IN A world so enamored in self-promotion, superficial appearances and mundane trivialities, it is a conclusion of a study of a well-known university in the United States that the humans have already been reduced to just “self-gratification machines,” suffering from illusion of grandeur engrossed in so much materialism and consumerism.
This is a truism that was so evident during the recently held Philippine local and national elections where the order of the day is self-promotion, superficial looks and the outpourings of money coupled with endorsements from religious groups.
No candidate has touched on pressing issues besetting our country especially on climate change, violent extremism, gross inequities, social injustice or how to liberate the poor and the oppressed from the quagmire of poverty. No question that only those with money, only those who are endorsed by religious groups, only seasoned politicians would be elected.
But such was not the case in the province of Nueva Vizcaya for the position of vice governorship where a man of integrity and with a brave heart, followed his unwavering faith to harness the collective power of the voters, not through the use of money but by advancing the principles that he is willing to fight and die for, relied on the righteous process of people empowerment, loomed as the winner with votes of some 98,000 defeating his lawyer opponent by 6,700 votes. He had so much cathartic experience as “komiks” had been released by his seasoned opponent maligning him to no end, that wily opponent had been endorsed by religious groups and by influential people. Indeed, no one can put a good man down.
Let the victory of Vice Governor-elect Jose “Tam-an” Tomas, Sr. serve notice to one and all, that no illusion of grandeur, no money politics, not self-promotion and gratification can defeat the firm determination of a strong willed-man whose unwavering faith in the Almighty can indeed move mountains. King Solomon is indeed correct when he said that wealth, position and power are meaningless. What is important is what is in your heart and the principles that you are willing to fight and die for. Connect with the Being, having been created in His image and likeness. Never shall we be “self-gratification machines.”
Indeed, he exemplifies the truism, “Veritas Liberabit Vos” (The truth shall set you free). Let our people be set free from that illusion of grandeur and self-gratification. Believe in yourself, fight for what is good, what is just and what is true, believe in the power of the people saying that “pag ang mahirap as nagkakaisa, walang maghihirap!” Wow! Knowing him with a determined will anchored on universal values of decency, equity and compassion, how can darkness defeat the light?
Indeed, he is that “light” that has come of age and no diabolic person, not even the so called economic dictatorship perpetuated by so called oligarch and cartel can put him down as no one can put a good man down. Look at our political system that he wants to rectify? Don’t you know that when economic dictatorship is grafted into representative, electoral democracy, a toxic growth of religious fundamentalism and right wing extremism is the result? Thus, corporate globalization leads not just to the death of democracy, but to the democracy of death, in which exclusion, hate and fear becomes the political means to mobilize votes and power.
Indeed, the integrity of our electoral system has been corrupted by so called “money politics” based on Henry Kissenger’s words to put people in poverty and hunger because if a man is hungry you control his mind. That’s seems to be what’s happening, demeaning the integrity of the electoral process by buying votes. But there will always be leaders who will be a countervailing force and that leader is Jose “Tam-an” Tomas, Sr., a cooperative leader par excellence and a transformative leader of the indigenous people.
Knowing the amazing personality of the recently elected vice governor of Nueva Vizcaya, I could not help but remember a Lumad leader in the 70s by the name of Macliing Dulag. He was a very popular leader in Kalinga, Apayao then passionately opposing the establishment of the Chico River Dam during the Martial Law years. Even after all these years, I cannot forget what he said then, “You cannot own the land for how can you own something that will outlast you; it is the land that will own you when you die.” Because of his bravery, Macliing Dulag was killed. He is our hero. Let me share some of his beliefs then as a transformative leader and no less than the newly elected vice governor is advancing.
It is the firm belief of our Indigenous People that we share the planet, our home, with millions of species. Justice and sustainability both demand that we do not use more resources than we need. Restraint in resource use and living within nature’s limits are preconditions of social justice. The commons (like the amazing rice terraces) are where justice and sustainability converge, where ecology and equity meet. The survival of pastures and forests (the marketplace and pharmacies of the Indigenous Peoples (IPs)) are community property and only possible with social organizations (like Tam-an BMPC) with checks and controls on the use of resources built into the principles. The breakdown of a community, with the erosion of concepts of joint ownership and responsibility can trigger the degradation of common resources.
In an age of enclosures and displacement as exemplified by the Chico River Dam, progress was invoked in which the elite usurped the resources and livelihoods of the poor IPs. This what had happened when that dam displaced the IPs that had rendered them dispensable. It is indeed worth remembering that struggle of Macliing Dulag as we advocate to liberate the IPs from the quagmire of poverty.
A leader of the IPs and a cooperative leader has been elected Vice Governor. This is first of its kind in the country. This presents a great opportunity to really democratize wealth and power in a highly skewed Philippine society where only 200 families control 72 percent of the economy.
Tomas’s priority is to lessen the gap between a few who have much too much and the many who are poor who have much too little, anchored on his being a compassionate leader with a healing heart.
He fully understands with a cooperative heart that here is a need to rectify a social wrong committed against the 11 million member-consumer-owners of the so called Electric Cooperatives. For the past five decades, these ECs have been brandishing themselves as cooperatives when in fact they are not. Their 11 million members with a critical mass of some 55 million Filipinos (in a family of 5) are put in the dark with regards to their capital shares which will reach when consolidated to about 200 billion pesos. Each MCO should by now, after fifty years, has about 50 thousand pesos as capital share and should be receiving patronage refund as MCO but they are not. Indeed, a great social injustice has been committed against the Filipino people. It is time to rectify that social wrong. Remember what the 1987 Constitution provided for in Article XII, “to promote cooperatives as instruments of equity, social justice and economic development.”
Vice Governor Jose “Tam-an” Tomas, Sr. has loomed as that leader to liberate our poor MCOs from poverty by rectifying such social wrong. Unfortunately, most of the so called cooperative leaders in the country have forgotten the essence of social justice and they are now dancing to the tune of cartel.
The newly elected Vice Governor has indeed been chosen by the Almighty as the catalyst of social transformation to advance Transformative Cooperative for People, Planet, Prosperity and Peace especially on mitigating climate change” and as the Philippines is the third worst hit country in the world and is now facing the threats of violent extremism. Congratulations! Indeed, “GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME.” Let the conscientization process now begin. Indeed, if God is with you, who can be against you!