It’s More Fun If Clean And Green

By admin | April 22, 2012

Talumpating binigkas sa Earth Day celebration, Quezon Memorial Circle. May mga ginawang dagdag-bawas sa teksto

Binabati po natin lahat ng mga naging bahagi ng ating isang linggong selebrasyon para sa Earth Day. Mula sa ating exhibit, forum, muzikalikasan, mga aksiyon sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng bansa, at ngayon sa ginagawa nating kapit-bisig sa Quezon Memorial Circle – maraming salamat po at mabuhay ang lahat ng nagmamahal sa kalikasan.

Ayon sa Department of Tourism, #itsmorefuninthephilippines. Tama. Pero ang dagdag natin, it’s more fun in the Philippines if it’s clean and green. Hindi po ba’t mas masaya kung sariwa ang hangin? Mas masaya kung malinis ang tubig; mas masaya kung malawak ang kagubatan.

Ang henerasyon natin di na naabutang malinis ang Manila Bay. Lumaki tayong madumi na ang Pasig River. Umiinom tayo sa bottled water dahil wala tayong tiwala sa kalinisan ng tubig gripo sa Metro Manila. Kaya kailangan ng aksiyon. Kailangang kumilos para ipagtanggol ang kalikasan. Gusto nating ipagmana sa susunod na henerasyon ang isang malinis na kapaligiran.

Baka sa halip na mga puno, ang maabutan ng susunod na henerasyon ay mga shopping mall at parking lot. Sa halip na white sand beaches, mga maduduming isla. Sa halip na malinis na dagat, puno ng basura at polusyon.

Tayo ay handang kumilos. Tayo ay hindi naman nagkukulang sa mga batas, programa, at inisyatiba para sa pagtatanggol ng kalikasan. May Earth Hour at Earth Day. Popular ang mungkahing reduce, reuse, recycle. Laging may paalalang huwag magtapon ng maliliit na basura sa kalye. Gumamit ng reusable bags kapag namimili. Magpalit ng lightbulbs. Huwag sanaying gumamit ng plastic at styrofoam. Dahil tayo’y responsableng mamamayan, at dahil mahal natin ang kalikasan, tiwala akong gagawin natin ang mga nabanggit kong mga inisyatiba. Bawat isa, bata o matanda, may ambag, may magagawa para sa kalikasan. May pag-asa habang tuluy-tuloy ang edukasyon at pagbibigay impormasyon sa publiko.

Pero ang isa pang mensahe ng Earth Day ay nakatuon sa pamahalaan. Malaki ang magagawa ng pamahalaan para mapigilan ang mabilis na pagkasira ng kalikasan. Panahon na upang ibasura ang mga batas tulad ng Mining Act of 1995. Dapat ikansela ang mining and logging permits. Dapat irebyu ang mga batas para sa proteksiyon kuno ng kalikasan. Epektibo pa ba ang mga ito? Paano ito pinapatupad? O baka nagagamit para sa higit na pagkasira at pagdumi ng kalikasan. Bakit pinagpapatuloy ng administrasyong Aquino ang mga pulisiya ng nagdaang rehimen tulad ng agresibong pagtutulak sa mining, pagtatayo ng coal plants, at pribatisasyon ng ating yamang likas? Daang matuwid o daang madumi?

Hindi kikilos nang kusa ang ating mga lider. Kadalasan ang sinusunod nila ay pera; ang pinapakinggan nila ay mga dambuhalang korporasyon. Kaya napakahalaga na tayo ay magsalita, magkaisa, at kumilos. Dapat itulak ng mamamayan ang ating mga lider na magpatupad lamang ng mga programang magtitiyak sa kalinisan ng paligid.

Inspirasyon ang pagkilos ng mamamayan ng Baguio City. Pagkatapos magprotesta ang mahigit 4,000 katao sa Session Road, napigil ang plano ng SM na magputol ng 182 pine trees. Kagagaling ko lang po sa isla ng Romblon at kinuwento sa akin ng ating mga kababayan dun ang pagkilos ng mahigit 10,000 tao nung isang taon kaya’t napigilan nila ang pagpasok ng isang mining corporation sa kanilang probinsiya. Saludo tayo sa maraming komunidad sa bansa na tumitindig laban sa mga proyektong sumisira sa kalikasan. Nakakalungkot at kadalasan ang tugon ng pamahalaan ay karahasan.

Ngayong Earth Day, patunayan natin na ang pinakamainam pa ring solusyon sa pagtatanggol ng kalikasan ay ang pagkilos, sama-samang pagkilos ng mamamayan. Ang lakas ng bayan ay ating gamitin para sagipin ang daigdig.

Sa ilang saglit ay matatapos ang ating programa pero sa pagbalik natin sa ating mga komunidad ay tuluy-tuloy ang ating mga gawain para sa higit na pagkakaisa ng mamamayan para sa pagtatangol ng kalikasan.

Nanggaling tayo sa iba-ibang grupo, iba-iba ang ating mga hilig o interes, libu-libo ang ating mga kaibigan, kabilang tayo sa maraming social networks, pero iisa lamang ang ating daigidig. Pinagbubuklod tayo ng hangaring mailigtas ang ating kapaligiran. Para sa bayan, para sa kalikasan, para sa mas malinis na kinabukasan.

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Brainwashed and Greenwashed?

By admin | April 16, 2012

Statement after my appearance in the Baguio City Council Session

Through the initiative of Baguio City Councilors Karminn Yangot (Sangguniang Kabataan) and Isabelo Cosalan, I was allowed to speak before the regular session of the city council this afternoon. I was asked to give an update on the efforts of Kabataan Partylist and other concerned groups and residents of Baguio to stop the plan of SM to earth-ball 182 pine trees on its lot.

After acknowledging the gesture of the council to suspend its rules so that a House member can address the body, I immediately discussed the parliamentary status of House Resolution 2069 filed last January to probe the controversial decision of the DENR, DPWH and local government to grant a tree-cutting permit to SM. I told the council that the resolution was already referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and the committee chairman had given his commitment to conduct a public hearing in Baguio when Congress resumes sessions next month.

I also shared the results of our dialogue with the DENR – Forest Management Bureau last week. I relayed the position of the DENR that it gave a permit to SM because of the endorsement given by Baguio local authorities.

