Convent, Hollywood, heaven, hell, Phl style

Writing a column for the leading newspaper means I must be prepared for responses from readers affected by my articles. Except for a few hecklers, nearly all my readers share a passion – the good of this country and its people, and a wish that its leaders succeed despite the formidable challenges of nation-building.

The Philippines is not a small country. It is Asia’s first republic and first democracy, having been established on June 12, 1898, exactly 125 years ago.

Emilio Aguinaldo, the first Philippine president and our version of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln combined, proclaimed the country’s independence that ended 377 years of Spanish colonial rule.

The so-called independence was short-lived. The United States bought the Philippine islands from Spain for $20 million, one US dollar per Filipino. Albay Rep. Joey Salceda estimates the present value of one US dollar 125 years ago today is about $4,500, higher than the nominal current per capita income of $3,587.

The disparity implies that we would have been better off under America had we not, again, gained another independence, on July 4, 1946, following a ten-year Commonwealth that began in 1935, with Manuel L. Quezon as the first Commonwealth president.

Quezon got what he wanted, when he hollered: “I would rather have a government run like hell by Filipinos than a government run like heaven by any foreigner.” He added, “I said that once, I say it again, and I will always say it as long as I live,” to the thunderous applause of his listeners, on Dec. 9, 1939. MLQ was guest speaker at an inter-university oratorical contest of the Civil Liberties Union.

MLQ clarified: “But that is not an admission that a government run by Filipinos will be a government run like hell. [Laughter.] Much less can it be an admission that a government run by Americans or by the people of any other foreign country, for that matter, can ever be a government run like heaven [Laughter].”

And MLQ insisted, “We have had four years of our government – the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines – a government run by Filipinos, and I defy anybody, American, foreigner or Filipino, to tell me that ours today is a government run like hell. I should say that this is the best government we have ever had in the Philippines, and I will now enumerate the facts to prove this to you.”

If indeed, subsequent presidents after MLQ ran the government like heaven, there is no substantial evidence available today for that.

What is clear is that the Philippines used to be the richest country in Asia, bar none, after World War II.

Japan had been devastated and humiliated by two US nuclear bombs.  There was no country left standing –except the Philippines.

Not many Filipinos are aware of it today, but the Philippines established Asia’s first banking system, first central bank, first water and sewerage system, first railway system, the first electricity system and first high-end educational system patterned after that of America.

Filipinos were the No. 1 tourists of Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan. Rich Filipinos sourced their maids from Taiwan and the security guards for their businesses from India. Til the 1970s, the Philippines was an export powerhouse, with exports ten times greater than those of South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.

The 377 years under Spain were like living in a convent, the nearly 50 years under the US were years in Hollywood.  After that, we have had hell.

The following is one of the reaction letters to my column on “BBM and GMA,” May 30, 2023:

Dear Mr. Lopez,

To our knowledge and information received, BBM asked Inday Sara first if she was running for the presidency and she answered him no.... giving the reasons that she was not yet ready as her mother had CA, her children were still small and she was having personal challenges then. And she prodded him to aim for the presidency instead. And so he did file with the Comelec.

GMA, on the other hand, was honing Sara D. then as her protégé for the presidency and Sara was asked to leave her Hugpong Party. Meanwhile, GMA loyalist Cong Salceda was all over town, newspapers and ABS-CBN announcing that Sara was running for the presidency. In fact, they readied the SARA ALL green buses to be used in the campaign. The Comelec deadline for filing candidacy was just a few days away.

Come the day of the wedding of Bong Revilla’s daughter where Sara n BBM attended. BBM was interviewed and was told by a reporter that it seemed Sara was also running for the presidency. BBM answered, ‘Walang Marcos na umaatras.’

They were both invited on the same day to Balesin where GMA hosted the birthday party for Speaker Velasco.

Only Sara flew to Balesin.

According to some close sources, that’s where GMA would raise the hand of Sara running for president and BBM for vice president..... as what Cong Salceda had been announcing all along. But, BBM did not attend this invitation.

Soon after, Sara D went to file her candidacy for VP at the Comelec.

PBBM and VP Sara are friends and their team up was their own eventual choice. The supporters around just went along to support them.

Now, VP Sara resigned from the Lakas Party to start being independent and neutral. She herself did not like the attempt to create a coup to unseat Speaker Martin Romualdez at this early stage.

Apart from reliable sources, we ourselves/reading, thinking and discerning citizens, can read between the lines.

No matter how much PRRD disliked the decision, he had not been meeting his first children during the pandemic years to be able to contribute to a decision. Reason given was: COVID.

I’m just an ordinary Filipino citizen who cares for this country too and for truth to prevail.

Thank you, Sir.

Ma. Veronica Carandang

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