Snippets of Philippine History

Those Sneaky Japanese

Before the Japanese invaded the Philippines, they did their spadework. Imperial Japan had the very sneaky tactic of sending immigrants into our young country, and having them work as different types of shop owners. They were very friendly, constantly asking questions like, "how's business?" and "how old is your son now?" and "aren't you related to...?" and "any news from your father who's in the armed forces?"

When they finally invaded, many of these unassuming spies were contacted. They provided lists and some even oversaw the rounding up of scions from the prominent families, family members with ties to the military, and people with important jobs and useful intelligence.

Interestingly enough, this little bit came from an American who lived in the Philippines at the time and experienced this first-hand.

Benjo-Boy

My grandfather's nickname was "Benjo" which is Japanese for bathroom. He knew its meaning, being quite well versed in Japanese (he had a gift for language), and wore it with pride. During the war, he had been assigned as the "benjo boy", the one assigned to clean up the bathroom. Apparently, the Japanese felt sorry for him and so gave him greater latitude than the other prisoners in that Fort.

Naturally, he used this surprising relaxation of rules to send messages back and forth between the imprisoned soldiers to their families (and perhaps other interested parties), endearing him to many of them.

From my father and ninong's recollections of my lolo's history.

Travel Tips

While the thoughts are still fresh in my mind, I decided to list some tips - favorite travel hacks that have made some trips abroad easier. Some may be genuinely useful, while others may merely provide mental comfort; YMMV*.

In no particular order:

1. Keep photocopies of your passport and flight details some place easily accessible, like your wallet or your carry-on luggage. Not only can it prove life-saving should you lose your passport, it also allows you to limit the exposure of your passport (such as when filling out those embarkation, disembarkation cards);
2. Fill out embarkation / disembarkation cards as soon as you get them on the plane. The less rushed you are, the less likely you'll make a mistake;
3. Wear a jacket with inside pockets or big outside pockets. Not only can this keep you warm, it gives you an easily accessible place to store and retrieve your passport, ticket, and boarding pass in between the fifteen or so times that you're asked to show them before boarding the plan. It also allows you to keep your precious documents very close to you when you sleep on those long plane flights.
4. Keep some emergency cash - as of the time of this writing, the terminal fee at the International Airport here in Manila is P750. It may suddenly increase for no apparent reason.
5. Make sure your cell is fully charged and that your service provider has activated your international roaming capabilities. It's always nice to know you can make those emergency calls when you land.
6. Wear shoes and belts that are easily removable and rewearable. You'll be asked to shove them through the security scanners more than once.
7. Keep a sharp eye and mind when keeping track of the following: airline and flight number, flight departure time, flight boarding time, flight departure gate.
8. Be generous to those in need of advice; be wary of those in need of aid. Advice seldom costs you anything, but giving aid (monetary, time, luggage space, etc.) requires careful consideration in these difficult times.
9. Pack spare plastic bags - they're useful for reducing the effect of unwanted spills and leaks, storing smelly substances (like dirty laundry), and grouping gifts.
10. Bring only one check in luggage, but pack an expandable bag just in case. Too many pasalubongs may exceed the per-luggage weight limit.
11. Spare change of clothes in your carry-on luggage - extra weight, but worth it when needed.
12. Mark all your luggage and gear with your name, address in the place you're visiting, and your full cellphone number (use the +63.9xx.xxx.xxxx format).
    

* YMMV: Your Mileage May Vary

Come to the Philippines! Especially Journalists!

I was researching the internet and came across this:

THE International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) recently declared that 2006 was a “year of tragedy for the world’s media” as the number of journalists and media staff killed “reached historic levels with at least 155 murders, assassinations, and unexplained deaths.”

According to IFJ General Secretary Aidan White: “2006 was the worst year on record — a year of targeting, brutality, and continued impunity in the killing of journalists.”

In the Philippines alone, IFJ said 13 journalists died last year, bringing to 49 the number of media practitioners murdered since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo came to power in 2001. This number, IFJ reported, surpasses the numbers killed during the Marcos regime.

And I was shocked. But not surprised. There are too many secrets that folks are trying to keep a lid on here in the Philippines. And despite all the wondrous people who live here, and all the great people who come from here, when it comes down to politics and money and secrets - life is cheap here in the Philippines.