In lieu of re-education camps

Any administration or government that actually thinks they can live up to the expectations of today’s Filipinos have to be men and women of absolute faith or are absolutely insane.

Anyone who spends enough time studying “Filipinos” in Metro Manila and around the country will ultimately come to the conclusion that Filipinos are very opinionated and also very misinformed or confused about the facts.

Most of them don’t know or simply overlook the difference between a legislator and an “executive”, the same way half of Filipino drivers can’t read signs or understand traffic laws.

They look to national leadership to address their local concerns, while they go to local executives to address their personal or financial needs in the same way they think that a yellow light means drive faster or that the emergency lane is theirs to use in order to overtake.

Many legislators insist on promoting the big lie that legislators also need to “give away” money just like the executive branch does. So it is no surprise that Filipinos don’t know the difference, and why we have a political system ruled by the purse.

We are a nation of biases and misconceptions. We have lingering prejudice towards government institutions and the civil or government service. We have institutionalized fear or contempt of anything associated with the military, while we recklessly assume that all media know what they’re talking about especially the bolder and the louder ones.

Plainly put, we are a nation with an “attitude problem”.

We have unreasonable expectations from the government. We restrict our involvement as citizens, and we act like landlords on city streets, social media or private parties. We act like we know it all and that’s where the damage is done. We merely act but don’t dare to prove ourselves right or wrong.

So what can any government possibly do in the face of such a “damaged society”?

The usual menu will undoubtedly be put in place by the P-Noy administration to pacify the impatient brood of malcontents while the government tries to get things off the ground in the area of tax collection, anti-corruption and baking sweet bread with the media.

However, all these are momentary items that others have done before and will continue to be duplicated by others long after President “Noy” has “married and lived happily ever after”.

In a previous column about two circles to infinity, I respectfully suggested to President Benigno Aquino III to seriously reflect or ponder on the vision of overhauling the government civil service in order to institutionalize professionalism, customer service, improve collections on duties, taxes and fees.

Ideally, all of these would ultimately achieve the “P-Noy” goal of reducing or eradicating corruption when he establishes a civil service where people take pride and fully appreciate their role as well as the benefits that come with their titles.

Following up on the “two circles to infinity”, I once again respectfully suggest to President “Noy” to consider embarking on a “RE-EDUCATION CAMPAIGN” aimed at every Filipino but especially to the younger generation who might still be saved from an “INHERITANCE OF PREJUDICE”.

Lately I have heard a number of very useful, practical and helpful infomercials on behalf of the DOH, DOST, and PAGASA. These revolve on informing the public about disease and disasters and what they should know, what they can do and what they can avoid. I am totally convinced that these messages have become ingrained in the minds of listeners like myself.

In the early years when the China of today was but a struggling movement, one of the most effective and important aspects of evolution and revolution was their “propaganda” or what today would be called “messaging” or mission-vision statements.

Whether you read the “Little Red Book” or “the greatest book ever written – The Holy Bible”, the undeniable fact is no movement, vision or mission comes complete unless those involved constantly declare and reaffirm an ideal, a motto or a mantra.

For decades and generations, we as a people have very few “positive” or uplifting statements to make about ourselves, our people, or our nation. We have been quick to condemn Pinoys and compare ourselves to crabs in a wastebasket of Ali Baba and the forty thieves.

Now would be a good time for the “P-Noy” administration to initiate a “Love your people, Love your nation” campaign. Don’t lose the momentum from the funeral of “Tita Cory” to the campaign and inaugural of “P-Noy”. We should gather the musicians, the artists and the communicators to come up with “feel good to be Pinoy” messages that we can all share and declare to each other.

If we want real change, the change cannot just be in administration or the form of government. We need to pro-actively change the mindset or the attitudes of Filipinos. We need to replace what is bad and counter-productive or automatically uncooperative in our mindset.

It is scary to talk or think about “re-education camps” because they bring up visions of communists in Vietnam or China.

But when you really think about it, no government can ever satisfy a mind that simply chooses to defy. Today, Vietnam and China are probably more capitalist than their worst enemies. China has risen to be just as powerful as America.

That happened because the people had the right attitude and believed.

Perhaps it’s about time we re-educate ourselves and rediscover the good and the godly in all of us. –Cito Beltran (The Philippine Star)