Ang Iba’t Ibang Uri ng “Relasyon, si Duterte, at ang Pilipinas

ANG IBA’T IBANG URI NG “RELASYON”, SI DUTERTE

AT ANG PILIPINAS

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

 

Maraming uri ng relasyon. May mga relasyon na hindi dapat bigyan ng masamang kahulugan dahil “magkakaibigan” lang..walang malisya. Meron namang relasyon na nagsimula sa pagiging magkaibigan hanggang nagkahulugan ng loob kaya nabahiran ng karnal na pagnanasa sa isa’t isa…kaya “nagka-ibigan”.  May mga relasyon din na umusbong dahil sa pagka-manyak ng babae o lalaki, kaya ang pinaglaruang pagparaos ng kalibugan ay naging bisyo, at ang masama ay nakaperhuwisyo pa ng iba, tulad ng ginawa ng isang kilalang babaeng deny to death pa rin ng kanyang kakatihan sa katawan kaya nagkaweng-kaweng ang mga epekto, lalo na sa pagkalat ng droga!

 

Sa relasyon ng mga bansa, ang palaging isinasaalang-alang ay ang kinakatigang ideyolohiya na kung hindi malayang Demokrasya ay mapanupil na Komunismo. Ang isa pang kinokonsidera ay ang pananampalataya ng mga mamamayan na kung hindi nakaugat sa Kristiyanismo (Christianity) ay sa Islamika (Islamic Faith) naman.

 

Ang Pilipinas ay may makulay at mayamang kulturang nabahiran ng iba’t ibang kalinangan ng ibang bansa, at sa ugat naman ng mga mamamayan ay nananalaytay ang dugo ng iba’t ibang lahi. Subalit dahil matagal ang pagkasakop ng mga Kastila at Amerikano sa Pilipinas,  sila ang tumatak sa kaisipan ng mundo na may malakas na impluwensiya sa bansa at mga Pilipino. May isang libro tungkol sa mga bansa na nagsabing ang “spoken language” ng mga Pilipino noong 1950’s ay Kastila maliban sa Tagalog. Sa pag-usad ng panahon sa ilalim ng Amerika, napalitan ang Espanyol ng Ingles at pilit pang sinapawan ang Tagalog, dahil sa mga eskwelahan, pinilit ang mga mag-aaral na magsalita ng Ingles lamang sa loob ng paaralan.

 

Sa tagal ng relasyon ng Pilipinas sa Espanya, naging Katoliko ang karamihan ng mga Pilipino. Nang makipagrelasyon naman sa Amerika, ang ibang Katoliko ay naging Protestante. Pagdating sa pagpapatakbo ng bansa, naging “palaasa” o “dependent” ang Pilipinas sa Amerika dahil mismong ang halos kabuuan ng Saligang Batas nito ay kinopya sa ginagamit ng Amerika. Maliban diyan, mismong Amerika ang nagpanukala ng ganitong “dependence” o pagpaasa sa mga Pilipino sa kanya. Ang tingin kasi ng mga Amerikano sa mga Pilipino ay “helpless little brown brothers” na kailangang diktahan, o kaya ay bulyawan at paluin kung nagkamali, at kailangan pang hawakan ang mga kamay upang matugaygayan (guided properly).

 

Dahil sa matagal na relasyon ng Pilipinas sa dalawang bansa, ang  naging kaisipan ng Pilipino ay para bang wala nang ibang magaling na relihiyon kundi Katolisismo. At, sa pagpapatakbo naman ng gobyerno, wala nang pinakamagaling kundi ang itinuro ng Amerika. Subali’t ngayon, sa buong Timog Silangang Asya, napapag-iwanan ang Pilipinas kahit sa simpleng agrikultura na ang pagpapakadalubhasa sa pagtanim ng palay ay itinuturo sa International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) sa Pilipinas. Ang mga kalapit-bansa ng Pilipinas ay mabilis ang pag-usad sa kabila ng kanilang dalisay na kulturang walang bahid o impluwensiya ng nakaraang mananakop nila tulad ng Inglatera (Great Britain) at Pransiya (France).  Ang mga kalapit-bansang ito ng Pilipinas, na Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, at Vietnam ay hindi Kristiyano at ang isa ay Komunista.

 

Ngayon, dahil sa ginagawa ni Duterte na putulin ang nakasanayang relasyon sa bansang Amerika na animo ay naging tanikalang pumipigil sa pag-usad ng Pilipinas, tinawag siyang “bobo”, madaldal, “tactless”, at kung anu-ano pa. Dahil sa adhikain niyang magkaroon ng sariling kapita-pitagang imahe ang Pilipinas sa harap ng ibang bansa, marami ang bumatikos sa kanya. Ang malaking katanungan ay: sino ba sa mga pinalitan niyang presidente ang may ganitong maka-Pilipino o makabayang adhikain at panuntunan? Ang inakala noong maganda ang layunin ni Marcos para sa “Bagong Lipunan” ng Pilipino ay naging diktador naman.

