By Rolo B. Cena
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
26 September 2010
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Sun Tzu, in the 1910 translation of his The Art of War by Lionel Giles said: “There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can even be heard.”
In Musicology, the concoction of these notes creates a melody, which, when penned with the lyrics, produced the classic taste of art called music. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart once quipped: “Music, even in situations of the greatest horror, should never be painful to the ear but should flatter and charm it, and thereby always remain music.”
For a period now, national broadsheets and local journals have been posting what seemed to be old-musical-notes-for-a-new-song versions of claims, testimonies, or even hullabaloos of the melodramatic soap dish entitled Jueteng. These notes have been interwoven to produce, in our local honor yet, another masterpiece.
Musical note number 1: The Officials: Retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz announced that trusted officials of the Aquino Administration are receiving payola from the illegal numbers game, commonly known as Jueteng. In the Senate hearing, the prelate named Retired PNP Chief General Jesus Verzosa, Undersecretary Puno, Incumbent PNP Chief General Raul Bacalso, et al as among the officials who partook in the proceeds of the multi-billion numbers game
Archbishop Cruz, who heads the “Krusadang Bayan Laban sa Jueteng” claimed that the popular game had turned into a “political monster” under the Aquino Administration. Putting my two cents in, the retired bishop certainly is wrong; the game was once the monster of the previous administration as far as way back Marcos’. During the Arroyo regime, the people claimed that the illegal numbers game was blessed in the name of the father and of the son and of the mother Arroyo. It financially backed their political dominance. The same caricature was drawn during the Estrada’s. It was existing during FVR’s; it was mellower during the time of Aquino and Marcos though.
Musical note number 2: The Key: Senator Mirriam Defensor Santiago, in an interview over DZBB aired that “a local official close to President Aquino 111, who ran on a platform of change in the May elections, is the key to the continued operations of Jueteng in the country.”
In the Senate hearing, the 75-year old prelate already named those who are active in the business and even vowed to drill down to arrive at the complete list.
If Pres. Aquino is serious in weeding out this form of evil, he should start from his own campaign, not from others’. And now that names are out and the lives of the whistle-blowers are once again in danger, can Noynoy guarantee the safety of these people who have turned state witnesses?
Musical note number 3: The Vatican of Jueteng: Pampanga Archbishop Paciano Aniceto said some priests in the archdiocese of San Fernando are “relatives, close friends and beneficiaries of Jueteng operators” – justifying the claim of former Senator Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. on Pampanga as the “Vatican of Jueteng.”
He further said that those engaged in the Jueteng operations are members of the parish communities. They donate funds to run fiestas, foreign trips and build churches for the diocese.
Just a snap: what did the prelates do to this claim? Are they comfortable being tagged as the Vatican of jueteng? What a grotesque way of assassinating the church and an apparent insult to its holiness, huh?
Musical note number 4: The Denial: PNP Director General Raul Bacalzo denies the allegation that he’s on the take from Jueteng lords as claimed by Jueteng whistle-blower Sandra Cam of the Krusada.
In the Senate inquiry on Jueteng in 2005, whistle-blower Sandra Cam recalled, a fellow whistle-blower Wilfredo Boy Mayor mentioned that a certain Boy Tangkad who has since been identified as businessman Delfin Gener used to deliver Jueteng money to General Bacalzo.
The administration is asking for proof. Who can? Boy Mayor and Boy Tangkad were killed on separate occasions after the blow? If they can speak from their graves, will the houses listen to the second-round allegations of their cohorts?
Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are. Tactically, the two must be exterminated by their co-predators from the arena.
Musical note number 5: The Three Kings: A group who called themselves Junior Police Officers is ready to testify under oath that a group of security officials known as the “Three Kings” has taken over the collection of grease money from Jueteng operators under the Aquino administration.
In the biblical times, the Three Kings, who re-routed their journey back to the East to elude Herod the Great in order to save Jesus from the latter’s adverse plan, have acted as agents of change. The “three kings” these young soldiers of change are revealing are agents of doom.
