Debt and God

So the Philippines is in debt. Why should I care? I could just go Switzerland or France, nevermind it right? Maybe I could sell it to the USA again. Well I have a new buyer too, China is there on the side. Just get my money and leave? What do you think?

Maybe not. Faith is on my side.

When I see my fellow Filipinos pray, they really pray. And if I am God, I can almost hear their prayers:

"Dear God, please remove me from my debt..."

It can be money, material, gratitude, or even life. Filipinos still have this attitude to try and repay their debt.

But there is a problem, some bad Filipinos too want their fellow Filipinos to continue the cycle-suffering on never ending debt. Remember the Phil. Central Bank Financial officer? I made life miserable for him. I made him suffer so bad that he will borrow money too and have a taste of his own medicine. He is willing to give his family together his beautiful daughters, just to reclaim his life back.

"Sir, if you do not have any money, all you have is your family. If you gave your family, might as well I kill you right now. You shameless pig..."

Stories of creditors and lenders still haunts me up to today. A lot has changed when you lend money to a person / corporation. But now, the change is not for the better in the Philippines:

* Government institutions like PAG IBIG are getting smarter, maybe more of a business than a proper trust fund that will help you. They will need some proof that you have already paid something before they give you the loan. That is why you applied a loan in the first place right? To pay something.

* GSIS / SSS - well they splurge on your money. If you retired, you will go through lots of processes before you get your retirement money. That is the money that you paid for, deducted from your paycheck every month. And if you need it, you can't use it immediately. Very sad indeed.

* Philippine Banks - Thanks to that filthy pig from the Phil. Central Bank, interest rates are up. You borrowed money but you are just paying for the interest only. And they will not agree on flexible terms of payment, they will just follow as per the contract, which can be amended easily. Furthermore, they will hire unprofessional employees who will call you anytime they want to ask for payment.

* Philippine Mentality - We are so accustomed with borrowing and putting interest. Some lenders do it to gain money, and we as borrowers like the idea so that the lender can lend some money. This attitude of lending/borrowing must be stopped. or else we will never get away from the burden of debt.

I can't stop it now, its already there, I was really frustrated on this financial set up. I am suffering too, as I am being called by the IMF and International leaders, to pay for their debts. It is so enormous. Oh God, maybe you sent me to save them. My fellow countrymen. We are saying the same prayers, please remove my beloved Philippines from debt.

Or just sell it to India, or make it as a loan like 5/6....

Crisis 1

　

(to all who have read my blog especially from the USA and Europe, many thanks from the bottom of my heart and soul. I really want to publish this as a book but do not have the means. I am now more inspired to write more, please feel free to comment and subscribe, please tell your friends about my bloggel, this is as raw as it gets.)

The East Asian Financial Crisis came, and the Philippines is in trouble. It was 1998. My dad, well for now I do not know where he is, he told me to handle things for him.

My mom is there also, she is still sweet but sometimes crazy. Sometimes she is working in part for my dad.

I went to Malacanang with my team of specialists, and I met  Ramos and Cory, together with government officials and staff. I know some of the officials

from the news papers and television. But I am concerned only with Cory and Ramos. Ramos is the new president, so he will be given a briefing by Cory.

Cory is more like a mother not a president. She is kind hearted and strict also. I called her 'tita' outside of Malacanang. She asked my mom if she is ok

and told me that she wants to go back with her to Hong Kong to shop. I told her that she may come with my mom only if she will allow me to have a date with

her daughter Kris. She laughed warmly.

　

On to business, they were discussing already the plans on how to alleviate the crisis. They have planned already to borrow from IMF, which they called it SAP

(structural adjustment package) or also called 'bail out package'. I was reading the reports and all, and they were discussing what to do with the money,

to whom should they give it first, etc. etc. Then I told them this simple question:

　

"How can we pay them back?"

　

Everybody was silent. Then someone from this big financial government firm answered that "as long as we have this crisis, we need to borrow money from IMF continuously".

I was shocked and surprised with the answer, I was going to curse that guy, (If I remember he is from the Phil. Central Bank) but one of my senior advisers stopped me.

He told: "Do not waste your time on something that is already decided."

All the mumbo jumbo meeting was finished. In the end, I came to know they are raising interest rates to cushion the country from the financial crisis. And they borrowed

money from IMF. I did not see how much, it is pointless as it is a constant borrowing and payment. We cannot get away from it. Is it in our culture? or somebody's

incompetence? ignorance? I tell you one thing, a lot of Filipinos will suffer, and only a handful of citizens, mostly rich ones, will get the benefits.

Incognito

Speaking of raging hormones, I also have them. I am now a man, I hope so. If

you are in High School, and you are in the Philippines, everything can be done.

