Real independence

It’s been barely four days since the country celebrated its 120th Independence Day. Memes on the internet would say that it was a fake independence declaration since after that day in 1898, another set of colonizers came to conquer us. It took about 40 more years before we claimed our real independence but until today it seems like there is no freedom at all.

If you ask an ordinary Filipino if there is freedom in this time, the answer would be no. There is no freedom from poverty and the many things that a Filipino has to face especially as he faces the world. There is the reality of an environmental crisis that all stakeholders are working hard to address. There is no freedom from racism and the fact that we have been bringing our own race down. If we go abroad, we regard ourselves as third-class citizens. If we are in our own country, we act like slaves to foreigners who laugh at us because we try to cater to their needs all at once.

We can never be independent at all when we keep thinking too low of ourselves. When will we ever be proud of the way we are? Or by the color of our skin? With the way things are in this country, it’s hard to say if we can boast of our race. But it is never too late to try and make things better. We can always deviate from the bigger number of people who are not uplifting the country. The choices that we make will be reflective of how we regard the Philippines. Have you ever thought about that today?

Just recently, policemen who were allegedly involved in illegal drugs were gunned down. One incident was regarded as a legitimate police operation while the other incident has no suspect yet. Both families are grieving, hoping that they be liberated from the pothole they are in. They regard the government as enemies and are still in search of justice. Just like them and many others, there are questions that need to be answered. They will be forever in chains to the truth that they were not able to have a taste of due process.

With all that there is today, it’s hard to say if the freedom that we enjoy today from the labor of our forefathers is worth it. There is an invisible hand that seems to be working among the countries, directing power at those who have all the resources and influence. There is still a long way to go but I hope there will be genuine change in the end. Who wouldn’t want a better Philippines? One-hundred twenty years is still too young to become a stable independent country but we can all start somewhere.

The future looks near but is really too far. I only hope that the leaders that we chose today would understand what this country needs freedom from trouble and worry.