Wednesday, August 13, 2025

An ARCHIPELAGO challenge

 

Psalm 93:3

King James Version

3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord, 

the floods have lifted up their voice; 

the floods lift up their waves.


My country, the Philippines, probably has the cutest shape.

Her shape has always reminded me of a dog sitting on its haunches.

As an archipelago, she is surrounded by bodies of water.

There's the vast Pacific Ocean to her left, the South China Sea to her west, the Philippine Sea to her east, and Celebes Sea to her south.

We also have our "submarine" trench, the famous/infamous "Philippine Deep".

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize she can be under the mercy of waters.

And this, we are, especially half of the year.

Actually, for sometime now, it's mostly the wet season.

The dry season -- summer -- has gotten shorter.


But thank GOD for only two seasons to deal with.

It's something that's easy to "master".

Except my country seem to have not mastered it yet.

Still, my country is a hardy nation, with friendly people, who have braved the rainy season, the storms, and the monsoon season.

Oftentimes, it's that monsoon season that is tougher than the stormy season.

The storms often augment the monsoon's power.


A couple of weeks ago, my high city to the north has endured two months of non-stop rain, and storms.

The people groaned, "When will this stop?"

The lowlanders groaned, too.

Our dams had to release water because of the volume of rains.

Our mountains released water through rivers, creeks, ditches, and it all flowed to the lowlands.

As you can imagine, much flooding, and destruction, occurred.

It has been so, all the years of my life.


But towns, and cities, became more populated.

Mayors, and governments, approve all that expansion.

But maybe, they had not prioritized town, and city planning.

Do they have a master plan at all?

Maybe, they built houses, rerouting drainage systems.

Or maybe over the drainage system itself.

Judging by the volume of water with no exit, those may be so.

And when they start building high-rises, and malls, there go the drainage for neighboring towns.


We all know water seeks its own level.

We all know she has a mind of her own.

Stop her one way, and she'll find another.

Close off her exit, and she'll merely rise.

If garbage is stuck in the exits, you can expect flooding.


I traveled to the south a few days ago.

I could not believe the murkiness of a large bay.

What has happened to its former beauty?

Now, there are many developments around it.

Of course, it's probably also reflecting the dark sky at 4:00 p.m.

It felt like 7:00 p.m.

And yes, it was raining as I neared my destination.

But I was spared from experiencing what locals reported were floods to the knee.


It doesn't take a genius to determine that water must have an exit.

Where else does it exit but to the sea?

If we keep it inland, you can imagine what it would do to homes, and villages.

The city is clogged with homes, buildings, and developments.

The drains are clogged with garbage.

Would officials' brains be clogged with debris, too?


Is that why they allow contractors to build randomly, and surreptitiously?

I studied architecture.

The government imposed a "building code".

I know about zoning, and such.

I especially love "plumbing", and "electrical" studies.

You may have a pretty home, but if those aren't wisely planned, you'd have problems.

"Structural" stuff I left to the civil engineers.

It's not one of my strengths.


As born again watchman, my strength is the HOLY SPIRIT.

He teaches me all I need to know now, regarding past, present, and future.

He teaches me GOD's ways, versus man's ways.

All is made clear by SPIRIT.


When you open your faucet, water empties down the drain.

It exits through drainage systems.

Imagine if it can't exit.

Your house gets flooded, too.

All that filth and sewage will back up.

Imagine a whole town, or province, experiencing floods.

You will not want to wade in deep water.

There are currents, garbage, and rat droppings.

Even snakes.


So, when I hear of government contractors being held accountable now, I think to myself, it's something that ought to have been done 60 years ago.

What should have been addressed was proper planning, drainage, and zoning, for an expanding population.

Here, alone, is a very telling fact:

"As of July 1, 2024, the Philippines had a population of 112,729,484.[11] More than 60 percent of the country's population live in the coastal zone[475] and in 2020, 54 percent lived in urban areas."

-- Wikipedia


If greed, and self-propagation, were not part of the equation, flood control would have focused on "prevention".

It's really all about foresight, not poor sight.

May government officials wake up.

Too many people have suffered already.

