THE ROADBLOCK TO “CHANGE” IN THE PHILIPPINES

By Gel Santos Relos
www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com



     Ano ang pinakamalaking balakid natin kung bakit hindi pa rin tayo umaasenso ng naaayon sa ating kakayahan at potensyal?
“CHANGE” has been one of the favorite words of the decade. It got Barack Obama elected to be President of the United States.”. ‘PAGBABAGO” rin ang ipinangangako ng mga politiko sa Pilipinas. It has now also being used as the battle cry of candidates in the Philippines  as the campaign for the May 10, 2010 election heats up.

CHANGE evokes both anxiety and inspiration, depending on what side of the fence you are in. Those who are happy and comfortable, those who benefit from the status quo are the ones who are most aversive  or resistant to change---why fix something if isn’t broken? For the dissatisfied majority, however, the hope for change is like the light at the end of the tunnel, the vision that keeps them sane and going despite the difficulty and injustice of the moment. Either way, “change” has always been unsettling even to those who desire it because it calls for them to do something courageous, to break away from the familiar, no matter how imperfect, and venture into the unknown.

There are  many ways to bring about change in a society---revolution, coup de etat, rebellion, and in a functioning democracy---election. The word democracy came from the Greek words “demos” (people) and “kratos” (power)   or “demokratia” meaning rule of the people. Through fair and honest elections, the will of the people is represented, expressed and followed. The Philippines is a democratic republic, and through elections, we choose our leaders, our head of state. We elect the candidate whom we trust and believe to be the person who will best represent the interest and the will of the people. Pero ang dami nang eleksyon ang nagdaan, bakit wala pa ring pagbabago?



On May 10, 2010—we the People of the Philippines, will once again exercise our constitutional right to choose our next President. Nasa ating mga kamay nakasalalay kung anong uri ng pagbabago ang mangyayari sa ating bayan. This is a  very sacred and consequential exercise that we all need to take seriously because our future and the change we are hoping for depends largely on what we do and how we vote during election. How then do we choose whom to vote to be the next President of our country?

If we are all truly committed to choosing the right candidate to vote for , I think it is important for us to ask ourselves some very important fundamental questions. First, what kind of change do I want to see in the Philippines? Ano ba  ang dapat baguhin sa sistema ng ating bansa?

We all acknowledge that the Philippines is still considered a third world country. Hikahos pa rin ang ating bansa. More people are living below poverty line. The gap between the rich and the poor have become even bigger. But why is this so? The Philippines is so rich in natural resources. We have a lot of very talented, hard working kababayans. What are we doing wrong? Saan tayo nagkakamali? Ano sa ating palagay ang ugat ng mga suliraning kinakaharap  ng ating bayan sa kasalukuyan kung kaya’t hindi pa rin natin nakakamit ang kaunlaran, kasaganahan at katahimikang inaasam natin para sa ating lahat?

The answer to  that first question will lead us to the next question---Who among those running for President has the character, qualification, and ability to lead us toward the solution to that biggest problem of our country at this point in our history?

Mga Kababayan, magsimula po tayo sa unang tanong.  I need to hear from you here. What do you think is the biggest problem we have right now as a nation? Please write your answers in the comment box below so our kababayans from all over the world can read your input in this global conversation. I will collate and integrate your comments and write about it in this blog as well as in my column in Asian Journal here in America.

 DO NOT TELL ME WHOM YOU ARE VOTING FOR---NOT YET. That will come later. Unahin muna nating pag-isipan yung problema, at pagkatapos, saka natin pag-usapan yung solusyon sa susunod na pagkakataon! We need to have a clear understanding as individuals and collectively as a nation what the root of our problem is before we can choose the leader who will and can lead us toward the change we aspire for.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM OF THE PHILIPPINES THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS? What is our roadblock to the much desired, much needed change?Ano ang pinakamalaking balakid natin kung bakit hindi pa rin tayo umaasenso ng naaayon sa ating kakayahan at potensyal?