Let’s End the Cycle

In the Philippines, giving importance to our culture has been part of the culture itself. It has become
established that not conforming to it as a Filipino citizen is a huge disgrace to our nation. In fact, when
one fails to adhere to the unwritten laws our ancestors set for us and today’s people have successfully
conveyed, you are somewhat subjected to unreasonable penalties. Or even so, ousted from a clique you
are part of.

Some of us have taken its toll from the absurdity of some of our traditions and culture. Marriage is one of
those. The way we see the concept of marriage deeply relies on your social status. A poor woman would
think marrying a rich man would be her way out of the slums, a rich woman marrying another rich man
would maintain her tier and would also mean it’s good for business and both of their reputation, a woman
who has been a breadwinner of her parents for so many years finally felt suffocated and so she decided
to marry someone straightaway. Clearly, who you marry and end up having a family with is none of my
business, however, I think I also should take part of educating the youth (which I am included in) about
the consequences of marrying for other reasons than plain love.

Marriage is not a joke and should not be taken as an escape from poverty nor should be seen as an
opportunity. In this world, the consequence of your actions would not only affect you and your children
in the future, but the community as a whole. We are interconnected and that is a fact not known to most
people. I have witnessed so many marriages failed to the extent where the children are becoming the
victims. Most of the Filipino people, especially the young ones who, at a very early age, decided to start a
family with nothing (no house, no savings, utterly nothing) would end up suffering financially, emotionally
and even psychologically. It becomes a cycle. Eventually, two married couples with nothing in their
pockets would not be able to send their children to school and more likely, these young ones would
inevitably resort to petty crimes, thus becoming a juvenile delinquent.

The small decision we make may have an impact in a grander scale. Like this issue, it will disrupt a whole
community and it will certainly become a tiring cycle. No one will be able to stop it not unless free access
to different information pertaining marriage will be properly disseminated especially to areas where
people are deprived of such. Most of you would say I am being delusional and exaggerated, but to make
this statement even sound worse, pregnancy rate continues to skyrocket drastically. Because we made
sex taboo, sex education is something done in/to a quite minimal and limited time, place, and even
people. Teens getting pregnant at a very early age, Filipino parents would automatically choose marriage
as an alternative. It isn’t healthy and yes, everybody should think twice before tying the knot if the only
reason you are marrying someone is because of everything but love.

Footh Note To Youth gave me an epiphany. That before we settle down and start a family, we should build
ourselves first. Invest for our future for the future is not certain. If we are born poor, let us break the cycle
and try our best that our future generation will not suffer the same bitter circumstances we survived.