Blogging Freedom

I currently find myself in one of the most exciting places to live in, a place known the world over. I'll be spending my Christmas here with my family, not to mention the other 1 billion people residing in this behemoth of a country. :) 

Sadly though, as much as I want to share my experiences and photos with my friends who are currently somewhere else, I will not be able to do it until I leave this place. Why? Some of the blogging sites I use are banned here in China.

China doesn't have complete freedom of speech, just like Singapore. Unlike Singapore though, China's restrictions extend to the online networks. Online Networking and Blogging sites such as Multiply and Livejournal are banned in China. As far as I know there is no official statement from the government why they have blocked these sites. Most agree however, that it might be due to unsavory political opinions about the government from the users of these sites.

I wonder how they do it actually. Does the government have a body that basically surfs the sites 24/7 and reads every single entry? Or do they result in finding key words from all the sites and methodically study each site and entry and decide which ones to block or not? What if the entries about China are in another foreign language? Do they have translators for it? No one knows.

All I know is that I share some of the government's sentiments for blocking these sites. Online media is a very powerful medium nowadays. Giving everyone power to voice out their concerns / issues would be detrimental to an emerging and maturing society if left uncontrolled. Blogs have influenced a lot of our decisions nowadays, whether they're for gadget opinions, political views, layman opinions, etc. So for a maturing society like China, the internet lifestyle boom may be dangerous because they may get influenced by sites that actually lead to the destruction of peace and harmony in the country through change of heart about their government. 

So yeah, it sucks, but they have their reasons. Thank goodness I can still log on to this blog. Otherwise, my holiday would really turn sour.

layman

Sock and Awe

I just had to post this in light of Bush's shoe throwing incident. It is just too funny. :D Found this at Yahoo! news. Want to play the game? Here you go!

I'll save my commentary on the whole Bush shoe throwing issue for another day. It's time to enjoy the game first.

How many times will you be able to hit him? Hehe!

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Shoe-wielding Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi, who was catapulted to international prominence after throwing his shoes at President Bush during a press conference in Iraq, is now the star of the latest viral Web games.

"Sock and Awe" -- named after the military doctrine employed in the US operation to remove Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq -- allows players to throw shoes at a figure of President Bush, as he ducks behind a podium.

Al-Zaidi missed both his attempts before being dragged off by Iraqi security forces, but players of "Sock and Awe" have a little more leeway -- you can keep slinging footwear for up to thirty seconds.

At the time of the writing, the virtual President Bush has been struck in the face by 21 million shoes, the site indicates. (layman: it has actually doubled since then)

Sock and Awe also shows visitors a league table of "Bush-shoeing countries" -- and although the United States is number one, the top five also includes France, Saudi Arabia, and the United Emirates.

News of this new-found Web fame is unlikely to come as much comfort to al-Zaidi, who is reportedly facing up to two years in prison for disrespecting a foreign leader. Players of Sock and Awe are unlikely to meet the same fate.

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layman

Return to Bethlehem

For a change, I'll stop bitching about political systems gone wrong and move on to happier things. It is Christmas time after all. 

Every year, an extraordinary event takes place during the Christmas season. Remember the 11 million people working hard overseas in order to send money to their families back home? Well, around the second week of December until early January, about two thirds (estimated) fly back home. 

Plane ticket prices soar to monumental proportions. Even budget carriers are charging 600 - 800 USD for a 3 hour flight to Manila (it gets more expensive the further the worker is staying). In spite of it, flights are still fully booked. Money is no issue during this time, as long as it means being with their respective families. 

Why? It's because in the Philippines, Christmas is the happiest time of the year for Filipinos. It is such a festive season that fieldwork for marketing research cannot be done because all the respondents are too happy. Every house would have Christmas decors, every mall would be littered with red and green designs. TV shows are bombarded with Christmas ads and TV shows about the season. The Christmas lights and parols are truly unique spectacles to behold and experience.

