GOOD CITIZENSHIP FOR A BETTER PHILIPPINES

By: Rufa L. Mendez

"You are what you are made of." The building blocks, the constituents or the components of every nation determine its identity says an author.

Philippines is faced with numerous problems that slowly drown her, well to say, even before, and she had endured until this time in that struggling position. Since then, these problems being faced now were already existent but now, as time progresses, it grows worst than ever that now it has become evident that everyone gets to feel it. Population relentlessly increases day by day, leading to accommodation problem, food shortage, pollution, deteriorating quality education to total degradation of humanity. Eight out of ten Filipinos declared that poverty is really experienced in their households. Prison cells are overflowing with convicts; people live everyday requesting for a meal, just a meal after to survive. Despite of the renowned greatness and resilience, the excellence and hardships shown by many patriots and compatriots, the country still is in the midst of turmoil. On specifics, consequences are experienced and felt today; poverty, violence, mutinies and rallies, terrors, pain and jeopardy brought by discontent, hypocrisy, pride, self-centeredness- name it all. Is this all what Philippines has to offer?

For academic institutions, these evils are manifested with scenarios of rampant cheating. Recently, studies show that 15 out of 100 students claimed to cheat within the class, no wonder the learning competencies of the Filipino students placed humbly on 38% only. On the political arena, so much of the politicking and mud slinging, though had affected the people so much, seemed to be common already that people tend to be complacent towards it and had grown immunity to it. People had been fed-up of it. Political tumult that reverberates in the Philippine air had seemed to be an ordinary part of the day. People had grown discouraged; leaders had been scorned and disrespected because of the lack of confidence. The economy had grown weary of standing and had grown soggier everyday pointing at corruption as the main cause of the national fiscal insufficiencies. On every corner of the country, the picture of a happy Filipino home seemed to be elusive. Is this what Philippines is made of and made to live on? I have known of a political analyst who use to refer this country as a "dying country" and chose to repeat it agin and again. Is it for real? If this country really is dying, are the people's existence futile enough to render them invalid of rescuing this land and resort to a statement of despair?

Yes, it is never new to all that we are stocked in such a great mess, what we have been struggling to be freed from since then but have become so fixated on the government thinking that it is the panacea for all nation's ills. And since this is what most have believed, now that these leaders have failed us, we are filled with frustrations, disappointments and even disgust thinking they have "robbed" us of the life's pleasures we deserve. But who have allowed them to do so? In our discontent, many expresses it through radical disobedience, rallies, pickets and even much more disastrous resorts.

Notice that since before, we have been changing leaders, but has there been a change of life here in the Philippines? Has anything improved? Now is the time to ponder. Ironically, Philippines is known to be the Pearl of the Orient Seas which is supposedly to be loved with its beauty is now being belittled and feared by many and in its fertility remained impoverished. This is simply because we kept on being driven by our discontent that we have ended up destroying ourselves and the country itself. We keep demanding good governance but we fail to give our counterpart that is good citizenship. We have desired of an ideal nation, living in peace and prosperity, with evident financial stability, affluence and satisfaction but this is far from realization if we give the entire burden to the government. Good governance is not and will never be enough. This single-hand pottery will bring us to nowhere. We keep on dreaming and wanting for a perfect pot, our nation, but we do it with just a single hand to shape it, the good citizenship. We get so consumed with our discontent that we refuse to immerse ourselves afraid of being soiled and chose to shun away and leave everything to the LEADERS. We have been failed already by other leaders and instead of doing something proactive, we go the other way. Instead of becoming a part of the solution, we consciously or unconsciously become part of the problem that we wanted and are suppose to solve.

Our leaders only collectively comprise less than 15% of our total population and the totality of their righteous acts, if there are any, will still be outweighed by the common and hopeless acts of the vast majority, the plain citizens. Yes, we have the power as the majority. Because we constitute the majority, our simple, menial yet righteous acts when put together can make a great difference for the betterment of the country's situation. This is what I would refer as "transformation from below". The effort of the few leaders can always be compensated by the union of our simple and humble acts towards our vision of a better nation.

