From: coxm@Software.Mitel.COM (Michael Cox)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.filipino
Subject: Re: image problem?
Keywords: Philippines
Date: 9 Apr 92 19:10:50 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Mitel. Kanata (Ontario). Canada.


Danny and all,
    I'm not a Filipino, just a Caucasian Canadian.  I visited the Philippines
in 1990 and I stayed with a middle class (for them) family (the brother of a
friend of mine).  I must admit I found Manila the most disgusting place on
earth (--WAIT NO FLAMES, I'm not finished).  I found it noisy, smelly, dirty,
and hot.  I was staying for seven weeks.  I felt that way for about three
weeks.  Then after a trip to Baguio I started to get my "transportation" legs
and I felt much more at home and actually started to really like the place.
Unfamiliarity breeds fear.
    The family had:  running water only every other day, many electrical
brown outs (some were scheduled, like the one on Monday evenings from 5pm to
9pm (but usually lasted longer)), no screens on their windows (lot's of flies
at the end of "summer"), Carabou (sp?) walking the streets, someone had a pig
nearby, and then the roosters . . . quite honestly, with the exception of the
time I accidentally drank the water in Macalelon (Quezon Province) (boy do you
lose weight fast!  They should market it here as part of a diet program.) I
had the best vacation of my life (Shakeys makes the best Pizza!).  I'd go back
tomorrow if I could.  And I will return sometime in the future.
    I took the local transit system, tricycles, jeepnees (sp?), city, love etc
buses (some with the roof so low I couldn't stand up straight).  I enjoyed the
lifestyle, the environment (except the first three weeks).
    The Pasig River is a sewer.  I read in one of the local newspapers that only
10 percent of all sewage is treated, the treatment is "straining" through large
metal bars.  Coming from Canada where most American cities are quite dirty
(--NO FLAMES, I think Toronto is dirty too!) it was quite a shock to find no
central water purification and sewage treatment facility.  The water for homes
is by a community basis, usually built by the developer there (except for the
commercial areas).  However, I'd say 99.9999% of the Philippines is no worse
than our downtown areas 30 years ago.  Most of it is a paradise!
    The biggest problem with the Philippines is it's people.  First of all
there's too many of them.  Secondly is their attitude.  This second problem is
the major problem.  They don't like corruption when it isn't helping them.
They prefer foreign goods rather than those made in their own country.  Many of
their movie star idols are mixed (american-Filipino, or ??-Filipino).  They
just don't have pride in what and who they are.  There are exceptions of course,
but to improve the situation they must see themselve in a different light.  The
farmers shouldn't drink so much either!
    Perhaps the removal of the American bases will force them to sober up and
remove the desire to "head to Hollywood (America)".  For too long they've been dominated by someone else.  I truly hope that democracy continues there but
to be perfectly honest I think the Philippines needs a benign dictator to
change the way of thinking, reduce the birth level, reduce (or even eliminate)
corruption, and to bring home the pride of that being from the Phillipines is
something very good and very, very special.
    The people in Manila who are poor live in a terrible state.  The same income
would allow them to live a much better life in the county-side (if they could
find a job).  Some of their relatives lived in little shanty towns (I have an
office bigger than most of those places) and I went to visit them.  The same
income in Macalelon afforded the people a house.  Not a north american style
house but one with a thatched roof, raised floor (off the ground), and
several rooms inside.  In both cases the outside was the toilet.  From my
perspective the Macalalon house was wonderful.  I've NEVER slept so well in
my entire life.  A truly wonderful experience.  Yet people regularly leave the
countryside for Manila.  To enjoy what?  I suppose it's the lure of the city,
or the desire to be not so isolated?  Gee, I found myself without a telephone,
with an outside toilet, constant electrical disruptions, in a small community,
far, far away from (my) home; and I felt so very UNalone.  The people were very
friendly (except I didn't like being called "Joe" or an "American").
   I hope you could follow my ramblings.  Sorry that both hotels I stayed in
were destroyed (one by a fire two weeks after I left, one by the earthquake
four weeks after I left) I promise it won't happen again 8-).
   The Philippines is a great place.  When I go back I want to visit Cebu,
Boac, Banaue rice fields (too long from Baguio, it would have been faster from
Manila even though it's further away!), and lot's of other places (Taal
volcano?).  However I hope they improve the plight of many of the Philippine
people.  They deserve so much from their government and yet receive so little!


Just my thoughts,
 Michael 
-- 
Michael H. Cox      | "I'm hovering like a fly, waiting for a windshield on the
                    |  freeway."  Genesis -- Lamb lies down on Broadway
Mitel Coroporation  |
"Switch me ON"      |
Newsgroups: soc.culture.filipino