And so Christmas in the Philippines for Filipinos is truly something that cannot be missed. If it means spending a lot of money and scrambling for flight tickets, it's a small price to pay in order to experience something that's worth way more than money; spending the festive season with those we truly love. 

layman

Overseas Filipino Workers: The New Lifeblood of the Philippines

11 million Filipinos are working overseas (inluding myself). That may not be much when compared to the number of Chinese or Indians out of their respective countries, but you have to consider the fact that there are only 89 million Filipinos in the world today. It means around 1 out of 10 Pinoys (Filipinos) are working away from home, or roughly 11%.

This isn't because these 11 million have hopes and dreams of exploring the world, experience new challenges and meet new people. Ask almost all of them and they'll tell you why they're working abroad: they had no choice. It was something they had to do in order to give their families back home a better life. It would have been OK if these Filipinos brought their families along to settle in a new place. Sadly, that's not the case. Most workers fly off and work overseas on their own, leaving the ones they love behind. 

At least, in spite of the loneliness they feel, they're efforts are paying off. In 2007, these 11 million people sent an average of $1,500 dollars to their families. Sum it up, and the total amount Filipinos abroad sent back to their families amounted to $14.5 BILLION (USD). That is a lot of money. Because of that money, their kids have been able to go to good schools. The families back home were able to buy houses, lots, and cars. They were able to pay for medical bills for their sick relatives. Indeed, these overseas workers have been the new lifeblood of the Philippines. This is why even though unemployment and underemployment remain high in the country, people are still treading above water. This year (2008), it's estimated remittances from OFW's would increase to $16 billion, resulting in even more money for families to spend especially during the tough times. 

But this trend comes with consequences.

1 out of 10 families are broken. Children are growing up without 1 or 2 parents. Sure, they may have money to have a better life, but it's not everything. Money cannot buy a hug, a caress, or a kiss. It cannot buy the company of the people who are not around. 

A lot of Filipinos face discrimination in the countries they're working for. These 11 million people are not all professionals or white collar workers. Majority of them are maids, nurses, caregivers, waitresses, and construction workers. These jobs are prone to discrimination from all who believe that a person's job denotes his / her social status in life. 

And the worst consequence for me is that bad habits of Filipinos are reinforced because of the money being sent by Filipinos abroad. The families back home think the Filipinos abroad have a lot of money, when in fact they're starving themselves of having a better life so they can send a bit more money back home. Relatives of relatives suddenly ask for money to finance their needs, taking the easy way out of their financial needs instead of looking for jobs or thinking of ways to better their lives. Suddenly, some people are sending money to finance the education of their uncle's brother's nephew, kids that these workers do not even know or care about. Some families become lazy and are not motivated to work or start a business, because they can always rely on their lifeblood abroad to get them out of their financial problems.

The new lifeblood of the Philippines these people may be, but the tremendous amount of money is not the whole story. The Overseas Filipino Workers and their families are suffering everyday. Money may solve some of their problems, but it will never be worth the price of living a sad and lonely life that's experienced by those who are away and left behind. 

In an ideal world, every Filipino would want to be home with their families without worrying about their future. Hopefully, the massive exodus of Filipinos is the first step to the end goal: for everyone to come home. 

layman  

Corruption 101: Bureau of Customs

Ask any Filipino about the Bureau of Customs and they'll tell you it's one of the most corrupt government bodies in the country. Most of the time, their judgments are based on hearsay and perception. The general public does not really have much interaction with the agency, so where is this branding coming from?

Well, because it's based on the truth, that's why. The Bureau of Customs is really one of the most corrupt agencies in the Philippines, and I have the lowdown on transactions take place between importing companies and the agency (thank God for friends who directly interact with them).

Before I go to the details, can i just say that the Bureau's vision sucks? "A custom's administration which is among the world's best that every Filipino can be proud of"? C'mon guys! I'm sure you can do better than that!

Anyway, here's how the corruption takes place in the bureau. To better illustrate, let's assume I'm a business owner importing shoes from China to sell into the local market and doing everything (paperwork) on my own.

DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY

1. I'll give the purchase order to the Chinese guy I'm buying from. He will then give me an invoice and basically I'll settle the transaction between us.