After my speech, Vice Mayor Daniel Farinas clarified that the council has not yet issued a final decision on the matter and that it was only Barangay Session Road which endorsed the application of SM. Then he asked us to also look into the cutting of trees along the national highway. Another member of the council also encouraged us to probe the loss of trees in the city watershed and other areas of Baguio.

Councilor Lourdes Tabanda suggested an amendment in the law to specify which local government unit should give the necessary permit to applications for Environment Compliance Certificates. Should it be the barangay, the mayor’s office, or the city council?

Council members agreed that the DENR failed to conduct a public consultation prior to the issuance of permit to SM. For its part, the council organized a public hearing this year but only after Baguio residents mounted strong objections to the mall expansion and tree-cutting plan of SM. A councilor cited a certain Public Perception Survey done by SM involving 38 respondents. (Would we accept this as legitimate consultation?)

One of the recommendations of the committee which conducted the hearing was to form a Multipartite Monitoring Committee to check if SM will comply with its pledge to implement several environmental projects.

Local journalists and residents are confused since the council had earlier approved a committee report which favored the position of SM. In fact, the recommendation to create a monitoring committee was an indirect endorsement of the SM expansion project.

It’s quite surprising that the council has failed to make a final decision on the issue despite the popular resistance of Baguio residents. Their constituents have already spoken and the council must break its silence soon. Or is the silence and indecisiveness a deliberate act in support of SM?

It seems the council is hesitant to use its persuasive powers to stop SM or to influence the decision of DENR and Malacanang. It’s unfortunate since local governments are not powerless if they really wanted to block infrastructure projects. In nearby La Trinidad, the mayor ordered Benguet State University to stop cutting of 50,000 trees for its housing project.

It’s unusual that DENR simply accepted the permit given by the barangay without consulting other local officials. Would they expect us to believe that the mayor and the city council expressed little or no interest in a major project involving a prime location in the city’s central business district? That barangay must be too powerful since it negotiated directly with SM and DENR without consulting the mayor and the city council.

National government agencies led by the DILG and DENR convened a meeting today of all concerned stakeholders to forge a win-win solution. But I think a compromise is unthinkable at the moment. It’s either we allow SM to cut the trees or cancel the permit it received from the government. Another is that DENR will conduct an ocular inspection this week. But it’s something which should have been done before DENR decided to grant SM a tree-cutting permit.

I salute Baguio residents for their steadfast opposition to the mall expansion of SM. Their brave actions have inspired many communities in Luzon and other parts of the country to actively oppose so-called development projects which also threaten the environment. Their laudable dedication to protect the trees and Baguio’s green profile makes the celebration of Earth Day more meaningful.

We are told not to focus our attention on SM and Baguio since there are other more pressing environmental concerns. I agree. But it doesn’t invalidate the issues we raised against the tree-cutting in SM. As Baguio residents, they have every right to speak against policies and programs that endanger the future of the city. Besides, our aggressive position on this particular issue doesn’t mean we are less concerned about the other environmental threats in our city, province, and region.

Let’s continue to expose the greenwashing efforts of SM and its well-entrenched apologists. Continue to engage your local officials until they make a categorical stand on the issue. Together, we will continue to remind DENR and Malacanang about their crucial role in reversing the permit granted to SM. The campaign to save the SM Baguio pine trees is not just an environment issue; it’s also part of the crusade for good governance.

No to SM expansion! Cut the Greed, not the Trees!

April 16, 2012
Baguio City

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Luzon and Island Mentality

By admin | April 14, 2012

There’s a need to highlight the islandness of Luzon. It may be the biggest island in the Philippines but it’s still an island. Its unique ecosystem must be studied in its organic wholeness. Dividing it into five regions and dozens of small provinces had served the parochial objectives of pragmatic politics but it prevented the formation of an island mentality which made it difficult to inspire and mobilize the people to support island-wide initiatives like protecting the environment.

There are no Luzonians or Luzon islanders; only Ilocanos, Kapampangans, Tagalogs, Bicolanos and Indigenous Peoples. (Meanwhile, it’s convenient for Luzon folks and everybody to tag Mindanao as an island and the residents there as Mindanaoans).

There are no Luzon coastal areas, mountain ranges, and watershed zones but there are several beach resorts, provincial pilgrim and trekking sites, and tourist hotspots. The pollution in Manila, the loss of forest cover in Sierra Madre, the destruction of marine habitat in Batangas, the coastal reclamation in Cavite, El Nino in Isabela, red tide in Pangasinan – they are identified as place-specific concerns but they should be regarded as disturbing signs of the deterioration of the quality of life in Luzon.

Luzon’s natural beauty, its precious but finite resources, and even its destructive charms are obscured by the artificial division of the island into several sub-political units. Mayon is part of Albay but its eruption is not the problem of Bicolanos alone. The July 1990 earthquake which hit most parts of Luzon revived the dormant Pinatubo volcano in 1991. The West Valley Fault is not just a threat to Marikina and Quezon City.

How can we push Manilans to act against mining in nearby Bulacan if they fail to see themselves as inhabitants of the same island? How can we clean Manila Bay if our coastal clean-up is limited only in cities and municipalities which have adopted the program? Trees are abundant in NLEX and SLEX but the watersheds are denuded. Our backyard is clean but the surrounding community is filthy. A city, a province, is adjudged clean and green but it means nothing if the island, our Luzon Island, is hurting from our dirty activities.

Understanding Luzon’s geography is essential in formulating policies that would produce a broader impact on the greater population of the island. Sadly, we prefer to plan via micro political units. The potential of localization has been distorted when the traditional bureaucracy dominated it. Grassroots empowerment is impotent if not linked to larger political objectives. There must be a conscious plan to integrate the local with the regional, national, and even global campaigns.

Even the military recognizes the organizational value of establishing its presence in big territories through its several formations in Luzon (North Luzon and South Luzon command, for example). Gloria Arroyo’s super regions identified North Luzon as an agri-business incubator, Mega Manila as the country’s key cyber-corridor, and Bicol as part of the central Philippine tourism hub. But Arroyo’s blueprint, even if it seeks to harness the spatial characteristics of the island, adheres to the neoliberal design of restricting the local economy as mere supplier of raw materials and semi-skilled (but cheap) labor as required and dictated by monopoly capital.

On the other hand, the four-decade old revolutionary movement continues to operate in several fronts in Luzon. It maximizes the terrain of the island to survive the military offensives of its better equipped enemies and to expand its influence in the countryside. But it has yet to prove that it has mastered, at least politically, the changing rural-urban dynamics. In particular, its Red Power which almost dominated old Manila in the past, needs to be recalibrated in the new Mega Manila.

