like
wow! i love your response and TOTALLY agree with u and the author!!
sometimes i want to give up on our country… this “CANCER” in our government system is just too impossible to treat at times! really frustrating!
but everytime i read blogs/reports/comments like these, it makes me think that MAYBE there’s still HOPE in curing this disease…
keep it up pls!
Jetlag807, what you say is absolutely bullseye! I truly share the same sentiments but you articulated it much better. Please allow me to cut and paste your blog and post it for the world to see especially those “yellowtards” who are so blind to what is obvious and keeps defending the student council Philippine government.
Please do… Thanks for the compliments!
Whole country needs criticizing TOTAL FAILURE.
Spot on!
I have expressed before that this culture seems to be paralyzed in it’s psyche and mind-set to never acknowledge what is wrong in the culture and the country. Maybe perhaps it is to painful for folks to admit the short comings of it’s leaders, it’s Government and even the culture and while I might can understand that our patriotic pride can get in the way and blind us at times, regardless of what culture and country you were born in, well, for some maybe it’s like total blindness all the time! Anyway, at some point you got to “WAKE UP” from the happy drug that seems to have so many on this weird trip here of “see no negative things, hear no negative things, say no negative things, admit nothing is negative and “my god”, if I here one more person tell me “it’s more fun in the Philippines” I am going to throw up!
Maybe if your a tourists coming here to visit it might be fun, but if you live here and are really in-tune to what is going on in this country then I am not so sure you find things are very fun, and if you are in the poorest percentage of the population I doubt you see life very fun at all!
Things in life are not all “rosie” and “pretty”, and as humans we don’t often like to acknowledge the negative or to be criticized or have the errs of our ways pointed out, but might I remind folks that it is necessary and beneficial for positive change in ones life and in a culture and country as a whole! You can’t grow, progress, and develop in any real meaningful and positive way without it and if folks just want to be robots and wards of the state then shoot yourself up with the drug of apathy and hopelessness, keep ignoring the “Pink Elephant” in the room and stay a slave to the self inflicted, mind numbing psyche and mind set that is paralyzing so many in this culture and this country! The result will be, you will keep seeing the same results and you will keep being part of the same problems in this country rather than being the change, progress, and solutions that can happen in this culture and country!
True.
Except for the fact that the very first batch of local radio news reporters who went to Tacloban and they were there at the height of the storm have died. Several of them. And these was before the international media came after the storm.
Please check those facts.
Actually, there was a CNN Team on the ground in Tacloban who arrived PRIOR to landfall. They reported, with commentary and video, how the Super Typhoon ravaged the area they were in (as it was happening) and at one point, assisted in the rescue of a Filipino which was also filmed… Not taking anything away from the local reporters you mention but… You may want to re-check YOUR facts.
Please don’t forget the equally brave and dedicated local journalists who have died BEFORE the international news media arrived in the scene.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/74739/4-media-workers-confirmed-killed-by-yolanda-in-tacloban
@Angelo
RIP to those who died. However, they were all from the region, right? What about the popular journalists from Manila and other regions? How come they didn’t give an in-depth coverage/analysis of the typhoon similar to that given by foreign journalists? It seems they were not interested in covering the super typhoon’s arrival like the foreign journalists. Members of the Philippine media did not interview Mar Roxas the way CNN’s Andrew Stevens did for instance.
yes to that, and i recall watching one of the first few tv reports a day after the typhoon, from one of the big networks , and I was totally disappointed when the anchor from Manila suddenly cut off the reporter in Palo to resume normal programming because they no longer had spare time…although they did air another one at a later time on another program… but for me, that action seemed like they had no interest at all and that they did not think of the gravity of what happened in those areas…
“More fun in the Philippines” but the sad truth is there is nothing “fun” about the conditions there at all and as you said jetlag, “a country ruled by retards”. I only lived in the Pilippines for a year and a half and within that time I was able to witness a lot of the corruption. It sad how most Filipinos hide or ignore these problems or even try to say anything about it. Hopefully the UN can remove these people…sometimes I wonder if I would have been better to be in the control of the US like Puerto Rico or Guam at least corruption would be less promenant and more competent people in government to improve the living conditions there.
