Topic: for the filipino people (thought-provoking masterpiece)

[idle_wild]

Mga kababayan,

this is quite an embarassing insight, i cant help but cry after reading this, sana mabasa 'to ng bawat pilipino....


Subject: A Korean Student's Essay on the Philippines


My Short Essay about the Philippines
Jaeyoun Kim
September 2003

Filipinos always complain about the corruption in the Philippines. Do you really think the corruption is the problem of the Philippines? I do not think so. I strongly believe that the problem is the lack of love for the Philippines.

Let me first talk about my country, Korea. It might help you understand my point. After the Korean War, South Korea was one of the poorest
countries in the world. Koreans had to start from scratch because entire country was destroyed completely after the Korean War, and we had no
natural resources.

Koreans used to talk about the Philippines, for Filipinos were very rich in Asia. We envy Filipinos. Koreans really wanted to be well off like Filipinos. Many Koreans died of famine. My father's brother also died because of famine.

Korean government was awfully corrupt and is still very corrupt beyond your imagination, but Korea was able to develop dramatically because
Koreans really did their best for the common good with their heart burning with patriotism. Koreans did not work just for themselves but also for their neighborhood and country. Education inspired young men with the spirit of patriotism.

40 years ago, President Park took over the government to reform Korea. He tried to borrow money from other countries, but it was not possible to get a loan and attract a foreign investment because the economy situation of South Korea was so bad. Korea had only three factories. So, President Park sent many mine workers and nurses to Germany so that they could send money to Korea to build a factory. They had to go through a horrible experience. In 1964, President Park visited Germany to borrow money. Hundred of Koreans in Germany came to the airport to welcome him and cried there as they saw the President Park. They asked to him, "President, when can we be well off?" That was the only question everyone asked to him. President Park cried with them and promised them that Korea would be well off if everyone works hard for Korea, and the President of Germany got the strong impression on them and lent money to Korea. So, President Park was able to build many factories in Korea.

He always asked Koreans to love their country from their heart. Many Korean scientists and engineers in the USA came back to Korea to help
developing country because they wanted their country to be well off.

Though they received very small salary, they did their best for Korea. They always hoped that their children would live in well off country.

My parents always brought me to the places where poor and physically handicapped people live. They wanted me to understand their life and help them. I also worked for Catholic Church when I was in the army. The only thing I learned from Catholic Church was that we have to love our neighborhood. And I have loved my neighborhood.

Have you cried for the Philippines? I have cried for my country several times. I also cried for the Philippines because of so many poor people.
I have been to the New Bilibid prison. What made me sad in the prison were the prisoners who do not have any love for their country. They go
to mass and work for Church. They pray everyday. However, they do not love the Philippines. I talked to two prisoners at the maximum security
compound, and both of them said that they would leave the Philippines right after they are released from the prison. They said that they would start a new life in other countries and never come back to the Philippines.

Many Koreans have a great love for Korea so that we were able to share our wealth with our neighborhood. The owners of factory and company were distributed their profit to their employees fairly so that employees could buy what they needed and saved money for the future and their
children.

When I was in Korea, I had a very strong faith and wanted to be a priest. However, when I came to the Philippines, I completely lost my
faith. I was very confused when I saw many unbelievable situations in the Philippines. Street kids always make me sad, and I see them
everyday. The Philippines is the only Catholic country in Asia, but there are too many poor people here. People go to church every Sunday to
pray, but nothing has been changed. My parents came to the Philippines last week and saw this situation. They told me that Korea was much
poorer than the present Philippines when they were young. They are so sorry that there so many beggars and street kids. When we went to
Pasangjan, I forced my parents to take a boat because it would fun. However, they were not happy after taking a boat. They said that they
would not take the boat again because they were sympathized the boat men, for the boat men were very poor and had a small frame. Most of people just took a boat and enjoyed it. But my parents did not enjoy it because of love for them.

My mother who has been working for Catholic Church since I was very young told me that if we just go to mass without changing ourselves, we
are not Catholic indeed. Faith should come with action. She added that I have to love Filipinos and do good things for them because all of us are
same and have received a great love from God.

I want Filipinos love their neighborhood and country as much as they love God so that the Philippines will be well off. I am sure that love
is the keyword which Filipinos should remember. We cannot change the sinful structure at once. It should start from person. Love must start
in everybody in a small scale and have to grow. A lot of things happen if we open up to love. Let's put away our prejudices and look at our worries with our new eyes. I discover that every person is worthy to be loved. Trust in love, because it makes changes possible. Love changes you and me. It changes people, contexts and relationships. It changes the world.

Please love your neighborhood and country. Jesus Christ said that whatever we do to others we do to Him. In the Philippines, there is God
who are abused and abandoned. There is God who is crying for love. If you have a child, teach them how to love the Philippines. Teach them why they have to love their neighborhood and country.