What political education is required to breed a new generation of Luzon islanders who understand the importance of linking the parochial with the bigger territorial issue? We need less island mentality in the Visayas islets but Luzon’s change agents must learn to think and act like an islander. We need to imagine ourselves as tribespeople living and interacting in a big island.

Luzon islanders would oppose the magnetite mining in Ilocos, the construction of a coal-fired power plant in Subic (in a protected area of all places!), the earth-balling (read: cutting) of pine trees in SM Baguio, and the reclamation of Manila Bay (in a bird sanctuary) not simply because they wanted to be eco-warriors (not a bad career choice, though) but as an active affirmation of their commitment to preserve and protect their home. Not all Luzon islanders are dedicated environmentalists but they could easily connect the everyday woes of a distant village to their community issues. Manilans, who would not hesitate to express their disappointment and anger against the continuing pollution in Pasig River, are also expected to support the petition of Nueva Vizcaya to ban all forms of mining in the province because it’s a watershed haven (it supports five mega dams in Luzon).

We need tree-huggers, bird watchers, and nature mystics but no less than the mass mobilization of the greatest number of people is required to save our fragile environment. The popular indignation in the online and also remarkably offline communities against the plan of SM to cut pine trees in the City of Pines is an encouraging sign that we are beginning to understand the interconnectedness of our daily struggles in this part of the archipelago.

Related articles:

East-West
Filipinos belong to geography
Green Highways

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Magmahal na parang walang bukas

By admin | April 11, 2012

Ilang piling bahagi ng aking talumpati sa dalawang graduation na aking pinuntahan ngayong linggo

Tuwing graduation ay nasusubok muli ang katatagan ng ating mga guro. They are among the bravest people in the world. Marahil nalulungkot kayo ngayon dahil iiwanan ninyo na ang hayskul kung saan nakilala ninyo ang inyong mga kaibigan at BFF. Pero sa totoo lang, mas malungkot ang inyong mga guro. Pagkatapos ng apat na taon, ang mga batang kanilang inalagaan, tinuruan, at ginabayan ay aalis na lang ng bigla. Alam nilang bahagi ito ng propesyon; alam din nilang ang pagtuturo mismo ay walang katumbas na salapi kundi ang kaligayahang maging bahagi ng inyong buhay; at alam din nilang ang iba sa inyo’y bibisita sa hinaharap pero ang karamihan siguro hindi na muli makakabalik sa kampus para makamusta ang inyong mga guro. At sa darating na hunyo, bagong schoolyear na naman; bagong batch na gagabayan, tuturuan, at mamahalin. Ganito ang buhay sa paaralan, transient ang mga estudyante. Darating, mananatili ng ilang taon, at aalis din tungo sa kanilang bagong mundo. Para sa dedikasyon sa pagtuturo, sa kanilang pag-alay ng buhay at panahon para sa inyong edukasyon, mga magsisipagtapos, palakpakan ninyo ang inyong mga guro.

Bakit spesyal ang hayskul? Bakit iiyak ang marami sa inyo mamaya? Bakit kahit ilang dekada na ang lumipas ay mananatiling sariwa ang alaala ng inyong inilagi dito? Marahil dahil pumasok kayo sa hayskul na musmos pa lamang at ngayon ay ganap na kayong mga kabataan. Maraming nagbago sa inyong pag-iisip, pag-uugali, at katawan sa nakalipas na apat na taon at saksi ang inyong mga kaklase sa mga pagbabagong ito. Wala kayong masisikreto sa kanila kaya habambuhay ninyo silang mga kaibigan. Dahil hayskul, talagang pilyo, makukulit, palabiro pero pinagsasabay ang pag-aaral. Hindi muna masyadong seryoso sa buhay. May nagpapaaral pa sa atin at medyo inosente pa ang tingin sa mga bagay-bagay.

Lahat yan iiwanan ninyo na ngayon. May bago na kayong mundo. Yung marami didiretso sa kolehiyo. Yung iba baka magtrabaho muna. Maghanda dahil hindi magiging madali ang paglalakbay. Marami kayong sasaguting tanong sa mga susunod na buwan at taon: Tama ba ang kursong kinuha ko? Nasa tamang kolehiyo ba ako? Sinasayang ko lang ba ang buhay ko? Ano ang magiging kinabukasan ko? Bakit hindi niya ako mahal? Bakit laging galit si tatay at nanay sa akin? Bakit may nararamdaman ako sa kapwa ko babae? Relaks lang. Kahit 2012 na, hindi pa katapusan ng mundo. Normal ang magkaroon ng problema, normal ang makaranas ng kalituhan, normal ang maging di-tiyak sa mga desisyon sa buhay. Hindi naman tayo perpekto dahil tao lang tayo. So in the next few years, expect alienation, confusion, cynicism, boredom.

Ang mahalaga, at ito ang pakiusap ko sa inyo, wag sumuko sa problema. Wag idaan sa bisyo. Wag isisi sa iba ang inyong kabiguang harapin ang iba’t ibang pagsubok sa buhay. Wag hayaang mangibabaw ang galit. Dapat pag-ibig lang. Magmahal na parang walang bukas. Pero sana mag-iwan ng sapat na pagmamahal para sa sarili.

Sa kolehiyo makikilala ninyo ang iba’t ibang personalidad. Walang sikreto sa kolehiyo maliban sa inaasahan na kayo ay maging mas responsable sa pangangasiwa ng inyong oras. At gawin ninyong mas makabuluhan ang buhay kolehiyo sa paglahok sa maraming aktibidad sa labas ng klasrum. At laging tandaan sana, nag-aaral tayo hindi lamang para yumaman (bonus na lang yun) kundi para maging mas matalino at mabuting tao.

Para sa akin ang pag-aaral ay hindi dapat hiwalay sa paggampan ng ating tungkulin bilang mamamayan ng lipunan. Dahil tayo ay iskolar ng bayan, dapat inaalay natin ang ating angking talino sa komunidad. Ibinabalik natin sa bayan kung ano man ang natutunan natin.