I will not stop criticizing a government led by a balding, obviously sick typhoon czar who ordered people on the ground in Leyte to reduce the number of the body count. It is obvious that the defective psyche of BS Aquino gives him delusional direction. He wants the death toll to conform with his death estimates. He fired a police official who gave a death estimate of 10,000. When he gives orders… the student council obeys or else. God help us as the worst acts/omissions of BS Aquino are coming soon!
Ilda,
This is a manifestation of three classic Filipino “diseases”, indeed:
1) Filipinos like don’t like to think, they just do without thinking;
2) Filipinos force conformity and are uncomfortable with and completely clueless about handling adversity and/or opposition, and;
3) Filipinos revere their politicians as people who can do no wrong that they forget that they are public servants above all else. They are there to serve the people, not to sever the people’s ability to think.
@Amir
Some people cannot handle the inconvenient truth about the Philippines. They’d rather not hear it.
@ Amir
Item 3, this is what really gets my goat sometimes, treating every election (or even years after) as some sort of brand loyalty, not realizing that government positions are all about how a person will be effective on the job. Worse even is that they somehow feel a indebted to the politico instead of the other way around.
Considering that many Filipinos treat their politicos as money trees, joeld, I’m not surprised that they couldn’t care less about how the government does its job.
Ang hirap maglingkod at may namamalo sa likod. Ang hirap tumulong, may maraming bumubolong. Yaong namuna, wala man lang ginagawa ni inabot na tulong para maibasan ang hirap at may kunting ginhawa. Puro bibig lang wala sa gawa. Tayo na at tumulong at makikibaka, saka na ang pangangastigo at pang aalaska.
people of the philippines paid taxes. So don’t say walang inabot na tulong ang mga taong kumakastigo sa inyo!
I think the idea, “don’t criticize the government and just help” and the like, is mainly Christian-oriented, since the idea of government being the personification of God is present(see Roman 13:1-6). Criticizing the government became the equivalent of criticizing God, when one supposedly is explicitly prohibited to do it at all, since God can do no wrong; since government is the collective authoritative personification of God, one is not allowed to criticize the government, otherwise, one is subject to eternal punishment. And as we can see, this mindset is doing the country extreme harm.
With all due respect, I don’t think those who say “Don’t criticize and just help” do so because they equate the government with God, as in a theocracy. If that’s the case, why were so many Filipinos critical of GMA to the point of hating her? In fact, many were willing to do patently evil things like have her put behind bars even if her supposed crimes are not backed up by strong evidence. (To this day, no strong evidence of any of her supposed crimes has been found, and the only reason she’s on hospital arrest is that Aquino made sure that the charges they’d slap against her were non-bailable so she’d be punished already even while the cases are still being tried. It’s like what they’ve done to Janet Lim Napoles, whose initial case was only illegal detention, which is bailable, so they made it serious illegal detention, which is non-bailable, so she’d already be behind bars even while they’re still checking if they can try her for plunder.) Instead, I think the people who say “Don’t criticize and just help” do so because they’re among the so many Filipinos who don’t like to deal with anything negative and who prefer to sweep “unpleasant things” under the rug rather than face them squarely so solutions could be found. That’s more like the Filipino persona. But of course, I could be wrong.
What a misleading way of interpreting the passage. You would fail in a biblical seminary for doing that. moron. In fact, you are committing what we would have called – eisegesis. Meaning that you place your own interpretation onto the reading instead of the text be interpreted according to its context. If you know about the activities of early Christianity, you’d know how they were a very subversive group – likened to anti-government groups like today’s Al Qaeda.
They were considered subversive and you will know this by reading up pagan Roman historian, Tacitus, on how a lot of these people were threatening to the Roman authority. Why? Because back then, Roman rulers were considered the supreme god. Which many early believers don’t share at all. And the Romans at that time felt they were conspiring against them because of such seditious acts. Go figure.
You have too much socialist bull shit in the following statements. I can also say the same with statists and all those who still defend the secular humanist ruling of Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot and even today’s current North Korean leader. A lot of people in general are like sheep – and all those playing shepherds may come in different suits. There are good leaders but following shitty ideologies, and there are awful ones who are in actual good ideologies.
