Lleva: The Life of Filipinos today

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

IT IS early in the morning and I realize I was supposed to be up and going around 6:30 to commute to school which begins at 7:40 and finishes around 4:30 in the afternoon (compared to westerners this would be lesser). As I freshen up, I notice my husband is still asleep - maybe because he took "all night booze" and came home late. Before leaving for school, I woke my kids up, said good morning, and to say that I'm leaving for a day's work.

I notice my family and neighbors work harder every day, probably because of financial crisis - they say has blown over - but after effects are still felt. Higher fares and higher living expenses have to be budgeted.

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Our country's cultural heritage seems to be disintegrating. Do you remember any event that you did not ask for anything in return for something done, like "bayanihan" of the Philippines, or saying "po" or "opo" sincerely and pressing our forehead to the back of the hand of our elders, to show respect? It seems to be a very rare thing nowadays. But one thing is for sure, our so-called the "Filipino time" has not changed.

Foreigners say that Filipinos are hospitable and welcome guests with open arms. But that seems to have lessened. Filipinos have become more hostile to guests and to one another because of the rise of crime rates or something of that sort. Although, not everything is negative about being a "Pinoy" today, one good thing is modernization. It has helped our country a lot, especially in times of crisis. It has improved aspects of our society like health and sanitation, banking and finance and even transportation and communication. The presence of equal opportunity is another positive thing. Women are given jobs that were once only for men, this also goes for men. Also a woman's social status no longer depends on men but upon themselves.

Like a newborn child, the only thing he knew was to cry and needs love to feel that life is exciting. Later, he will learn to work by himself and then grows up to be a full-grown child ready to face the enigma of our times. As long as we are alive, we don't care about anything. We find that life should be enjoyed, so we start to unearth forgotten and hidden things that will definitely change our own life style. We try to ponder on the technological marvel that is happening in our country. We don't want to waste our life and don't want to live in an incognizant world and try to find out ways to solve our problems. That is the reason why we are known to be hard workers and patient. Yes, we really are hard workers because we believe that we can surmount all trials without the help of anybody. The statements alone describe the Filipino today. The values of life are heir to ancient traditions that really nourish virtues of self-reliance and strength of character that we still do now. Though there are plenty of negative things about living as a pinoy today.

Filipinos have always possessed this trait which has made us always go down the drain; do or die with me. It's everyday sight politicians, government leaders, doctors, teachers, students, the "common tao" and dragging colleagues with their sins where they are found guilty. When somebody succeeds in his field, there's always someone to take you down.

Somebody helps and suspicions arise. Someone is found guilty, and in turn blabs of his companion's "dark jobs". We make ones business our business. It seems like we have developed the buddy system wherein a person should be with his companion wherever he goes and vice versa as practiced by the scouts so that if the buddy is in danger, there's someone to help.We make someone's business our business. It seems like we have developed the buddy system wherein a person should be with his companion wherever he goes and vice versa as practiced by the scouts so that if the buddy is in danger, there is someone to help.

Indeed, it is already in us, but instead of helping, we only destroy more of person. Take for instance a person caught in a whirlpool and a person saving him can't hold on anymore, and instead of letting go of the savior, the man drowning takes the saver with him. Two lives have been lost, instead of just one because of the man saving his ego. It would be a shame if they were the only ones who drowned.

We look at our surroundings, in the newspaper, on the television and even on radio- people blaming each other to save one's face.

Our leaders, especially the ones in the government are so busy making exposes of one another, forgetting that their jobs are to promote peace, justice and uplift our country, economically, morally and spiritually. Instead of them being models to the "common tao," they take pride in destroying one another.

In schools, we see teachers, putting one down in order to go up. Students are becoming selfish instead of helping a classmate understand the lesson. Athletes cheat instead of playing it straight.

It is so cynical to see that 90% of the Filipino population is educated but only 10% are learned. We take pride in ranking second among our Asean brothers in the literacy rate, boasting of our world- renowned colleges and universities, academically acclaimed students, leaders who have received masters and Ph.D's but it is very shameful to see our country at the bottom list in the economic stability and morality.

We are so busy making ourselves go up in anyway and dragging people on our way down that we don't even care if our country is already sinking and tumbling down.

And we call ourselves Filipinos?