Nobody expected its occurrence. It was just an ordinary day turned extraordinary. The Filipino people had various reactions. Some hated the government for the mode of action they had made while others were ashamed of being a Filipino, something I am totally against of. We should never be ashamed of our own country, no matter what.
The event totally changed a lot of things: from investments and capital to tourists, etc. I have three major points on the Manila hostage incident:
First, it was a major challenge for a young administration to handle. Well, I am not really sure on what the past administrations would have done and whether it will be better or even worse. The Malacanang Palace believed that the hostage incident will end orderly since hostages were released one after the other. But what they thought was wrong.
Honestly, I really wasn’t that confident with the Philippine National Police, especially on its weapons and other armor. And it shows that our government does not prioritize the Police Corps. It is saddening to see our policemen combat in that manner. It shows to other countries what type of security the country has. What if there’s going to be a war tomorrow? Is the Philippines ready to engage? I don’t think so. We have so much lagging in our country, and security is one major area of concern.
My second concern is regarding the various Media groups’ coverage. Three events astonished me. First, there were some crew who hid behind the tree and one of the citizens hiding with them was accidentally shot. Second, the media are about 15 meters near the bus. Where else in the world would you see Media going that near? It is only in the country. According to law, they should stay as far as the shooting range and capacity of the weapon of the hostage taker. And third, Media intensified the incident. Yes, they want to have the best news coverage to get more audience and higher pay but they should also know their limits. Especially, the hostage-taker had the capacity to watch the television inside the bus. The Media should have been more careful.
And my last point would be some of the effects of the incident. First is the anguish of the Hongkong citizens. It was then followed by the act of black listing the Philippines by Hongkong, which was followed by other countries. Second, the percentages of tourists going to the Philippines especially from China and Hongkong were immediately gone. They cancelled their flights and hotel reservations.
Third, the economic market was also affected. The number businesses and investors were decreasing, especially those from China. And third is to the Filipino people, especially to the OFW’s in Hongkong. They were scared. They were maltreated. Some of them were not given food while others were kicked out of their jobs. We should see the incident in a positive point of view.
We must look at the incident as a venue for Filipinos to united rather than to divide. We must help one another, cooperate with the government and never lose hope.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
SEM-CDA: Rights of Child Soldiers
I am glad to hear a speech from a soldier himself, Sgt. Kevin Ras. I was enlightened by his speech. What struck me most is his admission that they had a difficulty in seeing whether the soldier is a child or not. I also learned in the seminar how much the children soldiers are trained in a very young and innocent age. Moreover, it is not just the physical training but the emotional and spiritual training that they are given. Now I understand why they posses so much great anger against the government. It is because they are taught that all the government does is wrong.
The lecture of Col. Dickson Hermoso was very detailed and interesting also. There were times that I can relate our lessons in class into his lecture because Ms. Tin taught us about the conflict in Mindanao. I must agree to him that the Philippines needs skillful diplomats to be part of the negotiating panel. What was new to me is that Malaysia is the most threatened country in Southeast Asia. It has problems with Southern Thailand and Northern portion of Malaysia, its problem with Singapore on water, its problems with Indonesia and ofcourse with the Philippines, the Sabah and Spratlys issues. It was really new to me. Thus, it shows that Malaysia needs to work and push towards its national security.
And lastly, something interesting that I learned is that the declining number of MNLF. Yet, they according to Col. Hermoso, they act as “Robin Hoods” in the villages. I agree with Col. Hermoso that not all Muslims are bad. The stereotype needs to be changed. I have a lot of Muslim friends that are very friendly and helpful. And I also agree that the culture of violence is already deeply rooted. The government needs to properly plan its action.
The lecture of Col. Dickson Hermoso was very detailed and interesting also. There were times that I can relate our lessons in class into his lecture because Ms. Tin taught us about the conflict in Mindanao. I must agree to him that the Philippines needs skillful diplomats to be part of the negotiating panel. What was new to me is that Malaysia is the most threatened country in Southeast Asia. It has problems with Southern Thailand and Northern portion of Malaysia, its problem with Singapore on water, its problems with Indonesia and ofcourse with the Philippines, the Sabah and Spratlys issues. It was really new to me. Thus, it shows that Malaysia needs to work and push towards its national security.
And lastly, something interesting that I learned is that the declining number of MNLF. Yet, they according to Col. Hermoso, they act as “Robin Hoods” in the villages. I agree with Col. Hermoso that not all Muslims are bad. The stereotype needs to be changed. I have a lot of Muslim friends that are very friendly and helpful. And I also agree that the culture of violence is already deeply rooted. The government needs to properly plan its action.
