INQUIRER.net Eleksyon 2007

Filipinos love to wallow in filth

Philippine Daily Inquirer

Ramon Tulfo

UNIVERSITY of the Philippines professor and environmentalist Tony Oposa is so angry about the trash in Manila Bay that he has asked the Supreme Court to cite some administration officials for contempt.

Acting on a petition of Oposa, the high court in December last year ordered the cleanup of the filth strewn on Manila Bay.

Because of his concern for the environment, Oposa has won the Ramon Magsaysay Award.

If the high tribunal listens to Oposa’s recommendation, almost all the top honchos in the Arroyo administration will go to jail or get fined.

Among them are Secretaries Ronnie Puno of Interior, Francisco Duque of Health, Arthur Yap of Agriculture, Hermogenes Ebdane of Public Works and Highways, Rolando Andaya of Budget, and Jesli Lapus of Education.

But are they really to blame?

If we look at the problem of garbage in Manila Bay objectively, the blame lies in the Filipino’s utter lack of discipline and kababuyan (his love of wallowing in filth).

Pinoys throw garbage in the streets, creeks, rivers, canals, and esteros without regard for the environment.

They spit on the street, and piss or even defecate anywhere when they have to answer the call of nature.

They indiscriminately cut down trees in the forest.

Pinoys don’t care if they hurt others in their abuse of the environment for as long as all, and not only them, are affected.

There’s another bad trait in the Filipino worth mentioning: His or her bandwagon mentality. Since everybody’s doing the wrong thing, why shouldn’t he or she.

* * *

There must be something wrong with the Filipino psyche.

He or she takes a bath every day.

But he or she doesn’t flush the bowl when he or she uses a public toilet.

And why is it that when you visit a Filipino home and ask to use the toilet, the host invariably tells you to wait until the rest room is cleaned up first?

And why must a gasoline station announce that it has a “clean rest room?” Aren’t all rest rooms supposed to be clean?

* * *

El Shaddai leader Mike Velarde has named his 32-year-old son, Mariano Michael, to succeed him in the Catholic charismatic group in case he retires.

But of course, who else will he appoint!

El Shaddai, a big-money ministry, is all in the family.

* * *

What’s the best way to get rich quick and become powerful?

Form a ministry or church.

With a glib tongue and speaking in the name of God, you can have a huge following and become a billionaire overnight.

* * *

Defeated Pampanga gubernatorial candidate Lilia “Baby” Pineda is leading Gov. Ed Panlilio in the recount of votes.

And that’s just the early figures after some 1,000 ballot boxes out of 4,688 were opened.

Why is Pineda leading? Because the ballots with the name “Nanay Baby” have been credited to her this time.

The “Nanay Baby” ballots were considered invalid during the counting in the 2004 elections.

Pineda is Nanay Baby (Mother Baby) to most Kapampangans because of her charity work.

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