May law makers abide by what JESUS taught us:

John 13:34-35

King James Version

34 A new commandment I give unto you, 

That ye love one another; as I have loved you, 

that ye also love one another.

35 By this shall all men know 

that ye are my disciples, 

if ye have love one to another.


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Related video:

Palace: Contractors in anomalous flood control projects to be held accountable | ANC


Image: Clipart Library


Thursday, July 24, 2025

A FAIR deal?


 Proverbs 11:1-3

King James Version

11 A false balance is abomination to the Lord: 

but a just weight is his delight.

2 When pride cometh, then cometh shame: 

but with the lowly is wisdom.

3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them: 

but the perverseness of transgressors 

shall destroy them.


For the longest time, China was thumbing their noses at my country, the Philippines.

They thought nothing of fishing in our waters.

Neither with intimidating our coast guards, and fishermen, with their strengthened navy.

And only GOD knows how else they have infiltrated my country.

So we bore all that, but things changed since president Trump came into office.


Now, we have military exercises together.

U.S. bases can be found in strategic points all over the Philippines.

Obviously, we are hosting America, in our defense against the encroachment of China.

And most recently, president Ferdinand Marcos Jr was feted at the White House.

FULL: President Trump Oval office remarks with Philippine President


Our president held his own, speaking clearly, and elegantly.

Even as America only gave us a one percent reduction on our tariffs, now at 19%.

But president Marcos didn't scoff at the reduction.

As expected, those in opposition thought the reduction "humiliating".

Well, the Philippines does have a US4.9-B trade deficit with the United States.

The report above states it is 21.8% higher than in 2023.


There will be zero tariffs on American cars.

And you know how Trump loves cars.

He's been pretty steady about making America "great again".

Apart from the fact he is master negotiator.

Let's not forget that, even if he praises Marcos as a tough negotiator.

No way will Trump be out-negotiated.


It is the plight of the Philippines.

We will be subject to greater economies than ours.

We need a stronger economy.

But we do have a strategic location in the Pacific, and America knows that.

We also have an English-speaking, hardworking, friendly population.

Not to mention our rich, natural resources.

We certainly are an attractive nation to many.

Even as "corruption" has been spoken of, too.


America will bring in her soy, wheat, and pharma exports.

She is big on pharma, for sure.

Our generic products have come from India, thus, the sprouting of many generic drug stores.

India is also known for her fine medical doctors, and industries.

Now, America's come back big time.


This born again watchman is familiar with the medical field, and American business.

My late father used to prescribe top medicines from the U.S., Germany, France, Switzerland, and Japan.

Those were the days before generics came in.

I was also with the American Chamber at one time, and have become familiar with business meetings, which I covered for our monthly "Business Journal".

I can say that the Americans treated us fairly.

They worked at great lengths, with our local businessmen.

But we scared them off with our militants.

It may not be so now, because Trump has no use for such.

In the full interview above, he remarked how he drove ISIS out of the Philippines.


We also recall how president Marcos Jr's father was ousted from Malacanang, and the Aquino administration took over.

We have not recovered since, from various presidents.

And I always looked to how our relations with China were.

I feared our presidents were not strong in protecting our country.

Apart from old man Marcos who seemed to have friendly relations with most countries of the world.

The Philippines was able to hold her own then, even hosting many international events.

Until the left, and locals, protested at the Marcoses' excess, and corruption.


But now that the younger Marcos is in charge, and Trump is in charge, there is a proposed ammunitions hub in Subic.

Defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro says to expect between 200-300 tech experts to work there.

That will also provide jobs for locals -- hopefully.

Young Marcos calls our re-established relationship with America as a "self-reliance defense program".

We also have our "Mutual Defense Treaty".

We shall see how that all works out, but definitely, we NEED America.

China has bullied us too long.


How far we capitulate, or compromise, to America's demands and to her strength, only GOD, and the proponents know.

Shall we trust America, then?

This article SPIRIT and I wrote on 6 March 2025 may be of help:

"Love him, or hate him, GOD chose him"


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Related article:

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An ARCHIPELAGO challenge

  Psalm 93:3 King James Version 3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord,  the floods have lifted up their voice;  the floods lift up their waves...