COMMITMENT TO DEMOCRACY

“Reality is merely an illusion; albeit a very persistent one,” quoted by Albert Einstein. Philippines

went through the hands of different vanquisher from Spaniards, to Japanese and to Americans.

We transitioned from a dictatorship to a democratic country filled with incredible human and

natural resources.

Democracy in the Philippines is a paradox. Nowadays, the republic is slowly bustling its way to

an emerging country despite the gloomy global economic landscape because the mood of our

nation is always so buoyant and in high optimism level.

But this growth that we are trying to reach is constrained because of being affected of inefficient

governance. Corruption, as an example, is consistently cited and probably the main problem

underlying the slow progress of the Philippines. Corruption is a cancer that east away what good

is remaining in the government. The incumbent administration of Aquino tried to combat graft

and corruption so that we can experience notable progress.

Reducing corruption, both within and outside of the government can lead to a substantially

increased economic competitiveness and promoting higher level of domestic and foreign

investments making us a promising nation with trusted officials.

However, we tend to relate democracy to politicians, those people who gives us a different

picture of the Philippines for the better. This leads us to a misguided belief that we need

someone in the politics to address all of the issues and flaws, which suggest that true

representation is merely a large illusory. Concerns about democracy have become the central

point of political discourse and yet none has made it clear on how they shall do it.

For the past decades, Filipinos heard promises of freedom, prosperity and peace but it was

never realized. The country’s boundaries continue to be agonized by insurgency and havoc. We
experience political dynasties that have ruthlessly carved up the country and used their power

for their own benefit, forgetting that they are where they are because of the votes of the people.

Poverty and unemployed are still in double-digit and is increasing every now and then; we have

a lot of graduates but a very few places for them to practice their profession which now leads to

our fellowmen to work abroad; hoping to create a better future for themselves. As long as

corruption is evident, progress can never be achieved.

It is difficult to retain our faith that Philippines’ will be a fully democratic country without feeling

the need to rebuild its foundations by opting for political outsiders or offspring of former

leaders or dictators. We are still experiencing a democratic fatigue with further punishments

because of the ballots.

Rural areas are not doing any better, too. Years and years of being promised to have their own

land, ‘til now, farmers do not have a farm that they call their own. To take note that nowhere in

Asia has produced more plans for land reforms than the Philippines, but to no avail, it is trickling

down.

Infrastructure is no less daunting as we can hear news of residents from Manila had to bear the

daily struggle of commuting to and fro the office and to always be in the middle of the worst

traffic jam on earth. What has the government been doing to resolve this?

I, as a Filipino, have all the right to be angry and disappointed with those who ruled in the

government because if we look really closely, the real reason of the Philippines inability to

develop is lack of democracy and a decaying democratic institution.

Democracy sets a real and clear strategic direction; but these are not enough because it needs

to be initiated and substantiated with an equally clear set of strategic priorities. Each of these

priorities should have a time table and targets of performance every year. In this manner, we can
be able to bring democracy back to its ideal heights. Democracy does not happen overnight, it

imposes a concrete, specific and time-bounded discipline of performance.

Furthermore, the deep-seated corruption, bad governance and flawed civic culture should be

confronted: the roots must be uprooted. We can do this by constantly nurturing a culture of

good governance and responsible citizenship. After all, democracy is by the people, for the

people and of the people.