Of floating seats and suspended beds,

Of mosquitoes and rabid dogs,

Of shields and barriers to protect thy self

From a never-ending war of human differences.

Until Ragnarok devours this tragic land

Of folly, laziness, and disrespect.

While South Korea is busy conquering the heights of technological advancement, the Philippines is busy making the longest longganisa in the land.

Philippines, in terms of natural resources and biodiversity, is leading the world. It is one of this planet’s great repositories of biodiversity and endemism. In fact, we have more than mountainous Japan. If that’s the case, what stops us from advancing and reclaiming the glory that was the Philippines of the ‘50s and ‘60s? The answer is quite simple. The Filipinos choose not to.

Religion destroyed the Roman Empire

Religion is good. Religion is the opium of the people, says Marx. But as all of us are aware, drug abuse is detrimental to the body and to the soul.

Can’t you see that ancient ways of thinking are not applicable anymore with the dynamic world you are living in? You want progress. You whine like a hungry pig waiting for your master to serve you food. But how do you achieve progress if you are afraid the step out of the box? How do you become independent if you keep relying on a god who may or may not exist? Why does the Government always have to consult to the Church? When will they become two different entities as they are supposed to be?

Recently, in one of Lea Salonga’s posts over microblogging website Twitter, I read that the Reproductive Health (RH) bill – a bill that infuriates the Church because it is said to go against its principles on procreation – is getting killed, and the chances of it getting pass the Congress is getting slim.

First and foremost, what is the coverage of the RH bill? (1) Information and access to natural and modern family planning; (2) Maternal, infant and child health and nutrition; (3) Promotion of breast feeding; (4) Prevention of abortion and management of post-abortion complications; (5) Adolescent and youth health Prevention and Management of reproductive tract infections, HIV/AIDS and STDs; (7) Elimination of violence against women; (8) Counseling on sexuality and sexual and reproductive health (9) Treatment of breast and reproductive tract cancers; (10) Male involvement and participation in RH; (11) Prevention and treatment of infertility and (12) RH education for the youth.

Currently, the Philippines is the 12^th most populous country in the world with a density of 306.6/km². And our population is continuously growing. With the current situation our country is facing, do you think we can provide all the needs of every child being thrust into our harsh world every minute? Can’t you see the benefits if this bill becomes a law? I guess not. Because you are a Christian and you are pro-life. Well, I may not be a Christian and you may think I sound immoral to you but this is what I know: I’d rather see sperm cells get accumulated in a rubber and be thrown away in a waste can than see a poor little child be abandoned in a street or thrown in a trash can just because his parents aren’t responsible and capable enough to provide him a decent life.

Too much love for family

‘What are you frustrated about?’ A professor once asked me.

It is this: We love our family so much that we are willing to sacrifice everything that makes us happy for them. I do believe that man’s moral purpose in life is his happiness. But nobody says it’s wrong to love his family. Certainly not. But sacrifice must never be used a justification of one’s love. One must not let his love for his family stifle him from reaching his dreams.

What does this have to do with the Philippines’s sluggish progress?

In a recent study, it was found that the top two priorities of Filipinos are their families and their friends. This is in contrast with Western countries where they perceive achievements as their paramount priority. Progress nowadays requires global competitiveness. But how do we become competitive if we are already contented with what we have? Masaya na ‘ko basta masaya kaming magkakasama ng pamilya ko at kumakain kami ng tatlong beses sa isang araw. That doesn’t even sound like contentment at all. It’s more like the nadir of despair – the despair of not being able to explore one’s full potential and the possibility of achieving a higher level of self-actualization.

On a lighter note, we can actually help our family without feeling it as a burden by bearing in mind that helping them and providing for them isn’t a responsibility but a prerogative.

Hospitality versus Inferiority

I doubt the famous Filipino hospitality. I believe it is not hospitality at all. It’s more of inferiority complex.

Of all the races in the world, the Filipino is among those who believe in white supremacy or superiority. This is the reason why they show them illogical respect every time they’re in the country or they see them strolling on our streets or sun-bathing in our beaches, why they give them special treatment, serve them food they hardly even share with their fellows, and let themselves be treated by these foreigners as slaves. And it is not because we are hospitable.

Don’t you see the manifestations of this malady? The number one song in the local music hit chart is Korean; the highest rating local TV shows are Filipino remakes of Mexican telenovelas; and many more. Filipinos tend to worship anything foreign. They even want their surnames to sound foreign. How many times have you laugh upon hearing genuine Pinoy surnames such as Batungbacal and sort? Can’t you see that these people bearing these kinds of surnames are the real Filipinos? How many times have we heard stupid actresses flaunt their expensive, imported bags and shoes in local TV? Countless times. And it’s sick.

What a tragic sight. Until the Filipinos take pride in being a Filipino, we will not recover from this abyss of self-discrimination and self-loathing.

We cannot step in the same river twice. The world is constantly changing, and if we don’t adapt to these changes, we will forever be left out. So let us leave the past behind and live the present for our future and the future of this glorious nation.

 

November 21st, 2009 by Jan Suing Jan Suing is a former editor-in-chief of The Lamp, the Official Student Publication of the Far Eastern University Institute of Nursing. He's a deist, a fan of Nietzsche, a movie buff and currently the epitome of quarter-life crisis. www.twitter.com/juansuing