2. So the Chinese guy will be hiring a courier to send the shoes to me. So far so good.

3. The courier company then sends a transit manifest to the Bureau of Customs, and the agency sends confirmation. Basically this step is required so Customs will know something's coming.

4. I'll then have to send an import declaration to the bureau. They're supposed to assess the papers and give approval. --> This is where the corruption first takes place.

Ideally they're only supposed to check papers and make sure everything is in order. However, the bureau is so corrupt that they frustrate the importer into bribing them in order to approve their papers. These are some of the tactics they do:

a) They look for the slightest mistake in my application and tell me they will not release my goods unless they receive the "correct" details

b) They'll process my application very slowly in order to frustrate me in looking for "alternative" ways. It's because they know if I don't get those shoes soon, I'll keep losing money because I will not be able to sell and make profit.

c) Sometimes they'll even resort to creating fake violations in order to not release the goods.

The worst part about this is, if my cargo has not been released to me due to "problems", Customs is not liable if anything happened to my shoes. Most of the time, some of the goods get stolen. Best part is, it's mostly the people from customs who steal the goods and sell it themselves! Amazing!

NO CHOICE...

5. So I'll have no choice but to bribe them into approving my imports. Because I didn't bribe them right from the start, they are going to ask for a LOT MORE.

6. Customs approves my papers, and will only then release the goods so I can finally sell them.

Doing the right thing just cost me precious time and money. If my business involved constant importing of products, I'm pretty much screwed and will go out of business soon.

SUCCUMBING TO EVIL

I'm just a business owner, I will not be able to change the system because corruption has deeply rooted itself in every aspect of the government body. So to keep myself sane, I'll just have to succumb in doing it the corrupt way.

1. So I'll have an agreement with the Chinese guy in buying my shoes. I settle the transaction and he sends the goods.

2. I'll have to hire a Broker. Basically, a Broker is someone who knows importation inside and out. Basically, he'll be the middleman in charge of securing the goods for me so I do not have to directly liaise with the Bureau of Customs.

3. The Broker will ask me for money, which will be split up into 3 payments:

a) Payment to the broker for his services. He would never do it for free! :)

b) Tariff and Importation fees. This is what importers pay Customs for. This is the legal processing fees for my goods.

c) Bribe money for the Customs officials. Apparently, the bribe system in the Bureau of Customs is so orderly and systematic that they only ask for one fixed amount. The bribe money distribution follows a certain hierarchy; big boys get the most, middle ones get enough and the smallest share goes to the lower ranked employees.

Also, bribes follow seasons. In Christmas season, the prices actually rise because of the holidays. :D This is funny. :)

4. The Broker will take care of everything. And after the Bureau releases the goods for the Broker's company, they'll "sell" the goods to me. So it would appear as if it's a local transaction on my end instead of something I imported from China.

Advantages: Quick and Easy. Minimal transaction as all I have to do is talk to the broker. Being corrupt is actually less time consuming and less expensive than doing it the right way. Plus, the broker even has guarantee the goods will arrive at my doorstep intact, else he will be paying me for damages / missing goods.

The problem lies very very deep in the organization. The government culture is so bad that not only have they lost hope for changing for the better, they're taking advantage of businessmen and making them corrupt as well. I asked my sources about their thoughts on this corruption cycle. They said given a choice, they would rather settle transactions the right way. However, it's the government agency that's making it impossible for them to live their lives guilt free.

Change for the better is easier said than done, when the actual system has gotten so bad, it multiplies evil by the thousands.

layman

The Manny Pacquiao Effect: Is it real?

Props to Manny Pacquiao for a very good fight against the former Golden Boy, Oscar Dela Hoya. He was really amazing, doing pretty much everything he had trained all those gruesome months for! Sometimes, I'm still amazed at how fast and strong he is in the ring. I'm perplexed on how he's able to throw 4-5 punches at a time, NON-STOP. If you're watching the fight via livestreaming, you can't even see his punches because they're just too fast! 