SEM-CDA: Public Diplomacy
A word to describe the seminar is: Powerful. Honestly, it was one of the best seminars that I have ever attended. I learned a lot of things. All of them were very interesting. I had my top three realizations and learnings:
First, I have the same belief with Mr. Domingo Ramon, I believe that experience is the best teacher. It is also the reason why I believe that the greatest knowledge that I can learn in school isn’t inside the classroom but about the real life experiences that I have with friends, faculty and fellow officers in the organization. If I were to add on that it would be that we should always remember to go back to our past and not just walk our path towards the future because it had a part into what we now are.
Second, I agree that we should be positive citizens. I really liked what he said on being positive Filipinos. “You can write a page or two about the negative things in your country but you can write a book about your country full of positive things,” He said. For me, it’s just a matter of state of mind. When we think positively, everything will flow the way we think of it.
And the third realization pertains in marketing the country. It is not new to me that the Department of Tourism is one of the areas of the government that receives low budget. Thus, the remedy is the word of mouth marketing. It is truly the cheapest and most effective. It’s really true base on experience. In a symposium that I attended in Malaysia, there were different youth leaders from different countries. After the event, we bid goodbyes and invited each other to visit one in his/her own country. I also invited them to go to the Philippines. Many of them want to see the beaches of the Philippines and they were glad that they knew someone from the Philippines that would tour them around. I was really glad to market my own country. The feeling is truly unique and overwhelming.
First, I have the same belief with Mr. Domingo Ramon, I believe that experience is the best teacher. It is also the reason why I believe that the greatest knowledge that I can learn in school isn’t inside the classroom but about the real life experiences that I have with friends, faculty and fellow officers in the organization. If I were to add on that it would be that we should always remember to go back to our past and not just walk our path towards the future because it had a part into what we now are.
Second, I agree that we should be positive citizens. I really liked what he said on being positive Filipinos. “You can write a page or two about the negative things in your country but you can write a book about your country full of positive things,” He said. For me, it’s just a matter of state of mind. When we think positively, everything will flow the way we think of it.
And the third realization pertains in marketing the country. It is not new to me that the Department of Tourism is one of the areas of the government that receives low budget. Thus, the remedy is the word of mouth marketing. It is truly the cheapest and most effective. It’s really true base on experience. In a symposium that I attended in Malaysia, there were different youth leaders from different countries. After the event, we bid goodbyes and invited each other to visit one in his/her own country. I also invited them to go to the Philippines. Many of them want to see the beaches of the Philippines and they were glad that they knew someone from the Philippines that would tour them around. I was really glad to market my own country. The feeling is truly unique and overwhelming.
SEM-CDA: What's your World Vision?
The point of the seminar is to inform the students that they have a shared vision and mission to pursue with the government. Currently, the youth has a lot of concerns and problems. It’s as if there’s no end in their problem solving cases. We all have our own vision but we must never forget that we have other people to help us to achieve them.
I was inspired by one of the speakers, Mr. Juan Miguel Lago. He is an alumnus of the College and is part of the World Vision team in the Country. I felt that I was very luck to study in DLS-CSB while there are children who can’t even afford to go to school. I was really interested in the idea of Child Sponsorship. As what he has mentioned in his presentation in the seminar, sponsorship is a great way for any individual to make a real and life-changing difference for one precious boy or girl in need, along with his/ her family and community.
The approach to change that they are using are Sustainable and Participatory. They are not just the ones who run the organization but people help them to achieve their vision. I think the idea of sponsorship pledges was difficult and expensive but it wasn’t. The regular sponsorship pledge is P600 a month, or P20 a day or P7, 200 annually. And what’s surprising is that it will also provide all of the needs of the children. If you to think of it, it’s like a small amount yet it is able to provide and sustain the child’s needs. P20 a day is not a big sacrifice for me. It’s equivalent to one mango shake in the cafeteria or one bag of chips in the mall. Why don’t we save them instead and make something bigger out of the P20?
I was inspired by one of the speakers, Mr. Juan Miguel Lago. He is an alumnus of the College and is part of the World Vision team in the Country. I felt that I was very luck to study in DLS-CSB while there are children who can’t even afford to go to school. I was really interested in the idea of Child Sponsorship. As what he has mentioned in his presentation in the seminar, sponsorship is a great way for any individual to make a real and life-changing difference for one precious boy or girl in need, along with his/ her family and community.
