WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP OUR COUNTRY?

By Red Reyes

When I visited my relatives and friends in US and Norway , they shared to me their sentiments when they left our country to work and migrate abroad. They told me about their stories when they became idealists and they have lots of dreams for our country. They were the pioneers and best professionals of our country at that time. The sad part was when they saw hopelessness in the midst of corruptions and our economy is getting worse. The rich especially the politicians are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. They thought that going abroad is the only solution to this problem and working overseas is the only way that they can give a better future for their children.

Now, after all the hard works and sacrifices of being in far away lands just to provide a bright future for their families, they wish and long to go back home. They are now planning for their retirements but unfortunately, they observed that our country has now become worse. These are the things that they have observed:

Before, there were only few who are corrupt... But now there are thousands who are competing to accumulate a lot of wealth from our nation's treasury.

1. Before, we only talk of multi million of corruptions... But now, everyday,
we hear multi billions of corruptions in newspapers, radio, lower house
and senate hearings.

2. Before they left the Philippines to work abroad, there were lots of
homeless in our neighboring Asian countries, like Singapore, who
were sleeping in the streets. Now, it is the other way around. We
can look around thousands of beggars and homeless who are
sleeping in the streets, searching for leftover food in trash cans
and dumping area just to survive.

Our neighboring Asian countries like Singapore are now the developed countries and sad to say, we are already overtaken by Vietnam who was devastated by war in the 60s.

My relatives and friends in US and Norway realized that working abroad is not the only solution to the problem of our country.

They realized that it’s a wrong decision in turning their backs on our beloved country and leave it in the hands of selfish and ambitious leaders. Leaving unsolved problems is never the solution to our sufferings and predicament.

When they heard about the upright and moralists leaders like Governor Ed Panlilio of Pampanga, Gov. Grace Padaca of Isabela and Mayor Robredo of Naga City, other members of Kaya Natin, moralist group led by Chief Justice Reynato Puno and like-minded groups….who stood for the crusade of good governance and responsible citizenship, they saw a bright light at the end of the dark tunnel.

They realized that there is still a truly powerful tool to overthrow and get rid of all the TRAPOS, to end this massive corruption and to have a bright future for our country. This is the Sacredness and Power of our VOTES in 2010.

May we, therefore, invite unregistered voters, especially the youth, to register and make a difference for our country and for the future generations.