OUR HELPLESSNESS. The Philippines need not be over-confident or complacent over the uneasy development in the Korean Peninsula, which was exacerbated the last few days by North Korea’s test of its first hydrogen bomb, a weapon of mass destruction said to be more lethal than nuclear bomb.

This was our original reaction to Facebook post of Councilor Jose Netu Tamayo who first thought the dangers have passed soon after North Korea eased up on its threat to fire off missiles to Guam, a U.S. territory in the Pacific, where a number of Filipinos now live.

We maintain that although our country is not involved in the conflict nor in all probability be drawn into that conflict, we have 60, 000 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in South Korea alone, a little more than that in Japan and a fairly large Filipino population in Guam, a U.S. territory in the Pacific which North Korea threatened to first send its Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile with nuclear payloads.

North Korea may not train its guns on us because it cannot afford to attack a country that Imports some of its products, being its third biggest trading partner in Asia after China and Russia.

While we cannot always sleep peacefully every night over these developments in north Asia, neither are we in a position to do anything except to hope that negotiations will succeed and the leaders of nations involved in the conflict will listen to reasons.

We are still optimistic that sound decisions will rein in the leaders of would-be belligerent nations and will think twice before unleashing their respective nuclear weapons against each other whose consequences will be beyond anyone’s imagination of chaos and destruction, not even akin to what the world saw in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan towards the end of World War II.

The provocations made by the North Koreans, like the CNN report that Kim Jong-Un, the young leader of North Korea, is “begging for war” and his threat to pulverize U.S. cities, only complicate the already volatile situation that has put the world on edge once more.

We are not talking about World War III but don’t you think that what is happening today is reminiscent of the situation in 1938 in Europe as shown in the old movie “Winds of War” that starred Robert Mitchum.

In the Philippines, especially Pangasinan, our people can only hope and pray that U.S. President Donald Trump will not be prompted to respond instantly without thorough thinking amid these reckless provocations.

We have many Pangasinenses in South Korea, Japan, Guam and in the United States. Many of them, especially those in Korea and Japan may already have to be repatriated before the shooting begins and still, our government cannot afford to bring them all back over a short period of time.

Between the war in Marawi City and the government’s war on drugs, and the expected resurgence of the NPA activities, how much can our government do for our OFWS? – Leonardo Micua

 

WHERE’S THE FLAG? Mayor Amadeo Gregory Perez IV, popularly known as Mayor Bobom of Urdaneta City, is right when he said in one event I attended that if there’s no real flag, there will be no singing of the national anthem in his city.

That’s the rule, he said.

Mayor Bobom told a group of a government agency holding its marketing campaign for Pangasinan in his city that the next time the same group holds its event there, he will not let the program go on unless there is a real Philippine flag on stage, or in front of people, while the Lupang Hinirang is sung.

The group, like many are won’t to do nowadays, used an audio-visual presentation in lieu of a real flag hoisted or hung in front of the crowd.

Ganun na ang siste ngayon. It has become an accepted practice.

But not in Urdaneta, he said.

Mayor Bobom said due respect must be given to the Philippine flag.

“Hindi pwede yung ganyan. Nasaan ang bandila ng Pilipinas? Di ba kaya nilalagay natin ang ating kanang kamay sa kaliwang bahagi ng ating dibdib ay dahil pagpapakita ito ng ating buong respeto?,” the mayor commented in his opening remarks.

There was silence in the crowd but all agreed with the mayor’s remarks.

Restaurant or hotel owners must be reminded it’s a must to have Philippine flags displayed in their establishments, especially during special events.

Mayor Bobom’s rule must be adopted elsewhere in the country. Wag tayo dapat makuntento na andun lang sa AVP ang bandilang iginagalang natin.

Para kasing kulang sa respeto pag ganun. Or simply put, walang galang.

The flag symbolizes a country’s history and the sacrifices of our forefathers.

Sana hindi na dumating sa punto na puro AVP na rin ang gagamitin sa school during flag raising.

Also, as I keep on reminding LGUs in Pangasinan, palitan nyo na please ang mga tattered or old flags hoisted in front of your town or city halls.

Nakakahiya. May pambili kayo ng mamahaling sasakyan pero bandila, wala.–Eva Visperas 

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