The Negative Effect of "Laglag Bala" to The Philippines #HelpfulHowTo

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has been the center of controversies for the past month because of this “laglag bala” thing. It makes the government alarmed for what can be done to persuade passengers; Filipinos and foreigners alike.

Even the NBI had been tapped for alleged “tanim bala” or “laglag bala” by some unscrupulous individuals working in the airport. Of course, they’ll provide their own versions of the incident.

It’s likewise coincide with the APEC Summit that will be held this week. Moreover, the government has been lax in giving immediate answers which chaotic moves by the passengers heightened.

Even Mar Roxas, the presidential candidate for election 2016 of the government, couldn’t give much explanation for “laglag bala” thing. His pronouncement was of course to defend the Aquino government and pacified the issue at hand, “If you take contraband to the airport, then how does that become the government’s problem?”

Much criticism hurled at the government for continuing to apprehend passengers with bullets. The administration should not be viewed as a villain because it’s just doing its job as part of its ‘Daang Matuwid’ policy, he said. “We assure you that the holding of passengers found with bullets is based on procedures and is not a scam. We are against extortions and scams here.”

But the more explanation given by the Aquino Administration side or Mar Roxas on this matter, the more incidents took place at the airport. What’s really the core of the problem…How can this be?

So many questions that nobody could answer and instead of finger-pointing each other, why not solve it in a different ways?

And then, supposed victims of the extortion scheme narrated how security officials at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport demanded money in exchange of dropping charges for possession of a bullet?

The Aquino government must take immediate action for these incidents. It made havoc to airport passengers and airport workers alike. What could be the answer for the problem? The very core of the problem lies with the government to solve at once and bring the culprits to justice. A severe punishment must be implemented for this purpose to alleviate the situation and awareness for the airport passengers and workers.

What more interesting, the “laglag bala” scheme was well-known all over the world. It creates negative image for the Philippines and for all Filipinos around the world. The Pnoy Administration must act immediately on this damaged issue.

6 Tips For Foreigners Who Want To Move To The Philippines #HelpfulHowTo

Foreigners move to the Philippines for various reasons just as Filipinos also move to other countries. Americans were married to Filipinas and learned to love the Philippines during their first visit to the country. The Koreans first wanted to learn English and eventually set up a thriving business. The Japanese chose to retire here after seeing a wonderful place that feels like small city in Japan " reminds them of home without being too far away from it.

Some move to save, others to spend. Some move to escape the heat back home, others to have more of it. Some move to be close to their families, others to be far away from them. Some move temporarily, others permanently.

Whatever your reasons for moving to the Philippines, wouldn't it be nice to learn something about the place you want to live in?

The following are some of the most valuable tips you will ever have.

1. Learn about the Filipino Culture

First of all, Filipinos are Asians. They have some of the traits, traditions, and cultures shared by other Asian countries like Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, China, and Indonesia. They have high respect for their elders and they care a lot for them. They can be so shy, they don't directly look at you in the eyes when you speak. They laugh when someone bumps his head while going for a jeepney ride.

Second, Western influences are also deeply woven into the fabric of the Philippine society. You will find names that sound like Spanish or Mexicans. That's the result of more three hundred (300) years of Spanish occupation in this part of the globe. The Spaniards brought their religion, among other things, to the Philippines. The Filipinos love the Americans, too. The Americans brought with them a system of education that became the basis of the one currently practiced in the country. The Filipinos love anything foreign. As a matter of fact, they love everything that is not made in the Philippines.

The Filipinos speak a number of dialects and languages, too. You could easily guess that the Biblical Tower of Babel was erected here and broken down into 7,000 islands that make up the archipelago. Both foreign languages and native dialects are spoken all over the country. The poor and the middle class are struggling to speak fluent English. The rich wants to experiment with Spanish and Chinese-flavored languages. The super-rich just wants the speak the plain Tagalog or Bisaya dialect.

This is just a small cross-section of the Filipino Culture. Learning more about the Filipino Culture is one of the best investments you will ever make if you don't want to experience Culture Shock when moving to the Philippines. If your spouse is a Filipino, you get a tip of the iceberg.

