The Crisis in Zamboanga, and how Big Data could have helped save lives...

Watching the news these days is increasingly depressing.  Sometimes, I just want to turn the TV off and forget about reality.  But it seems reality always finds a way to wake you up.  So now I find myself writing this blog entry in the hope that my thoughts can somehow form something constructive to ease my frustration with current events.  I'm talking about what's happenning in Zamboanga (for those of you who rarely read the news).  The news is very sobering for me, we already have enough problems with territorial disputes.  Now this?



To my mind, the crisis in Zamboanga is a result of critical information not getting to the right people in a timely manner.  There have been statements from military and government sources (who prefer to remain anonymous) alleging that this was not a failure of getting intelligence, but of the government underestimating the importance of the information gathered.  This looks like the start of a never-ending finger-pointing circus to me.  But nevertheless, I still believe all of this could have been averted somehow.



If we are to accept that intelligence data was gathered beforehand, then why was it "underestimated"? Could this mean that there was a seeming lack of supporting data to give emphasis to the gravity of the situation at hand?  Was cricitical information relayed too late?  Or was this a lack of putting bits and pieces together from various and disparate intelligence sources?  Does the government and military have the resources to sift through all the information they are receiving and make sense of it all?  Do they even have the means to share vital information with each other in real-time so they can collaborate and act on it quickly and decisively?



We have the Government, the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and even the National Intelligence Coordination Agency (NICA) supposedly our version of the CIA, and who knows what other agency involved in intelligence-gathering and counter-intelligence.  I have strong doubts as to their ability to effectively share key bits of information that may prove to be critical in helping the top brass make informed decisions.  If they only had the means to quickly analyze all the data coming in from their sources and quickly provide insightful reports to those who have to make the big decisions, then maybe, just maybe, the crisis in Zamboanga might not even be in the news right now.  All because the right information got to the right people at the right time.  And who knows, lives might have been saved in the process...



Obviously, there is so much that Big Data can do for the government and military of this country.  But are the decision makers they even aware of it?  I certainly hope proponents of Big Data have already reached out to them to help them realize what they may be sorely lacking all this time...

Losing Faith in your Country

I recently read an article focusing on the sad state of affairs regarding our territorial sovereignty:

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/61320/losing-ground--how-ph-has-handled-sabah-west-philippine-sea-disputes-over-the-years

I was disheartened to read one comment from a reader saying he is so ashamed for being a Filipino because of the inaction of many of our leaders and the rampant corruption in our government.  To those of you who feel the same way and feel there is no hope left for our country, and even wish they could change their nationality and even the very fabric of their being, I only have this to say:

I'm sorry you feel ashamed for being a Filipino.  I can't blame you either.  There's a LOT that needs to be done to put the Philippines back on the right track. Personally, I still have hope for the future of this country.  I want my children to grow up proud of their country and try to teach them that we have to do what is right in order to have a better future. Every chance I get, I show them the shortcomings of our country, leaders and fellow countrymen, but I also try to teach them what we need to do to become better.  I know that what is right is not always the easy thing to do, but we need to have faith that things can get better if we do our part, no matter how small it is.  Even when things are looking bad, I tell my children DO NOT LOSE HOPE and ALWAYS DO WHAT IS RIGHT.  Because I believe that personal integrity, hard work and hope for a better future can help us get to where we want to be.

I really think that recent events are now forcing our leaders to move in the right direction (the PDAF and other govt scandals, people become more aware and vigilant against crime and corruption, China showing its true intentions, the push for the FOI bill, AFP modernization, our president actually taking a firm stand on defending our sovereignty). We are already very late in the game when it comes to having a credible self defense capability, that is painfully obvious, but I see that there appears to be a genuine desire from some of our leaders to actually do the RIGHT THING. Honestly, I wish there was some way I could contribute to our country aside from paying taxes and following the rule of law. I have even sent emails to the office of the president expressing my views (I can only hope it actually reaches the president, but I wont bet on it since I am not a gambling man).  Anyway, I think I am too old to be a soldier and probably no good at fighting anyway :)  but I think I can still help somehow with my technical skills and knowledge if given the right opportunity.  I just hope I am not alone in thinking like this...

Finally, I always tell my children: "Walang magmamahal sa Pilipinas kung hindi tayong mga Pilipino."