Still a Tropical Paradise

A pensioner with wisdom of a homespun philosopher and with whom i share small talks about community going ons never forgets to pepper his speech with litany on distrust and loathing at the bureacracy of the government. The private corporate world, even, does not escape his scathing criticism over its unreliability in terms of reciprocating its employees loyalty. He would say: "They are just going to use and exploit you." I can't help but remain mum as he goes on with his spiel of street-wisdom commentary/monologue. Though, I sometimes think this is brought about by the previous night's lousy shag.

Yet, if this country is would turn into one big television show and the main actors are the whole population of the archipelago, the show can aptly given the title The Withering Banana Republic. Every actor's scripted lines will express nothing but how pitiful and miserable it is to live in this country. It basically no redemption on its continuous spiral plummet down the abyss of national destitiution.

Indeed, wherever one goes, at a small street caucus of grumpy old men, inside the transport vehicle one rides to go to work and back home, along the street where on the newstand scream the stark headlines on the country's abject political state, and even in your own home where the radio blares the voices of news commentators, the general outlook of the Filipinos leans toward a pessimistic attitude and hopelessness about the country.

I never cease to hear from the mouths of old people their feeling of nostalgia for the "good old days." They would harp like out of tuned violin that 'those days were better compared to now.'

They complain about the bad social and health services of the government; the rampant and increasing rate of crime; the unbridled corruption done by politicians; the blatant abuse of power by the police authorities; and with a stark, fearful belief that the government exists only to rip them off.

I have no recourse than keep my silence and bear listening to their complains since I have nothing to offer as a salvation to their deluded life-enforced perception about the country, and even about the world.

They are, in a way, the products of the messy mismanagemet done by the leaders of the past generations.

But the worse, for me, that you can hear from them is: "Buti pa sa America mas maganda buhay." Then begins another litany of how good American life is.

If only these people have seen the documentaries done by the filmaker Michael Moore about the true state of the streets in the States, probably they would reconsider their paens to the global empire that has a role in their hard, miserable lot.

There is one modern social wisdom appropriate on this case; every citizen of a country almost always complains about his own country. True, indeed.

For I rarely hear any good thing about a certain country unless the ones who are speaking are the diplomats and ambassadors or their advertising work force under the payroll of their department of tourisms.

Methinks, if you cannot bear the shortcomings of this country, and you really feel the urge and passionate about what you see as wrong, and you want a change, get your butt off the couch and do something about it. Go on a hunger strike along the middle of Ayala Ave. if need be to drive your viewpoint. (But that is already an exaggeration.)

Warts and all, this country is still, and is, a beatiful tropical country. Just consider the prevalent weather throughout they year.

Hey, every day is almost summer here. You can just go around in comfortable t-shirt and jeans. If that is ot a paradise of a country, I don't know what is.