Filipinos in the Eyes of a Korean
Your President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s SONA is sugar-coated. I actually like some of what she has said.
- “Imperialist Manila” restraining other regions’ development.
- “For those who want to pick up old fights, we’re game, but what a waste of time.”
- “Why not join hands instead in the biggest challenge of all, where we all win or we all lose the battle for survival and progress of our one and only country.”
Sweet, eh? Obviously a ploy to divert Filipinos’ attention from what’s really happening: the harshness of reality.
Her speech is better than her previous ones, yes, but how, exactly, can she achieve those ambitious projects of hers? She has the heart to pursue technological advances for the country because she claims that we have enough budget for those. Why then, does she always cut the budget for both health and education? She condemns political killings, but commends Palparan. *sighs* Stop. I’ve said about this enough in both Peyups.com and Xientian.net. Nakakatamad na minsan.
Here’s a link to her speech.
By the way. Pacquiao? EWWEEEE!!!
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If you’re a Filipino, you should read this.
As you know, we have plenty of Koreans currently studying in the Philippines to take advantage of our cheaper tuition fees and learn English at the same time.
This is an essay written by a Korean student I want to share with you. (Never mind the grammar; it’s the CONTENT that counts) Maybe it is timely to think about this in the midst of all the confusion at present.
MY SHORT ESSAY ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES
Jaeyoun KimFilipinos always complain about the corruption in the Philippines. Do you really think the corruption is the problem of the Philippines? I do not think so. I strongly believe that the problem is the lack of love for the Philippines.
Let me first talk about my country, Korea. It might help you understand my point. After the Korean War, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. Koreans had to start from scratch because entire country was destroyed after the Korean War, and we had no natural resources.
Koreans used to talk about the Philippines, for Filipinos were very rich in Asia. We envy Filipinos. Koreans really wanted to be well off like Filipinos. Many Koreans died of famine. My father & brother also died because of famine. Korean government was very corrupt and is still very corrupt beyond your imagination, but Korea wasable to develop dramatically because Koreans really did their best for the common good with their heartburning with patriotism.
Koreans did not work just for themselves but also for their neighborhood and country. Education inspired young men with the spirit of patriotism.
40 years ago, President Park took over the government to reform Korea. He tried to borrow money from other countries, but it was not possible to get a loan and attract a foreign investment because the economic situation of South Korea was so bad. Korea had only three factories. So, President Park sent many mine workers and nurses to Germany so that they could send money to Korea to build a factory. They had to go through horrible experience.
In 1964, President Park visited Germany to borrow money. Hundred of Koreans in Germany came to the airport to welcome him and cried there as they saw the President Park. They asked to him, “President, when can we be well off?” That was the only question everyone asked to him. President Park cried with them and promised them that Korea would be well off if everyone works hard for Korea, and the President of Germany got the strong impression on themand lent money to Korea. So, President Park was able to build many factories in Korea. He always asked Koreans to love their country from their heart.
Many Korean scientists and engineers in the USA came back to Korea to help developing country because they wanted their country to be well off. Though they received very small salary, they did their best for Korea. They always hoped that their children would live in well off country.
My parents always brought me to the places where poor and physically handicapped people live. They wanted me to understand their life and help them. I also worked for Catholic Church when I was in the army. The only thing I learned from Catholic Church was that we have to love our neighborhood. And, I have loved my neighborhood. Have you cried for the Philippines? I have cried for my country several times. I also cried for the Philippines because of so many poor people. I have been to the New Bilibid prison. What made me sad in the prison were the prisoners who do not have any love for their country. They go to mass and work for Church. They pray everyday.
However, they do not love the Philippines. I talked to two prisoners at the maximum-security compound, and both of them said that they would leave the Philippines right after they are released from the prison. They said that they would start a new life in other countries and never come back to the Philippines.
Many Koreans have a great love for Korea so that we were able to share our wealth with our neighborhood. The owners of factory and company were distributed their profit to their employees fairly so that employees could buy what they needed and saved money for the future and their children.
When I was in Korea, I had a very strong faith and wanted to be a priest. However, when I came to the Philippines, I completely lost my faith. I was very confused when I saw many unbelievable situations in the Philippines. Street kids always make me sad, and I see them everyday. The Philippines is the only Catholic country in Asia, but there are too many poor people here. People go to church every Sunday to pray, but nothing has been changed.
My parents came to the Philippines last week and saw this situation. They told me that Korea was much poorer than the present Philippines when they were young. They are so sorry that there are so many beggars and street kids. When we went to Pasangjan, I forced my parents to take a boat because it would fun. However, they were not happy after taking a boat. They said that they would not take the boat again because they were sympathized the boatmen, for the boatmen were very poor and had a small frame. Most of people just took a boat and enjoyed it. But, my parents did not enjoy it because of love for them.
