It’s no secret that one of the things I dislike a lot about living in the Philippines is the near universal manta of "If Only" that permeates daily life.  I think part of the problem may be that newspaper editors and television network executives are inveterate consumers of the American press.  It’s no secret that shows like American Idol are hugely popular here … especially if there’s a Filipina contestant.  What comes along with the "wanna be American" mind set is, sadly, the continual bad press and almost constant misinformation and half truths that constitutes the US media coverage of the Philippines.  Since most media people in the US were taught history and geography (assuming they even had any courses in those subjects) by football coaches or driving instructors, when the Philippines gets mentioned, it’s almost certainly in a negative tone.  Filipinos listen to this claptrap, 24-7, and next thing you know, whenever they think of their own country, visions of weakness, poverty and "can’t do" are the first things that come to mind.  In the immortal words of Cher in one of her roles that I really liked, "Get out of it"!

Recently I have had some discussions both here and on other blogs about one segment of the online business, running an Internet cafe.  One of the ‘If only’s", or "But we can’t's" I have heard over and over is the cost of software, and the cost of new, high-spec computers to run that software.  After all, if you total up the figures for 20 new "Dual Core Pentium" machines and 20 copies of Windows Vista, you are going to need a hefty limit on your credit card.

"If only" these guys and gals trapped in the mire of negative thinking and the "scarcity theory" would open their eyes to just what’s going on, right here in the Philippines, by Filipinos, for Filipinos, they might be able to have a much more enjoyable and certainly successful life.

Take a look at the excerpts or (recommended) read the whole article.

Software programmers at the Advanced Science and Technology Institute of the Department of Science and Technology are now putting the finishing touches to the latest version of Bayanihan Linux…. tailored for use in schools by teachers and students. In addition,…ASTI first launched Bayanihan Linux in October 2001 for use primarily in government offices. It formed part of a package of measures by the Philippine government to curb rampant software piracy in the country. … As its name implies, Bayanihan Linux is a suite of programs running on the Linux operating system. Included in the bundle is Open Office, a package of word processor, spreadsheet, database, and presentation tools. Open Office is similar to commercial packages widely available in the market and many times sold as pirated copies. … because it is Open Source, Bayanihan Linux can be freely copied and modified by anyone. … Bayanihan Linux can be freely downloaded online at http://www. bayanihan.gov.ph, at the same time, a CD version can be purchased from ASTI for P 120. … Later versions of Bayanihan Linux, including Version 4 released last February 2007 have bundled into them WINE, an Open Source program enabling easy interface with Windows applications. … Bayanihan Linux Version 4 can run even on obsolete Pentium 3 PCs. According to Balinte, the same will be the case for Version 5.

If this all sounds too good to be true, it isn’t.  I have to admit I have been very lazy about getting myself into Linux, but this is going to furnish the impetus I need.  I have several older computers sitting around Blog central" here gathering dust … and there are kids who could use them literally everywhere  What about you, want to make a difference?  Or would you rather retreat into the world of "if Only"?

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