There is a national priority that has, unfortunately, been put in such a lower category by the government: health care for the people. Right now, medical treatment in all levels of society has become so costly – really so costly that only the very few in Philippine society can afford to get treatment for their ailments. Medicines, hospitalization, health services – the cost for all this has become so astronomical that hardly anyone from the middle and lower classes can afford it.
One can just imagine the hundreds of Filipinos who die everyday because they do not have access to the medicine, hospitalization, and medical treatment that every human being deserves. No money for heart surgery. No money for kidney transplants. No money for chemotherapy. No money even for alternative medicines. This is the reason why the death rate in our country is fast growing.
The time has come for the government to give the highest priority to health insurance. Somehow, every Filipino – from the richest to the poorest, from those with jobs to those who are jobless – must be able to get health insurance that will save his life. The ideal situation would be similar to the United States where every American has the access and the right to health care services. But then, health insurance costs money, and both the government and every Filipino must be willing to share in the payment of health insurance. To be insured must be mandatory – and it is the government’s role to formulate the means by which all Filipinos can have access to health care treatment.
Former Ambassador Rodolfo A. Arizala, writing from Santiago, Chile, joins the debate on the presence of American troops in Basilan, Mindanao and other parts of the Philippines. He says that in South America, being an "amboy" is not the issue. As a matter of fact, almost all leaders in Latin America do not mind being identified with Uncle Sam, and they extend cooperation in solving socio-economic problems and security.
For example, Argentina, although not geographically in North Atlantic, has adhered to NATO. On the other hand, Chile conducts yearly joint military exercises with the US Armed Forces within Chilean territory (land, air and sea). Colombia cooperates with the US in combating drug-trafficking. In all of these instances, Arizala observed, not a single issue of sovereignty has been raised by their respective peoples or politicians.
Going back to Chile, US war vessels are allowed to enter and dock at Chilean ports without problems. The people welcome such visits and presence. Cultural groups are sent to the port to entertain visiting American G.I.´s Furthermore, Chile has allowed the US to construct a modern airfield capable of handling jumbo jets and space vessels at
Isla de Pascua (Easter Island) for use of Uncle Sam in "case of emergency". This US airbase is virtually a permanent infrastructure.
On top of all this, Chile has also been "moving heaven and earth" to have a Free Trade Agreement with the US aside from welcoming foreign investors. And Arizala’s final info is that foreigners could acquire agricultural lands without restrictions, except those lands near the border of Chile with other countries, for security reason.
"We do not hear in Chile or Argentina charges of ‘
amboys’ or slogans like ‘Down with American Imperialism’, and ‘Yankee Go Home!’ In contrast, in our own Philippines, we still, like an old broken record, shout or display these slogans," said Arizala. And he wonders if we are not whipping a long dead horse in this age of globalization. "After a hundred years of struggle for independence, we are still in search of our self-identity by using nationalism as battlecry.
Arizala recalled that Japan, despite its nationalistic fervor, opened its doors to the US in the 19th century during the visit of US Commodore Perry. Similarly, China lifted its "Bamboo Curtain" during the regime of Deng Xiaopeng in the 1980´s. His successor, President Jiang Zemin, is reportedly a
qin mei (friend of America). Russia, in 1987, through Gorbachev’s "glasnost" (policy of openness), also opened its "Iron Curtain" to the West. "I wonder why in the Philipines there are still segments of society having difficulties in opening fully our ports to US modern-day Commodore Perry in this age of globalization," he said.
"Terrorism is a "globalized" issue or problem. It should be resolved by globalized action if we wish to eradicate it effectively as well as march with other countries of the world toward socio-economic progress and development. In such global endeavor of fighting terrorism, Russia, Japan, China, UK and others have expressed or extended support to the United States of America," Arizala stated.
We could still sing to the top of our voices what we learned in grade school ("I love my own, my native land, Philippines my Philippines,") and shout "
Mabuhay" without the necessity of closing tightly our doors and ports against friendly countries. In other countries such as Japan, there are still American bases and thousands of US soldiers. "Are we more popish than the Pope because with the temporary presence of some 650 American soldiers we feel that our sovereignty and territorial integrity are in danger? In international relations, mutual respect, trust and confidence should be the ones to prevail," the former envoy said.
Thoughts For Today:
Prayer is not the spare tire you pull out
when you feel your life has gone flat.
Prayer is the steering wheel
that helps direct life in the right path. God uses the presence of friends
to remind us of Himself.
Often the avenue of blessings
begins with a friend.
Thanks for being a blessing to me. My e-mail addresses:
jaywalker@pacific.net.ph and
artborjal@yahoo.com