Mabigat at marami ang mga problema ng bansa: kahirapan, korupsiyon, krimen. Pero alam ninyo na marahil ang mga tinukoy ko dahil pinag-aralan ninyo yan sa hayskul. Mula ngayon, maglaan sana kayo ng panahon kung paano sa susunod na henerasyon ay hindi na ito malaking usapin. Kailangan ko itong banggitin dahil ang atensiyon ng kabataan ngayon ay nahahati sa maraming bagay. Sa pelikulang Wall-E, tila hypnotized ang mga taong nakatira sa spaceship; wala silang pakialam sa iba o sa paligid dahil nakatutok ang kanilang mga mata sa mga personalized screen; wala silang pisikal na aktibidad kundi ang mag click o kumain. Hindi ba pamilyar ang imahen? Hindi ba’t sa kasalukuyan ay manghang-mangha tayo sa mga bagong gadget – cellphone noon, kindle, smarthphone, tablet PC ngayon – na kahit sa daan o byahe ay dito nakapokus ang ating atensiyon? At pag nasa bahay o opisina, kung hindi TV ay sa computer pa rin tayo nakatambay. Walang pagtutol sa paggamit ng teknolohiya para sa mas mabilis na komunikasyon at pagkuha ng impormasyon pero aminin natin, may epekto ito kung paano tayo nakikisalamuha sa iba dahil hinahatak tayo nito paloob sa ating sariling mundo. Nagiging convenient ang virtual interaction kaya minsan nakakaligtaan natin na dapat mas maging aktibo tayo sa offline na mundo.

Hindi kaya’t umaatras tayo sa totoong mundo dahil nababagsikan tayo sa mga taong nakikilala natin? Pero kung lahat tayo ay magiging abala sa ating sariling mundo, kung ang pineperpekto natin ay ang ating FB profile, sino ang maiiwan sa maduming mundo para ituwid ang mali?

Paano magsisimula? Ituon ang paningin natin mula sa mga lcd screen tungo sa ating paligid. Aktibong alamin ang nangyayari sa ating komunidad. Walang dahilan para maging ignorante ngayon. Lahat pwedeng i-google. Makialam sa mga usaping bayan. Kausapin ang mga opisyal. Umakisyon.

Lahat ng pagbabago nagsisimula sa pagtatanong. Lahat ng rebolusyon nagsisimula sa isang ideya. Paano maging changemaker sa panahon ngayon? Sabi ni Antoine de Saint-Exupery, “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”

Walang mas makapangyarihang ideya sa mundo maliban sa ideya ng pag-ibig. Pag-ibig sa bayan ang dahilan kung bakit nagbuwis ng buhay ang mga bayaning dinadakila natin. Noong Lunes ay Araw ng Kagitingan. Pag-ibig sa pamilya ang inspirasyon ng milyun-milyong OFW kung bakit natitiis nila ang maging malayo sa bansa. Pero pag-ibig din ang dahilan ng maraming kasawian, kalungkutan, at kasamaan sa mundo. Madalas napagkakamali kasi na pag-ibig din ang agresyon. Pero ang pag-ibig na tama, kahit labis, magbubunga ng mas maraming kasiyahan.

Turo ng simbahan, humayo kayo at magparami. Graduates, humayo kayo, magparami at maghasik ng karunungan at pagmamahal sa mundo.

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My Marian Education

By admin | April 9, 2012

Delivered on March 27, 2012 at the St. Mary’s College–Quezon City Auditorium

I’m delighted and extremely honored to speak before the graduating class of 2012. Twenty years ago, I was also seated there, proud and happy that I’m about to get my elementary diploma. But I remember that I also felt sad because I will be leaving the campus which had been my second home for six years. (Hindi pa coed ang high school noon).

So what’s the difference between our graduation in 1992 and this year’s event? Well, for one thing we didn’t have an LCD projector, wala pang digital camera noon, at electric fan lang ang gamit sa auditorium. I’m certain that your grad photos will be instantly uploaded this evening in various social networks samantalang kami, iisa o dalawang kuha na lang ata ang natitira sa aming mga photo album.

But there are things which never change. Lahat naligo sa araw na ito (hopefully), bagong linis ang sapatos, bagong tahi ang mga gala uniform at barong, abot hanggang dito ang amoy ng inyong pabango, lahat excited umakyat ng entablado, lahat kakain ng masarap mamayang gabi. Mahaba ang programa pero mas mahaba ang picture taking mamaya. Why do we hold these rituals every year?

Because this a special day for everybody. But graduation isn’t just about the graduates. We organize this event every year so that we can dedicate it to the special persons in our life who sacrificed so much so that we can get a good education. Graduation should be renamed Thanksgiving Day; it’s the time to express our gratitude to our parents and teachers.

You must be very happy now since you will be high school students soon but your teachers and parents are happier. Today, your teachers will once again affirm the dignity of the teaching profession. Masaya sila hindi dahil aalis na ang mga pasaway at makukulit kundi dahil ang mga batang tinuruan nila nang buong pasensiya at tiyaga ay handa ng sumabak sa mas malalaking hamon ng pag-aaral. So graduates, clap your hands and honor your teachers.

Pero ang pinakamasaya sa araw na ito ay ang inyong mga magulang. Pag nagkaroon na kayo ng anak na nag-aaral, lubusan ninyo ng mauunawaan ang kanilang sakripisyo. Paano nila pinagsabay ang trabaho habang nag-aalaga ng bata, paano araw-araw ay may baon o pagkain kayong kinakain, paano araw-araw ay nakaplanstsa na ang inyong mga uniform sa umaga. In 1992, only my father attended my graduation because my mother was already working in another country. Your parents too sacrificed a lot so that you can have a good education. For their selfless love, and for choosing St Marys for your basic education, graduates clap your hands and honor your parents.

Graduates, be proud of your Marian education. There are two reasons why I will be eternally grateful to St Mary’s. First, I met my wife in St. Mary’s. No, she wasn’t my classmate, she’s a year younger than me. Ka-school bus ko siya. We met again in college. And second, I developed the passion for learning, the hunger to read, the curiosity about life in this campus.

The buzzword today is Information technology. Sabi nila we are living daw in the Information Age. I agree. But don’t equate IT with laptops, computers, and smartphones. What’s more important and necessary for you to survive, compete and excel is that you develop the basic and critical learning skills. Yang computer at cellphone bagay lang yan. After a few years pwede ninyo na bilhin yan ng mas mura.

Since technology is improving rapidly, we must be ready too in applying the new technology in our lives. How? Back to the basics: reading, writing, arithmetic. In today’s Information Age, it’s easy to learn how to open a laptop and surf the internet. But you must have the skills to filter relevant information from the trash. We should only consume information that matters. We should delete the spam and the unproductive software applications that waste our time and energy.

