Isang baso ng mainit na tsokolate
penny November 30th, 2009
For lack of a fitting title, I decided to just say ‘a glass of hot chocolate’. And with habit, I write with a stream of thought, rather than keeping to a strict structure nor coherence.
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In keeping with Bonifacio Day, I’ll try to keep my entry to the theme. I’ve been browsing posts on facebook and twitter, and there were a number of posts regarding Bonifacio, and how we have forgotten our love of country.
Love of country is all well and good, but I think more importantly we fail to see beyond the metaphor. To love the land, is to love its people. Their culture, and their welfare.
In fleeting moments, like in natural disasters such as the recent Ondoy-Pepeng situations, we call ourselves a nation of heroes. Yet most times we are bickering and pointing fingers at each other, quick to find something or someone to criticise or blame the negative observations and misfortunes. Forgive me for using ‘fleeting’ as an adjective. But I don’t see how being ‘saintly’ for a day (or a year) can count towards being a nation of heroes. I can still remember situations where no stranger cared to stop to help, even when it was clear and obvious that they could have.
The point is, I don’t think we genuinely practice this love for our countrymen as a habit. Whenever you throw litter in the street, turn a blind eye when someone needed assistance, expect to be treated like a queen by servants, trying to get away with getting more than what you paid for, expect special treatment for your stature, raise an eyebrow at someone for wearing second-rate clothing… Having such poor respect and discipline despite these being the most fundamental of things that make a society, how can you expect to see change for the better?
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We seem to have evolved from a nation of altruism (had we really been one though? that might be subject to debate), to that of indifference. Altruism involves self-sacrifice for the benefit of the bigger group. Has altruism become the exception than the rule? Indifference has become the norm. Sure, we complain a lot when we see something is wrong. We talk about how it can be fixed. We throw ideas around, discuss alternatives and at times rally to have our voice heard in the streets. We can say all the right things, but unless we get them in practice, nothing will ever change.
We can’t expect anything other than neutral effects if we remain indifferent. In fact, indifference can only have neutral effects AT BEST. Most of the time, we’ll see situations are just getting worse.
So, you say you don’t care about the people? You think it wouldn’t matter if you vote for the ‘safe’ and ‘trapo’ candidate, they’re all the same anyway, so why be critical? You can come home from your overseas job to enjoy the spoils with your family coz the political climate isn’t gonna change anyway. You can brag about being Pinoy when some artist or social worker get international attention for winning a globally recognised award. Or when Pacquiao wins another boxing title, you go on and on about being Filipino. Yet in all those times in between, you’re hardly Pinoy. In fact, you’d rather if no one saw you that ‘Pasaporte’ stamped on your passport at the airport, hoping people will think you’re another nationality.
“So what”, right? This remark is the main reason why the country you claim to love remains in the pits.
The upper middle class are supposedly the influential ones (than the marginalised lower class and everyone below them), but I have yet to see anyone caring enough to clamor for real change anymore. More so be an altruistic enough lot to genuinely care for the welfare of their countrymen.
I remember someone telling me that the only hope we have left for our country is for a bloody revolution to start from the bottom. Perhaps this is indeed a fitting day to entertain this thought. Mind you, I say entertain, not consider. For Bonifacio’s sake, whose name might today mean no more as a street name.
In this day and age, change must come from each person. But to disseminate this ideal, the inspiration and initiative might need to come from the top.
Pag-ibig at malasakit para sa isa’t isa, kapwa Pinoy, nasaan na? Pagpapahalaga sa ngalan ng pagka-Pinoy, pagkakapit-bisig para sa kabutihan ng karamihan? Sa huli, tao pa din ang mahalaga, at ang pakikitungo natin sa isa’t isa.
*Gets off soap box.*
