MAKIRAMAY KA!
The woman holding a press conference at a sidewalk in front of the Willard Hotel in Washington, DC.
She just doesn’t get it. My column today for Business Mirror is an attempt tp slap some sense into her,
-
MAKIRAMAY KA!
Dear Queenie,
Do you have any idea what “makiramay” means?
Makiramay means you care. It means you share the pain of those who lost their family, their friends, and their property in the recent typhoon.
Makiramay is not your Press Secretary announcing, “The President is so concerned about the situation there. Immediately upon arriving here in San Francisco, she convened the NDCC to be able to be personally informed of the situation there.”
You need to be HERE not THERE. You need to be in the calamity areas handing out relief goods and offering comfort to the typhoon victims not in the comfort of your suite at the Fairmont Hotel barking out orders and bawling out the coast guard chief.
What is so important about your trip that you cannot cancel it to be with your suffering people?
From San Franciso you flew to Fresno to thank expats for their help over the years. You went to the Community Regional Medical Center to tell the Filipino medical practitioners, “Bumisita ako ngayon para ipaalam sa inyo na ipinagmamalaki namin ang ating mga medical practitioners dito sa Amerika.”
And then, as an added treat, according to your press secretary’s website, “Some 600 Filipino-Americans witnessed the President’s conduct of a video conference with the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) where President Arroyo showed that despite her being out of the Philippines to foster diplomatic relations with its most important ally, she remains focused and on top of the situation back home.”
Your president at work?
A total of 198,545 Ilongos are in 58 evacuation centers in Iloilo City, 353,000 were displaced in the rest of the province, 33,000 families suffered the same fate in Eastern Visayas, and over 700 hundred dead in a boat accident. And you’re in Fresno, California posing for pictures.
In Washington, the only meeting that you cannot pass off to a cabinet member is your tete a tete with lameduck George. That’s nothing but a photo-op. What lasting commitment can you get from him who will be gone by January?
It would be nice to personally thank Bush and the US Senate for the Veterans Bill but there’s a calamity back home. They will understand.
You don’t have to go to the Pentagon. Gilbert Teodoro can meet with his counterpart to discuss defense reform even though it’s a waste of time because he will be talking to a lame duck secretary.
There is no meeting in Washington that you cannot cancel.
As for New York, do you really have to personally wine and dine those UN permanent representatives to get their vote for Miriam Santiago? What do you think the people of Iloilo will appreciate more, your presence in their province or you campaigning in New York for their province-mate?
You have been compared to Marcos countless times. It’s unfair to the late dictator and his family. Marunong makiramay ang mga Marcos in times of calamity.
Imelda Marcos and her children, even at the height of a typhoon, would always be at the scene giving aid and comfort to the victims. You always arrive late.
I remember when Milenyo hit the country, the first photo to appear in the papers was you, in your cute little rainwear, inspecting the fallen trees in Malacanan while hundreds of thousands of victims in the Bicol region and Southern Luzon were waiting for some relief. And you wonder why you are the most disliked president this country ever had? You care more for the trees in your garden.
I have seen Imelda Marcos shed tears as she embraced victims of calamities. Her tears were real. I have seen you in similar situations; you looked uncomfortable and your discomfort was real.
MAKIRAMAY KA! It’s not enough that you show the people you are micromanaging the situation. Managing is not caring; it’s a job. Victims need to know someone cares.
I know you don’t give a shit about your people but I know you love living in Malacanan. So cut your trip short before the people finally decide to cut your stay short.
Your loyal subject,
MB
And this is the first thing Bush told her… (Thanks to EQ for the tip.)
on June 25th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Bush To Filipino President: “I Am Reminded Of The Great Talent Of The — Of Our Philippine-Americans When I Eat Dinner At The White House”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/24/bush-to-filipino-presiden_n_108985.html
on June 25th, 2008 at 10:01 am
EQ,
Hahaha! Good one!
on June 25th, 2008 at 10:53 am
That woman is hopeless…….. delusional at best but then again she is the Doña de la Corny errr Corleoni of the Philippine Mafiosi family so she is clueless how she is perceived by people.
on June 25th, 2008 at 11:50 am
25 June 2008
HEHEHEHEHE……… I like it, two morons meeting. two morons with the same feathers, flock together.
