A cause greater than ourselves

Thursday, 23 October 2008 00:00

Written by Jess Ang

(First of two parts) Thirty years ago, I left my beloved Philippines disheartened that our country was still under Martial Law and the voice of democracy silenced by the corrupt Marcos regime. I carried with me the sad memories of the failed struggle to bring genuine democratic reforms and the martyrdom of countless men and women who offered their lives and lost their freedom so that tyranny would not prevail. Never giving up hope, I embark on a journey to achieve the American dream so that when the fruits of my hard labor became a reality, I can come back to share the blessings with my fellow Filipinos.

Several decades later, with the blessing of the Divine Providence and the guiding support of my hardworking and dedicated wife, that dream has now been realized. I have reached the peak of my career where I have received the respect of the medical community in the treatment of the mentally ill. We have raised four wonderful children who have done well in their chosen careers. Yet despite these successes, there has been an increasing longing on my part to serve the land of my birth and the reservoir of many happy and sad memories. The calling has been more profound after seeing our country continuing to decline, beset with corruption at all levels of society and the widening gap between the rich and the poor.

I recalled a man who on August 21, 1983 came home after 10 years of imprisonment and exile with a vision of restoring democracy and social justice. He was a man of great courage who made a journey back home despite the fear that death awaited him. He counseled those fears with the belief that the Filipinos are worth dying for. On that day when he set foot on our soil, his dream was cut short, gunned down by the cowardly assassins of the corrupt regime. This Filipino hero was Ninoy Aquino. His brutal and tragic death brought tears to my eyes and profound grief to our nation.

Three years later, the courage and resolve of our people to the repressive hardship and through the intercession of our Blessed Mother, the Marcos dictatorship was overturned and democracy finally restored.

Twenty years after the People’s Revolution, the dream of a just, caring and peaceful society became more out of reach. Corruption has infiltrated all levels of our society that a great majority of our people have become cynical, questioning the value of honesty and fairness. Poverty continues to rise with the poor being exploited by political leaders who offer no sustainable program to pull them out of their misery. The middle class under heavy burden of taxes is gradually eroding.

The expanded economic growth which the current and prior governments see as their crowning achievement is not felt by most of our people. Sadly, the recent rise in our economic growth is the product of the blood, sweat and tears (hard work) of our fellow Filipinos who go abroad to find jobs that can give food and decent shelter to their suffering families. However, the price of such sacrifice has been too steep.

Families are dislocated with broken homes and broken hearts. Some spouses, due to feelings of loneliness and absence of companionship, became unfaithful. Some children who were left behind become defiant, quit school, and resort to alcohol and drug abuse. Countless domestic workers have been abused, mistreated, raped, and even killed.

Tragically, our politicians from both sides continue to offer no comprehensive solutions to out nation’s ills. They continue to present the same failed solutions by placing their hopes in one leader yet that leader has no clear vision and with an integrity that is in question. It is in this spirit that our nation needs to be awakened and that our people need to make a stand. Enough is enough. Change is now and by all. While we need to make great efforts to elect public officials who have integrity, honesty and competence, we also need to transform ourselves. We need to have a movement that addresses the ills of our society and place the major responsibility in each and everyone of us to find the solutions.

(Watch out for the second part)

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