Doesn’t it take one to know one?
Hullabaloos, that’s how we call them! Whether or not the hullabaloos of Pres. Aquino can be classified and elevated by Levi Celerio, Atang de la Rama, Jovita Fuentes, Antonio Buenaventura, Lucrecia Kasilag, Lucio San Pedro, et al – to classical art depends on the libretto he will be printing and the rapidity of the crescendo he will be orchestrating for his public-presumed sweeter version of good governance.
Music, no matter how distasteful to others’ ears must be sung and heard to give justice to the composer, more so, to the orchestra who brings it to life.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Slashed!
By Rolo B. Cena
The Gulf Files
19 September 2010
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - On the 8th of September 2010, one of the national broadsheets bannered a news headline stating that the Administration slashed by half OFW legal assistance fund in 2011 budget.
In the same article, Nueva Vizcaya Representative Carlos Padilla stated matter-of-factly that Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) contribute the aggregate amount of US$17 billion in remittances.
The Philippine Migrant Act, the Law that protects the welfare of the Overseas Filipino Workers specifically provides that the OFW Legal Assistance Fund should not be less than P100 million. What was budgeted by the Department of Foreign Affairs was only P50 million. In the Budget hearing, this was reduced to a meager P27 million.
Thinking out loudly, translating US$17 billion into the wobbling Philippine Peso amounts to P765 billion, using P45 to a dollar foreign exchange rate. What is P27 million to P765 billion? Or, to put icing on the cake once more, what is P100 million to P765 billion? Compared to the proposed total budget, the P765 billion remittances of OFWs figuratively and literally comprise 46.25 percent of the total P1.654 trillion budget requirements.
What a biased and unfounded way to cut cost! The administration is profoundly insane. What actually are their bases, legal or otherwise, in cutting the budget?
Austerity measures, especially when carefully planned and effectively implemented, contribute towards attaining business or defined objectives. However, when in the process sensitive issues are not addressed to, then something can ultimately go wrong.
Hey, OFWs is a revenue center, it is not a cost center.
Migrantes, hailed to be the modern day Philippine heroes contribute a bigger slice to the total national coffer. Statistics and records cannot deny this fact. Congressmen, senators, and other government officials eat the biggest part of the pie. Why resize the slice for these breed? Why not the slice of these mentally-dehydrated members of the houses who do nothing but make name tags for their selfish sakes, imprudently spend or secretly pocket the barrels?
Which is more important, spending portion of the OFW remittance for their welfare or spending the money for the personal gains of public officials - people in the Houses and Malacanang included? Aren’t these people citizens of the country who deserve the same treatment as the people in the Houses? Aren’t the OFWs citizens of the country who deserve the services as the underprivileged citizens of Bagong Silang or Payatas do?
Which is more important, the personally-vested and coward people of the cabinet who do not even know how to protect the President from danger and international shame or the group of citizens such as OFWs whose sweats and bloods equals US$17 billion annually for the country? Which is more important, all the President’s men who do the talk and never walk their talks or the zealous OFWs who riskily cross the boarders of these uncharted Kingdoms just to bring home the most fabled bacon for the family and country?
Which is important, the mentally deranged men of the ailing Philippine politics or the nostalgic and mentally agonized OFWs who help save the ailing Philippine economy?
People of the Philippines, truly, we have elected “his mother’s son” without a doubt.
Fine! Half the budget for the OFW Legal Assistance Fund is slashed! Then, why not slash the budget of these departments, congressmen and senators? By far, this is the best way to cut cost. From P1.654 trillion to half is an attractive result of the simplest arithmetical operations. After all, all government officials have the difficulty of defending their spending with the Commission on Audit. This is to me, the best austerity measure of all times.
It is even the best way to stop congressmen and senators’ from womanizing, acquiring unexplained wealth, or conducting pot sessions in Hong Kong or gambling in Macau and Las Vegas using public funds. Lo! These activities are even more horrendous and shameful than the August 23, 2010 botched hostage rescue operations that shocked the whole world.
