I doubt if I can.. make sense out of things I mean. Especially with this recent explosion at the House of Representatives.
One of the severely injured was a former teacher, Mam Luz Ilagan (Gabriela Partylist Representative). She was one of my favorite teachers in college and I have confidence in saying, I was one of her favorites too (things like that you just know). I was worried to have heard her name as one of the people rushed to the nearest hospital after the blast. For awhile I couldn't believe it. It was confirmed that it was indeed her, but with that confirmation was an assurance that she's already in a stable condition. So I texted some friends I knew were also close to her.
On my way to the office, passing by White Plains, the cab I was in and a white camry on its way inside the white plains subdivision almost hit each other. A case of selfishness on the road. If you ask me, the camry had a right of way (nakalabas na nguso nya eh), but the cab driver didn't easily budge. He let him pass, but not without a bit of cursing. He realized the camry wasn't supposed to be on the road as he was coding today.
And so the cab driver started to let out his thoughts.
"Ang yabang ng P_________ ito, coding pa man din! Ito talagang mayayaman, dapat patayin na ang mga yan. Kaya maraming nababaril eh..
Kaya dapat lahat ng tao may baril na eh, tignan natin ang yabang nyang mayayaman na yan. Kung di ko pagbabarilin ang mga yan.
Yang kongreso, dapat talagang pasabugin yang mga hinayupak na yan dyan eh." (At this point, I got quite a bit scared)
"Eh pinasabog na nga po eh, may mga inosente pang nadamay." I answer
"Wala namang ginagawa yang mga nasa gobyerno eh. Kung ako talaga terorista ang pasasabugin ko yang mga gasolinahan! Yang mga negosyante na yan, ang taas taas ng gasolina, yung fare naman di tumataas. Di ba? O kaya yang mga mall ganun."
"Naku, pano naman po yung mga sibilyan, yung mga walang kinalaman. Yung nakikidaan lang sa mall?" I initially decided to just listen but I couldn't help but react. If this person was on the verge of being totally helpless and nearing a point of actually planning to bomb a place, I must say something.
"Ah, hindi pag ano wala ng tao. Gabi! Yang mga nagpapasabog ng mall ng peak hours at ng bus, sira ulo yan. Ang sakin, yang mga negosyante! Yang mga mayayaman, pasabugin yan!
Tignan mo yang Ateneo, yung mga nag-aaral dyan, aminin na natin ha - karamihan dyan anak ng mga kurakot sa gobyerno, ano? Eh ang mahal, mahal ng tuition dyan, sino lang ba makakabayad dyan?"
"Manong, pasok na po kayo sa gate na yan... (Almost at my office already, thank God!) Di naman po lahat manong, may scholarships din naman po sa mga unibersidad. Meron ding ginagapang ng mga magulang na parehong nagtatrabaho."
"Oo, pero iilan lang." I have to admit, he's got a good point. "Sugapa pa nga yang mga yan, ang yayaman na, kaya magbayad ng tuition, sa UP pa nag-aaral pero iba-iba ang kotse sa isang linggo. Di na lang pagbigyan yung mga matatalinong mahihirap."
"Kanan po manong, dyan na lang sa may lobby... Eto po. Ingat po kayo, relax lang po ha."
I actually had nothing better to say. I couldn't think of anything to say that will make him feel better.
So the thoughts running in my head now are:
* How many have become as hopeless and cynical as that cab driver?
* How many of the public perceive the rich as selfish, evil and deserving of death? And what does the rich (the Uber rich) say and do about this?
* If that cab driver gets a gun (or has a gun) how many would he kill? And in the future would he really resort to severe violence just so he can feel some sense of peace and justice?
* Oh my country, my beloved country, what have they (we) done to you? You don't deserve this; your honest, hardworking, simple and good people don't deserve this.
I just can't make sense of things anymore. If only this is just one big bad dream I can easily wake up from, but it's not.
"Tingnan mo yang Ateneo, yung mga nag-aaral dyan, aminin na natin ha - karamihan dyan anak ng mga kurakot sa gobyerno, ano?"
ReplyDeleteI like it! .... straight to the point! Will I name names? ..... =)
There's nothing wrong with working really hard and trying to become rich.
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing wrong with actually succeeding and becoming rich.
There's something *definitely* wrong when society has (a) too few publicly visible examples of people who have dreamed big and gotten rich through honorable means, (b) the poor can't conceive of themselves as having the ability to move up in the world, and (c) there are just too many damn people and too few opportunities to do exactly that.
Overpopulation, deficient education, a corrupt government and society are killing our country. But more importantly, lack of *hope* is what keeps us from moving forward. Hope determines whether you steal a loaf of bread, or you work hard to afford to buy it. If you feel that, the way society is set up, your agonizing toil is not likely to be properly rewarded, then what's the point? You *will* start thinking of bombs and guns and explosives... that is, if you could afford them.
Yeah, I know a few too. :)
ReplyDeleteBut di naman karamihan, I'd like to believe there's a good number that are in our school because their parents work hard to give them the best education available. Let's give credit to those parents, the deserve it.
Very well said Pao. :)
ReplyDeleteBut how does one say it in short, simple words? I should know actually, that was supposed to be part of my job in the anticorruption program before, to communicate that there still are “ehemplos” out there; to not lose hope and continue to dream big and work hard. I guess I have failed or am failing in getting that message across.
Must find a word, a phrase – not a motherhood statement- that can say all of those in a few minutes or seconds of encounter.
