Time to reflect and be grateful

This past week, amidst the continuous bad news we get about the country — ranging from the continued pork barrel issue, the on-going BIR problems, the unbearable heat, and the explosive weekend traffic (just to name a few) — we were finally treated with a little bit of good news. This is something I feel we sorely need and we should take a moment to actually be happy about things for a change because, no doubt, it won’t be long before the bad news takes over again.

Among the good news bits that happened recently one of the most poignant is the decision of the Supreme Court about the Reproductive Health Law or the RH Law. After months and months of deliberations and years and years of struggling to pass the bill through Congress, they have finally deemed the RH Law “not unconstitutional.” Though it may not have been quite the victory some expected — read: they did not even deem it “constitutional,” they chose instead to use a double negative, it’s enough to get the ball rolling and hopefully make some much-needed changes in the country.

While some provisions were not approved — mainly the ones that had to do with religious freedom — the main and important parts of the bill were upheld and this means providing Filipinos with “ethical and medically safe, legal, accessible, affordable, non-abortifacient, effective and quality reproductive healthcare services and supplies.” It’s definitely about time.

All the religious and moral issues aside, the truth of the matter is that our country has been desperate for some form of reproductive health care for years. We have one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the world (with the numbers going up instead of going down) as well as a continued high number of maternal deaths and pregnancy complications. What’s more, so many of our countrymen are already living in poverty and can’t even put food on their tables. They do not need more mouths to feed and more children that they cannot support. Over 30% of our people are barely surviving and the strain of such a large population is having an effect on everything around us including straining the environment almost to its breaking point.

This is a change that has been years in the making and I suppose as the saying goes, “better late than never.” Hopefully the RH Law can finally and fully be implemented and people can be given the power of proper reproductive education and the power of choice when it comes to their family planning methods. I truly believe in the long run, we will all be better off because of it.

Another piece of good news is that after years of struggling to get back to Category 1 status, the Philippines has finally been restored! This could mean so many good things for Filipino travelers in the years ahead. With PAL and even Cebu Pacific being allowed to fly to US destinations, hopefully this means good and productive competition and eventually more possibilities for lower fares and specials. I even read somewhere that in their jubilation Cebu Pacific will be offering a special $1 promo rate at some point in time. We definitely have to keep our eyes open for that.

But while the time to rejoice for our aviation industry is definitely here, it should also be done with caution. Being back at Category 1 is great, but it should also serve as a reminder that we should never lose that standing again. It was quite embarrassing and sad to have been downgraded in 2008 for not being able to follow simple safety regulations. Not to mention, all the years (6 in total) we spent trying to get back to Category 1. We are being given a second chance and will, no doubt, be monitored very carefully so we really must proceed with the utmost caution and respect moving forward. Having said that, I am certainly looking forward to seeing what flights will soon be offered.

Another bit of good news is that we have reached a new security agreement with the United States that will allow them to share presence at local bases for maritime and humanitarian efforts. This also increases their vow to help protect the Philippines against China who has been bullying our country for months now over the sea/territory dispute. I think this is great news. It’s no doubt that the Philippines and the United States are the oldest allies in the Asia-Pacific region and they have always been there to lend us a helping hand, most recently during the disaster of Typhoon Yolanda, so it’s affirming that we will have their support should any type of altercation finally erupt with the Chinese.

And finally, a crowning glory in a week’s worth of good news is the recent win of our country’s beloved boxer Manny Pacquiao against Timothy Bradley and the return of the welterweight belt. This was a very scary fight for Filipinos who continue to support and cheer for our nation’s champ. Despite his devastating loss against Marquez two fights back, we still believe in him and know that if anyone can work their back it will be him. Manny is not only about wins, losses, or knockouts, he is a true fighter with a strong heart and he knows that all fighters can easily have a bad day and they have to work twice as hard, against their detractors, to come back from that.

When Manny suffered that knockout at the hands of Marquez many questioned whether it was time to hang up his boxing gloves for good. This is a normal question for those who suffer a difficult defeat in their later years. But Manny was not going to go out that way and stayed in the game despite many telling him it was time to retire. Little by little, he is working his way back and showing the world that he is not done yet.

The Manny we saw last Sunday may be older and he may be a different fighter than he was when he was younger, but he is no less good and no less endearing. No one can maintain the vigor of youth forever after all, and the smart boxers know how to evolve throughout their years. Manny is evolving into a smarter and wiser fighter. He still has the fire and he still does his best, but at the same time, he knows that he has to be smarter and more careful in the ring. Gone are the days of reckless abandon and now is the time to fight smart. I applaud him for that, as do all of our countrymen for once again bringing pride to the Philippines. There is no doubt in my mind that Pacquiao is one of the best fighters of our generation and will go down in history as a great boxer.

Indeed, there was a lot of good news for us this week. We should be grateful and try to remain optimistic. With Easter fast approaching and a few days of vacation ahead of us, it’s the perfect time to reflect on our blessings and be grateful. With that, I’d like to wish everyone a very meaningful Holy Week and a Happy Easter!