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Hard to believe, but this is a particularly bad month to be Swiss in Mindanao. Report in today's Manila Times that a 23 year old Swiss, Forian Mayer, was killed in Surigao City. Robbery apparently not the motive. That makes three Swiss nationals murdered in Mindanao this week alone!
I understand AV's point, and don't disagree, as I'm a strong civil libertarian. However, the practice of civil liberties and functional government institutions presupposes, I think, the existence of a functional democracy, which is far from the reality here. This is, above all else, a feudal society and "strong men" (and in some cases women) rule with impunity throughout the country. Perhaps benevolent tyrants are the best that can be hoped for here. Many foreigners who live here, myself included, think first of their own safety, and worry less as time goes by, about the absolute failure of this country to develop functional democratic institutions, which I believe will never emerge. I would also argue that economic development in other, more prosperous ASEAN countries has proceeded under the aegis of more or less benevolent strong men. I'm thinking here of Singapore and to an extent, Malaysia, both of which outstrip the Philipines by several orders of magnitude, came have developed under virtual one party rule.
So, in a pragmatic world, in which the ideal development path is closed, a Duterte is, I think, about the best that this place can do. In the ten plus years that I've been here, there's been no visible progress in the emergence of true democracy, and the country has slipped ever further behind its neighbors. Perhaps I'm the victim of the cynicism that accompanies growing older, but I don't believe that the basic nature of this place will ever change.
GE.
gentlemen,
thanks for all the great information from the past year. i am planning an upcoming trip to the phils, and had a question that i don't think i have ever seen on isg before.
my question is about the identification that would likely be carried by freelancers in la caf and other similar venues (caf havana, malls). i am a little paranoid about taking out a woman who is lying about her age and actually under 18.
i do appreciate that fake ids are likely fairly easily obtained. in addition, even checking for identification probably will not protect me from a corrupt cop (whether a real cop or not) intent on scamming me. in the past, i have carded fls and gotten stuff like library cards and student ids. however, considering the latest static about **** scams, i am thinking it would be wise to educate myself about this subject and be a little more cautious.
i did a little research and found the philippine unified multi purpose identification card (see attachment). is this type of identification normally carried by most people? i would imagine that even a la caf freelancer would have some type of government issued identification. probably not a passport or drivers license, but something.
what are the most likely forms of official identification that i would find in la caf or robinson mall?
thanks in advance.
[quote=whatsurname;1630840]gentlemen,
thanks for all the great information from the past year. i am planning an upcoming trip to the phils, and had a question that i don't think i have ever seen on isg before.
my question is about the identification that would likely be carried by freelancers in la caf and other similar venues (caf havana, malls). i am a little paranoid about taking out a woman who is lying about her age and actually under 18.
i do appreciate that fake ids are likely fairly easily obtained. in addition, even checking for identification probably will not protect me from a corrupt cop (whether a real cop or not) intent on scamming me. in the past, i have carded fls and gotten stuff like library cards and student ids. however, considering the latest static about **** scams, i am thinking it would be wise to educate myself about this subject and be a little more cautious.
i did a little research and found the philippine unified multi purpose identification card (see attachment). is this type of identification normally carried by most people? i would imagine that even a la caf freelancer would have some type of government issued identification. probably not a passport or drivers license, but something.
what are the most likely forms of official identification that i would find in la caf or robinson mall?
thanks in advance.[/quote]that's a good question and i know it was discussed here a long while ago. i have experienced walking in to lac with girl who was stopped by the guard and asked for id. he didn't like her id and wouldn't permit her entrance. fwiw you may take some comfort knowing that lac attempts to prevent the ****d from entering; of course if they get it wrong it's you who bears the consequence solely. this also happened once when entering a nightclub. the unfamiliar-to-me ids i've seen are the barangay id and the postal id. i have no idea how to determine legit from fake.
[QUOTE=WickedRoger;1630586]I would agree, but I speak to a lot of people here including air crew (am always on a plane to and form Manila) about heir own country. One said her parents wish Marcos was back. I expressed horror but her logic was "HE was very bad, HE stole but we has good schools, hospital etc. Now there are thousands of Marcos type people all stealing and we have nothing and we are never going to get better". They loom at Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia etc with envy and ask how can it be that the Philippines has slipped so low.
That logic is understandable IMHO.
All the things you say are correct (and RK is also right) I am just saying what hear. And change from the status quo could easily be a drastic shift to something that could in the end be far worse but we all know, when things are not great at the moment people look for 'deliverance' and hope for the immediate term, whoever it may be (eg look at Hitler. Complete nut head, evil bastard but everyone loved him as HE was a drastic change from the then status quo and promised a better life).
