President Duterte

[Sagot 1,548]

Plus? Hahaha No, but seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if all that has magically disappeared. Like I said earlier, the only people who know what happened to all the money the US and other nations donated to the typhoon victims are those from the previous administration. I say all those who donated should demand the previous administration to release an official statement saying where the heck those funds went because looking at the state of those affected by the typhoon, it definitely didn't go to them.

That isn't typhoon money.. that $175 million is yearly foreign aid, and it doesn't include the $79 million the Philippines got in U.S. military "aid". What happened to the typhoon relief money.. who knows.. obviously it didn't reach the everyday people

[xmaricrisx 25]

That isn't typhoon money.. that $175 million is yearly foreign aid, and it doesn't include the $79 million the Philippines got in U.S. military "aid". What happened to the typhoon relief money.. who knows.. obviously it didn't reach the everyday people

Nothing is reaching the people, which is the (or should be at least one of) main priorities of the current administration. So many of the so-called "politicians" in the Philippines are selfish and pocket the money for themselves; that's no secret! The people have a right to know where all the foreign aid goes to because, from my own experiences living there for 5yrs, it hasn't gone anywhere to improve the country (except maybe the TPLEX highway).

[Sagot 1,548]

Home grass isn't any better...

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

I share your sentiments... I am very concerned with what is happening. My husband tells me to just have faith in Duterte, and know that his main priority is the well-being of the country. A part of me thinks that he may just be sucking up to China & Russia because he wants their money to improve the Philippines; his vision for the Philippines is expensive, and he knows he won't get that kind of money from the US. I could be wrong though... politics is not my forte haha.

But that's the thing is he has not put ANY plan forward to actually improve the country past killing drug users/dealers. He has not put anything forward except to cozy up to China and Russia for Loans not Grants. Loans that the country will have to pay back at a later date. While the USA is giving actual grants not loans. Also not to mention all the BPO business in the Philippines that is for the US companies.

My asawa and I have spoken at great length about this whole issue. She has always been a Duterte supporter and she is from Duterte country and the Davao Region. He needs to stop being a Mayor and be a President. It is not just a city he has to deal with but a country of over 100 million. So just because his best friends and cabinet members are Bayan does not mean he has to choose that ideology. But he does have to stop running his damn mouth.

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

I am always confused on that, last year the USA send foreign aid to the Philippines to the tune of $175 MILLION DOLLARS (not pesos), PLUS $50 MILLION DOLLARS in military financing. In 2016 the military aid was increased to $79 MILLION !!

And this does not count the 3.4 MILLION Filipino-Americans that send money back to the Philippines.

Ya the USA is the ROOT OF ALL EVIL in the Philippines... and there is no corruption in the Philippines (wonder where that $175 MILLION gets spent?)

And yes the Osprey are very cool aircraft, we were living in Tucson when they had the crash ... glad they finally got the bugs out of 'em

Yeah that always gets to me as well. Why is everything that goes wrong with the Philippines the US's fault? I tried to have that conversation with my wife's nephew last year and he couldn't explain it to me but it was our fault. So we just got drunk and forgot about it. It was weird to me because he is very smart man who is a well known photo journalist in the Pinas, but swings to the left so to speak. He actually showed video of him being at the protest at the embassy from the other day. But he has admitted that there is corruption in the Philippines and talks bad about some politicians. All the while his Uncle my BIL is sitting right there and he is a Barangay Councillor .

Yeah that got the bugs out but it took several good mens lives for them to get the bugs out. It's funny because my coworker's father was in charge on the Marine side of the Osprey program when it was experimental.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/14/typhoon-haiyan-china-aid-philippines-ikea

Edited October 22, 2016 by cyberfx1024

[Stevephoto 230]

You are so right on this. My wife and I were thinking the exact same thing yesterday. I admit she got alittle mad when I said she needed to learn Mandarin because the Philippines might end up a province of China. But on another note, yes the Koreans and Chinese are some of the higher visitors by volume but in reality they actually spend less per person and family than a typical American does. My SIL has a friend whose husbands owns a number of shops and a Cuban Restaurant in Boracay. He told me that on average a Korean/Chinese family will spend alot less than one or two Americans/British will at his restaurant(which they do serve asian food). Where an American/British person would have an entree for each person, a Korean/Chinese family will have one entree and split it between the family. So they spend less.

I will certainly reevaluate everything in the next couple of months on wither or not I want to go back anytime soon.

I'd say thanks if this wasn't so scary...interesting stats....again. Learned a lot today.

[Stevephoto 230]

The only complaint my parents have about living here in the US is that they miss the "simplicity" of living in the province in the Philippines, and they also feel somewhat looked down upon because they are the "minority." Other than that, they always say they don't regret migrating here because it gave our family a much better life than what we would've had in the Philippines; they are very much proud to be US citizens.

Maybe the Filipinos that are hating on the US are just that: HATERS. A lot of times, hate is based on jealousy; so perhaps they're just jealous? I don't know... I hope no one takes offense to what I'm saying. I'm just trying to figure out where the hate for the US started

Well said. As for the first part of your comment, you just live in a part of the country with few Filipinos, so you are a minority. We live in Hawaii with plenty pinoy! That is a great thing for Joan and a good thing for me to see the beautiful culture up close every day. The majority of Pilipinos I meet everyday are honest hard working kind people.

I truly think the "haters" of the US is a small minority. Unfortunately they are vocal, and sadly the President may be listening to them more than we wish he would.

I, for one, am a proud American because I have a beautiful Plilpina wife.

[Stevephoto 230]

Home grass isn't any better...

