Do you think the Philippines is becoming an oligarchic nation?

559 Words2 Pages

Philippines is a democratic country and that each Filipino has equal rights to participate and elect leaders that we think will drastically bring positive changes in our nation. It has gradually come to my attention that the practice of democracy in our country has brought not just a few but a lot of prevalent national issues particularly on how our government should work and the people whom we place in the position are by some means becoming ambivalent. But there is one question that bothers me more than just answering if our country is really becoming an oligarchy, and that is, “If the Philippines will ever become an oligarchic nation, will it bring a positive change or will it just continue to drag our system down thus resulting to our country facing worst case scenarios?”
A prevailing phenomenon in our country especially during elections which spurs animosities in the minds of the Filipino citizens and even debates among scholars is the practice of “Political dynasty.” In a journal written by Alfred W. McCoy entitled “An Anarchy of Families”: The Historiography of State and Family in the Philippines, he underlined four principal aspects on why the Philippines is steadily shifting into a national oligarchy, and these involve rival elites families, a weak central state, a hybrid capitalism, and a protracted experience of elections.
Cojuangcos, Lopezes, Aquinos, Marcos, and Osmeñas are among the top of the many families that are almost elected in every high position there is in the government. Aquinos and Marcoses are rival families and they certainly make sure that they level whatever accomplishment one family has or to a greater extent, obtain much higher position than the other. This rivalry is continual and that there are ev...

... middle of paper ...

... University of Wisconsin-Madison and Ateneo De Manila University Press, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. http://books.google.com.ph/books?id=fawaNZu-yqUC&pg=PA1&lpg=PA1&dq=An+Anarchy+of+Families%E2%80%9D:+The+Historiography+of+State+and+Family+in+the+Philippines&source=bl&ots=DnC0CkUcx5&sig=Vz-TEjRHC9PZ94xVyM_LoUzZar8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NHAQU_SJNZL9oASq1YCwCg&ved=0CEAQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=An%20Anarchy%20of%20Families%E2%80%9D%3A%20The%20Historiography%20of%20State%20and%20Family%20in%20the%20Philippines&f=false.

"Philippine Oligarchy." YouTube. YouTube, 07 Oct. 2011. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. .

Vicente, Warlito. "Are the Aquinos, Roxases and Lopezes the Philippines’ Enemies from Within?" AntiPinoy World Edition. N.p., 7 May 2010. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. .

More about Do you think the Philippines is becoming an oligarchic nation?

Open Document