I am a theist myself, and even those early believers of Christianity themselves were not stupid or are blind with their faith. This is what Christian apologetics is for. They were leaderless and yet are one with their belief in the hope of the Messiah. They give reason for their beliefs and that is why they have the gospels we now read today.
Remember in the gospel passage – if you want to be a leader, you must be a servant for all? That’s the best advise you can ever get for great leadership. None of which reflects among our own crop. The notion of divine right of kings was of course adopted from Roman way of ruling – and taking advantage of the illiteracy in those times they made them think this is what God taught.
I have yet to witness the president we have now to wash my feet. And to not even live in Malacanang and doing the blame game.
Criticism is ok as long as its said in a professional way.. but others are saying things that are not appropriate. Calling the government and its officials names that are below the belt.
What is below the belt? “Idiot is really the most appropriate word for them right now….and oh, what about imbeciles? Or maybe “good-for-nothing, flea bitten vermin, self-servin’, SOBs.” Is that below the belt… it doesn’t matter, iha, because it is true.
Dios mio ate, we’re talking about a FIFTY-FREAKING-THREE YEAR OLD MAN, who thinks and acts like a spoiled brat, at the expense of the Filipino people that are victims of Yolanda. What do you want us to use to criticize him? “Wawa ka naman binubully ka na naman ng mga detractors mo, eto lollipop. O next time wag mo nang uulitin ah?” “Wag mo na silang pansinin, inggit lang sila,” at iba pang pambola?
Try watching news rin, nang maramdaman mong frustration naming lahat sa adminstrasyon ito. Sa tanda na ng Itlog Penoy na yan, dapat alam na niya kung anu-ano ang nararapat gawin ng isang presidente katulad niya.
Oh baka naman gusto niyang i-spoon feed pa sa kanya mga dapat niyang gawin?
Criticism, if constructive is meant to build up. It was and is a powerful tool to enlighten authorities, to speed up reflief operations, to change and improve systems, to act unselfishly. For me, its more positive than just remaining quiet and watch all the booboos when our brothers and sisters are in a matter of life and death situation. Thank you for this insightful article.
pls..
..stop criticizing…period!!!
Binasa mo ba yung article, iha? Hanggang title ka lang yate e. Pakibasa nga ulit, dahan-dahan ha.
probably not. well let’s not waste time with some random troll
butthurt much?
Telling people to stop criticizing is a form of criticism. Translation you are a hypocrite.
Definitely, true! Boo!!!
Make us, you Ernesto, you crybaby.
So what do you want us to do then?
Just accept a blatantly obvious fucktard like your president as the leader of this country?
Your president had three years to prove us otherwise but he still proved himself to be an incompetent fucktard.
Like Gogs had said time and again, your president wouldn’t need trolls like you if he was indeed doing his job well.
Cry me a river, noytard.
Butthurt much.
Hey asshurt. Your tears are very tasty.
so “BS” means Benigno Simeon? all the while I thought it meant Bull Shit, which I think is more appropriate…
Sometimes, things just make you want to scream bullshit aquino because it’s just very applicable.
@ rick grimes
I admire how you are leading you group through your zombie apocalypse. I am absolutely sure your leadership qualities cannot be in any way emulated by the BS Aquino.
Everything is all well said and pointed out we Filipinos are being fooled by a bunch of clowns and the worst part of it is that we have put these idiots on their positions right now ,,,,,,, leaving us nothing but to complain and criticize and please don’t stop us whining coz this is the only way to tell the government I have enough of their foolish shows and performances.
There are those critics who just talk. Their motives are just to create controversy and attention. There are those who criticize the government and yet they offer solutions. Those who are maligning the President should be ashamed of themselves and not worthy to be called Filipinos.
YOU should he ashamed of yourself to use THOR as your screen name.
No matter what screen name you use, we will always know that you are a stupid sack of shit hired to troll here.
Your president doesn’t need you if he was indeed doing his job but it seems that you are just making a big fool of yourself.
Just admit it, you are already running out of ammunition against us.
TROLL HARDER
@ Thor
Critics talk because after doing what they can to make things better for the country, nothing changes. Yes, maybe we want to get the attention of those idiots in the government, that is the main idea.
Maligning the president…. that’s a big laugh…. ano siya, panginoon? He is not immune to criticsms. If he cannot take the heat, then he should not have gone into the kitchen in the first place.
