Losing sight of the calling

Today, on our TV show Agenda (Cignal TV channel 8 or 250) we’ll be airing the last part of our Holy Week series that focuses on spirituality, putting back Holy in “Holy Week,” Jesus: 2019 and “Politics, Business, or Religion.” The series has proven to be educational, challenging, and we hope will somehow bring back the focus on what our professed faith really teaches. The last of the series raises the question on why certain churches and church leaders get lost in making a living and delving into politics to the disadvantage or loss of the congregation.

As I reflected on the topics and what has been said so far, I came to realize that it is not only churches or religion that has lost sight of its calling or first love. Truth be told, even media in the Philippines may have, or has lost sight of our calling to get the news and deliver the news. Nowadays even the “standard newscast” has been infected by editorializing newscasters and newsreaders or written with opinion injected or as part of the treatment.  What’s worse is the blatant commercialization of important newscasts. Perhaps as a consequence of Martial Law and western influence, Philippine media has now assumed the position of critic of government and those in power. That’s good but too much of anything can also go bad. Not only have several media outlets become perpetual critics; some have targeted people in power instead of prioritizing the needs of the people and the audience. While the public might be interested in the sins and hidden wealth of politicians, is politics the only game in town?

Lately, many Filipinos particularly those in Metro Manila complain that they did not know or hear about scheduled shutdown of the MRT, scheduled power outages, road re-blocking, etc. In other words media has somewhat veered away from being the go to, or source of basic information that aids the public during disruptions. The only time we’re on the ball is when there is a major crisis or a natural disaster. We barely solicit day-to-day information and certainly only talk about breakdowns, shortages and failures but no longer the necessary “public service announcements.”  It is ironic to note that there is more interest in political candidates than valuable public information or assistance for those traveling, commuting or up against the wall in medical or financial needs.

This week being Holy week, I have to bring up what Jesus mentioned in the book of Matthew chapter 25: verses 35 to 40 as it relates to helping those in need:

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

Then the righteous will answer and say to him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

Almost everyday of the week, as I report for work, there is no avoiding the throng of desperate people who line up in front of TV-5 building by the hundreds. You find them sitting on the sidewalk, on folded newspapers, cartons almost like beggars waiting for the studio guards to give out forms to get their basic information and needs. They are there to find help from Raffy Tulfo, the well known anchor of TV-5 who has made a name helping or referring the helpless to proper authorities, physicians, politicians, law enforcers or government agencies. It is my daily dose of humility as I am reminded of the thousands if not millions of Filipinos they represent. Filipinos who have no wealth, no connections but have not lost hope or perhaps hoping against hope that “media” could do for them what politicians and government could not.

That’s just one of our many “calling” in media. To help those who cannot help themselves, to be a voice for those who have none. Rather than focus all my resources at the Yellow vs Dutertards campaign, we would be better off investigating and raising questions as to why thousands of people from all over the Philippines have to run to Raffy Tulfo and associates or media in general. This is evidence of failure in our social welfare and assistance program in the country. It is evidence that the justice system is not properly or fairly functioning. That desperate Filipinos trust people in media more than they trust the trillion-peso funded Republic of the Philippines. Something is seriously wrong when children are abducted and forced to beg in the streets. That tells us that the PNP and the DSWD are not giving ample importance to protecting and rescuing children from the streets.

The past month has brought to light or focused the fact that we in media have to bring attention to the incompetence in government. Instead of targeting President Duterte or prioritizing him and his family, we would have better use of our time targeting the incompetents or non-functioning functionaries and political appointees in the administration who have caused or failed to plan and manage the development of our power and water resources. Yes, we should go after the corrupt but we shouldn’t let that pursuit corrupt us of our true calling: to prioritize the well being of the Filipino public by prioritizing Public Service.

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