Isang Kahig, Isang Tuka

[meng_estacio]

Isang Kahig, Isang Tuka is a widely used Filipino saying. What does this phrase mean to us Filipinos and how does it reflect our culture and shared Filipino values?

[Doc Alan]

Welcome to the forum .
I understand this means "live from hand to mouth". It would be interesting to know what filipino members think, some three years after (then) President Gloria Macapagal-Aroyo introduced the "Pagkain sa bawat mesa" ( Food for every table) programme. Has the situation improved?

[scott&ligaya]

I think this is embedded in filipino culture, I call it the ¬"just enough to get by", just look at all the vulcanising going on with tyres and the like, problem is that it is so ingrained that even when you want a proper job doing they will skimp on everything to make it cheaper even if it is dangerous. I understand where this comes from with exteme poverty meaning lots of running repairs which over the year cost more than doing it properly but if you do not have enough money at any one time to do the full repair who just make do. We have been able to help local neighbours with sevrel very small donations or interest free loans if they insist on re paying as many do to save money in the longer run.

[grahamw48]

Isang San Miguel ....salamat po !

[simpleHeart]

Isang Kahig Isang tuka taken from the chicken way of living into the life of every poor Filipino, which like the chicken, where they can scratch the soil enable for them to find a piece of food. this is what is common to Filipino where mostly the people's salary for one day is enough only for the food in that certain day!

[Doc Alan]

Pictures in today's Daily Mirror show boys scavenging for survival after their village was wiped out. More than 3000 inhabitants were left homeless when a huge fire destroyed their shanty town. Gallons of seawater were used to douse the flames, leaving a quagmire of ash, mud and debris. Yesterday's blaze in Maysilo, near Manila, is thought to have been caused by an exploding liquid gas tank. 500 homes burned to the ground. Amazingly no-one was injured. Local Mayor has called for immediate relief operations.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-sto...5875-23045276/

[purple]

For me, as a filipino.. it means being complacent. Not thinking of solution and just want to have things to get buy for the day.

I've chatted to a cousin today who wants me to help her to come to the UK for work. Then I told her that being here doesn't mean to say that it will help their lives better. Before coming over, she has to pay loads for visa fee, the flights fare and the cost of living here. Whilst, a true filipino, talented with drive and initiative, will empower ones self to progress. And then I introduced her doing a home-based job i.e. article writing to which they get paid $3-$5 per article... and I got the reply "not my talent"
My cousin finished a bachelor degree in education had downplayed the possibilities. It is something why most people is stuck. I think not only in the Philippines, I've read and seen it in other parts of the world. In short, they don't want to come out of their comfort zone. Being in the state of poverty is what they believe their destiny is written into.

I understand that the system of government in the Philippines is corrupt, but government cannot help them too. It is not the luck.. it is the hard work, drive and initiative that made some people I know from poor family that is successful.

I know a BPI branch manager back home, coming from a family of 13 whose parents are illiterate (not able to finish at least high school). He strive hard everyday, peddling bread as early as 5am before going to school and coming home to till the small farmland of their landlord. Selling whatever he can by consigning the items and at the end of the day pay what he owes and save the profit he made for the day.

What I'm trying to imply, if one has the willingness to succeed then everything can be possible.

[scott&ligaya]

I agree about the complancency and dependancy culture, my wifes eldest sister put four kids through school working in Hong Kong and her husband just sits playing cards and drinking gin with his buddies whilst there wives work away. Now she cannot yet retire as 2 of her kids are now married and have little ones and THEIR husbands sit in the barrio waiting for the hand outs from Hong Kong. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr gets my goat

[grahamw48]

I agree there are a lot f little Filipina heroines slaving away in different parts of the world to help support their families back home, and I salute them all.

I would add that there are also a lot of hard-working and honourable Filipino men , for instance staffing most of the world's merchant fleet, as well as good men like my brother-in-law who works incredibly hard on his farm to support his family.

[Doc Alan]

I guess the disturbing pictures in UK newspapers of scavenging for survival after the fire in the Maysila village show, far from complacency, the desperate attempts to survive against all the odds. They graphically illustrate to me "isang kahig isang tuka", timed with sad irony to coincide with this thread.
It's always been ingrained in me not to sit in judgement on people, especially not knowing the background of these particular victims of disaster. But these photos horrified me. If only more members could read and respond to worthwhile threads such as this. Well done meng_istacio for raising this topic in your very first post, and to the members who have so far responded

[keithAngel]

The sheer amount of effort required to get "ahead" seems to me to be engrained institutionaly her my mother-in-law had her bag snatched and to get back her paperwork ID cost two full days in the city various notarised letters to Manila and about 3,500 piso an enormous amount of money to these folk.

As for OFW if they they have to go through the same sort of bullshit as the missus for a simple general health certificate my hat is definatly off to them

None of these things couldnt be achieved from home and a quick visit to your GP in the UK and the charges should reflect minimum wages here

This is my current experience

"
You have to laugh

Well the Portuguess require "authenticated" health certificate and NBI clearance by the DFA perhaps they think a health certificate might not be authentic ok so We (my honey)rings the DFA in Cebu and gets told only in Manila (a tadge more long winded than that) hmmm I ring Manila DFA and get told yes you have to send the documents for verification by DHL they have forms and charges ok

But the Health certificate needs authenticating by the Department of Health in order for us to authenticate it ...........right

The Department of Health Cebu website has the following numbers listed

RD : (032) 253-6355
ARD : (032) 418-7130
LHAD : (032) 254-0108
BFAD : (032) 418-7634
Licensing : (032) 418-7630
Admin : (032) 253-6359
HMS : (032) 253-3419

So Jhean has written them all down as theres no way of knowing which one to ring and will call them one at a time

I also had to write down the question

I need a DFA authenticated health certificate for a visa application the DFA needs your authentication befor they will authenticate and I live in Balamban what do I need to do?

