‘Wang-wang’

From The Philippine Inquirer -

The "interim first lady" of East Timor, Jacqueline Aquino Siapno, is a Filipina political scientist married to Fernando de Araujo, president of the country’s National Parliament. She was back in the Philippines recently, for what she called a private visit. It was not the determinedly private nature of her visit that caught our attention; it was the resolutely modest way she went a-visiting. To quote our report - "After exchanging greetings [at the Manila airport] they [Jackie S. and her mother] took a cab and headed to a bus terminal in Pasay City where they boarded a bus bound for her native Dagupan. The Friday night trip took five hours. At the station, they hailed a tricycle and asked to be taken to their house..."

This isn’t merely a charming anecdote: it is an indirect indictment of the way most public officials in the Philippines conduct themselves. It reminds us of the inexhaustibly surprising quality of human nature. But it makes for a front-page story because it offers a contrast to the “wang-wang” culture of our political VIPs, both high and petty.

Ms Siapno may not know the meaning of “wang-wang”—she has lived abroad for most of her adult life, earning a Ph.D. from the UC Berkeley—but she should recognize the self-importance her old country’s politicians attach to themselves. Wang-wang is the siren that "very important people" acquire, whether they ride unescorted or as part of a convoy; the sound is a sign that the usual (traffic) rules do not apply to VIPs. They are, obviously, too important.

Alluded officials will object, after all her visit was a private affair. There is no comparison with their official travel.

Yes, but they would miss the point. Jackie S. could have used or borrowed a private vehicle. That she did not consider herself too good for an ordinary bus or a rickety tricycle tells us more about the dignity of public office than flashing lights and wailing sirens ever can.

But East Timor is a small, impoverished country. There is no comparison.

Again, they would miss the point. Substantial government resources are spent every year to provide public officials with the illusion that we are already a rich country. How many hundreds of soldiers, how many thousands of policemen, are assigned to public officials as personal security? Does a vice mayor of a second-class municipality really need a close-in bodyguard? Does a Cabinet secretary making the rounds in Metro Manila really need two beige-colored, red-plated AUVs to shadow his gas-guzzling SUV?

We are not asking public officials to use public transportation although that would amount to a moral revolution. We are only asking them to reconsider the sense of entitlement, the sense of inflated dignity they display because of their complicity in the wang-wang culture. Because in her simplicity, in her sure sense of self, Jackie S. reminds us how spoiled, self-indulgent, and corrupt many of our high-riding officials have become.

Humility in High Places

From The Philippine Star -

Last November, Filipino businessman J. Castro and his wife were traveling to Los Angeles from Manila on Philippine Airline flight PR 102 and were seated on Row 4 of the newly-reconfigured Business Class section of the Boeing 747-400 that was assigned to their route.

After they were settled in their seats and just before take-off, they decided to try out the features of the high-tech seats of the reconfigured Boeing. Alas, Castro’s seat wouldn’t recline. His wife’s seat also wouldn’t recline!

The flight attendants tried to help out, but it seemed the high-tech seats were not programmed to respond to manual manipulations. They were stuck. The plane was ready to take off and the Castros were faced with the prospect of an uncomfortable flight ahead. The Castros politely but firmly told the flight purser that they wanted to be reseated.

The purser checked out the seating list but told the couple there were no other available seats that night. The Castros then told the purser that rather than endure a 12-hour flight sitting up straight for the price of a Business Class ticket, they would rather just disembark.

The plane doors were already shut, but the Castros were adamant. When a passenger disembarks, his luggage has to be offloaded, too, and this could easily cause a delay of one hour. Stuck in an aircraft on the tarmac, the rest of the passengers were going to be more than irate.

The purser had to think fast. He then asked Mrs. Castro if she was willing to take the one empty seat on Row 1, probably one of the best two seats on the house. The seat beside it was occupied.

“No, I want to be seated beside my husband, or we both disembark,” she said, not willing to leave her husband on the immovable Row 4 seat.

The purser was left with one last choice. He then approached the passenger on Seat 1C and respectfully whispered something to him. The passenger on Seat 1C then stood up and walked to the Castros with a very apologetic look on his face.

The purser then told the Castros, "Mr. Lucio Tan will give up his seat for you." (Mr. Tan just happens to own Philippine Airlines and serves as its chairman.)

By this time the Castros had recognized the PAL chairman. They were stunned by his gesture, and by the expression on his face, which seemed to be more apologetic than annoyed. But since Mrs. Castro was not feeling well and could not really go 12 hours without reclining, they accepted the offer to exchange seats with the man who owned the airline.

Castro told me that each time he went to the toilet he would steal a glance at Tan, who was seating upright during the entire flight, sometimes with his eyes closed. Sometimes he would be scribbling on lined yellow paper. He didn’t use a laptop.

Sources in PAL say Tan gave up his seat because he didn’t want the flight to be delayed. It is said that he abhors delayed flights. Thus, instead of inconveniencing all 400 passengers on the flight, he opted to inconvenience himself.

Granted that his decision was also a sound business decision — the airline would have lost money and a lot of goodwill with the delay — what was amazing was that he himself was willing to bear the cost (and I’m not just talking about a stiff neck) of his decision.

Tan is among the five richest men in the Philippines. And the Castros remain among PAL’s many loyal customers today.

The Charles Barkley of Figure Skating

A female athlete proclaimed herself “the Charles Barkley of figure skating.” Learning about this, the basketball legend quipped, “My initial response was to sue her for defamation of character, but then I realized that I had no character.”

The King's Humility

by Sri Chinmoy

One day a sage came to a King for an interview. The sage had to wait for a long time because the King was very busy. Finally, the King said he could come in.

When the sage entered the hall, the first thing he did was to take off his hat and bow to the King. Immediately the King took off his crown and bowed to the sage. The ministers and others who were around the King asked, "What are you doing? He took off his hat because he is an ordinary man. But you are the King. Why should you have to take off your crown?"

The King said to his ministers, "You fools, do you think I wish to remain inferior to an ordinary man? He is humble and modest. His humility is a peerless virtue. He showed his respect to me. If I did not take off my crown, then I would be showing less humility than an ordinary man, an d I would be defeated by him. If I am the King, I should be better than everybody in everything. That is why I took off my crown and bowed to him."