You and your kind, Thor, are the ones responsible why our country is still in deep sh_t.
Which is it, the red pill or the blue pill? (from the movie, Matrix)
Ok, how much of my taxes are being paid to the likes of you just to troll in sites like these? We have every freakin’ right to speak what we want, because f*ck it,this is a DEMOCRATIC Country. Morons like with the brains of what’s inside a pack of Happy peanuts act like shitty communists government forbidding people to speak against them. Seriously coming from some yellow tards who are part of the so-called “Beacons of Democracy?” I no longer believe your yellow movement crap. I never believe that Itlog Penoy president. I never like chauvinist Erap, but hell the latter is much better than that moron you keep on licking his ass.
You’re no ODINSON.
I cast you out. 😛
No. This government cannot rid itself of blame whether completely or partially.
This government is not some friend who slips and says “oops, sorry” and we’re supposed to forgive.
This government has a JOB to do. It has RESOURCES that it took from us. It has been put in
POWER by us.
And no, it is NOT RELEVANT how much tax I’ve paid throughout the years. It is not relevant how
much I’ve helped during natural calamities. I am a Filipino citizen who has EVERY RIGHT as
everybody else to demand from this government and to point out its shortcomings regardless of my
contributions to this society. This is not quid pro quo.
No, you cannot compel me to provide alternatives when I complain. It is NOT MY JOB to provide
alternatives. It is the job of the government. Why the hell should I be required to provide alternatives?
If we are all able to come up with alternatives, it further reinforces the fact that this government is not
doing its job.
And no, you cannot sarcastically say that I should just replace the president. Where is the logic in
that??? It has the same logic as when you say complaining does not help. NOT COMPLAINING
DOES NOT HELP! Not complain is precisely what the government wishes we would do so it can
again silently crawl away from public memory until the next disaster.
No. This government will never rid itself of blame.
I cannot help but feel like wiping out every incompetent bastard in the country, those old fucking bastards in government are just dragging our generation down. Its already the 21st century yet up to now we live in a dump, how are we supposed to develop! The hell with all of them, I wouldnt mind actually pulling off a stunt like in Glorious Bastards, if I die, I take all of them with me.
At least this person is telling the truth and facing what is real. Not living in a world of fantasy full of corrupt officials who cannot do anything but fill their own personal pockets and say to the people in disaster stricken areas, “The government is already answering to their needs”.
CNNs Feed during the height of the typhoon was actually from ABS CBN…that of atom arraullos report. It was the first video that triggered wordwide knowledge on how destructive this typhoon is.
I was asking my friend working in MSF, a non profit, non goverment org on how the goverment reacted after the typhoon. She said that the goverment did their job…they were just overstretched due to the great devastation and problems on the logistics. She said that locals are the first to response and foreign aids went in because of the goverments effort to clear the way.
Though there are lessons to be learned lets not be emotional and judgemental. We should based our comments on facts.
I am also disappointed with the goverment but i want to believe on those people who are on ground.
Richard Gordon on interviewed said that everyone is doing their job…the goverment, private org, local goverment, foreign aids…
The article suffers a critical flaw: it equates the government solely with P-Noy and his ilk. The criticisms and negativity say nothing about the hard work that the rank-and-file put in — the social workers, teachers, doctors, and military servicemen who put up with all the inadequate infrastructure and silently serve because it’s the human thing to do. They’re part of government, too.
We are at a time when we need to rebuild confidence in our institutions. I agree with the criticisms on one thing: we need better people in government. But criticism is ultimately self-defeating: it says so much about what others haven’t done, but so little about what can be done — and are already being done — by those actually who walk the talk.
You see, Ben, when the head is aching, the whole body suffers. Criticism to Pnoy, is felt by the whole government, tough luck to the rest of the guys in government doing the right things, they should just cut off the aching head, and the arm, I am sure, the government have built-in mechanisms for this, … oh yeah right, impeachment. Impeach them all, idiots in the government.
