section E focus
filipino globe
comment & community
June 2008
19
An Asian tragedy:
Burma does not
deserve more pain
T
hink of two families. One
is headed by a stern father PINOYDIMSUM
who terrorizes his wife and observations
children, almost starving them while
indulging himself in good food.
The other has a feckless mother
who claims to love her children but
neglects their welfare (she has an
absent husband).
Isabel T
These may be extreme cases, but Escoda
some of us might know families
like these. I mention them because
(who died in England while she
nations really are just larger versions
was in detention in Rangoon).
of families. Today there are two
That courageous woman, who has
countries which fit my descriptions
endured an assassination attempt
– Burma (whose dictators renamed
and 12 of the last 18 years under
it Myanmar when they grabbed
house arrest, is feared by the
power in 1988), and our own
dictators. They want to make sure
country (which Ferdinand Marcos
that democracy does not make
had once thought of renaming
inroads among the people who,
MARCH FOR LAND REFORM
“Maharlika”). Burma hasn’t known
some months ago, staged several
real freedom for ages, while the
Farmers march in Makati to demand ‘meaningful and realistic land reform’ after the Comprehensive
large protests led by Buddhist
Philippines has a traditionally
Agrarian Reform Program expired on June 10. Successive governments have been criticised for
monks. Many were killed and even
dysfunctional democracy.
lacking the will to implement land reform and for bowing to pressure from powerful landowners.
more jailed.
Before May 2 when a devastating
Poor countries like the Philippines
cyclone (which we Pinoys call a
are sometimes accused by
typhoon) left an estimated 150,000
nationalists and other critics of
Burmese dead and many more
Who wants to invest in electricity?
being mendicants because of a
injured and displaced, that country’s
reliance on foreign aid. The despots
poverty was worse than ours.
in Burma are the exact opposite
Conditions are truly horrendous
Of course hot money is fleeing the
– they want to maintain an image of
today, but the military men who rule
country.
OTHERVOICES
investors, and then rescinded when
pride (no matter how wrongheaded)
the country have continued their
If foreign investors who have been
philippine star
it suits the government. Foreign
businessmen have long complained
and not act like beggars. Yet they
repressive policies while refusing
in the Philippines for decades are that arbitrary investment rules and the
welcome support from China,
being told to leave if they don’t like
amending the Epira to bring down
failure of the government to guarantee
the business climate here, why should
power rates would dampen investors’
the sanctity of contracts have turned
When civilized people around the
investors eyeing profits for the short
interest in the privatization of the
away investments.
term take risks?
National Power Corp.
The IPPs were brought in by Fidel
world raised an outcry, some relief
When consumers are reeling from
What the IPPs are complaining
Ramos to stop immediately the
soaring prices of fuel, food and
about is nothing new: attractive
blackouts lasting from eight to 12
aid was allowed to enter that tightly
electricity, it is easy to demonize
incentives are offered to lure
hours a day in the final months of the
sealed country
investors for profiting from power Aquino administration.
generation.
When consumers
The IPPs delivered, but the
to acknowledge the scale of the
But no one puts billions of pesos emergency deals included provisions
whose assistance has many strings
disaster. They insisted on staging an
into this kind of business for charity, are reeling from in their contracts requiring payment
attached.
election to ensure that they would
or even for small profits.
When civilized people around the
remain in power. With most of their
The Joint Foreign Chambers of
soaring prices
for unused electricity.
The Ramos administration, thinking
world raised an outcry, some relief
citizens weakened and traumatized,
Commerce sent a letter to President
of fuel, food and
that the country was poised to become
aid was allowed to enter that tightly
the generals got the results they
Arroyo – something foreign investors the next Asian tiger, calculated that
sealed country. A trip to Rangoon by
wanted. At least in our country, we
have often done when they want to
electricity, it is
economic growth would absorb all the
the UN Secretary General resulted
are free to vote (also free to sell
raise business concerns – to urge her power generated by the IPPs.
in more assistance grudgingly
our votes) and our voices are heard
to discourage amendments to the easy to demonize Instead, the Asian financial crisis
allowed in. But the dictators’
– unlike the Burmese who have no
Electric Power Industry Reform Act
disgusting cruelty has been clearly
voice in their country’s affairs.
or Epira.
investors for
struck, and the Philippines was unable
to absorb all the excess power.
on display.
Whenever poor countries
Yesterday the association of
profiting from
The result was high electricity rates,
They announced that everything
experience natural calamities,
independent power producers or IPPs much of which was not even used by
was under control, that the
developed countries often extend aid
issued a similar call, pointing out that
power generation
consumers.
government was perfectly
quickly. There have been a spate of
capable of engaging in relief
disasters in Asia in recent years, and
work – a ridiculous claim since
Natural wonder? It’s more than being on a list
foreign assistance saved many lives.
an impoverished country like that
Soon after Burma’s catastrophe,
has no vital resources like special
China suffered a series of
equipment to cope with search-
As of press time, the country’s OTHERVOICES good slots in the poll that ends
earthquakes. That country’s leaders
and-rescue operations, nor mobile
Tubbataha Reef was in second place
readily accepted foreign relief aid,
hospitals and personnel to handle
in the ongoing online voting for the
manila standard today
December 31. That would be a good
thing for nationalist, tourism and
which makes the Burmese dictators’
injuries.
New Seven Wonders of Nature. Ha environmental purposes. For a nation
actions of refusing such assistance
Most of the victims were isolated
Long Bay in Vietnam was leading World based on the results of another obsessed with lists and records,
disgusting by comparison. Their
in the Irrawaddy delta region
the pack. In fourth place were the online poll. The preoccupation with landing on the New Seven Wonders
neglect of their own people caused
for weeks after the cyclone. The
Chocolate Hills of Bohol; in sixth the number seven is baffling – the of Nature is a source of pride. It will
one Hong Kong commentator
numbers that perished from their
was the Puerto Princesa Subterranean announcement was made in Lisbon, also draw more tourists into these
to declare that the men in power
injuries and hunger may never
River National Park; in 10th was Portugal on 07.07.07 – but the poll sites, translating into revenue for
should be charged with “a crime
be known. Photographs by a
Mayon Volcano. solicited more than 100 million votes. related industries. More importantly,
against humanity.”
cameraman who sneaked into the
Senators known for their tourism The Philippines did not make it to increased awareness could encourage
The military leaders in Burma
country have circulated on the
or environmental advocacy and the Top 21 sites of that list, which the authorities to protect these sites.
have always been intensely
internet – horrific scenes of scores
television networks are encouraging perhaps explains the fervor with Still, we must not be fixated on
xenophobic. They have gone as
of bloated bodies and body parts
those with Internet access to go to which Filipinos are asked to vote this being part of a list. Being a “wonder
far as to label the detained leader
amid the ruined delta landscape.
www.new7wonders.com to cast their time around. of nature” is inherent and absolute. It
Aung San Suu Kyi (whose landslide
The long-suffering people of
votes for any of the Philippine sites. And it appears that “Pinoy online must not depend on factors like the
election victory they rejected in
Burma do not deserve more anguish.
Last year, the same site announced power,” to quote Senator Pia per cent of the population with web
1990) as having “polluted” blood
Let’s hope they will soon be healed
the New Seven Wonders of the Cayetano, will secure the Philippines access and the willingness to vote.
because she had married a Briton
and finally rid of their evil masters.
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