prans
on June 25th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
No Filipino, no Filipino American, present company most emphatically included, is going to do one millionth the good for the unfortunate victims of Typhoon Frank than George W. Bush and the US men and women in uniform, who once more must come to clean up our mess. Y’all are disgusting, indecent, ungracious brown skinned simian-souled ingratos.
on June 25th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
I guess every failed and ever-failing ruling class and its dissatisfied intellectuals falls into this state of gracelessness and self-loathing. Have you guys no shame, no shame at all?
on June 25th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
MB,
what have you ever done for the Filipino people, honestly? what virtue can you hold up as your contribution to the human edifice that could be compared to even a toe nail on George W. Bush’s foot on just this day? I’d really like to know. What finger have you ever actually lifted but the middle one up your nose?
on June 25th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
MB,
Would you yourself go into a capsized upturned corpse-filled ship, put yourself in harm’s way in the god-forsaken Philippine Sea for strangers unloved and uncherished and unprotected by their own countrymen as the great good young US Navy Seals are probably doing on this dark night off of Rombon for your own countrymen? Sure, laugh it up. It’s your consuelo de bobo.
on June 25th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
djb,
i see. tell us when they’re finished working so we can personally thank them…and send them on their way…until the next time we need someone to wipe our ass
on June 25th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
MB,
I’ve never seen a more ignoble post on a blog than this. It is mean-spirited, foul and beneath even disdain and disgust. I hate gloria too for the things she has done, but I struggle every day not to let it consume me. You seem to have let it take you over, to suffuse and strangle what I want to think is yet a decent if deluded spirit.
on June 25th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
djb,
would you enlist for the war on terror?
what the fuck is wrong with you? why do you take us laughing at your other president so personally?
Is it because I made fun of his no ransom policy and his bullshit war on terror?
Was I mocking your religion?
Fuck your Navy Seals. It’s good they’re doing some real work instead of training all the time to do sabotahe work.
on June 25th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
djb,
Was I wrong to point out her lack of pakikiramay?
you obviously don’t know what makiramay means….
makiramay means i visit personally not just send mass cards and flowers…
I
on June 25th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
MB,
Maybe you really should join the demonstrators who are planning to picket against the presence of the USS Ronald Reagan at the US Embassy tomorrow. (All half-dozen of them, all with used souls carrying the great red banners of hatred and baseless hubris.) . Work off whatever it is that bothers you about a simple, generous offer of help. Of course you are free to be what you want to be, how you want to be, for all the world to see. Just don’t pop a vein, okay?
on June 25th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
DJB,
Gloria can attend state funerals abroad she can’t even commiserate with her own people?
But I know what really got your goat about my kolum _ pointing how useless your president Bush is. That stupid dumb fuck lazy ass lame-duck fake Texan and his defense secretary of the “we don’t deal with terrorists” but we gave missiles to the Ayatollah” fame: Robert Gates. You remember that don’t you?
on June 25th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
prans,
human beings should flock together, especially in stormy weather, because they ARE birds of a feather.
Which species might you be?
on June 25th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
DJB,
I pulled a muscle laughing at your stupid president stumbling once again over expressing a simple thought
on June 25th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
mb,
there are issues to fight over and to disagree vehemently over. War on terror ok. Garci tapes okay. US imperialism okay. but good grief man, flip on the tv or listen to the radio to those poor desperate relatives of those drowned atchays, farmers, workers, students. What good is this belligerent blog doing them on this grim and gory night that compares to the unselfish discharge of duty from the hearts on-deck upon the good ship USS Ronald Reagan?
I bet even if they did wipe your silly ass it would cause you pain just because it would scratch your sorry soul to be loved.
on June 25th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
MB,
I’ve got news for you buddy. I’ve never even once read your kolum, Gollum!
on June 25th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
DJB,
where in my kolum did I say or even hint animosity upon the USS Ronald Reagan?
Are you seeing and hearing things again, old friend?
on June 25th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
MB/DJB:I love your great conversation/debate!
I am 100% sure that the two of you have a better chat than your respective presidents who chat about the great talent of the Pinoy chef in White House.
Can you imagine jetting all the way to the White House for that kind of talk while the rest of the Pinoys here are suffering!!!
on June 25th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
The post was my kolum and you read it.
on June 25th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Don’t understand Dean’s aka Rizalist going bonkers over an article that MB has an absolute right to write.