Especially in my case. (If you did not read the blog earlier, I own the

Philippines, I can do everything within a snap of my finger) I have maids that I

can contact and give me everything I want - (including sexual pleasure). I have

butlers on my side who will do the assignments for me. I tell them to put

mistakes on purpose, because my teachers will surely notice if I have

high/perfect scores.

As per my dad's instruction, I tried to study politics, statistics, engineering and sociology. I have

the best teachers here in abroad who gave me private lessons. At first they

thought I was a spoiled rich guy, but when they see my serious face and passion for reason.

They believed me. But they gave me a warning:

"Even though you got everything, you still cannot change your own country. It is the people

who make it work."

That I debated with them, with statistics and political discussion what can be done

for the Philippines, how to improve their quality of life. It is so hard and complex,

especially for a young man like me. I do not have that much experience/maturity.

I could feel that I am right and wrong at the same time.

Now I am incognito, I am a young man who owns my own country, but still goes to

a send rate private high school.

I went to this to school, which I did not enjoy. Some of my classmates are trying to be

the 'cool' guy and girls make assignments for them. I am included in the 'uncool'

group where some nerds, losers, and other school mates that are a butt of jokes.

but i do miss them as we supported each other in our own way.

I remember my crush before, her name is Nadja. She is the most beautiful girl

I have ever seen, a half Filipino half German gal, my heart beats fast when she

comes. I was her classmate earlier. I tried to give a small gift on her birthday.

A portrait of the Last Supper. I do not know where she put it, maybe she has thrown

it somewhere. Then there was this reject guy who want to court her, and she

accepts him. What a waste of beauty! That is the problem with some girls, they are

also complex beings in my opinion. Why go for a guy that they already knew

that they will just hit on 'em and go away? Then I went to statistics: the ratio

of women to men is 7:3 out of 10. But at least they must choose the good ones :)

When senior year came, some of my classmates bought their cars. I bought mine too,

it was a Suzuki Super Carry. I could have bought the Porsche or Merc but it is too obvious,

so i told my dad to buy it for me. He just gave me a blank cheque. I kinda like it. As I drove

with all the girls I could fit in and I am the only guy :) You cannot fit that much people

in an ordinary car.

As I mentioned, I did not enjoy High School. I have seen all the inconsistencies of

the education system, in a perspective. None of them taught anything valuable that

each student can perform to prepare them for the world out there. Maybe its a long time

ago. It is tradition. College hopefully becomes better.

Mahal Kong Guro (My Beloved Teacher)

Its a common sad story in the Philippines, that the classrooms (some, not all!) are --hmmn--downright filthy. I studied in a public school once, this is to show rebellion to my mother, that i can't learn anything in a posh expensive school where everything is being spoon fed. and i got a big fight with her, so with my connections, i studied in a public school. my dad knew about it except my mom, she will beat me to death, literally.

i remember this well, it was raining hard, and classes were suspended. all of the children and my classmates tried to search for their yayas / guardians. well for me i know it will be late because my driver drops my mother to the beauty parlor (she can leave me but not her pedicure!)

the rain poured harder and i can already feel the flood waters seeping through the classroom and water is now dripping from the roof (cheap materials only, somebody made some money for sure).

While  building a much higher ground (by stacking tables and chairs), i saw my teacher, a young pretty lady, whose pencil cut skirt are now wet with mud and trash, she has this pail where she tries to scoop down all the flood water from the room and throw it outside the garden. I also noticed that there are some books on the shelves, some are already wet at the bottom, and she is trying to save the other books.

It made me weep...

While crying with mucus on my nose, I pulled up the edges of my pants, removed my shoes, and waded the flooded classroom. I grabbed a plastic bag and tried to scoop up the flood as fast as i could.

"It's ok, don't help me, just go back and wait for your parents,"

"But teacher..."

She immediately hugged me. I stopped breathing. I can still smell her hair and knew that she used Palmolive shampoo, it smelled so nice. She said:

"If you grow old, I know you will be a good man and hope you can change everything..."

I still  cry when I remember what she said to me. She's an angel, a Virgin Mary, a Mother Theresa, Joan of Arc, Lara Croft all combined.

I got a good scolding from my mom. And when my dad heard my mom, he also scolded her, and they shouted at each other. At least I am out of it and now I can take a nice warm bath.

I cried while I was in the shower. I vowed to change the Philippine Educational System. no more sub standard classrooms, no more stressed out teachers with low even delayed wages. No more politics at schools / DECS, no more gifts from parents of students who got low grades, NO MORE.

But I still didn't succeed..sorry my beloved teacher, I failed you.

--------------- Updated 6 August 2012 -------------------------

Teacher, look at us now. We still throw our garbage on the streets that is why there are floods. Look at our government officials who do not care, look at our corporations whose greed is never ending. And now, when Mother Nature weeps, it all goes down to this innocent little boy on this photo...

Student from Philippines drenched in rain (Photo from Facebook)