Don’t equate research with search. Don’t equate reading with the posting of status updates. Don’t equate writing with texting. So future high school students, go to the library not google and wikipedia. Read a novel or a short story, read the classics of literature – they broaden our horizon and imagination; and sabi nga ng DOT, reading is more fun than stalking your friends on Facebook. Write letters in the traditional way and don’t use texting or even jejemon language in your emails. Why? Because letter writing is a basic skill that you can use when you apply a job, when you request something from the government, and even when you compose a love letter.

Turn off the computer, TV, PSP, and cellphone from time to time. Play outside your home (with permission from your parents) with your offline friends. You can only acquire social skills if you’re interacting in the real world and not in the virtual world.

There is another aspect of Marian education which is not known by many people. I’m referring to the school’s commitment to train young individuals who understand the concept of service to man and service to community. Many people assume that I became active in public affairs because of my UP education. It’s correct. But I also credit the formative years I spent here in St. Mary’s which allowed me to easily recognize the value of public service and citizenship in my high school and college years. How can I ignore the influence of St. Mary’s when our founder, Mother Ignacia, is recognized by many historians, including our national artist Nick Joaquin, as one of the pioneers of the women’s movement in the country? The Beaterio, to quote Joaquin, “is the most enduring creation of native enterprise.”

Graduates, you will pursue different careers in the future. I wish you all the success in whatever vocation you will choose. But since I’m your speaker today, I will encourage you to be active in public affairs. Join politics, advocate good governance and be changemakers in our society. Marians, I want you to be like the plants fighting the zombies. Marians, I want you to be like the angry birds.

My dear graduates, the world will end in 2012 according to the Mayans but in your case, you will be facing a bigger new world in the next few months. I’m confident that St. Mary’s has trained you well. Treasure this gift of education. Be wise, be bold.

Again, thank you St. Mary’s for this opportunity to speak before the graduating class of 2012. Congratulations Bath 2012!

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Singapore’s Populist Budget

By admin | April 8, 2012

Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party, which has been in power since the 1950s, has been accused of populism by its critics following the presentation of the 2012 state budget. According to the opposition, the budget contains several expenditure items that reflect the desperation of the PAP to regain the trust of voters and party supporters who have expressed dissatisfaction with its traditional brand of leadership.

But PAP could defend the populist measures as concrete proof that the government is willing to try new ideas when necessary to ease the hardships suffered by ordinary Singaporeans. Indeed, PAP could argue that it’s not at all wrong for any government to draft a budget program that seeks to build a fair and inclusive society. It can cite, for example, the cash incentives to seniors, the support programs for persons with disabilities, and the subsidies for low-income families as targeted measures to extend emergency assistance to vulnerable groups in society. For a party accused of being indifferent to the situation of its citizens, these “shock and awe” populist measures represent a welcome and refreshing change in the mindset of the party’s ageing leadership.

Meanwhile, the commitment to lessening the country’s dependence on foreign labor, and the allocation of $1.1 billion to boost the capacity of public buses, directly address two of the principal issues in last year’s elections: the influx of foreign labor, which locals blame for their dwindling job prospects, and the worsening traffic congestion in the city state.

The government has recognized that simply importing labor isn’t sustainable. According to the budget brief, hiring more foreign workers “will test the limits of our space and infrastructure. Plus, if foreign labor is too easily available, companies will have less incentive to upgrade, design better jobs and raise productivity.” Aside from giving tax breaks to firms that hire locals, especially seniors and disabled workers, the government has reduced the Dependency Ratio Ceilings for various key sectors of the economy. This means companies must employ more locals in the next two years.

But perhaps the most controversial item in the budget is the proposed infusion of $1.1 billion to buy 550 public transport buses to reduce crowding and waiting times. Many people are now questioning the rationale of using public funds to help a privately listed transport company. They are also worried about the higher operating cost that could lead to higher bus fares. As an alternative, they want the money to be issued as a loan to the company. Or maybe it’s time to reconsider the opposition proposal to re-nationalize the transport industry.

The budget has also been criticized for its lack of stimulus programs to help revive weak spots in the domestic economy, and there are also suggestions that more should be given to fund sectors that are currently mired with low productivity.

The big challenge for the Singapore government is how to convince the public about its sincerity in instituting major policy reforms in government and the economy. What politicians have to do is to simply back up their rhetoric with swift action. Otherwise, the 2012 budget will be caricatured as a grand document with empty populist promises. If this happens, it could spell the end for the 50-year reign of the PAP.

In the meantime, the public is right to anticipate the initial benefits of the healthy doses of populism that the PAP has injected into the budget.

Written for The Diplomat

Philippine Justice or Grudge?

Philippine Chief Justice Renato Corona was impeached in the House of Representatives in December after 188 legislators signed an impeachment petition. Under the law, only 96 signatures are required to immediately send the case to the Senate.

According to the impeachment petition, drafted by allies of President Benigno Aquino III, Corona betrayed the public’s trust, violated the Constitution, and is guilty of graft and corruption. The eight articles of impeachment contained allegations that Corona illegally amassed his personal wealth during his incumbency in the Supreme Court, and that he used his position to undermine and block the criminal cases filed by the government and concerned private citizens against his patron, former President Gloria Arroyo.

In other words, Corona’s impeachment was presented to the public as a key component of the government’s anti-corruption drive on the one hand, and a necessary reform for effectively prosecuting abusive public officials in the previous administration on the other.

In the past three months, the Senate has been transformed into an impeachment court. The prosecution panel has already finished its presentation of evidence and witnesses on the three articles of impeachment that highlighted Corona’s questionable wealth and bias toward former Arroyo.

Meanwhile, the defense has already begun presenting its witnesses. (It was cut short when Congress adjourned last week for the summer and Lenten break). The trial will resume next month, although it’s still uncertain whether the impeachment case could be finalized before the end of the second regular session of Congress in June.

Many are disappointed with the performance of the prosecution team, and some legal experts criticized the weak evidence and arguments presented during the trial. But in fairness to the prosecution, they were able to prove the disparity between Corona’s income as a public official and his numerous bank accounts and high-priced properties in different parts of metro Manila. They also succeeded in pointing out Corona’s failure to publicly disclose all his assets, something that’s required for every employee and officer of the government.

