Tuesday, October 20, 2009

SURPRISE!

A boring day at work causes me to do a lot of crazy things. I watch videos, I play poker, I check all my accounts at social networking sites from Twitter to Friendster to Facebook, and even the customized networking sites of the New Covenant Church, New Covenant Church Youth, and the t.g.i.FIREPROOF sites at ning.com. I also attempt to write something for my blog whenever I’m free. Most of the time though, I stop writing after finishing two paragraphs simply because I don’t have an inspiration. I don’t feel contented with what I write.


Then one day, I tried to play another game. Just because of sheer boredom, I tried to research about various topics through Google. News, political issues, show business, personalities, weather conditions, history, Biblical prophecies... I’ve tried everything that I could think of. One day, I decided to make a research on some personalities. First I tried my favorite action hero of all time, Jack Bauer played by Kiefer Sutherland. Then I made a research on one of the famous heartthrobs today, Robert Pattinson. Then I suddenly remembered Joel Rosenberg, since I was following his blog before.


After reading heavy and highly intense topics at Joel Rosenberg’s blog, I suddenly became curios what I would find if I type the names of my friends at the Google search bar. One by one I made a research on some of them and I realized that most of what I found were links to their profiles at various networking sites. This has really been the lifestyle of my generation – the networking sites.


Then I became curios what I would find if I type my own name. Haha! True enough I found links of my own profiles at various networking sites as well. Then I thought, it would be so easy for people to find me. These networking sites have all my personal information in it. It’s just so hard to keep something private. Anyway, I continued to browse the pages where I found my name. And then…. Surpise, surprise… I found some of the articles that I wrote for The Freeman more than three years back.


Though my stint as a writer was a very brief one, I could say that it was the most rewarding job I have ever had. Even when I was still an irregular contributor of a special section in one of the more prominent papers in Cebu, the feeling of having something you have written being read by thousands of people is just so overwhelming. I have collected all my published articles since the very first one. Newspaper pages have been kept safely in a clear folder at home. And though I’m no longer a newspaper writer, the memory of the experience would always be reminisced.


Here are the articles that I found online. I made some screenshots.. hehe.. I was actually surprised that these are still available.




Here are the links to the actual site:


http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=352301

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=352319

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=336963

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=345416&publicationSubCategoryId=107


Friday, July 03, 2009

I don't know if I would be able to express myself well or if you would comprehend the things that I want to convey. Much as I want to explain myself thoroughly, I'm not sure if the things that I write would be as good, if not better, as if I say them out aloud in person. But I will try nonetheless even if in the end you wouldn't understand me.

I wrote this letter to make you have a better understanding of me and to finally put an end to the endless circle that we've been running in. I wrote this to pour everything out so I can finally put the pieces of myself together and forget this frightening nightmare that has been haunting me for long.

To be honest, I don't know what to expect. I don't know if you would understand me or if you would reply. I don't know if you would give this letter a small degree of importance or if you wouldn't mind it at all. I don't even know if I want you to read this letter but I'm writing it anyway. But if you are, by some chance, then I guess you reading this is how things are supposed to be.

Let me start with the one big issue that has been the major cause of all these. As a female, I want security more than anything. Most females want the same thing but most males don't understand that and you're one of them. I'm having the perception that you are misunderstanding what I want in life so let me give a little bit more of an explanation.

As a child, I wanted a lot of things. I wanted to study music, to enroll in dancing classes, to have toys that I enjoy, to eat the food that I want to eat, to study in a good school, to be confident and not the shy, insecure girl that I was. But you know the kind of family that I came from. I was deprived of most of the things that I really wanted and I felt that I could have been a better person if only I was brought up in a little better way. That's exactly what I want to happen to my future child.

So, to rebutt your perception -- no, I don't want to be rich. No, I don't want to be lavish. I just want to be comfortable. I just want my future child to have everything that he needs to develop himself into a person that I am not. I want to give him the best life possible.

So why am I pushing you to be this and that? I don't want to change you in every aspect. I just want you to be a better person. I don't want people to compare you to me. I don't want them to look at you like you're a piece of crap. I don't want them to question why we're together because you're this and because I'm that. I know it hurts you. And it hurts me too. It hurts me more seeing that you're hurting because of what others say. I'm pushing you to change not because I'm ashamed of you but because I don't want people to say anything about you. That's the truth!