Here are some of the best books to get you started on the Philippine Culture:

a.) Culture and Customs of the Philippines (Culture and Customs of Asia)

b.) Philippines - Culture Smart!: a quick guide to customs and etiquette (Culture Smart!)

c.) Culture Shock! Philippines: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette (Culture Shock)

2. Get To Know the People

Filipinos are among the most hospitable people on the face of this planet. But of course there are some who are rude, too.

Do you want to setup a business in the Philippines? Did you know that most Filipinas are highly sensitive? You can't just shout at her and expect her to be back at work the next day.

Are the Filipinos friendly to Americans? You bet. And that makes it easy for you to mingle with them. Not only that, they can hardly distinguish the Americans from other Western races. They think if you are white, you must be an American.

If you can get along fairly well with your spouse or his/her friends and relatives, it would be easy for you to adjust with the rest of the Filipino people.

3. Learn to Speak a few native words

The Filipino Language (based on Tagalog) is the National Language of the Philippines. It is taught in schools and many Filipinos understand it and knows how to speak it. The Cebuano or Bisaya is also widely used especially in the areas of Visayas and Mindanao.

Knowing how to speak a few lines of these dialects is a plus factor in dealing with a Filipino. An American who can speak it becomes an instant celebrity.

One other thing about native language: A lot of foreigners are pissed-off when they join a group of Filipinos (perhaps in a party) only to realize that everyone is speaking in Greek. You have to understand that they are using a language they are most comfortable with just as a Japanese will use Nihongo most of the time. If you want to join the conversation, have an interpreter close by your side.

The following learning materials will prove to be useful in learning the Filipino Language:

a.) Learn Filipino, Book One, with Discs 1 and 2

b.) Teach Yourself Tagalog Complete Course Audio package

4. Know What It is That You Want in Place

Do you have a clear picture of what it is that you really want in a place? Knowing that is crucial and will save you endless hours of search. Are you looking for a country living? Do you want easy access to the airport? Do you have kids who are going to school? Consider all things that you want and then search for the city or town that has them.

The Philippines is the same everywhere. Well, more or less.

Baguio " dubbed as the summer capital of the Philippines " is a cool place with an American ambiance. Davao was once called the Little Tokyo by the Japanese occupants. Manila is one of oldest city in the country and continues to be the center of commerce until these days. Cebu is a booming city known for its historical traces. And then there are smaller cities, towns, and provinces where all things bright and beautiful abound.

Fresh air and polluted air; serenity and noise; modern lifestyle and traditional living; wealth and poverty. The Philippines has it all. Chose which one you like and you will have it in the Philippines.

5. Familiarize Yourself with the Place You Want to Live In

One of the best ways you can be familiar with a place is by going there. Stay in hotel for a couple of days. Move around the city or town with your wife, Filipino friend, or fellow traveler. If you find a place that you like, rent an apartment for a couple of months and observe the place more. Check to see if that is really the place that you wanted to live.

6. Let The Philippines Be The Philippines

One of the nice things about being in a foreign land is that you begin to appreciate the good things you are doing back home. When you are here, you will find yourself comparing how things are done in your country versus how same things are done here. Wisdom consists in understanding the differences. Peace of mind starts with accepting what is.

Let the Philippines be the Philippines. Expect some things to be a little different than what you are used to. In fact, expect the unexpected.

Source: Mark Paningbatan, President and Managing Director, Graduated of Bachelor of Science in Commerce major in Marketing Management at the San Beda College Manila.

The Plus and Minus Of President Aquino SONA 2015 #HelpfulHowTo

The last SONA 2015 of President Benigno Aquino III gave much reaction from an ordinary Filipino citizen up to the different sectors of the Philippine society. Even in the political arena where he intertwined his prowess to intermingle with some sort of people with mindset that cannot be swayed by his words.

Political analysts are born to criticize and observe the way he handled the remotest events gradually according to its governance. The President has the highest accolade for all its components to generate returns and continue up to the next election. The Philippine economy index had been moulded to increase its percentage through the years of his governance.