I hope things get better for the everyday pinoy and the grass roots will improve and change everyone's lot but I also don't hold my breathe.
Am just stating facts and what I am told by many I speak and socialize with who see the gun totting Davao mayor as (currently) this country's best choice for change / salvation from the current mess (whether we like it or not).[/QUOTE]Absolutely Roge. I hear the same things yes. Your points are valid. We are on the same page about this.
AV.
[QUOTE=GoodEnough;1630816]I understand AV's point, and don't disagree, as I'm a strong civil libertarian. However, the practice of civil liberties and functional government institutions presupposes, I think, the existence of a functional democracy, which is far from the reality here. This is, above all else, a feudal society and "strong men" (and in some cases women) rule with impunity throughout the country. Perhaps benevolent tyrants are the best that can be hoped for here. Many foreigners who live here, myself included, think first of their own safety, and worry less as time goes by, about the absolute failure of this country to develop functional democratic institutions, which I believe will never emerge. I would also argue that economic development in other, more prosperous ASEAN countries has proceeded under the aegis of more or less benevolent strong men. I'm thinking here of Singapore and to an extent, Malaysia, both of which outstrip the Philipines by several orders of magnitude, came have developed under virtual one party rule.
So, in a pragmatic world, in which the ideal development path is closed, a Duterte is, I think, about the best that this place can do. In the ten plus years that I've been here, there's been no visible progress in the emergence of true democracy, and the country has slipped ever further behind its neighbors. Perhaps I'm the victim of the cynicism that accompanies growing older, but I don't believe that the basic nature of this place will ever change.
GE.[/QUOTE]Yourself, WR & others make valid points. The question then becomes how likely is the benevolent dictator scenario to materialise? As you guys point out many of the disenfranchised locals are frustrated. Recent history shows that populism is a strong factor in PI politics. Its quite possible that Rodrigo Duterte could find his way into the presidency. Stranger things have happened. <cough Erap<cough . Should this come to pass how likely then would HE be able to seize sufficient power to exact any fundamental lasting change? My guess is, at this point in time, very unlikely. Regrettably I think things will have to get a lot worse here before the conditions would be conducive to a siezmic shift in society here.
The ruling families have too much control. The deeply tribal nepotism is ingrained. The inflow of $20 billion annually in remittances keeps the serfs just happy enough to remain complacent. I agree with you GE when you say ' the basic nature of this place will ever change'.
I guess I come back to my point that the more likely scenario is slow modest improvements in living standards will in the long term result in less rural subsistence life styles & hence less complacent or fatalistic attitudes. Its going to take a long time though.
AV.
[quote=xman;1630708]have you met av? i've never met anyone who has met him.[/quote]x-man you are on my ignore list but very occasionally i take a peek to see if you have anything constructive to say.
i first starting posting here more than seven years ago & from my first post you have been there questioning my integrity.
my life is really good & i'm not going to waste a millisecond of it on negative time wasting anonymous internet trolls like you.
i have cordially invited you to meet up for a drink when you are in the pi but i never hear from you yet you keep this drivel coming.
with all due respect, i think you have a mental illness. back to the ignore list for you bucko.
av.
[QUOTE=Amavida;1631178]The question then becomes how likely is the benevolent dictator scenario to materialise?[/QUOTE]Not too likely. Singapore's Lee Kwan Yew comes to mind. Though not benevolent S. Korea's Park Chung Hee is remembered fondly by most there.
I think it's often forgotten that many modern, civilised Western countries went through long periods of brutal barbarity too. It wasn't too long ago that severed heads were posted on pikes by the authorities in London. The change to a more humane and just society was a long evolution, and still many claim to be disenfranchised and exploited.
[quote=amavida;1631180]x-man you are on my ignore list but very occasionally i take a peek to see if you have anything constructive to say.
i first starting posting here more than seven years ago & from my first post you have been there questioning my integrity.
my life is really good & i'm not going to waste a millisecond of it on negative time wasting anonymous internet trolls like you.
i have cordially invited you to meet up for a drink when you are in the pi but i never hear from you yet you keep this drivel coming.
with all due respect, i think you have a mental illness. back to the ignore list for you bucko.
av.[/quote]well said. there are many spartans of the keyboard here, and all have an equal right to spout their opinions.
its up to us, who and when we place these heroes on ignore.
