Migrant work is a "value", not a cost!

Reference to ABS-CBNnews.com report:

"Hong Kong's foreign maids lose battle against residency"

Alas, our friends lost in Hong Kong. Sadly, it's not only a setback for the legality of migrants' living and working conditions; it's also a setback for the struggle to change social mindsets and perceptions that migrant workers are not to be regarded as mere "costs" to host country governments but rather as "values" to the development of their economies and the evolution of their societies.

We shall overcome.

The Bottoms-Up-Budgeting (BUB) "Method" and the Poor Political-Economic "Structure"

Reference to Inquirer News:

"Aquino shifts P20B to war on poverty"

This Bottoms-Up-Budgeting (BUB) by the Aquino III administration is an interesting and welcome initiative in attempts to democratize development and nation-building. I believe that the idea is very much akin to "participatory budgeting" which originated in Brasil. We can only wish this project well. Let's see how this new "method" fares when implemented in poor local government units (LGUs) with deep-seated impoverished political-economic structure. In particular, how will this BUB "method" contend with the entrenched "structures" of political clientelism and economically depressed markets at these poor LGUs?

Resolving poverty — i.e., the art and science of development — has never been easy. The "political" problem of patronage may be addressed through political will of the reformers at the top alongside active citizenship from below. But the "economic" aspect of poverty would have to deal with the classic underdevelopment problem of capital formation. How does the PNoy administration plan to create capitalist markets in these localities when there won't be capitalists who would risk to invest in business in municipalities with no purchasing power of the workers? A case in point: many OFWs initiated small businesses in their municipalities only to realize sooner that there is no market — specifically, the circulation of production and consumption — there. 

How will this BUB method ensure the realization of a key development strategy (which proponents of MDGs have been so late to recognize): the creation of jobs, employment, or livelihood???

Further, the BUB method has to be linked with a broader or an overarching development vision and strategy ("Daang matuwid"? But what does this really mean?). This also demands a responsible citizenry who should be vigilant all the time and who must be conscientious to vote for politicians who will take good care of their budget allotment and taxes.

Pope Francis and His Discourse on the Church of/for the Poor

Reference to GMA News Online's report:

"Pope urges religions, those with no church to ally for justice"

Pope Francis' discourse these days sounds seemingly progressive. But so far I find his speeches replete with doublespeak so long as he continues to disembed the critique of poverty and injustice from the principles of 'liberation theology'.

How can we address the plight of the poor and the curse of inequality and injustice if we do not relate these problems as closely bounded with the reality of the material existence of human beings and the materiality of human relations and the ecology? Poverty, inequality, and injustice of today are not simply states of the mind or issues of the spirit. 

In a word, if poverty and being poor are not viewed in 'relational' — that is, in 'material' — terms, the Pope misses out the essentials of injustice and inequality. As long as the materiality of human existence, human conditions, and human relations in today's world is not taken seriously, Pope Francis' rhetoric will continue to be used as a spiritual justification for the maintenance of the status quo that is ruled by the rich, the elites, and the powerful. In this sense, Vatican's catholicism remains the church of and for the rich and powerful that manipulates the poor for purposes of its legitimacy, power imperatives, and perpetuation.

Pope Francis may need to get out of the shadows of the theological doctrines of ex Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

* * *

Postscripts. 

• From media reports, it is clear that Pope Francis is critical of liberation theology. After all, Vatican realpolitik suggests that if he were a liberation theologists, he would not be elected Pope. In the first place, the anti-liberation theology of the late John Paul II is indicative that he would not have even been appointed Cardinal.

• Here's a geopolitical question: Is there a parallelism between John Paul II from Eastern Europe elected Pope during the Cold War and Pope Francis elected at this historic left-turn in Latin America? If this is the case, with the rise of China and the geopolitical interest in containing China, is Cardinal Chito Tagle from Asia being groomed as the next Pope? Just asking and pondering on this....

On UP's Tuition Policy, Corporatization, and Social Rights

Paalam "Lorena" / "Kristel".... It is really sad that UP is being blamed for the suicide of a young, promising student. I am just lucky and thankful that when I was studying in UP Diliman for both my undergraduate and graduate degrees, I had a Barangay Scholarship which gave me a privilege to only pay 600 pesos per semester — a negligible cost indeed. This effectively lessened the burden of undergoing a very demanding UP education.

Personally and in principle, I believe in free state education — from basic to the university level. This should include the social provision of universal healthcare, social security, and life's other basic necessities. 

