Tuesday, October 9, 2007

"OK, before we go any further, can I check those diplomas? Because I would just like to make sure they are not from some med school in the Philippines.” - Susan Mayer, Desperate Housewives

This quotation has raised so many Filipino brows these past few days and I am telling you, this has been the talk of the town prior to Manny Pacquiao's sweet triumph.

Not that I never took pride in being brown and Filipina at that, but there is a slice of truth on this. If we really go dig deep enough, its not them who has problem with us - its us.

We really cannot blame them for looking down on us - let's not forget about the cheating in the 2006 Nursing board exam, the numerous TNT's, fake VISAs and yes, even those nasty illegal recruiters. This list can go on, the bottom line is - before we even try to react violently to what other nations think and see of us and demand them to apologize, let's make sure that there isn't any basis.

Sometimes the problem is we like to complain all the time (I am guilty of this, too - complaining) without even doing anything. What exactly are we contributing for this country to make this a better place for it's native?

A lot of good men and women already left the country - all for greener pasture. True enough, there isn't enough job opportunity for every Juan Dela Cruz and we have a leader who encourages the native to leave the country because our economy is banking on the OFWs remittances.

I have nothing against OFWs, in fact - in my eyes, they are in my list of heroes. Its just that it pains me to see these talented Filipinos leave and serve other nations. Masakit lang isipin kung minsan na ang nakikinabang sa galing and talento ng maraming Filipino ay hindi ang Pilipinas.

There are gazillions of reasons why sometimes, I would want to leave but I also have reasons why I am choosing not to. I look at the future and hopes that one day, no single Filipino will have to leave this country for a greener pasture. Pangarap ko yan talaga. Patuloy kong dinaladalangin yan. The current situation of this country is blur but I choose to hope and believe that there is a light at the end of a long and dark tunnel.

Ninoy Aquino once said that the Filipino is worth dying for but I'd say that the Philippines and its native are worth living for.