My mother who has been working for Catholic Church since I was very young told me that if we just go to mass without changing ourselves, we are not Catholic indeed. Faith should come with action. She added that I have to love Filipinos and do good things for them because all of us are same and have received a great love from God. I want Filipinos to love their neighborhood and country as much as they love Godso that the Philippines will be well off.
I am sure that love is the keyword, which Filipinos should remember. We cannot change the sinful structure at once. It should start from person. Love must start in everybody, in a small scale and have to grow. A lot of things happen if we open up to love. Let’s put away our prejudices and look at our worries with our new eyes.
I discover that every person is worthy to be loved. Trust in love, because it makes changes possible. Love changes you and me. It changes people, contexts and relationships. It changes the world. Please love your neighborhood and country.
Jesus Christ said that whatever we do to others we do to Him. In the Philippines, there is God for people who are abused and abandoned. There is God who is crying for love. If you have a child, teach them how to love the Philippines. Teach them why they have to love their neighborhood and country. You already know that God also will be very happy if you love others.
That’s all I really want to ask you Filipinos.
I’ll leave you with this. Think about it. 
Note: I don’t know how accurate the information about Korea is, but still, think about what’s been written.
may point siya, mga pilipino mas gusto sa ibang bansa, dumadating pa sa point na ayaw na nila bumalik sa pilipinas dahil mababa daw ang sweldo dito, tulad nalang nung nainterview from lebanon, tinanong siya nung reporter kung gusto nya makauwi sa pilipinas para maging safe sila dahil nga magulo dun ngayon, at napakalungkot nung sinabi nyang ayaw nya unuwi dahil sayang daw yung nakukuha nyang sweldo dun at hindi daw nya kikitain yun dito sa pilipinas. sad but true, i know darating din ang araw na uunlad ang pilipinas, un ay kung magtutulungan ang mga pilipino, tama? crab mentality kase dito sa pilipinas.
NiCa
25th July 2006 at 10:01
Woah that person who wrote that article really can get one’s mind thinking.. i don’t know about Philippines’s problems (not much) so i don’t really understand it but it made me felt that this person’s very devoted to korea. =/
michelle
25th July 2006 at 10:04
i’ve read that before..:) and i agree.:D
i’ve moved na shari.:)
i like the koreana’s point =)
mapapaisip ang mga magbabasa
oo nga..minsan nakkasawa na magsulat about politics..yun nalang palagi eh.:D
but i agree with what you’ve said bout sa speech niya.
sana matuloy yung mga plano niya..kahit ang daming nagtatanong kung san kukunin yung pondo…let’s just wait and see.
toni
25th July 2006 at 10:26
mali yung link ko sa taas
antonio instead of antonia
toni
25th July 2006 at 10:28
nabasa ko na ‘to before hindi ko nga lang alam kung saan… ganda ng essay makabuluhan..
Jham
25th July 2006 at 11:52
suwerte nga nila may pilipinas diba. basta wag na lang sila makialam sa buhay natin. nakikiaral na nga lang sila at nakikikalat ng basura kaya wala na lang pakialaman kung gusto nila ng masarap na buhay no? hehehe. wala lang. hay. hirap talaga..
ayel
25th July 2006 at 13:52
384281 Blog Verification
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384281 Blog Verification
25th July 2006 at 21:24
It’s so sad that many Filipinos just want to get out of this country. There was even a survey once that even young children want to be anything but Filipino. (Medyo ironic na lahat sila, proud na proud naman pag may Pinoy na sumikat. T_T)
I wish everyone can read that essay. It annoys me so much when others are saying how bad are country’s become, but still do nothing about it and just run away. BAH.
Aravis
26th July 2006 at 03:10
SHARI! Hehe, yeah the SONA never seems to expose the truth. It hides the truth. It dresses up the truth in a cute little dress. SONA adds in a little bonnet, too.
“As you know, we have plenty of Koreans currently studying in the Philippines to take advantage of our cheaper tuition fees and learn English at the same time.” — HOLY, I didn’t know that! Or rather, I never got ’round to think about that. But thank you for telling me, HAHAHA.
I read his essay. Although I agree that love can change a lot of things, I totally disagree when he says it’s not the corruption. Because I sure think the corruption’s responsible for all the crap that’s happening. Love can’t solve corruption. People in politics are cold-hearted bastards. HAHAHA. Shari please forgive me for what I’ve been saying.
Stella
26th July 2006 at 03:33
SONA = Crap.
Wow, that’s a great essay.
Lexi
26th July 2006 at 10:00
Indeed…. selfish talaga ang mga pinoy… more about their own personal need than the needs of others. And that’s what’s bringing us down.
