I participated in the EDSA II Revolution.
It was an incredible, unforgettable experience. It became one big street party that lasted for days.
Photo Credit: http://starbulletin.com/2001/02/10/editorial/special.html
I was making myself heard and collectively, those of us there had the power to direct the course of the country.
But the truth is, we probably did it just because it was Erap. The fact that there are jokes named after him speaks volumes.
And then the one who took over was an ally of the Ampatuans of the Maguindanao Massacre.
If I could undo EDSA DOS to prevent the massacre I would. But unless we learn from our mistakes, the same thing will happen over and over again.
Do I believe that ousted president Joseph “Erap” Ejercito Estrada would have succeeded in leading the country towards prosperity? No and neither have the other presidents.
In senior year of high school, I realized I wanted to become a writer to change the world. But as time passed and after many experiences, I qualified it to be the end of poverty and educational reform.
Photo Credit: Tenzintrepp
However, philosopher Immanuel Kant stated in his Political Writings: progress can be expected to follow from the top downwards.
I agree because the state has the power to direct economic development and general educational policy.
I am communicating my ideas to as many people as possible in the hope that it may reach the top somehow. So it’s kind of like bottom-up then top-to-bottom.
In my previous post, I mentioned the need for a decades-long Development Plan for the Philippines. I cannot find a long-term development plan on the National Economic Development Authority website.
My Photo: Ad from the 1968 Philippine Mining Yearbook.
I also previously pointed out the need for industrialization. To get an idea of how industrialized the Philippines is, here is a 2011 article from The Philippine Star by Ma. Elisa P. Osorio:
MANILA, Philippines – The Board of Investments (BOI) warned Global Steel Philippines Inc. (GSPI) of cancellation of registration if the steel firm fails to respond to its letter asking for a detailed report on the company’s operations.
Global Steel is the only manufacturer of hot rolled coils (HRC) and cold rolled coils (CRC) in the country. After closing down its Iligan plant last year, the Philippines has resorted to importing its steel requirements.
BOI Managing Head Cristino L. Panlilio said the agency has already sent a letter to Global Steel asking them to detail their program and how they can resume their operations. Panlilio said they have until the end of the month to respond to the letters.
The cancellation of a BOI registration would mean that Global Steel will no longer enjoy income tax holidays (ITH) and other benefits accorded to BOI-registered firms. However, Panlilio stressed that Global Steel can still operate even without BOI registration. “We will not cancel their business permits. We don’t have the authority to do that.”
At the same time, Panlilio said he will speak with one of the creditor bank of Global Steel. Panlilio said he will talk to Lucio Tan owned Philippine National Bank (PNB) to check the status of the loan.
It is important for the Iligan plant to operate because steel is a major industry and is important especially now that the country is trying to implement infrastructure projects.
We are worried that our steel industry is being left behind,” Panlilio said in an earlier interview. “We are very concerned.”
“With the construction boom, we are not even able to supply our own requirement of steel billets,” Panlilio, who is also an undersecretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) added.
Panlilio has formed a BOI task force to investigate Global Steel. Raul V. Angeles was tasked to head the task force.
“They told us they can operate in July. They said they will be restructuring their payables,” Angeles said in a separate interview.
I am not the only one saying this. Writer F. Sionil José mentioned this in his article “Again, why we are poor“. Representative Teddy Casiño vowed to “work for an industrialized Philippines if” he succeeded in his senatorial run. And Ateneo de Manila University associate professor of economics Edsel L. Beja Jr., Ph.D. also echoes our sentiments.
My Photos: 6th grade Social Studies teacher’s manual by IBON Books with the topic of Development.
It’s great that 6th graders can be taught Development and Industrialization. But honestly, I can feel the slowness in the Philippines without any instruction. Roads not wide enough. Slow road repair. Traffic. It all contributes to backward culture.
How can we move forward without industrialization?
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