The culture of patronage

Let me tell you the blunt truth. In our country, the ultimate tragedy of the Filipino people lies in their conscience. Why? Because we don’t vote for platforms in this country. We buy insurance policies disguised as politicians.

“Utang na loob” is one of the most defining pillars of Filipino culture. It is a profound, lifelong sense of reciprocal obligation when someone throws you a lifeline in a time of need. And somewhat, somehow, this “utang na loob” mentality has been weaponized as it becomes more deeply embedded into the people’s psyche.

When election season arrives, that crisp P500 or P1,000 bill attached to a sample ballot is rarely viewed as a crude bribe. When I asked a few experts why, I realized that they were right – that P500 bill goes straight to the stomach as they are able to buy food, even just for a few days. “Tawid gutom” as they call it. Even before elections, accepting money in the form of “ayuda” is endemic. The “ayuda” nowadays is seen as a token of appreciation from the ever-dutiful benefactor and come election day, voting for someone else feels like “walang utang na loob,” which is considered a severe social sin in Filipino culture.

I don’t even know if people still understand what “pakikisama” really means because in our society, this value emphasizes harmony and avoiding conflict at all costs in relation to how we should treat each other as human beings who ought to do nothing less than what is right for the other. Simply put, a culture of patronage creates a closed loop. It thrives on inequality because vulnerable people need protectors to survive.

In the book of life, the Bible, we believers are told to “do to others what you would have them do to you.” Jesus taught us in Mathew 7:12 to treat others well by practicing patience and forgiveness and prioritizing the needs of others. Scripture always provides us with practical daily guidance in building healthy relationships, whether it be family, friends or co- workers.

At the same time, Romans 12:18 tells us to live at peace with everyone. The Bible also teaches us to treat people with justice and fairness because God cares deeply about how we care about people. Lastly, actions matter more than words and we must show truth by our actions. In the Bible, good governance is shown when leaders act as servants who protect the poor, uphold justice and listen to wise advice. More importantly, the scriptures teach that human authority is on loan from God, so rulers must answer to him on how people in authority treat their own people.

A major sign of a good government is taking care of the weak – people who cannot protect themselves. Leading as a servant puts people first and they work for the common good because, as the Apostle Paul said in Romans 13:4, the government is meant to be God’s servant for your good. Therefore, the culture of patronage does not serve the people right because, when this culture takes root, citizens stop viewing basic state protections as their legal right. Why? Because the citizen feels a moral obligation to return the favor with unwavering loyalty even if the leader is corrupt or incompetent.

I was browsing through my husband’s book the other day entitled the “7 Attributes of a Servant Leader in Public Service” by Siegfred B. Mison. I was particularly drawn to his program at the Bureau of Immigration called “Mission Immigration” and a particular excerpt where he said, that a servant leader must take care of his people for without Filipinos, there is no Philippines. He goes on to say that a citizenry cared for will have compassion for its country. I agree as this completely eradicates the fatalistic notion of “kapit sa patalim” for the millions living on the margins.

Truth is, we cannot lecture people out of a survival instinct. We can only teach one another to have compassion – and the only way to solve the kapit sa patalim mentality is by replacing the blade with a solid floor where the state actually takes care of its citizenry with services that are guaranteed by institutions rather than individuals. Want to make the patron lose his leverage? This is how. The sad part about our democracy is that our best traits as Filipinos are being used as a weapon against our survival.

Utang na loob comes form loyalty; they have weaponized it. Pakikisama comes from harmony; they have also weaponized it. All these have been converted into currency to buy back the very power that we, the people, hold over them. The cure to the ills of our society can ultimately be found only in scripture because our problems need to be examined from a moral and spiritual foundation. This is my ultimate stand as bribes distort justice that makes us blind to corruption and poverty is used to maintain power.

The mandate of God focuses on the people’s rights, true justice and NOT favors. The Bible demands a system where the vulnerable are protected as a matter of right, not left to the whims of a powerful benefactor. This is clearly seen in Psalms 82:3-4 where God commands us to uphold, defend, rescue and deliver the weak so they don’t have to clutch the blade to survive. In the time of Jesus, rulers demanded absolute loyalty in exchange for resources and Jesus completely flipped the script by warning His disciples not to emulate the politicians of His day because leadership must be defined by service and not patronage.

God is the ultimate provider and for me, the culture of patronage is a form of idolatry because it seizes the role that ultimately belongs to Him. All things come from God, through God and return to God. The culture of patronage positions a politician as a source of life, health and survival but true justice shatters this illusion because all the resources of the earth. including that of the state AND even the breath in our lungs, belong to God alone. Scripture speaks with devastating clarity. It is time we stop settling for the crumbs of benefactors and start demanding the justice we are owed as citizens, and as children of God.