Think about it
Chinese and Pinoys, a study in contrast
By Jun Velasco
WE in Pangasinan are all too familiar a no-love-lost affair between President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the country’s most outspoken Catholic prelate, Bishop Oscar Cruz.
They are irreconcilable, these two clashing pillars of Philippine society.
Beginning Friday, another Arroyo, Rep. Mikey Arroyo and Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio are like Batman and the Joker… engaged in deadly mortal combat. Matira ang matibay.
Why so? Because Mikey instead of running for reelection, will now give way to Nanay Glo so that she can run for prime minister if the Con Ass suceeds.
This church-politics rift is already dividing the nation. Heaven only knows if it will reach a point that would devastate the nation. God forbid!
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Congratulate our two pals, Philippine Sports Com chair Harry Angping and Private Schools Athletic Ass’n president Gonzalo Duque for securing the ok of Chinese officials led by Sport Minister Liu Ping to train our local coaches in siring Olympic champions.
You know, the two guys with whom we helped stir and steer the Philippine Jaycees in the l980s are into a new tack — develop Olympic champions, bless their great souls. Angping was former president of the Philippine Jaycees.
Shortly before we met with the top journalists of China in Beijing, Nanjing, Xiamen and Zenshen earlier, we had heard about the giant country’s formula to becoming the undisputed world power.
The Chinese journalists we met were amazed at knowledge of Mao’s red book, but our room-mate at Beijing Hotel, Maning Almario spilled the beans. He told them we were incarcerated by Bung Ferdinand in l972 because we were an activist.
Our neighbor in Bonuan, Mamerto Geronimo, a former China-based aviation expert, lent us three cloth-bound books on China. That was our secret, not our supposed marination in Mao’s red book.
We became friends instantly. Later they came to Manila and Dagupan to observe our kind of journalism.
Our Ermin Garcia entertained them in the Punch office. Later at a merienda at the office of then Manila Bulletin chief editor Ben Rodriguez, we asked them if there ever was any occasion they criticized their Prime Minister. They said it’s because of discipline.
Geronimo said the same thing. He had lived in China for 20 years.
The Chinese people are proud of their discipline, while we Filipinos are proud of our freedom. When there’s too much of it, freedom becomes license, the mother of chaos. In their case, if they have an excess of discipline, they acquire power.
When we told Gonz about it, he fell into a deep philosophizing and said, it’s a nation’s attitude that makes or unmakes it. Correct.
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Pangasinan Rotarians led by Rotary Dagupan East headed by outgoing prexy Boy Rayos and incoming president Mario Lim will have the very popular Chiz Escudero as guest of honor on June 27 at Lenox Hotel.
A lot of Pangasinenses likes Eastern Pangasinan’s business mogul Sendong So are rooting for Chiz as GMA’s replacement in next year’s elections. Chiz is barely 40, but proud of his youth, his greatest asset he observed. The other youngish presidential star is Defense Sec. Gilbert Teodoro who is past 40. Senator Mar Roxas is below 50, while Manny Villar a bit over 60.
Let’s hear what the eloquent Chiz has to say.
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