The approach to change that they are using are Sustainable and Participatory. They are not just the ones who run the organization but people help them to achieve their vision. I think the idea of sponsorship pledges was difficult and expensive but it wasn’t. The regular sponsorship pledge is P600 a month, or P20 a day or P7, 200 annually. And what’s surprising is that it will also provide all of the needs of the children. If you to think of it, it’s like a small amount yet it is able to provide and sustain the child’s needs. P20 a day is not a big sacrifice for me. It’s equivalent to one mango shake in the cafeteria or one bag of chips in the mall. Why don’t we save them instead and make something bigger out of the P20?
SEM-CDA: Transnational Crimes
The seminar had a focus on money-laundering. The presenters were very detailed in their presentation. Though there were times when I couldn’t get the idea being presented, I think the seminar got me really interested. I guess it’s because I am affected by it very much. Well, every individual is affected as long as money is being talked about.
I learned a lot of technical terms about money-laundering, specifically Republic Act 9160 or the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001. The law is very important in the Philippines. I have observed that there are many incidents in the country that exhibits money laundering and most of the time it is also related to incidents of prostitution and drugs. But having the RA should not satisfy it, it should be fully and properly implemented. I also realize the drastic situation of the Philippines before when the law was not yet crafted. I think that it was really difficult to punish the many offenders.
As mentioned by Gen. Robert Lastimoso, transnational crimes have an international dimension because the act needs atleast two countries for it to be officially considered. After the session, I remember my travels abroad. When we arrived in the country, we need to surrender the total monetary amount that we are carrying. It is because there is a limit in bring money. But still, many individuals are not caught. An example would this would be government officials who open bank accounts abroad and put all of the money that they have gotten. So that it would be difficult to trace them. In the 21st century, greater challenges are rising. Thus, countries need to be innovative in creating their security mechanisms and programs.
I learned a lot of technical terms about money-laundering, specifically Republic Act 9160 or the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001. The law is very important in the Philippines. I have observed that there are many incidents in the country that exhibits money laundering and most of the time it is also related to incidents of prostitution and drugs. But having the RA should not satisfy it, it should be fully and properly implemented. I also realize the drastic situation of the Philippines before when the law was not yet crafted. I think that it was really difficult to punish the many offenders.
As mentioned by Gen. Robert Lastimoso, transnational crimes have an international dimension because the act needs atleast two countries for it to be officially considered. After the session, I remember my travels abroad. When we arrived in the country, we need to surrender the total monetary amount that we are carrying. It is because there is a limit in bring money. But still, many individuals are not caught. An example would this would be government officials who open bank accounts abroad and put all of the money that they have gotten. So that it would be difficult to trace them. In the 21st century, greater challenges are rising. Thus, countries need to be innovative in creating their security mechanisms and programs.
Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA)
The Visiting Forces Agreement needs to be ratified and renegotiated with the United States. I see two major points that is within the VFA. First is the national security of the country and its nationals and second is the development of the country’s military.
Undoubtedly, the VFA totally strikes our national security. First are the nuclear weapons. Why does the government allow passage of nuclear weapons? It is very unconstitutional and didn’t we also sign an agreement with the ASEAN for a nuclear free Southeast Asian Region? Second, when the American soldiers commit crimes, they cannot be subject to Philippine law? It is so nerve-wracking. How can the government allow such agreement? It’s undermining the people’s right and the country’s sovereignty. It’s as if the Philippines is not an independent country. It seems like we are a puppet government of the US and whatever they will tell us, we should follow. The unforgettable Subic Rape Case is one. The American soldier stayed in the US Embassy and lived as if he did not commit any crime. It is totally unjust. And third, the agreement is vague, specifically to the term “activities”. Can you just imagine the country immediately engaging in war due to the role reason of the VFA? The Philippines is not ready for war but when it comes, we can’t just say to our opponents that we are not ready.
And the second one is pertaining to the development of our navy and air force. We are very much lagging behind our Southeast Asian neighbors. We believed that the US will aid the country in times of war or conflicts with other countries but nowhere in the VFA is the US obliged to come in our side in case of such conflict with a third party and the US is also not obliged to aid in modernizing our weapons system. An example would be the South China Sea conflict where the Philippines is a claimant together with other countries including China. Do we expect the US to take our side and not China? It will never happen. It is time for the government to improve our military most especially our navy since we are an archipelagic country.