After five years of trying to talk some sense into you, you have pushed me to the limit by refusing to take heed. You're even angry and you're saying that I'm changing you. After five years, you have shown me that you're not willing to be a better person. I spent the later half of our relationship wondering if you really love me or if you love only one aspect about me. I wonder if you really need me because you love me or if you just need me because you're just so used to having me around and a sudden change would make your life a little dull. And believe me, I wondered about myself that way too.

It took me a very long time to finally have the courage to decide to have a life of my own. I knew it was hard but I took my chances. At times, I felt like I was succeeding but at times I felt like I was not. Everyday I fought the urge to pick up the phone and call you to patch things up. Everyday I caught myself trying to compare the pros and cons and trying to decide which was good and which was not. But I have always tried to discipline myself to do what is right even if it feels like it is not.

Until such time that I decided to leave you with distance and time. Though it was not my only reason for leaving, I felt that it was better for both of us to be apart. I wanted to just let life unfold itself to me and I wanted you to do the same too.

And just as it has always been since a year back, I still am fighting with myself to have you back. Things are a bit more complicated now though. It's no longer easy for us to be together. A lot of things have changed and maybe there is no longer a way for things to be back as it has been.

Getting back with you is so much harder now than ever before. For one, you have changed in a lot of ways. You have grown into someone that I no longer know and I feel that the change in you is not the kind of change that I expected. So, it makes me realize that we are two very different people who are forcing the issue. We tried but we failed. And again we tried but again we failed.

Distance is an unfair test. It is the one major thing that is hindering me from getting back with you. I didn't want to lose you in a way that I couldn't handle. I was very afraid to be hurt by knowing that you already have someone else. In the same way, I didn't want to hurt you by having someone else.

To be really honest, I'm so afraid of hurting you again. I know that I've hurt you enough and adding insults to injuries would certainly make me sick with myself. So I'm trying to do the right thing now. To be as far away from you as possible and to maintain as little communication as possible. It's the best and right thing. I always convinced myself with that.

I am so sorry that things like these are still happening. I'm so sorry that calls are still being made and messages are still being sent. I'm trying very hard to control myself but it is extremely hard. Wounds are still fresh and memories still linger. Tears are still falling and hearts are still beating.

Once someone said that letting go is the most loving thing to do. I have let you go though I have not yet fully accepted how things turned out. The only thing that I can promise you now is that I will never stop trying to forget what lies behind us. It will, to no avail, be a tedious task but it is not impossible to do. I can't promise that letters would no longer be written but I'm hoping that the next one, if there will be one, would be something that would make both of us smile.

It's hard to end things but it's harder to make new beginnings. But hope will always be there.

I love you -- maybe for the last time -- I love you.

Goodbye.


YaNa

Thursday, May 21, 2009

A One Currency Middle East

I was sitting at my workstation doing my routines at work peacefully when I overheard a conversation that two of my officemates had. They were talking about money. That was not uncommon, especially for us Filipinos who are trying very hard to make the most out of what is left of our salaries after we send our money to the Philippines. But something other than that caught my attention. They were talking about currencies of other gulf countries… countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain.

I decided to listen in, trying very hard to confirm the suspicions on my head. And when I finally heard one say something about one currency, it was more than enough for me bear. I twisted my seat to face the two people talking at the workstation just beside mine. I interrupted them, still trying to make sense out of the incoherent things that I’ve heard.

“Who’s going to have one currency?” I asked the guy who seemed to be the person who was spreading the news.

“The GCC countries, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, practically the richest countries in the middle east.”

“Really?!” I tried to hide my horror. “And when are they going to implement it?”

“Oh, you don’t know? The talks have been going on for a while. I have been here for four years and I’ve heard that rumor ever since. They are trying very hard to implement it this year but they don’t seem to agree with the name of the currency so they are estimating that it is going to be implemented next year,” my bubbly officemate replied.

“And that rumor resurfaced just recently?” I asked.

“Yeah, I guess so,” he replied.

“Oh,” was the only reply I could make.
“It is advantageous for us, you know,” another officemate said.
“And why would that be?” I questioned her almost forgetting that she doesn’t know what I know.
“You see, if they are going to combine their assets, naturally the exchange rate against the Peso would rise maybe to about thirty to forty Pesos per one dirham or riyal. Imagine the effect. We would earn the same but send our families in the Philippines more,” she replied.
“Yeah,” was all I could say. I could not agree with her because I knew the implications of this event. And at that moment, I wished I could tell them about it. But I knew that they just weren’t ready for it.

