Jerika Marie A. Arceo IV-Einstein
Essay: What is Good Government to Me?
Welcome to the Philippines! Welcome to the 7,107 islands of pure magic, mystery, and mayhem.
The Philippines is a third world country; we are all aware of this. Just a stroll down the streets of the metro will slap the reality on your face-street children almost everywhere, middle-aged men shouting their voices out selling fake, pirated, and illegal DVD’s, and the stench and untidiness of the streets. Just the mere feeling of non-security that you get and the fear of possible death whenever you wander alone make you feel unsafe in your own country and own home. Jobs are not being offered to everyone, and if you are not wise or smart enough you would end up being jobless for quite a long time. Prices in the market are so soaring while paychecks and wages drop to the floor. Political and extrajudicial killings are widespread, and the corruption here is even worse. In a span of a little over a decade, the Philippines went from “Asia’s Tiger Economy” to one of Asia’s Most corrupted country. And to top it all off, the kind of mentality that majority of the Filipinos have is that they would not even strive to have a better life, more so, they tend to make other people’s lives even worse than their current state. Many Filipinos still lack those vital characteristics of discipline, drive, and determination to succeed and to aspire more.
It may be true that we have a literacy rate as high as 95%, but still, so many Filipinos are finding it difficult to comprehend the fact that our system has a great, big defect in it.
For almost twenty years now, the Philippines’ type of government is democratic. This type could not have been that bad. In a democratic country, the power is in the people; it is in the hands of the majority. The nation has the power to decide whoever they would like to lead them through the power of voting. Freedom here is the key term and it is being emphasized that each and every person is born with his rights that everyone else has to respect. Countries like the United States of America, Japan, and South Korea have a democratic type of government, and these countries are global economic leaders.
But too much of a good thing can be a bad thing, too. Our leaders are being blinded by their power and position, and they exercise their so-called “rights” too much. Once in authority, every word that came out of their mouths during the days that they were campaigning and gaining the votes of the people, their platform and promises of a “better tomorrow”, everything vanishes and the hope they gave to the people becomes nothing but a dream.
Here are some things that the government either lacks or is bursting at the seams with.
Political dynasty. The same names have been seen by different generations. To the people and citizens of the Philippines, words like Aquino, Marcos, Roxas, and Binay are not just letters combined to make verbal sounds- no. These are words that have the power to make the whole nation wear yellow and make a statement in pop culture. These are words that can make nuns pray circling a military tank in the middle of EDSA. These are the words that can either unite the whole nation or segregate them and classify into groups of what-color-you-are-wearing-on-election-day. There was even a time in my childhood when I thought that the late senator Benigno Servillano “Ninoy” Aquino Jr and his son, the current man of the house, Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III is one person. I bet I was not alone.
For so many years now, the aforementioned names have been easily associated with politics. This makes governing so monotonous, giving little or no room for improvement or progress. In a political dynasty, one can not help but be a conservative when it comes to reform and development. The same ideology and and mentality will be passed on from father to a son, husband to wife, brother to sister. Political dynasty also creates a sort of a turmoil among the people, when opposing ideas from opposing sides clash and neither wants to give way. Again as I have said, these names have the power to divide the people into groups that have various mindset and state of mind. Who has not heard of pre- and post- election killings?
Transparency. Or should I say, lack of transparency, is the root of all corruption. Civilians and ordinary citizens have no idea where their taxes go. There may have been some development in infrastructure and economy (in terms of GDP) during previous administrations, but this is not what the tax payers are worth crediting for. The Philippines should have been a rich country, with over a thousand virgin islands that is oozing with potential as centers of tourism and industrialization. Every year, so many graduates from premiere universities are competent enough to make it to the mainstream of the global economy. Some of the richest men in the world call the Philippines home, and in here is where the world’s third largest (in terms of land area) mall is situated. But despite all this, we are still at the bottom of the progress pyramid. Why, you may ask? It is because we have the means, we just do not have the money- it is in a place that is allergic to the public eyes. It is justified too much broadcasting of government concerns can be dangerous too, but the people should know- or should at least feel- that they are not stuck in a stagnant state of living.
Double standard. This is for the poor, and that is for the rich. This is a mentality that seems to feast on the minds of Filipinos for so many years now. A barrier seems to exist among brackets and classes; people may have taken the term “poverty line” quite literally. A virtual Caste system is building up among the classes and the true essence of democracy is being forgotten. Stereotyping is something that is evident in the most common places, and we may not be aware of it. In government hospitals, some doctors tend to prioritize patients that are groomed and look like they belong to the upper class, and at the same time tend to discriminate patients that do not look as hygienic as the others. Some poverty-stricken individuals can not even step into a high-end establishment without getting head-to-toe looks from the well-off. Discrimination and prejudice are in the air.
Some government agencies tend to pigeonhole, too. Getting an insurance and agency benefits is not as easy as when you are merely a civilian. There are so many under-the-table transactions that the public is unaware of. Yes, our officials do deserve good treatment and a handful of privileges, but then again, too much of a good thing can turn into something bad. The gap between the people on top and below of the poverty line is fast increasing, and there has got to be something to do about this.
And finally, last but probably the most important of all, a good government must possess unity and harmony among its elements. No matter how much change and reform is being implemented in a nation, lack of unity will always lead to nowhere. Any entity, with one common goal among its constituents, and with the drive and determination to achieve that goal, will always end up victorious. That is what good governance is all about ; priming your people to strive for the better and making them see and realize the tomorrow that you have envisioned for them. Good governance is about directing- not dictating- and leading the people to the right path. Good governance is boldly and open-heartedly taking the responsibility of being the front man, and yet knowing exactly how it feels like being the ordinary man.