I hope the current administration will pursue an independent foreign policy geared towards the protection of the nationals and the total recognition of our national sovereignty.
Undoubtedly, the VFA totally strikes our national security. First are the nuclear weapons. Why does the government allow passage of nuclear weapons? It is very unconstitutional and didn’t we also sign an agreement with the ASEAN for a nuclear free Southeast Asian Region? Second, when the American soldiers commit crimes, they cannot be subject to Philippine law? It is so nerve-wracking. How can the government allow such agreement? It’s undermining the people’s right and the country’s sovereignty. It’s as if the Philippines is not an independent country. It seems like we are a puppet government of the US and whatever they will tell us, we should follow. The unforgettable Subic Rape Case is one. The American soldier stayed in the US Embassy and lived as if he did not commit any crime. It is totally unjust. And third, the agreement is vague, specifically to the term “activities”. Can you just imagine the country immediately engaging in war due to the role reason of the VFA? The Philippines is not ready for war but when it comes, we can’t just say to our opponents that we are not ready.
And the second one is pertaining to the development of our navy and air force. We are very much lagging behind our Southeast Asian neighbors. We believed that the US will aid the country in times of war or conflicts with other countries but nowhere in the VFA is the US obliged to come in our side in case of such conflict with a third party and the US is also not obliged to aid in modernizing our weapons system. An example would be the South China Sea conflict where the Philippines is a claimant together with other countries including China. Do we expect the US to take our side and not China? It will never happen. It is time for the government to improve our military most especially our navy since we are an archipelagic country.
I hope the current administration will pursue an independent foreign policy geared towards the protection of the nationals and the total recognition of our national sovereignty.
An interdependent world
I had three significant learnings and realizations in our class discussion. First is regarding regional arrangements. In our world today, there are various regional arrangements. Since it is one of the major concerns of our foreign policy, it affects the policy’s crafting process. I learned that even though these regional groups are diverse in nature, still all of the diplomatic initiatives that occur concerns the economy. These regional arrangements aim towards the expansion of markets and trade. Before, I thought that there are only specific regional economic groups and they are only the ones who deal with economic concerns.
My second realization is regarding Philippine tourism. Despite tourism being one of the major concern of the Philippine’s foreign policy, there is still no clear focus on how to prioritize and act on it. Noting that the Department of Tourism is one of the Departments that receive low budget and most of which are spent abroad and not in the country, we can see how can government prioritizes tourism. In class, we have stated that the airline industry needs to be liberalized. I and some of my classmates pondered in class why is it more expensive to travel in the Philippines than going abroad, such as in Hongkong? It is due to the privatization of the airline companies. It causes Filipino citizens to be aliens or foreigners in their own native land.
And my third realization is regarding another foreign policy concern, the OFW’s. There is really a need to educate them. Educate them on the country’s culture, the laws and policies of the government or State and most of all on the role of the government in helping them abroad. There are a lot of things that needs to be taught to the OFW’s. I also studied in my class before titled Philippine Policies on OFW’s that there is a required seminar or pre-departure orientation seminar or PDOS to the OFW’s. Yet, I think that there is still a problem regarding its implementation because many of our OFW’s still aren’t knowledgeable on the basic information that they should have known. At the end of the day, I still believe that it will depend on the OFW, whether to follow the rules or not.
My second realization is regarding Philippine tourism. Despite tourism being one of the major concern of the Philippine’s foreign policy, there is still no clear focus on how to prioritize and act on it. Noting that the Department of Tourism is one of the Departments that receive low budget and most of which are spent abroad and not in the country, we can see how can government prioritizes tourism. In class, we have stated that the airline industry needs to be liberalized. I and some of my classmates pondered in class why is it more expensive to travel in the Philippines than going abroad, such as in Hongkong? It is due to the privatization of the airline companies. It causes Filipino citizens to be aliens or foreigners in their own native land.
And my third realization is regarding another foreign policy concern, the OFW’s. There is really a need to educate them. Educate them on the country’s culture, the laws and policies of the government or State and most of all on the role of the government in helping them abroad. There are a lot of things that needs to be taught to the OFW’s. I also studied in my class before titled Philippine Policies on OFW’s that there is a required seminar or pre-departure orientation seminar or PDOS to the OFW’s. Yet, I think that there is still a problem regarding its implementation because many of our OFW’s still aren’t knowledgeable on the basic information that they should have known. At the end of the day, I still believe that it will depend on the OFW, whether to follow the rules or not.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
