Interesting news report- After P127B in loans, where are the vaccines?

[OnMyWay]

1 hour ago, Gandang Smile said:

Rant is totally justified, in fact it's just a truth-telling moment.

This country will never make it. It will continue to be the sick puppy of Asia for the foreseeable future. Only corrupted local politicians, who swim in ill-gotten wealth, and foreign criminals, who can easily bribe their way out of jail every single time, are meant to thrive in this society.

Anyone who doesn't subscribe to either or both of human categories won't have an easy life as a productive member of the Philippine society.

 

55 minutes ago, hk blues said:

Just my opinion, but that's much too negative an outlook - there are 108 million people here and a significant number are productive members of society  as well as being honest.  

Maybe you are only talking at a higher level?  

I agree with much of what GS said, but will add some perspective.

When I moved here, I knew about all of this.  As most of you did, I'm sure.  Some might even think there are good aspects to those negative realities.  However, I did move with the hope and expectations that the Philippines was improving.  If my family would have stayed the same, wife and just one older step-daughter, I would have continued as-is into my retirement here.  That changed when we had two young daughters, and their future is our primary focus.  My step-daughter will also benefit from our move.

The high level corruption that GS and others have mentioned was OK with me at some point, and I may have even had quite a few chuckles about it, over beers with other expats. My first trips over here were in the 90's, and the corruption was extreme in the business I was in.  Our manager kept a safe full of cash under his desk, and a lot was used every day.  That was the way it was done.  Later, closer to when I moved in 2012, that particular corruption was dying out, and that may be one reason I thought things were getting better.

After 9 years of living here, the most disheartening thing is that the common man, in many different forms, accepts corruption as "that is just the way we do it here".  Yes, many are "honest" people here, but they just continue to participate in certain forms of corruption without thinking about it.  Vote buying.  Paying your "swerving" fine on the spot.  Building inspections.  Etc., etc.  There are only a few real opponents who are willing to speak out against this system, and they are often silenced in one way or another.  This keeps others silent.  And so on, and so on.  Even someone like the president, who promised to fight corruption, at some point, threw his hands up and gave up.  Corruption is completely ingrained into the culture.

So my kids are growing and asking many questions.  I really don't want them growing up asking daddy, "Why did you give that policeman money?".  One small example.  Yes, the U.S. has corruption, but it is not often at this low level everyday type of corruption, in most places.

That other topic on Foreign Direct Investment was a great example of how the system is rigged at a high level.  FDI would be great for the average Filipino, when implemented fairly.  More jobs, higher wages.  The people in power, the oligarchs, want nothing to do with it.  Status quo works for them.

[hk blues]

12 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

 

I agree with much of what GS said, but will add some perspective.

When I moved here, I knew about all of this.  As most of you did, I'm sure.  Some might even think there are good aspects to those negative realities.  However, I did move with the hope and expectations that the Philippines was improving.  If my family would have stayed the same, wife and just one older step-daughter, I would have continued as-is into my retirement here.  That changed when we had two young daughters, and their future is our primary focus.  My step-daughter will also benefit from our move.

The high level corruption that GS and others have mentioned was OK with me at some point, and I may have even had quite a few chuckles about it, over beers with other expats. My first trips over here were in the 90's, and the corruption was extreme in the business I was in.  Our manager kept a safe full of cash under his desk, and a lot was used every day.  That was the way it was done.  Later, closer to when I moved in 2012, that particular corruption was dying out, and that may be one reason I thought things were getting better.

After 9 years of living here, the most disheartening thing is that the common man, in many different forms, accepts corruption as "that is just the way we do it here".  Yes, many are "honest" people here, but they just continue to participate in certain forms of corruption without thinking about it.  Vote buying.  Paying your "swerving" fine on the spot.  Building inspections.  Etc., etc.  There are only a few real opponents who are willing to speak out against this system, and they are often silenced in one way or another.  This keeps others silent.  And so on, and so on.  Even someone like the president, who promised to fight corruption, at some point, threw his hands up and gave up.  Corruption is completely ingrained into the culture.

So my kids are growing and asking many questions.  I really don't want them growing up asking daddy, "Why did you give that policeman money?".  One small example.  Yes, the U.S. has corruption, but it is not often at this low level everyday type of corruption, in most places.

