The Rotten Philippine Politics!

For the last two days I've been itching myself to write something about the state of Philippine politics but everytime I start to write my highblood pressure shuts up that I end up writing nothing. Three days later here I am wanting a piece of my mind about it. The news that former corrupt President Estrada (guilty by the Sandigambayan) was given presidential pardon by the Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo or GMA was to me a plain mockery of the Philippine judicial system.

• It is sickening, the thought that anyone who plundered the wealth of the nation that left the masses poor is given clemency for the sake of unity, gimmeeee a break! Actually a year before I left the Philippines I have already stopped subscribing to the Philippine Daily Inquirer (the major broadsheet back home) because it's the same news I think I was already loosing hope that I will ever see Philippines politics change for the better, I'm resigned to the fact that it will not happen in my lifetime. I lost hope for the youth that I thought would be the factor in installing major changes. I've seen it all, two bloodless revolution been there, done that and still nothing. I was talking to another filipina about ERAP pardon and she just said "good thing we are no longer in the country, Glenda Philippine politics sucks". Like it was a consolation, I don't know I think I will have to agree with her.
• I remember a conversation with a fellow churchmate when I was still back home. She said the problem with the filipinos is that we don't submit to authorities and yes we need to submit to authorities but what if the authorities is the one who have their own vested interest above the people, are we just going to sit down and watch. Also, I remember the early 2000's when GMA just started her office from ousting Estrada and her corruption cleansing is a laudible idea and it was a hit that time. Everyone's email has been flooded by the pictures of people in government living an affluent life despite working for Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) or the Bureau of Customs (BOC) that doesn't pay much. It's big-time corruption, I wonder if they ever got persecuted or they case has died of natural death like the many cases involving the rich.
• My feeling for Philippines politics was worsened when my husband and I watched this story about the rescue of Gracia Burnham. I lost track of the title something about Jihad and it was in History channel, meaning it was seen all over the world. It was embarassing, the in-fighting in the military, how they bangled the rescue operation in the name of "credit", how the army took part of the ransom money, and how the military plan killed two hostages Martin Burnham and Edibora Yap from friendly fire. The military's experience was evidently poor probably because the training money was pocketed by the officials thus putting the lives of the soldiers on the line. It was a shame, my husband being a law enforcement officer was telling me how funny it was, imagine that. Can you blame me for giving up on my country and loosing hope.

• It's just too much politics and corruption back home and it worries me that my most people have chosen to leave the country and migrate. I've known about fifty people from my circle (close friends, co-worker, high school and college classmates) that have either migrated to the US, Canada, UK and Australia between the years 2001-2007 their main reason is they don't think they could afford a better life for their family especially their children most of them has lost hope in the people running our country and I am one of them. Thinking about it makes me go to the bathroom and puke, excuse me I need to run.

• PS, that's our picture during the EDSA 2001 uprising, I was working at the 15th Flr. of the Galleria Bldg., In EDSA where the event took place, those were the days!

My Seventh Month In America

Hello yawl (like how we say it here in the south)

I have been wanting to write about my journey here in the US and it took close to seventh month before I finally started to do it. This is my first blog and it summarizes my journey and a little of my life and there's more to come.

I'm now a "certified southern filipina country girl". We live in a smalltown with a population of about 2k and acres upon acres of land before us. The town of Robbins in North Carolina is the hometown where democratic presidential candidate John Edward was raised. He and my husband went school together at North Moore High School. Despite the fact that Robbins has a famous hometown boy, still this is an Elephant town (that's another interesting story).

Anyway, my nearest neighbors are my mother-in-law and my step daughter and so many trees in between us so I couldn't even see their houses from where we live and my stepson lives at the hill behind the woods from us. I need to drive to their place everytime I want to visit them. They are all good to me and I love them dearly.

It was a big adjustment for me. I used to work at the one of the big corporations back in Manila at one of the progressive business district and commute by FX or MRT everyday. When I got here six months ago I was in shocked. At night, and you're driving it is dark on the road not unless you're in the city but outside of city limits your car's light is the only thing that illuminates the road. There's no row of lamp posts in the street unlike back home.

Back in Manila, we have the convenience and easy access to a shopping mall and anytime you get bored you could just commute and window shop even if we don't have the money. Here if you don't know how to drive and husband is working you're useless and will be stucked at home. So for someone like me that only know jeepney, MRT, cabs or FX as a means of transportation, driving was one of my first few days order of business so to speak.


I've never drove back home and they say that country driving is easy but here our road is mostly hilly or curvy and I've cried bucket full of tears while my husband has been teaching me how to drive. It was a big challenge, my husband is the nicest person on earth but when it comes to my driving he's got zero tolerance and I understand him since his dad and his little brother we're both killed in a wrecked six mos apart. I used to tease him that my driving will be the cause of our divorce but now that I'm chauffering him anywhere we go and he has been complementing me, said I've improved alot getting a license for someone like me has been very empowering and liberating.

Also, I've now become adjusted with the southern food. I've learned how to cook beans, baked biscuits and cornbread from scratch, cajun, casserole but still I have my rice. I've been all by myself at night since my husband works third shift as Correctional Captain but the good thing is he only works 2 or 5x every other week. And he got me two beagle puppies for companion.

I'm loving it here, the people are so nice. It's very laidback and simple far cry from the very toxic life I've been living back in Manila. I used to spend almost 12hrs a day at work most times and at month end closing we stay overnight and sometimes work on sat and sun. I do get bored here many times, cried from missing my family but messenger is a big help and my wonderful husband has been so good to me.

We do so many things together tho' I still let him go out to see and talk to his buddies. We go to the gym together, we go out on dates every other friday that he's off from work, dine out, watch movie, church, going to the bookstore, car shows, harley davidson shop, ebay or me driving the country road stopping only for a little treat of ice cream or coffee or we just take off on his Harley and drive miles upon miles as I watch the world goes by.

I'm now starting to find work and got so many calls in the big city which I couldn't accept because it's all either an hr or two hrs away from our place. I think for now my only chance to find work here is at the county or community college which is 20 mins away from our place. I know it will still be a long journey but couldn't ask for anything more, life has been great and I'm so blessed... Goodluck to yawl!