National Situation

As I've observed it worsens more than ever... Our national situation can't be describe in just one word, even a sentence can't have the guts to describe it. A bundle of curiosity and expressing each of our own beliefs might do to wake up the minds of the Filipino people about the problems we are facing now.

Today, majority of the Filipinos don't believe in the word "Nationalism" anymore. We keep on applying Western cultures as if we are trying hard to be like them. That the love of the Filipinos for their country and eagerness to solve these crisis' with unity has always been left unsolved or just being ignored, these could only make things even worse if not being taken care of. That because of this, they always learn to ignore problems with that "Bahala na" mentality. Which is a downside aspect in the way of what we are thinking.

Political crisis! We can't deny the fact that Graft and Corruption is really rampant. From barangay captains to the highest position of our government, political crisis is everywhere. Even the President also is not exempted, the legitimacy of the Arroyo administration is forever being questioned. Our government is bundled with scandals which would only deteriorate the present situation. But not only our beloved President is involved in these matters, as well as other politicians (even local), which some acts might not yet known to the public. Even the way we live and deceive other people because of our own motives and the forever attitude of being dishonest, it also involves in corruption.

If viewed in a different aspect, the graft and corruption acts of our officials will not only degrade or affect our economy, it will influence the minds of young people which would govern our country in the near future. If this bad situation still continues, how will the goverment officials serve as a role model for the next generation when they are not very effective? Will they serve as a good example to the aspiring youths who wants to become also like them? A big NO! If these people have the conscience for the betterment of their country why won't they show it? If they feel they really deserve the votes of the citizens then they must prove it.

One of the things that made these things even worse, is the decline of our morality. An example of this is when we've travelled for summer vacation at Cagayan De Oro with me and my family, i've happened to pass this pedestrian lane at Cogon, after the green signal had flashed in the traffic pedestrian lights when suddenly a fast motor bike approaches with a left turn to the other side of the street, it was so fast that it almost injured me if i didn't have the guts to avoid it quickly. Then i find that the motor driver put a smug on his face, showing a very mischievous attitude without knowing what the consequences might be. All this and many other wicked things i've encountered with a fellow Filipino made me even feel discouraged of becoming a citizen of this country. Everyday, newspapers, television news, news radio updates are loaded with all sorts of “misbehavior”: murder, rape, theft, robbery and others. How will our nation become a prosperous country because of these acts? These crimes might even be related to poverty, because of this we never learned to be a good citizen. We always tend to find unjust solutions so that it will be easy for us, which is really wrong.

And as we watch news' in our tv screens, it will be really obvious. Each day i watch news in our tv, i often see the degradation of the moralities of the Filipinos. Thanks to the media that shares the very truth of all of this. But still if we've seen and heard these violent moralities in the media, and still we won't do something. We will encounter a very depressing future for ourselves. So, we need to act, be united and think for our future as wise citizens of this country.

The increasing number of journalists being killed in our country is very intriguing to me. While according to the Bill of Rights (Article 3, Section 4) freedom of speech is legal in our country, even activists are also victims of injustice in all parts of the Philippines. Well, i'm not not very sure if these are really the acts of government, but still its a matter to be questioned. We are a democratic country, even if these are not works of the government, the free liberty of expressing beliefs and press will always be encouraged for the sharing of insights of what our country has become and what are really happening instead of hiding the very truth.

Poverty is very rampant! It is more obvious even if we won't watch newsies in the tv. Beggars, bums, out-of-school children and others are very rampant in many street areas here in Butuan. These children living in the streets will have the tendency to be addicted of sniffing rugby, doing drugs, do crimes just for money and will even do the least possible things just for money and prostitution is not exempted! These youths must be provided with good education instead of being left as animals. Its very unhappy to look at the situation when after you go home from school and you will pass by these peoples in streets, while people will just throw practical jokes on them and merely just laugh about those things! Instead that they must be properly educated and helped by the government, they are mostly being left unnoticed. The government must take action in helping these poor peoples. They are still among like us. Some Filipinos in other walks of life will just ignore them without noticing the poor future of these peoples. Mostly of these beggars i've usually encountered in the streets are Badjaos. Now, where is the National Commission of Indigenous Peoples Agency? They must help, protect and educate these indigenous peoples! It is their very duty to protect the rights of these people when they are abused in the society. Let us not be selfish in ourselves, these individuals are still our fellowmen and we must help them and still we must pay respect for them.

The very known causes why poverty is rampant: unemployment, unchecked population growth of the members of the family, and sometimes the disability to work because of being handicapped. Because of this, precautions must be exercise to prevent poverty from increasing. According to the survey of the National Statistics Office (NSO) the Philippine population is growing at the rate of 2.36 percent a year, which is faster than its Southeast Asian neighbors. Which makes us a direct target for poverty than our neighbors. Another survey from the National Statistics Office that as of 2005, the poverty incidence in the Philippines remains high at 40 percent, while the poverty incidence in Thailand is down to 9.8 percent and in Indonesia to 18.2 percent. An average Filipino family will only live for a 100 peso bill a day. If we can't stop all these things our future will be at stake.

Even if we solve these problems in an easy way, doing it the easy way is not always effective. We need the nationalistic spirit that our heroes had die fighting for. The need for consciousness in the situation of our country is really needed to appease the minds of the people of the burden that the nation has been carrying. We must not lose hopes in solving these problems. Let's think for the future of our nation. We must not fail our heroes who sacrificed themselves with all their blood, sweat and tears, let's view our problems as a foothold to the growing development of our nation.

Clark Lim, BSN-I, N-17.