I didn’t realize that tears were building in my eyes until they were about to drop. So I calmed myself down and asked one more question to the person who was the source of the news.

“Where did you get all that?” I asked once more.

“It was in the Gulf News last night,” he replied.

“I see. I’m going to research on that.”

I abandoned the letter that I was making for the chairman of our company for a brief period. Whenever I get to be in such a panic, I simply couldn’t get a hold of myself until I know the truth behind the rumors. So I opened my internet browser immediately and typed Gulf News’ website at the address box. Searching for the news article only took a few seconds. I read them one by one.

And it was all there, all the things that my officemate told me was true. A one-currency Middle East is in the making and most probably, I would still be here when that happens. I shuddered at the thought of how close to the end we all are. Europe has done it and in less than a year, the Middle East would have one currency too. ‘Ring the alarm,’ I told myself. ‘This is not the time to be complacent. It’s only a matter of time before the rest of the world would follow.’

I leaned back, suddenly becoming serious of where my life was heading. ‘This is something I’ve got to share,’ I decided. So I made up my mind in an instant to write this, making it on top of the list of numerous topics I have been planning to write all along.

Here are the articles I found regarding the one currency Middle East:

Fact file: GCC Monetary Union
Gulf NewsPublished: May 20, 2009, 15:17

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries – UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain—have been planning a monetary union or a single currency between them for years. Here’s what you need to know about it.
What is it? The GCC Monetary Union has been set up to plan a single currency for member countries.
What makes the union important? The union would have combined the nations to form the fifth largest economy in the world.
Which countries have withdrawn from the monetary union? Oman pulled out in 2006. The UAE has withdrawn from the union as well.
What is the benefit of having a single GCC currency? GCC currency is expected to encourage trade and financial integration.

What is the latest? The single currency plan is still on track for 2010, but no decision has been made on the name of the common currency.
When did it start? GCC members agreed in 2003 to peg their currencies to the US dollar and to maintain the parity until the establishment of the GCC Monetary Union in 2010.
What is the GCC? It is a union established on May 25, 1981 with the aim of forging closer ties and stronger links among the six member states.
Who are the members? Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Have members pegged their currencies to the US dollar? Yes, GCC members have done so, except Kuwait since May 2007.


UAE supportive of Gulf monetary union - Al Attiyah
ReutersPublished: May 18, 2009, 23:50

Manama: The UAE, which has expressed reservations over a decision to base the Gulf central bank in Saudi Arabia, has however upheld support for monetary union plans in the region, the GCC said on Sunday.

GCC Secretary-General Abdul Rahman Al Attiyah said the secretariat was urging Gulf states to meet a year-end deadline to ratify key monetary union agreements approved by the region's leaders in December.

"They are supportive," Al Attiyah said when asked about the UAE's reservations over the decision to base the joint central bank in Riyadh.

The UAE, among the major candidates to host the central bank, said after the May 5 decision it had 'reservations' but did not elaborate, leaving analysts to assume it would seek to use diplomatic clout to get other concessions in the future.

"I'm confident that the UAE and all the GCC ... in the integration programme have been always supportive," Al Attiyah said on the sidelines of a United Nations conference in Bahrain.

Gulf Arab states must ratify the monetary union deal before a Gulf monetary council, the first leg of the central bank, can start operations. They have until December 12 to enact the deal.

"We are following up with the member countries to ratify as soon as possible," Al Attiyah said. "The next step is that the monetary council will begin its work ... We have from now until the end of 2009."

Sunday, April 12, 2009

April 10, 2009
9:59 PM
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

There has never been a day since I got here that I have never wished of being home. I guess the aloneness that I have always wanted hasn’t really been working out for me. Homesickness, whether I accept it or not, has crept up on me and the most important question that I have asked myself for at least a million times hasn’t been answered yet. I am still wondering why God has allowed me to be here.

Being here was my choice and I have to accept the consequences of my decision. But unlike most people have accused me of, I am not here for the money. NO, DEFINITELY NOT! I decided to come here to be alone… to run away… to move on… and to forget the memories that have haunted me for so long. I came here to forgive and be forgiven with the hope that when I go back everything would be alright; that I would be able to completely take away all the hatred that I have been hiding all these years; that I would be able to accept things as they are and have compassion for those that I have been feeling indifferent with.

