I have a dream…

    Klaus

June 22, 2008 by Klaus  
Filed under Klaus

“… The Philippines become a peaceful, prosperous and green country. …”

Every time I arranged my office I find some clippings from the past. I found that item of the Philippine President’s much talked about 10-points program such as creating million jobs, bringing peace to Mindanao, “decontaminating” Metro Manila, supporting entrepreneurs as the foundation of a broader middle, bringing electricity and water to all (?) barangays, balancing the budget - all that and much more, in six years. I slowly drifted - and start dreaming… . That program dates from mid-2004.

If I look around I still observe people pleading that the government solve the foreign and national debts by its self-imposed fiscal discipline and elimination of graft and corruption starting from the top to the bottom of its bureaucracy. Do we really tell our top-level government officials what’s happening in their communities? Do we tell them our needs and hopes?

I must confess: many times I do - and, it works. Many people just love to complain how bad everything and every body is.

Let’s tell our leaders to give protection to the environment as top priority in all agricultural and industrial undertakings. I know that a lot of people see me as naive and blue-eyed dreamer. Yes, I know, we have economical recession all over the world,  high jumping oil prices,  war because of  drinking water… .

I listened to Philippine students here in Davao City telling their leaders that they want them to be models of moral values, and to make values education as the top priority in public and private schools, from the nursery to the graduate school. Many years ago I mentioned already in one of my printed media columns: “Better start getting state-of-the-art quality education but also get connected to top officials and leaders of the country”.

I am talking about the Philippines. I know, in many others countries it’s the same. But I am living here and I noticed a lot of people talking to their senators and congressmen to urge the Chief Justice to speed up judicial processes starting with those waiting for decisions for the past ten or more years.

I know, but all those national leaders responded strongly and without doubt positively. Yes, one thing is very clear, the Philippines started to become a prosperous country with its oversea workers and “foreign investors”, who keep on running instead of complaining. Let’s spend the sunset of our lives together with other happy, healthy, strong and morally conscious people.

I have a dream … And I will continue living in the Philippines, because it’s worth living here…

An African proverb states: “The camel never see its own hump, but that of its brother is always before its eyes…!”

About the Author:  Klaus is from Germany, but has been living in the Philippines since the late 1990’s. Klaus is a journalist by trade, having written for a number of newspapers, studied also Publishing House Management and Marketing and has also been a Radio Host here in the Philippines.