The Announcement and Denouncement of Amos (Revised)

How wicked is the world! There are people who are like the fat cows of Bashan. They are clogging the stream of justice. Praise those who fulfill God’s purpose; condemn those who are treacherous and unjust.

Let us assess two Physical Education professors who can exemplify the qualities above. Our swimming instructor will represent the good quality, while our dance instructor will represent the evil plaguing humanity.

Our swimming instructor was a member of the national team. She has told us about her meeting her husband in the pool, sharing with us personal experiences has given her a dynamic character. She was evocatively funny. Her class was never boring, giving us the best education she can offer. What better way is there to learn than in fun? She gives a level of concern for her students, making her well loved by her students.

Our dance instructor, who dresses badly and smells, is a demon that took form of a human who looks like a demon. For short, no matter how you hide things your ugliness will eventually come out. She deducts points for mid-term grades for not following instructions. She is a bureaucratic fool. Her system is being thwarted by bureaucratic inertia. She is like a capitalist who abuses the proletarians. As Karl Marx predicted, her apprentices will wage war on her. Her doom is inevitable.

There are many types of species in the world, as the Theory of Natural Selection states. Only the fittest will survive. Good shall win over evil. When we die, the righteous will go to heaven; the cruel will rot in hell in endless apathy.

I guess you know where the two will go. Do not worry, oh dance instructor, we will pray for the eternal repose of your soul. May God have mercy on your soul! Immortalize the spirit of justice as to bring heaven back to the hell that is earth.

I Forgot My Glasses

Funny how it seems people treat events as “accidental.” Everything happens for a reason. No matter how causeless it may seem, a reason is behind it.

Sometimes, people are affected by their emotions. People cannot identify causes because they are blinded by the event, an event so odd such as entering a twilight zone. Falling in love is like entering a twilight zone. Because normal things don’t happen very often.

During the freshmen elections, a candidate from my political affiliation introduced her co-league who was also running for a position. The second time I laid eyes on her, my heart allocated a space for her. I call it divine will.

Ever since fate brought me to that day, I was happier than ever. The sun was shining brighter each day. Everything was going right. I considered her the fire that burns my heart. Tasks that once seem to be adversity became easy and effortless.

Analyzing that biological phenomenon, we can never really say it was caused by a higher power. The imaginary Cupid did not shoot his arrow on me. The reason why I only fell for her the second time because I did not wear my glasses the first time.

Cultural Universal

A cultural universal is a similar pattern found in any culture. It includes all components of culture that are pervasively seen at a global scale. Looking at it using ethnocentrism, one will not be shocked.

The best way to define this concept is through the use of examples. A smile in any culture shows happiness. If you slap someone’s face it is an insult either to an American or a Filipino. As a frown would suggest sadness in the northern hemisphere, it would imply the same in the south.

The following situation is not a cultural universal. Suppose an American nods up and down to an Arab man. The Arab man would think of the American’s disapproval because in the Middle East nodding up and down presents disapproval. While nodding sideways means affirmation.

The Announcement and Denouncement of Amos

How wicked is the world! There are people who are like the fat cows of Bashan. They are clogging the stream of justice. Condemn those who are wicked and unjust! Bless those who fulfill God’s purpose!

Let us compare two Physical Education professors who can symbolize the qualities above. Our swimming instructor taught our lessons very well. In a period of two months, we became excellent swimmers. She shows passion and concern for her students. I can see her intention for us to learn.

Our dance instructor, who dresses badly, is an image of hopelessness and despair. She dances fairly gracefully. However, when she teaches us how to dance, she would just demonstrate the steps once. It gives me an epiphany that she does not want us to learn. She is like a capitalist who abuses the proletarians. She even deducts points in the final or mid-term grade when not following instructions. How bureaucratic! Her actions could lead to her apprentices to wage war on her as Karl Marx predicted.

God, give our swimming instructor everything she deserves. As for you, oh dance instructor, justice will one day surface. All of your evil will spark a revolution. Regret might save you. May God have mercy on your soul!

The Government Should be Restructured

With the policy of benevolent assimilation by the Americans, the Philippines was treated as an equal of the Americans and a ground for progress. The Philippines was among the most powerful countries in Asia.

Even after the American colonization of the Philippine, the country was still an economic powerhouse in the Asian continent. Revered by the international community, Filipinos lived a life of dignity and well-being. We were once “world class citizens.” That is why it is so tragic to see what this country has become.

The Philippine economy went into a slump in the sixties. Growth rate was very low. The country could not progress. Cronyism and nepotism was prevalent. Crimes and incidence of poverty increased. President Ferdinand E. Marcos acknowledged this situation. He declared Martial Law. All these became a bad omen of a bad future for the Philippine Republic.

Our present condition is proving to be more difficult and trying. The country is suffering from fiscal, economic and moral crises. The government is not fully acknowledging this. Our budget is being crippled by debt servicing. Our children and their children already owe money. It is for these reasons that cause my alarm. Therefore, I feel that the Philippine government should be restructured.