You already know that God also will be very happy if you love others. That's all I really want to ask you Filipinos.
-----------------------------------------------

God bless the Philippines...hope we can make this country great...again.

 

Please send this to every filipinos.





----medyo may mga wrong grammar but okay lang. it's the thought that counts.. korean kasi may gawa baka di pa masyado ganun kakabisado ang english grammar

[ZR]

may point ang korean na to..pero honestly speaking we do love the phil ang problema lang is the rotten government system na naka grip sa ating mga lalamunan at ang mga tao ay walang paki sa kanilang kapwa tao in the sense na grabeh ang crab mentality at subjectivity ng bawat isa..

my point of view is that we must indoctrinate love of our country ( i agree with the korean author on this) but not stop there alone but instead use this love to change the system at isulong ang tunay na progressive governance..(isulong ang rebolusyon!!!) joke po maam GMA...heheheh sori

[TigerClaw]

I love my own country Philippines, I also love my family & neighbors...reasons why I left the Philippines is for me to earn much money for my country & for the future of my family...

The writer of this essay is not well aware about the situation in our country?the graft & corruption and the government system, which is presently running in the Philippines. She is not even aware also that all Filipinos are sacrificing to work abroad just to send remittances to help the country.

I worked in SOKOR for 3 months (training period) and I noticed that S. Korea is one of the most discipline countries in Asia. No graft & corruption and no rotten government systems unlike in our country.

Even though we?re trying to work hard for our country & trying to discipline ourselves, due to the wrong set of laws of the government?we?re still far behind to our neighbor countries in Asia.

[foreveryoung]

For me, you have all the point, you are absolutely correct, you have my 100 times second the motion for this observation.

Just what i have answered before, IT IS NOT THE GOVERNMENT PER SE, because i repeat, WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT, we us the citizen who constitute the GOVERNMENT.

It is not the rotten system of government that makes us poor, IT IS THE PEOPLE.

Look around us, do we have patriotism? for those who are abroad working in sunny daylight, i can say yes they are, but to those people who are parasites that they are waiting for the authorities to act for themselves, puro na lang asa sa administration, kasalanan ng nakaupo, etc, etc.

they are complaining that they we have no work, we have no skills, some of us dont want to work in the "mababa puesto"dont like to become a garbage picker or construction worker, at least may trabaho.

Yes, the writer is right that we are palasimba, well I can say that not all but most are Hypocrites, pretending to be "holy" but u know, we know what are there motives.

Im not a perfect person, but i think this is the time, to wake, to move for the sake of our sons and daughters.

WE NEED A REVOLUTION, A LONG AND PAINFUL REVOLUTION, REVOLUTION OF HEART, REVOLUTION OF OUR OWNSELF, OF OUR ATTITUDE, REVOLUTION OF PATRIOTISM.

PAY OUR TAXES, STOP GIVING MONEY WHEN WE DONE WRONG OR TO EXPEDITE SOMETHING.

WHEN ELECTION COME, THINK OF IT, educate fellow filipinos not to sell their sacred vote.

THEY SAY and can we say, LETS DO IT

[lord_CyRuS]

ang haba....   he he he

[idle_wild]

yeah. . it's easy to say 'let's first change ourselves' 'we are the government' and all that crap. but the fate of our country lies at the mercy of our government officials. it is true. i mean, ako. what can i do for my country? even if i shout my lungs out of malacanang, i could do almost nothing. then it will be just a hope forlorn. i believe that every word of this essay speaks reality. sure, it's easy to say 'we pray for our country' but like i said, even the journalists couldn't do that much difference...because our country lies at the hands of the government officials.

[zugstwit]

zugstwit nods: "The Korean writer has compelling points in his essay. I agree that love transcends everything. If we can translate gradually this love of God, love of others, and honest intentions into concrete actions that may however appear as idealistic and even quixotic, then transformation, in whatever form it may and should take, occurs. We need not look far for a model. Christ's love for us is sufficient to convince us that love conquers. Love is victorious. I am shamed by the reality pictured by his mom that it is a hollow Catholic practice to always go to church without putting one's faith to action.
   On the lighthearted side: I must admit that my weaknesses are: I'm not assertive enough; moreover, I'm partial to procrastination. However I will be a changed man - that is I'll reform come 2010 provided further that it's OK with my wife."

[pinaylover]

Funny, I'm kano and have lived in both countries, Korea and PI, and without a doubt it is the corruption.

I was living in Korea when they were dirt poor and wishin they had the wealth of the Philippines. Funny thing was their dictator was shot by his own CIA.

In the Phils dictators and presidents come and go. The one thing that remains is the corruption.

[greenjoseph]

i also noticed some mistakes in grammar, but i was overwhelmed with the thoughts and the message he wanted to convey to us Filipinos.  its very well said and explained.  I too wish that more and more Filipinos will be able to read this wonderful piece of a person who is not even a Filipino himself, who expressed his great love to our country;  who could ever and should love the Philippines that much? only us Filipinos...