But since it is election season in the Philippines, may I remind the voters that if a candidate promises all these free services, do not believe them if they won't explain to you how they are going to create wealth to finance all these costly social services. We have to create a wealthy nation — at least a middle-income country — first in order to afford free and socialized provision for education, health care, and social security. I have always argued that the question of the mode of production for our political economy is a prerequisite for the goal of redistributive justice.

Economic development, political democracy, and social justice now!

* * *

Comment on Alex Magno's column in the Philippine Star:

"Kristel"

I remember our class discussion before with Alex Magno re utilization of UP's land grants. Anyway, though I believe in the ideal of free state education, I argue that even from the point of view of finance, UP managers must realize that UP education itself is a considerable guarantee of the future capability of the student to pay off her/his study loan. Indeed, being generous to a UP student is a very sound investment decision!

Similarly, the UP administration's resort to "forced leave of absence" (forced LOA) for students who do not pay their tuition on time effectively cuts off the expected cash-flow of the borrower to pay off his/her debt in the immediate future.

Unfortunately, the attempt to "corporatize" the management of a state university does not fully grasp the capitalist logic of investing in future productive human capital — i.e., a (UP) student. I am not that comfortable in using this business language for the sphere of state education but I would just like to point out that even from their own capitalistic mindset they do not understand well the imperatives of investments and finance.

Malaysia's Political Opposition and the Sabah Crisis

I hurriedly wrote these lines last night to my political analyst friend based in Malaysia re my frustrations with the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat (PR), in dealing with the Sabah crisis:

" I'm just so frustrated with the PR! The opposition has simply followed the 'nationalist' and 'jingoist' discourse and policy of Najib's UMNO/BN with regard to the Sabah crisis! 

No condemnation on the opposition's part, or at least call for human rights, particularly the protection of the IDPs, refugees, and other civilians. 

• People's Justice (Anwar's PKR)??? Justice for the peoples in Sabah - the Sabahans, IPs, and other diasporas and migrants!  

• Democratic Action (Lim Kit Siang's DAP)??? Condemn inhumanity and injustice in the Israeli-style airstrikes, US-style terrorist tagging, ISA-style policing, and the authoritarian-style news blackout!  

• Pan-Islamic (Abdul Hadi Awang's PAS)??? Islam means peace; but the government security forces are attacking and killing fellow Muslims! "

My friend's reply: 

" The Sabah situation is terrible in and of itself, but as in most wars it has brought the worst out of the political class including, as you say, the majority of Pakatan leaders. "

Wanted: A Progressive Pope of Liberation Theology

Reference to Rappler's article:

"Tagle's words that struck the world"

I have high respects to then Pope Benedict XVI (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger) not only because he was the 'Holy Father' but because of his intellect — in fact, he was the mind and philosopher before by the charismatic late John Paul II. His classic Jesus of Nazareth showcases both his elegance and sophisticaiton as a thinker — that is, simple in his Christ-centric perspective and his argument for "canonical exegesis" (time-place context and the unity of the Scripture) but methodologically rigorous in his analysis using what he calls the "historical-critical method". I could say he's on the same league as other top philosophers from Germany. 

I also highly respect Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, a papabile, with all these "progressive" statements from his speeches. I wish that the Catholic Church promoted in their preachings and actions the sensibility of "liberation theology" with a sense of social justice and humanity and a true bastion of the poor, the victims, and the marginalized. Cardinal Ratzinger is a strong critic of modern-day capitalism, particularly agreeing with Marx on the idea of "alienation" in the logic of commodification, profit-maximization, and accumulation in capitalism. In my lectures before, I used to juxtapose Max Weber's "Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism" with Pope Benedict XVI's "critique of capitalism". See slides 13-14 of my lecture here. However, as a Christ-centric philosopher of the church, Ratzinger also criticizes "liberation theology" because of the belief, among others, that the concerns of the spirit must take precedence over issues of materialism and that Christ came to earth not as a social liberator but as Christ, the Son of God himself.

I hope the next pope will be progressive and truly the best at this time here in our seemingly god-forsaken world! While some would want the Catholic Church abolished, it would not happen in the near future. Recall Marx in the context of the movement out of medievalism towards modernity in 19th century Germany:

" Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people. "

I think that one of the key attractions of human beings to religion is that religion — as compared with science and the like — has a theory of why and how to live. 

I believe that it's our task to reform our individual selves at the same time we push our institutions, structures, and leaders to reform. The church, just like many other social institutions, is an arena of and for struggles. It is very much 'political' (meaning, struggle over power and resources) internally and in relation with the larger society and the world. Our sense of life's meaning and purpose is too important to be left to the church, let alone the pope!

