Independence Day Thoughts

Nobody celebrates Indepence Day anymore.

Well, at least no one within third degree of consanguinity with me.

Why would anyone do so--when majority of the Filipinos are being deprived of their own freedoms?

We can start with all the big, much hyped about proofs: police brutalities, political killings, journalists being threatened, killed and kidnapped, civilian brutalities, political seizure of properties and so on.

But you know, we can escape this for once and think of all the basic, everyday proofs that all of us can relate to. I say that we look at those which fall within the framework described by Nobel Prize winner Amartya Sen.

Last year, we have faced one major economic ambiguity: the government claiming that our economy is on its boom (with enough information to back it up like GDPs, employment statistics, tax collection, etc.) while people are claiming that more and more Filipinos are getting hungrier by the day. Later on, we face worsening problems on inflation and rice shortage.

So who is saying the truth, we ask ourselves.

I say it's both.

You see, while our economy is growing and our government is earning more taxes from its people and its investors, the problem is that the wealth acquired during the process does not trickle down to the grassroots.

The gap between the rich and the poor have worsened. And are companies to be blamed? Well, not those who observe good governance and social responsibility. But probably those who are new and exploitative by nature. There may be hundreds of thousands of jobs created in the past years but what is really the quality of these jobs? Do they really free more Filipinos such that they will be able to afford good education, healthcare and other welfare services? Are not these taxes being mismanaged and somehow lost among red tape and SOPs?

You see, freedom is more than just being freed from the hands of a dictator or a conqueror. Freedom is more of people being independent; people being made to stand on their own.

You know, I reprimand myself whenever I feel pity towards a blue-collared employee. I tell myself thatI should not pity them because they have decent jobs and they live decent lives. They have decent employers who give them what is right and due. BUT. They do not have access to good education, healthcare, housing, etc. simply because the government cannot give it to them.

It's not that I am expecting first world welfare system for the Filipinos. I am realistic enough to know that even if we remove all the corruption in our government, the country will still be so far away from the G8 in terms of national wealth. But the thing is, it could be so much better if the billions that go to the pockets of officials will instead go to hospitals, schools, etc.

Ayayayay...

Anyway, there's one more thing I'd like to write about. It's about the OFWs being called as the country's new heroes (bagong bayani). I think we have to be careful about who we call our heroes.

Heroes are supposedly those who have clear intentions of wanting to help the country more than their families.

But why is that I hear so many OFWs complain about the appreciating value of Peso against the US dollar and rejoice when the peso drops?

Yes, I know why and it's clearly not because of a national cause.

So why should we call them all bagong bayanis? While some may be exceptions, still, I think that the same argument being raised by the "anti"-Lapu-Lapu group applies to this.

Anyway, let's still thank them all for keeping the economy afloat regardless of their intentions. And yes, I am still mighty proud of them for working and living decently for the sake of their own families.

Mabuhay ang mga mabubuting Pinoy!

Mabuhay ang kalayaan!

Mamatay ang mga magnanakaw ng kalayaan! (hehe)