He doesn’t like Gloria because she’s makapal and it shows so why is he so nangigigil?
As to his claim, “No Filipino, no Filipino American, present company most emphatically included, is going to do one millionth the good for the unfortunate victims of Typhoon Frank than George W. Bush and the US men and women in uniform,”…
Bullocks, show me the money and I might agree!
Dean, so you think your beloved and criminal Dubya and his merry men will do more than the Filipinos (OFWs included) who are now contributing and devoting time, effort to doing what they can and probably will put in more than your white masters can do or are doing for the victims of Frank?
You have been so blinded by your monkey devotion to your American masters and to criminal Dubya Bush that you are prepared to demean his fellow brown skinned fellow Filipinos who are in the thick of things doing what ought to be done for their grieving fellowmen. Just because these Filipinos are not in uniformed groups, handing out sweeties from a military ship or wearing US military stripes that you should disgracefully declare that “No Filipino, no Filipino American, present company most emphatically included, is going to do one millionth the good for the unfortunate victims of Typhoon Frank than George W. Bush.”
Dean, you are despicable!
on June 25th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
The Presidential Entourage (USA JUNKET):
Gloria and FG
10 cabinet secretaries
Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago
59(Fifty Nine) congressmen of the Responsive House of the People :
(With travel authority)
1)Speaker Nograles
2)Dep.Speaker Raul Del Mar
3)Dep.Speaker Amelita Villarosa(Mindoro)Typhoon-affected
4)Mikey Arroyo
5)Dato Arroyo
6)A.Gonzales Jr.(Pampanga)
7)Junie Cua(Quirino)
8)Marc Cagas(Davao delSur)
9)Y.Emano(Misamis Oriental)
10)Anton Lagdameo(Davao del Norte)
11)R.Mercado(S.Leyte)
12)Danilo Suarez(Quezon)
13)William Tieng(Buhay)
14)Jose Zubiri III (Bukidnon)
15)Rommel Amatong(Compostela Valley)
16)Rex Gatchalian(Valenzuela)
17)N.Dayanhirang(Davao Oriental)
18)Rizalina Lanete(Masbate):Typhoon affected
19)Rachel Arenas(Pangasinan)
20)Monico Puentevella(Chair,House Transportation Committee)
21)H.Ramiro(Misamis Oriental)
22)Albert Garcia(Bataan)
23)Joseph Violago(Nueva Ecija)
24)Munir Arbison(Sulu)
25)Narciso Santiago Jr.(party-list);son of Senator Miriam
26)Bienvenido Abante (Manila)
27)T.Coquilla(EasternSamar):Typhoon affected
28)Andres Salvacion (Leyte):Typhoon affected
29)Martin Romualdez(Leyte):Typhoon affected
30)Trinidad Apostol(Leyte):Typhoon affected
31)Antonio Diaz(Zambales):Typhoon affected
32)Antonio Cuenco(Cebu)
33)Eduardo Gullas(Cebu)
34)Ana Bondoc(Pampanga)
35)Amado Bagatsing(Manila)
36)Nanette Daza(QC)
37)Mary Ann Susano(QC)
38)Elpidio BarzagaJr. (Cavite)
39)Marc Mendoza(Batangas)
40)Rozzano Rufino Biazon (Muntinlupa),son of Senator Biazon
41)Conrado Estrella(Pangasinan)
42)Exequiel Javier(Antique):Typhoon affected
43)Mitzi Cajayon(Caloocan)
AND 16 Other Congressmen traveling with presidential party.
on June 25th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
The Equalizer,
What is the purpose of their trip in the US? Can’t believe they’re all on official business in the US? Monkey business perhaps?
on June 25th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Gosh, can’t imagine this sort of thing happening in Europe.
Imagine Brown or Sarkozy travelling with a fourth of Parliament hen on a working visit abroad? The people will bring them down! And hard, they won’t know what hit them.
on June 25th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
DJB claims to be an atheist but he worships W’s toe nail.
on June 25th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
cvj,
hahaha.I think you hit the mark why djb is so incensed at my article.
