The Bard from Bohol III

First | Second | Third | Last

Garcia’s administration is most remembered by its adherence to a comprehensive nationalist policy known as the Filipino First Policy, by its pursuance of an austerity program, and for its role in reviving Filipino cultural arts.

Garcia popularized economic nationalism by the adoption of the Filipino First Policy. On March 3, 1960, he affirmed the need for complete economic freedom and added that the government no longer would tolerate the dominance of foreign interests, especially American, in the national economy. He promised to shake off "the yoke of alien domination in business, trade, commerce and industry."

“Only those can remain free who are worthy of it. Freedom must be constantly deserved.”

The Filipino First Policy was intended to complete and guarantee Philippine economic independence and sovereignty. It gave priority or preference to Filipinos over foreigners in the acquisition of land and capital and in the operation of business, trade and industry. This encouraged Filipino businessmen and entrepreneurs to engage in economic activities within the country while not totally excluding foreigners as they were still allowed to participate in a 60 to 40 equity.

Garcia also signed the Bohlen Serrano Agreement which shortened the term of the lease for the US Bases in the Philippines from 99 years to 25 years renewable for periods of only five (5) years. This set the stage for the historic of rejection of the renewal of the US Bases in 1991.

The Garcia administration also embarked on an austerity program in order to curb graft and corruption in government. He asked the people to lead simple lives and to do away with luxurious lifestyle. He also stressed the values of wise spending, industry, thrift, trustworthiness, integrity, and honesty. He reminded government officials and employees that a public office is a public trust and that graft and corruption destroy the people’s trust in government.

Garcia encouraged the revival of Filipino culture. He gave out annual Republic Cultural Awards to artists, scientists, historians, and writers. He helped send the Bayanihan Dance Troupe and other folklore groups to tours around the world. He wore the Barong Tagalog during important occasions.

Comments

White sands of Candabong, Anda, Bohol

No doubt it was the highlight of our vacation in Bohol. Last December 30, we trooped from the mountains of Sudlon, Alicia, Bohol, where my wife hails, to the enchanting white sands of Candabong, Anda, a nearby town, for a cool Rizal Day splash. The beach was public. We paid absolutely nothing to get in. The sand was creamy white and not artificial, unlike those in other private resorts in the province. At the farthest end of the semi-oval stretch of white sand is a small rock/island shaped like a soldier's helmet. Along the shore were lines of boats and huts lying idly, as if time has stopped in that corner of the world. When we arrived (at around 9am) there was nobody there. We had the whole place to ourselves. When my 5-year old son saw the place, he smiled all the way up to his ears. Then he plunged and spent the whole day on the water. A few other groups arrived later, but there was still plenty of space run around. In fact, there was plenty of space to do our barbecue and some...

A pilgrimage to the Baclayon Church

Sometimes, when we are too close to something, we fail to see its beauty. This is probably the reason why there are still many Boholanos, especially those living at the coastal areas, who have yet to visit the viewing deck of the Chocolate Hills in Carmen, Bohol, or even the new one in Sagbayan, Bohol. Because we know it is just nearby, we sort of miss out on how extraordinary the thing is. It is exactly the same with the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Baclayon, Bohol, the second oldest stone Church in the Philippines. I don't think many really appreciate its place in the history of our country. Baclayon is a municipality which is 6 kilometers east of Tagbilaran City. It is Bohol's oldest municipality and the mother of 3 other municipalities, namely, Alburquerqe, Balilihan and Sikatuna. In Cebuano, "baclayon" means the distance that one needs to walk. This is probably the reason why the town was so named as it is located at the coast of Bohol sever...

Christmas in Bohol

I remember several years back, when my sisters and I were still students at the universities here in Manila, our parents decided to come here from Bohol for the Christmas season. On Christmas eve, just as we always did before, we prepared for noche buena . Then, at around 10pm, our father and mother started dressing up to attend the midnight mass. We were not exactly sure at that time if they did celebrate midnight masses on Christmas at the church a few blocks away. By then, firecrackers were already exploding on the streets one after another. Still, we could not help but really go to church that time. Imagine all the firecrackers exploding, the smoke, tires burning on the streets, and there we were, one big family trying to reach the church. When we got there we learned, the church was closed. The midnight mass on Christmas eve is just one of the things I miss about Christmas in Bohol. In Manga (a district of Tagbilaran City), where I attended many midnight masses as a child, we alwa...

Bol-anon

Search This Blog