That other topic on Foreign Direct Investment was a great example of how the system is rigged at a high level.  FDI would be great for the average Filipino, when implemented fairly.  More jobs, higher wages.  The people in power, the oligarchs, want nothing to do with it.  Status quo works for them.

My issues with GS's post was not related to the existence of corruption - it's endemic here no question. But, the suggestion that a normal citizen is going to find it hard to get by here is a step or two too far for me. The vast majority of citizens are living their lives normally.

Just my opinion based on what I see every day here.

 

[Gandang Smile]

On 3/24/2021 at 9:12 PM, OnMyWay said:

 

I agree with much of what GS said, but will add some perspective.

When I moved here, I knew about all of this.  As most of you did, I'm sure.  Some might even think there are good aspects to those negative realities.  However, I did move with the hope and expectations that the Philippines was improving.  If my family would have stayed the same, wife and just one older step-daughter, I would have continued as-is into my retirement here.  That changed when we had two young daughters, and their future is our primary focus.  My step-daughter will also benefit from our move.

The high level corruption that GS and others have mentioned was OK with me at some point, and I may have even had quite a few chuckles about it, over beers with other expats. My first trips over here were in the 90's, and the corruption was extreme in the business I was in.  Our manager kept a safe full of cash under his desk, and a lot was used every day.  That was the way it was done.  Later, closer to when I moved in 2012, that particular corruption was dying out, and that may be one reason I thought things were getting better.

After 9 years of living here, the most disheartening thing is that the common man, in many different forms, accepts corruption as "that is just the way we do it here".  Yes, many are "honest" people here, but they just continue to participate in certain forms of corruption without thinking about it.  Vote buying.  Paying your "swerving" fine on the spot.  Building inspections.  Etc., etc.  There are only a few real opponents who are willing to speak out against this system, and they are often silenced in one way or another.  This keeps others silent.  And so on, and so on.  Even someone like the president, who promised to fight corruption, at some point, threw his hands up and gave up.  Corruption is completely ingrained into the culture.

So my kids are growing and asking many questions.  I really don't want them growing up asking daddy, "Why did you give that policeman money?".  One small example.  Yes, the U.S. has corruption, but it is not often at this low level everyday type of corruption, in most places.

That other topic on Foreign Direct Investment was a great example of how the system is rigged at a high level.  FDI would be great for the average Filipino, when implemented fairly.  More jobs, higher wages.  The people in power, the oligarchs, want nothing to do with it.  Status quo works for them.

That's precisely what I am talking about @OnMyWay. The typical local will accept the effect of other people's corruption passively.

Some of them will try to emulate the corrupted, at any time and scale possible. Some will publicly criticise this of that scion of elite political family, yet continue to vote them every single time. There's corruption in Japan, South Korea and Dubai, too. But at least the ruling classes of those countries know full well that they have a mandate to deliver to their electorate, before a more or less large slice for the cake is left for their sole consumption.

In the Philippines, time and again, it looks like the pork meat is for the smallest possible circle of corrupted power/money brokers and the intended recipients get the bones, if ever.

Money from foreign loans meant to tackle the Covid emergency is a recent example, but let's look at most international handouts after all of the calamities, down to smaller donations from international organisations like the Rotary or the Lions.

It's the same story told by Jose Rizal during late colonial times, only with different location, characters and dressing style. 

 

 

[Gandang Smile]

On 3/25/2021 at 9:48 AM, hk blues said:

My issues with GS's post was not related to the existence of corruption - it's endemic here no question. But, the suggestion that a normal citizen is going to find it hard to get by here is a step or two too far for me. The vast majority of citizens are living their lives normally.

Just my opinion based on what I see every day here.

Problem is: our (= Western expats) definition of normality isn't exactly a Filipino's definition of normality. The amount of struggle, pain and hardship a "normal" (typical) Filipino family goes through their life doesn't even begin to compare to our life back home, or even down here.

Do they accept most of these struggles and pain passively, with a smile and an almost religious form or resignation? The fact that they seem to bounce back after every family tragedy, after losing everything and starting over, after episodes of humiliation and de-humanization that we Westerners would find unbearable, is a testament to their resilience, their resourcefulness.

It's something I respect and can only look at in total awe.

This, at least for me, though does not mean that they are not finding it hard to live.