SHORTCOMINGS OF THE CITIZENS

I feel sorry for majority of the Filipinos, which is the ordinary people because at this age of time, most of the Filipino people are still far from maturity to handle political, social, and national issues.   It is saddening to learn but we have to realize that the behaviour of people is still not grown up when it comes to sense of nationalism.  From time to time every now and then, we criticise on a certain national issue, flooding the social media with harsh reactions, and stage insurgencies in the street to show we’re proudly concerns and we love our country – this how we call patriotism, some have their own bet they want to support and are really even seeking dirty and negative news in the internet just to mock their own government,which is not helping but disrupting instead.

In politics for instance, there is no unity to anchor the path of the ship towards the advancement of national development of the country.   If it’s not our colleague, there are complaints popping out in every side and designing a plan on how to step forward, to steal the spotlight, to own the stage, to grab the microphone and do grandstanding. Every past administrations had lot of programs but cannot move forward because we do not support and we keep on opposing as sort of reprisal.  Worse still, there are people digging old dirty stuff to destroy a person in the government.  These acts are pre-empting the continuous growth of our country but we don’t care if it impedes the welfare of the country just to put down a certain persona whether or not it deters the best interest of the country.  I just think sometimes I cannot blame the leaders to appoint their closed allies just to run the ship smoothly and continuously.

In a developed country like America, we see them debating and answering the various issues and controversies throwing to the candidates during the election campaign period but after the election, they are all matured to accept the defeat, recognize the result and help whoever elected for the sake of their country.  They set aside their differences to start altogether and build their country, they are united to extend their all-out support to whoever wins the election – that’s how mature they are. Another example of matured citizen, we see in international news about the large demonstration in Hongkong mainland yet after the permitted time of rally, it is amazing to see how clean the place when the rallyist leave the place.  They just left the place as clean as before they used.  No garbage, no destruction of properties, no burglary – this how matured these rallyists are.  They just followed what are the restrictions in the permit.  In some incidents there could have minor clashes but overall, the demonstrations are so matured.

In Japan, the country is used to natural disasters like earthquake, tidal wave, nuclear explosion, flood, etc. but despite of these its peoples are known for their patience and dignity in times of crisis.  Amidst of crisis like these, we will see how disciplined the citizens are from children to olds.  Everybody is in queue patiently waiting.  When it is said buy in the grocery up to certain amount only, no question about that at least everybody can get and businessmen are not taking advantage in the price of basic needs.  Japanese people are not bursting out in anger and grievance nor blaming their government but just obey what is directed to them.  Nothing is violent to ask relief goods, stubborn saying the government is too slow, doing nothing or neglecting them.  They have high respect and trust to their government.  But when we look at ourselves in many incidents of calamities, how many times we see the prices of commodities are going up, complaint our government for not responding us as we want, even blaming for not teaching us to be ready and even yelling and fighting to get the relief goods?  It’s very third-world country.

In Saudi Arabia, what the King said people will follow. This and these given instances from USA, Hongkong and Japan are reflection of matured citizens that are far from our habituated characters.  These are so patriotic attitude of ordinary citizens that I wish we Filipinos can emulate as soon as possible. In other country, they support and believe whoever represents their country in international competitions no matter how other countries think of it while in our country, we underestimate our athletes in sports, criticize our entries in talent search, and bash our candidates in pageantry just right before sending them.  We are not patronizing our own and appreciate our government because we do not believe in ourselves which sink us behind even more.  We should support our government because who else will love and help the Philippines more than we Filipinos?

By Alex V. Villamayor

September 26, 2015