A System of Frailties and Faults

Long lines. Blazing sunlight. Dripping sweats. Murmured curses.

This is basically what one would experience earlier at the LANI Cayetano Scholarship Distribution at the Cayetano Sports Complex. Over 1000 college and masteral students alike are gathered there to receive financial assistance of five thousand up to thirty thousand EACH.

Filipino time. Call time was 12:30PM. I prepared at around 11:30 and started my journey to the event at around 12:10PM. And of course, I am late. Not in my wildest imagination have I imagined that I would experience being stuck in a heavy traffic jam.

So I was able to go to the venue by 2PM and boy! The place was... (I am lost for words here friends. Words would just be understatements.) There was a lot of people. Chaos? Perhaps. There's a lot of long, unorganized lines. A late comer like me would be overwhelmed. "Where the hell would I go there?" Truth be told, I was actually tempted to leave the place right there and then, but the stubbornness in me prevailed. If I backed out, all of my efforts would be ruined (plus the sacrifices I've done... there's a big opportunity cost in going there. I missed an activity in my beloved organization: UPLB DevComSoc.)

Also, it was really hot! The sun shining directly towards us. And imagine us being at shoulder-to-shoulder length with each other because of the unorganized lines. What's worse is, people keep shouting and complaining... out loud. And I was like, "Hey people. Please STFU. Save your carbon dioxide emissions cause it only makes the temperature here hotter. Also, if it weren't for this government in the first place, all of us wouldn't be here and none of us will receive at most 30k today. Can't you just please keep those violent reactions to yourself and just be thankful first? Ungrateful bitches." Of course, I kept that to myself. But, if looks can kill, most of the people in my sight have been dead by now... especially the girls preceding me. There was only actually a girl and a boy in front of me when suddenly, out of nowhere, 3 other girls, obviously their classmate or schoolmate, approached them and started talking to them. Few minutes later, these girls were planning to buy some drinks and they turned to me and said, "Ate, pabantay muna ha? Dito kami sa harap mo... Bibili lang po kami ng juice. :)" And I was like... (you know what.)

Also, I heard a mom of another student saying, "Grabe ang tagal sa unahan. Isa isa kasi kayong bibigyan ng stub. Kaya mabagal talaga ang usad." Another said, "Kasi naman eh, palakasan pala dito!" 


This got me thinking. Is the Philippine system this faulty? Padrino system is always a prevalent situation anywhere. When can we eliminate that? I hate to say it's inevitable. I don't want to lose hope in our country. I am a development communicator. If I do not believe that development and progress is still applicable to this country, why continue this field of study in the first place? I should just shift to Mass Communication or the likes.

Philippines is not yet a hopeless case. Yes, it is a matter of human empowerment. The problem in this scenario is the lack of discipline. Not only on the part of the government workers but on the part of the citizens as well. Look, if no one will be bold enough to bribe, no one would dare use his/her power in favor of a single person, and vice versa. If everyone has the integrity to uphold their duties rightfully, no one would be bribed.

This is a matter of discipline. So before we look at the system's mistake, might as well look first at our contribution to that bigger picture of frailties and faults.