The Philippines is far from being ready, the Filipinos are a long way from being set, and yet we all still must go towards a new international venture in the hopes that progress and change does exist beyond the shadows of empty promises.
Let’s put things into perspective and as blunt as it could possibly be. First, a disclaimer. Yes, I will be criticizing the Philippine government and its members throughout this column because we’re way past the point where we can stay silent about everything that has been happening in our country. What I am going to write from this point on will be a long opinion regarding the cards – bad cards actually – that the country has been dealt with over the past few months. I only hope to shed some light on the things we have on hand before the gears are put into work and all of us are plunged into a program that most of us do not know about.
Starting with the most recent event that the Philippines hosted last November 18-19, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting is a huge milestone for the country and the incumbent administration. As of November 4, the economic meeting will feature its 21 member-states along with its influential heads such as United States President Barack Obama, thus, the level of security in the country is sure to skyrocket to never before seen heights. No issue with that especially since leaders of their magnitude will be making their mark on Philippine soil, which is a historical and monumental feat to say the least. However, my issue is with the fact that the government is willing to shell out P4, 000.00 to homeless families in order to “hide” them from the sights of our foreign visitors. I get that the government is trying to beautify the Philippines by providing another band-aid solution to an already deep wound caused by poverty and hunger, but is this the best that they could provide? If they could have worked on a responsive and preventive solution years ago before this milestone of a meeting, this “hiding” wouldn’t be necessary in the first place. The irony here is that the government is hiding its true economic stature for the sake of hosting an international economic meeting. I mean if you can spend P7.9 billion on a meeting regardless of its magnitude, you should somehow be able to spend that much on your starving people overtime or over the tenure of your term. Then again, when you think about it, our country specializes on “pakitang mukha”, which is why we thrive on providing band-aid solutions. Forget about solving the problem completely and just sweep everything under the rug for two days like what we did during the Pope’s visit back in January. Anyway, props to the government for hosting this meeting and saving face by keeping our less fortunate brothers sheltered for at least two days. Our actions as a nation definitely shows that we are so not ready for what’s to come.
Speaking of what’s to come, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) integration is right around the corner. As fantastic as that sounds, our airports are not exactly quite up to the task of serving the international community once the influx pours due to the recent “tanim-bala” syndicate making rounds not just in local media, but also to the ridicule of the entire world. From local Filipino travelers, to foreign tourists, and even delegates of the United Nations, “tanim-bala” proved to the world that international borders are mere expressions that hold no true meaning. Now imagine a scenario wherein the syndicate actually works up the gall to plant bullets in Putin’s luggage or, to be more daring – as if Putin is not daring enough – in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s belongings. That will at least show the Heneral Luna-esque bravery and the thick-faced nature of these people. In all honesty, I could only pray and hope for the best that the Philippines will set better standards come the full integration of the ASEAN region in 2016.
However, beyond hopes and prayers, majority of the Filipino people seem to be clamoring for whom they perceive as the one true savior that will eradicate our problems from the face of the Philippines. That man is none other than the incumbent mayor of Davao City, Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte. Sparking the hopes of most Filipino people, Duterte has been flirting with the intent of running for presidency this 2016. A well-decorated politician with a three-time first place award in the Outstanding Local Government Unit Highly Urbanized City category, Duterte rose through the popularity rankings by his way of leadership, which is primarily geared on federalism and ruling with an iron fist. Nothing wrong with having a strict and strong leader such as Duterte, however, what most Filipinos fail to realize is that we’re simply not ready for an ironclad rule when we can’t even follow simple rules such as where or when to cross the street. I get that we need reform and we need it soon, but a drastic change in the leadership style of the country will only need to an upstart of another revolution against a perceived tyrannical president. Duterte said it best that the Philippines is not ready for his style of leadership. Regardless of whether he runs or not – since he is a very indecisive man as of the moment – Filipinos will need time before it accepts another leader reminiscent of the Marcos administration. It’s just that sometimes we believe with utmost conviction that our wants are the same as our needs when it’s apparently not and we realize it far too late.
Of course, our bad hand doesn’t end there. Beyond international relations and national elections, we have the Lumad people suffering from injustice, displacement, harassments, and indiscriminate killing to say the least of their travesty. What’s beyond belief is how some Filipinos call upon the acts of the Lumad people as barbaric after they vandalize the walls of the Department of Justice. For goodness sake, I understand that vandalism is not necessarily a good thing but these people went through hell in the safety of their own homes. If you’re one of those “trolls” who condemned these people for their vandal acts, point your keyboards and attention to the people who committed this huge inhuman travesty against them instead. Instead of hating on the victims, try to at least understand where they’re coming from and why they have to resort to this act in order to acquire justice. You’re doing no good to them by burying the ones who are already buried six-feet.
Amidst all the issues and scandals we’re currently facing as a nation, we’re still here standing, surviving, and living regardless of the cards we’re dealt with. Personally speaking, we have too many problems in our lives to even bother ourselves with national issues, but let us in our own little way try to help the country become a better place for us to live in. It’s the least we could do to be honest.
