Pag-aralan silang mabuti
http://www.abante.com.ph/issue/june2709/op_ep.htm
Napakaaga ng election fever dito sa ating bansa. Mahigit sa isang taon pa bago maganap ito eh talaga namang puspusan na ang paghahanda para rito. May kanya-kanyang kandidato nang isinusulong ang iba’t ibang kampo. At talagang ang tindi ng alab ng bawat isa upang maitampok ang kanilang kandidato.
Matindi rin ang paghahandang ginagawa ng mga magiging kandidato.
Ngayon pa lamang ay umiikot at nangangampanya na bagama’t hindi pa ito pinahihintulot ng batas. Makikita natin sila sa front pages ng mga pahayagan, malimit marinig sa radyo at mapanood sa TV. Napakaraming pera ang ginagamit nila. Saan kaya galing ito?
Hindi kaya babawiin ang gastos pagkaupo nila?
Isang kagandahan nitong pangyayari ay mayroon tayong mahabang panahon upang pag-aralan natin ang mga kandidato at pati na rin ang kalagayan ng ating bansa. Sa ating pagpili, minumungkahi ko po ang mga sumusunod na tatlong punto.
Una, pag-aralan natin ang pagkatao, pag-uugali o character ng mga kandidato. Sila ba ay makatao, maka-Pilipino, malalapitan, makakausap, marunong makinig, may paninindigan, tumutulong sa mga mahihirap, hindi plastik, isinasagawa ang mga pangako? Samakatuwid sila ba ay tunay na tao? Huwag po tayong magpalinlang. Sanay ang iba sa pagkukunwari. Sa dami ng kanilang ginagastos, napakadaling magbayad sila ng PR person o firm upang itampok sila bilang matuwid na tao. Pero sa totoo pala napakasama ng ugali nila.
Pangalawa, pag-aralan din po natin kung ano ang kanilang plataporma para sa gobyerno. Mayroon ba silang plano at pangarap para sa ating bayan? Hindi po pwedeng mabait, gwapo o maganda lang ang ating pipiliin. Kaya ba nilang ipaliwanag mula sa puso ang kanilang plano? Ano ang mga pamamaraan nila upang masugpo ang kahirapan, kawalang hanapbuhay, malnutrisyon, kakulangan ng pabahay, kahirapan ng mga manggagawa, ang tribong Pilipino, kawalang lupa ng mga magsasaka? Paano nila aalisin ang laganap na katiwalian?
Pangatlo, ang isang public servant ay dapat maging team player. Hindi siya pweding mag-isa. Kaya kailangan din nating usisahin ang mga taong nakapaikot o nasa likod ng mga kandidato. Lalo na ‘yong mga kasa-kasama nila pag hatinggabi na o kasosyalan niya.
Ang mga kaibigan ba niya ay kaparis niyang nagmamalasakit sa bayan?
Alam nating may mga kandidato na sinuportahan at tinustusan ng mga mayayaman at makapangyarihan upang pagkaluklok sa poder ay “bayaran” sila. Payback time ika nga. Robot pala sila ng mga patron nila! Kaya posibleng magaling at mapang-akit ang ating kandidato pero kung manalo pala ay ipagbibili ang kaluluwa ng ating bansa.
Napakaimportante po para sa atin ng 2010 election. Kapag maayos po ang ating pagpili at pagsuporta sa kanila ‘pag naninilbihan na sila, naniniwala akong tayo ay maiaahon sa kahirapan. Kung tayo ay pumalpak, tatlo o anim na taon na namang paghihirap.
Nasa atin po ang angkop na katugunan. Nasa atin ding mga kamay ang pagtatakda ng ating kinabukasan.
Ipaabot po ninyo sa akin ang inyong pagtingin hinggil dito. Mag-text lang po kayo sa 0920-5975633.
Para sa inyong mga komento, pwede kayong magpadala ng email sa kayanatin@yahoo.com.
Common sense viewed through non-traditional lens
A Choice To Make… a layman’s viewpoint
History is nothing more than a people’s collection of life experiences lumped together, building the character and soul of a nation. Of what the present has become is a complete validation of the intransigence of the past. Lessons learned from these eras should set the direction going forward into the future, to be all what it could be - a truly democratic nation under God.
For those seriously curious about what dragged the country to the edge of the abyss, it began with the Spanish colonization of the country centuries ago. The rigorous religious and educational indoctrination profoundly changed the insight of the natives, and set the motion for life-changing events that cascaded through time since then. Earlier known as Indios, Filipinos would have been convinced that life could have been better with the spread of Christianity and by extension, the grace of God. Over time only few realized the dream. For the rest it remained just a fantasy. The idealism and valiant efforts of Bonifacio, Mabini, and Rizal, of Fathers Gomez, Burgos and Zamora and many others failed to change the course of history. Thereafter, most watched helplessly in resignation as the wealth of the nation was pillaged indiscriminately, her citizens kept in ignorance and servitude, and dehumanized to total submission.
