This was posted on Multiply Nov. 6, 2008, 6:10 PMThis is just a wish list, so bear with it. Don’t get me wrong here, I am 100% Filipino, an d am proud of it (kinda).

1. Jeepneys. Although popular here in the Philippines, I don’t like them. I do think that they are gas guzzlers. Why not scrap all jeepneys and switch to buses instead, and develop a two-decker bus? That might be fuel-efficient, considering the ratio of the number of passengers it can transport per gallon of gasoline.

2. Rice dependency. Though rice is the staple Filipino food, I still find it ridiculous when people say, especially during the rice crisis where the price of a kilo of rice went up as much as P40 and cheap rice has to be rationed by the NFA (National Food Authority, FYI), “Di bale nang walang ulam, basta may kanin.” In the first place, rice alone is not good, for it does not contain nutrients found in other foodstuffs, considering also the fact that its initial Thiamine content is reduced dramatically during its polishing and cooking. And, come on, there are other foodstuffs worth to eat than rice, such as pastries and side dishes themselves. Its just common sense: if a product is expensive, find an alternative. The same applies for rice. (Do not give me the argument that there’s no substitute for rice - ask Sec. Duque and I’m sure he can give a lot.)

3. One-time-millionaire Mentality. This is the most despicable trait I oftentimes observe among Filipinos. It is what as it says: intensive money spending when money comes. This is very evident when employees get their salaries and wages, and when scholars get their stipends. I do not say that we should not spend it, but I do say that it must be spent wisely. Why the need to show your riches to the public in the first place? Then we complain of lean days when we got no money to spend. Why not save the money, or better yet, invest it? IMO, this attitude is just floccinaucinihilipilification.

4. Windows (OS). Just kidding. But seriously, yes. Read this UP Diliman article for more information.5. Cellular Phones. Though popular in the Philippines, this gadget does bring in harmful effects, such as lowered English mastery (they say that texting promotes misspelled words) and intensive money spending for loads. But maybe the reason that I am including this on my list is that it is time to upgrade. Other countries have iPhones and BlackBerries, why then are we stuck with the cellphone? Oh yeah, because we are not rich enough to afford them. (I am including this in my list anyway.)

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