Fine! Half of the budget for the OFW Legal Assistance Fund is slashed! Then, why not dispose all these Non-Performing Assets (GOCCs) that annually share the highest cost? In 2009, the salaries of the key personnel of these 36 (which are NPAs) out of 120 GOCCs amounted to at least P57 million. This year, from January to May, the government continued to subsidize these GOCCs in the aggregate amount of P7.28 billion. These GOCCs suck the hard earned money of the country, to state what is more hurting, and the money of the OFWs. What a shame on these people who monthly receive high salaries and lucrative perks just to run these people-owned-and-subsidized sunset companies. Gee! The sun will never ever rise on them, take them out of the list now or else they will continue to rot the whole pie.
And what is Sec. Alberto Romulo in the Department of Foreign Affairs doing? Plotting the Budget to P50 million when by Law it should have been double seems to me an alienation from his form and functions. I wonder if he ever sited the legality of the reduction the way Albay’s Representative Edcel Lagman did?
Whew! Grandstanding for a president is worth a lifetime’s fortune disguised in a staple from a domestic animal called pork in a barrel. Feeding this animal is worth more than a million lives of agony-laden, true-home alienated Filipino migrant workers.
Slashed! Who is earning for whose spending, anyway? Whatever happened to Flor Contemplacion now?
The Gulf Files
19 September 2010
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - On the 8th of September 2010, one of the national broadsheets bannered a news headline stating that the Administration slashed by half OFW legal assistance fund in 2011 budget.
In the same article, Nueva Vizcaya Representative Carlos Padilla stated matter-of-factly that Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) contribute the aggregate amount of US$17 billion in remittances.
The Philippine Migrant Act, the Law that protects the welfare of the Overseas Filipino Workers specifically provides that the OFW Legal Assistance Fund should not be less than P100 million. What was budgeted by the Department of Foreign Affairs was only P50 million. In the Budget hearing, this was reduced to a meager P27 million.
Thinking out loudly, translating US$17 billion into the wobbling Philippine Peso amounts to P765 billion, using P45 to a dollar foreign exchange rate. What is P27 million to P765 billion? Or, to put icing on the cake once more, what is P100 million to P765 billion? Compared to the proposed total budget, the P765 billion remittances of OFWs figuratively and literally comprise 46.25 percent of the total P1.654 trillion budget requirements.
What a biased and unfounded way to cut cost! The administration is profoundly insane. What actually are their bases, legal or otherwise, in cutting the budget?
Austerity measures, especially when carefully planned and effectively implemented, contribute towards attaining business or defined objectives. However, when in the process sensitive issues are not addressed to, then something can ultimately go wrong.
Hey, OFWs is a revenue center, it is not a cost center.
Migrantes, hailed to be the modern day Philippine heroes contribute a bigger slice to the total national coffer. Statistics and records cannot deny this fact. Congressmen, senators, and other government officials eat the biggest part of the pie. Why resize the slice for these breed? Why not the slice of these mentally-dehydrated members of the houses who do nothing but make name tags for their selfish sakes, imprudently spend or secretly pocket the barrels?
Which is more important, spending portion of the OFW remittance for their welfare or spending the money for the personal gains of public officials - people in the Houses and Malacanang included? Aren’t these people citizens of the country who deserve the same treatment as the people in the Houses? Aren’t the OFWs citizens of the country who deserve the services as the underprivileged citizens of Bagong Silang or Payatas do?
Which is more important, the personally-vested and coward people of the cabinet who do not even know how to protect the President from danger and international shame or the group of citizens such as OFWs whose sweats and bloods equals US$17 billion annually for the country? Which is more important, all the President’s men who do the talk and never walk their talks or the zealous OFWs who riskily cross the boarders of these uncharted Kingdoms just to bring home the most fabled bacon for the family and country?