But it isn’t just the less than solid performance of the prosecution that could jeopardize the case. Actually, the president’s unusual combative stance against the chief justice in the past six months gave credence to accusations that Aquino is less concerned about ending Corona’s corrupt lifestyle and canine loyalty to the former president than pursuing a personal vendetta against the chief justice, who led other members of the Supreme Court in issuing a landmark decision to distribute the president’s family-owned sugar and rice plantation to thousands of small farmers.

Then there are valid concerns that the president is hyping the impeachment to distract a public worried about price hikes, low wages and abysmal social welfare programs. The opposition has in fact advised the president that his extraordinary enthusiasm and determination to impeach Corona should be applied to solving the country’s other problems, like poverty, unemployment, and environment disasters.

The Corona impeachment was initially an accountability and anti-corruption measure that received overwhelming public support. But the president’s questionable motives in spearheading the impeachment, and his apparent vindictive attitude towards a single individual, have transformed the issue into something else. Unfortunately, the sins of the previous administration that the impeachment was supposed to reveal haven’t been given much attention.

The trial is no longer about the chief justice and the crimes he allegedly committed against the Filipino people. It’s Philippine democracy that is now on trial today.

Written for The Diplomat

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Change the ASEAN Model

By admin | April 2, 2012

A smartphone app called ASEAN One, which translates popular business phrases into 11 languages of the Southeast Asian region, was launched last week in Bangkok. Private sector initiatives like this, which promote the concept of a Southeast Asian community, should be encouraged.

Aside from ASEAN One, there are bigger projects that seek to foster unity in the region. For example, there has been talk of sending a single regional team to the Olympics. Meanwhile, some economists are in favor of a single regional currency and even the establishment of a Southeast Asian bank network. In addition, tourism officials are currently studying the feasibility of adopting a single travel visa for the whole region.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has a big role in facilitating the success of these region-wide efforts. It has the authority to coordinate with government ministers of its member countries to ensure regional cooperation on various issues and policies. And it can tap the resources of its members and even global institutions to implement innovative programs.

But despite its modest success in promoting cultural exchanges, especially in organizing summits and conferences, ASEAN has miserably failed in the past four decades to resolve conflicts and divisions in the region. Its policy of non-interference has weakened its political influence and organizational capability. It couldn’t even sanction member countries accused of committing widespread human rights violations.

In fairness to ASEAN, advocating unity isn’t its primary function, a fact that further highlights the need for alternative models on how to strengthen the Southeast Asian community. The question is whether it’s still possible to undertake region-wide activities despite the border clashes of its neighboring states, the rise of racist and ultra-nationalistic attitudes among politicians, and the general lack of interest in the issue among Southeast Asians.

ASEAN’s refusal to act as one body has allowed economic and military superpowers like the United States, China, and Japan to conveniently stage their geopolitical games in the region. There’s no unified ASEAN front willing to confront China’s aggressive efforts at claiming territory and resources in the region, and no ASEAN effort to check the expansion of the U.S. military presence in the Asia-Pacific. Worse, ASEAN member countries are in many cases choosing to align themselves with either one of the superpowers to boost their clout in the region.

Meanwhile, it feels like an insult to the ASEAN idea that smugglers, drug traffickers, and terrorists seem to be more successful in building strong, albeit underground networks in the region. Despite the illegal nature of their activities, they are able to recruit and indoctrinate individuals who understand the strategic value of connecting the grassroots of one country with the remote villages of another country in the region. In short, they are sometimes better able to maximize the advantages of Southeast Asia than ASEAN’s leaders are.

Overhauling the ASEAN way of doing things is something that should have been done years ago. Isn’t it strange that ASEAN countries are ready to welcome the arrival of U.S. warships on its shores while remaining hesitant to welcome Timor-Leste as a new member of the regional grouping?

ASEAN should do some serious soul-searching on how to assert its political relevance, and must do more to prevent global superpowers, criminal gangs and terrorist cells dominating the region’s political economy and agenda.

The first challenge for this new ASEAN, though, would be to build a more cohesive community in this part of the world.

Written for The Diplomat

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The Power of Imagination. The Gift of Time

By admin | March 31, 2012

I was speaker in four graduations this year. Excerpts of my speech….

If there is more powerful achievement than education, it is imagination. You are college diploma holders and you are officially recognized by the community as educated individuals. But it doesn’t mean your mind is only reserved for strictly academic and technical matters. It’s equally important that we use our mental abilities to dream of new things and new ideas. Education has taught us how to open a laptop, write our thesis, and research our assignment on the web; but imagination allows us to rethink our way of doing things and forces us to create innovations. A generation ago, the idea that personal computers can be portable, keyboard-less, and wireless was unthinkable. Actually, most of the great and wonderful inventions that we enjoy today were once ridiculed as wild ideas.

In 1870 Bishop Milton Wright dismissed the idea that man will learn how to fly. He said: “The millennium is at hand. Man has invented everything that can be invented. He has done all he can do.” He added, “Don’t you know that flight is reserved for angels.” But what happened after that? His two children, Orville and Wilbur, made and flew the world’s first airplane. Lesson: Today’s laughable idea is the standard knowledge of tomorrow. So if you made a silly suggestion in class, it shouldn’t be outrightly dismissed. Your vindication will come in the future.

In 1943, Thomas Watson Jr. of IBM confidently asserted that “there is a world market for maybe five computers.” How many of you have computers here? Lesson: Don’t believe what experts are always telling us. Whether you’re a carpenter or a CEO, our knowledge and understanding of our world is always limited. What’s important is that we continue to improve our way of life.

Schools exist not simply because it aims to be the repository of human knowledge. They aren’t banks where we enroll so that information can be deposited in our heads. As training institutions, they provide us with necessary skills, attitudes, and know-how so that we can have productive and meaningful lives.

An educated person recognizes that he needs to learn more, acquire more wisdom, and experience more knowledge about life and the world of man. He’s humble enough to appreciate that every person, rich or poor, has something to contribute in the advance of human civilization.

The school’s mission is to equip us with the basic skills so that we can continue the search for truth and enlightenment even after the end of our formal schooling. Its aim is to produce a breed of young individuals who are curious and passionate about life and learning.

I admire college graduates who are academically proficient and ‘obese’ with too much information. But our world will reserve a special place in recognition of dreamers, innovators, and social revolutionaries whose out-of-this-world imaginations have fundamentally changed the way we live. Again, I emphasize the value of imagination.

