20 Years After: A reflection
Two decades ago I was witness to one of the most memorable moment in modern Philippine history. At the end of the four days at EDSA people rejoiced in the triumph of their unity that culminated in the ouster of a dictatorship. We had thrown out a regime that had plundered a country, abused its power and had stripped a people if its hope and dignity. Finally, I heaved a sigh of relief that the Filipinos have learned to work together to reach a common goal. “Magkaisa” was sung exultantly in a moment of optimism.
Now I wonder where all that hopefulness had gone. Two decades later the country is in disarray: economically, it looms over uncertainty; unemployment and underemployment have caused many to leave the country to seek for greener pastures abroad; criminality, corruption, poverty is at an all time high; politically there is continued bickering and regrouping. Where else can you find a country where coup de etats and riots seem to be the only means to change leadership? Its the same country where democratic elections have lost its meaning. It has become a nation of much ambiguity, loathing, suspicion and gloom. And very broken.
Whilst the rest of the world are rallying to reach out to our countrymen who had become victims to nature’s fury in Leyte, in the city there is chaos and the president declares a ‘state of emergency’ where habeas corpus is suspended, media is controlled and protests are banned. Deja vue. But no, the government claims, it is not Martial Law. Semantics.
History has repeated itself in the Philippines many times, in many ways. Sadly, no one seems genuinely interested to learn its lessons. Not the politicians who have vested interests in their endeavors to yield power. Not the people who shrug their shoulders on the possibility of reforms. And so we end up living a cycle of frustration. Can we still bring back hope? How can we change a people and make them lose their ingrained ‘crab mentality’? How can we ensure that our country can have governance that would look after the good of the whole? How can we rein corruption and make the welfare of our people and the nation in general as the priority.
People power has now lost its meaning. To me, it has run its novelty. Bullying tactics cannot bring harmony to a country that is in tatters. It will not work. Neither will pushing your way to keep power. We need to start over, in a genuine democratic process like how an educated peoplethat we are would be expected to do it. We need to relearn politics. We need to allow ourselves a give a little more of honesty when we analyze our choices for who should lead us to progress and out of the hole we had dug for ourselves. And there would have to be sacrifices for big changes to happen.
Everyone giving a bit to gain something big. We had done that before – in unity. Have you forgotten?
“O bayan ko, binihag ka
Nasadlak sa dusa….”
Now I wonder where all that hopefulness had gone. Two decades later the country is in disarray: economically, it looms over uncertainty; unemployment and underemployment have caused many to leave the country to seek for greener pastures abroad; criminality, corruption, poverty is at an all time high; politically there is continued bickering and regrouping. Where else can you find a country where coup de etats and riots seem to be the only means to change leadership? Its the same country where democratic elections have lost its meaning. It has become a nation of much ambiguity, loathing, suspicion and gloom. And very broken.
Whilst the rest of the world are rallying to reach out to our countrymen who had become victims to nature’s fury in Leyte, in the city there is chaos and the president declares a ‘state of emergency’ where habeas corpus is suspended, media is controlled and protests are banned. Deja vue. But no, the government claims, it is not Martial Law. Semantics.
History has repeated itself in the Philippines many times, in many ways. Sadly, no one seems genuinely interested to learn its lessons. Not the politicians who have vested interests in their endeavors to yield power. Not the people who shrug their shoulders on the possibility of reforms. And so we end up living a cycle of frustration. Can we still bring back hope? How can we change a people and make them lose their ingrained ‘crab mentality’? How can we ensure that our country can have governance that would look after the good of the whole? How can we rein corruption and make the welfare of our people and the nation in general as the priority.
People power has now lost its meaning. To me, it has run its novelty. Bullying tactics cannot bring harmony to a country that is in tatters. It will not work. Neither will pushing your way to keep power. We need to start over, in a genuine democratic process like how an educated peoplethat we are would be expected to do it. We need to relearn politics. We need to allow ourselves a give a little more of honesty when we analyze our choices for who should lead us to progress and out of the hole we had dug for ourselves. And there would have to be sacrifices for big changes to happen.
Everyone giving a bit to gain something big. We had done that before – in unity. Have you forgotten?
“O bayan ko, binihag ka
Nasadlak sa dusa….”