But instead of finding the strength to do all the things that I came here to do, I discovered a ton of weaknesses that did not only confuse me but also overwhelmed me. It’s as if I am a dried river who has lost all its richness and all its beauty only to be remembered through the remnants of the fresh water that once flowed through it. I feel like a lamp which has lost its oil. My fire is about to die out.

It’s sad, really. It’s miserable not knowing what to do and where to go. It’s depressing to live a life without a purpose, without an inspiration. It’s cruel to subject yourself to interrogation and torture when you don’t even know the right questions to ask. But even so, I can’t make myself regret the decision to leap into a life full of promises. The only question left to ask is – “shall I hold on to those promises?”

Fight or Flight. Is there still a reason for me to fight? Do I have enough strength to defeat what has come and what is about to come? Or is it time for me to fly away and escape again? Does running away mean that I am defeated? Is flying away an act of cowardice in a sense that I refuse to face the challenges? Or is it a courageous act of accepting that I have lost the fight? Questions… questions… where will I find the answers?


-Yana-

Saturday, February 07, 2009

A hate mail has been circulating in the web right now against Filipinos and Philippines as a country. It is clearly a product of ignorance and I am greatly outraged and that the same time saddened by the contents of the open letter. The letter was written by a man named Art Bell who is reportedly a radio commentator. I don't know where he based his opinions but they are really ridiculous! His letter entitled "Filipinos Make Me Puke" is in blue below. A response to the letter by a fellow Filipino is in green while my own response is in red.


Filipinos Make Me Puke
By: Art Bell

As we've all come to notice, in the past few decades, Filipinos have begun to infest the United States like some sort of disease. Their extensive involvement in the U.S. Armed Forces is proof of the trashy kind of qualities all Filipinos tend to exhibit on a regular basis. You can see this clearly by studying the attitudes and cultural Icons of most Filipino Americans.

Origins of Pinoys/Pinays:

Are they really Asian? Well we've come to accept the fact the Filipinos come from a part of the world known as South East Asia . But the term ' Asia ' is used in the wrong way. You may notice that contemporary Filipino Americans try very hard to associ ate themselves with groups that we know as Asian. I cannot count the number of times I have seen a ' Third World ' Filipino try to connect themselves to the Chinese or Japanese people. There is no connection and here's why. The Philippines is a Third World country. Nothing respectable has EVER been created by Filipino people during our entire human history. Young Filipino men in America have become obsessed with 'import racing'. They have an enormously perverted affection for Japanese cars. It's a common phenomenon. In their minds, these Filipinos somehow believe that they are Asian and that it somehow connects them to Japanese people and Japanese cars. They often take credit for the ingenuity of Japanese people and say how it's an 'Asian thing'. This term...'Asian thing' derived directly from African American slang 'blackthang'. 'It's a black thang.' 'It's an asian thang.' You can see the connection. It's even funnier that, in Japan , Filipinos are heavily discriminated against. The only filipinos that can live successfully in Japan are the filipino prostitutes. But that's the case for most Filipino people no matter where they live in the world. Now we've come down to this fact...and it is a fact.

Nothing in Filipino Culture can be seen as Asian. They have no architectural, artistic, or cultural influence which is in ANY way, asian. Thinking of the great countries in Asia such as Japan , Korea , and China there is no way you can possibly connect the Philippine Islands . This assault by filipino americans to connect themselves with the great peoples of North East Asia is foul and disgusting. Try visiting a young filipino's web site too. You'll see something called the 'Asian IRC Ring'. It has to do with the chatrooms. The most horrible thing about this is that these TRASHY people are trying to associate themselves with Asia again!! People in Asia don't act like, this at all. What we are seeing here is the natural Filipino in it's element with full access to technology and this is how they act! You will consistently see this behavior over and over again.

Another interesting thing is that these 'thirdworld' people also frequent RC chatrooms such as #chinese #japan and #asian. They must believe that they are some how related racially or culturally to North Asians. But it's completely WRONG! There might have been some distant contact With China and even less with Japan during World War II, but these people are actually more closely related to african americans and Mexican americans.

Do the parents of these young filipinos know what's going on? Would they accept this? I believe that they would and do. This is the natural 'Trash' element in filipinos manifesting itself. Nothing good has ever come from Philippines and I don't believe anything good ever will.