 

Malimit banggitin ng mga bumabatikos sa kanya ang Call Centers o BPO ng mga Amerikano na kapag nagsarahan ay magdudulot ng kagutuman sa mga Pilipino. Paano silang aalis sa Pilipinas ganoong kumikita sila ng malaki sa mga negosyong ito,  at ang suweldong kinikita ng mga Pilipino ay may katumbas ding hirap nila at tiyaga kaya walang dapat ituring na utang na loob sa isa’t isa…kung baga ay, “give and take” ang sistema. Ang hindi napansin ng mga bumabatikos na ito ay ang matagal nang pagsara ng maraming kumpanyang Amerikano, subalit ang kanilang pagkawala ay hindi naramdaman at hindi nakaapekta sa ekonomiya ng bansa.

 

 

The Various “Relationships”, Duterte, and the Philippines

THE VARIOUS “RELATIONSHIPS”, DUTERTE, AND THE PHILIPPINES

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

There are various kinds of relationship. One of these is based on simple friendship devoid of malice. Another is that which, though, started with the simple friendship, has developed into one with carnal desire for each other. There is also a relationship that started with flings for sexual release by those who are innately maniacal in their desire, but which could unfortunately affect others, just like what a woman, supposedly of respectable repute did, and whose nymphomanic desire resulted to scandalous and uncontrolled spread of illegal drugs.

 

As regards the relationship among nations, given foremost consideration is their kind of ideology that could be founded on the liberal Democracy or oppressive Communism. Another consideration is the people’s Faith, which could either be rooted in Christianity or Islam.

 

The Philippines has a varicolored and rich culture for having been tainted with those of other nations in the past that made the blood of other races flow through the veins of the Filipinos. In view, however, of the considerably long domination of Spain and America over the Philippines, their respective influence has left a deep impression on the image of the country, as viewed by the rest of the world. In this regard, a book on the spoken international language of different nations, listed the Philippines in the 1950’s as Spanish-speaking nation. When the Americans took over as colonizers, the Iberian language was supplanted with English which even attempted to dominate Tagalog, as it was forced on students while inside the school campus.

 

In view of the considerable length of domination by Spain, Catholicism was predominantly observed in the Philippines. When the Americans took over, many were converted into the different Protestant sects. As regards the government, the Philippines’s Constitution has been almost totally copied from that of America, except the form of governance. With that, America practically developed in the Philippines a seemingly total dependence toward her. This is how the nauseating referral to the Filipinos as “helpless little brown brothers” of the white Americans developed, with the latter viewing the former as helpless people who needed to be prevailed upon, reprimanded at all times, and if need be, disciplined with the rod…practically, held by the hand for proper guidance.

 

Further to the aforementioned long oppression of the Philippines, what has been culled in the mind of the Filipinos is the consciousness that no other religion is better than Catholicism, and no other government is better than what is copied from America. Ironically, the Philippines is lagging behind some of her Southeast Asian neighbors, such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam , especially, on rice production despite the fact that their rice scientists and technologists developed their knowledge at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) which is in the Philippines! These nations admirably and successfully made leaps and bounds despite their having remained untainted by their colonizers, Great Britain and France. It should be noted, too, that these nations are not Christian, and one has even become a Communist!

 

Hecklers of Duterte call him “idiot”, blabber-mouthed, tactless, and many more, just because he wants to free the Philippines from the image of being shackled by America. His avowed advocacy to give the Philippines a new image in the eyes of the world, one that shows her standing on her two feet and free from the influence of any other nation has made Duterte the subject of contempt from all sides. But the big question now is: who among the past presidents has ever showed pro-Filipino or sincere nationalism that he is manifesting? Filipinos thought that Marcos was the right guy with his “New Society”, but he, unfortunately, got derailed when he became a dictator.

 

The vision of Duterte’s detractors seemed to be just limited to the American-owned Call Centers or BPO’s as they express their apprehension of virtual “famine” in the country if these would eventually pack up because of his anti-American pronouncements. On the contrary, how can these American investors leave the country where they are reaping financial returns beyond their expectation? Their relationship with the Filipinos who work for them, and who show sincerity in their job can be viewed as one which is symbiotic or an unwritten “give and take” system. What the detractors failed to notice still, is that, although, many American firms have already left the country in quest for cheaper labor in China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, their exodus did not affect the economy of the Philippines, or to the very least…felt, as the Filipinos are known for their pliant flexibility and endurance.