Miyerkules, Setyembre 11, 2019
It's amazing that as much I do still read some articles by Get Real Philippines that it seems said website just doesn't get this issue - the problem is with BOTH systems and people. Then I remembered I wrote about the big difference between Filipinos in progressive countries vs. Filipinos stuck in the Philippines. Is it just the people or just the system? It's a question that a certain 4Ps-obsessed old man living in Australia must answer - he reaps the benefits of the federal-parliamentary system while hating the idea that the Philippines must shift to it. Ironic that he's supposedly a SYSTEMS engineer and doesn't see it. Would you teach your children not to litter if the system didn't have rules against littering? Would you wait until people stop littering before you implement rules against littering?
What does the SYSTEM have to do with it? I'm not going to stick with just blaming the 1987 Constitution as Carlos P. Garcia and Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. shouldn't even be considered as true heroes. If they are heroes - they are heroes of the oligarchy crony capitalist system. Garcia started up with the Filipino first policy which led the Philippines to fail. The Marcos Years were heavy in debt too when you consider the crony capitalist system allowed Marcos and his cronies to enrich themselves. Then the 1987 Constitution came as yet another band-aid solution by further reinforcing crony capitalism with excessive restrictions. Saying that the constitution is not to blame for the failure is like saying that the workplace system or operating system is not to blame for the economy's slow performance. Would you still use Windows 95 in this day and age? Would you still use typewriters in the workplace when desktop PCs are making paperwork faster and better? Would you still use obsolete construction methods when newer, faster, more reliable ones exist? The constitution serves as a framework and an operating system for how the government should operate!
Although I'd discuss the dysfunctionalities led by the presidential system but let's focus on BASIC principles of economics first. I believe that so many Filipinos have had a bad reputation of being sore losers is because of economic protectionism. How can Filipinos learn to have healthy competition if the system doesn't even allow it? How can free trade be cowardice IF it's the one that restricts competition? How can Filipinos prove how great they are if the country itself limits competition? This one gives them the continued air of superiority because there's hardly any competition. They think that they're the best in the world because there's hardly any competition and they are being babied by their fellow Filipinos. Would have there been more competition in the Philippines then more Filipino businesses will start to straighten up. Do you think Jollibee will continue to innovate if it wasn't for PREVIOUS competition like Wendy's and McDonald's? To say Jollibee evolved because of protectionism is like saying athletes suddenly became good without engaging in COMPETITION. Worse, they want other countries to accept them (such as the use of OFWs and Filipinos investing abroad) so why are they still hesitant to accept 100% foreign ownership of business titles?
How does the presidential system contribute to the dysfunctional Penoy Prayd culture? Ever noticed how Filipinos, in general, tend to be bandwagon riders? It's always the mentality that unless you're in the majority then you must be very stupid. They have the wrong definition of democracy because the presidential system espouses it. Democracy has NEVER been defined as the rule of majority only but as a government of the PEOPLE, by the PEOPLE, and for the PEOPLE which includes the minority. The Westminister Parliamentary system has both the Majority and Minority engaging each other in debates. The majority may still win in the Westminster Parliamentary System but the Minority has the duty to offer better alternatives. The losing party is still tasked to prove themselves against the winning party. The Yellows are experiencing the backlash of the very system they support - the majority hates them now. However, the Duterte bandwagon isn't doing anything good either - President Duterte still needs to be corrected for his mistakes. Right now, it's still popularity-based democracy that's keeping President Duterte in power - which in turn may also amplify his weaknesses like it did back when Noynoy Aquino was president. Different people but the same old stupid system!
It's no wonder stupid policies like the libel clause of the cybercrime law or the SOGIE or better renamed as the SOGGY BILL get around. These are bills that encourage the victim card mentality and hatred whenever even friendly disagreement arrives. The Soggy Bill is also encouraging people to IGNORE common sense and basic biology because gender is assigned at birth together with differences between men and women. There will always be boundaries for men and women to follow such as bathroom policies or that some foundations are meant to cater to either which gender. Why do you think people are getting excessive fines for MERE DISAGREEMENT? It's like a straight baker refuses to offer something that's not in his or her menu (like that gay wedding cake and mind you, I'm not for same-sex weddings either due to my beliefs) or goes against his or her principles - why don't they look for another baker who would do it? Refusal is NOT a human rights violation. Not wanting to hire an LGBT member into your school for personal conviction is not a human rights violation in contrast to refusing to hire someone because of ethnicity. Ethnicity and gender orientation are two different things! Refusing a customer for something you don't offer is not an abuse of human rights! It's just like suing somebody for not offering pork if their restaurant won't offer pork for being a Muslim. If you want pork then go to a non-Halal restaurant. If the restaurant doesn't serve pork then eat somewhere else! If somebody was making fun of you on social media and your life wasn't in danger - why are you even locking the person up for 12 years while the person guilty of assault gets much less time? Again, it's because the Philippine system is based on the Filipino ego - something Filipinos need to get rid of if they ever expect to improve. But how can it be gotten rid of when the SYSTEM itself encourages it?
Should I also include the unitary system or better yet the Imperial Manila system as a contributor for the dysfunctional Penoy Prayd culture Some people can be skeptical about federalism because it doesn't work for everyone. Singapore and maybe Taiwan are too small to federalize. South Korea (which has a prime minister appointed and approved by Congress). The unitary system has failed to respect the fact that the Philippines is such a huge territory. The issue isn't much on ethnic diversities such as Tagalogs, Visayans, and Mindanaoenos BUT the fact that 7,107 islands are too much. There needs to be a framework of governance that requires both GIVE AND TAKE. Okay, some of you may raise eyebrows and say that Japanese and Chinese practice it in spite of their unitary systems. However, the Philippines' Imperial Manila system may be worse than how most unitary countries do it. I don't think many Tagalogs would be that arrogant if it wasn't for the Imperial Manila system. A decentralized Philippines would have probably respected other non-Tagalogs but it's not the case with the Imperial Manila system.
Remember that it always starts with the roots. The bad Filipino is but a symptom of a dysfunctional system that runs the Philippines. Good Filipinos abroad are but a result of the good system that runs that country. It's really about time to have this need to change to the defective system that's evolving with Filipinos for a new system that will evolve Filipinos.