Hugo Chavez, Adiós y Gracias Comandante

Hugo Chavez came and once shook international and geopolitical relations. Today, we bid farewell to Comandante Hugo Chavez....

Thanks for his contributions and some important ideals but we also ought to learn from his mistakes.

Here's one good documentary of Oliver Stone on Hugo Chavez and the ongoing left-turn in Latin America, "South of the Border":

On the Sabah Conflict: Preliminary Thoughts

Reference to Aljazeera report:

"Malaysia bombs armed Filipino group in Sabah"

Southeast Asia is confronted with an ongoing conflict in Sabah or the north Borneo. This involves the revival of interest in the long dormant territorial disputes between a sultanate (Sulu) and two nation-states (Malaysia and the Philippines). Mainstream media are silent about it. But it has become a convoluted issue demanding interdisciplinary research and delicate policy decisions for the resolution of the conflict. So far, I find it difficult to make a coherent analysis and, importantly, propose a plausible solution to this conflict. In the meantime, I have here a few initial thoughts and questions addressed to concerned entities.

To the Sultanate of Sulu: Is your claim of Sabah for your family or for the Philippines? I, politically, have particular issues on your assertions of "proprietary" claims. 

Sabah has evolved into a cosmopolitan society with Sabahans composed of different peoples where aboriginals have lived together with other ethno-religious groups, citizens, and diasporas. How is the ideal of "the right to self-determination" understood within your sultanate? How do you see the sultanate, which predates the Westphalian system, within contemporary formation of the global community of nation-states?   

To the Philippine government: PNoy's foreign policy is truly bananas — on the US, China, ASEAN, and now on this Sabah issue! Why let Malaysia — particularly, Najib's ruthless and selfish 55-year old UMNO/BN established network of elites — have the leverage over the Philippines? Various academic researches and news analyses have been done pointing to the highly dubious and questionable decency and character of Malaysia's deeply entrenched elites. Thus, can the Malaysian government under Najib and UMNO/BN be seriously regarded as "honest brokers" especially on the ongoing GPH-MILF peace process — and given the public knowledge of Malaysia's role in the history of armed and secessionist rebellion in Muslim Mindanao?

Does PNoy personally believe that Sabah is part of the Philippine territory? If so, as a statesman, he should have convinced the Sultanate's supporters to come home peacefully with a sincere offer that the government shall pursue this claim on behalf of the Sultanate and the Philippine state at an international tribunal. If not, does being a family of "land grabbers" make him insensitive to peoples' rightful land claims — thus, calling a group's legitimate historical aspiration a "hopeless cause"?

To the Malaysian government: Najib's UMNO's real stance and political-economic interest in the GPH-MILF peace process and their overall engagement with the Philippine government is being revealed with the way they deal with the Sabah standoff. 

Why undertake the Israeli-style air strikes to murder fellow Muslims with rightful territorial claims and against a population with no defense capabilities of a modern nation-state? Unfortunately, even opposition politicians are being taken for a ride with all these "nationalist" prodding peddled by Najib's UMNO/BN allies. Lest we forget, Sabah has always served a reliable and manipulable constituency for UMNO/BN's electoral needs, in addition to its purpose as an important economic resource for elites' rent-seeking activities and for the economy as a whole.

I guess my call for now is for sobriety, for a dialogue, for peace. Stop the dangerous drift to negative nationalism and all forms of fundamentalisms! 

We are currently addressing the conflict the wrong way. We should learn from our Southeast Asia's history of conflicts that the "military solution" — as well as media/PR spin strategies — to territorial, ethnic, and identity conflicts is absolutely not the way to live a good life in a shared region! 

We are Southeast Asians! We are human beings!

EU Disintegration and Uneven Development

Comment on a Politiken News in English:

"EU: DK must pay grants to EU students"

Well, Denmark, that's the consequence of integrating into the EU! Now, at this time of crises, does EU integration still make sense when things seem to be disintegrating? 

Integration of countries in a region with uneven development (asymmetric integration) poses tremendous difficulties and burden for both developed and developing member countries. People would most likely go where capital (money/wealth) is — i.e., to the richer countries of North and West Europe. At the same time, this phenomenon is inimical to long-term prospects of economic development of East and Baltic Europe as homegrown manufacturing industries are not set-up and their skilled and talented workforce migrate to greener pastures.

But here's a biased comment from someone in the academe in Denmark: The good thing is that there's (increasing) demand for the teaching profession in Denmark as more students come and enroll in universities and other educational institutions!