Which is important, the mentally deranged men of the ailing Philippine politics or the nostalgic and mentally agonized OFWs who help save the ailing Philippine economy?
People of the Philippines, truly, we have elected “his mother’s son” without a doubt.
Fine! Half the budget for the OFW Legal Assistance Fund is slashed! Then, why not slash the budget of these departments, congressmen and senators? By far, this is the best way to cut cost. From P1.654 trillion to half is an attractive result of the simplest arithmetical operations. After all, all government officials have the difficulty of defending their spending with the Commission on Audit. This is to me, the best austerity measure of all times.
It is even the best way to stop congressmen and senators’ from womanizing, acquiring unexplained wealth, or conducting pot sessions in Hong Kong or gambling in Macau and Las Vegas using public funds. Lo! These activities are even more horrendous and shameful than the August 23, 2010 botched hostage rescue operations that shocked the whole world.
Fine! Half of the budget for the OFW Legal Assistance Fund is slashed! Then, why not dispose all these Non-Performing Assets (GOCCs) that annually share the highest cost? In 2009, the salaries of the key personnel of these 36 (which are NPAs) out of 120 GOCCs amounted to at least P57 million. This year, from January to May, the government continued to subsidize these GOCCs in the aggregate amount of P7.28 billion. These GOCCs suck the hard earned money of the country, to state what is more hurting, and the money of the OFWs. What a shame on these people who monthly receive high salaries and lucrative perks just to run these people-owned-and-subsidized sunset companies. Gee! The sun will never ever rise on them, take them out of the list now or else they will continue to rot the whole pie.
And what is Sec. Alberto Romulo in the Department of Foreign Affairs doing? Plotting the Budget to P50 million when by Law it should have been double seems to me an alienation from his form and functions. I wonder if he ever sited the legality of the reduction the way Albay’s Representative Edcel Lagman did?
Whew! Grandstanding for a president is worth a lifetime’s fortune disguised in a staple from a domestic animal called pork in a barrel. Feeding this animal is worth more than a million lives of agony-laden, true-home alienated Filipino migrant workers.
Slashed! Who is earning for whose spending, anyway? Whatever happened to Flor Contemplacion now?
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Commissioned!
By Rolo B. Cena
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
12 September 2010
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - US President Barrack Obama announced that he is firmly and finally ending Iraq war and will move to win peace in the Middle East. He has convened series of peace talks with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders highlighting the positive but shaky US role as a negotiator.
Should Obama do this?
The answer is yes.
President Obama should do this for political, economic and humanitarian reasons. Political because the moment Obama fails, he may lose the second seat which is far more pressing than ousting the presence of the US in the Mid-East and the Gulf region. Economic because ousting the presence of the US in the area is as pressing and demanding as being dethroned as the world’s economic superpower. Humanitarian because thousands of young and innocent lives have been offered to end this long-running wars, how many more precious lives can be killed due to this highly commercialized and business-propelled, stupid war?
President Noynoy Aquino in his early days in office vowed to end the war against the Abu Sayyaf. Underscoring his hopeful but precarious move, his administration may, according to the press release, resort to charter change just to address objectively the long-running rebellion in the south. Noynoy will employ his own version of peace negotiation process, the same strategy his mother, former President Corazon Aquino introduced during her coup-decorated administration.
Should Noynoy do this?
The answer is yes.
President Noynoy should do ending the armed conflict in the south for political, economic and humanitarian reasons. Political because the ideology of these rebels to separate Mindanao from the Imperial Manila is as absurd as freeing former President Arroyo from graft and corruption charges that never have been decided during her tenure. Economic because insurgencies have slowed down economic activities, shied away foreign investments and drastically aborted the influx of tourists into the country. Humanitarian because thousands of lives have been sacrificed with the aim of ending this long-running cannibalistic and grotesque expression of ideology, and how many more lives, innocent or not, can be fueled to this damaging exercise?
Will the two presidents ever succeed in their respective and individual mission?
