Our Dreams and Aspirations

Every Filipino dreams of a stable life, a life which he should be proud of. A life where he has a stable job, money to feed him and his family, and a house where he goes to after a day's work. Nowadays, it seemed hard even satisfying the first thing, which is landing a stable job, much more having the monies to feed one's family, and even more, having one's own house.

I will not delve anymore with statistics since we all know that we have a 7% unemployment rate, a higher underemployment and we all know that half a million join the unemployment ranks every single year. Those who land jobs mostly in the service sector suffer from lack of security of tenure. The scourge of endo still bedevils our working class.

Right now, we are suffering from higher prices of goods and services, made worse by TRAIN law. While we recognize the importance of such a tax measure, we however, bemoan the lack of regulations from our government, particularly those responsible for trade and industry to restrain manufacturers from unleashing successive price increases. We know that government has the power to restrain but sadly though, this government allows private enterprises to increase their prices as reaction to TRAIN law.

Our situation is made worse by the domination of food cartels, not just on rice but on other commodities. Almost every single item which we see on our dining table is being monopolized by a few unscrupulous traders. While our President has expressed that he knows these people yet does nothing, we are left but to suffer even more for these lack of concern.

Yes, those taxes are necessary to fulfill our lack of infrastructure, but we all know that most of these projects are undertaken through loans which would put us in dire risk in the next few years. Hence, while some of these mega projects have yet to lift off the ground, we, the Filipino People, are paying extravagantly for projects which we are even clueless as to how much and how long will we bear the inconveniences that we now suffer today.

These unbearable circumstances are forcing our young men and women to seek their fortunes abroad. Thousands leave these shores, most unaware of the dangers that lurk out there and some, hopeful to strike gold. However, the unfortunate financial crisis still affects most economies in the world, and that leaves Filipino labor as one of those with the cheapest wages in the world. We know not what happened to the thousands now virtually slaves of other races.

Those who are left here suffer from the daily tortures of traffic, of long lines leading to the MRT, of dangers walking down the streets, of crimes happening left and right. The national police is doing its job excellently, yet, due to logistical problems, unable to guarantee the safety of every single individual living in this archipelago.

The Filipino Family, which is the primary unit of our society, languishes and suffers from all these maladies caused by rampant graft and corruption, unconcerned and unpatriotic businessmen and age-old laws that simply do not respond to the fast changing times.

The Filipino Family is being torn apart every single day, all because of these economic woes that forces individuals to take the rough road only for survival. While those in power rake in more monies and more abuses.

What is to be done, my Motherland?

While all these may be trials for us to realize that there really is no human invention capable of truly satisfying human needs, and that God alone is the one who can really take care of us, it is however impossible and improbable that we are left to fend for ourselves. While we wait for his second coming, let us at least give comfort to those who suffer by improving our socio-economic and political situation.

We, as a united people, can do something. Through our unity, we can change things.

The first thing that we should do is to love. Yes, to love ourselves, and others. When we love ourselves, we should not agree on eating rice with bukbok or weevils and seek to live as decently and humanly as possible.

When we love ourselves, we should not agree on these alibis of rising prices due to alleged global conditions. We are being fooled. Every one knows that private business is raking in by the millions even by the billions by these higher priced goods and services and in the end, not remitting those taxes for government.

When we love ourselves, we should not agree on uncollected garbage by our city governments, of rampant drug addiction in our communities and of abuses committed by the very men who vowed to protect us. We should uphold the law and seek normalcy within our very homes.

As we love ourselves, so shall we love others. When we love others, we then improve the general condition first in our communities, and second, to our towns and cities, and eventually, it will infect the whole nation.

The second thing that we should do is to love our country. Yes, our Motherland. When we love our country, we don't simply pluck a flower in public gardens, or steal even a pencil from our public schools or use a government vehicle for our personal uses.

As we love our country, let us be concerned about its future. Let us preserve nature, the only treasure we can pass on to the other generations. As we conserve it, let us be mindful of how we use these resources. Our minerals should not be exported but processed here and used here. Our oil and our gases extracted from these very ground should first be used by us, instead of being used by a multinational firm for their own.

As we love our country and its future, the more we must realize the exigency of electing responsible individuals in both national and local posts. Let us not be blinded by the luster of their names and just focus on their skills, their social contributions and the plans they have for us. End the election of those who only want to be in power to protect his own and his friends interests. Let us shake off patronage politics. Let us not elect into power those who destroy our culture, our morals and traditions.

The last thing that we should do is let us envision now our future.

Yes, our Constitution is ripe for a change, but not a shift one that would put every single thing we so worked hard for for so many years in utter jeopardy.

Federalism can wait. Let us re-caliber and re-imagine our society by finally ending these problems thru a government that will strive to aim for the transformation of the state as an economic player. We have identified the enemy, and these are the Oligarchs. These Oligarchs must be destroyed, and the only way to defeat them is to defeat them at their own game.

Those who are nationalist, let us align with them. I know of many big businessmen who only want to do business here, nothing more. Let us join hands with them and create a group of strong businessmen who will support our undertaking for nation-building.

Those businessmen whose only interests are their own must be eliminated or forced to exile. Those who will support this revolutionary undertaking must be given their place under the sun.

Those who want to sow chaos and destroy this nation must likewise be exterminated from the face of the earth. Those who are being used by foreign powers to institutionalize or destabilize this country must be identified, shamed and incarcerated.

We owe it to our children, our young sons and daughters, a society where they could roam the streets freely, enjoy the blessings of our patrimony and live in harmony with every single human soul.

We cannot do that if our lives now remain harsh and brutish. We must fight the evils of Oligarchy, of bureaucrat capitalism and of finance capital.

The most immediate aim right now is for the transformation once more of the state not just as a political force but an economic one as well. Only thru a strong State so shall we fully develop into a full capitalist nation-state. After we cure the ills of this society so shall we move for a higher purpose which is create a more equitable society based on Filipino dreams and aspirations.