I just watched the eulogy of Kris Aquino in youtube and could not stop crying incessantly. Just the opening salvo of the first part of the video already made me remember Cory and the second part which contained the vow was just as equally moving. And even though I am not a big fan of Kris, I am now beginning to understand that God can still write straight with our crooked lines. When she made a vow to support her brother to carry on what their parents have started because the two of them are in the best positions to do so, I begin to feel some kind of hope for the Philippines again. The Aquino couple, Ninoy and Cory have indeed given so much of themselves for the Filipinos and keep on insisting that the Filipinos are worth fighting for, even when a lot of others would think otherwise. I think what is most remarkable with these two leaders are their profound devotion to our Lady who have been with them in their struggle to help this country which always seem to be struggling with the problems of poverty and corruption.
A close family friend, Fr. Ben Nebres who happens to be the president of Ateneo de Manila University gave a homily in honor of President Corazon Aquino. What struck me the most was this line. 'We thank her for leading us, we who are a not an easy people to lead. We are often a difficult and fractious nation. There must have been times when she felt like crying out with Moses in Exodus: “How can I alone bear the crushing burden that you are, along with your bickering”.' I could not agree more. I think I mentioned in my previous blogs that I have been reading the Bible in a marathon fashion and I have already finished with the New Testament, and have been so amazed to find so many things written there that I never thought happened. Now I am in the Old Testament and at the part where Moses already died and the Israelites are entrusted to the new prophet Joshua. So I have seen how Moses struggled with leading the Israelites and indeed how rebellious and stubborn they could be. This just reminded me of the Filipinos back home.
Prior to our own exodus from the Philippines, I have been saying that the Filipinos who constantly flock the street with their rallies will never find a leader who they will find worthy enough to lead them. Even if the Pope himself will become the president, they will always find something wrong about the system and the leadership and will still go to the streets and rally. I think it's a form of livelihood, lifestyle or something. It's a rebellious nation. And those who have been praying and hoping for a new leader, a better leader, a good leader to lead this nation into salvation, are still in the dark whether the time will ever come when someone can fill that position. And I guess just like a lot of well-meaning Filipinos, I am still one of those who continue to hope, eventhough when I am also beginning to doubt.
Being here in a foreign land makes me see the tremendous difference in the system. The most obvious difference is the order with which things are being done and implemented. I have described before how efficient people are in providing the services needed without additional bribe money. I guess it's part of the poverty mentality. Because the Philippines have been in lack and impoverished for such a long time that the people have gotten used to the struggle. There always seem to be a struggle to get ahead, to be the first, otherwise you will be left with nothing. Even in church, you can see this scarcity mentality. When you fall in line for communion, people would rush to the center aisle. Sometimes, people in line would even refuse to make you cut in. There is that fear that the hosts would not be enough for the people. You have to go first. And there is some basis for this. Because I have seen how it is during Christmases or Holidays when indeed the church runs out of hosts. So at the end of the line, you only get 1/8 of a host or a teeny-tiny crumb or worst, you leave the line not having received the body of Christ at all. But here in the US, there is order. People know that there will always be enough for everyone. So they fall in line row by row. Nobody goes to the center aisle from the back row ahead of the ones in the front row in a hasty fashion.
This attitude is also evident on the road. When you drive here, people are more generous in giving way and making you enter a lane. Then traffic flows more freely. No car would go out of the line to get ahead of the others. Again, a far contrast to what we experience back home. Takot malamangan. Again, another poverty mentality. That's why I totally support Bo Sanchez's efforts in combatting this poverty and scarcity mentality because that is what's keeping the nation from improving. Because of this mentality, the people are inhibited from thinking outside of themselves and their family. Greediness and selfishness are nurtured from this mentality. It is then important to think of the world as abundant and have more than enough for everyone. Again, this is easier said than done when you are in the Philippines, especially when you experience being taken advantaged of.
That's why my admiration goes for the late Aquinos who gave so much of themselves for the Philippines and my hope is that Kris and Noynoy would make good their promise to follow the footsteps of their parents. My prayer is that a new generation of believers be honed by God to lead the nation and put order and system to this nation which has been struggling for years and years. And may the constituents be blessed with the grace to believe and follow the new leaders.
A close family friend, Fr. Ben Nebres who happens to be the president of Ateneo de Manila University gave a homily in honor of President Corazon Aquino. What struck me the most was this line. 'We thank her for leading us, we who are a not an easy people to lead. We are often a difficult and fractious nation. There must have been times when she felt like crying out with Moses in Exodus: “How can I alone bear the crushing burden that you are, along with your bickering”.' I could not agree more. I think I mentioned in my previous blogs that I have been reading the Bible in a marathon fashion and I have already finished with the New Testament, and have been so amazed to find so many things written there that I never thought happened. Now I am in the Old Testament and at the part where Moses already died and the Israelites are entrusted to the new prophet Joshua. So I have seen how Moses struggled with leading the Israelites and indeed how rebellious and stubborn they could be. This just reminded me of the Filipinos back home.
Prior to our own exodus from the Philippines, I have been saying that the Filipinos who constantly flock the street with their rallies will never find a leader who they will find worthy enough to lead them. Even if the Pope himself will become the president, they will always find something wrong about the system and the leadership and will still go to the streets and rally. I think it's a form of livelihood, lifestyle or something. It's a rebellious nation. And those who have been praying and hoping for a new leader, a better leader, a good leader to lead this nation into salvation, are still in the dark whether the time will ever come when someone can fill that position. And I guess just like a lot of well-meaning Filipinos, I am still one of those who continue to hope, eventhough when I am also beginning to doubt.
Being here in a foreign land makes me see the tremendous difference in the system. The most obvious difference is the order with which things are being done and implemented. I have described before how efficient people are in providing the services needed without additional bribe money. I guess it's part of the poverty mentality. Because the Philippines have been in lack and impoverished for such a long time that the people have gotten used to the struggle. There always seem to be a struggle to get ahead, to be the first, otherwise you will be left with nothing. Even in church, you can see this scarcity mentality. When you fall in line for communion, people would rush to the center aisle. Sometimes, people in line would even refuse to make you cut in. There is that fear that the hosts would not be enough for the people. You have to go first. And there is some basis for this. Because I have seen how it is during Christmases or Holidays when indeed the church runs out of hosts. So at the end of the line, you only get 1/8 of a host or a teeny-tiny crumb or worst, you leave the line not having received the body of Christ at all. But here in the US, there is order. People know that there will always be enough for everyone. So they fall in line row by row. Nobody goes to the center aisle from the back row ahead of the ones in the front row in a hasty fashion.
This attitude is also evident on the road. When you drive here, people are more generous in giving way and making you enter a lane. Then traffic flows more freely. No car would go out of the line to get ahead of the others. Again, a far contrast to what we experience back home. Takot malamangan. Again, another poverty mentality. That's why I totally support Bo Sanchez's efforts in combatting this poverty and scarcity mentality because that is what's keeping the nation from improving. Because of this mentality, the people are inhibited from thinking outside of themselves and their family. Greediness and selfishness are nurtured from this mentality. It is then important to think of the world as abundant and have more than enough for everyone. Again, this is easier said than done when you are in the Philippines, especially when you experience being taken advantaged of.
That's why my admiration goes for the late Aquinos who gave so much of themselves for the Philippines and my hope is that Kris and Noynoy would make good their promise to follow the footsteps of their parents. My prayer is that a new generation of believers be honed by God to lead the nation and put order and system to this nation which has been struggling for years and years. And may the constituents be blessed with the grace to believe and follow the new leaders.
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