|
Let’s call it the Manny Pacquiao moment: the rare
event in the national life when Filipinos are lifted from their
chronic misery, are united in national jubilation and begin to
ponder their great potentials and possibilities.
The Pacquiao moment, inspired by
each epic victory of the greatest Filipino boxer, brings the people
closer together, raises the collective morale and sends every Juan
de la Cruz believing how great it is to be a Filipino.
In an explosion of self-pride,
the people cast partisan politics aside, forget about corruption in
high and low places, and temporarily become oblivious to the
lowliness of their station. On Sunday, even crime took a pause as
the well-wishers stuck to there TV and radio sets.
The national celebration prompts
a sense of resolution among the thoughtful to do better and to
improve their lives. It gives many a glimpse of the future, raises
their hopes and confidence in themselves and their society.
The “moment” could be
occasioned by domestic events or external forces. When President
Sergio Osmeña Sr. returned to the Philippines with the American
liberation forces in 1944, the nation rejoiced over prospects of new
freedom and prosperity.
The proclamation of Independence
at the Luneta on July 4, 1946, give the nation a new sense of hope
and purpose.
Pope John Paul II’s World Youth
Day visit in 1995 united Filipinos in prayer and thanksgiving, a
special day especially for the youth in the drive for
evangelization. Few events have equaled the enthusiasm and the
jubilation inspired by the papal visit.
Each time a Pinoy athlete vied
for the gold in the Olympic Games was an occasion for a national
get-together. Prayers soared whenever a Miss Philippines competed in
an International beauty/talent pageant.
Presidential candidate Ramon
Magsaysay’s victory in 1953 is probably the most celebrated in
political history. No other politician had enjoyed more trust and
adulation than The Guy. His death in a tragic plane crash also
grieved the nation collectively.
Overwhelming grief also seized
the country on the assassination of Sen. Benigno Aquino at the
Manila International Airport in 1983. Not long afterward, the
downfall of President Ferdinand Marcos by a people’s revolt raised
hopes for the restoration of freedom and democracy. The images of
EDSA 1 are etched indelibly in the national memory.
Sports and politics are not the
only playing fields that have provided momentous milestones in our
history. Quite movements, such as the globalization of Filipino
labor and the migration of native skills have kept the nation
together. The overseas Filipino worker (OFW) is our true gold
medallist, winning heroes for the country day-by-day.
We hope and pray that in the
coming decades, the country would be blessed with more meaningful
“moments,” events and developments that improve the economy,
provide every citizen with a decent job, and place all children at
school, give Filipinos more access to health care, strengthen law
and order in the country and, in general, raise standards of life
and make the Philippines a stronger partner in world peace and
security.
We pray for the day, for example,
when our jobseekers would not have to compare for overseas jobs but
would have the honest option of working here or abroad for almost
the same wages.
End of the insurgencies
At some time in the future, a
president of the Philippines will sign a peace agreement with the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and help our Muslim countrymen
build a homeland that will enshrine their past and nurtures their
hopes for the future, consistent with Moro aspirations and the
Constitution.
Putting an end to the 40-year
communist insurgency would be an occasion for national rejoicing.
The President or chief executive who could end the two rebellions on
just and honorable terms would strengthen national cohesion, peace
and prosperity.
Some day, one of our athletics
will end the collective yearning for the first Olympic gold medal
and will help raise the flag at the victory stand to the notes of
Lupang Hinirang. It is no idle dream to say that in the coming
years, an outstanding Filipino would receive the Nobel Prize for
science, literature or peace.
The Armed Forces of the
Philippines could cap its modernization by launching its first
submarine or long-range bombers.
Our porous borders require more
muscles. We could win more respect from friends and foes with
sophisticated technology and hardware.
The Philippine National Police
may finally acquire a modern crime laboratory and facilities to
solve criminality faster and with more success.
President Gloria Arroyo predicts
the Philippines could become a First World country. Imagine the
congratulations and the self-congratulations when Manila officially
joins the G-8 or the Club of Paris or the OECD.
We must not fail the tests
But we cannot enjoy developed
nation status if we fail the tests of integrity, human rights,
freedom, justice and democracy. Therefore, we should strive mightily
to protect our civil liberties, democratic institutions and all
constitutional rights.
Democracy is exhilarating and
messy but also very challenging.
A great day for celebration and
toasting democracy is when the criminal justice system arrests,
jails and prosecutes a very high official, such as former
commander-in-chief of the country, for dishonesty, mismanagement or
treason.
When the poor would no longer see
themselves as the only victims of the system or the law is unsparing
on the miscreant elite, that too, would be a Pacquiao moment, a
reason for celebration and to place greater trust in our weak
democratic institutions.
|