Values? Are those "good to know" principles being eyed on to be "mabait", I strongly say no! I would rather define it as those underlying principles, beliefs and convictions that would cause a man to do things not just to be labeled as mabait but do what is GOOD. Michael Tan who authored "Mabait" published in Manila Times said in all his boldness that "pagiging mabait" is not always doing what is good but rather confirming to the norms of those who are in authority and majority. He clarified it that, he should not be mistaken as trashing away diplomacy and kindness but he stipulated that the genuine concept of "mabait" with ulterior motive of gaining favor, fame and friends is far from doing good for goodness sake. The country now does not need "mababait" but "mabubuting tao", those who would not just choose to know and master our Filipino values of Patriotism, Nationalism, Honesty, Faith and etc. but rather those who know it, chose to live by it and translate them to concrete actions. I believe Filipinos know all these. We already know them all by the mind and mouth but it seems like a better Philippines is just 18 inches away, just the head and the heart away. I believe we know what is good but just find it so hard to live by and practice. Others felt doing good to avoid man's punishment of the law, to gain human approval, benefit and advantage, social acceptance, and live by their ethical principles but I believe these reasons or rather call them driving forces, fall in one way or another as there is no strong or sovereign power that confirms it. I believe that the greatest and strongest driving force for a man to do good is his sense of a God that deserves a reverential faith, that He is omnipotent, all powerful above all circumstances, omniscient, all-knowing about everything and that He has called us to do good as His children. It is very ironic for Philippines to be called as the only Christian nation in Asia yet exhibits very ungodly acts. Christianity is tested outside the church.

Now this calls for genuine persuasion and conviction. Good citizenship still boils down to following the originator of the concept of supreme good, GOD. To stand for what is right and good is the key towards good citizenship. If we are to anchor our deeds to the norms of man, that will not assure us of carrying out the supreme good for all. Generally to speak, good citizenship calls for proper vigilance, breaking of shells of complacency and mediocrity and willingness to stand for what is right and convey the message the right way.

If Philippines is at a dying state now, is this what we are to give to our children and children's children? If we are hopeless now, perhaps they would be suicidal by their time, if this will remain this way. We are called to do great things and the power was already given. God gave the potentialities but the actualization lies on man. To be able to leave a legacy, a foot-print on the sand for others to follow and inherit, we should never walk tiptoed. To be able to leave a better Philippines than what we found requires a price to pay. I remember a note on an Anglican Bishop's tomb sharing his story that in his youth, he wanted to change the world, then his country, then his community, then his family, but later on, on his death bed he ended up regretting because none of those happened. He concluded with his statement "If only I chose to change myself and have shown it to my family, my family could have reached out to change the community which could have changed my country and even the world.

Outlook determines outcome as they say, thus let us not look at Philippines as if it is hopeless and dying. She or even we may be at our painful trying times now, still there is hope for us from this pain for this will no last and are not conclusive if we take the stand and heed the call. We are chasing for a better Philippines and that could only be built if good governance and good citizenship work hand in hand for the supreme good of all. As citizens, things just seem so menial, as humble as to a carpenter slowly placing stones to create a cathedral, but if done accordingly, a long-lasting cathedral is built. Things may seem so humble, futile at times, but with the guidance and full commitment to God, a better Philippines is to be born.

I remember an author who quoted "God said to man, build a better world but man replied it is just so messed up but God said build a better you and influence others and I'll do the rest." This time, we Filipinos may feel the same, that we are just too messed up to have a hope for a better tomorrow but the assurance was that even if there are a million of sea stars to rescue when low tide comes by throwing then back to the waters, even if you might not save them all, at least you were able to save few. If Philippines is made up of good leaders and good citizens with great sense of responsibility, nationhood and Godly fear, a better Philippines can be expected to arise and be left as a legacy for national identity.