[foreveryoung]

yeah. . it's easy to say 'let's first change ourselves' 'we are the government' and all that crap. but the fate of our country lies at the mercy of our government officials. it is true. i mean, ako. what can i do for my country? even if i shout my lungs out of malacanang, i could do almost nothing. then it will be just a hope forlorn. i believe that every word of this essay speaks reality. sure, it's easy to say 'we pray for our country' but like i said, even the journalists couldn't do that much difference...because our country lies at the hands of the government officials.

you have a point, but government officials are not there without the votes of the people, without majority's concern.

if "I" you cannot do nothing, im sure, but if "we" im sure we can accomplish something, we are here as your co spies, we are here for you to achieve what you're grievances are.

Our country does not lies at the hands of the government officials, IT LIES ON YOU, ON US.

We can make a difference. Peace Idle-wild, how are you?

[soldakez]

IMHO...

The author may have oversimplified the root cause of the problems in our country... nevertheless his essay is thought provoking and he offers a valid solution to our situation.

The essay should be a reality check and eye opener for all of us.
He reminds us of what our country "could" have been... a mighty nation.

And it's true, we were once the envy of other asian countries. Why?  We had the brightest minds all over Asia, we had  state-of-the-art scientific laboratories that dealt with different field of reaserch, and we had better economic figures before.  But fast forward to our present, and what do we have?  We have... well, errr... just rotten tomatoes...

What went wrong???

[chierockers]

I agree we are lacking love for our country in my opinion. i think filipinos in general love there familiy more than there country thats why there a many filipinos are going abroad (like me), i dont know if thats a good thing or a bad thing... what do u think guys?

[soldakez]

I agree we are lacking love for our country in my opinion. i think filipinos in general love there familiy more than there country thats why there a many filipinos are going abroad (like me), i dont know if thats a good thing or a bad thing... what do u think guys?

Going abroad to give your family a better future is the noblest sacrifice you can ever give. I am also planning to go abroad for my family. 

Frankly, leaving this country wasn't even a part of my long-term objective.  I have grown emotionally attached not just to my entire (nuclear) family but also to my local province... the scents... the scenery... the people... and I wouldn't trade it for any place in the world. 

BUT then again, reality bites.  I believe I have a better chance to give my family a good life abroad.  Well, of course there is hope for me and my family in this country...  but as long as there is IYF (in your face) corruption and political bickering, hope becomes bleak... then bleaker... then poooofff, gone.

Adi?s, Patria adorada, regi?n del sol querida,
Perla del Mar de Oriente, nuestro perdido ed?n,
A darte voy, alegre, la triste, mustia vida;
Y fuera m?s brillante, m?s fresca, m?s florida,
Tambi?n por ti la diera, la diera por tu bien.

[mark walliceberg]

It isnt strange to hear of foreigners comment on how desperate the situation of our is. Sympre, they are looking at our situation from an entirely different paradigm.

Compared to their home countries, we definitely look pitifull. But, I do say that the "democracy" which we so take lightly or blame for all the MTF politicking is the very competitive edge we'll have in the long run compared to the much tightly controlled tiger economies which we usually look up to!

Government shouldnt be afraid of the voices of dissent and the free media. These are the inherrent checks that prevent concentration of too much power on any of the instrumentalities of government or any social group or that matter.

I admire, Jaeyoun Kim for the sympathy he'd shown for our people.   

[frost entangle]

nakakaboring tong essay nya... di man lng nkapukaw ng pagkamakabayan ko. my point is, we already know what the korean is talking about, and his points are true. by the way may ipopost nlng me. Alam nyo na ba yung 'Istorya ng isang Puta' ?

[jaguar-m23]

oo nga najan na tayo....corropt ang gobyerno...may tamad at meron din namang nagsusumikap na mga pilipino...we have the resources to be big in Asia.... and tama kayo that change ang kailangn natin pra tayo umangat....

cge palagay na natin na kailangn na nga nating magbago.....at cge sabihin na rin nating nagyon nah....

ang tanong...HANDA KA NA BA SA PAGBABAGO NA GUSTO MO? o mag aantay ka na naman muna na may maunang magbago pra sayo bago ka sumunod? paano kung walang mauuna?

===pagisipan nyo po sana yan===

[idle_wild]

nakakaboring tong essay nya... di man lng nkapukaw ng pagkamakabayan ko. my point is, we already know what the korean is talking about, and his points are true. by the way may ipopost nlng me. Alam nyo na ba yung 'Istorya ng isang Puta' ?

well i respect your opinion.. if it bored you, that's okay. a lot found it really eye-opening or at least a sort of "reminder" that indeed we should love our country and treasure it. and no, certainly sir, not EVERYONE knows what this korean is talking about. by the way, i haven't read the "Istorya ng isang Puta" thing. never even heard about it. would you mind posting it? perhaps it would be of interest to the readers...