It’s not because I pointed out that Gloria did not have pakikiramay, it’s because I said meeting lame-ducks was useless.
on June 25th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
Great column you wrote for Business Mirror, MB !
on June 26th, 2008 at 12:02 am
Ok DJB, nuff of the tantrums, hehehe come to think of it, was the junket worth it? Sure she got $100K and the USS Ronald Reagan but how much did they spend when she brought along almost a 4th of the lower house? All these expense just to be laugh at not laugh with Dubya that hopefully she realize now that she is seen not as an equal………… hopefully Bush was not reminded of his maids when he sees her. Maybe its about time to stop feeling Napoleonic and she really need to go back down to earth.
on June 26th, 2008 at 3:24 am
Hahahahah!
“DJB claims to be an atheist but he worships W’s toe nail.”
Spot on, cvj, spot on!
on June 26th, 2008 at 3:38 am
Let’s not get carried away with the arrival of USS Ronald Reagan — don’t want to belittle this help but it’s a fantastic PR thinggy for the Americans.
I bet the USS RR was already in the vicinity and to head for Pinas to help in time of problems (while Gloria fiddles abroad) is a fantastic US diplomatic gambit for Bush, US, and for any future US president. (But let’s not get fooled, it was not as if USS RR sailed all the way from San Diego where I reckon she was based just to help her brown brothers in Pinas…) Any nation with a carrier in the vicinity would have done the same. America being in the proximity is a welcome diversion!
Perfect US PR coup as is her tenet:
“90,000 tons of diplomacy” or “4 and a half acres of US sovereign territory when and where it’s needed!”
on June 26th, 2008 at 9:04 am
Thanks Chabelli!
on June 26th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Whatever it is DJB is drinking, it ain’t good. Are we on the right page?
on June 26th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
26 June 2008
DJB, just like the two morons, you definitely belong with them you dumb-ass SOB.
DJB stop claiming to be a rizalist, coz you aint one, YOU CHICKEN SHIT!!!!!!!!!
That’s why, go flock with the morons. MORON!!!!
prans
on June 27th, 2008 at 2:10 am
[...] At The White House… [...]
on June 27th, 2008 at 9:12 am
hmmm! Well, maybe Filipinos should at least thank Dubya for throwing the hapless pinoy flood victims some crumbs, which this Gloria and her cabal can’t do (why, they’re all abroad junketing around!). What I find more detestable is Gloria’s begging in USA for alms. Isn’t this most pathetic? While she and her insensitive cabal are worthlessly spending taxpayers’ money for their obssessive hedonistic urges?
on June 27th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Let’s not get carried away with the arrival of USS Ronald Reagan — don’t want to belittle this help but it’s a fantastic PR thinggy for the Americans.
I bet the USS RR was already in the vicinity and to head for Pinas to help in time of problems (while Gloria fiddles abroad) is a fantastic US diplomatic gambit for Bush, US, and for any future US president. (But let’s not get fooled, it was not as if USS RR sailed all the way from San Diego where I reckon she was based just to help her brown brothers in Pinas…) Any nation with a carrier in the vicinity would have done the same. America being in the proximity is a welcome diversion!
Me too, I don’t want to belittle the help,but does it matter where the ship came from? it made me curious.let me find out where uss rr was during the incident.
http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=37950
“Ronald Reagan CSG Arrives in Hong Kong
Story Number: NNS080619-09
Release Date: 6/19/2008 3:39:00 PM”
http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=37985
“Carrier Strike Group 7 Departs Hong Kong After Port Visit
Story Number: NNS080623-10
Release Date: 6/23/2008 1:53:00 PM”
on June 27th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Thanks for the update on the USS RR’s sea path.
I think it matters not where the ship sailed from — her being in HK made the sailing to Manial easier and quicker — I doubt very much she wouldn’t have been diverted by Dubya to Manila had she been on the Persian Gulf (matter of fact, am pretty certain Dubya woudln’t have done it at all had she not been in the vicinity…)
Frankly, it was pretty nice of “em Americans to do it but again, they’re getting a good PR boost out of the maneuver — but that’s fine by me!
on June 28th, 2008 at 8:16 am
Hi Anna,
long time! It is me, Karl.
yeah, it is a good pr boost.
on July 2nd, 2008 at 10:36 pm
[...] -Makiramay Ka! [...]