Taking the bull by the horns

You may call me party pooper, but I dare ask whether majority of Pinoys in this part of the world still have the same hunger for things associated with the homeland.
Things have changed and with it came change in attitude. Those that were valued twenty years ago have faded, if not completely gone, from the radar screen of what Pinoys hanker for while away from home.
The community that one speaks of in the 1980s is no longer the same community that those among us at present live in. I am even in doubt if there is such a community, and whether we could be a community as a whole, as we have a fractured, if not segmented based on specific needs.
Anyone who believes or calls himself or herself a representative of the Filipino community is fooling himself or herself. Let us not delude ourselves of achieving a united community, especially when those who want to unite us want it only according to their terms; most often myopic and selfish.
Aside from the fact that almost anything, from bago-ong to lechon you could get from anywhere where there are Filipino stores, most Asian stores carry Filipino products, too, from polvoron to chicaron. Tuyo, daing, and all condiments for dinugu-an and papaitan could be had here so what is there to miss?
Aided by the glut of available technology, most Pinoys, from the initiates to the most savvy, could connect with their loved ones 24/7 via facebook, Skype, cellphones, landphones, and other apps and devices. Those who do not have TFC, like me, who sees it as superfluous and therefore a waste of money, can access Pinoy television programs via the internet for a pittance; I do.
I could see Pinoy everywhere I go. That goes without saying that I don’t need go to a Filipino-run establishment to meet a kababayan, if I really want to meet one. Pinoys are everywhere and anywhere. Ride the bus, be on a train, go Pearson International, to the Parks, beaches, on the streets — you hear them speak. What do I miss?
Could Filipino tabloids be redundant as well? I ask so because most of these publications have become obsolete in content as soon as they hit the stands, overtaken by the internet and other communication technologies, like texting.
But they thrive. And they will continue to thrive as long as these papers evolve to be creative, relevant, and offer something fresh to a now diversified readership.
But there is a dilemma. Most of these publications are operating on a shoestring budget and coming up with articles that would appeal to a wider audience would be a gargantuan challenge. A publication needs to have local writers covering topics that are fresh, appealing, informative and useful — not to mention entertaining. To achieve this, boils down to one thing: money.
Paying good writers according to industry standard in Canada requires mullah and forcing publications to cough them up is tantamount to suicide. There’s the dilemma.
A brother-in-law of mine from Vancouver has recently affiliated himself with some Canadian entrepreneurs to join activities in the vast mining resources in the Philippines. What is unique, and hopefully, a continued success of their venture is through mass-based organizing. Through the help of local NGOs, in cooperation with similar-minded government agencies, they organize small mining operators into cooperatives, eliminating the middlemen.
These small mining operators usually were prey to unscrupulous people who take advantage of their being small and weakness. Their processes were crude and unsafe which have caused tragedies from landslides, and poisoned environment.
Mining is a hot issue that has put environmentalists and economists (read business) in a tussle. Putting a balance on both is a challenge that the government has to face. Let us see how the Aquino government tackles this. As I write this, Malacanang is getting ready to lay out its stance through an issuance of an executive order, which the Catholic Bishops of the Philippines has already opposed even before its issuance.
Yes, you may agree, putting a balance on almost anything is always the defining act. Facing a dilemma is taking the bull by the horns.