While web surfing, I read this poetic description of the Empire State Building, one of the tallest and most famous buildings in the world:

“It was a thrilling experience to be whizzed in a “lift” a quarter of a mile heavenward, and to see New York spread out like a marvellous tapestry beneath us.

“There was the Hudson – more like the flash of a sword-blade than a noble river. The little island of Manhattan, set like a jewel in its nest of rainbow waters, stared up into my face, and the solar system circled about my head! Why, I thought, the sun and the stars are suburbs of New York, and I never knew it! I had a sort of wild desire to invest in a bit of real estate on one of the planets. All sense of depression and hard times vanished, I felt like being frivolous with the stars. But that was only for a moment. I am too static to feel quite natural in a Star View cottage on the Milky Way, which must be something of a merry-go-round even on quiet days.”

It was written by a blind person, Ms Helen Keller. Lesson: Don’t underestimate the power of imagination. If a blind person can write such beautiful words about the experience of seeing something majestic, what’s stopping us from experiencing the same thing? Sadly, instead of ‘seeing’, we are merely visually absorbing scenes in front of our computer screens these days.

One more thing, we succeed in life if we experience its wholeness and not if we accumulate some overrated material things.

My dear graduates, life is a constant struggle. You lose if you abandon your dreams and if you allow one setback to determine the future of your life. There’s truth to what philosopher and retired basketball superstar Michael Jordan said in one his TV ads: “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games, 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” It doesn’t matter if you fail several times as long as you know how to stand up and learn how to fight back.

We are living in an instant world, a fastfood society. Instant noodles. Instant search results. Instant news. Instant communication. Many of us also expect to succeed instantly. We want to realize our dreams instantly. But life can’t be forced to give instant answers to our questions. We can’t change the world in two minutes. Even climate change required centuries of destructive human practices before it mutated into a terror phenomenon. If after a few years, you still haven’t achieved your life goals, don’t despair. Learn from the story of the Chinese bamboo tree.

“You take a little seed, plant it, water it, and fertilise it for a whole year, and nothing happens
The second year you water it and fertilise it, and nothing happens
The third year you water it and fertilise it, and nothing happens.
The fourth year you water it and fertilise it, and nothing happens.
The fifth year you continue to water and fertilise the seed and then sometime during the fifth year, the Chinese bamboo tree grows 90 feet in six weeks.”

My dear graduates: Patience. My dear graduates: Determination.

Besides, career-oriented successful persons are not always the happiest people in the world. Or if ever you pursue that road, I hope you will not reach the destination at the expense of other people. Don’t lose your humanity; don’t transform into cold calculating machines just for the single-minded pursuit of career success. The godfather in the Godfather II film was alone even after he successfully eliminated his enemies, including his own brother. The Facebook founder in the film Social Network was also alone at the top, desperately adding a former girlfriend in his network of friends, even after creating the most successful website in history and even if his net worth is already more than a billion dollars. You may be the most powerful person in the country today but tomorrow you might spend an extended vacation at the Veterans Memorial Hospital. It’s lonely up there in the throne and CEO seat especially if you’re unable to share your success with another person.

The gift of youth shouldn’t be wasted. What’s this gift that the youth inherently possess? It’s neither beauty nor vanity but time. Time is what we have which our elders have already lost and wanted to reclaim. But we also grow old if we throw away our ideas and ideals. We can remain young by being faithful to our chosen mission in life. We can be like Benjamin Button who rediscovered the power of youth in his aging years.

Our precious time shouldn’t be exclusively devoted to our personal enrichment. Our mortal life is only good for 70, 80, 90 years (if you’re lucky) and in the greater scheme of things, that’s a relatively brief period. So it’s wise that our time should be ‘wasted’ in the pursuit of noble dreams.

The youth have time, knowledge, and passion. But don’t confuse time with our happy hours. Don’t equate knowledge with wisdom. Don’t merge passion with aggression. Time is spent well if it serves the cause of humanity. Internet-knowledge becomes useful if it leads to the discovery of truth. If fueled by idealism, passion becomes a wonderful creation of love. Love that nourishes life.

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Perverse Transparency

By admin | March 22, 2012

Promoting transparency is the preferred technique of politicians and their apologists today. If an official wants to be politically-correct, he must be optically-correct as well. Behold the rise of politico-techies! Before, a politician must learn how to hold a smiling baby while posing before the cameras. Today, he must instantly tweet the incident.

Governance requires the use of sweet-sounding words to deceive the public. The chosen vocabulary is usually related to the popular struggles of the voting citizens. A politician must profess to be a champion of the poor, labor, women, children, and indigenous peoples. He must promise to advance education, health, peace, environment, and of course democracy. Meanwhile, a reformist openly advocates women and gender rights. But the latest addition to the propaganda arsenal of politicians is the enthusiastic promotion of the information and transparency craze.

The administration of Noynoy Aquino seems to be battle-ready in the ‘information warfare’. It has three communication experts and several underlings whose daily mission is to bombard the public with bits and bytes of trivial and even contradictory information. The president’s official speeches, statements, and directives are instantly uploaded in the web. Budget materials are posted online. Every government agency claims to have a social media campaign. What we have is a reverse Wikileaks; it’s the state which leaks official documents to the public. Convinced that it adheres to the minimum principles of transparency, the Aquino government has willingly aligned itself with the US-backed Open Government Partnership.

But the Aquino government is neither open nor transparent. It couldn’t even fully support the Freedom of Information bill. For several months, its decepticon spokespersons were pushing for freedom of information with responsibility. Its FOI version which was finally presented to Congress last week is loaded with provisions that would prevent the people from accessing vital government documents. For example, the records of minutes during policy formulation or decision making by the president can’t be disclosed. Furthermore, the president can easily classify all his meetings as executive sessions to hide the illegal and immoral transactions in the Palace.

It seems we have the right to demand the release or publication of ALL government documents as long as the record keepers allow it. We have the privilege to review, analyze, and scrutinize online state documents but we must be content if the declassified materials will turn out to be nothing more but voluminous files of dull statistics, staffing summary reports, scanned news clippings, and archaic laws. We can inquire about safe numbers like cash transfer disbursements, crop losses, and Corona’s bank accounts but the extent of the Cojuangco family’s business transactions in the Noynoying era is a well-guarded state secret. The public can go gaga over agency budget reports which are now conveniently downloadable in the internet but it is forbidden to touch anything that politicians are keeping in their office and home vaults. The skeletons in the closet must remain hidden.