Recognizing your Roots (A Message to Filipinos)

To all filipino people:Please recognize your ROOTS! You come from the Third World ! You country is a disgusting and filthy place. Most people there live in poverty! Your culture has MUCH MORE SPANISH influence than chinese, and absolutely no JAPANESE influence whatsoever. People in Japan and China , do not act like you. They do not constantly talk about sex and they have a MUCH HIGHER level of RESPECT for each other. There is NO WAY that you can connect yourself to Asia other than location. Your culture and technological advancement does not even come CLOSE to What Chinese, people have done in the past and what Japanese and Korean people are doing now! Everything you do is distinctly filipino. You cannot take credit for Japanese cars, video games, or Hentai! It's not an 'asian thing' it's, an 'American thing'. You have no concept of culture...no concept of asian ideas or asian philosophy! Can you demonstrate how you use Confucianism or Taoism in you everyday life?? You can't. And you will NEVER be able to. I understand that you are trying to create an identity for yourselves as young people... but it is NOT related to Asia .

Your Identity is Filipino. That's all you are. Just Filipino. Think about what that means....

Sincerely,
Art

Here is a reply from a fellow Filipino May Munoz.

I find this funny, he is right in some ways where we, as Filipinos dont actually have an 'Identity'. I think this is due to the confusion of our mixed races from Hispanic, Chinese, American and Malay origins. I see it in malls, imagine young generations wearing ski caps and ski goggles in a tropical country, baggy low rise pants like that of African Americans living in th e Bronx of New York, not to mention endless whitening products being sold at department stores and drug stores. But his ignorance also blinds him from the other truth. That while we may glorify Anime shows and Japanese Internet gaming, he is not aware that a nameless Filipino may be responsible for some technical aspects of some Japanese software. He is not aware of our contribution to the the society in general .Technological advancements that may have aided post war navigations and landing on the moon. That the antibiotic Erythromycin was discovered by Dr. Abelardo Aguilar from Iloilo creating the brand 'Ilosone'. Thomas Edison may have discovered the electric light bulb and the fluorescent lighting was thought up by Nikola Tesla. But the fluorescent lamp we use today was invented by Agapito Flores (a Cebuano named Benigno Flores of Bantayan Island , according to the Philippine Daily inquirer), a Filipino scientist. Americans helped then-Philippine leader Ramon Magsaysay to develo p it for worldwide commerce.

That the personal physician of former U.S. Pres. Bill Clinton is Eleanor 'Connie' Concepcion Mariano, a Filipina doctor who was the youngest captain in the US Navy. A Filipino writer Jose Rizal could read and write at age 2, and grew up to speak more than 20 languages, including Latin, Greek, German, French and Chinese. Or that a Filipino genius was responsible for the near hiatus in the PENTAGON and White HOuse nearly infiltrating their closely guarded secrets with the 'ILOVEYOU' bug. Nuisance maybe, but still one heck of a 'beautiful mind'...not to be underestimated.The list goes on and on, but who cares right? Certainly not Mr. Art Bell...Boy, I'm not surprised. Perhaps Art Bell does not know that although we consider ourselves ASIAN because we are strategically located in the Southeast asian region of which our nearest neighbors are Malays, ASIA does not mean only Chinese and Japanese race of people. Then maybe it is his connotation that 'Asia' meant only our economically successful, paler brothers and he considers Malays such as Thais, Malaysians, Indonesians, and ourselves as a ' Third World ' race. Then it is 'his' ignonimity that would make a civilized person of whatever race puke. Imagine literally connecting Chinese, Koreans and Japanese to the Philippine Islands which is archipelagos away from the countries he has mentioned. I also wonder where he got the impression that we aspire to be Japanese(???) Hispanics maybe but not the Japanese. But even Hispanics today do not mind sharing their 'surnames' to their Asian brothers who they have colonized for 3 centuries.

Another sad reality that although most Filipinos working overseas are domestic helpers and prostitutes, who does he think educates the toddlers of Hong Kong , Singapore , Taiwan and Tokyo ? Parents of these countries rarely have time spent with their children, leaving them to their Filipino nannies. And with regards to prostitution. Filipinos are not the only ones working as one. I HARDLY SEE FILIPINOS STARRING IN PORN MOVIES. THERE MIGHT BE A FEW FILIPINOS WE HAVEN'T SEEN , BUT MOST ARE FROM MR. ART BELL'S RACE.

