Posted by Emeterio
Many things are good about this country and its people. Can we stand listing some of them in order to get us out of poverty and corruption?
Woman's Evolution from Matriarchal Clan to Patriarchal Family
To lift the economy of a nation, some believe that it is important to educate the women of the country and put them in strategic positions. If you accept this proposition, we should be way ahead of everybody else. We honor, educate, and do not discriminate against our women folk. Facetiously, we cry for men's lib and not women's lib. Some truth to that, since we are a matriarchal society like some South Pacific islands. Our mothers would readily sacrifice anything they have for their children. Of course, there are exceptions but very rare. Parents, but especially the mothers, are interested in the education of their children. Somehow, they think this is the solution to poverty. There seems to be no limit to their wanting education. At times, however, education is confused with certificates of schooling or diplomas. The concept of education needs reorientation to full development of the child, spiritually, intellectually, physically, emotionally regardless of certifications. This may be a slight aberration that needs correction. This is a good quality of the Filipino family: The hunger for education, for it is a hunger.
We are a happy people from the city slickers to the slum dwellers to the mountain tribesman. They all have a smiling disposition. In some extreme cases, it can be a fault because it facilitates lack of rigor and commitment to excellence. The friendship comes ahead of accomplishment. But industriousness and dedication to set goals is often latent as shown by the migrants to Europe, America, and other places. The former barrio lass or listless employee in the Philippines become a dynamo for work and accomplishments abroad. Is it a paradox? Maybe. But what causes the transformation? Even in the Philippines, however. when challenged, especially when things are difficult, they all put their shoulders to the tasks. (This intensity for work and the cooperation may vanish when the group gets success or arrives on easy street. Quarrels about how to divvy the spoils arise.)
Mercy and forgiveness come naturally, perhaps even to excess, so that justice is forgotten. Short memories of offenses may be the easy way out. Progress and prosperity may be the victims of this forgetfulness. The Old Testament lex talionis: An eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth easily transforms into the New Testament's directives:
Love God above all things and love your neighbor as yourself. And beyond that: Love your enemies. Gentleness and lack of revenge may be a hindrance to progress but it is the teaching of the Lord. As a spiritual writer insists, if there were some other way of conquering the world, the Lord Jesus would have told us. But his teaching was one of mercy and meekness. These Gospel prescriptions somehow have taken deep root in the Filipino. (Some object that it is an exaggeration of what the Lord taught.)
What else? There are a lot more. Sipag at tiyaga are not only political slogans. They are deeply implanted seeds in the culture. Obedience and meekness are traits that can be exaggerated to a fault. Respect for elders is deeply ingrained. The idea of sharing is inculcated from childhood.
There is a tinge of conscience when one is not able to help a beggar. Purity is fostered in imitation of Mary. Tiis (long suffering) results in mababaw ang kaligayahan (easily satisfied). But when pushed to the limit, the Pinoy can blow up. Some say he has lost the early Christian trait of entrepreneurship and sacrificing everything else for the pearl of great price. No reason why we cannot get out of poverty and corruption. We can use a little more discipline and unity. But we can do it.
Some strengths: Our competent women, love for education, response to challenge, and rewards, forgiveness trait, industriousness, long suffering, purity, happy disposition, etc., are our weapons against the challenge of corruption and poverty.