Robbie
26th July 2006 at 20:16
wow. that’s a great essay. i think he/she should send that to every filthy filipino politician. in some ways, i agree with her [or him, i dunno]. i agree that a lot of filipinos don’t have pity for their country, especially politicians. and i agree a lot with what robbie said..“more about their own personal need than the needs of others. And that’s what’s bringing us down.” yup. how true. sad to say, but all that corruption falls down to selfishness. but it’s not true that all filipinos don’t love their home country. im one of the few people who still ache for the philippines. and it’s not true that filipinos have fled their country because they hate it. it’s because of survival. who wants to die early when they can live their lives better in other countries? it doesn’t boil down to “hatred of one’s country”. of course people would want to live. if they live in the philippines, with all the hardships of work and pressure and crime and at the end of the day, they still starve, they’ll be forced to leave the country, “seeking greener pasture”.
it’s not the people’s fault [people, meaning average/regular people; non-politicians]. if you ask me, politicians are running for senator or governor or whatever to steal money from the philippines, not help the country. i hate to see politicians with highly expenisve cars and large, luxurious mansions after they’ve won an election. on the other side of that, i also hate seeing children on the streets, practically living there and sleeping on the steps of the LRT stations. it’s so unfair. people who work so frickin hard to support their families earn Php 9.50 per week [based on your previous entry] and these damn politicians sit all day, probably smoking cigars and how much do they get? probably millions, after innocent and hard-working people pay off their taxes and toll gate fees. these so-called leaders should be helping our country rise from poverty and all other bad things. but they ain’t doing that. all they care about is themselves. nobody but themselves. how to make themselves rich and powerful and live luxurious lives. fuck that. they’re losing the real meaning of what a politician really does. they think of politics as a game. if they play it right, they’ll get money and everything they want. but that’s not what it’s about! it’s about helping the country and representing the country as leaders.
i really do hope PGMA does every fucking word she said and not just SAY it. DO IT, GIRL! it’s such a shame the whole world had to hear her say “i am sorry” because she cheated. grrr. at least, doing those stuff she in her SONA would cover up that horrible scenario. not that everyone would forget about it. but at least she did something good to the philippines. it’s about time..
e-twin
26th July 2006 at 21:22
oh… where’d your domain go??
anyway, i’ve read that essay before, and i agree with it.
i didn’t even watch the sona… what’s the point…
Aurus
27th July 2006 at 13:37
I’ve read that years ago. I still have doubts about it though, since it came out in the internet, I doubt its authenticity. This reminds me of the Art Bell hoax a lot though comparing it to that, this is very benign. It’s not the content I am hitting but really, from the Korean students I know in my school, this one is something that I would call very UN-Korean. I don’t know, I have a feeling that the one who really wrote this is a Pinoy pretending to be Korean. Koreans, in general, wouldn’t mention that the Philippines is the only Chritsian/Catholic country in Asia because about half of Korea’s population are Christians; plus where not the only Catholic countyr in Asia although we used to. East Timor, too is overwhelmingly Catholic. The other half I think is Buddhist. Mas nakakahiya kung Pinoy nga talaga gumawa niyan kasi bakit pa niya kelangan gamitin ang ibang nationality. Another thing, Koreans put their surname first(without comma and their names are monosyllabic like the Chinese. Most likely Koreans will write their name something like “Kim Jae Young” not Jaeyoun Kim). Pag nasa Pilipinas sila or sa ibang bansa, most likely, pumipili sila ng English name nila. Sa pagkakaalam ko, talagang strict sila sa context ng North at South Korea
Here’s a trivia, in their National IDs, beside their Korean name, their name in Chinese characters are written too!). Wala lang, just learned that from my Korean classmate in Entrep.
Besides cultural reason, another reason why I favor Federalism is actually the decentralization of power from Mega Manila(You reminded me, hehe). Honestly, Metro Manila sucks a huge chunk of the country’s national income, leaving almost nothing for the provinces. 10% of the country’s GNP comes from CAR alone, however, we get almost nothing in return that is why the CAR is one of the most underdeveloped regions in the country(Only the Benguet province is not included in the county’s 44 poorest provinces probably because the National government still counts Baguio as part of Benguet, but in reality, the city is politically and economically independent of the province that’s why the capital of the province is La Trinidad and not Baguio). Having the smallest lang area and population, 10% is a very big contribution. Mindanao, who supplies 70% of the countries food consumption contributes 200 BILLION pesos to the national income only gets 30 BIllion in return. No wonder they want to secede. Very Unfair.
I remember this joke in the early 90’s here in Baguio; it was said that the national government has a lot of “utang” to the Baguio City government. Of course, I was sort of “naive” back then. I really thought that Baguio was rich and the rest of the Philippines was poor. Hehe. Come federalization, I think we’ll know which provinces/regions are the ones who are really willing to develop their respective places.
Just my two cents anyway. I didn’t mean any harm. Hehe
Tam
27th July 2006 at 15:37