Another Pinoy Perspective for the Filipino’s way of Living

photo credit: Alessandro Perilli

Thank you very much everyone for your comments on a recent post regarding the SONA (year 2008). Such reactions depict the feeling of most Filipinos regarding SONA promises put into stone. Most of us (Filipinos), currently does not believe anything the government says and it’s a sad reality to show the world how much we demean our own government. Much as I would like to blame everything to the government, I can’t help but think there are other factors involved for such issues to happen.

One of them, in the perspective of a global scale, is Economics. Global economy is not held by one system. Oil price hikes, world trades, decreasing dollar value, etc. These things work in their own way and each country in the world is affected by it. If you think about it, an individual’s first and foremost motto is to survive. Each individual doesn’t want to be striked down by these changes and as human beings, we tend to do what it takes even against the code of our morals to get the necessities and wants that constitutes our lifestyle. Yes, we all hate gamblers, thieves, prostitutes, drug lords, beggars, etc. But can we blame all of them for the lack of education that was deprived of them due to poverty? Can we blame them if they needed bread on their table and money isn’t with them to bring them that? Can we blame them if they love their children or family too much to risk their lives just to feed them? Can we blame them if we, the better-off, often ignore their existence when they ask for a bit of help?

I bet you are thinking, blame the government. They are not doing their job well. They are all corrupt, greedy political individuals using their positions to garner a large percentage of country funds for personal needs.

Time and again, yes, that is true. Even I believe that one time or another especially since my Dad is one of those who absolutely detest the workings of our government. Do you think though, that these corrupt officials are doing these things because they were born to do so? I don’t think so. I think they are also doing this to survive, and because of this instinct, this brings us to the second factor of my opinion, which is Temptation.

Admit it, you would have done something in the past that could be wrong but still you pursued it to get what you want or get out of a situation. A lot have done that. All of us did. I know people who are very hardworking, loyal, loving to their families, persevering, intellectual, etc. But if worse comes to worse and they can do something to make up for a mistake or a situation, they will do it.

Example, this may seem mild but it can prove my explanaton above. I know people, who as students, persevered hard to get good or at least average grades in school. They do their best while taking on part-time jobs to help their families. I know someone who failed an RTC course. He needed a good grade badly and to make good use of his ‘people’ skills, he went to the faculty lounge of his RTC officers, told of his situation and discreetly handed them a bottle of fine wine. You know what his teachers did? They changed his grade on the spot. This student got his grade and his teachers got free wine. Everybody happy right? But I bet you are thinking that it is “WRONG” and “UNFAIR” for the students who worked really hard. But the student needed the grade badly and even if it is against his usual character to do such things, he was tempted to do it.

In a work situation, common scenario is a group finishing a project. When a project goes very well, the team leader would usually get all the praise and some would not give credit to their team mates, who could have done equal or even more load of the work. This leader may take on a promotion and his team mates could be left behind. He could have placed in a bit of credit to his team mates to at least give a share of the reward, even if it is not a promotion. These things do happen. The team leader may have not meant to forget his team mates but may have badly needed the promotion to fend for family or loved one that needed his financial support. We all know that human love knows no boundaries and would do anything for the people they love.

We may have called it differently such as ‘utak’ or ‘diskarte’. In most cases, these situations may seem little things since not much harm is done as we see it. It’s a small thing but it is wrong. Yet, it is our own survivial we are fighting for. I tend to think that our politicians didn’t start out ‘evil’ as we think. They were aslo tempted to fight or attain a way of living.

Yes, most of them are wrong but we haven’t reach done much but complain haven’t we? There are already a lot of group protestors to take on the fights against the government but their action of rallying across streets are becoming now more of annoyance than help. Most of us do not seem to notice what they are fighting for and still complain. If us, the better-sort, and I don’t mean the rich and famous, rather those who could eat three times a day, attend school or already graduated, have a roof on our heads, can go to the mall once in a while, etc., could do more than just complain, then maybe there could be some improvement in our way of living or in our government.

How about teaching children the virtue of hard-work and good moral conducts? How about teaching them the value of helping others? How about we put into our system the value of giving a bit to the poor and charities to lessen beggars found on the streets? How about giving a bit of our salary to educational systems that help children with no education to learn?

There are ways with us sharing a bit even if we don’t have to work much. I, for one, am now trying to find a charity I could give a bit of my money. You could try to do the same. I just found a list here.

Some of the charities listed are the ff:
1 Springboard Foundation
2 SOS Children’s Villages in the Philippines
3 The Purple Rose Campaign
4 ReachOut Foundation International
5 Philippine Children’s Fund of America
6 People’s Recovery Empowerment Development Assistance or Preda
7 Loving Care Street Kids Foundation
8 Bahay Bata Center, Angeles City
9 Visayan Forum Foundation
10 Buklod Center
11 Tingog sa Kabataan
12 Salvation Army
13 ECPAT Philippines
14 CHILDHOPE ASIA PHILIPPINES
15 Tambayan Center
For more charities, go here.

I also found this video in youtube depicting “Buhay Pinoy”, maybe with these, it could help you a charity to help if you are willing to do so.

I also think this video shows how much us Filipinos complain when we lack discipline in ourselves and how much we ignore our poor brothers and sisters.

As a final note, let us not complain too much anymore of how things are. How about trying to find ways as Filipinos to better our lives and our future. Teach our children proper values so our future leaders would be righteous and good. Give a bit to the needy to lessen povery. Let us all be brothers and sisters as Filipinos for a better future.

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