A thought to be organized…

In my country, one would think we would never lose that character, which defines us as Asian or Filipino to be exact. Let us not discuss the legal, political, and social problems that citizens face among ourselves. Let us talk about families here. Being a third-world country does not excuse some of the behaviours that I have heard about and/or seen with my own eyes; tragic stories about families separated because fathers and mothers have to earn extra income abroad to sustain dependents in the motherland. I don’t disapprove of overseas foreign workers. What is unacceptable to me is when a father comes home with a mistress in tow or had impregnated another Filipino he met abroad. What is unacceptable to me is when the mother never returns home; instead has remained in the country of her work, feigned singlehood in the hopes of finding a foreign husband who would support her material needs. What is unacceptable to me is that she has abandoned and perhaps forgotten her children. When we have families, we should understand the responsibility and diligence to maintain and protect them. Otherwise, why do we even bother to have them? Let us not give human weakness as an excuse for the immoralities that we ALWAYS have the option to refuse. It is not easy and many give in to temptations. Is it our nature then to be weak most of the time? Are we not the highest form of intelligence? What then is the use of our brains? Do these individuals know what the real meaning of strength and greatness in character is?

This “weakness” should not be associated with economic difficulties at all. Acquaintances, friends, and relatives in “higher places” seem to fall victim to this contagious situation. It is hardly limited to a person’s financial status. Perhaps it might be more understood that with their ability to “buy” options, they willingly participate in acts unconventional by Asian society’s standards. Let us assume that most people acquired their wealth through hard work, determination, and perhaps superior intelligence. Then, we should not forget that they are the very people seen on television, read about in the newspapers; people who are managers and employers of other people who look up to them for instruction, advice, approval etc. There is then the need to exercise caution in projecting certain behaviour for the general population to model after. Setting this into their consciousness, it would perhaps override what might be a desire to display wanton behaviour. Essentially, we must remember the environment or society we live in. While external factors or influence make room for change, our identity that makes us Asian, if not Filipino, is under threat from mass media that seeks to provide information without as much consideration for censorship adhering to “traditional” Asian standards. This may be subject to debate by other Asians but we all know enough what has changed or what is changing. It is easier to embrace something that is new, fascinating, and possibly exciting than cling to a rigid generations-old system where we are constantly at odds with the very people who raised us. Well, to my knowledge, this system has produced some of the most upright, successful, and wealthy individuals I happen to know. …so what is wrong with the “old” system when the new one produces more warped individuals? We only have to look at what is happening everywhere in the world to know that this “new” society does not make it a better one. Unfortunately, it is a reality that we all embrace willingly or otherwise. There will come a time though when human tolerance will reach its limits and the fall of mankind will be its own doing. Racial and religious if not technological wars may just force us all to step back to barbaric conditions. Is this necessary to “wake” our society up? No one seems to be listening or wants to listen. Is this how low we have become? Our intelligence seems to have become watered down to just focus on ourselves. Whatever happened to the marriage of humanity and social conscience? Where did it go or has it actually left? At least the crocodile, despite its menacing appearance, has not changed much over a course of several million years. We accept it for the way it is. Its basic instinct is to hunt, to survive, and to have offspring; nothing more.

(posted 17th January, 2008 – Chevron Holdings, Inc.)