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?