Si Ondoy

Now that the nation is faced with a devastating calamity I am happy to see people help each other and for the first time not asking for something in return. And this leads me to ask a silly question, can this be the beginning of the change we have waited for so long in our country?

First of all I'd like to point out that the government was caught so unprepared that all they could do was watch and listen because there was no way that they can help the people calling and begging for rescue..or was there really no way for them to reach those people? Then why were there private individuals able to surmount the risks and overcome nature's hostility just to save a friend when the government deemed rescue impossible?

Maybe they were telling the truth because apparently these private individuals had motorized boats where as the government had freaking rubber boats that had to be paddled to move. How in the world can the rescuers be of help with such equipments?

So it ticks me to think that the government is partly to blame in this catastrophe. First and foremost, there is a calamity fund that's being allotted for every place each year. But they only use it for relief operation and when no calamity hits an area for the year the money is divided among the government officials who knows about it. So instead of using the money to educate people on emergency situations or buy equipments to help in rescue operations, they add the money to their annual bonuses..crap..

I could go on forever about what the government could have done so the effects could have been not as disastrous but I guess that's just a waste of time. I do hope though that this disaster would be an eye-opener for people to learn to speak up when they think they are disadvantaged or deprived by the government. Or better yet we need to care more about ourselves and our countrymen..Just because we are able to buy the things that we need doesn't mean we could simply close our eyes and ears to the injustices being done by people around us. We need to care and that is exactly what was shown by the people during those hours of distress.

We showed that we can do so much with little aid from the government as long as we individuals would be willing to do our part. So we should take this experience by heart and know that the government is there to assist us, they chose to serve us but more importantly they are paid for that responsibility and if they fail us we have every reason to stand up to them. It is time that we get what is rightfully ours and save our nation..

How do we choose the best leader?

Some would say we should choose the most intelligent of the bunch. Others would like the most famous to lead the country and some would prefer to have a religious leader. So what really are the qualifications of a good leader?

When I was a kid I always thought that the most intelligent person in the class is automatically the leader. If you get good grades and if you go to the best school then by virtue of being more knowledgeable academically you are the leader. What happens then if the that person does not know a thing or two about the streets because all he does is study?

Maybe a good leader is exemplified by someone who can boss people around. Definitely a lot of things will be achieved and everyone will be involved in certain activities. But then the leader might abuse his power and use his position for personal gains.

Or maybe the best leader is the person who is also the best follower. Still the best for the position might be that someone who knows the Gospel too well. Or what about the most popular person, he just could be the right leader.

I guess our choice depends on what is important and relevant for us. So can we ensure that our choice is the best option? No, there is really no way of knowing..