That we have a secretive state is a given fact even if the current supremo is a self-proclaimed proponent of open governance. But what makes the Aquino administration more sinister than its predecessor is its false, shameful, but believable assertion that it hides nothing from the public because all government activities are instantly reported in the websites and social networks.

What’s the modus operandi? The tactic was perfected by the previous government and it has been readily adopted by the Yellow Mafia. Here’s how it works: Summoned by the UN a few years ago to give a briefing on the human rights situation in the Philippines, former Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita submitted large stacks of documentary evidence during the assembly as proof of the government’s compliance with international human rights agreements. We learned later that the files were merely copies of the 1987 Constitution and several laws on human rights protection.

In short, distract the interested parties by drowning them with too much information of little value. Translated into governance, it involves the sophisticated use of new communication tools to overwhelm and confuse the public with superfluous information. Data production, processing, and distribution are hailed as indicators of change and good governance. Worse, as Susan Sontag warned earlier, “the freedom to consume a plurality of images and goods is equated with freedom itself.”

The innovation of the Aquino regime is its wise appropriation of the language of feel-good reformism in the age of new technologies. A president answering facebook comments. A government most willing and ready to engage citizens in twitter conversations. Online ranting and debate as unmistakable components of democratic governance.

But what’s wrong with information overload and communication fanatics?

Paul Virilio reminded us that when there is over-communication, the value of the word is lost. He added that “the truth of the facts is censured by over-information.” We become ‘fascinated victims’ of disinformation.

Jean Baudrillard pointed out that “there is something obscene about the instant replication of an event, act or speech…for some degree of delay, pause or suspense is essential to thought and speech.” He noted that “we are no longer fighting the spectre of alienation, but that of ultra reality.” We are no longer seeing or discovering the truth; we are merely visually absorbing the scenes in front of our computer screens.

The grand deception is to equate conversation, especially online conversations, with political participation and empowerment. We are hypnotized by realtime exchanges which prevent us from immediately recognizing that conversations must end at one point so that we can pursue our original task of struggling for a new political order.

To prioritize conversation/communication over political action is to fall into the trap of modern dictators who want to redirect the energies of netizens into virtual engagements. As politicians lure us into their inner circle of social networks, their other aim is to weaken our political capabilities in the offline world. (“The system expelling us, even as it integrates us”). They interact with us so that we may forget the essential issues and reduce politics into 140 characters.

Beware of politicians who blindly worship the power of new media. Beware of overnight IT experts who equate transparency with the online posting of government documents.

Transparency is too precious to be left in the hands of bureaucrats and politicians. It’s a powerful weapon of the people which needs to be rescued from the distorted usage of conservative and reactionary ideologues.

Related articles:

Truth and seeing
Postblogism
Pnoy’s commie group
Politics of Pnoy propagandists

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Southeast Asia’s Forgotten Wars

By admin | March 19, 2012

Written for The Diplomat

For tourists, Southeast Asia conjures visions of exotic islands in places like Phuket, Bali, and Boracay. For investors, it’s a relatively safe destination, where their capital can flourish in global cities like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok. Its ancient history is preserved at Angkor Wat, its rich biodiversity is visible in Borneo, and its readiness to blend with foreign cultures is highlighted by the folk Catholicism in the Philippines.

But Southeast Asia is more than just white sand beaches, temples, and resorts.

Unfortunately, it’s seldom mentioned that Southeast Asia is actually one of the most war-ravaged places on the planet. Indeed, there are still several unfinished wars in the region. For example, the world’s longest ongoing civil war involves the Karen National Liberation Army, which has been fighting for independence from Burma’s central government for the past 60 years. Meanwhile, the Maoist-influenced Communist Party of the Philippines has been waging an armed revolution in the Philippine countryside since 1969, making it the world’s longest communist insurgency.

While Timor-Leste succeeded in becoming an independent nation in 2002, it was able to achieve this only after more than two decades of bloody struggle with Indonesia. Speaking of violent conflicts in Indonesia, it seems West Papua’s current bid for independence is unlikely to be resolved peacefully. Separatist movements are also thriving in southern Thailand and the southern Philippines. Thailand’s Islamic insurgency, in particular, has intensified in recent years, and some analysts believe it could soon become Asia’s biggest insurgency.

Several countries in the region are still hurting from the scars of past wars. Laos is officially the most heavily bombed country in the history of warfare. Between 1964 and 1973, the United States military dropped more bombs on Laos than it did worldwide during the whole of World War II. Nearly a third of them failed to detonate, and they are scattered across half of the country’s agricultural land. Some experts have warned that it will take a century before the 80 million cluster bomblets can be completely removed.

But a recent study has claimed that more bombs were actually dropped by the United States on Cambodian soil. Official estimates pegged the total tonnage of bombs dropped on the country at 500,000 tons, but the new study revised the figure to 2.8 million tons of U.S. bombs. Whether the new findings are accurate or not doesn’t change the fact that Cambodia, like Laos, is among the most heavily bombed countries in the past century.

If Cambodia and Laos suffered tremendously from U.S. military offensives, think of the damage inflicted on Vietnam during the long, nightmarish decades of full-scale U.S. armed intervention in that country. The human casualties are easy to count, but the impact of that war in a poor rural nation can’t be measured in numbers alone. For instance, the war ended more than three decades ago, but Vietnamese fields and forests are still contaminated with Agent Orange and other harmful chemicals used by the U.S. to defeat the Vietcong.

While it’s a welcome development that Khmer Rouge atrocities are being documented, and that the perpetrators are now facing trial, they can’t erase the trauma of the genocidal war that led to the slaughter of almost two million innocent people.

Global headlines often mention Southeast Asia in relation to news reports on the fastest growing economies and the rising military tensions between the United States and China in the Asia-Pacific. They describe the potential of the region in terms of trade and commerce on the one hand, and its geopolitical value if military superpowers should collide in the future on the other. What they always fail to include in the discussion is the ongoing local wars in many places in the region, and the roots of these conflicts which include, among other issues, the negative legacy of centuries of colonialism and neo-colonialism. In short, they speak of Southeast Asia as a place with no past, where only the present and future matter.

The duty of Southeast Asians is to remember the region’s painful past and, when needed, exorcise the ghosts of history that continue to haunt the present.

Related article:

ASEAN Solidarity
Unfriendly neighbors

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