However, the difficulty of preaching to a hungry, fed up citizen will always remain. And the challenge to work- beyond words, beyond preaching- for societal change remains to be a challenge for all of us. I also hope all of us remember that, whichever sector we are working in.
everyone is selfish here in Manila...the rich and the poor alike. This place is laiden with brats. More than five years in this city and I too am becoming a brat. Its this "urban" me for myself mentality.
ReplyDeletei can never agree more with teejae... i read this blog earlier today and i just couldn't comment. kulang kasi ang isang araw to discuss such topic or rather, it could just be a waste of time trying to "psychologize" people in manila. i'm just so glad im a proud probinsyana, at least I was raised with values that I'm sure to keep till i die. kahit yung pagiging "man-for-others" ko as an atenean, i'm sure i'm able to do naturally. i've lived in manila for some years rin and coudn't really find people to call friends kasi halos lahat hindi makuntento sa sarili nila and they have to step on others to be somebody. pathetic honestly. well.. i just hope Mrs. Ilagan is well and better now. she's also one of my fave teachers back then. she's a very nice person and she doesn't deserve this stupid act of selfishness.
ReplyDeleteHi Kang,
ReplyDeleteThe only comment I want to make regarding the bombing incident has been expressed by others - nothing can ever justify violence.
I do want to share my thoughts on the sense of hopelessness and whether this is a function of where we are.
the funny thing is that most of people in manila are really from the province. so do we blame it on the place or on something else? i'm one of those people who grew up in the province and by turn of events, have been based in Manila for some time now. I continue to dream of one day going back to the province for a more "quiet" life. However, I think it's not so much where we come from or where we are. It probably has to do more with how we take stock of things and view the world. It probably has to do more with the choices we make.
regardless of where we are or what we do, we will always be faced with the challenge to choose between good and evil. choices, choices, choices. it's easier for some, more difficult for others. Religious education teaches us that every choice for evil leads to a callous conscience until such point when things that are wrong don't seem wrong at all.
Having said that, I find it hard to judge a person who is hungry and desparate. Desparate situations can push people to the edge and lose hope. Hopelessness can further lead to a bottomless pit. Though I may not fully understand, I am sure it is very difficult and challenging to say the least.
And I admire simple people who don't give up even if it goes unnoticed. Their sense of hope is evident in simple instances - treating people with dignity and kindness, falling in line and not taking shortcuts, saying no to bribery, choosing to be fair, etc. It doesn't matter where one lives or work. I guess we all have a role to play to make life better not just for ourselves. And it does help to find others who share the same vision if only to keep us going.
TET and GT - Not all are Selfish naman. Swerte ko din talaga siguro that I've met and made good/genuine friends here in Manila (born and raised here). Mabubuti silang tao, nagsisikap di lang para sa sarili; di lang para sa pamilya, para din sa iba-sa bayan. Nasa pagpapalaki din yan.
ReplyDeleteWe all have a brat side, I should know (hehehe), the challenge is to make sure that the brat side in all of us doesn't eat us up and decide everything for us. I've had my share of "kainis, mayayabang" Manilenyos, also the mga "mangugulang, switik" ones but I wouldn't want to judge all of them as such.
Pero I too, am a proud probinsyana - proud Dabawenya. :)
Amen Kuya Rey! :)
ReplyDeleteBut we have to admit that the environment we live in does affect the choices we make. I mean it does, one way or another. But when it comes to choosing between good and bad/evil, innate values we have prevail. Formation for our young children is very important then.
I also admire simple people who do good and great things and don't stop doing it even if it goes unnoticed. But it shouldn't remain unnoticed. We need to highlight the good people, the honest ones especially at a time when the youth is very much into TV and online technology. We have to highlight their simple acts of kindness and show people, especially the young that this is what HEROISM is, not Manny Pacquiao winning a boxing game.
Naku lumalabas na ang MP issues ko, I just really don't appreciate too much importance and heroism being given to him. Kung Boxingero nga naman na naglalaro para maging milyonaryo, (sya lang ha, di ang buong bayan) at maging malaya na magkaroon ng maraming babae because he can afford it, ang "bayani" natin sa kumunoy ng kahirapan nga ang lagpak nating lahat.
I agree with Rey that it has to do more with the choices we make. And somehow, where we are doesn't really matter. Or at least should not matter. Ideally, when it's black and white then it should be black and white. The gray areas creep in when we consider factors outside the choice itself. Then again, it's always easier to analyze things when you have a sated stomach and a bed to sleep in.
ReplyDeleteWhen you mentioned that "Formation for our young children is very important" I actually thought of the Amper suicide. It's been highly publicized and much as I don't agree with the knee jerk reaction of some people into giving the family the comforts craved for by the dead girl, I find it sad that the diary is being used as a testament to poverty when it shouldn't be. The family can pretty much take care of themselves. They don't have much, I agree. But satisfaction is a state of mind. Being rich and being happy are two different things.
So the problem with your cab driver is not exactly hopelessness. He's not satisfied to simply put it, as most people are. But he is blaming it on the rich people, which is wrong. That's too general and irresponsible. And yes, selfish as well. If he thinks he deserves more than what he has then he should work for it.
I think it still is partly hopelessness. But yes, blaming it on the rich is wrong.
ReplyDeleteBut I don't think the cab driver, or many other people work less that's why they don't get rich, or get more than what they deserve. Sometimes there are less opportunities; sometimes systems oppress them. We have to admit too that "connections" play an important role for people to excel or get the opportunity to excel. Madaming bagay, kaya nga ang hirap intindihin. haaay