Or perhaps we thought that we can be our own
“Darna” and imagined a supernatural intervention amidst an apparition
of a quick fix. We waited patiently for that elusive one-time meteorite
stone that will give us the super powers we long for. We relished the
hope given to us by the promise that with the flick of a finger, the
lighting of a candle will transform our “Cofradian” blackness into a
ravishing “Tisay”, or the wearing of a magic “kamison” will transform
our ugly-duckling stature to a beauty and elegance fit for royalty.
Thus the lure of the sweepstake, the jueteng and a parade of game shows
that promise instant millions that would give us a rags-to-riches
experience have time and again proven to be irresistible. Of course
nowadays the candle of Cofradia may very well have been replaced by the
modern-day Glutathione but that is beside the point.
So we tenaciously hang on and with unwavering
resilience are able to withstand the seeming hopelessness and
helplessness of our daily grind. At the back of our minds is the hope
that we will one day be rewarded with an amulet from the sky that will
endow us with extraordinary capabilities that will magically eradicate
all our miseries.
The likes of “Da King” FPJ and other screen
heroes of the same genre showed us that we can withstand all ridicule,
sufferings and pain because in the end we will have the final say and
our tormentors will have the comeuppance they so much deserve. “May
araw ka din” is what we silently mumble to ourselves in reference to
all the Paquito and Romy Diazes and Max Alvarados in our lives.
We have generations of Filipinos who grew
up exposed to the antics of the likes of Mang Nano played by
actor-comedian Pugo in “Tang-ta-rang-tang” and “Si Tatang Kasi” who
flaunt their capability to put one over their neighbor as simply being
“ma-abilidad” or “wais.” And it’s not just Mang Nano to whom we owe it
to. Decades of comedians after him have practically spun their antics
around the same theme: It is not wrong to do something bad, as long as
you can get away with it. We have glamorized this part of their comical
repertoire to the point that we have begun thinking the same way
ourselves. When we encounter a long queue that would definitely
inconvenience us, we easily succumb to the temptation of having a
friend or even a “fixer” facilitate things for us so that we will not
have to go through the long line. And when we are able to finish ahead
of others, we gloat at our resourcefulness without realizing that we
have added to our neighbor’s agony because the time that would have
rightfully been theirs was spent processing our transaction and have
unduly extended their pain of waiting. As Erly de Guzman of Galing Pilipino
is wont to say, “Ang gulang naging galing” and we think that being able
to put one over our neighbor as a sign of our being “maabilidad” and
“wais” is an achievement to be proud of..
“In
Nukso nang Nukso, Pugo is Mang Nano Batekabesa, the wily but lovable
'manggagantso' who concocts the most ingenuous scams to finance his
little vices, like jueteng or cockfighting.”
Talk about role models and screen heroes!
Put all of the aforementioned together
and a clearer picture emerges. We want to rise from an impoverished or
disadvantaged state we are in but either:
- we feel that somebody ought to do it for us because we long for a superhero to rescue us from our sorry state; or
- we
hope to do it ourselves but are too lazy to work for it and thus
desperately cling to the arrival of a quick-fix that will magically
transform our lives.
So we quietly endure our hardships while
waiting for the time to “have our day.” Then whenever an opportunity
presents itself where we can put one over our neighbor we grab it with
gusto and relish and gloat at the thought that we have once more
displayed our being “maabilidad” and “wais”. It somehow eases the pain
of discomfort of our disadvantaged state. After a while the distorted
sense of “galing” at being so “wais” above the rest has become so
pervasive that it has become a natural high that we indulge in it
purely for the simple joy of feeling good.
Sure, we may have felt guilty at times because
of our largely Christian upbringing. After all, we used to be the only
Christian nation in Asia. But we have become so adept at rationalizing
our shortcomings that we have managed to develop a value system that is
so convolutedly flexible and interchangeable.
When I was asked whether the ideals listed in “Ang ulirang Pinoy”
are interchangeable in rank I said “No.” They are listed precisely in
that order because they represent a hierarchy of values. In fact, the
order that they are supposed to be appreciated and implemented in one’s
life is as important as the values that they contain. Without putting
significance to the way that they are ordered is to invite ourselves to
fall prey to a distorted sense of morals. We have to learn to
dichotomize and prioritize whenever we are faced with the dilemma of
having to choose between two seemingly positive values. Otherwise we
end up with Mass-going, communion-receiving politicians who do not even
bat an eyelash in protecting their cronies in the name of “pakikisama”
and “utang na loob” because they put a premium on their fear of losing
peer approval more than their fear of God.
Yes we are a Christian nation but we have
fallen short of our Christian heritage. We have learned to love
ourselves but have continuously struggled over the “loving our neighbor
as we love ourselves” part.
In 2005 when I started the forum of Ang Bagong Pinoy it came out of a
frustration that 20 years after EDSA 1 we have hardly anything to show
for our victory. The son that I carried on the streets of EDSA who was
barely 1 year old then has now graduated from college. A generation has
passed. We were greatly moved by the experience of EDSA but it seems we
have barely moved since then.
We can’t keep on casting the blame on others
without looking at ourselves first. We can’t keep on casting the first
stone as if we have no sin that merits a stone being cast our way. We
have to try to first effect the change that we want to see in others in
ourselves.
Strive to be a better person. Strive to be a
more compassionate neighbor. Strive to love our neighbor as ourselves.
Strive to be a good citizen of this country. As Alexander Lacson has
written in his book, we can start with “twelve little things
every Filipino can do to help our country.” And then perhaps the dream
of a better Philippines will become a closer reality. Loving our
neighbor is at the heart of rebuilding our nation.
As Teacher Nelia Sarcol has so clearly expressed in her Filipino ideology of the Pearl Principle
, “strive not just to change from within but to effect change as well
within our sphere of influence.” For example, if someone cuts into my
lane while I’m driving, I will not curse the person nor pass judgment
on him or her because I do not know his/her personal circumstances and
I’m not in a position to judge. But I can always influence my wife, my
children and other people close to me not to do the same. I will be
doing both out of love for my neighbor. Those whom I influence will
also try to effect changes within their respective spheres. In due time
this will all come full circle. When that time comes, there might not
even be a need to cast a stone at all.
The miracle of Couples for Christ ’s Gawad Kalinga
has already shown the way to what the transforming love of Christ can
do to ordinary people and what these ordinary people can do to their
neighbors because of the transforming love of Christ
Let us not tire of doing the little things that
love requires. Day by day let us strive to build a character steeped in
love and imbued with compassion. During the graduation rites of my
youngest child, their First Honor said in her speech, “To reach our
objective, we must not tire of doing the little things every day, for
in the end, all of these things add up.”
Ang Bagong Pinoy - Building a better Philippines, one Filipino at a time