I will hold my breath on this!
Former President George Bush’ belief on Iraq as the potential “beacon of liberty in the Middle East” does not seem to make sense anymore. The Iraq war will never be punctuated with full stop, in the same manner as the Israeli-Palestine conflict can’t. Debatably though, President Obama’s belief that he can do more as an emissary of peace than a leader of war in the Middle East cannot be discounted and underscored, he is himself an Islam by genes. Pragmatically, this conflict between and among Arabs is rooted by their own selfish interests and malicious application of their Islamic Laws and beliefs.
Lately, several suicide bombings in Iraq have been reported; scores died while attending to job applications and interviews. Called an “ambassador of death” dedicated to its archenemy Israel, Iran announced its un-manned, 620 kph missile bomber that can instantly wreak eternal havoc. Israel still maintains its position to its nuclear power program. Afghanistan is still unstable.
While President Obama believes that his move is brilliant and prudent in dotting the Middle East conflict, this can only be resolved the Arabs themselves. It would make sense if Arab leaders convene and talk among themselves than solicit support from other countries whose interests are always hidden.
Arguably, war has become a strategic business partner of the First World.
The threatening rebellion of Abu Sayyaf in southern Philippines does not only exist; it lives in and among us Filipinos. It has become a system, a culture. It was created during the Marcos regime. President Cory negotiated for peace and somehow slowed down their pace; President Ramos did the same. The intensity of the conflict grew worse. President Erap negotiated for peace and waged offensive war against them. President Arroyo negotiated for peace, but due to series of insurgencies and kidnappings, consequently waged war.
Did any administration win any battle against the Abus?
The answer is no.
For as long as greed rules the historic and the hotly envied Palace by the dirt-stricken Pasig River, war like the Abu’s will never be culminated. Greed breeds discontent; discontent wages war.
Commissioned! Two presidents using the same strategy: Will anyone of them ever succeed in disarming the most hostile breed of separatists and terrorists and win peace over the long-running, stupid war in their respective area of responsibility and ultimately preserve human lives ever after?
In Islam, to kill a non-Islam in the name of Allah and Prophet Mohammad is worth gratitude in heaven.
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
12 September 2010
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - US President Barrack Obama announced that he is firmly and finally ending Iraq war and will move to win peace in the Middle East. He has convened series of peace talks with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders highlighting the positive but shaky US role as a negotiator.
Should Obama do this?
The answer is yes.
President Obama should do this for political, economic and humanitarian reasons. Political because the moment Obama fails, he may lose the second seat which is far more pressing than ousting the presence of the US in the Mid-East and the Gulf region. Economic because ousting the presence of the US in the area is as pressing and demanding as being dethroned as the world’s economic superpower. Humanitarian because thousands of young and innocent lives have been offered to end this long-running wars, how many more precious lives can be killed due to this highly commercialized and business-propelled, stupid war?
President Noynoy Aquino in his early days in office vowed to end the war against the Abu Sayyaf. Underscoring his hopeful but precarious move, his administration may, according to the press release, resort to charter change just to address objectively the long-running rebellion in the south. Noynoy will employ his own version of peace negotiation process, the same strategy his mother, former President Corazon Aquino introduced during her coup-decorated administration.
Should Noynoy do this?
The answer is yes.
President Noynoy should do ending the armed conflict in the south for political, economic and humanitarian reasons. Political because the ideology of these rebels to separate Mindanao from the Imperial Manila is as absurd as freeing former President Arroyo from graft and corruption charges that never have been decided during her tenure. Economic because insurgencies have slowed down economic activities, shied away foreign investments and drastically aborted the influx of tourists into the country. Humanitarian because thousands of lives have been sacrificed with the aim of ending this long-running cannibalistic and grotesque expression of ideology, and how many more lives, innocent or not, can be fueled to this damaging exercise?
Will the two presidents ever succeed in their respective and individual mission?
I will hold my breath on this!
