> The
failed legacy of the EDSA revolutions
San Diego, CA– It has been 20 years since President Marcos was
deposed through a bloodless coup called the EDSA people power
revolution. It was later termed EDSA 1 because more revolutions up
to EDSA IV ensued. In between EDSA’s were also coup attempts one
of which nearly toppled a presidency if it were not for the
intervention of the American government. Through all these
so-called people power revolutions and coup attempts, removing the
president for varying reasons was the driver. EDSA I and II were
successful, but the rest were not. Whether the cause was just is
left to the discerning eyes to ponder. Unmistakably, all these
attempts – peaceful or violent take over of the highest seat of
government - are extra-judicial means, acts not permitted in the
Philippine Constitution.
The Philippines today is not better off economically or
politically. Former First Lady Imelda Marcos is still in close
proximity to the corridors of power with son Marcos, Jr. a
governor and daughter Imee a member of Congress. Graft and
corruption is worst than ever with the country ranking in the top
ten corrupt government throughout the world.
The environment is neglected giving way to the capriciousness of
globalization. Such wanton neglect brought the country the
Semirara and Rapu-Rapu environmental tragedies. The Ormoc and
Guinsaugon – both of Leyte, and Infanta, Quezon landslide
tragedies buried the hopes of thousands of poor Filipinos who were
victims of government neglect – before and after the tragedies.
The three branches of government are held in very low esteem as
reflected in people surveys. Ironically, the very people held in
disdain by a cynical populace are now espousing ditching the
presidential form of government to a parliamentary one as a
promise of deliverance. The COMELEC is despised and accused of
colluding with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (PGMA) to steal
the 2004 election – bringing the country the “Hello Garci”
wiretapping and fertilizer scandals implicating an array of
highly-connected politicians including the very tenants of the
Malacañang Palace.
The economy has suffered mortally with local industries becoming
casualties of the government’s policy of liberalization or
free-trade. Critical professions are pirated abroad creating
crisis after another in the Philippines. The health care industry,
in particular, is near collapse because of the unabated exodus of
doctors and nurses with the first sometimes doubling for the
second just to escape the faltering economy. Seventy-five percent
of Filipinos live below the poverty line with a damning 62 percent
of the populace crying hunger pains.
Indeed, after two decades of the people power era, the Philippine
situation is a lot worse and Filipinos - also known as Overseas
Filipino Workers (OFWs) are now known globally as an “export
product.” OFW’s are heralded as the new heroes of a country in
dire financial straits primarily because of the rising annual
remittances that is now in the tens of billions pesos, enough to
keep the economy afloat. The OFW remittances are highly credited
for the recent surge of the Philippine peso against the dollar
despite government claims of “good and sound financial policies.”
Clearly, the OFWs have become a commodity that appears in the
export side of the government financial journal whose dollar
contributions have become a major driver of the Philippine
economy.
In a recent nursing convention in Cebu City, PGMA exhorted the
audience to pursue and explore remaining frontiers for the medical
profession particularly in Canada, the United States, Japan and
other countries and encouraged them to send portions of their pay
back to the Philippines. A few years ago before the 2004
elections, PGMA used to host a Sunday dialogue with the domestic
helpers in Hong Kong live via satellite. The program was
terminated when callers started asking her when they could come
home and rejoin their families. PGMA’s response to them was to
wait a little longer and for them to stay in Hong Kong because
their remittances were helping the country.
The president’s actions are really revolting because she has
prostituted her own people to work overseas because her
government’s inability to create work for them at home. Worse, her
cajoling has become detrimental to the country and to the Filipino
family – yes, the Filipino family.
The massive migration in pursuit of greener pastures has become
one of the failed legacies of the EDSA revolutions. The Philippine
exodus has become a phenomenon, an important factor of the labor
market worldwide – a consequence of the enormous drive of
globalization. While it can be argued that the moves were
voluntary, the dire situations in the Philippines has really
forced them to legally and illegally enter other foreign countries
not to mention the young women victims of human trafficking to
prostitution dens in South Korea, Middle East and Japan.
More notably, a growing number of women have become involved in
such migrations. Whereas in the past, mainly men were adventurous
in their undertakings joining the U.S. Navy or other labor
recruitments destined for the Hawaiian and California farms or the
canning industries of Washington State and Alaska. Such
migrations, however, allowed the families to be reunited through
petitions where the men have settled.
Women migration, however, tend to be more autonomous. In the case
of domestic helpers, women cross the border of their homeland
alone in search of work in other countries where the opportunity
of reuniting with her family in those countries is nearly
impossible because of cultural and governmental prohibitions.
Consequently, the reversals of roles occur where migrant women
have become the principal source of income for her family. Aside
from low salaries, women have become vulnerable also to abusive
employers resulting in unwanted pregnancies, rape, physical
injuries and even death. The story of Flor Contemplacion is just
one of the many untold stories from the OFW Diasporas and has come
to symbolize the government’s neglect for its people.
While the EDSA revolution restored democracy in the Philippines,
sadly, such democracy has not freed its people from tyranny,
oppression, and poverty.
