( Editorial: The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author. )
The Philippines - Why is it that ten percent of the population live outside of the Philippines? Most would respond by saying, 'to seek a better life'. Tens of millions more would like to work overseas - anywhere but home.
Give everyone a visa and Manila would be a ghost town. (WMD. Weapons of Mass Disillusionment.)
Diaspora >
The brightest Filipino minds have concluded that it's better to be a foreign citizen than to be a local one. Overqualified doctors would rather work as nurses in Canada. Lawyers would rather work as paralegals in the United States. University professors would prefer a job as an English tutor in South Korea. Some pinays would rather dance in bikini bars in Japan.
Filipinos have become a diaspora, where mass migration is the solution to life's problems.
And when Fil-Ams go back home for a vacation, they're accused of having a superiority complex. The unspoken truth is, some view locals as chimps dilly-dallying in a puddle of folly.
Pardon the Fil-Ams and their branded clothing. They're simply amused at indigenous pinoys who tolerate mediocrity and abuse; and who accept extreme poverty as "just the way life is" or part of "God's will".
Rriigghhtt . . .
I almost forgot. Offering constructive criticism is considered "anti-Filipino" in the islands. Yet the "pro-Filipino" indigenous crowd want visas so they can become U.S. citizens.
How pragmatic.
Foreign Exchange >
Our Philippine currency is crushed against the weight of rising gas prices. A single dollar amounts to 43 pesos. What are markets trying to imply? That a single day in America is worth six weeks in the archipelago?
Our nation's greatest leaders (Aguinaldo, Rizal, Ninoy) are stamped on the peso, but our people want to earn in dollars, dinars, and Euros. Our ancestors died in Bataan. The wallet prevails over national pride, however. We like our cash stamped with hundred dollar Ben Franklins and twenty dollar Andrew Jacksons (whatever they stood for).
Casinos (which are multiplying around the archipelago) rob us of our life's savings and financial responsibility. Throughout history, no civilization has ever become great due to an excess of gambling houses. Not America. Not China. Not the ancient Greeks, Romans, or Egyptians.
Go tourism.
Positive Change >
Thankfully, we are slowly seeing constructive change. Former president Arroyo, for her betrayal and corruption, is under hospital arrest. Her former election chief is in a detention cell. Chief Justice Corona is being impeached.
Democracy is working under Noynoy.
Alexander Hamilton said, "A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a [slave] master, and deserves one."
Far too long, the nation has needed a purge of inept and corrupt officials that routinely bilk the public treasury. These are funds made possible by the taxed monies of welders, construction workers, public school teachers, office clerks, and call center agents that work night shift.
Each day, the blue collar worker puts in hard work with minimal pay. They struggle to make ends meet. Yet, they find themselves disadvantaged in a political system that operates on quid pro quo.
Dismantling institutionalized cronyism is dangerous. So be it.
That's the leadership we have always needed. For who among you would choose disgrace? And the silence of a ghost town?
If we must act, it's no dishonor to uphold the highest values in our dealings with others. I've made mistakes. You're not perfect.
Moving forward, we can avoid stains on our private character, even if, collectively as Filipinos, we often endure the mockery of that national stain that has blotted our history for too long.
Copyright 2011 Marv Dumon. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed. All rights reserved.
Comments