by: Jaeyoun Kim
*forwarded by chester via email
Filipinos always complain about the corruption in
the Philippines . Do you really think the corruption
is the problem of the Philippines ? I do not
think so. I strongly believe that the problem is
the lack of love for the Philippines .
Let me first talk about my country, Korea .
It might help you understand my point.
After the Korean War, South Korea was one
of the poorest countries in the world. Koreans
had to start from scratch because entire country was
destroyed after the Korean War, and we had no
natural resources.
Koreans used to talk about the Philippines , for
Filipinos were very rich in Asia . We envy Filipinos.
Koreans really wanted to be well off like
Filipinos. Many Koreans died of famine.
My father & brother also died because of famine.
Korean government was very corrupt and is still very
corrupt beyond your imagination, but Korea was
able to develop dramatically because Koreans really
did their best for the common good with their heart
burning with patriotism.
Koreans did not work just for themselves but also
for their neighborhood and country. Education inspired
young men with the spirit of patriotism.
40 years ago, President Park took over the
government to reform Korea . He tried to borrow money
from other countries, but it was not possible to get a
loan and attract a foreign investment because the
economic situation of South Korea was so bad. Korea had
only three factories. So, President Park sent many mine
workers and nurses to Germany so that
they could send money to Korea to build a factory.
They had to go through horrible experience.
In 1964, President Park visited Germany to borrow
money. Hundred of Koreans in Germany came to the
airport to welcome him and cried there as they saw
the President Park . They asked to him, "President,
when can we be well off?" That was the only question
everyone asked to him. President Park cried with
them and promised them that Korea would be well
off if everyone works hard for Korea , and the President
of Germany got the strong impression on them
and lent money to Korea . So, President Park was
able to build many factories in Korea . He always
asked Koreans to love their country from their heart.
Many Korean scientists and engineers in the USA
came back to Korea to help developing country
because they wanted their country to be well off.
Though they received very small salary, they did their
best for Korea . They always hoped that their children
would live in well off country.
My parents always brought me to the places where
poor and physically handicapped people live. They
wanted me to understand their life and help them..
I also worked for Catholic Church when I was in the army..
The only thing I learned from Catholic Church was that we
have to love our neighborhood. And, I have loved my
neighborhood. Have you cried for the
Philippines? I have cried for my country several
times. I also cried for the Philippines because of so many
poor people. I have been to the New Bilibid
prison. What made me sad in the prison were the
prisoners who do not have any love for their country.
They go to mass and work for Church. They pray
everyday.
However, they do not love the Philippines . I
talked to two prisoners at the maximum-security compound,
and both of them said that they would leave the
Philippines right after they are released from the
prison. They said that they would start a new life in other
countries and never come back to the Philippines .
Many Koreans have a great love for Korea so that
we were able to share our wealth with our neighborhood.
The owners of factory and company were distributed their
profit to their employees fairly so that employees could
buy what they needed and saved money for the
future and their children.
When I was in Korea , I had a very strong faith and
wanted to be a priest. However, when I came to the Philippines ,
I completely lost my faith.
I was very confused when I saw many unbelievable
situations in the Philippines . Street kids always make me sad,
and I see them everyday. The Philippines is the only Catholic
country in Asia , but there are too many poor people here.
People go to church every Sunday to pray, but nothing has
been changed.
My parents came to the Philippines last week and
saw this situation. They told me that Korea was much poorer
than the present Philippines when they
were young. They are so sorry that there are so
many beggars and street kids. When we went to Pasangjan,
I forced my parents to take a boat because
it would fun. However, they were not happy after
taking a boat. They said that they would not take the boat
again because they were sympathized the
boatmen, for the boatmen were very poor and had a
small frame. Most of people just took a boat and enjoyed it.
But, my parents did not enjoy it because of love
for them.
My mother who has been working for Catholic Church
since I was very young told me that if we just go to
mass without changing ourselves, we are not
Catholic indeed. Faith should come with action.
She added that I have to love Filipinos and do good things
for them because all of us are same and have received a great
love from God. I want Filipinos to love their
neighborhood and country as much as they love God
so that the Philippines will be well off.
I am sure that love is the keyword, which Filipinos
should remember. We cannot change the sinful structure at once.
It should start from person. Love must start in everybody,
in a s mall scale and have to grow. A lot of
things happen if we open up to love. Let’s put away
our prejudices and look at our worries with our new eyes.
I discover that every person is worthy to be
loved. Trust in love, because it makes changes possible.
Love changes you and me. It changes people, contexts and
relationships. It changes the world. Please love your
neighborhood and country.
Jesus Christ said that whatever we do to others we
do to Him. In the Philippines , there is God for people who
are abused and abandoned. There is God who is crying for love.
If you have a child, teach them how to love the Philippines .
Teach them why they have to love their neighborhood and country.
You already know that God also will be very happy if you love others.
That’s all I really want to ask you Filipinos.
