State of flux
Every generation must have been disappointed by the leaders they believed would bring about change, only to find out that they turned out to be as devious and unprincipled as those before them.
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Every generation must have been disappointed by the leaders they believed would bring about change, only to find out that they turned out to be as devious and unprincipled as those before them.
It’s easy to feel troubled by all that we see, hear or read about these days.
On one hand, there are outside forces that seem intent on stripping us of our sovereignty. On the other, we have the makings of an implosion, one wrought by a constant flood of issues that never seem to reach resolution.
Our current crop of leaders is facing controversies that could give some of them sleepless nights as they wonder how they might circumvent them by the time the next elections come around.
Meanwhile, the ordinary Filipino screams for deliverance, much like that poor farmer who broke down in tears while seeking justice for the cruelty of slave-labor compensation.
If you have been a voter for the last four decades, you might be wondering what has happened to “Pilipinas kong mahal.” And what of the “saviors” who would take us out of our suffering or propel the country to greater heights?
Our seasonal mindset — the one that thinks only of the next crisis or the next leader to put on a pedestal — has put us right where we are today.
Yet what keeps our nation strong despite its many troubles? What keeps our people going in spite of the endless wrangling? Today is our turn to reflect on the state of our nation.
One man will stand before us to deliver a report — one that covers the past year, or perhaps the period since 2022. It should tell us how well we have been doing, or not. What we will hear may please us, or not.
Whether we are inspired or perhaps become more disgruntled, the real issue is not about the personalities who are leading us. It is about how they have helped protect or strengthen our institutions. Will they leave them better than they found them?
More often than not, we focus on personality rather than ability. Our attention is far too easily captured by flash and swagger, imagining that the solution depends on one extraordinary individual.
Honesty, courage, vision, principle, competence and accountability should be expected of all, not just a few. The foundation of our nation should be built on values that endure.
The Philippines has relied on heroes for far too long. Yet every generation must have been disappointed by the leaders they believed would bring about change, only to find out that they turned out to be as devious and unprincipled as those before them.
Scandals do not make a nation, nor do the officials who are mired in them. How we rise and learn from them makes a nation. Personalities alone do not strengthen a nation — it is the institutions they have built to endure or restored to be worthy of the people’s trust.
So what is the state of our nation?
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