Grant me the courage to change the things I can…
If you are a superhero, who would you choose to be, to change the Philippines? Will you be Wonder Woman, so you can lasso all the bad guys? Batman, or Robin perhaps, or a modern day mutant Robin Hood to defend the helpless against the corrupt? Or, as Superman?
If you have superhuman superpower, how would you change the Philippines? BUT does it really take superhuman strength to get our country “out of the dark”, as Gary V sang once upon a time?
Sometimes I fantasize that way.. “if only I were…” However, I’M NOT. But just because I’m an ordinary citizen with no power, clout or influence, doesn’t mean I can’t make a difference in our nation.
Listen to a lament by Tina Vitas:
Filipinos have a proclivity to accept things as they are because “that’s how they’ve always been,” while perpetually complaining about their less than ideal state of affairs.
In a way, this is such a prevalent mindset in our country, and so it’s no small wonder why we’ve stayed stagnant and colonized for so long. But as Tina narrates in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, we can change our neighborhood, and little by little maybe the whole country will be filled with light.
I noticed that a stretch of De La Rosa Street, between Legaspi Street and Makati Avenue, was pitch-black at night. Since I walk whenever I can to avoid traffic, it caused me some discomfort to walk on a dimly lit street — in the central business district, no less.
On May 11, I e-mailed Rick Yupangco of Ayala Land Inc., requesting him to speak to the Ayala Museum management to keep its building lights on after 9 p.m. Knowing how slow everything happens in the Philippines, I braced myself for a long wait, thinking realistically that this street should be lit by December 2006.
Around June 16, I noticed a lamppost in the middle of the block, across the street from Ayala Museum, illuminating the once-dark street. I thank the group of people who made this happen. Congratulations!
A lone light shining in the darkness makes a difference. Ask anyone who had tripped walking in the dark in the middle of the night, going to the bathroom.
So it doesn’t take superhuman strength after all. Courage. That’s what makes a superhero.
Tell us your stories, the little and big things you do to change your neighborhood, and we’ll post it here.
2 Comments
Grace,
I am the writer of the letter you featured above.
I thank you for taking the time to read, to notice and to comment. Your reaction was as heartwarming as it was flattering. Flattering not from an egotistical point of view, but from a perspective that my thoughts echo what other Filipinos feel and somehow can’t or won’t say.
I wrote another letter which was published today. Here’s the link.
http://opinion.inq7.net/inquireropinion/letterstotheeditor/view_article.php?article_id=13159
Tina Vitas
hi Tina,
you’re very welcome. and belatedly i realized that your article can’t be published or broadcasted or distributed without your knowledge… so my apologies. but given that you’ve forwarded this recent INQ article is it fine wiht you for me to use it?
Filipina Soul is a culture blog, and though we try to cover most good things about the PI and pinoys, we would like to post articles that are relevant and thought-provoking too. that’s why we appreciate opinions like yours. especially when they’re very true of who we are as a people.
so yeah, i’d appreciate forwards and links from you and if you don’t mind your permission to post them on Filipina Soul.
and God bless writers like you!