Several days ago, I watched a local television documentary on the state of the dormitories and boarding houses in Manila, particularly in the University Belt. What jolted me was that the things I saw in the documentary were the same things I saw when, in 1967 or 1968, during the incumbency of then Manila Mayor Antonio J. Villegas, I was appointed to head a committee assigned to oversee the operations of dormitories and boarding houses in what was then the nation’s primate city.
Boarding houses with only one toilet for dozens of boarders. Dirt and soot all around. Male and female boarders staying in the same room. Cramped spaces that do not allow boarders the convenience to do their homework. Waterless faucets and dirty kitchens. Absence of fire escapes and fire hoses. Rooms without windows or ventilation.
At that time, there was an existing ordinance governing the operations of dormitories and boarding houses. As I and my team moved from place to place in the University Belt, checking on the violations being committed by the operators of these lodging houses, I ordered that appropriate criminal charges be filed against the violators.
Being very young then, I did not know the wicked, evil ways of the bureaucrats and the government bureaucracy. I thus took pride over the fact that I and my official team were doing what should be done: The strict implementation of an ordinance to protect the boarders.
Months later, I found out that almost all of the cases that we had filed against the violators were thrown out by the courts. Apparently, some greedy corrupt bureaucrats who worked with me were negotiating with the violators for "grease money." Under-the-table deals: These are probably the reasons why today’s dormitories in Metro Manila and the University Belt have remained unchanged and without any improvement.
Lagay is most probably the name of the game.
It is debatable whether Rep. Mark Jimenez is really needed in the prosecution of the plunder case against former President Estrada. For all one knows, what Jimenez might say at the impeachment trial might help lead to the acquittal of the deposed president.
The extradition of Jimenez to the United States, where he faces a string of criminal charges filed against him by American Federal authorities, has become important. At a time when there is a general perception that some government authorities are patrons and protectors of lawbreakers like Jimenez, his extradition can disprove this perception. Moreover, extraditing him now can strengthen the faltering ties between the Philippines and the US governments.
Ben Simpao, writing from the United States, often spends time wondering why there is such disunity and lack of nationalism among Filipinos. "Is it because we do not have an Emperor Hirohito or a Queen Elizabeth II, or a Ramon Magsaysay or a Manuel Luis Quezon, who have strong and dominant characteristics that can rally the people behind them?" Simpao asked.
Recently, Simpao saw a film documentary about Gen. Douglas MacArthur and the Japanese people. One segment showed the Japanese emperor riding a white horse. As he passed by, tens of thousands of Japanese cheered wildly and waved mini-Japanese flags.
Simpao wondered why Filipinos are seldom seen waving the Filipino flag. Even the Filipino children have not been taught the beauty of waving the Philippine flag. And if flags are displayed in buildings and other places, they are either torn, shaggy, or dirty.
In California, Simpao noted, during Veterans Day or memorial day or other holidays, giant American flags are displayed everywhere, including private homes. In American schools, teamwork is emphasized in school activities. And when US presidents talk about national interest, they always preface their speeches with the words, "My fellow Americans."
Simpao’s observations may seem trite, but they are actually important. For it is in small or little things, like respect for the flag, that the seeds of nationalism and patriotism are planted.
There was one thing, though, that Ben Simpao failed to mention: The way the American national anthem is sung in the US. There, the one assigned to lead in the singing of the
Star Spangled Banner does it with emotion and passion. Just watch the world championship boxing matches where the US national anthem is sung before the boxing event begins – one can almost see the tears of pride welling from the eyes of the singer.
Here in the Philippines, the Philippine National Anthem is sung without any fervor, without any emotion. Just watch the Pinoys singing their national anthem. They rush through the lyrics, apparently to finish singing it at the soonest possible time.
PULSEBEAT: Ambassador Alfonso T. Yuchengco of the Yuchengco Group of Companies (YGC) is sponsoring the gala night performance of "8 Hands Piano Concert" on July 4, 8 p.m. at the Carlos P. Auditorium, RCBC Plaza. The featured pianists are Nena del Rosario-Villanueva, Roberta Bray-Armacost, Carmina de Leon-Regala, and Amelia Dayrit-Guevara. This is a cultural event worth attending . . . William Tang, chairman of the United Chipino Brotherhood International, is preparing to protect themselves, even through the use of arms, from the evil elements of society. "If we cannot find protection here, we will seek international assistance," Tang threatened . . . May V. Tampus, writing from Holland, says that despite all the ugly things happening here in the Philippines, she remains proud to be a Filipino. "If we can’t love our country, who else will?" she asked. Good question . . . "No man is an island," Dr. Conrad Javier of Cleveland, Ohio, restated, as he exhorts well-blessed Filipinos to lend a helping hand to their less fortunate fellowmen. "Compared to the troubled Middle East, the Philippines can still count its blessings," Dr. Javier said.
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