In order to run a government, we need resources. Financial resources are as important as human resources. In more stable countries, the government can create their own revenue. In weaker state, they depend more on tax revenues.

The amount of tax people pay is inversely proportional to the economic status of a nation. Rhoderick V. Nuncio, a professor in De La Salle University, cited Brunei as an example. He said Brunei’s people do not pay taxes because the government is able to produce more income than expenses.

The Philippines suffer budget deficits because of inefficient tax collection and graft and corruption. The former will be discussed first.

Tax evasion causes budget deficit. The Bureau of Internal Revenue is responsible for the misconduct of businessmen. Although the BIR has intensified its campaign to collect more taxes, still the system is quite ineffective.

The campaign of the BIR has brought it looking for new sources of income. Today, more and more products and even services are being taxed. However, money is still being lost within the BIR. The BIR’s bureaucratic inefficiency leads to budget deficit. If the government cannot allocate enough resources for the different government institutions, it will be forced to borrow money. If the situation gets worse yearly, the government would have to allocate more money in paying debts, cut the annual budget and increase taxes. It goes on an on in a vicious cycle.

Dr. Walker, a world-renowned economist, said that every economy in Asia will experience rapid growth over the next few years except for two. The two he is talking about is the Philippines and Indonesia. The reason is corruption.

Billions of pesos are being lost to corruption yearly, revealed Bro. Eddie Villanueva during his presidential campaign. Money that can construct roads to connect provinces, improve transportation and communication. These are vital for economic progression.

The Thomas Theorem can be held responsible for corruption. The theorem states what is defined to be true becomes true in their consequences (Macionis, 2003). The Social Weather Station survey reported 85 percent of Filipinos believe that corruption is rampant in the government (Montiel, et. Al., 2002). When Filipinos perceive that their leaders corrupt the nation, they produce generations of new corrupt leaders. They pass on the mentality “stealing a peso” cannot hurt a nation. Thus, Filipinos believe that you not get caught stealing little by little.

Government officials are not being transparent with the people. The flow of corrupted money is subtle. This is through political appointments, which will be discussed later on.

Graft and corruption is evil haunting the Philippines. Funds are transferred to private companies. Poverty arises. It causes shame in the international community. With corruption at an enormous scale in the Philippines, the people have lost their dignity.

Bro. Eddie once related that if a Filipino is to go abroad, he is subjected to the immigration officer’s prying eyes. The officer would look at him from head to toes. While an Australian would just be allowed to leave without that kind of discrimination.

Poverty is the result of corruption. A high school journalist from the Philippine Cultural High School once wrote in her opinion column “It is not the government per se that is responsible for poverty. Why blame the government then?” I strongly oppose that opinion. Filipinos are working hard for better lives; however, the system is simply inappropriate for the people. The government is making many policies and decisions that are seemingly far from feasible or effective.

Improper allocation of resources implies poverty. About 60 percent of the wealth of the country belongs to just about five percent of the population. About 90 percent of Filipinos live below the poverty line.

Overpopulation that crowds jobs is also a factor. People that will crowd the job market twenty years from now are being born, the news says. The Philippines has a young population which means more mouths to feed.

The political system of the country is being criticized by other nations and by its own people. However, it is blind of its condition. The media sometimes covers up for the government. They euphemize some issues concerning the government.

“Too much politics” as they say it. Election in the Philippines starts years before the actual one. A political figure or even a showbiz figure may start appearing on television and/or on other forms of media for a latent reason of running in the next election.

In order to win an election, you would need the three G’s – guns, goons, gold (Montiel, et. Al., 2002). Politics is very informal. People vote not the platforms of government but personality. The lack of professionalism, filing election complaints in defeat, hinders unity among people.

The electoral system in the Philippines has evolved. Almost anyone can run. An election may permit two or more candidates to run. If you do not have a political party, you can choose to run independently or make one. As this kind of system provides more choices for the people, the winner could not however represent a majority. He could not have full mandate of the people. The government and its people is divided.

The Philippine cultural values of “utang na loob” (debt of gratitude) forces winning politicians to accept favors. This promotes corruption that crushes a nation.

Rebuilding our nation is a daunting task. I would like to propose three ways to do it. First is education. Education is a powerful instrument. We must not only teach minds but also touch hearts. The values that we teach our children are the foundation of a just nation. Secondly, I would like to address our political system. Restructuring it us the key. With our present one, we cannot seem to elect righteous people. Lastly, one of the most powerful of all, a change in people. If we could just adhere to our moral principles, I believe this nation has a future. Let us elect leaders who can lead by example, so that their subordinates would do the right thing.

The government has failed its people. I believe it should be restructured. Corruption is wrong. Our political system is wrong. The system failed to unite the people. This matter is very urgent. The Filipinos are suffocating. People are losing trust and hope. The continuously worsening condition could mean the downfall of a dignified life. It is obvious that our country is hopeless. However, we must not lose hope. As the story of “Pandora’s Box” tells us, hope is sometimes enough.