Im of course now waiting to be told we will need an authorisation from the local dog catcher its almost at a hysterical level and i did say to jhean that in the years ahead we will laugh about this all if we survive

Next stage (this is live and direct)

Department of Heath use The Vincente Sotto as its affiliated so Having looked the number up on line DoH didnt have it she is off again to ask for an appointment and how much unfortunatly they seem to be "out" perhaps its a holiday

By srewed web seach we have guessed there are 9 possible numbers so i written them down and hope to talk to a duty janitor some time soon

Just love it


Well guess what talked to out patients its a walk in no appoinments given get there at 7am Sir we open at 8am a lot of people Sir the women agreed thats its crazy to have to mix sick people with routine exams but thats what the Department of Health wants go figuer oh and should be finished by noon and no idea what it costs fantastic


Well its worn thin to the point were I could find it a reasonable proposition to nuke the Phils and all who sail in her befor such mindles bullshit is allowed to spread well I might be prepared to limit the destruction to the Vincente Sotto Mindless C$&ts Hospital the Ministary of Health a couple of Labs oh and The DFA and LBC and perhaps soon no dougbt DHL im sure they will present something deserving

We went in to Cebu on Tuesday to get Jhean and Mickeys Health Certificates (you may remember should be in at 7am all done by 12 noon) Well Jhean purposefully arose early and joined the queue of sick folk Mickey our 4 year old was done and dusted by 10.30 I guess they just looked at her with a telescope and then the fun began.

Now remember this is a general health cert the sort of thing you could get in the UK by having your blood pressure taken and a quick question and answer session but fair enough its the third world and for sure chest xray for TB and blood tests for Hep and perhaps HIV although the latter is not a requirement for a Spouse visa

The Brits only sort of require the TB test so imagine my suprise when Jhean told me she was being drug tested without any choice and being tested for around 20 other things what ever and that the results wouldnt be in till 4pm the day following to late to return to Sotto for the Health Cert and then authentication by the D.o.H and DHL to get them to Manila so although we had stayed an extra night it was looking like a third.

So decided to return home and Let Jhean return on Monday just to collect the results back for the cert etc and back in one day, good plan except we discovered Monday is a holiday,Back therefor to cebu this morning at 6.30 and get it done

Well she arrived at 8.30 and having waited 3 hours Sotto declared an early lunch Jheans text to me was the strongest ive ever read from her

They finaly see her at 3pm to inform her she still has the optical test and the two hour phsycological test 500 piso if she had done it today she would probably be in the homacidal catagory but of course they just say come back tuesday so we are after 3 full days in the City still at least 1 full day away from sending the docs to Manila

And there is no relationship between what they are insisting on to release a certificate and any actual client led requirement and I hope they all rot in hell forever or at least an unending queue for water in an unbeleivably warm environment

Still on the positive side my Wife will be able to begin astronaught training without delay having covered all the bases after she regenerates the blood loss.

I truely feel sorrow for OFW,s who are put through these time consuming and costly pratices and wish them all the best when they decide enough is enough and decide to get rid all the useless tossers in there little Kingdoms of control and power to whome it would never occur to ask what was needed or the cost to ordinary people in onerous conditions"

[grahamw48]

I guess the disturbing pictures in UK newspapers of scavenging for survival after the fire in the Maysila village show, far from complacency, the desperate attempts to survive against all the odds. They graphically illustrate to me "isang kahig isang tuka", timed with sad irony to coincide with this thread.
It's always been ingrained in me not to sit in judgement on people, especially not knowing the background of these particular victims of disaster. But these photos horrified me. If only more members could read and respond to worthwhile threads such as this. Well done meng_istacio for raising this topic in your very first post, and to the members who have so far responded

Just because some members haven't responded doesn't mean they don't care.

I don't think it's compulsory to respond, or what posts members read is on record.

Perhaps you ARE sitting in judgement on THEM.

[scott&ligaya]

apologies to all MALE OFW. Of course my comments on the male flipino should be confined to the stay at home on the farm individuals I have unfortunately observed too many of.

[Doc Alan]

Just because some members haven't responded doesn't mean they don't care.

I don't think it's compulsory to respond, or what posts members read is on record.

Perhaps you ARE sitting in judgement on THEM.

Of course it's not compulsory to respond ! I don't expect any or all members to either agree with me or respect me. That's entirely up to them. No one is universally popular. They are free to criticise my posts and interpret them as they wish. I will not rise to the bait or lower myself to criticise them. Many know I have given them "reps" as often as the system allows.
I will continue to support this excellent forum and the many good members on it. Enough do trust me ! Those who don't appreciate my posts can put me on "ignore" - not something I will ever do for them.

[grahamw48]

Fine.

I just found your post somewhat confusing.

[keithAngel]

No one is universally popular..

Now I cant agree with you there Doc...