Under the administration of different Imperial powers, and with the assistance of trained local puppets, Filipinos were educated to think and behave like their masters did, turning them into being “little brown brothers”. Before long, they lost their identity as a people and transformed into nothing more than water carriers in the promotion of ‘anything but Filipino’ philosophy across the archipelago. In totality, this brought the nation to her knees, down and out.
In this 21st century, the situation is as true now as it was then. Perception still trumps reality.
Today, Filipinos appear to be still holding tight on their ancestors’ beliefs that someday life would miraculously become better. Little do they know the current way of thinking is still influenced by the power of perception? Faith, hope, patience and trust, as good as these traits are, have preyed on the naiveté of people in that each perpetuates the wrong impression of false expectations. To achieve the better life its forebears only dreamed about, the current generation should free itself from the clutches of the traditional mindset. It would be an important and necessary first step.
While Filipinos have long accepted the Christian theology, only few seem to have shown much enthusiasm to share the burden of Christ’s sufferings - the daily human indignities, inequitable sharing of God’s grace, and maltreatment of others systematically brought about by an unjust system. God’s love should be liberating. It should require everyone to adjoin in the causation of social justice becoming reality of the present. Only God knows when that would be, as these traditional ways of life remained unchallenged. It’s written, “prayer without action is dead”.
From the Pastoral Constitution On The Church In The Modern World:
“Therefore, although rightful differences exist between men, the equal dignity of persons demands that a more humane and just condition of life be brought about. For excessive economic and social differences between the members of the one human family or population groups cause scandal, and militate against social justice, equity, the dignity of the human person, as well as social and international peace”.
“Human institutions, both private and public, must labor to minister to the dignity and purpose of man. At the same time let them put up a stubborn fight against any kind of slavery, whether social or political, and safeguard the basic rights of man under every political system”.
Obedience without thinking furthered the deterioration of moral values and humane way of life. The connection between the prevailing sub-human conditions and these acts of selfishness and greed has yet to be properly addressed. Absent intellectual discussion, the effects have become natural facts of life, noticeably making the moral and economic situation even worse. However, in the face of these difficult challenges, it is encouraging that there seems to be a growing sentiment for change as evidenced by Kaya Natin Movement for Good Governance and few others. To simply say this is a welcome development would be an under statement. Filipinos have suffered so much for too long.
Change should be transformational, in spirit and in form, and from top to bottom inclusive. Change should be transparent. Change, in the end, should be about achieving equitable sharing of opportunities and resources. What it shouldn’t be is: change for change’s sake.
The public probably assumed that the degeneration of societies has been directly linked to the immoral activities of governments. Even if that were the case, which may probably be true, it shouldn’t be treated exclusively and dismissed as the only reason. This could be just a symptom of a more fundamental problem that should raise some relevant basic questions: what constitutes “moral law” in light of the Commandments vis-à-vis the Church’s teachings? Morality, as has been taught and practiced by its “teachers” in the real world, has had its share of inconsistencies. Has there been a cultural disconnect between the Church and the Creator it claimed to represent and aspire to serve? Free people should be comfortable asking questions even on matters of faith.
“You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free”. – John 8:32
The disintegration of society is self-evident and speaks volume. However, it is truly a misconception to believe that what has gone wrong in society is of God’s will, and not an all human-made disaster, as some would argue. This is nothing but the result of man’s wickedness given the freedom to act on his own, without consideration of God’s good intentions. Man, caught up in the power of perception and web of illusions and unable to get free, remains lost to pursue goals with moral sensitivity. “Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise, every expanded prospect.” - James Madison, 4th President of the U.S., in a letter to William Bradford, Governor of Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts, April 1, 1774.
The lessons learned from history, if any, should be markers to avoid the pitfalls of recent past. There are the traditional politicians vying for attention, making the same promises but delivering the same results. This scene had been played so many times before, but this time with one difference – the appearance on the stage of non-traditional politicians. Now at least, Filipinos will have an opportunity to choose who among these would-be patriots have the people’s best interest at heart. By all accounts, patriotism demands courage to sacrifice one’s self-interest for a common goal best suited to transform the country into a better place. Patriots, by their actions they would be known. It must also be clearly noted at this point that success would not be a luxury to toy around but a necessity that must be achieved. Sooner or later, the promise of change done every so often would lose its luster and could turn hope into despair.
Ultimately, Filipinos have to forgo what it was that held the country back from becoming a truly Christian society. If it is the fear to confront reality, in that each has shared a part of what the present has become, then it must be overcome. The age of too much timidity, passivity and circumspection must be declared over. Indeed, doing away with the preservation of one’s comfort zone - one’s own self-interest and life-long held belief would be gut-wrenching acts if not revolutionary to say the least. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. As George Orwell ones said, “During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act”.
The suffering and death of Christ on the cross wasn’t to save anyone, but only to open the door and clear the way towards salvation. If anyone were to be saved it would be done only on his/her freewill. “He who created us without our help will not save us without our consent”. - Saint Augustine.
“The question before the human race is, whether the God of nature shall govern the world by his own laws, or whether priests and kings shall rule it by fictitious miracles?” - John Adams, 2nd President of the U.S., in a letter to Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the U.S., June 20, 1815.