His latest SONA was never a failure but never a winner. He revealed some figures and events that can be toiled by Filipinos in the future. Nevertheless, his positive outlook for the Philippine economy was so real and vindictive. It depicts the true value of being a Filipino when things that he said have its meaning.

Form the downsides and up to the highest echelon of public governance he delivered it with pride and vigour; noting that some failures are looming within his Administration for the past five years.

The MRT3 is the greatest failure so far for its Administration to counter the damaged it had done from the past administration. The contract can never be recoiled into something positive while it’s the private ownership that counted its mark. The Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) that he encouraged for the entire nation reverberated for some other sectors, but for some, it gave the meaning of business relationship.

Because of its effect, traffic congestion in the main thoroughfare at EDSA couldn’t be resolved by its extreme deluge of passengers. Train commuters were at constant problems for their daily ride that caused much pain and sacrifice.

Even the DOTC leaders couldn’t give concrete answers for the huge problems that they’re facing at present. It only denotes the weakness of Pnoy Administration to deal with this MRT3 problem.
The President still very much inspired for the continuation of his endeavour to the next president next year. Likewise, he also wish to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law by the Current Congress and when he mentioned his interest on Anti-Dynasty Law, it received the loudest applause from SONA attendees.

Therefore, it’s the will of the President to have the best governance so far, but he has some failure for some sectors of the government.

The Mamasapano incident took its toll nationwide for making it the number one media frantic of Pnoy Adminitration. It created more views and opinions to all Filipinos who made them think differently and showered the media jobs into the zenith. Because of these, the lives of our leaders and the oppositions wrangled into another dimension of claiming the glory; in which the steps of negativity surrounded the ordinary citizens living condition a nearly damaged.

The President and his military leaders were among the most failed coordination that ever happened in Philippine history. The highest of cowardice and ingratitude to the Filipino people were made him the lame duck in history of Presidency. The points of Pnoy stand not to accept the blame of the death of 44 SAF members, but the Exodus Operation was the answer of much awaited change that many Filipinos had wished for.

It opened the entire system of governance in the Philippine society wherein finger-pointing was the fashion of this case. The opposition was ever ready to hurl the President any negatives that resulted to the fiasco to acquire the sentiments of the Filipino people.

Investigations were carried-out by many groups that wanted him down and succumbed to their wishes. It’s not very easy for Pnoy to do the action but the willingness to fight back was on his blood, that he had done the right thing only the military leaders had gone bad. Facing credibility crisis and public outcry for justice, President Aquino and his public relations team have resorted to their own version of the incident. Malacanang has branded as “subversive” anyone and anything critical of Pnoy Administration, particularly his lying and disowning his culpability for the Masasapano massacre.

Pnoy administration, along with its cronies at the Senate and the Congress, has lost its credibility and respectability in staging moro-moro probes of the incident for the entire world to see. It was a “box-office hit” in the making, at first, with the testimony erstwhile Special Action Force (SAF) commander Director Getulio Napenas.

Lately, the Board of Inquiry (BOI) released its finding that made this incident into a circus of doubts and hopes. But the fact still remains with the President to come out honestly and tell the truth about the true Exodus Operation. And, the thing that most Filipinos and political oppositions wanted the President to step down and give way to politicians with vested interests in administering their desire for money and power?

The incident that took place at Mamasapano have many angles to be considered from military, political, emotional, BBL, nationwide peace and order, leadership, lives, media, international terrorist and anything that a person may think. It’s very complicated to comprehend if you’re an ordinary Filipino citizen.

The families of the brave Fallen 44 had naturally reacted with the incident but feelings still embroiled with question why it happened to their brave military men. But they knew that military men assigned at Mindanao have 99 percent of their lives are in the grave.

The President as Commander-in-Chief President Aquino of the military should have the capacity to monitor first hand of the mission. He must have the control of its operation while Purisima is suspended and the military leaders under former PNP Chief Purisima. Well, failure in coordination, unclear mission and slow execution got them all to offer the front liner.

Because there were a lot of dead SAF men, and the military operation is confidential in nature, more published stories are circulating and speculating especially the television networks which have their own investigative reports. These TV reports made the whole incident a circus of different minds over the political greediness for some politicians.

