Bulatlat.com's Photo of the Week

While surfing the various discussion groups at Blogcatalog one day, I chanced upon one invitation which was inviting blogger members to blog about international political figures. I was quite surprised that she mentioned "Gloria" the Philippine president among the figures she wants bloggers to blog about. This made me wonder if truly "Gloria" is that internationally famous. (I wonder if they really knew who Gloria really is or whether they have a real grasp of the Philippine politics?).
Anyway, after coming across a "Photo of the Week" feature on a Filipino website (bulatlat.com), I remembered the blogcatalog blogger and her discussion topic. I tried looking for her discussion group again hoping to be able to share with her the Bulatlat.com link. But with thousands of discussion pages at the site, I soon tired out after browsing 50 pages. So, much as I don't want to put any political color to my blog, I just went on and decided to make this post hoping she'd stumble on my site one of these days so she can get a glimpse of "Gloria" from the standpoint of people "not so close to her".
This photo of the week was posted by the site(www.bulatlat.com) in reaction to "Gloria's" latest State of the Nation Address and her government's on-going tri-media ad campaign dubbed as "Ramdam ang Kaunlaran" (Feeling the Progress). The photo shows shanties amidst the background of tall buildings - a perrenial scene of spreading poverty throughout the country. The photo itself is a political statement by the photographer and counters Gloria's misinformation drive designed to hoodwink her countrymen and the international community into believing that the country is indeed progressing.

CLIPS FROM http://www.bulatlat.com/

PHOTO OF THE WEEK
BY RAYMUND VILLANUEVA
Contributed to Bulatlat
Volume VIII, Number 30, August 31 – September 6, 2008

There's this grating commercial on Philippine networks showing select "success" stories
under the current political dispensation. The commercial declare in the end,
"Ramdam ko ang kaunlaran!" which translates, "I feel the progress."
Yeah, right!
(Caption provided by Photographer)

TOP STORY

• Debt Payments 48% of Proposed 2009 Budget; Allotment for Services Measly

  

  While Mrs. Arroyo claims profits from VAT would be used to fight poverty,
  
• the P1.415T 2009 proposed budget shows the government’s true priorities.

Here are some figures concerning the peoples' rating of gloria from the Ibon Foundation, a non-profit, non-government entity dedicated to providing real economic data and other information about the country:

More relevant facts from Ibon Foundation:

Consumer Price Index (2000 = 100)

July 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Philippines 121.8 130.5 138.8 142.4 159.8

NCR 121.9 132.8 142.2 146.0 158.6

Areas outside NCR

Agricultural 121.8 129.5 137.3 140.8r 160.4

Non-Agricultural 121.8 129.5 137.3 140.8r 160.4

Source: National Statistics Office

Purchasing Power of the Peso (in Peso: 2000 = 100)
July 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Philippines 0.82 0.77 0.72 0.70 0.64

NCR 0.82 0.75 0.70 0.68 0.62

Areas outside NCR
Agricultural 0.82 0.77 0.73 0.71 0.62

Non-Agricultural 0.82 0.77 0.73 0.71 0.62

Source: National Statistics Office
Inflation Rate (in %)
July 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Philippines 6.6% 7.1% 6.4%2. 6% 12.2%

NCR 6.4% 8.9% 7.1%2. 7% 8.6%

Areas outside NCR
Agricultural 6.7% 6.3% 6.0% 2.5% r 13.9%

Non-Agricultural 6.7% 6.3% 6.0% 2.5% r 13.9%r-revised

Source: National Statistics Office

Want to know how"Gloria"is viewed by a growing number of her own countrymen? Look at these pictures!