The personal bias inside your own person joel is so palpable it renders your soul incapable of objectivity. Otherwise, you would not have thought of impeachment at this point where it’s roughly less than 1 1/2 years remain and we’ll undertake a new elections and P-Noy is certainly on the way to exit. Ben, had a very valid point having said of those other workers in gov’t who contributed well enough to get what needed to be done from their own end. Besides, typhoon Yolanda, was a crisis in itself which should normally only demand a collective & united efforts from gov’t & the people to handle. Such chaotic, at times desperate actions specially by those directly affected people really calls for all the kind of understanding everyone could give. That’s the reason why we would not need another who would only be there to criticize. On the contrary he or she should present himself or herself to do whatever he or she can to help.
In times of crisis like the one we suffered with “Yolanda,” there ought to be no room for the kind of criticisms some have subjectively and sarcastically thrown to those who were doing their job to help, particularly the gov’t. And they still continue. This is not normal. This is sourgraping. They should have contributed helped first and suggested what they believe were proper that could have improve the way things were done under the circumstances.
Hello Ben,
Sorry, but you have distorted the article’s argument itself by presenting a red herring fallacy and diverting attention to the rank and file men and women below whose positions in the first place do not hold much weight in swaying the final decision making in Malacañang. Notably some of them had to take initiative to go ahead and distribute relief goods without orders due to the slowness of decision making. Specifically it is the leaders at the TOP of the operations whose incompetence and slow response to the disaster has led to needless greater suffering and casualties that should have been avoided. They are the ones in power and they shoulder the responsibility for overall poor organization and preparation.
This article was written in response to certain people in the internet crowd who cannot stomach the hard cold truth of the government and lashed out at the critics or the foreign media. Some of these people think that people who voice their concerns against the slow government response are “adding to the problem” instead of helping (the “tumulong nalang kayo” crowd). That is not true for many of these people who voiced their concerns or reported the truth as they saw it. Some of them are under the false misconception that people who do that do not help. that is not true of course. One can do both. Yet they fail to appreciate that. We are concerned about people whose lives have been ruined by this disaster. What we see is absolutely appalling. We have every right to criticize and be angry at a government (who we pay taxes to). We are not wrong to criticize. Our anger regarding the appalling state of affairs is justified.
Very well said!
You’ve said it all and you’ve said it well…thank you!
Exhibiting (manifestation of) classic Pinoyness? The hate of criticism?
Im sure Roach criticizes the flaw of Pacquiaos game. And I guess its safe to say that the same thing applies to Novak, Fed, Nadal, Williams, etc etc.
Politics,Politics, Politics !
Even in time of crisis it is still Politics!
Negative is Positive – YES
Positive is Negative – YES
So what can we really do ???
Matalino talaga ang Pilipino !
I agree this articles
To better understand how helpful is the criticism to the government… Check this out!
We criticize the act not the person…!
I would appreciate if the opinion came from the person who is directly helping the people discover know the flaws and suggest corrections. Not from people hiding their faces, throwing criticism without presenting alternative plan
@John B
I doubt if you would be able to recognise a suggestion or an “alternative” solution even if it hit you in the face. This site has provided a lot of solutions but some people just see them as “rants” just because they don’t agree with it.
No one is hiding here. You just need to learn to focus on the message instead of the messenger.
Tell me, do you help the engineers and technicians of your internet and mobile service provider find a solution to the problem when you complain about how slow their service is? The answer is NO.
You can’t expect the members of the public who complain about the government’s incompetence to take a leave of absence from their work and actually do the job of the public servants. They should hire professionals, people who actually know what they are doing as oppose to actors and celebrities, to fix the flaw in the system instead.
Ilda please marry me and lets have babies
Im serious
you are at the end of a long line.
i wantvher as my ‘vice’ president
or failing that santas little helper
so nice of you…ha ha ha you made my day Russ!
Self criticism is the way to glory without it you are a vegetable.Those who walk away from stating the obvious will forever be mentally challenged.The facts are on the table our pres,vice, leaders are a bunch of rank amateurs with zero i mean ZERO love for the philippines or its people.The rich families treat our country as their own money tree its all there folks you cannot deny it any longer.I cant think of one polititian who has made an honest buck or run a successful business without corruption to assist.Its time to change all that before its too late
As of yesterday there are still eye witness reports of bodies lying in ditches and along certain roads around Tacloban.C,mon Mr President you should resign immediately and declare new elections