Sunday, April 01, 2007 Sun.star Essay: Little things By Erma M. Cuizon Sun.star essay
SOMETIME in the ‘60s, we crossed to Opon (Mactan) on a barge, which was then the only way for motor vehicles to reach the Mactan airport since there was no Mandaue-Mactan bridge.
In the past, it was easier to drive to Lahug, then to get to the old airport within Cebu City. But the airport was moved to Mactan and not everyone from Cebu driving to Mactan knew the way from the Opon seaport, where the barges landed, inland to the Mactan airport.
Our driver that day was unfamiliar with Mactan. We found ourselves in strange streets in Lapu-Lapu very early in the morning.
When we entered a street and rushed through it, we heard people in the wayside shouting, “Wan-wi nâ” One way.
The driver didn’t listen but we turned left quickly to get out of the road. We drove off violating a traffic rule, glad there was no policeman in sight.
What was interesting in that incident was how the people residing along the road reacted. They were angry as though saying, “Hey, that’s one way! How dare you violate rules in our town!”
Well, that was years ago. Perhaps, as in any other city in the country, there are now more one-way streets to ease up the traffic and more violators. Perhaps those good citizens who shouted from the road have long given up on people like us.
No, but they shouldn’t give up, says a book of 108 pages which looks like a cell phone pamphlet. The author of “12 Little Things (every Filipino can do) To Help Our Country” is a young lawyer, Alexander Lacson, who at one time thought he’d leave the country but didn’t and stayed on with hope in his heart. He realized that there are only 12 little things that can help save the country, to begin with.
(Of course, it would be another thing if we don’t begin at all.)
The first little thing to do is follow traffic rules. It’s important because it can save lives, simple as the thing is.
Some years back, cab drivers normally drove through red lights when they could get away with it. Stopping in stop lights, even if a good quick run would do it, started with private motorists. One taxi cab I took had a driver who could hardly wait for the go-signal, restless where he sat. But he stayed where the cab stopped, perhaps embarrassed because there was that private car to our left who was patiently waiting for the right light.
I also make it a point to give a quick comment when, from a cab, I see another motorist breaking traffic rules.
Traffic rules in a book? If you don’t believe in the book, just try and do what it suggests---follow traffic rules. Also, ask for an official receipt, do not buy smuggled goods, speak positively of our race to foreigners, respect your public servant, throw your garbage properly, support your church, go out and vote, pay your employees well, pay your taxes, adopt a scholar or poor child, be a good parent.
It’s plain good citizenship that’s the secret, after all. Not rallies, not speeches, not even just posted tarpaulins carrying ago-go messages. Author Lacson is positive that good citizenship can still happen in this country and this is the message of the simple book.
All we need to accept is the fact that the whole is made up of parts, of you and me. The author says, “It is my firm belief that we can strengthen the parts that make up the whole-–-the Filipinos that make up the Filipino nation---–by teaching and promoting patriotism or love of country among our fellow Filipinos.”
Now on its 4th printing after its first 2,000 in 2005, 25,000 more copies still carry the message of good citizenship. Let’s do 12 little things, and if it’s a thousand you’s and a thousand me’s, we’ll get somewhere as a nation.
