At last, the Silent Majority makes its voice heard

At last, segments of the Silent Majority is beginning to make its voice heard on the presence of American troops in Basilan and some other parts of the country. Within the last few days, I was swamped with letters coming from Filipinos based not only here but in foreign countries, expressing their agreement that the US soldiers’ presence in our country’s terrorist lairs will be a big boon to our country.

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Whenever space permits, I shall articulate the voice of the Silent Majority, although in condensed form. I will do this as a means of encouraging and prodding debate on an issue that could very well affect the future of the Philippines and our people.

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Manuel C. Diaz agrees that Senator Jovito R. Salonga’s analysis of the American presence in Mindanao is brilliant. However, he explained, people in Mindanao whose lives have suffered gravely because of the Muslim problem will not accept Salonga’s political advocacy. The Mindanaoans, he added, are tired of all these depredations and the failure of the government to resolve the problem. He further said that the Philippines can no longer afford to finance a prolonged war effort in Mindanao or for that matter in any place in the Philippines.

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Diaz welcomed the presence of the US Armed forces in the Philippines because, he said, this will be the only time that the interest of the United States will be at stake in the effort to contain the Muslim terrorists in Mindanao. "I am sure that as soon as this threat to American interest is minimized, the Americans will pull out of Mindanao," he said, adding that in the process, we should extract whatever concessions we can get from the United States while this war on terrorism is the main US agenda here in the Philippines.

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A gentleman who requested me to keep his name in anonymity is sad that a distinguished senator like Jovito Salonga would think it "nakakahiya" to accept help from the US. "I don’t doubt that the US will enforce its own interest on others for its own self-preservation. So do we, if we have the capacity. So do most countries," the gentleman said.

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"I may be too young or too naïve, but it isn’t as bad as the old folks portray it to be. I have lived and worked outside the country like Japan and the US and all too often, I get the ‘you are a foreigner here and we are superior’ treatment, though oftentimes this is not obvious," he amplified. "If I were more onion-skinned, I would have thought that nakakahiya nga that I, as a Filipino, would have to work outside my own country; that the Philippines cannot provide enough opportunities for me to earn a living. I would have stopped right then and there and would have gone home." But he explained that he is a "survivor".

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"Instead of feeling nakakahiya, I try to do better and work my ass off to show them and myself that I could be better. That often puts them in their place," he said. His point is that "nakakahiya nga if you have too much pride to accept the reality that you are weak." This is dangerous, he added, because it cloaks one with a sense of false security.

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"You know, it takes more courage to admit that you are walang-wala na than to pretend you are strong. At least, acknowledging that you are weak will only strengthen your resolve to be better. Pretending you are what you are not, will only make things worse," he said. "In the Philippines, I strongly believe that what we need is a strong dose of reality and humility, and less of pride disguised as nationalism."

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The anonymous writer stated that the Philippines is in dire straits. If nothing is done, society will crumble and the Filipino people might never recover again. The signs are there. "So many Filipinos are trying to migrate abroad, not only to find jobs but because they are losing hope that the Philippines as a nation will be able to give them the dignity that they need – the dignity to live a life of peace and prosperity, or a life where they can eat three meals a day," he added.

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"How little faith the senator has on the patriotism and courage of the Filipinos, for him to think that if indeed our sovereignty and dignity as Filipinos will really be trampled upon, we won’t fight back," he said. "The help that the US is giving us, whether you acknowledge their self-interest or not, jibes with our own self-interest," he said.

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Let me thank Maria A. Monjakdin of Victoria Subdivision, Tandang Sora, for her donation of P1,000 (PMO 3191740) to the Good Samaritan Foundation. Thank you, too, to Mira V. Castillo, for her donation of P2,000 (Equitable 0264354). She is an alumna of St. Joseph College, Batch 78.

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Ella D. Valenzuela is only 21 yrs. old, but she is now terribly sick. She has a severe thoracic scoliosis, which can only be treated through surgery. And her doctor said that the operation will require some P80,000.

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Ella’s problem, though, is that she is an ordinary minimum wage earner. She works as an accounting clerk in a private company on a contractual basis. Her father is a Metro Aide, her mother who used to be a dressmaker is now a mere housewife, and her sister also is a minimum wage earner.

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Ella is appealing for help from Good Samaritans. Her address is Blk. 23 Lot 15 Celina Homes II, Cabatuhan, Deparo Cal.City, and her office telephone number is 362-81-77 or 361-64-06. STAR readers who are willing to lend a helping hand may contact Ella at her address or telephone number, or course their assistance through the Good Samaritan Foundation, c/o Alex Dinoy or Rino Pecson at telephone numbers 716-1399 and 716-1499. Thanks a million, and God bless!

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Former Press Secretary and journalism colleague Rodolfo "Rod" T. Reyes, who is now doing volunteer work for a pro-life NGO, sent to me a book, The Hand of God, written by Dr. Bernard N. Nathanson, a noted abortionist who converted to Christianity and became a prominent pro-life advocate. According to Rod, Nathanson is arriving in Manila on February 15 to deliver lectures before medical and health professionals, students and other groups.

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A noted abortionist, Nathanson turned against abortion in the 1970s to become a pro-life advocate. He authored books against abortion and produced a pro-life video. In 1996, he converted to Catholicism and was baptized in 1996.

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Nathanson will speak at St. Paul’s College in Manila on February 16 and 18, and will address professionals on February 17. He is also going to lay a wreath at the La Loma Cemetery Tomb of Aborted Babies, appear in TV talk shows, and meet members of media. For other details, please contact Rod Reyes at Tel. Nos. 842-5792 and 850-3180.

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PULSEBEAT: Lourdes Oeij, a Singapore-based Filipino, is appealing to Philippine media to feature outstanding Filipinos like Edward Quinto, who won the 2001 Young Inventors Gold Award for developing a simple and cheap way to test water for harmful toxins. She also cited Eusebio "Totong" Catambay, a conservationist, who is doing his share to save the environment. "There are many, many more Filipino achievers both in the Philippines and overseas whose stories and work deserve front-page newspaper accolade and even primetime broadcast reports," she added.

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THOUGHTS FOR TODAY:

As we travel through life,
pastures are not always green,
nor the water still.
Yet, when the storms beat the loudest,
God lovingly draws near
and whispers "I am here".
The closer we walk with God,
the clearer we see His guidance.
And where God guides, He always provides.

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True people are those capable of caring from a distance,
far enough to make other people grow,
but never too far to feel the love within their hearts.

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My e-mail addresses: [email protected] and [email protected]