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Your story about Korea really inspired me but I’m telling you that not all Filipinos are what you think of… I love my country and I think other Filipinos do too… I just think that some people had lost their faith after all the bad things that they had gone through… Someday somehow I do hope that I would finally see that day wherein people here in my country were uniting in making this country a better place for all us…
@bluedaffodils
I am at the same situation as you, I am still here at PH and I love my country, I just want my fellow countrymen to be inspired, If I had given up, I will also belong to the statistic that send remittance money from abroad.
Let’s hope and pray that someday all will be alright.
your essay is so true….Korea was way poorer than the Philippines 40 years ago, even Singapore was poorer than korea but through hard work and REAL patriotism both countries were able to rise up from poverty….it’s such a shame that our president is not like park cheung hee or lee kwan yew who really wept for their countries….but its not right to just blame our government we filipinos should develop that deep sense of patriotism that is really from the heart and not from the lips
[...] A Korean’s Message for the Filipinos 18 07 2008 Written by Jaeyoun Kim Original title, My Short Essay About the Philippines Taken from watzkulit. [...]
[...] Written by Jaeyoun Kim Original title, My Short Essay About the Philippines Taken from watzkulit. [...]
As recession is just around, loving his own country will make a big difference. but I always hope and pray that the money that they allocate is ours not theirs, as they are paid to do his or her government job.
[...] A Korean’s Message for the Filipinos 17 07 2008 Written by Jaeyoun Kim Original title, My Short Essay About the Philippines Taken from watzkulit. [...]
The more we travel the more we understand what is life really is, the problem with us Filipinos, we are idolizing some nations or individuals which is not suitable for us, but I will my whole life, Filipinos outside their country are more Filipinos rather than those who are inside our country. Real Filipinos help each other in many ways, the problem with us, the rich individuals in our country are not originally from our country and the rich company does not belong to us.
So what do you expect?
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog.
Cheers! Sandra. R.
not all Filipinos are like that. I’m a software engineer and could have worked abroad if I chose to, but I did not. I love the Philippines and will continue to use my talents here. But true to what you said, we have to work together to get our country out of its current predicament.
A LETTER TO THE SOUTH KOREAN STUDENT
WHO WROTE A SHORT ESSAY ON THE PHILIPPINES
Dear Kim Jae youn,
Your short essay on the Philippines has been circulating around e-mail groups, blogs, and websites for years now. Thank you for your concern and thank you for calling on us Filipinos to love our country. It is precisely because we love our country dearly that is why we have raised our voices to condemn the corruption that has been going on for decades now.
Filipinos have always complained of corruption because it is a reality that one cannot deny. Several surveys can attest to this cancerous scourge devouring the nation. The Philippines’ dismal rating in the 2008 Global Corruption Report released by the Transparency International dropped 10 places from the previous year, tying for 141st place with Cameroon, Iran and Yemen.
Last year, the country tied for 131st place with Burundi, Honduras, Iran, Libya, Nepal and Yemen. In Asia, the Philippines rated higher than Indonesia at 143rd place. In 2007, Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) came out with a survey that the Philippines was the most corrupt country in Asia.
Given these data, I beg to disagree with you when you say corruption is not the problem. To say that corruption is not the problem only exacerbates the problem. It only serves to promote the “culture of corruption” now plaguing the country. By denying corruption and keeping silent about it we are making this “culture of corruption” the norm. Corruption continues to worsen the incidence of poverty and deny much-needed social services to millions of Filipinos.
The $329.48-million ZTE broadband network scam, the P728-million fertilizer scam, the Jose Pidal bank accounts, the Northrail project, the $14-million IMPSA power plant project, the P1.3-billion poll automation project, and the Macapagal Boulevard project, and lately the World Bank-funded road project – all these could have been spent to provide badly-needed education and health services to millions of impoverished Filipinos. It could have been used to help the Department of Education (DepEd) bridge its resource gaps of classrooms, textbooks and teachers or could also have been used to increase subsidies for indigent patients in government hospitals such as the Philippine General Hospital.
Now let us talk about your country. I really don’t know much about your country except that I highly admire the way you South Koreans have developed as a nation. From a poor nation after the war, you are now developed enough to be considered a first world nation. I admire your country and your people because you had the political will to build your nation. Like us, you battled dictatorships and military juntas. I was a student when I heard about the brave men and women of Kwangju who were mercilessly massacred by the troops of the military dictatorship. It was love of country that led to this 1980 pro-democracy uprising, they tried to quell it but the tanks and guns could not stop the freedom-loving South Koreans quest for democracy. .
And yes, you South Koreans had a strong sense of love for your country that is why you sent 2 of your former Presidents, Chun Doo-Hwan and Roh Tae-Woo in 1995 to jail after being convicted of receiving bribes and inciting mutiny. You too had the courage to send the 2 sons of President Kim Dae-Jung to three-and.a-half years in prison for taking bribes from big business.
We Filipinos will have that kind of love of country too. And it will be soon.
Juanito Makabayan