IN THE book, “The Little Prince,” it was said, “Only through the heart that one can see clearly; what are essentials are invisible to the eye.” This truism can be attested by the 17 blind men and women who came to our office yesterday to undergo a Pre-Membership Educational Seminar on Cooperativism. In due time, a cooperative of the blind will be registered in the Cooperative Development Authority, the first in the cooperative history in the country.
Yes, they may be physically blind but not socially, environmentally, economically, politically and more so, spiritually.
They can “see” gross inequities in a country that is run by a few elite, where vested interest and corruption run supreme all these years despite the efforts of the present dispensation to curb them.
They can “see” that we have lost our ecological integrity and security because we have allowed a free greedy loggers and miners to massively exploit our natural resources. I have heard that a logger in the past could earn as much as three hundred sixty million pesos in just one shipment of logs.
We knew then in the Task Force Macajalar during those years that we were taking direct actions against logging through human barricades that these gargantuan rakings did not go to the pockets of the loggers alone. Law enforcers and that office of the government that should enforce environmental laws were on the take during those heyday years of logging.
Such contention was not difficult to see. When I confronted the late 2nd Lt. Desty Eleazar in the barricade area in 1991 which big trucks carried illegally cut logs but justified by papers, he said, “Orlan, you cannot stop me because many in that office are in my payroll.” But we stopped him and I together with my son, Kim, was pursued by his goons carrying guns better than those found in the AFP arsenal.
All those years that these powerful loggers were massively rakings, the cuttings were all illegal as the trees came from forestlands in Kalatungan and Mount Kitanglad Ranges with an altitude of more than 3,000 meters above sea level or cut in sloppy areas with gradient of more than 50 percent. Environmental laws are very categorical: no cutting of trees in these areas. How come all of these illegal activities went on without let-up? I guess the question should be: How much were these law enforcers receiving from the 360 million pesos every shipment? This government should investigate Dacudao, Vicmar, TIPI and all the big loggers who are still in power.
They are all guilty of the deaths of 3,000 poor people victims of Sendong!
Yes, the blind are seeing how wily and scheming politicians have formed a strong cabal of vested interest, protecting big business, passing laws in favor of cartels, monopolies and conglomerates in a country where big businesses rule. They are hearing economic growth but for whom? To the poor and the vulnerable in a land where 3,000 people have to jump in droves monthly to find jobs in other countries? No sir, but to the 50 families who pocketed 70 percent of the Gross Domestic Products in 2012?
Yes, the blind can really see spiritually through their hearts. How touching to see them being escorted by their love ones, up to the 3rd floor of the CDA building in Canitoan, this city.
Yes, they clearly see the relevance of cooperativism during these most challenging times to democratize wealth and power in a highly skewed societal order. In fact, as they form their own cooperatives, they are joining people from all walks of life who are members of cooperatives. They now see that the only way to draw the marginalized sectors into the development processes is to harness their collective spirit, to pool their resources together, although how meager, to fight poverty and hunger.
Yes, the people from all walks of life, including the blind, are now serving notice to one and all that they have awakened and will not allow anymore poverty to dehumanize them. They are forming cooperatives to form a countervailing force against the culture of poverty, corruption, apathy and deceits. Enough of the selfish pursuit of instant wealth, power and self-aggrandizement. It is time for collective action to unfetter the people from the vicious cycle of economic difficulties.
Yes, they are blind but they can see. Many are not blind but they could not see even the most glaring of realities.
Hoy, Gising!