All I Have is Hope and Faith for the Filipino

Our country has recently become more famous because of appalling news broadcasted all over the world. As citizens of this country, we know how we Filipinos are better than what International media and even the local media has to say. We see it everyday. From the cab driver that drives you to work to the people we see running the government. It’s a sad fact that the Philippines can be deemed one of the leading countries with corrupt government authorities.

It’s disheartening to live in a country where you can’t walk out of your house feeling safe. It’s sad that we can’t walk in the city streets knowing that a thief can point a knife at you or a policeman can threaten to shoot you in exchange of money. The even more sad truth is that Filipinos know this already and seem to have learned to live with it. It’s practically common knowledge that an average law enforcer will almost always do extortion every single day at work. Come on, I’m sure you’ve experienced making “arrangements” when you violate a traffic rule.

After the Mendoza siege, I thought to myself, “So this is how it feels to be in a country that is ostracized so much that people would ban their men to set foot on our land— wretched, damaged and bleak.” It almost feels hopeless to ever rise from the position the country is in.

For many years, we have tried to keep our faith alive for our country. But faith, without practice, is no use. This is yet another wake up call for all of us. I hope that instead of saying nasty things about how the country is run, people would just give a little more respect to our country. A country is what its citizens want it to be. A country is what the citizens think it ought to be.  And if you think that our country is a place for extortion, for taking advantage of those below you, for criticizing your own, and for disrespecting the place which served as your home, well then I guess that’s what its reflection will be.