In today's hearing, it really comes into the point where no stable coordination from AFP because of its confidentially of the mission. It's very understandable to military system. But, for ordinary citizens, the incident means different. Emotional outburst is not the answer of all these untrue published articles.

It was Napenas who decided to push-through the mission but PNP Chief Purisima has the knowledge of it. The mere fact is that the MILF leaders know the encounter around 6 in the morning but did not act at once to stop the encounter. The question is why Marwan lived beside the MILF stronghold and BIFF? Are they credible to put forward the BBL with the government?

Because of Purisima's resignation, the PNP-SAF Napenas pursued the Marwan operation "Wolverine" into Operation Exodus. But he made this mission secretly to avoid leakage to the MILF. The AFP didn't know this operation but their respond to a call took a longer time to take action. Proper coordination is needed.

PNP Chief Alan Purisima was involved in SAF's operations against Marwan and Usman since he was appointed chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP). It was his decision to resign as the PNP chief, a position he held since December 17, 2012 until he was suspended on December 2014 by the Ombudsman over an alleged murky courier deal. The resignation, which is effective immediately, was made to allow President Aquino to freely work on the Mamasapano issue. He expressed his sympathies to the fallen 44 SAF troopers.

Military operation is very fragile in nature when it comes to targeting the subject which is an international fugitive. Marwan had caused so much damage in the past locally and internationally. The mission Exodus is executed with the aim to serve an arrest warrant but different event happened which constituted for the death of our brave Fallen 44.

Hoping that our leaders must take immediate action for the development of our military force now and in the future.

The Fallen 44 as what I’ve learned from different media; TV, radio, internet and my neighbors who deliberately condemned the killings in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province last 25th of January 2015. Some Filipinos called it massacre of Special Action Forces (SAF) in the clash with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter (BIFF).

There are so many articles, photos, videos, news, interviews, FB postings, etcetera….who made this saddened news into a “raging bull” intended for Pnoy Administration, PNP leaders, MILF, BIFF, and again, etcetera.

Every Filipino seemed to be affected by the killings that forming groups to investigate the case. Some media people were investigating by their own, adding chaos than helping the situation. Everybody wanted to condemn anybody without thinking the consequences when the President gives his statement about this incident.

Political opposition was happy that the Pnoy Administration got embroiled with his governance. Almost, majority felt the killings affected their hearts. What’s the difference when we have to give our leaders an ample time to do their jobs and to trust them to investigate the case?

I think, maybe, just maybe, you already knew the risks to be SAF member, soldier, police or any government forces in combatting bad elements of our beloved country, the Philippines.

The killed 44 elite police commandos in the clash with Moro guerrillas in Maguindanao province sent the government’s agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on the establishment of an autonomous Bangsamoro substate in Mindanao to the brink of collapse amid recriminations over who was responsible for the carnage. The encounter, in which government forces were killed with savage atrocity, took place inside a territory held by the MILF and inflicted the heaviest casualties in more than a decade of desultory talks on the proposed ancestral domain for a Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE). The clash erupted despite a ceasefire agreement between government forces and Moro guerrrillas.

The Aquino Administration declared a period of mourning for the slain policemen, extolled as heroes, but as the corpses in coffins draped in the Philippine flag arrived in Manila for necrological services, the sight ignited public indignation and clamor to scrap the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD) amid accusations of treachery by the MILF and that the government sent the policemen to be slaughtered in hostile territory in operations marked by blunders described by the government and its apologists as mere “misencounter.”

The encounter unmasked the fragility and imperfections of the MOA-AD that calls other politicians to review the present agreement that could entirely be given to the peace process. The incident of Fallen 44 results the government officials to address the issue with MILF.

There can be no peace without justice, a leader of the House of Representatives wants multiple murder cases filed against members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) responsible for the bloodbath.

But, if all of us could think it over for hundredths of times, maybe, we could come up something useful for this case. We could devise other ways to solve this case, move forward for the future without pointing fingers to our leaders or anybody else until proven guilty.