Former President George Bush’ belief on Iraq as the potential “beacon of liberty in the Middle East” does not seem to make sense anymore. The Iraq war will never be punctuated with full stop, in the same manner as the Israeli-Palestine conflict can’t. Debatably though, President Obama’s belief that he can do more as an emissary of peace than a leader of war in the Middle East cannot be discounted and underscored, he is himself an Islam by genes. Pragmatically, this conflict between and among Arabs is rooted by their own selfish interests and malicious application of their Islamic Laws and beliefs.
Lately, several suicide bombings in Iraq have been reported; scores died while attending to job applications and interviews. Called an “ambassador of death” dedicated to its archenemy Israel, Iran announced its un-manned, 620 kph missile bomber that can instantly wreak eternal havoc. Israel still maintains its position to its nuclear power program. Afghanistan is still unstable.
While President Obama believes that his move is brilliant and prudent in dotting the Middle East conflict, this can only be resolved the Arabs themselves. It would make sense if Arab leaders convene and talk among themselves than solicit support from other countries whose interests are always hidden.
Arguably, war has become a strategic business partner of the First World.
The threatening rebellion of Abu Sayyaf in southern Philippines does not only exist; it lives in and among us Filipinos. It has become a system, a culture. It was created during the Marcos regime. President Cory negotiated for peace and somehow slowed down their pace; President Ramos did the same. The intensity of the conflict grew worse. President Erap negotiated for peace and waged offensive war against them. President Arroyo negotiated for peace, but due to series of insurgencies and kidnappings, consequently waged war.
Did any administration win any battle against the Abus?
The answer is no.
For as long as greed rules the historic and the hotly envied Palace by the dirt-stricken Pasig River, war like the Abu’s will never be culminated. Greed breeds discontent; discontent wages war.
Commissioned! Two presidents using the same strategy: Will anyone of them ever succeed in disarming the most hostile breed of separatists and terrorists and win peace over the long-running, stupid war in their respective area of responsibility and ultimately preserve human lives ever after?
In Islam, to kill a non-Islam in the name of Allah and Prophet Mohammad is worth gratitude in heaven.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Salvaged!
Salvaged!
By Rolo B. Cena
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
05 September 2010
On the 23rd day of August, while the world was seriously watching the 2010 Miss Universe Pageant held at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, the world’s Chinese Community was closely monitoring the developments of the Manila hostage taking that started early that day.
The 22-year old resplendent Mexican Model Jimena Navarette was crowned Miss Universe while Philippine’s bet, Filipino-Indian Maria Venus Raj ended as fourth runner up.
55-year old dismissed police officer Rolando Mendoza, multi-awarded and hailed by his superiors as one of the country’s top officers, was gunned down after the 11-hour hostage taking ordeal in the Quirino Grandstand. Mendoza was dismissed from service following the decision of the Office of the Ombudsman for extortion and alleged involvement in drug trafficking and related cases. Ironically though, in the Philippine soap dish, when an officer is allegedly involved in drug trafficking, expect that “Padrinos” are in the house.
Her brighter chance to the magic three would have been possible when the world, Raj and Miss Universe’ judges included, were not affected by the Manila incident. Raj was a consistent top bet in the believed-to-be politics-free, tourism-centered and centuries-old beauty competition. Contrary to international perception, there was no right or wrong answer to the question posed by William Baldwin to Raj. In HR parlance, her answer may be right in her own judgment and understanding of the question. The thing is that she did not embellish anything that would give impact to the judges, more so, catapult her to the throne.
Tourism has been one of the major sources of income of the “Pearl of the Orient.” Apparently, the flamboyant multi-cultural Filipino community plus the irresistible eco-tourism of the country are among the factors attributed to our booming tourism industry. These two, plus all other socio-economic and political factors contribute to the balanced dynamics of the industry.
Unfortunately, as my fear dictates, the balanced dynamics is not after Mendoza hostaged Chinese tourists and even killed eight (8) of them mercilessly. Arguably though, one event can be Raj’s bright-hope-in-a-sad-day romp to the fifth slot in the most prestigious beauty searches on earth.
