What of Poe and Estrada?

The myth-making magic of cinema did not hoodwink the masses into believing that these were men born into their class. This fallacy, an insult to the poor, comes from slothful research. On the contrary, the actors wear the mien of the ideal amo: kind, gentle, generous to a fault. They assume The Pose frequently: with firm and friendly hand on vassal's shoulder, the lord will inquire as to his health and that of his family. This he does sincerely, never perfunctorily. Done in public, The Pose leaves our man sheepishly smiling; he has just been honored, assured and insured. 

His vote has just been bought for life. 

The feudal lord, no matter how morally infirm, corrupt, vicious to outsiders, is sustained by lifetime allegiance. “In exchange for the fief, the vassal would provide military service to the lord.” wikipedia.org 

Government with blinders.

In a feudal society, the national government is continually undermined by the local lord. As long as he does not renege on the social contract, as long as he is provider and protector, the congressman (and governor and mayor) are the larger gods in the provincial pantheon. Presidents and senators are inutile curiosities. The situation is maintained, of course, by the pork barrel.

Government seems to have blinders on, undermining its own lordship by insisting on devolution. The Local Government Code, designed to move some power from the center to the provinces, does exactly that. It nourishes the role of the local lord. 

During a calamity, government has but to tarry a minute and it will be terribly scorned. Fire, earthquake, floods -- it does not matter how natural the event, government is beseeched, demanded from, and invariably taken to task. Government assumes that the system will work, and provisions will flow. But this is not what is expected of an amo. More than relief goods and blankets, they expect government to take responsibility for their lives. Where will they live? How will they live? Who will replace their carabaos? This is the feudal mind. The people run to government for everything, for their entire future. While these may be unreasonable demands, government must react in the right manner, with understanding and compassion.