What to do now

One can be lulled into thinking that all is well with the world now. For example, watching the great tennis play of Nadal and Federer in Australia glued one to the set for more than 5 hours of spectacular top quality championship game! Or when one goes to the mall, often, there are those who ask, " is there a crisis?"

After all, each day, people seem to be going through their usual routine. Students in school, teachers at work, drivers bringing their passengers to various destinations, to their work places included. But wait. Suddenly, reality sets in.

The number of those laid off from work keeps on increasing each day. At the start, we heard about those in the automotive industry who lost their jobs. And then more from other industries. Then, unexpectedly, those retrenched were neighbors, then friends, then family members. And we expect more retrenchment to take place from hereon. So many of our employed are now wondering whether today or tomorrow, they will still keep their jobs or whether their companies will still remain financially viable.

Nowadays, it does not matter whether one is employed in a government or private organization. In the midst of recession, this insensitive government has started to implement their so-called rationalization plan which will displace thousands in various government offices. Why now? Why don't they instead seriously close Congress or even just the House of Representatives rather than lay off the hardworking and those who most need their jobs?

Imagine, in the midst of the global and local crisis, the majority in Congress are passing bills that will keep them in power, like the recently-approved Charter Change in one committee, or that will ensure their pork barrel and hefty budget for each and every member of their league! 

Ineffective and corrupt governance exacerbates crisis and poverty. But what can the ordinary Filipino do now in the midst of higher unemployment and an intensifying global and local economic crisis?

Many will scoff at this suggestion but why not try prayer? Have more fervent individual and collective, continuing prayers for good, sincere leaders who will responsibly take care of our people, especially the most needy, the poor, the hungry and the unemployed. God has always assured us not to be afraid, not to worry but instead to always stay in faith. Then let us do exactly just that, to stay with the Lord and to leave all these anxieties and problems in the hands of the Lord.

Let us pray that the politicians are not tempted to rationalize their infrastructure projects in the name of more employment. What our people need is sustainable employment, not one-shot or short-term employment! Let us also sincerely pray that those who worship infrastructure projects be lured to return to the real God.

Let us pray that instead of public funds diverted for personal agenda and gains, more will go to help the food producers raise more food. In the midst of crisis, food security is the surest way to go to protect our people. Let us pray that food production goes the way of natural, organic farming so that not only do we save precious funds from not importing fertilizers and other chemicals for food production, we save as well our precious earth, our irreplaceable Mother Nature.

History has shown that extreme dependence on a global market and foreign investments is never the safe, secure way to go for a nation and severely compromises our sovereignty, our people especially in the midst of severe crisis. Let us pray that the present crisis will allow all of us, our people and even our leaders, to look inward, to find the strength and the power to challenge this present crisis from within our midst, from our collective honest and hardworking effort as a nation.

* * *

Email: [email protected]