Putting my two cents in, we are repeating the history not because history repeats itself, but because we never have succeeded in correcting the mistakes recorded in our history, much more, in learning from these omissions and commissions.
Undoubtedly, the country may have some of the most beautiful tropical islands in the world, to say the least, at par with any islands in the Caribbean, Pacific, or in the neighboring isles. Imagine Negros Oriental to have been voted as one of the Top 20 Best Islands to Live In by Travel Magazine in 2007. Recently, Boracay resort was voted as among the top 10 tourist destinations in Asia.
But the deadly hostage crisis, in addition to Abu Sayyaf kidnapping activities, the escalating and unresolved media killings, set to reinforce the country's status in the list of the most dangerous places on earth. It substantiates the Southeast Asian nation’s stereotype of the country as a lawless, corrupt and chaotic land.
Perhaps, it stands to reason why, referring to the Manila incident, Rommel Banlaoi, Head of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism, reacted by saying "This will clearly have a tremendous impact on the Philippines' tourism industry and the country's ability to attract foreign investment."
In August 2000, Jeffrey Schilling, an American Muslim convert, was kidnapped while visiting Abu Sayyaf camp in Jolo Island. He escaped after almost eight months of ordeal.
In May 2001, three Americans and 17 other tourists are snatched from the famed Dos Palmas Resort in southwestern Palawan Island-province. This included American couple missionary Martin and Gracia Burnham. The other American was beheaded while Martin was killed in an offensive military rescue operation. Gracia survived.
According to statistics from the Department of Tourism, the industry bounced back in 2004 after the 2001 to 2003 socially-plagued crisis. 2004 recorded 2.3 million visits compared to 2003’s 1.9 million. In 2009, 3 million international visits were registered, the highest so far in the tourism industry of the country. Although compared to our neighbors like Thailand’s 14.15 registry of the same year, our tourism industry is obviously chugging behind.
Apparently, looking at the statistics, it would seem to note that we have recovered from the stigma of the 2001world-covered kidnapping issue. As Pete Troilo, Manila-based business intelligence director with the Pacific Strategies and Assessments risk consultancy group, quoted: “the Philippines was actually as safe for foreigners as most other Asian countries.”
However, the way we painted the tourism industry is as bizarre as the damaged politics left by the Arroyo Administration. The pastel we used is the unique and high-profile security threats that resulted to a canvass unfairly reputed for being far more dangerous than other places in Asia. The stroke we used was the lawless and merciless activities of the Muslim bandits of the southern Philippines that paved the way to complete the weirdest of all masterpieces in the world of visual arts.
To aggregate all these events, it certainly doesn't sound like the Philippines is a place international tourists want to visit for leisure. Adding fuel to the fire, they actually see vividly the reality when they come to the country.
No one is exempt from this: all of us salvaged the tourism industry of the country. Do we still have something to offer to the world?
Published in Dumaguete Star Informer, 05 Sept 2010
By Rolo B. Cena
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
05 September 2010
On the 23rd day of August, while the world was seriously watching the 2010 Miss Universe Pageant held at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, the world’s Chinese Community was closely monitoring the developments of the Manila hostage taking that started early that day.
The 22-year old resplendent Mexican Model Jimena Navarette was crowned Miss Universe while Philippine’s bet, Filipino-Indian Maria Venus Raj ended as fourth runner up.
55-year old dismissed police officer Rolando Mendoza, multi-awarded and hailed by his superiors as one of the country’s top officers, was gunned down after the 11-hour hostage taking ordeal in the Quirino Grandstand. Mendoza was dismissed from service following the decision of the Office of the Ombudsman for extortion and alleged involvement in drug trafficking and related cases. Ironically though, in the Philippine soap dish, when an officer is allegedly involved in drug trafficking, expect that “Padrinos” are in the house.
