Today, the Philippines is simply ungovernable. The people are restless with so much politicking. The leaders are so corrupt. The media glorifies the ugliness of the society. No one seems to be telling the truth. People are confused whom to believe in. The economy is in shambles. People’s morale is at a decaying stage. The whole socio-political system is stinking.
I doubt whether this country can ever attain a strong republic status.
As elections come and go, candidates are just so proud to tell the people they will deliver them from impoverishment, only for the people to be disillusioned at the end. Politicos, along with gaudy trappings of a movie star, bragged about empty promises. And the voters seem to forget their rumbling stomach. This is not to mention the thrill election brings to the people who are like spectators in a cockfight eager to know who is on the losing end.
The Pinoy society today represents a clearer picture of the Roman Empire at its decadent stage. Leaders are corrupt. People are corrupted body, mind, and soul. Thus, signaled the fall of the once glorious empire.
What can be done now?
I would suggest that there should be an honest to goodness pursuit for good governance and a genuine values reorientation of the people through education.
Good governance. According to Remigio Agpalo, the political system of the country is comparable to the human body. To simply put it in Filipino, “ang sakit ng kalingkingan, sakit ng buong katawan.” Hence, all parts of the system are affected even if just a small portion is inflamed. As in the case of Pinoy politics, any irregularities are blamed on the leader or the ulo. This is maybe the reason why call our president pangulo. This led to the people’s lack of initiative and the hesitancy to accept responsibility as they look upon what the president can do. Thus, all wrongs in the echelons of powers are blamed to the president.
A presidential son was once quoted as saying, “Kulang na lang baha, lindol, at bagyo, ay isisi pa sa pangulo.”
Real change in the government’s system should start from the high-ups down. Rank and file employees look up to their bosses. Local leaders look up to the national leaders. If the leaders are conscientious with their job, everyone else down will follow. Corruption is rampant in the local level because it is a tradition being practice by the national leaders especially the tradpols.
Moral Recovery. Corruption if to be understood well emanates from the lower form of value system of the people. When the people in a society are brought up in families who are materialistic, one should expect a corrupted community. This is because everybody who holds the reins of powers and the government coffers will be ups for the grab of everything there is to satisfy their insatiable perks and caprices.
Our school system in the country is not really serious in doing its job as values educators. The educational system is so very removed from the reality. It teaches things which are impossible to apply in the daily lives of the people. And teachers do not seem to practice what they are teaching. Students are confused. Hence, when they are already in the real world, all the best theories they have learned in the four-cornered room collapse.
Real changed should be inward-bound otherwise everything will be superficial. It would be like repainting the facade while maintaining decaying interiors. (12-22-03)
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