The Philippines After EDSA I - Where Are We Again?

One of my rules is to not write about topics I don't really know much about. I don't claim to know much about the Philippine politics. But I think I know enough because I've lived in this country since, well---birth. I am a Filipino and a tax payer, therefore, I believe it's my right to have an opinion.

In my mind, EDSA 1 was not as much Victory to this country as everyone else deems it to be. You see, Marcos did not step down. Marcos was supposed to just go in hiding apparently as he thought the US was a friend. Much to his disappointment, his trip to Hawaii was actually an exile for him and his family. Looking at how our leaders have ben doing for the past decades, I could say that Marcos was the best president we ever had if not for the greed of power. He had a huge dream for this country and I suppose it was for the good of all. But we don't want greedy people in power, do we?

But look at us. Look at the government we have. Look at the millions of poor families who can't even manage to eat twice a day. The rising prices of commodities, environmental destruction, the crazy traffic, and the list goes on. There IS something wrong. It's been almost three decades since EDSA 1, when we "apparently" ousted Marcos. But hey, how much is the peso to 1 Ringgit? Even more, how much is the peso against Singaporean dollar? We have to call OFW's "new heroes" because they bring in the money to our country. Do they even realize what waste of human value it is if we send a person abroad for hard labor? What I mean is, they could be working here, they could be paying taxes too, they could be looking out for their children, if only our government is persistent enough to create more jobs. But instead, we send them off somewhere just to get dehumanized or killed --- if they're not so lucky. How can they still be so proud of that?

I think we have to raise our bar as to what is enough for us. We can't be pleased with a government who does little to alleviate the hunger of our fellow Filipinos. We can't be easily pleased with seeing people do "lousy" jobs in running our village, office, city or country. We have to work as if we are abroad. Afterall, next to loving God is loving our Country. It seems it has become our habit to oust presidents who don't do their jobs well, but have we ever looked at ourselves to see if we do "our" jobs well? If we think EDSA 1 was a victory, we have to live its lesson everyday. Otherwise, I would imagine the late Ferdinand Marcos in heaven with a tongue out, mocking us. As the last phrase in our National Anthem goes, "ang mamatay ng dahil sa'yo" (to die for the country). If the late Benigno Aquino came home to the Philippines to die for the Filipino people, It should be our duty as Filipinos to die to live the essence of EDSA.

"The Filipino people are worth dying for," according to Benigno Aquino, Jr. Are we really?