Congratulations Manny Pacquiao! You have proven yourself as one of the best fighters ever in the history of boxing. :) You have given Filipinos someone to be proud of by working your tail off in order to be the best. You have been a source of inspiration. 

You have done your part. However, the bigger question is, have we done ours? 

Have we Filipinos fully grasped the significance of a Manny Pacquiao in our lives? Or does Manny Pacquiao's efforts eventually mean nothing to us, dwindling after the excitement has faded?

Whenever there is Pacquiao fight, the whole country holds its breath. There is no traffic and hardly no crime. Even the military and the militant groups declare truce and stop fighting during this day. Everybody tunes in and cheers for him, in good times or otherwise. 

Pacquiao's victory "will make Christmas for us poor a lot less lonely," fruit vendor Epie Medio said in Cagayan de Oro City (source: Inquirer). He has that effect on the poor because they know they can relate to the boxer. Manny rose from poverty through boxing. He knew what it was like not to eat for a day. He sold donuts in the streets of General Santos city in order to have money to help feed his parents and 5 siblings.

And it's not just the poor. Every Filipino sees him as a source of inspiration, a glimmer of hope. "It was like David slaying Goliath" (source: Inquirer). Everyone stops what they're doing and cheers for him. Here is a man who rose through poverty and is constantly battling in order to remain a symbol of the "I can overcome any hardship" nature of the Filipino spirit... 

...only during fight day, and maybe a few days after that. But what happens after that?

After the hoohaa of the Pacquiao fight, the crime rate goes back to normal. In fact, crime rate actually increased in 2007, during the period where Pacquiao had sensational wins vs. Barrera and Morales (source: NSCB). As much as Pacquiao has been a source of inspiration among everyone on fight night, his hardships and wins have not been enough to make people change for the better.

Corruption still runs rampant in the government. Corrupt politicians are not being punished for all their crimes. Drug Lords and syndicates are still free and still get to do whatever they want. The worst part about it is, these people are actually using Manny's fame and success for their own selfish gains.

The best example to illustrate this would be this guy beside him, Governor Chavit Singson.

This guy should be in jail (actually, I'd rather have him dead.). He was involved in a lot of gambling scandals. He ratted out the former president of the Philippines, Joseph Estrada, because he was apparently cut off from the profits from illegal gambling. Instead of being implicated, he was given pardon by the new President for his assistance in impeaching Joseph Estrada. 

He was the guy who ran for Senate afterwards, and actually said in one interview that ALL it took to win an election was a very good political machine. (How about a vision, ideals, and values?! Thank God you did not win) 

Sadly, he's ringside in all of Manny's fights. And he's actually made millions from betting for Manny, riding in his success. And he's not the only one. Bookees have told me before that the betting odds for Pacquiao lower a few days before fight night because all the Senators, Congressmen, Governors, Mayors and even the Low Ranked Officials place in their bets (sometimes in millions of pesos) which they've probably gotten illegally. If only that money was used to help the millions of poor people crowding in front of the television sets, hoping someday they can be like Pacquiao. Sadly, winnings from Pacquiao fights only go back to the filthy pockets and not to those who need it most.  

As much as I want to believe Manny Pacquiao has changed the Filipino people for the better, it appears nothing has changed. We are still a divided people. Wars against the NPA and the muslim groups still occur. Crimes are still happening, corruption is still rampant. People are still poor and struggling.

The world pauses to watch Manny Pacquiao, if only to escape the harsh life we Filipinos are living in. However, sooner or later we have to face reality. 

As much as we do not want to admit it, Manny Pacquiao is not enough. The real fight is within the Filipino people, its struggle to change itself for the better. One man, even if he's the best fighter there is today, is not enough. 

layman

In the Philippines, it's harder to get a student driver license than a non-professional one

One of the main reasons why Filipinos feel their government sucks is because of its non-sensical rules and regulations. Whether it's applying for permits or getting approval for businesses, a person has to go through SO many steps in order to get one. It would be OK if these steps makes sense. However, more often than not, they don't. That makes it increasingly annoying and frustrating at the same time.

