Subject: Filipinos
> >
> > My Fellow Filipinos,
> > When I was small, the Philippine peso was P7 to the $dollar. The president
> > was Diosdado Macapagal. Life was simple. Life was easy. My father was a
> > farmer. My mother kept a small sari-sari store where our neighbors bought
> > sang-perang asin, sang-perang bagoong, sang-perang suka, sang-perang toyo
> > at pahinging isang butil na bawang. Our backyard had kamatis, kalabasa,
> > talong, ampalaya, upo, batao, and okra.
> >
> > Our silong had chicken. We had a pig, dog & cat. And of course, we lived
> > on the farm. During rainy season, my father caught frogs at night which
> > my mother made into batute (stuffed frog), or just plain fried. During the
> > day, he caught hito and dalag from his rice paddies, which he would
> > usually inihaw.
> >
> > During dry season, we relied on the chickens, vegetables, bangus, tuyo,
> > and tinapa. Every now and then, there was pork and beef from the town market.
> >
> > Life was so peaceful, so quiet, no electricity, no TV. Just the radio for
> > Tia Dely, Roman Rapido, Tawag ng Tanghalan and Tang-tarang-tang. And
> > who can forget Leila Benitez on Darigold Jamboree?
> >
> > On weekends, I played with my neighbors (who were all my cousins).
> > Tumbang-preso, taguan, piko, luksong lubid, patintero, at iba pa.
> > I don't know about you, but I miss those days.
> >
> > These days, we face the TV, Internet, e-mail, newspaper, magazine, grocery
> > catalog, or drive around. The peso is a staggering and incredible P52
> > to the $dollar.
> >
> > Most people can't have fun anymore. Life has become a battle. We live
> > to work. Work to live. Life is not easy.
> >
> > I was in Saudi Arabia in 1983. It was lonely, difficult, & scary. It
> > didn't matter if you were a man or a woman. You were a target for rape.
> > The salary was cheap & the vacation far between. If the boss didn't want
> > you to go on holiday, you didn't. They had your passport. Oh, and the
> > agency charged you almost 4 months of your salary (which, if you had
> > to borrow on a "20% per month arrangement" meant your first year's pay
> > was all gone before you even earned it).
> >
> > The Philippines used to be one of the most important countries in Asia.
> >
> > Before & during my college days, many students from neighboring Asian
> > countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and China went to the
> > Philippines to get their diplomas. Until 1972, like President Macapagal,
> > President Marcos was one of the most admired presidents of the world.
> > The Peso had kept its value of P7 to the $dollar until I finished college.
> >
> > Today, the Philippines is famous as the "housemaid" capital of the world.
> > It ranks very high as the "cheapest labor" capital of the world, too. We
> > have maids in Hong Kong, laborers in Saudi Arabia, dancers in Japan,
> > migrants and TNTs in Australia and the US, and all sorts of other "tricky"
> > jobs in other parts of the globe. Quo Vadis, Pinoy?
> >
> > Is that a wonder or a worry? Are you proud to be a Filipino, or does it
> > even matter anymore? When you see the Filipino flag and hear the
> > Pambansang Awit, do you feel a sense of pride or a sense of defeat &
> > uncertainty? If only things could change for the better.......
> >
> > Hang on for this is a job for Superman. Or whom do you call? Ghostbusters.
> > Joke. Right? This is one of our problems. We say "I love the Philippines.
> > I am proud to be a Filipino." When I send you a joke, you send it to
> > everyone in your address book even if it kills the Internet. But when I
> > send you a note on how to save our country & ask you to forward it, what
> > do you do? You chuck it in the bin.
> >
> > I want to help the maids in Hong Kong. I want to help the laborers in
> > Saudi Arabia. I want to help the dancers in Japan. I want to help the TNTs
> > in America and Australia.
> >
> > I want to save the people of the Philippines. But I cannot do it aloe. I
> > need your help and everyone else's.
> >
> > So please forward this e-mail to your friends. If you say you love the
> > Philippines, prove it. And if you don't agree with me, say something
> > anyway. Indifference is a crime on its own.