Philippine Success?

Most of the time whenever an important event happens in our country, whether it be the State of the Nation Address of the President, or the triumph of Manny Pacquiao, I would often hear comments from various Filipinos about the situation of our country and why we never get out of the mud hole despite the success of some of our fellowmen. Some of the comments are as follows:

• We are good at choosing our government officials – we choose lawyers who know our laws very well that they can violate it and get away with it.

I’d rather have a useful building or road built by engineers than complicated laws from lawmakers.

• We are generous people – we’d give everything to foreigners even if it entails giving our own women for their pleasure.

 Can’t we sell anything authentic from our country aside from our own dignity?

• We are honest – our law enforcers raid every store that sells pirated CD’s, DVD’s, and pornographic materials if the owners don’t pay them the amount they want.

Law enforcers motto “If you pay you stay, don’t pay- we raid”

• We are joyous people – we can laugh about our problems and appreciate the beauty of our poverty.

We are currently laughing our way to our eminent destruction – and we are very happy about it!

• We can adapt to any situation – you’ll see lots of successful Filipinos abroad, and some of them don’t even admit that they are Filipinos.

We rather go to other countries and adapt to their culture to be successful than adapt to the situation our country to help in its development.

• We are very religious – we rely so much on grace, we can always pray for our country’s problem, no need to act on it, God will handle it.

So much for carrying our cross and following the Lord…

• We are very loyal – we support our favorite showbiz personalities no matter what, if they run for government positions we support them, I don’t care if they can handle the position or not, their good looks will do fine.

Not all that glitters are gold

• We are very intelligent – we can learn anything and can even excel on it, and we would rather teach foreigners than our own fellowmen.

We teach our youth the most important lesson – success is abroad

• We are patriotic – we remember our heroes in their feast, and enjoy the holiday that goes with it.

Are we still holding on for what our heroes fought for?

• We are a brave race – we always fight for our freedom and democracy, after electing the wrong officials in their positions.

Sometimes being wise is better than being brave

            These are but few ironies that I usually hear from my very own fellow Filipinos, which makes me, wonder, “can our country still relieve its glorious days?” I can still remember the glorious stories that I have read in my Philippine history books – how we have really fought for our freedom, cherished it, and became one of the fastest developing countries. I believe those glorious days were true after the Japanese occupation and again after Marshal Law, but where are we heading now? Do we still need to experience another war, or another dictatorship to open our eyes of the awful situation of our country? Do we still need heroes who would have to sacrifice their lives so that we would have the courage to stand up for what is right? We have so many needs that we cannot even fathom how we can solve them.

            A priest once told me that you cannot change a person from what he believes in, even the Lord Jesus Christ did not force people to follow His ways - instead, He made Himself as an example and died for what He knows is right and good for all. But we don’t need to die like God, we just have to follow the example he has given us in our own little way. Our country does not need martyrs, nor saints - it needs only people who would really care, who in their little ways would act upon even the smallest problem that our country has, from cleanliness, to honesty and unity.

I can still see the love in the hearts of every Filipino today, at least mostly, it just needs to be reawakened – wake up then my fellow Filipinos!

Our country needs us!

May this incoming election be an instrument for the better change and for the future of our children!