Here's one of the best examples of governance gone bad: it's actually a LOT more difficult to get a student license than a normal one.

FYI to those not familiar: A student's driving license is available to those who are 16 years old. It's not all that really. A person with a student driver's license can only drive if accompanied by a person who has a professional driving license. For something that's not really all that great, it sure takes a lot more procedures to actually get this done.

Here's what a 16 year old has to do to do it the "right" way (not bribing anyone and actually sticking to the rules)

1. The Land Transportation Office (LTO) does not have a website stating how to apply for one. So normally, a person would have to the nearest LTO office in order to get a form. (edit: apparently, the LTO HAS A WEBSITE! *applause*)

2. When the guy gets a form, he's told that he needs a Tax Identification Number (TIN) that he's supposed to jot down in the upper left (or right, I cannot recall) of the application form. Of course, the teenager does not know that he's supposed to get one first. 

-->This is the part you'd be asking, "What does a TIN have to do with a driver's license?" Believe me, I also do not know. A 16 year old is not required to pay taxes yet anyway. 

3. Anyway, the kid would need a TIN. It's not available in the LTO. He has to get it in the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) office. The LTO personnel there would just tell the guy, "ah kailangan mong pumunta ng BIR ser (ah you need to go to the BIR sir)". So naturally, not knowing what's happening, the kid will just follow the guy and go to the nearest BIR office. 

4. Upon arriving at the BIR office to apply for a TIN, he would be told that because he will only be able to get a TIN if he has two things, a cedula and barangay clearance. Best part about it is, they're both found in 2 different places. A cedula can be found in the local city hall. The barangay clearance can be acquired at the barangay hall.

FYI: A cedula is a piece of paper that costs 5 pesos (maybe more now). It's a piece of paper that's actually pretty useless. It doesn't give anything. If a person loses it, he could just buy another one back. 

FYI: A barangay (for those who don't know what it is) clearance is a piece of paper notifying the agency that a person has not committed anything bad in the barangay. 

5. So the kid now goes to city hall to get a cedula. He has now gone to 3 offices now in 3 different places. He needed to get the cedula first in order to get barangay clearance.

6. Next, he goes to the barangay hall to get the clearance. And lo and behold! He would still not be able to get it! The person there will tell him that because he's 16, he has to have an authorization letter from the parents allowing him to acquire one! 

7. So the guy has to go back home, write a letter and have his parents sign it, and go back to the barangay hall.

8. Finally, he would be able to get the clearance. He now needs to go back to BIR to get his TIN.

9. The kid would finally get his TIN. He now needs to go back to the LTO and be able to finally apply for his student license.

10. Once at the LTO, he faces one last hurdle. After doing everything else, he still would not be able to get his license! He's missing a notarized letter from his parents. So after everything he has gone through, he calls his parents to come over the office to show up and tell the LTO person the kid has consent. Only then will he be able to go through with the application.

11. The kid will wait for 2 hours and finally get the student license. 

Summarizing everything...

Total time spent: 8 hours (9am-5pm)

Number of offices the kid had to go to: 4 (5 if you include the trip back home to get the stupid authorization letter for barangay clearance)

Number of steps in order to get the license: 11. 

Good governance at its finest. :)

layman

The Blog I've Always Wanted to Create

I've always wanted to create a blog that focused on my learnings and insights about politics and social phenomenon happening all around me. My other blogs were basically about my life. I've never had a chance to just focus on one topic and stick to it until now. 

I'm basically just an average joe (average Juan in Filipino) working here in Singapore. Being here has opened my eyes to various experiences. It has enabled me to have new perspectives in viewing and living life. I never realized there was so much to learn, so much to share to everyone. And this would be my attempt in doing so. 

I'm no lawyer, political scientist, nor am I a renowned sociologist or an economist (well technically, I am. I did take it up as an undergraduate. But I'm no expert.) so you'll have to pardon me if there will be factual errors in my entries. I am an average guy after all. 

And so I begin. 

layman