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I was struck by an incomprehensible sadness while reading the documents sent by hny's relatives from Canada. One of the documents is a bilingual certificate of their new citizenship, the other one, a letter from the minister on multiculturalism congratulating them for choosing Canada as their new home. They are now Canadian citizens.
Their story is the story of the millions of Filipinos who are taking their chances in other countries in search for greener pastures. However, unlike OFWs who still maintain their citizenship, migrants opt to relinquish their being a Filipino not only to earn money but secure their family's future in terms of health, education and a lot of other benefits that our own government fails to provide. By the virtue of a piece of paper, you no longer pledge allegiance to the red, yellow, and blue flag that you have known since birth, rather to an entirely different flag with a maple leaf emblazoned on it. This means goodbye to the blighted cities, the polluted streets and potholed roads, goodbye to families, relatives, and friends you have known since you were small. Welcome to a brighter and promising future.
On the bleaker side, I can't help but think of a lifetime of poverty for those who do not have the choice to leave; to the farmers who are forever tied to lands they cannot own, to the laborers at the azucarera in Negros who barely eat thrice a day, to the thousands of children begging for alms, illiterate, sick, dying. This is poverty and 26.5 million Filipinos are suffering from it.
Who have not heard of fathers leaving their children to work in Saudi, of mothers who enslave themselves in Hong Kong, of brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles in different parts of the world who send pictures with a lot of smiles while their eyes tell otherwise. This is how poverty dehumanize people.
The Philippine Senate reported that seven to eight million Filipinos live and work abroad, almost 2, 374 leave the country everyday. Clearly, it's a fight or flight response against poverty.
In the future, I will face the same dilemma: should I stay or should I leave? The worst option perhaps is changing my citizenship from Filipino to another, not for me alone but more importantly for the sake of my children. But, is leaving the real option? Maybe, maybe not. I'll cross the bridge when I get there. As of now, I still want to believe and earnestly hope that this country will be able to survive the phenomenon that is Argentina. As long as there are people who serve the country unselfishly, as long as there are Filipinos who dream for the betterment of this society, no matter how few they may be, life is worth living in the Philippines.
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Labels: Life, reflections
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galing naman ng artik mo...indeed it's a flight or fight thing. either way there's no right or wrong or less nationalistic in this case. we are still all pinoys and should unite to save pinas from becoming the next argentina. easier said, herculean even, but together we can, and we know it...we just have to roll up our sleeves and buckle down to work. every one and every deed counts.
thanks, tin, for the angsty post.
percolatte said...
1:32 AM
hear! hear! i don't think all is lost. we'll all make these kinds of decisions sooner or later and i hope we'll be guided.
Bubbles said...
8:44 AM