[Stevephoto 230]

Yeah that always gets to me as well. Why is everything that goes wrong with the Philippines the US's fault? I tried to have that conversation with my wife's nephew last year and he couldn't explain it to me but it was our fault. So we just got drunk and forgot about it. It was weird to me because he is very smart man who is a well known photo journalist in the Pinas, but swings to the left so to speak. He actually showed video of him being at the protest at the embassy from the other day. But he has admitted that there is corruption in the Philippines and talks bad about some politicians. All the while his Uncle my BIL is sitting right there and he is a Barangay Councillor .

Because it is the classic love-hate relationship....we were the GOOD guys who helped kick out the Spaniards after the Spanish-American War...then immediately were the bad guys who engaged in the 4 year American-Philippines War (I had no idea that we were at war with the Philippines!) that followed immediately after the S-A-W; where, we took over Spain's role as the hated occupiers....until we were the GREAT who finally liberated them from the Japanese in WWII...and then it gets messy....were we good guys or bad guys when we left and the Philippines became, for the first time in 500 years, an "independent" nation? Were we bad guys when we offered Marcos asylum? Who knows. I am going to have to reread In Our Image: America's Empire in the Philippines by Stanley Karnow...why and how we are bad guys in Duterte's eyes...I have no idea.

BTW....the book just mentioned was excellent. I highly recommend it to those of you who are fairly new to the two country's relationship over the years.

[cristina16 81]

We are flying there in December, will be staying until spring ... my biggest concern is finding Batangas coffee...

Batangas coffee are being sold in any market in Batangas. They sell it by Kg.. I was in Tanauan and was able to buy some, very cheap per Kgs.

[carlamariec 8]

"Duterte says he will not sever US ties" (http://www.rappler.com/nation/149968-philippines-duterte-will-not-sever-us-ties?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=referral)

You definitely called it cyberfx! His advisors probably told him he messed up by announcing that in China, so he had to basically retract what he said; apparently what he meant by "separation" was separation in relation to foreign policy

There are already travel rules for any foreigners entering the Philippines; they have to apply for a visa if staying past 30 days. To be honest, I don't blame the US for having strict immigration rules, particularly for tourist visas in the Philippines. Many (not all) Filipinos have no discipline and do not like following rules, so if they find any shortcut to get what they want, they will do it, regardless of it being wrong or illegal. As a Filipina/pinay, it's embarrassing to admit, but Filipinos are more prone to staying in the US illegally via tourist visa hence the difficulty in obtaining one.

I agree on you with this.

[Sagot 1,548]

Because it is the classic love-hate relationship....we were the GOOD guys who helped kick out the Spaniards after the Spanish-American War...then immediately were the bad guys who engaged in the 4 year American-Philippines War (I had no idea that we were at war with the Philippines!) that followed immediately after the S-A-W; where, we took over Spain's role as the hated occupiers....until we were the GREAT who finally liberated them from the Japanese in WWII...and then it gets messy....were we good guys or bad guys when we left and the Philippines became, for the first time in 500 years, an "independent" nation? Were we bad guys when we offered Marcos asylum? Who knows. I am going to have to reread In Our Image: America's Empire in the Philippines by Stanley Karnow...why and how we are bad guys in Duterte's eyes...I have no idea.

BTW....the book just mentioned was excellent. I highly recommend it to those of you who are fairly new to the two country's relationship over the years.

Don't leave out the part where the USA paid Spain $20 MILLION dollar for the Philippines. And when the Philippines didn't want to be a U.S. territory... there was not a war... America simply said - Okay.

Batangas coffee are being sold in any market in Batangas. They sell it by Kg.. I was in Tanauan and was able to buy some, very cheap per Kgs.

Seriously ... it was only a joke ... making a point of how silly it is to get worked up over Duterte's rants.

Edited October 22, 2016 by Philippines^Sagot

[Stevephoto 230]

Don't leave out the part where the USA paid Spain $20 MILLION dollar for the Philippines. And when the Philippines didn't want to be a U.S. territory... there was not a war... America simply said - Okay.

Seriously ... it was only a joke ... making a point of how silly it is to get worked up over Duterte's rants.

Just going based on Karnow's pretty detailed description of a 4-year...well...conflict of interests! Like I said, it surprised me....

[JFH 12,190]

Also where was China during and after Typhoon Yolanda?

Doing far more for the Philippines than the Philippines did for China after the Sichuan earthquake (which killed 10 times as many people as Yolanda did):

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitarian_response_to_Typhoon_Haiyan

China, typhoon-affected country, donated US$200,000 to the Philippine relief effort. China provided a donation of US$1.4 million worth of relief supplies. China also sent its naval hospital ship Peace Ark.

Compared to

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactions_to_the_2008_Sichuan_earthquake

The Philippine government sent medical team to Sichuan, China.

I used to live in China, hence my interest in your comments.

[jasper383 23]

Doing far more for the Philippines than the Philippines did for China after the Sichuan earthquake (which killed 10 times as many people as Yolanda did):

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitarian_response_to_Typhoon_Haiyan

China, typhoon-affected country, donated US$200,000 to the Philippine relief effort. China provided a donation of US$1.4 million worth of relief supplies. China also sent its naval hospital ship Peace Ark.

Compared to

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactions_to_the_2008_Sichuan_earthquake

The Philippine government sent medical team to Sichuan, China.

I used to live in China, hence my interest in your comments.

Newsflash: China is an economic powerhouse and the second largest economy in the world.

The Philippines.......isn't

If you are comparing the economic ability of the Philippines to assist another country beset by disasters to China's ability to do so, you are woefully misinformed.