He also mentioned that we have no concept of culture..no concept of asian ideas or asian philosophy. How can we demonstrate Confucianism or Taoism in a Christian nation? IS HE INFORMED THAT THE PHILIPPINES IS THE ONLY PREDOMINANTLY CHRISTIAN/CATHOLIC NATION IN ASIA ?! YOU HAVE TO USE COMMON SENSE IN A LOT OF THINGS SOMETIMES...

We do not need to create an identity for ourselves. We are who we are. Our identity stems from the anonymity we live in this world. How we contribute silent ly towards the progress of the world and not just one country. Although the Filipino blood may be tainted with malice, corruption, poverty and prostitution, it is not a perfect race... But so are the others. Maybe Mr. Art Bell needs to think about this. WE MAY NOT BE PERFECT MR. BELL BUT AT LEAST WE STILL HAVE VALUES. FOR ONE THING WE DONT PUT OUR AGING PARENTS IN NURSING HOMES BECAUSE 'THEY'RE SIMPLY OLD AND WORTHLESS'. WE DONT HAVE AS MUCH NUMBERS OF SINGLE MOTHERS WHO GET PREGNANT IN THEIR VERY EARLY TEENS AND EVENTUALLY BECOME PARASITES OF THE GOVERNMENT FOR YEARS AND YEARS. YES...WE CAME TO YOUR COUNTRY TO WORK, TO EARN DECENT MONEY (HALF OF WHICH BY THE WAY GOES TO TAXES BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY SOCIAL PARASITES FROM YOUR RACE).AND BY THE WAY, MOST EDUCATED PEOPLE THAT I WORK WITH DONT COME FROM YOUR RACE... THEY'RE ACTUALLY IMMIGRANTS TOO. AND THOSE EDUCATED ONES DO NOT ACT LIKE YOU DO, PERHAPS BECAUSE THEY'VE REALLY BEEN WELL EDUCATED..AFTER ALL THAT'S SAID... WHO IS THE IGNORANT ONCE AGAIN?!

Here is my own reply.

Perhaps Mr. Art Bell is not well-educated. Mr. Bell, let me just give you a little bit of a review. Asia IS NOT ONLY COMPOSED OF China, Japan, and Korea. It is the LARGEST continent of the world and is composed of numerous and various countries and cultures which include the Yellow Race (China, Japan, Korea), the Arabs of the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, UAE, Syria, etc.), the Jews and Israelis, the Malays (Thais, Malaysians, Indonesians, Filipinos), the remnants of the old Soviet Union (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, etc.), the Indians of the South, and a lot more. China, Japan, and Korea are only a part of North Asia. Weren’t you taught in grade school that there are such locations as South, East, and West Asia? Let me just tell you this: The Yellow Race DOES NOT represent the whole of Asia. It is a fallacy and therefore senseless to say that Filipinos are not Asians just because we don’t share the culture of the Yellow Race. What do you call the Indians then? How about the Arabs and the Indians? Are they not also Asians just because their cultures are so much different from what you herald as Asians? Definitely not!

One more thing, you are saying that Filipinos don’t have an identity of their own. You may be correct in a way. However, let me just remind you that the Philippines was a colony of foreign countries for more than four centuries. Modern Filipinos may be a mixture of different cultures but I tell you we do have our own identity. Despite being colonized by different foreign powers, we were still able to preserve the languages that our forefathers have left us. And that is just one of the evidences that we have our own identity.
When it comes to contribution to the world, I don’t agree with you when you said that we haven’t contributed anything. If you had only studied your history and science very well, you would have known that the Filipino people has been a part of major historical and scientific advancements. For example, a Filipino was the one who invented the fluorescent bulb. A Filipino doctor named Jose Rizal influenced a revolution in Germany which led to the destruction of the Berlin Wall. And in the more recent times, a Filipino’s vote in the United Nations Assembly enabled Israel to establish itself as a sovereign state once again. Now tell me, didn’t Filipinos make major differences?
You criticized the Filipinos for not having their own identity. Now let me ask you, does your race have its own identity? In case you don’t know, the people who established the United States of America were English who migrated to the continent in which you now live. They were originally Europeans who fled from their native countries because of persecution and settled in different parts of the continent of America. They later on gathered themselves and established their own country. Native Americans were not whites Mr. Bell. They were Indians! So, you have your own identity? Mr. Art Bell, GO BACK to high school and study history!