I was talking to my Grandpa and we had a conversation about the economic situation of the Philippines. Coming from a 3rd world country, I could identify the significant difference from living in the US. There is an overly corrupt system where money is tight to many low-income or to the no income families. This is why many people turn to their crops and their hands on work in the fields, raising cattle (which my Grandmother still does to obtain income), theft, criminal activities and the list goes on. When people have no hope of getting out of their current situation, people become bored and turn to unjust ways of living.
Don’t get me wrong, the PI has many great tourist attractions and many ways of living with the help of money; but, coming from the poorer side of the country, life is tough out there. Moving abroad is, itself, a blessing. That is why many people should be proud of the hard work their parents (and beyond) did to get out of the situation.
My grandpa and I talked about the Bataan Death March, because even though he was not a part of it, his father was; therefore, it has affected him. Now, I am not too factually informed about what happened in the march, but I do know how laborious it was for my grandpa’s dad. Imagine walking endless miles as punishment, and it was gruesome. On their first day, the men (and women?) had nothing to eat and resulted to eating grass or leaves from trees. Without knowing the other endeavors they went through, hearing that gave me an idea of how difficult it must have been to be in that situation.
That is the reason why I have the utmost respect for the people who are still alive today. I mean, man, you guys are heroes in my eyes.
Now, back to present day situation. Wouldn’t it have been a smarter move if the PI stayed under the rule of the US? Independence is an admirable trait, but how can you declare yourself independent if it means living with the fact that there are many children, adults, seniors who are dying on a daily basis from the lack of the the most essential thing in life: food. How can the government allow prostitution of young children, to be sold into other countries and be forced to sell their bodies? What kind of example are you showing to the next generations if children are being used as sexual objects?
I have family of many youngsters back in the PI, so you can probably hint how deeply troubled I am with this fact. But, like many situations in this world, there is always room for improvement. There are many ways to solve a problem. Right now, I’m afraid I need to focus on myself first in order to have the opportunity to help ease the pain of the people in the PI. But, don’t worry, I will make it happen.