Her brighter chance to the magic three would have been possible when the world, Raj and Miss Universe’ judges included, were not affected by the Manila incident. Raj was a consistent top bet in the believed-to-be politics-free, tourism-centered and centuries-old beauty competition. Contrary to international perception, there was no right or wrong answer to the question posed by William Baldwin to Raj. In HR parlance, her answer may be right in her own judgment and understanding of the question. The thing is that she did not embellish anything that would give impact to the judges, more so, catapult her to the throne.
Tourism has been one of the major sources of income of the “Pearl of the Orient.” Apparently, the flamboyant multi-cultural Filipino community plus the irresistible eco-tourism of the country are among the factors attributed to our booming tourism industry. These two, plus all other socio-economic and political factors contribute to the balanced dynamics of the industry.
Unfortunately, as my fear dictates, the balanced dynamics is not after Mendoza hostaged Chinese tourists and even killed eight (8) of them mercilessly. Arguably though, one event can be Raj’s bright-hope-in-a-sad-day romp to the fifth slot in the most prestigious beauty searches on earth.
Putting my two cents in, we are repeating the history not because history repeats itself, but because we never have succeeded in correcting the mistakes recorded in our history, much more, in learning from these omissions and commissions.
Undoubtedly, the country may have some of the most beautiful tropical islands in the world, to say the least, at par with any islands in the Caribbean, Pacific, or in the neighboring isles. Imagine Negros Oriental to have been voted as one of the Top 20 Best Islands to Live In by Travel Magazine in 2007. Recently, Boracay resort was voted as among the top 10 tourist destinations in Asia.
But the deadly hostage crisis, in addition to Abu Sayyaf kidnapping activities, the escalating and unresolved media killings, set to reinforce the country's status in the list of the most dangerous places on earth. It substantiates the Southeast Asian nation’s stereotype of the country as a lawless, corrupt and chaotic land.
Perhaps, it stands to reason why, referring to the Manila incident, Rommel Banlaoi, Head of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism, reacted by saying "This will clearly have a tremendous impact on the Philippines' tourism industry and the country's ability to attract foreign investment."
In August 2000, Jeffrey Schilling, an American Muslim convert, was kidnapped while visiting Abu Sayyaf camp in Jolo Island. He escaped after almost eight months of ordeal.
In May 2001, three Americans and 17 other tourists are snatched from the famed Dos Palmas Resort in southwestern Palawan Island-province. This included American couple missionary Martin and Gracia Burnham. The other American was beheaded while Martin was killed in an offensive military rescue operation. Gracia survived.
According to statistics from the Department of Tourism, the industry bounced back in 2004 after the 2001 to 2003 socially-plagued crisis. 2004 recorded 2.3 million visits compared to 2003’s 1.9 million. In 2009, 3 million international visits were registered, the highest so far in the tourism industry of the country. Although compared to our neighbors like Thailand’s 14.15 registry of the same year, our tourism industry is obviously chugging behind.
Apparently, looking at the statistics, it would seem to note that we have recovered from the stigma of the 2001world-covered kidnapping issue. As Pete Troilo, Manila-based business intelligence director with the Pacific Strategies and Assessments risk consultancy group, quoted: “the Philippines was actually as safe for foreigners as most other Asian countries.”
However, the way we painted the tourism industry is as bizarre as the damaged politics left by the Arroyo Administration. The pastel we used is the unique and high-profile security threats that resulted to a canvass unfairly reputed for being far more dangerous than other places in Asia. The stroke we used was the lawless and merciless activities of the Muslim bandits of the southern Philippines that paved the way to complete the weirdest of all masterpieces in the world of visual arts.
To aggregate all these events, it certainly doesn't sound like the Philippines is a place international tourists want to visit for leisure. Adding fuel to the fire, they actually see vividly the reality when they come to the country.
No one is exempt from this: all of us salvaged the tourism industry of the country. Do we still have something to offer to the world?
Published in Dumaguete Star Informer, 05 Sept 2010
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