The Prodigal Son

Yesterday's gospel reading was the Prodigal Son.

I had never paid much attention to it before. The family and I don't go to mass every week, and I was almost disinclined to go to Mass yesterday, but Jen wanted to so off we went.

The story captures so much of the New Testament doesn't it? We have the prodigal son, and the father who would be entitled to cast his son to the servants quarters, but instead welcomes him and puts on a feast.

Both the father and the older brother have all the reason in the world to reject the younger son. But it is the father's love that shines over any other consideration and welcomes the younger back into the fold.

The father followed his heart, and we feel that it is the right thing to do, even as we acknowledge that there is ample reason to do the opposite.

Love and light prevail over justice and retribution.

And the envy of the older brother is evil in its destructive and selfish manifestation.

Love triumphs in the end.

I'm a simple man, and certainly know nothing about the bible. Nevertheless, I thought if all I had to take out of the bible was one passage, it would probably be this one.

I am tired tonight and can't do this justice. Maybe some other time. For now I take comfort in its story as one which represents to me the most important lesson of all.

Harvey Keh

Most responses to Harvey's now infamous letter seem keen to point out reasons why people should stay in the Philippines. What these retorts have in a common is an appeal to the nationalistic spirit not to give up on the Philippines.

Realistically I wonder how much of a factor "nationalism" is in the decision process when we leave the Philippines. To what extent has it ever held anyone back?

Let me illustrate. Say I decide to leave the Philippines. I foresee that the move will free me from the shackles of poverty and give me an opportunity to have a better life for every member of my family. When did it ever occur to me that ," Gee , there's a million young kids out there just waiting for people like me to vote a better government in so that the whole country progresses. I gotta stay and help the cause!"???

People focus on what they can do to bring about a result. Most if not all of us have some means of improving ourselves, but can't see ourselves as individuals changing the collective will of a nation expressed in its elected politicians. So what do we do? We vote with our feet and leave.

This is like going for a better job. If a company one works for is terminally riddled with corruption, cronyism, and nepotism, one would rather leave than try and fix that company. Most people are more average than outstanding. Most don't have the innate capacity or position to change their environment. We adapt more so than change. Try stopping someone from leaving their job once they've found greener pastures. Impossible.

Someone said the mark of a society is how it treats its least fortunate. If one is so blessed and so able that one flourishes in the environment, why leave? Conversely, its precisely because the state has failed to provide a decent environment that we leave.

That's democracy. Capitalism, which we equate to democracy these days, posits that the collective operation of individual self-interest promotes progress and wealth creation. Ano ang ipapakain mo sa anak mo - "kabilugan ng buwan"? (BTW this is a great line taken from Danny Javier in one of APO's skits during their Sydney concert, when he berates his partners for their attempts to improve on one of his songs. It's a line worthy of Keating.) Prinsipyo? Sorry guys, you can't eat nationalism.

So leave the country I say and look after yourself and your family. You will be earning money that will improve their future. You won't be harming anyone. You will be productively engaged in another country. Tell me what is wrong with that.

What if you can't leave? Well then obviously you make your own bed. If the country can't vote for politicians that will take them out of the dark ages, well too bad. Magdusa kayo diyan, as Nasty said.

You've heard of the frog that was in a pot of water that started off cold, but was gradually brought to the boil. Well poor frog got so used to the temperature because it was done so slowly it died without ever jumping out. I look at my wealthy relations from 20 years ago, and without exception, they now struggle, although they are still among the exalted in Manila.

I don't regret leaving.

I won't be helping people to vote better. I'll be helping my relations by helping them get out. Sorry Pinas. Your time is up. Measured and found wanting.

Why we leave the Philippines

Roger, a friend of mine, mailed around another anguished cry from an expat Pinoy in the Mid-east lamenting the state of things back home, and saying "this is why we all leave".

Our elections focus our minds in this way...

Most Filipinos given half a chance to do things the right way, will do the right thing. If we are transplanted into an environment where things are done properly, most of us want to participate and be into this. Most of us succeed in this effort, aside from occasional lapses.

Our famed ability to flourish in the most difficult circumstances offers one perspective on the Filipino environment: 'eka nga, kung pupunta tayo sa marangal na lakaran, kaya natin iyan. Kung tarantaduhan, kaya din natin.

That's the funny thing. Given half a chance we can get things right, However as a group, and in the cesspool that is Manila, the system itself is corruption. That's the game. If one wants to play in that environment, that is what one must do. Even the purest will be tainted once the game is afoot.

Is it any wonder why the fittest leave the place? What alternative is there so one can live a dignified and honourable life? The system is too ingrained, that the only realistic and attainable alternative is to opt out of the system, and that is why we leave.

That in itself is another worry. In terms of geopolitical evolution, you have to wonder what will happen to a country as those amongst its populace who are able desert it for more promising shores? Survival of the fittest will ensure the country is left with and to the political detritus.

why blog?

why indeed? Couple of reasons...

A lot of people write interesting things on the net, but despite this being accessible to the WWW, one gets the feeling its bad form to rain on someone else's parade, or even worse, grab the limelight on their turf, hence the need for my own.

Someone else out there laments the negativity of the media in the Philippines today. Sheesh I thought - couldn't he pick an easier topic to talk about? There are so many facets in that area one can only pick at the edges...

The wife and I share an interest in this, both still feeling an intense interest in the place we left 25 years ago now.

Typically articles about Filipinos cite examples of achievement to establish the proposition that we are just as good, or have the capacity to do just as well as the best out there. For the wife and I, its old hat to read this thing again. Almost a statement of motherhood. Everyone of us who has managed some modicum of success overseas is testament to this. That's not the point - and the fact that this self-congratulation still happens is in itself symptomatic of whatever it is that ails the Philippines. So what? What good is it? What looks back when we look in the mirror?

Common sense tells us we've got to be able to define a problem in order to solve it? Where do you start with the Philippines? I would like to see someone articulate what is wrong with us. This brings us back to my opening paragraphs. Sure we have to feed our soul, keep our stories alive in order that our culture outlasts our bodies. But as the bloody soapies would put it, there is the resounding question...BAKIT????? At some point we as a nation have to come to terms with our problem and maybe the negativity is our feeble and ineffectual attempts at healing ourselves.

If you haven't already noticed, much of this blog will have my thoughts on the Philippines. For some levity I'll drift to other things from time to time. For now, before I return to my studies on Tort(s), this will do for tonight.