Finding Obama among us…

When America has found its historic president in the person of Barrack Obama, the world listens in awe and admiration. Even Filipinos, we felt the immediate connection when someone says, “change” and the “challenges will be met”. We sorely look for someone who can give us the marching orders to reform our society, from inefficiencies of a bloated government to our dysfunctional families. We long for someone who can captivate us by spellbinding speeches that government has to function the way it should be and work for the people. Governments like that of the American government and elsewhere, including ours should aspire to work for the common man and protect his interests. We had been under so much inefficiency, ineffectiveness and an uncaring government that all we hear are corruption, deceptions, denials and hubris.

Government should again regain its stronghold on its mandate to protect the future of our societies as well as secure our posterity with a clean and transparent system of governance. Philippine democracy can never be strong if the people are weak. We can never remain apathetic to plights of the poor among us, we can never remain uncaring for the homeless and we can never remain so condescending to those who have less in life. Our government must effectively change the way we live our lives and start the transformative change that we seek.

Because we have not cared enough, many young professionals have left us for foreign countries. We thought that the flourishing of placement agencies and manpower offices everywhere is a sign of prosperity. It only hastens the flight of our precious resource and it is our human capital. We have been producing doctors, nurses, engineers, teachers, and other professionals who opted to work overseas rather than staying where they are and help build on strong foundations of democracy and freedom at the same time embracing employment opportunities that will sustainably care for their fellowmen. Our so called “new heroes” are leaving us and we have not realized it. When they have left us, a child is without a nurse, without a classroom teacher, a book editor, doctor, and dentist. When they left us, children do not have effective and efficient engineers who will construct classrooms, roads and bridges. When they left us, we have no one to turn to in order to shape our future through their enterprising spirit and when they left; we pride ourselves of the many Filipinos overseas and in the long term, without realizing it, slowly emasculating our society. Our future is bleak because our democracy is weak. They left because, apart from economics, they have not understood our governance. Government has been so detached and out of reach. Our government has failed us and we question why people leave us for greener pastures abroad.

Seeking an Obama among us is hard but the search is not for naught. There are many among us who fought for what is right in every situation and circumstances. We envision for a much better and responsive government that protect our interests rather than those of whom government is manned. Government is not about people or leaders; it is about people’s needs being met by reformed policies and regulations that strengthens societies and upholds freedom by ensuring that economic justice can best be won by free men and women through unfettered enterprise. Governance is not about effecting change that benefits a few but effecting change that matters to the ordinary men and women. It is about caring for the people for them to pay us forward in terms of their talents, human resources, ideals, and principles, those intangibles that will make our nation great. It is about aspiring for the highest common good and it is, above all else, giving back to the people who have, for so long, endured to continually dream for a reformed society.