[QUOTE=Hutsori;1631198]
I think it's often forgotten that many modern, civilised Western countries went through long periods of brutal barbarity too. It wasn't too long ago that severed heads were posted on pikes by the authorities in London. The change to a more humane and just society was a long evolution, and still many claim to be disenfranchised and exploited.m[/QUOTE]Well said, and if recent events surrounding the outbreak of police brutality in Missouri are any indication, some "developed" countries have still not evolved completely. However historically accurate Hutsori's post may be though, it's important to remember that the pace of dramatic change--particularly in the economic arena--has increased dramatically, and the Philippines, for reasons that we have described ad infinitum is wholly incapable of competing in this arena. Nor is the government doing much beyond the usual bombast to accelerate the pace of meaningful change. My take is that The place is so hopelessly behind the development curve that it will never catch up.
GE.
[QUOTE] police brutality in Missouri [/QUOTE]Not limited to Missouri, unfortunately.
wow! i quoted rk, no need to get all riled up. for the record i've never met rk in person.
if i'm going to meet up with someone for a drink, i'd like to get a little feedback about that person from other friends and acquaintances.
over the past seven years i've never gotten any response to the question, "have you met av?" not one pm.
sorry to drive the point home, but no one on this list has ever said (to me) that they had ever met someone who met av. " those are some weak stats from someone who offers to buy people drinks for seven years. lol.
"anonymous internet troll"? we are all anonymous here on the list. and please follow the list rules and refrain from name calling. and, yes, i do have a mental illness. still want to meet for a drink?
[quote=amavida;1631180]x-man you are on my ignore list but very occasionally i take a peek to see if you have anything constructive to say.
i first starting posting here more than seven years ago & from my first post you have been there questioning my integrity.
my life is really good & i'm not going to waste a millisecond of it on negative time wasting anonymous internet trolls like you.
i have cordially invited you to meet up for a drink when you are in the pi but i never hear from you yet you keep this drivel coming.
with all due respect, i think you have a mental illness. back to the ignore list for you bucko.
av.[/quote]
[quote=hutsori;1631198]not too likely. singapore's lee kwan yew comes to mind. though not benevolent s. korea's park chung hee is remembered fondly by most there.
i think it's often forgotten that many modern, civilised western countries went through long periods of brutal barbarity too. it wasn't too long ago that severed heads were posted on pikes by the authorities in london. the change to a more humane and just society was a long evolution, and still many claim to be disenfranchised and exploited.[/quote]perhaps it's noteworthy that the list of benevolent dictators is short.
following h's lead, i think that the way to proceed hinges on our time horizons. there's an often-quoted african proverb that suggests "if you want to go fast, go alone. if you want to go far, go together. " i too have met some filipinos and fil-ams who remember marcos fondly, but i would suggest they have short memories. in the beginning, when he held the presidency legally, he did many things that appeared on surface to help the philippines. but as his presidency turned into martial law, the longer-term effects of his tyranny and patronage turned out to be devastating to the government, the economy and the society. sadly, others had to clean up his shit--literally in [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord131][CodeWord131][/url] left in his rooms in malacanang--and cleaning it up elsewhere appears to be a never-ending task.
nuff for now.
Hi Guys, a quick question if I may.
I have a sweet young student that I have beeen sponsoring for quite some time. She now has her passport.
I have noticed and heard that filipina immigration maintain a watch on those leaving the country. I would like to buy her a return ticket to Singapore for two nights and meet her there.
Would she likely be prevented from leaving by immigration or denied entry by Singapore. There is no intention to overstay. Then she would just return home.
Any helpful advice would be appreciated. I could also supply her with a request to attend Singapore for job interview on Company letterhead althoughnot sure if this would help much.
Best regards.
OS.
[QUOTE=OffshoreSwell;1631672]Hi Guys, a quick question if I may.
I have a sweet young student that I have beeen sponsoring for quite some time. She now has her passport.
I have noticed and heard that filipina immigration maintain a watch on those leaving the country. I would like to buy her a return ticket to Singapore for two nights and meet her there.
Would she likely be prevented from leaving by immigration or denied entry by Singapore. There is no intention to overstay. Then she would just return home.
Any helpful advice would be appreciated. I could also supply her with a request to attend Singapore for job interview on Company letterhead althoughnot sure if this would help much.
T
Best regards.
OS.[/QUOTE]This was discussed before.
My 2 cents on top, don't show any letter of interview to PH immigration.
The jokers will tag her as an illegal / trafficked person unless she has an agency behind her.
Singapore side is cool as long as she isn't too young or has prior visits denied entry to SG.