Hope springs eternal

The only way we can get out of the man-made abyss our people has created throughout the centuries is to focus on an intensive campaign of empowering our people. No, I do not mean creating another People Power movement. What we need is to reform ourselves both in mind and spirit.

Our leaders have rushed our country’s development. Instead of building a strong, agriculture-based economy, they went straight toward building a nation to parallel if not to equal the West. We forced our development toward an industrial-based economy without laying a strong foundation on meeting our basic needs. We have become a consumption-based economy instead of directing it toward production first. We had our chances in the 1950s when we beat other East Asian countries. But what happened? I guess we became too complacent or too confident. In fact, right now we still want to believe we are better than the rest but in reality we have failed – we are in the losing end.

We have been deceiving ourselves all these time – trying to think and dress like the West but in reality majority of our brothers and sisters live and think like Stone Age men and women. We block ourselves from reaching the Age of Enlightenment as our leaders feel and think they are the ‘Enlightened Ones’.

Societies usually undergo an agricultural phase of development but we just passed it (faster than a speeding bullet). Our Constitution is still going through a metamorphosis. It is still weak. Almost every Administration wants to change it. But not this time! This is not a good time for Cha-cha. Maybe later. If GMA had envisioned a good march she should have amended the Constitution during the start of her reign. Why only now? This is how pathetic our country has become. We easily decide to change things even the framework of how government should be run. Always strategic planning mostly confusing the public as time goes by.

C’mon! Look beyond the periphery – get out of your niche and start looking. You will see the real picture that looms this country. Of course, it is beautiful. But there is so much in this country we take for granted first on the list — the people. Politics just ruins us. Our government should be on top but it always seems to be joining every political bandwagon. Instead of preserving our land, its resources and our people — you are tearing us apart and selling us to the highest bidder. What a shame!

The big problem we have is the condition of the marginalized segment in our society. What have become of them? Why have we allowed the government and the politicians to continuously abuse and exploit them?

Imagine how squatters are allowed and even encouraged to proliferate in the cities without proper housing, sanitation and hygiene. Just look behind your village and you will see a ‘colony’ that has been legalized by the infamous ‘Lina Law’ which no politician dare touch or revisit. What about our social and moral obligations toward these tenants who make a big chunk of our country’s machinery?

The marginalized sector of society is what our government should invest in. They are the majority who need immediate attention – they are the laborers who will build this country. They are factory workers, the cooks, the waiters, the plumbers, the carpenters, the electricians, the security guards, the farmers, etc. Some policemen, government personnel, clerks, teachers and nurses also belong to this group. Our country will fall to the bottomless pit day by day until we have touched them and afford them with quality life.

We should not be talking about Federalization, Cha-cha or the issue of ancestral domain right now. What we should do is to look at our people – the only jewels who will help build this nation.

Only a very few are privilege in this country. There are millions out there who need to be nurtured in body, mind and spirit. When I say ‘privilege,’ I do not necessarily mean being rich. I mean you have the ‘means’ and the opportunity to live a good life with a supportive family giving you the proper care, attention and instilling values. It means your parents are educated, they have a job, they can provide you with your basic needs (food, clothing and shelter), they are able to armor you with education to help you become self-sufficient and a productive member of the society. It means you have an advantage to help and serve this country.

If all our citizens are given the chance to live a good life with the “should-be” good programs our government has worked on – then, we would surely see the dawn of a new day. But it is not yet happening! ‘Dole outs’ from the government or the private sector is not the answer. Working with the people, spending time with them is the most essential thing to do. We need to empower our people – it is the secret to strengthening the backbone of our country!

Dr. Lourdes K. Ledesma, Ph.D. a highly respected clinical psychologist made a study on The Age-Validation of Standard Indicators for Filipino Children aged 0 to 5 years and 11 months. She said that: “Filipino children indeed have potential to be outstanding in whatever they eventually choose to do and become. But at this stage in their development, this just remains a potential. It is therefore important for all adults who interact with them, and not just their parents or caregivers to realize that they also play a critical role in actualizing this. Given the increasingly more complex world these children will grow up in, they need to be trained to place importance on process (e.g., “why?” and “how?”) and not just on rote memorization and unquestioning compliance. This will teach them to be curious about things they see around them, to analyze, critique, evaluate, introspect, and learn from their mistakes without allowing these to erode their feeling of self-worth. Such a turn of mind will lead them to find joy in learning and to continuously strive for excellence in all aspects of their development.”

We have the ‘potential’ to be. But right now it is just a potential. Many adults who belong to the marginalized sector of our country do not have the capacity to help their children, help themselves. The vicious cycle of poverty will continue unless we break it. And only then can we begin to climb out of the pit of despondency and begin our journey to a “ Strong Republic.”